#I figured we can start out with a reunion thread

[heavensbled]

@uponthyhonor

Imagine that. He'd come by for a dip in the famous hot springs and who does he see? The first emotion to hit him is pure unadulterated joy and it livens him like an open wire. Blue eyes widen and his lips part as if he's going to call the man's name but- nothing comes out. He tries again and there's something stuck in his throat.

"W-ell look who it is..."

[just-aake]

Dyeing to See You Again

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x fem!reader

Summary:  The need for a change of style brings about a reunion between Natasha and her old friend.

Warnings: light fluff, light angst

Words: 6659

Ohio - 1995

Three years ago, in the heart of the Midwest, a typical family of four moved into the ordinary suburban home next to yours.

Naturally, as their neighbor, you became interested in learning about the new family, especially since you found out that one of their daughters was similar to you in age. 

Initially closed off in the beginning, you slowly chipped away at the girl’s cold exterior until eventually the two of you became inseparable friends, forming a close bond with her over the three years they’ve lived here so far.

Currently, you find yourselves in the bathroom of her home amidst a chaotic mess of scattered bottles of hair products and dyes, the result of two young teens messing around without supervision.

You watch as Natasha removes the towel from her head, revealing the experiment that the two of you have been working on, and your eyes widen in shock at the sight.

“Uh oh, Nat, I think we might’ve mixed up the wrong bottles,” you exclaim in a slight panic as you rush around to pick up the different dyes, trying to find the one that was applied to her hair.

“I’m so sorry, Natasha,” you apologize as you try to figure out where you two went wrong.

“No, no, it’s okay,” Natasha reassures, her voice distracted in awe as she examines the strands of her newly colored hair in the mirror.

“It’s blue,” you state plainly in disbelief at her untroubled state. 

“Yeah, but…it was my choice,” Natasha says with a widening happy grin.

You drop the bottles in your hand and tilt your head at her in confusion.

“I thought you said that your mom was okay with this.” 

Natasha makes an unsure sound before shrugging, “I’m sure she will be..I think.”

You twist your lips skeptically at her words as you stand and return to her side. Your hand raises to her hair, but before you touch it, you pause and look at her with a questioning look, silently asking for permission. 

Over the time you’ve known her, you’ve learned how much Natasha values her personal space. The first time you patted her back in a friendly gesture, she pushed you away so hard that you scraped your hands while catching yourself on the ground.

Natasha apologized profusely immediately afterward and supported you home where she helped to tend to your wounds.

That was the first time you saw the true warmth that Natasha was hiding underneath her cold exterior as she cared for you.

At that time, she explained to you how she was not used to such friendly gestures like that from her peers and had reacted instinctively. 

Hearing this, you decide to always ask if she’s comfortable before you touch her.

With her nod of permission, your finger gently threads through her now light blue hair, brushing it in contemplation.

“Well, I guess it’s fine since it’s summer, but you’re going to have to change it back before school starts,” you remark.

Natasha shrugs, unconcerned, before flashing you one of her rare teasing grins.

“I’ll just have you dye it for me again. Maybe next time it might actually be the right color.”

You huff in disbelief at her, but before you can point out she also contributed to the mistake, the sound of the front door opening and the call from Natasha’s mom, Melina, causes both of your eyes to widen. 

Within the next second, the two of you scramble to clean up the mess in the bathroom, laughing with each other the entire time.

You never did get a chance to change her hair color back to normal. 

Natasha and her family vanished without a trace before the end of that summer. 

There was no note. No warning. 

She was just suddenly gone from your life.

And though many years pass, you’ve always held onto the hope that someday you can see her again.

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

Ohio - 2016 (21 Years Later)

The peaceful ambiance of the late evening is pierced by the gentle chime of the bell hanging above the entrance to the hair salon, announcing the arrival of an unexpected visitor.

“Sorry, we’re closed,” you call out, your eyes still fixed on the task of sweeping the floor.

A familiar voice responds, breaking through your concentration. 

“What about for an old friend?”

Instantly, you freeze in your movements and look up at the visitor, disbelief flooding your senses as you recognize the voice and then the face of the woman. 

"Nat?" you utter in disbelief.

Natasha stands before you, a soft smile gracing her features as she greets you. 

“Hey, Y/n.”

Abandoning everything in your hands, you rush towards her, only to stop short of barreling into her when you remember how she felt about her personal space. 

To your surprise, Natasha pulls you into her arms for a tight hug, breaking the barrier herself.

Momentarily stunned, you quickly recover and return her warm embrace, tucking your head against her shoulder and letting out a breath of disbelief that she’s actually here in front of you.

The two of you stay in that position, reveling in your reunion with each other, before Natasha breaks the silence with a soft murmur against your shoulder.

“So, about that haircut?”

You chuckle, nodding in response to her request.

As Natasha settles into a chair, you move to secure the salon, locking the door and closing the blinds, shielding the two of you from prying eyes. 

Despite the late hour and remote location, you’re not taking any chances. 

Even though it has been years since you last saw Natasha in person, that doesn’t mean you didn’t eventually discover who she really was, recognizing her immediately through the news during the attack in New York and now with her current predicament.

But that’s her business. 

You’re not going to bring it up unless she wants to talk about it. 

Here in this moment, she's not a spy or the Black Widow. She’s simply Natasha, your friend. 

And right now, she wants to change her hair.

Taking your position behind her, you place your hands on the back of the chair and meet her eyes in the mirror. 

“So, what are we thinking?”

Natasha ponders for a moment before a teasing grin lights up her face, and she turns her head to look at you. 

"We could attempt the platinum blonde again, maybe without the blue this time?"

You roll your eyes and shake your head with a laugh of disbelief at the memory of your past failed attempt at dyeing her hair.

Before you begin, you give her the same questioning look as when you were younger, silently asking for permission to touch her.

A small smile forms on her face at the familiar request, and Natasha nods to you before facing forward once again to give you access to her hair. 

With her consent, your fingers gently thread through her hair, delicately brushing out the tangled areas as you go. 

As you continue your actions, Natasha’s eyes flutter closed, and a relaxed expression crosses her face as the tension in her shoulder eases with every movement.

A happy smile tugs at your lips when you see this, so you continue your soothing actions as you inspect the condition of her hair.

“What did you do?” you ask in concern when you realize the state of her hair. “The ends are all burnt up. Did you light your hair on fire or something?”

Natasha chuckles lightly, her eyes still closed as she responds.

“Not exactly. I jumped off an exploding secret evil base that was floating in the sky.”

A brief pause follows as you process her words before you release a huff of disbelief at her casual explanation. 

“Well, obviously one of us has chosen the more exciting career.”

You finish your assessment of the extent of damage to her hair before shaking your head with a resigned sigh.

“I don’t think these are salvageable. We might need to cut most of it off.”

“That’s fine,” Natasha answers calmly, unconcerned by the news.

“Seriously?” you ask, making sure she sees the length of how short her hair will be.

She meets your eyes in the mirror and gives you a reassuring nod.

“It’s not like I haven’t had that style before,” Natasha reasons before letting out a tired sigh. “Besides, a different look for me is probably better at the moment anyway.”

Understanding what she’s referring to, you don’t press further, replying with a soft, “Okay.”

You proceed with the transformation, draping a cape around Natasha’s shoulders before delicately combing through her hair.

With each snip of the scissors, you work meticulously with care, shaping Natasha’s hair into a style that would best complement her features. 

Lost in your task, you can’t help but be captivated by her beauty, understanding how she came to be described as the spy who captures the hearts of all those who encounter her.

As you finish up with the haircut, the peaceful atmosphere of the moment is shattered by an alert from the tv, interrupting the currently airing program. 

The late-night news anchor appears on the screen, delivering the all-too-familiar message that has become a nightly ritual.

“The search efforts are still ongoing for the fugitives Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff, also known as Captain America and the Black Widow. The two are currently on the run for violation of the Sokovia Accords. Any information regarding their possible whereabouts should be reported to—” 

With a frown, you swiftly reach for the remote and shut off the tv. 

Turning back, your frown deepens when you find Natasha rising from the chair.

“What are you doing?” you question, puzzled by her sudden action.

Natasha shakes her head with a grave expression as she removes the cape from her shoulders.

“This was reckless. I shouldn’t be here,” she answers, her voice filled with regret. “I’m just putting you at risk.” 

Realizing her intention to leave because of the possible dangers of her presence, you interject firmly when she strides past you toward the exit. 

"I'm glad that you did."

Your unexpected words cause her to pause in her tracks, confusion flickering across her face as she turns to meet your gaze.

"I don't care about the risks, Nat," you say, your tone unwavering and softening with a small smile at her. 

“I’m glad that I got a chance to see you again.”

Natasha’s eyes widen slightly at your words, but a hesitant look still remains on her face, so you offer another reassurance.

“If I didn’t want you here, I would’ve told you to go already.”

Her gaze focuses on you in contemplation, and you know she’s almost convinced, prompting you to continue, your hand turning the chair around to her in invitation.

“Besides, I’m not finished yet. I still have to dye your hair and show you that I can get the color right this time,” you tease lightly.

A small smile tugs at Natasha’s lips, and a hint of amusement appears in her eyes as they soften into a fond look at you. 

With one final contemplative glance to the exit, Natasha comes to a decision and gives in, settling back into the seat again.

“Alright, show me what you got.”

With her permission granted, you proceed with the dyeing process, your fingers moving with practiced ease as you bleach and tone her hair, removing the remnants of her signature vibrant red locks, before applying the blonde dye. 

Your brows furrowed in concentration as you carefully coat each strand of her hair to ensure an even color in the end. 

Meanwhile, throughout the process, Natasha watches you intently through the mirror, a tiny admiring smile pulls at the corner of her lips when she sees how focused you are on your work.

Once all that’s left is to wait for the dye to set, you disappear into the back of the salon in search of some snacks and return triumphantly with a tub of ice cream. 

Offering Natasha a spoon with a playful grin, you both indulge in the sweet treat, the casual banter flowing effortlessly between you as if the years apart had never existed.

“So do you still live in the same neighborhood?” Natasha asks between spoonfuls.

You shake your head, explaining, “My parents are still there, but I moved out here years ago after fixing up this building for myself. My place is actually next door, though sometimes it’s hard to tell these are two separate buildings. You have no idea how many packages I end up never receiving because the mailman can’t find my home.”

The two of you share a laugh and continue reminiscing about past adventures and mishaps and then about your current lives.

Throughout the entire time, your questions to her remain light-hearted, carefully avoiding any mention of her current situation or her mysterious past.

Despite the happy atmosphere, your consideration for her only makes the sense of guilt within Natasha grow with each passing moment, reminding her of what she put you through.

Eventually, the room falls into a comfortable quiet as you clean up the empty containers and move to throw them away. 

When you return, Natasha decides to address her mistakes and the role she played in the fracture of your friendship.

“I’m sorry,” she says softly.

You look at her with a perplexed look, tilting your head in confusion.

“For what?” you ask.

“For not telling you who I was…for leaving without any warning,” she confesses, her eyes closing briefly with remorse. “You didn’t deserve that.”

You lean back against the counter, arms crossed, your gaze dropping to the floor as you contemplate her words. Your thoughts and feelings about her apology remain inscrutable on your face. 

After a brief pause, you finally meet her gaze again with a serious expression.

“Was it real?” you ask.

At your question, Natasha furrows her brows in confusion, causing you to elaborate.

“Our friendship,” you clarify, gesturing between the two of you. “All the times we spent together…was it real?”

Natasha pauses as she thinks back to her time undercover. The mission was to pose as a normal family to infiltrate and gather intel from a research lab nearby. 

That didn’t necessarily mean she needed to form such a close relationship with you at the time. 

So was her friendship with you genuinely her choice?

As Natasha contemplates her answer, you take a step closer to her, causing her focus to return back to you.

“The way I remember it, I wanted to be your friend,” you admit before giving her a knowing look. “And I’m guessing you didn’t have to be mine, at least based on all your brooding and glares that you gave me in the beginning.”

Natasha grimaces sadly at the memory of how distant and cold she was initially before giving you a curious look.

“So why did you try to become friends with me?”

You shrug, a nostalgic expression appearing on your face. You recall the first time you spotted the lone girl curled up into herself underneath the shelter of the branches of the trees.  

“When I first saw you, you just…looked like you needed somebody on your side for once,” you admit softly before tilting your head at her. “And I thought… maybe I could be that person for you.”

Natasha’s mouth parts slightly in surprise at your answer. Before she can respond, her stunned silence is abruptly broken by the sound of the timer. 

With a gentle shake of your head, you return your focus to her hair, positioning yourself behind her.

“You don't have to apologize, Natasha,” you assure her, your voice steady and comforting, as you delicately begin to unwrap her hair. 

“Odds are I would’ve still chosen to be your friend whether I knew if you were a spy or not. And as for leaving…”

You recline her chair, her head now hovering above the washing station, as you let out a soft sad sigh and begin washing her hair.  

“People come and go throughout our lives all of the time. And most of the time, we can’t stop it from happening.”

Your voice wavers slightly, the memories of the devastation you felt when you found out Natasha had left come flooding back. 

Even though she wants to, Natasha can’t see what kind of expression you have on your face, your hand covering her eyes to shield the water from her face.

Shaking off the sad memory, you dry her hair and reposition Natasha upright. Your fingers glide through her newly shortened locks, combing them as you continue with a lighter and more upbeat tone.

“But the one thing we can do is hope that the people who truly mean something to us are the ones we’ll get to see again.”

Satisfied with the results of Natasha’s new hairstyle, your hands settle on the back of the chair, turning it so she faces the mirror.

Bending down, your head hovers beside hers as you meet her eyes in the reflection.

“And look, I got to see you again, didn’t I?” you say with a happy grin.

Natasha is stunned, her heart warmed by your words. She gazes at her reflection, admiring her new look, but her eyes keep returning to you, your words still echoing in her mind.

Oblivious to her awed stares at you, you return your focus to brushing her hair and examining it proudly.

“Do you like it?” you ask eagerly with anticipation when you finally look up back at her. 

“Yeah,” Natasha responds honestly, her gaze fixed on you. “I do.”

You give her a beaming smile at her answer, causing the corners of Natasha’s lip to quirk up fondly at the sight. 

After you do your finishing touches and declare that she’s done, Natasha stands from the chair and reaches into her pockets for the remaining money she still has on hand.

“How much do I owe?”

You wave your hand in refusal, shaking your head.

“Nothing, consider it a gift from a friend,” you insist, giving her a resolute expression, daring her to argue.

Huffing lightly under her breath at your determination, Natasha gives you a small smile as she relents with a soft, “Thank you.”

Her eyes glance at the darkness outside, seeing how late into the night it is, and she turns back to you, tilting her head in question.

“Can I at least walk you home then?” she offers.

You raise an amused brow at her, probably because your home most likely only takes less than a couple minutes walk from here. 

Still, you agree to her request with a nod, unable to resist the opportunity to prolong this time together with her.

“Alright. Let me just close up.”

After you lock the shop, the two of you walk side by side along the sidewalk to your home before you suddenly stop and point to the lone motorcycle parked across the street.

“Is that yours?” you ask curiously.

“Yes, it is,” Natasha says proudly.

“It’s nice,” you compliment before you shoot her a teasing smirk. “It’s definitely cooler than that bicycle you used to ride.”

Natasha lets out a playful offended scoff in disbelief.

“Hey, you’ve always loved it when I let you ride on the back of that bike with me,” she points out.

You chuckle at her exclamation in defense of her precious bicycle, but you don’t deny her accusation.

Your heart warms at the memory of wrapping your arms around her waist, clinging to her from behind as Natasha rides her bicycle down the neighborhood streets.

Your eyes linger on her hand at her side, wanting to feel that warmth again, but you resist the urge to reach for her. Instead, you tuck your hands behind your back as the two of you continue your path.

Once you reach your front door, you turn back around to face Natasha, a somber expression settling over you.

“Will you ever come to visit again?” you ask with a tinge of hope in your tone.

Natasha hesitates, wanting to tell you ‘yes,’ but she knows better than to make promises that she can’t keep, especially with her current situation. 

“I don’t know,” Natasha answers honestly in a soft whisper. 

You dip your head slightly, a sad smile on your lip.

Natasha swallows her own desires in her heart and gestures awkwardly behind her.

“I should…probably get going before someone sees me,” she says with a small grimace.

You nod at her in understanding, moving to unlock and open your door.

“Stay safe, Natasha,” you tell her, your voice thick with longing. “If anything, I do hope I’ll get the chance to see you again one day.” 

When you enter your home and close the door with a dull thud of finality, Natasha's hand rests gently against the solid barrier separating you. 

Leaning her forehead against the cool wood, she whispers sadly, "Me too,” before finally turning away.

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

Ohio - 2016 (2 Months Later)

It was late one evening again when the bell above the door chimed just as you were cleaning up for the day. Looking up, a surprised and excited expression forms on your face when you see who it is.

“Can you take one more?” Natasha asks, a small smile also appearing on her face when she sees you.

With a light chuckle, you approach her, your hands clasped behind your back.

“For you, always,” you reply warmly, stopping in front of her with a fond tilt of your head.

Natasha bites her lips lightly to keep her grin from widening at your words. Just as she’s about to step closer, a gentle knock on the door behind her reminds her of her original reason for coming to see you.

“Actually, it’s not for me though,” Natasha explains before opening the door again and waving someone in.

A brown-haired girl cautiously steps into the salon at Natasha’s invitation. Her eyes look around, examining the room before falling on you with a wary gaze.

“This is Wanda,” Natasha introduces. 

The girl gives you a timid wave in greeting from her crossed arm, but she subtly retreats to a position slightly behind Natasha. 

Her expression is pinched with apprehension as if she’s anticipating some sort of reaction from you.

You recognize Wanda quickly from the nightly tv alerts, her picture now featured alongside Natasha’s after the news broke about a high-security prison break a month ago.

Before you can offer her some reassurance, another familiar face walks in.

“The perimeter is secure,” the man announces before focusing on you and extending his hand in a greeting. “Hello, I’m Steve.”

Reacting instinctively to his polite greeting, you shake his hand and introduce yourself. 

“Hi, my name’s Y/n. I’m Natasha’s friend.”

Steve raises a brow at that and gives you a skeptical look.

“Just a friend? With the way Nat talks about you, I thought she was going to pull the same move as Barton and introduce us to her secret family.”

That draws a curious look from you as you ask him.

“What did she say?”

“Well—”

A loud cough from Natasha interrupts your conversation, drawing your attention before he can continue further.

Natasha’s subtle glare silences Steve, her arms crossed in disapproval, as she grits out to him, “Didn’t you say you wanted to see if you could find a place to resupply?”

Hearing this and wanting to offer some help, you raise your hand to get their attention and interject, “Most places around here are closed at this time, but…” 

You pause as you go to the back and retrieve your keys and offer them to Steve, explaining, “...there is a convenience store around the corner that belongs to my ex’s grandparents. They gave me a spare key for if I ever need something. Just write down what you take and leave the money behind the counter. Oh, and the security cameras don’t actually work, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

Steve takes the keys from you with a grateful nod. 

“Thank you, this’ll help us out a lot.”

He then turns to Natasha and Wanda.

“I'll meet up with you two when you finish up here then,” he says, heading towards the door.

“I can come help you,” Wanda offers, moving to follow Steve, but Natasha blocks her path with a knowing expression.

“You said you wanted to change your look since we’ll be going into hiding,” she reminds Wanda who twists her lips in disappointment when she realizes she failed to escape.

“I didn’t think that meant we would be forcing someone to do it for me,” Wanda says, still glancing at you with apprehension.

You wave your hand in reassurance, interjecting quickly, “Oh, I don’t mind. Natasha’s not forcing me to do this. I’m happy to help.”

“Well, that’s settled then,” Steve declares with an acknowledging nod to you. “Thanks again, Y/n.”

After a pointed gesture from Natasha, Wanda settles into one of the chairs with a small sigh.

Natasha leans against the counter facing you and Wanda as you move to your position behind the chair.

“So, what color did you want to dye your hair?” you ask her.

“It doesn’t matter,” Wanda replies with a resigned tone, her eyes downcasted and focused on her hands in her lap.

You frown slightly in concern at her defeated attitude, and you look at Natasha, giving her a meaningful look.

“What do you think, Natasha? I believe I got some new colors recently. Maybe purple or green would fit her,” you ponder out loud as if actually considering those options.

Wanda’s head shoots up in shock as she sputters incredulously, “Green?”

Natasha grins, catching on to your intentions, as she shrugs casually at your suggestions, adding, “You could never go wrong with blue.” 

You laugh at her comment, nodding in agreement.

“Okay, okay, I get it,” Wanda says quickly, a hint of exasperation in her voice. She points seriously at the two of you. “No to all those. I don’t want it to be that big of a change.”

Her voice lowers to a sad but determined tone.

“I don’t want it to be as if they succeeded in forcing me to change who I am,” Wanda admits as she stares down at her hands where a red ball of mist flows between her fingers in a gentle pattern.

“Well, the great thing about changing your hair is that ultimately whatever you decide, it’s your choice to make,” you say, your gaze meeting Natasha’s slightly widened eyes, before continuing firmly, “No one can take that decision from you.”

Wanda contemplates your words for a moment and then nods at you decisively.

“Can you lighten my hair into an auburn color?” she asks.

You give her a gentle smile and nod, replying, “Alright then. Auburn it is.”

Before you touch her hair, you give her a questioning look and ask, “Are you comfortable for me to touch your hair and start?”

Wanda blinks at you in surprise, and her tense posture relaxes slightly when she realizes you’re asking for her permission.

With a nod, she responds softly, “Go ahead.”

As you work on Wanda’s hair, Natasha watches you intently with a fond look in her eyes, lost in her thoughts at the sight of you and glad that she had this opportunity to see you again.

Before she knows it, you’re already finishing up applying the last coatings of the dye on Wanda’s hair when you suddenly speak up.

“You know, I’ve always had a soft spot for redheads,” you state casually before meeting Natasha’s eyes with a teasing smile.

“Are you trying to say that you don’t have a soft spot for me now that I’m blonde?” Natasha asks with an amused raise of a brow.

You shrug nonchalantly and hum in thought as if having to contemplate the answer.

Natasha huffs in disbelief and rolls her eyes slightly at you.

However, your words remind her of what you mentioned earlier to Steve, and Natasha can’t help but ask curiously.

“Was your ex also a redhead?” she asks, her tone seemingly casual.

“Impressive, your deduction skills as a spy must be really good,” you tease, chuckling lightly, as you return your focus to Wanda’s hair.

“The two of you must’ve been pretty serious for their grandparents to still trust you like that,” Natasha says, unable to hide the slight bitterness of the thought slipping into her tone.

You laugh and shake your head quickly in denial.

“No, definitely not. She moved away years ago, and our relationship didn’t really end on good terms. My close relationship with her grandparents is kind of like my revenge on her. Plus, they’re actually a sweet old couple.”

“Oh,” Natasha says, a small breath of relief releasing from her.

“I’m not really seeing anyone at the moment,” you admit softly.

“Natasha’s single too,” Wanda chimes in, her focus originally on the sitcom playing on the tv but now looking between the two of you with interest.

“That’s a surprise,” you say with a laugh as you go into the back to retrieve some things.

Natasha chuckles lightly as you leave before giving Wanda the same warning glare that she gave Steve. Unfazed, Wanda just gestures with her head encouragingly in your direction.

However, Natasha shakes her head resolutely in a silent reply to her, and before Wanda can attempt to convince her further, you come back and begin doing the last steps on Wanda’s hair.

With one final brush of Wanda’s newly red hair, you declare happily, “All finished.”

“Thanks, Y/n,” Wanda says as she stands from the chair and goes to examine her hair in the mirror.

You watch as a small smile appears on her face, and you let out a breath of relief, glad to finally see Wanda in a moment of happiness. 

Natasha comes up next to you and holds out some money in an offer. 

“Thank you for doing this,” Natasha says.

You shake your head in refusal, your hands folded behind you as you face her.

“I’m sure you all need this more than I do,” you say resolutely.

Natasha chuckles lightly and huffs in disbelief.

“You know, you can’t always give me free passes like this every time. You should be paid for your work,” Natasha points out.

You hum in thought before tilting your head at her with a questioning look.

“How about dinner?” you suggest.

A surprised expression appears on Natasha’s face, but she hesitates to answer, facing the same situation again of wanting to accept your offer, but a beep at her side along with the message that comes with it reminds her why she can’t.

“Steve’s on his way back. I have to take Wanda back to the safe house and then we’re moving right after,” she explains sadly with regret. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, Nat. I know,” you say gently in understanding, taking a small step back from her and changing your tone into one lighter. 

“But if you’re ever in the area again, you’re always welcome here.” 

You turn to look at Wanda, adding, “All of you.”

“Can I walk you back home at least?” Natasha asks.

Before you can respond, the sound of a car pulling up outside catches your attention, and based on Natasha’s disappointed expression, you know that’s probably Steve.

“It’s okay, Natasha. You can go,” you reassure her, offering a comforting smile.

Wanda gives you a small wave goodbye as she exits, but Natasha lingers at the door, her gaze fixed on you.

“About before…” she starts before hesitating and trailing off into silence as she presses her lips together in contemplation.

When her shoulder drops slightly in defeat and disappointment, you know she’s decided against whatever she’s about to say.

“You can just tell me later,” you suggest. “You know, whenever I get to see you again.”

Though you both know that you don’t know when that’ll be.

“Right,” Natasha agrees, her smile tinged with sadness as she gives you one last glance and moving to leave. “I’ll see you next time, Y/n.”

After closing up, you head home, the events of the evening replaying in your mind.

Though the goodbye was bittersweet, you’re still happy you got a chance to see Natasha again so soon and even meet the other important people in her life.

As you step out of your bathroom, just finished with a shower, a knock on your door interrupts your thoughts. 

You check who it is before quickly unlocking and opening the door for them.

“Hey…” Natasha’s voice trails off, her gaze taking in your appearance. 

Remnants of water from the shower still remain on your exposed skin since you decided to wear some light clothing to counter the warm temperature outside.

Leaning against the doorway, you greet her with a curious tilt of your head at her sudden silence.

“Hey,” you reply in greeting.

Natasha shakes her head lightly as if coming out of a daze and gestures in a direction behind her.

“So, uh, Steve said that he can take Wanda back to the safe house. She really loves her hair by the way. Um, she also told me that I should..uh..I should see you again before we leave…”

Your lips twitch in amusement at Natasha’s endearing ramble, your gaze softening as you continue to listen.

“…but it looks like you’re probably about to go to sleep, so I should just go,” Natasha concludes, turning to leave.

“Wait,” you call out, your hand instinctively reaching towards her, but you stop yourself before you touch her, your hand retracting back to your side, a mixture of hesitation and longing in your movements.

Natasha pauses at your request, and when she sees your hesitating action, her features soften in understanding.

Stepping back closer to you, she extends her hand in invitation.

“You can touch me, Y/n,” Natasha reassures you. “I never have a problem if it’s you.”

Your eyes widen in surprise, touched by her trust. 

Tentatively, you reach out, your hand finding hers, before checking for any signs of discomfort but end up seeing none from her. 

Your hand then trails up lightly to her shoulder and then to the back of her neck, your fingers play with the strands of her short hair as you watch her carefully.

Natasha closes her eyes at your touch, the same serene expression appearing on her face as before.

Seeing this, you bring your other hand to cup her cheek as you urge gently.

“What was it that you wanted to tell me earlier?” 

Natasha opens her eyes and meets your gaze with an affectionate look, her hand moving up to hold the back of yours as she responds.

“That it was real,” she confesses softly.

You furrow your brows lightly in confusion, prompting Natasha to clarify.

“Your question from before,” she explains. “It was real for me too.”

Natasha lets out a shaky breath as she continues, “I loved that I had you on my side back then, and the truth is…I’d love to have you by my side now.”

Surprised by her admission, you search her eyes but only find genuine warmth and sincerity in her gaze. 

Natasha’s smile softens, and you find yourself drawn to her at the action, unconsciously leaning in closer.

Even though Natasha gave you permission earlier to touch her, this desire that you have is different, so you give her the same questioning look that you always have before and ask hesitantly in a breathless whisper.

“Can I kiss you?”

Natasha chuckles lightly under her breath at your question, resting her forehead against yours.

“I was just about to ask you the same thing.”

With a gentle pull, you close the small distance between the two of you, sharing a tender kiss with her. Her lips are soft against yours, fitting perfectly and enveloping you with the same warmth that you've always felt from her.

When you finally pull away, your breath still mingling with hers, Natasha gives you a teasing grin.

“So, about that dinner?” 

Laughing, you roll your eyes fondly and wrap your arms around her to pull her into your home.

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

Ohio - 2018 (2 Years Later)

The soft rustling of movement reaches your ears, pulling you from your sleep. You glance at the clock on the nightstand, its dim glow showing the late hour, before turning your gaze to the familiar figure standing beside the bed, quietly slipping her shirt over her frame with practiced ease. 

“Nat?”

At the sound of your voice, Natasha turns back to you, her expression reassuring as she moves to sit beside you. Her hand rests gently on your shoulder, stopping you when she sees that you’re about to sit up.

“Go back to sleep, moya lyubov,” Natasha whispers, pressing a soft kiss to your head. “Wanda and Vision missed their check-in, so Steve and I are just going to check up on them real quick.”

A flicker of unease flares within you at the news, coupled with the realization that Natasha intends to go straight toward potential unknown dangers.

Your hand reaches out and grips her arms, a surge of unsettling fear tightening in your chest. 

“Natasha, don’t…” 

Don’t go 

The words are trapped in your throat as you stare at her. 

Holding your gaze, Natasha’s eyes reflect both love and determination. 

Love for you…and for her makeshift family.

And as much as you wish for her safety, you know you can’t keep her from her loyalty and duty to them.

With a bittersweet smile, you cradle her face in your hands, suppressing the selfish urge to ask her to stay.

“Don’t take too long to come back,” you manage, a hint of teasing in your voice as you catch a strand of her blonde hair in your hand. “We wouldn’t want your hair to be two different colors by the time you return.”

Natasha chuckles lightly, leaning in to press a gentle kiss on your lips.

“It’s going to be a quick trip. I’ll be back soon,” she promises.

You pull her close, giving her another lingering kiss, before wrapping your arms around her in a tight hug and tucking your head against her shoulder. 

“And I’ll be here when you do,” you whisper against her in a promise in return.

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

Ohio - 2023 (5 Years Later)

In the quiet solitude of the salon, Natasha stands alone, the weight of the five years after the snap hangs heavy in the air. 

A mixture of exhaustion and sorrow is etched on her face as she examines the space.

With a weary sigh, she rubs at her eyes, wiping away the stray tears at the memories of you. She remembers vividly her last moments with you, your unspoken words to her. 

The truth is she knew, deep down, what you were about to say to her at that time. And she understood why you stopped yourself. 

Because if you had asked her not to go, she would’ve chosen to stay with you without any hesitation.

Seating herself in one of the chairs, Natasha meets her reflection in the mirror with unwavering determination.

Her hair has grown out to its former length over the past five years. Yet, traces of the dyed parts you did for her still linger at the tips. 

Those strands of blonde color are her lifeline — a connection to the part of her life that she holds dear. 

They serve as a constant reminder to keep going.

To keep fighting for a way to bring everyone back. 

To bring you back. 

Because amidst all the uncertainties of the world and the future, one thing remains steadfast in Natasha’s heart — she would do anything to see you again.

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

a/n : Thank you for reading!

Part 2

[raayllum]

Cube Hostage Exchange Theory, for Real This Time

Intro

A few days after Through the Moon came out in September 2020, I made a throwaway theory post about a potential Rayllum reconciliation scenario in which Rayla would be taken captive / threatened by the antagonists, and Callum would hand over the Key of Aaravos in order to save her life.

In the almost four years since then, the theory has blossomed into much more than it started as, largely due to people's amazing art and fic inspired by it, and by the enthusiasm it's been received with, and for those things I will always be eternally, deeply grateful for.

The theory (henceforth CHET, an acronym coined by @jelzorz) has likewise gone through many metas (some of which will be referenced and linked to here when applicable), 20+ pages alone on my blog, with surprising leaps in popularity and plausibility, and multiple variations, both within the theorizing space and within canon itself (5x08, you will always be famous).

There's also been many moments of doubt.

As much as everything seemed to make sense even as Rayllum's post-TTM reunion went on, there was still so much left that was perpetually speculative. We didn't even know if Aaravos would want his cube back, which was one of the theories' many lynchpins, and TDP loves to be subversive (within reason) and throw curveballs I never saw coming, like Terry's wonderful existence or Sol Regem's swerve to attacking Katolis. I've speculated alternative uses for the Key to high heaven (as Aaravos' missing heart piece, a key to the Star Nexus or realm, the key to his prison, and sometimes all three simultaneously as a power up he needs to free himself and wreck celestial havoc). The closest I got to was it being a literal key and related to something Aaravos would want/need back, and indeed a power up, and that he did need a quasar diamond to get out of his prison and that one was in the staff and not also in the Key. Not bad, but definitely missing some marks.

That is to say that there could still be curve balls or swerves, and a theory isn't set in stone as happening until it happens. After all, I've been fully prepared to pack the theory up and for it to not happen three times now (going into S4, particularly S5, and S6). When the S4 finale did indeed have a hostage exchange involving Rayla and Claudia and a boyfriend, I chuckled and figured we might not repeat a plot beat like that again; when 5x08 did it twice, I was overjoyed at getting the exact irony of "Callum literally frees Rayla while chaining himself further to Aaravos' will" that I'd always wanted. 5x08 was, and is, enough for me; if S7 never takes it further, I'll still be pleased as punch.

However, after four years of hemming and hawing and going into seasons preparing for curveballs... I'm pleased to say I finally don't have any doubt.

And here's why.

Sections:

Background

The Cube and the Game Motif

Neon Lights, Narrative Set Up and Pay Off (6x03, S6)

The Knowledge Motif Thread Detour

Tests of Love (Leola, Chaos, and Love)

Alternatives (no possession, third path, Rayla handing over the cube, etc)

Conclusion

Background

First, a little background. Any relevant information in the metas listed below will be summarized / explained / alluded to accordingly for your benefit, but it is a good luck at 1) how the theory has evolved over time and 2) will be drawing in relevant aspects from said metas when discussing season 6.

Previous proper CHET metas include (in chronological order):

The Original Theory Post / Meta (Oct 2020, post-TTM)

Rayllum and Rayla's Weird Consistency with the Key (March 2022, pre-S4)

Rayla's Duality as Callum's Salvation and Destruction (Aug 2022, pre-S4)

CHET: End of Days (Nov 2022, pre-S4)

Opposing Cube Symbolism in 2x08 (Dec 2022, post-S4)

Here's How It Can Still Win (Dec 2022, post-S4)

Aaravos and Rayla as Callum's Two Paths (May 2023, pre-S5)

Shorter post-S6 meta

Things that are useful to our meta here ultimately, however, with a couple of S6 updates in later sections are

THE GAME MOTIF

This refers to a repeated visual and verbal literal and metaphorical motif running throughout the series. Although not exclusive to him, 90% of the time the Game Motif is in relation to Aaravos. It is most prominent when discussing the Key of Aaravos in arc 1 ("This is the game room. Cube should be in there" / "It's a glow toy" literally / "Are you practicing magic or are you losing to Bait at a game of rolly-cubes?") with one 'throwaway' line from Viren to Aaravos in 2x08: "What game are you playing at?"

This then took on a much more prominent focus in arc 2 thanks to the pawn intros and lines from various characters, such as Zubeia's assessment that "We had to beat Aaravos at his own game," Viren's reservations that "I believe Aaravos may be toying with us," Ezran's "His pawns are working to free him even as we speak."

Much of this has been rather set in stone for a while now (one of the TDP's shorts did, though, excitingly link Aaravos' test of love to the game motif, with the line "They aren’t games. They’re tests") but S6 did add some very exciting overlap with Aaravos' game and dark magic, which is fitting given that the two are deeply intertwined: "Because you're too good for dark magic, now? You had a lifetime to play with your toys, and now you decide to hide them away and destroy them?" (Viren to Kpp'Ar about the staff, 6x06.)

We also see occasional overlap with this motif and the stage motif ("You've played your part well" in 6x08 to Sol Regem / "Aaravos chose as his instruments..." + "You will perform acts of love so unforgivable..." in 4x04) as you can play a game, and play your role in a theatrical performance. Or in Callum's case, as a puppet who is "destined to play right into" Aaravos' hands.

PRIMAL STONE FORESHADOWING

As Callum discusses in 2x02 directly, he broke Claudia's stolen primal stone on purpose (not by accident) because he had "a good reason". The comparison later on in the same season, then, that the whole world is like a giant primal stone, and Callum's tendency towards breaking things (specifically magical objects) we well as the emphasis on "breaking the cycle" therefore felt like setup. It also felt particularly apt given Aaravos' wish expressed in Patience that:

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.

S6 also affirmed this by associating the primal magic that Leola 'gave' to humans the "first step in a long spiral towards Callum," and what that might mean for Callum, someone who is uniquely a primal mage and has used dark magic. The fact that Aaravos and his key (remember that game motif) are associated with the book of / primal magic as well as dark magic reinforces this duality further.

Who better to shatter the Cosmic Order and known world for the worst better than the boy who is already shattering it for the best?

LIGHT AND DARKNESS

The cube and Aaravos are associated with both light and dark, not only in design, but in magic systems. Aaravos and dark magic are routinely related to darkness ("because I have followed a dark path" / "the darkness and corruption will overwhelm you" / "and my favourite, the human mage, already tainted by darkness" / "in darkness, gaze upon a fallen star"). This is fairly straightforward, as Rayla represents literal light (which we'll get to in S6 in a moment) that heals Callum's broken spirit and rescinds Aaravos' control over him. Note, for example, the way she's shrouded in light in clear opposition to Aaravos' mirror right next to her, with Callum facing ahead towards both of them.

However, it's not that simple, because light can also be seen as a bad thing, such as the possession eyes, Karim's desire to "return the light/sun" to his people, the cube-moon opal's light on the Bridge of Darkness in 4x07 leading to danger, dark magic turning your hair white, and most notably, the way the pawn becomes a literal glow toy in the 4x04 / 5x08 pawn intro.

The light of the cube — perhaps the light in general — is not going to be exclusive in playing into Aaravos' hands. In the mirror-Rayla screenshot, for example, the path towards Rayla is embodied by the shadow she casts on the floor (similar to how regularly Claudia is portrayed in Viren's shadow in S6).

And, speaking of light...

RAYLA AS CALLUM'S PATH, SINGULAR

As speculated pre-S4, Rayla represents light, truth, and love in Callum's life. This was then canonized in 6x06. Post-S4, it seemed overtly evident that Rayla was being set up further to represent a path in opposition to Aaravos. She would save Callum from being Aaravos' prey, she was the Light and reminder of agency to Aaravos' Darkness and stripping of agency. "What if I'm on a path of darkness?" "Then take another path, dummy." This was, of course, all in line with the previous light-darkness and game motif described above. Rayla couldn't, and won't, kill Callum permanently after all if at all, so she has to save him instead.

However, it was also pretty clear following S4 and especially S5 that the razor's edge between salvation and destruction, as embodied by Rayla being the reason he was in Aaravos' clutches in the first place (getting him the cube, being his motivation behind doing dark magic), would eventually merge. Her love would ultimately save him, but it would destroy him first.

This has, of course, been their pattern throughout the series: Rayla comes into his life, causing him to turn/destroy his relationship with Claudia and put him in danger, but she's also what pushes him to do magic for the first time; he follows her off the Pinnacle at great risk to himself, but his love for her helps centre him enough that he can save them both; she is the reason he does dark magic (twice), but is also what fixes his broken spirit during the star-light trial ritual.

Because she's not just the other path in opposition to Aaravos. She is his path, singular.

If you're interested in more of this, I'd recommend my one about the layers of Rayla being Callum's One Truth in greater detail, as well as general speculation of their arc in S7, some of which will be referenced/summarized here as well.

With all that out of the way, let's get into it

The Cube and the Game Motif

Anyone who knows me knows that the Game Motif is my favourite motif in TDP (which is saying something) and that said motif has been a long standing cornerstone of CHET. This is mostly because, as noted, in arc 1 the Game Motif existed almost exclusively with the cube down to its introduction.

CALLUM: This is the game room. Cube should be in there. (1x04)

CALLUM: Last night you thought the cube was just a worthless toy. But now we know— RAYLA: It's a glow toy. (1x05)

The Game Motif was also associated with Aaravos sparsely in arc 1 ("What game are you playing?" Viren demands in 2x08, and never receives the answer / "Well played. She will be a valuable asset") and magic itself ("Is this a guessing game? Just do it!") although to a lesser degree. There were also nods to the imbalance of power in Xadia, with Harrow noting, "Entire armies have crumbled and fallen like toys before [Avizandum]. How can we hope to kill such a godly creature?"

Then, as noted in arc 2, the game motif went from being associated just with the cube to being associated with Aaravos outright, both verbally through dialogue and literally in the pawn intros. This is what I call a motif expansion, where something moves from subtext to text. It is somewhat similar to a merger, where two previously separate associations are brought into being one in the same. This is initially how the cube operates, since the game motif is ongoing whereas Callum's statement of "You wait here, however long it takes, I'll go find a key" in 1x04 is only made foreshadowing in 2x06 when he learns it's called the Key of Aaravos.

2x07 takes this further, though, with this dialogue exchange:

CALLUM: [Holding the cube] What do you think this thing is, anyway? He said it was a key, but a key to what? RAYLA: Are you practicing magic, or are you losing to Bait at a game of rolly-cubes?

For example, here we see the Key analogue/association and the game motif be linked together. TDP does this a few more times with Aaravos' key becoming associated with light (4x04/5x08), destiny dark magic (2x08, 4x04), secrets/mysteries (2x07, 2x06) and more. A lot of this is, of course, because Aaravos is likewise associated with all these things, and the Key is tethered to him and his plot line / motifs and associations.

The game motif does exist outside of the cube's associations — Ezran's pattern of hide and seek represents his childhood innocence, his tendency to run and hide when things get hard, and him shedding both these patterns as they attempt to find

The most interesting thing that S6 did on this note, then, was make the game motif associated not just with magic, but very specifically with dark magic:

VIREN: Because you're too good for dark magic now? You had a lifetime to play with your toys, and now you decide to hide them all away or destroy them? (6x06)

Why am I screaming about this, you may ask? Well, the Staff of Ziard is about as synonymous with dark magic as a thing can get in TDP. It too belonged originally to Aaravos, and became a cornerstone in his grand plan, at least of getting out of the prison.

HARROW: It belonged to an elven wizard in Xadia, the Archmage Aaravos, a master of all six primal sources. (2x06) IBIS: If you seek to return that staff to its true owner, you pose a greater danger to the world than I can allow. (4x03)

So the Staff is a toy, and dark magic, and belonged to Aaravos, and used in his plans, brought directly to him by Viren (indirectly) and Claudia (directly). And the Key is also referred to as a toy, is also in the possession of another pawn, and has also been hidden and/or 'should' be destroyed. A knowledge of primal magic, at least in terms of how it manifests in creatures/locations, is also required in order to be a successful dark mage.

So not only is Aaravos and the key tied directly to the game motif, but through Viren's exchange with Kpp'Ar, so is dark magic. In many ways, this takes what was subtext — dark magic is what allows Aaravos to puppet and manipulate people such as his pawns, and keep the Cycle (his game) going, even if he's not what directly started it (that was the Cosmic Order/Council) — and makes it text. Aaravos' toys are toys ultimately because of their tethers to magic, typically dark magic as well, and his objects of choice, such as the Staff or the Key or how he puppets his pawns, are not exceptions. (There's potential for primal magic as well, of course, but it's currently not as direct).

We also know, thanks to Arc 2, that the Key and Staff are more similar to one another than we might've thought in terms of their purposes in Aaravos' plan. I'd speculated in the past that the Staff and/or the Key held quasar diamonds that Aaravos needed for some power-up purpose; the Staff had the diamond needed for his body contingency plan, and the Key is needed for his primal book to operate and presumably be found, so that he can be at full power.

Furthermore, we have a pattern of dialogue about the Key / game motif eventually becoming literal. The cube is called a glow toy, and then in the pawn intro is revealed to be a literal glow toy; Callum says "what if it's magic?" in 1x04 and we discover that it opens up a book of all primal magic; it's foreshadowed loosely as a key, and it is a key; Rayla asks if Callum is losing a game, and he's embroiled in Aaravos' game as a pawn. Callum will win eventually, of course, as will everyone else... but he has to lose, really lose, first.

After all, every other line regarding the cube has come to fruition other than three:

"This is the game room. The cube should be in there" and "I'll go find a key" from 1x04 have both come back around. "It's a glow toy" from 1x05 ended up being true as well, with the cube flashing a bright light in Callum's pawn intro (and even the cube being included in the pawn intro). The Key's secrets are things Callum is currently investigating (6x02) and will likely fully discover in S7, possibly leading him to Aaravos' book or something else near Elarion and the thematic culmination of the Mystery of Aaravos. Callum's notice that the key seems to be glowing differently in 1x09 is revealed to be true because of the Moon Nexus. Rayla's line in 2x07 about losing the game to Bait is true in 5x08 as he practices magic (both dark and primal) in order to save her from being literal bait, even if that means taking a step closer to Aaravos and 'losing' the game. I expect Callum's assessment of "No good can come from it" (4x07) will ultimately be untrue if it helps him study primal magic ("What if it's magic? [...] I just have a feeling this cube thing can help me"), and Rayla's decision of "Let's go get your cube" is likely going to be true by the end of S7, with Callum reclaiming ownership completely this time.

So let's talk about the three lines that haven't come to fruition yet, because they paint a pretty apt picture:

So in the biggest notion of currently untapped set up, Rayla after being the first to declaring the damn cube a toy says "I hope it was worth it to you putting everyone's lives in danger." The thing is that this it's not like this line doesn't work in context, it very well does; someone could've gotten hurt and Rayla was nearly killed. This is also a sort spot for her because she'd just done the same thing in 1x01, putting her troupe in danger, so of course she's extra (somewhat fairly, somewhat unfairly) miffed at new mage boy repeating her mistakes as well.

Games (and chess) are all about patience, exchange, and sacrifice. We know now that the cube is something powerful, why it is, what it unlocks, and why Aaravos has the incentive to want it back (which as stated was an assumption before).

But the fact remains that the game motif has been tied to the cube to the start and continues to be. Callum's test of either playing into Aaravos' hands and coming back from it (the option that I lean towards) or outright rejecting it again cannot be fulfilled until the cube pawn intro has come full circle.

So let's talk about

Neon Lights, Narrative Set Up and Pay Off (6x03, S6)

As you can garner from this meta and any of my previous ones that have touched on this theory, there were a lot of assumptions that had to go into it. I had to assume, prior to season six, that Aaravos would even want the cue back. I had to assume, prior to season four, that the Rayla-Aaravos Callum-Viren foils thing was happening on purpose and that Rayla would be put in opposition to Aaravos as the light to his darkness. I had to assume, prior to season five, that S4's emphasis on people doing terrible/misguided things for love through characters like Rayla, Terry, Viren, and Claudia would eventually become a mainstay in Callum's arc 2 character arc.

I had to assume, prior to season six, that the story would eventually be inclined to put Callum in a scenario where he'd have to choose between Rayla and the greater good so directly. After all, while I was confident post-season 2 onwards that, if put in a situation with Rayla and/or Ezran's life on the line, Callum would always do dark magic, that was ultimately a characterization basis. Yeah, I could think that he would go there, but the story was under no condition to go there from a Plot standpoint, ie. assembling the story and plot line so that Callum would be faced with that kind of choice again. They could choose to not explore that aspect of a potential character arc, leaving it technically unknown. My characterization predictions in these scenarios, then, have been routinely consistent, but whether the plot itself would cooperate was entirely up in the air, with some plot evidence existing due to TDP's love of exchanges, trolley problems, and hard choices.

Then 6x03 happened:

To say that I cried/cheered would be an understatement.

This, of course, doesn't necessarily mean that Callum will do what I think he'll do, or that it'll play out in the manner I'm imagining. It does seem blatantly obvious, however, that S7 with the season's synopsis emphasis on sacrifice that both Callum and Rayla will face the choice of whether to sacrifice the other, one after each other: Callum first — as he must do dark magic again in order to be possessed — and then Rayla, tested and finally choosing not to sacrifice something to her, saving him back as a result.

But furthermore, I lost my fucking mind explicitly because it's not just a question of "will you sacrifice me or yourself" (which we know isn't a real question for either of them) but "will you sacrifice me or the world (greater good)" which is exactly what I've wanted for both of them all along. For Callum to put Rayla first the way that he always has, and for Rayla to (subsequently) put Callum first as a sign of growth/character development. (This also ties into Rayla's whole thing in s6 of taking the lessons Callum's taught her about how to love and implementing them with him in turn or with others, but that's a meta for another day.)

Now, there are alternatives that there could be / ways to get around the 'greater good' slice of the pie, which I'll talk about later under the Alternatives subheading.

For now, I just want to assert the narrative set up and potential we have so far in a plainer way:

The Knowledge Detour

We know that Aaravos wants the cube (6x09) and we know he knows that Callum has it (4x04, 5x08).

The game motif and key motif have been directly related to dark magic (2x07, 2x08, 4x04 "play right into my hands," 5x08, 6x06, etc).

The Key itself is also related to secrets (2x06), the secrets of primal magic (2x01), and thereby knowledge / answers to the 'Mystery' of Aaravos.

This is also related to the idea of knowing too much or having too much knowledge being dangerous (which you can read more about here, although it's pre-S6 so it doesn't touch on everything presently that it could have).

After speaking with Rayla, Callum tries and fails to give up the cube to assert his own destiny / that 'destiny is a book you write yourself' (4x07)

Callum, like Rayla, will be forced to make a choice between the greater good and his loved one. He will choose her even if that means sacrificing himself on top of the world, and she will save him (symbolically refusing to sacrifice herself).

[Gestures to the rest of the cube / key foreshadowing]

I also want to talk a little bit more about mystery. I touched on it here in a previous meta (Rayllum's potential S7 arc through the lens of S6), but there's an emphasis in S6 on mysteries versus love, with love winning.

I would tell you that the vast mystery I travelled the world to find was contained in you all along. (6x03)

Those few short years with Leola were the most meaningful. Pondering the deepest mysteries of the universe could not hold a candle. (6x09)

Both of these sentiments are similar and apply to Rayla and Aaravos directly: she wanted the security of knowing Viren was dead only to return home to the one thing she wanted ("the best thing I ever had: you"). Likewise, Aaravos had the best and most meaningful years of his eternally long existence when he was with his daughter, where his study and pursuit of magic / universal mysteries ultimately paled in comparison. While it is ordinary parent behaviour as well, Aaravos being away from Leola because of his key and book upon the moment she's taken has layers, as well as how he torments Sol Regem specifically with a mystery concerning love:

We see 4x01 establish two mysteries for Callum that run throughout the rest of the arc thus far. The first is the mirror ("What secrets are you hiding?") which is a stand-in for Aaravos, and then Rayla, even once she returns ("I don't know how to feel about Rayla, either").

These threads run in parallel throughout S5 and S6 (Rayla specific one only here). In season 5, Rayla kicks off both Callum's desire to discover how to kill Aaravos (5x01-5x05) and his new understanding of himself in the Ocean arcanum through their relationship (5x01, 5x04, 5x08). In many ways, S5 is him realizing that he will always be there for her, no matter what the cost — even if that means taking a step closer and making himself more vulnerable to Aaravos.

In season 6, Callum is grappling over the Starscraper / Nova Blade as well as worries of how Rayla will respond to his dark magic use. He worries that Aaravos will use him: "I don't know how, but I'm afraid he... he's gonna use me." The mystery he does solve within the season, then, is suitably what is his one truth — what does he know, without a shadow of a doubt, beyond and above anything else? If S5 is Callum realizing he will always be there for her regardless of anything that's happened or could happen, then S6 is him realizing that Rayla will always be with him (regardless of whether she's physically there or not) and will come back to him.

The reason I'm tangentially emphasizing this is because Callum is a knowledge seeker, inherently — he wants to learn magic and he wants to use magic, and that has always been one of his greatest strengths and weaknesses (ie. going out into the Storm, being unable to throw the Key away). The Mystery of Aaravos through figuring out the Key's secrets will be just about undeniably important, and while Callum might not get obsessive about solving it, the Key still represents that curiosity and desire to Know—the mystery he's chasing and has continued to chase about the world. Knowledge or love (giving up magic to save Zym and Rayla by proxy), and on occasion ("How did you—?" "Cause I love you, Rayla" / "To love is simply to know this") both at the same time, just as Rayla's arc has routinely centred on the push and pull and occasional reconciliation of love and duty.

Rayla's advice in 4x07 made him nearly throw the Cube away, or give up that Knowledge seeking quest. This doesn't mean that Callum should give it up entirely (I've said this in many places, but I think by the end of S7 Callum will likely have the Key and Book as his own rather than Aaravos', paralleling his reclamation of himself and his identity) but the current framing of 4x07 begs the question of "What would you give it up for?" What would you sacrifice this knowledge or curiosity for? Because we know, typically, curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge isn't enough for Callum; he won't "risk his life for magic" (2x04) and views that as being an idiot, but he'll launch himself off the Pinnacle. He'll do things for love that he won't do for magic; he'll be motivated to find knowledge and walk down those paths because of love. Just curiosity, typically, hasn't been enough.

Speaking of which, let's talk about

Tests of Love (Leola, Chaos, and Love)

The game motif and its connection to other aspects of the series—the stage motif (Aaravos and Callum's bowing / "destined to play right into my hands"), dark magic ("You had a lifetime to play with your toys and now you hide them all away or destroy them" / "I'm afraid Aaravos is toying with us")—and indeed the concept of tests ("We all want peace and we all want love, but violence tests us" / "They aren't games, they're tests") had always felt conducive to Aaravos' character, thanks to his statement in 2x09:

You tried to win over the other humans with loyalty and friendship, but they ignored you. Those who fail tests of love are simple animals. They deserve to be motivated by fear.

Even before S6 aired, this statement already made sense—while Viren was motivated by his quest for power and importance, and that was what Aaravos seemingly preyed on, when at the core of it was Viren's desire to be loved and to matter:

I am having some trouble getting people to listen to me. To hear the importance of what I am saying. [Who are these people?] They are kings and queens, the other leaders of the Pentarchy. (2x09)

[To Harrow] What? No, that's not what I'm saying. Please, listen— (1x03)

It is everything to me, to know that I mean something to you. To know that I matter. It's all I ever wanted. (5x02)

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

Aaravos' entire manipulation of Claudia has also been based around love—encouraging Viren to lie to her so she wouldn't break away from him and subsequently preying on her desire to keep her family together, dangling Viren's life like a carrot in front of her for two years, pushing her relentlessly on a 30 day limit, and then telling the tale of his daughter to help her perform a spell (the same spell that Callum is doing miles away) literally out of love by letting her connect it to her father.

We see where this mindset came from, of course, in S6, with Aaravos bargaining for Leola's life on the basis of love/compassion, and then to die in her place, both of which being refused. The Cosmic Council failed his test of love, and now he's out for revenge no matter the cost, as Terry says:

Maybe this started out as a story of love, but along the way, it got twisted. He isn't doing anything out of love. He's doing it for revenge.

We also know that the parallels Rayla already has to Leola are just going to be continued into S6 further.

We also know thanks to S6 that the Cosmic Council considered humans having primal magic to be "the first step in the long, slow spiral to chaos." Callum then having multiple arcanums and presumably one day going to continue to spread primal magic to more humans is definitely something they're going to be apprehensive about. Callum reclaiming the Key and Aaravos' book alongside his own identity/agency would make a lot of sense, but that reclamation is only really possible if those things were stripped away to begin with... and it's likely only one thing could strip away those things from him: the lengths he's willing to go through for love, and how love can also bring him back (much the same way Claudia's love for her family doomed her, and will ultimately likely save her).

Callum, you're the 'Destiny is a book you write yourself' guy. No one can control you or make your choices for you. (4x07)

See? So long as we protect each other, so long as we love each other, you can never control us. (5x08)

To love is simply to know this: the tides are true as the ocean is deep. (5x01, 5x08)

Love can save and destroy us, much like how Rayla is the reason Callum took (and may take again) a path of darkness and also lead him back to light (hopefully with help from Ezran). No matter how corrupted or broken, no matter what you've done before, you can be saved and can fix things and at the very least make amends.

Furthermore, if killing Leola for her mercy was what broke Xadia, saving Rayla (and her mercy) will be thematically what helps fix/save it—and also means she can save Callum afterwards, too, since he's the Hope of Xadia and changing the magical scales.

With this basis in mind, let's look at:

Alternatives

For the sake of posterity, the exact events I'm laying out in the above theory is something that looks a little like this:

Rayla is injured and/or dead / on the verge of death somehow

Aaravos (or Claudia) promises Callum can save her if he hands over the Cube

Callum does so and in turn receives the dark magic knowledge he needs to save her

He does the dark magic, and Rayla is saved

Callum is corrupted / possessed and leaves with Aaravos

This lets Ezran and Rayla come together to get him back and resolve any loose ends from their Big Different Feelings about Runaan from earlier in the season

Although Callum did play into Aaravos' hands, he will break free and live beyond Aaravos' perceived use for him, and help defeat him

Now let's talk about alternatives:

Callum doesn't get possessed

This is the only one I'm gonna rule out directly, as I don't think it's likely given the amount of set up and that S7 is Book 7: Dark. You wouldn't have Callum bring up the promise either in 4x07 or again in 6x03 if you didn't want Rayla to be faced with that choice, so he has to get possessed. That at least means a major risk of playing into Aaravos' hands, even if those plans aren't taken to fruition.

Callum gets possessed but not through dark magic use

I've seen positing that Callum could get tainted by dark magic again if he was exposed to the Lux Aurea corruption from a creature or something. I'll also toss one in, which is that perhaps you could be hit with a spell of dark magic of some kind, and have it seep into you—if not from Claudia then maybe Aaravos. Both of these options would fit to me if Callum was pushing someone (Ezran, Rayla) out of the way as that still provides an active choice. It just being happenstance because the characters were randomly attacked in a dangerous area doesn't sit right with me and the show's emphasis on choices and agency even when it would be possible and easier for characters to be more blameless, so I think there will be something along a choice rather than it just being entirely random / Callum's agency being entirely removed. Otherwise, we'd be back entirely to where we were in S4/S5 where he was tainted and open to possession no matter what through no real fault of his own (prior to 5x08); S6 giving him a clean slate also gives him agency about whether he's corrupted or not, and I think it'd be less effective if that agency wasn't utilized.

Aaravos doesn't get the cube

While nothing but canon itself (as it could pleasantly surprise me, and I'd reassess) could change my mind regarding "if Ez or Rayla were on the line, Callum would give Aaravos the key/whatever he wanted to save them" from a characterization basis, that doesn't necessarily mean the plot is going there. For example, I could see Callum just taking the dark magic deal, and then the race is on for Rayla to try and stop a corrupted Callum from delivering the cube to Aaravos. It'd have high stakes, he'd still have some faith that he could make his choice without dooming everyone because she's there to be his safety net, and it'd bring the "I hope it was worth it to you putting everyone's lives in danger" about the cube back but on Rayla's end, as she was the speaker and Callum is worth it.

Rayla gives Aaravos the Cube

I'll admit a set up scenario for this leaves me scratching my head a bit—would Callum be possessed, but Rayla had the cube for safekeeping, and she hands it over so Aaravos would release him? which isn't too dissimilar from some of the central scenario of what I've proposed—as well as it taking away from 1) Callum's agency in breaking free from possession, ironically, and 2) the Cube being his item, not hers. That said, I do expect Rayla to choose Callum over just about everything this season (including possibly the surefire safety of the world) and for the season to do the legwork to get her there from a character development standpoint, so it's not out of the question. It just currently seems unlikely.

Callum doesn't pick between Rayla or the greater good, and has a third path instead

This one is interesting to me, mostly because I'm not sure how it'd fit into the season pacing wise. As stated, I think Callum has to get possessed in the season, as that plotline has too much buildup to get dropped. I suppose that could mean something like 1) he's corrupted through other means (see bullet point number two), 2) Rayla + Ezran saves him from possession, and 3) afterwards, he's presented with a choice between her and the greater good? That could take us to the finale where he's able to find a way through Aaravos' machinations to avoid making that choice, but it does mean until that moment Callum has had little to no agency (and therefore little to no character development) in our final season of the arc. That could reflect the possession plotline's lack of agency, even if it doesn't feel quite congruent with S6 handing Callum back his full agency, but... shrug emoji?

To me, the clearest third path between not sacrificing Rayla or the greater good would be "Callum sacrifices himself in order to take down Aaravos" which could mean unlocking a super dangerous arcanum he might not come back from (Stars would probably fit best there, but Sun or Moon too?) OR doing dark magic to defeat Aaravos; the latter in particular would be a strong Viren parallel to 6x08. We would get the self sacrifice and corruption slant, but it would be without the actual possession part, even if his corrupted form would be undeniably dangerous. It would mean that Rayla is saving him without risking much else, though, which lessens the impact of her arc. This first arcanum avenue would work for a finale, with the dark magic avenue being reserved for mid season (7x04 to 7x07) as a possibility.

If there any alternative theories or ideas you've seen or have that I haven't addressed here, feel free to send them in or leave them in reblogs/replies (I definitely could've missed one, or misrepresented one)—so long as you're earnestly presenting one, and not just wanting to see it debunked because you think it's stupid and/or that people who like it are silly or foolish.

Conclusion

So, in conclusion, CHET as fully and currently posited:

Explains hy the cube is in Callum's pawn intro

Furthers set up with the cube and game motif (+ others) throughout the show

Explains he'll be corrupted and how the possession plotline will come into play

Deepens the series' theme of exchange (i.e. bringing Zym home in return for peace) and transaction (dark magic)

Culminates the setup from 4x07, 5x08, 6x03, and 6x06 in particular

Reaffirms Callum's struggle with losing his sense of self amid dark magic use and Aaravos' hold on him with literally losing himself

Allows Callum to reclaim the cube alongside his own identity once he has broken free

Develops his relationship with Rayla, as well as Rayla and Ezran's dynamic

Culminates Callum's arc in exploring Arc 2 (and the series') main theme of "love can destroy you, yes, but it can also save you" / arc 2's focus on reconciling dualities, as discussed

And I think that's about it!

If you made it through all of this—or indeed have enjoyed this pet theory for any of the 4+ years it's existed—thank you for reading and engaging with it! It was crazy to me after S5 and especially S6 that it was still on the table rather than being decidedly demolished, and I'm excited to see parts / pieces likely come to fruition in S7!

[my-mt-heart]

Thoughts on TBOC 204

This was supposed to be it. The episode we all celebrated. The one that would make the setbacks worth it and set the stage for the proper Caryl spinoff we've been waiting for since it was first announced in 2020. Not only did it NOT achieve any of that, it was one of the most painful "Caryl" episodes to get through, even more so for me than "Find Me" in the flagship show. That's saying something. I couldn't bring myself to watch 204 a second time (the first time was pirated I must point out again), and frankly, I think a second watch would only make me look for the benefit of the doubt somewhere, which this episode doesn't deserve. The below is my gut reaction...

The reunion itself was sweet. I loved Carol's choked sob and Daryl's long pause as he tried to figure out if she was real. I loved the running, the crying, and the face touching. It was the best display of who Caryl are as a couple/duo and who McReedus are as acting partners in the whole season. But it's a gimmick. A far less impactful nod to the Terminus reunion that plays out in a vacuum. It doesn't allow for any character growth and it doesn't last long enough for the already reduced impact to hold.

Isabelle's death stifles Caryl's reunion, the one thing that fans were dying to see. Zabel couldn't let them have the space they deserved because even he knows the most organic next step would be Caryl going canon. So he interrupts it as quickly as he can at the expense of another female character's and female actress' dignity, which unfortunately also colors the rest of Caryl's arc together. They can't even have an arc to themselves, nor experience any growth because they have to react to that death. Nothing about Daryl's behavior in the aftermath suggests that Daryl "loves" Isabelle the way Zabel and his mouthpieces characters want us to believe, but it still looms large. For Carol, it means that "her Daryl" found (and lost) somebody else, which is heartbreaking not only for her but for her fans who watched her literally go the distance for this man. Meanwhile, Daryl's mind is occupied with concerns and/or guilt over Laurent being in danger/having nobody else that he doesn't even take the time to acknowledge just how fucking far Carol has come for him and how unfounded his fear of being forgotten was. On the contrary, he's the one who let himself forget about her.

What Carol said on the radio is another thread that gets upended because of Daryl's twisted priorities. As they're looking for Laurent, he asks her in passing about who came back as if he didn't spend all of S1 worrying about it. Carol says it was "a feeling," but when she starts to open up about her struggles, Daryl stops her because he picked up Laurent's trail. That's one of many times in just this one episode that Daryl treats Carol like shit, like he isn't even Daryl anymore because the real Daryl is always attentive, even if he's mad at her for something, he always worries about her, and he always tries to put her first.

Caryl are meant to parallel the old couple they meet up with, I realize that, and I also see the beats that are meant to make us wonder if there's something more between Caryl than friendship, particularly when Carol watches the couple dance and her eye wanders to Daryl very subtly and the beat where the man calls them out for acting like a literal "old married couple." But the parallels get murky and once again, they're eclipsed by Isabelle's death and what she may have meant to Daryl. I guess I'm really tired of parallels in general. Don't give me parallels to Caryl. Give me Caryl beats that move their relationship forward.

I'm sorry to say that I did not enjoy Caryl's banter this episode. It wasn't playful or cute. Most of the time, Daryl was just being a dick to Carol. I think the idea of Daryl having a new family raises her insecurities, and at one point she suggests that Daryl is afraid he'll end up like her, meaning he'll lose his child. Daryl's response is that he isn't afraid of that at all, but Norman's delivery is strange. I can't tell if he's being genuine or if he's mocking her.

Caryl's chemistry is definitely off, and I think some fans are not sure how to reconcile that with the annoyingly subtle "teases" of more. To me, the vibe reminds me of a divorced couple and I kept getting the impression that Daryl is hanging on to some resentment about whatever transpired between them before he left. I think there's a story there, but I do not believe Zabel and the other stooges are open to exploring it. We need a competent showrunner for that.

Daryl's line to Carol that "he never ever stopped trying to get home to her," packs a punch, but not in the way I was hoping. Instead of being Carol's man of honor who shows his devotion to her (something this woman needed), it feels dirty, like a husband who got caught cheating and tries to tell his wife that he was thinking about her the whole time. That sentiment is repeated when Carol hands him the wooden figurine that Judith made for him. My heart shattered for Carol in both of these scenes because she deserves the "only man to make her feel safe" and he just isn't there. I don't know who is, but it's not Daryl and it makes me sad for him too. I miss the real Daryl.

As always, Melissa puts on an incredible performance. So does Clemence. I'm glad they got to act together at least in one scene, but the story doesn't do either of them justice. It's misogynistic, it's hurtful, it's baffling. Where the fuck is the Caryl spinoff we were promised? This isn't it.

[astraldrake]

tfs thoughts beneath the readmore note: contains spoilers for the entire campaign

the opening vision we get when we enter the traveler... i ended up watching it multiple times (computer issues ;-;) but MAN was it cool the inside of the traveler in general looks super funky, im going to have to do a no hud run at some point just for screenshots. shoutout to bungie for giving us a sparkly pink rainbow subclass, just in time for pride month lol weapon unsunsetting means i get to pull all sorts of old friends out of the vault. (python, the vow, steelfeather repeater, perfect paradox, etc...) i'm pretty ambivalent abt cayde generally but they did a good job w/ his characterization. i was worried he'd end up being kind of grating but so far he's been okay i was (initially) delighted to see targe. i was not anticipating that they were introducing him just so they could kill him off 5 minutes later. i have mixed feelings on zavala's characterization but it's been a minute since i buried my face into the ishtar collective lore vault so maybe it's just my memory being unreliable. for him to just lose it and start acting irrationally like that felt odd. maybe it's bcs we havent seen him in a while? idk it just felt off. (tbf you could point out that it's probably a byproduct of being forced to relive one of the most unpleasant moments of his entire life so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ fear and desperation can make people do strange things) ikora was cool, idk she didn't read as ooc or anything to me, her reunion with cayde was very sweet, though in hindsight i wish they'd given her a little more to do. seasonal stuff has struggled to give consistency to crow but i appreciate this expansion's efforts to tie up some of those threads more neatly. (i lost it when he pulled out an iron battleaxe, i did not expect that plot point to get touched on!! also it was cool!) i am still irritated that they fridged amanda ( i ignored that part of canon so hard it kinda smacked me in the face when they mentioned her.) i love luzaku, and i would kill for luzaku. ( finally! friendly hive!) i did like the emphasis on ghost and guardian relationships throughout the expansion's story. (also ghost as the location vendor!!!! having regular chats with him while we go through the story!!! the fact he becomes increasingly damaged and wounded throughout the campaign giving me the distinct dread that he might die!!!)

the fact the traveler is letting out intermittent shrieks of pain... MAN... the return of the glowing bird as our guide! (also the fact that the grenade projectile for song of flame looks like a bird... i dont think they're actually connected but it is giving me Ideas.) speaking of song of flame, i kind of expected it to be more underwhelming than it is?? it's actually pretty fun! prismatic is a lot of fun to mess around with! nothing like throwing a storm grenade at an enemy to simultaneously proc devour and amplify. the speaker mask exotic is also giving me Ideas >:) i lost my shit when they mentioned Micah-10. she's one of the last lore characters i expected them to pull out of the hat but i am delighted to see her in game, and seemingly as more than just a cameo too, as far as i can tell. pretty ambivalent abt the whole "player character is the most powertful being in the universe and the chosen one" thing. it's kinda where i figured they'd take it and i dont hate the trope so eh whatever. im glad they actually gave me cover for some of these story missions. i did not super enjoy lightfall's strategy of throwing me in a room with one million guys and a few tiny scraps of cover. ( the radial mast double tank fight... *shudders* ) difficulty wise legendary wasn't all that painful, there were a few fights i struggled with, but a change of loadout, or a little trial and error was pretty much all i needed. i def understand why they've saved the witness fight for the raid, but if my raiding history is anything to got by im certainly not doing day one, but that doesn't mean ill never touch it. (ive missed most of the newer raids, im just not that much of a people person.) ill try and take some day 1 screenshots of the opening area at least. also wrt post campaign!! i loved playing projectile tennis with savathun. all the two queens stuff was great tbh sav is such a fun villian. like yes!! you do owe us nothing and are only going to swoop in to help us bcs we have a bigger threat to deal with!! we can go back to trying to outscheme eachother once this is over!! ( also hey, they brought back adventures! i thought they'd never do that!) also what ive played of the crode camping trip (i forgot the mission name) has been fun. just me and the bois, out exploding screebs. ( then the game crashed so i guess i gotta go play that again lmao) overall i think this expansion is pretty good! i havent even gotten to the seasonal stuff yet, much less some of the regular patrol stuff for the pale heart.

[blackjackkent]

Jaheira does not volunteer an explanation for the little girl's behavior, but Hector almost immediately starts to formulate some theories, especially since he can hear the little girl talking with another voice inside the building.

"She'll be here. Any second. Maybe she's sneaking." "Doubtful - we'd hear her knees cracking."

"Enough, Fig. There's no point getting your hopes up. She'll be back when she's back." "You don't think she will." "I know she will. But we can wait a little longer, if you like."

"I saw her, I swear!" "Are you sure? Maybe it was just a laborer hauling a shaggy grey mop." "Be serious, Rion. Who puts braids on a mop?"

Hector swallows the urge to smile. Whoever these people are, they know Jaheira. They have been waiting for her to return from the shadowlands. This is going to be a reunion.

He looks at her sideways as they step through the door, but her expression is utterly still, entirely unreadable. She only speaks as they reach the center of the living room and the arranged figures standing there (Fig included) turn towards them.

"Oh, Malar's mark... here we go," she says, and a rueful smile flickers onto her face.

It's a rather motley crowd arranged to receive her. Fig and another girl about her age stand by the side of a young elven woman with dark hair wearing a greathammer on her back and polished leather armor. Next to her is a hulking half-orc fellow with bright pink hair. All of them look more than a little surprised.

"Are we quite sure she hasn't actually died this time, brother?" the elf says with jocular humor, lounging back on her heels and looking at the orc. "She *looks* dead."

"Smells it, too," the orc grunts.

Jaheira snorts. "It has been a hard road," she says with something between amusement and indignation. "But I can clip you both around the ear to prove I am no ghost, if it would help!"

The woman grins sardonically. "Forgive us, mother. We're just surprised you know how to find your way home."

Hector's eyebrows shoot to his hairline and his mouth drops open. "Mother? Jaheira, these are your children?!"

Adoptees, certainly, unless Jaheira casts her net far wider than he would have ever taken her for. He finds himself deeply touched to picture the actions that would have led to this diverse bunch calling themselves siblings. Jaheira has a more sentimental streak than she would ever actively admit.

"She always brings the smartest people home, too," the woman says dryly.

"Enough, Rion," says Jaheira, suddenly sharp. "I taught you better manners than that."

"No, you didn't," the orc mumbles, sotto voce.

Rion rolls her eyes. "A sending spell can carry twenty-five words. Do you know how many Jaheira's only message contained, in all this time she's been away? Seven."

Hector winces. OK, maybe Jaheira's not *that* sentimental, he thinks wryly.

"This... really isn't any of my business," he says awkwardly, rubbing his jaw with one hand.

Rion laughs, a shade bitterly. "Hah. Now there is a phrase Jaheira has never uttered. But no." A slight pause. "The message went, 'I'm sorry. You know what to do.'"

"So why haven't you done it?" Jaheira interjects with visible agitation. "You were supposed to get the young ones out of the city!"

"And you were supposed to be dead," Rion fires back without missing a beat. "That's what your oh-so-stoic message meant, yes?" Her voice softens almost imperceptibly, and Hector can hear the thread of anxiety underneath it. "Yet here you are. So... what happened out there?"

Jaheira frowns, then jerks her head to indicate Hector. "I got my skin saved by this one. We've come to take the fight to the cult - which is *exactly* why you all cannot be here."

The woman juts her jaw out stubbornly. "Why? You plan on winning, don't you?" She turns in Hector's direction, lifts an eyebrow at him - in a way that reminds him very much of Jaheira indeed. "You're the one who saved her, so tell me. Are we all doomed?"

Hector folds his arms and looks back at her steadily. "The cult is powerful," he says. "It's not going to be an easy fight."

"So fight," Rion says sharply. "That's what all you heroes and Harpers are for, isn't it?"

Jaheira sighs. "You are a very irritating girl," she deadpans.

"Ah-ah--" Rion wags a finger at her. "This isn't your house, remember? You'll keep a civil tongue under our roof - *if* we let you stay at all."

"Have mercy, sister," the orc puts in. "She's old after all."

"SOOOOOO old," one of the little girls says with a giggle.

"She can stay," Fig declares. "But only if she brought home *presents.*"

Rion laughs softly, though without much humor. "Seems I'm out-voted. See, mother? That is how you go about talking things through with your family." She shakes her head, looks at the others of the group with some skepticism, then shrugs. "Now, if there's more to discuss, then bloody well come in. And wipe your boots."

[mercurialskiies]

I need to talk into the void about the stuff i’ve read about Fragile Threads so far (because everyone I follow on the non-blue bird app hasn’t read it yet) since it came to my house early and I need to scream in a way that’s cohesive and also non-spoilery.

I just. I have so many thoughts.

So if you don’t want spoilers please don’t unravel this post.

I’m warning you.

Please do not click the “Keep Reading” tab if you don’t want spoilers.

You cannot hold me accountable otherwise.

Okay, if you’re reading this, I’m assuming you’ve sealed your fate on spoilers.

Good. Cool. We’re on the same page.

It should be noted that, in the five hours I’ve been reading, I just got to like, the second chapter of part three. We devoured two whole parts, which will be my main talking points here.

—————

First thing’s first: I’m desperately awaiting more from Kosika and Tes. I really love their characters so far (more Tes than Kosika, because I’ve only seen that first chapter from her and Tes I’ve seen two). I want to know what it is about Tes’ sister (or, maybe, who her sister is involved with) that has Tes so absolutely terrified. Her character as a whole intrigues me and I’m excited to see how she interacts with everyone down the line (if she does).

Also, bonus points and shout outs to Tes naming her owl Vares. She’s just like me for real.

Second thing’s second: I really LOVE how so far the first nearly 150+ pages are a reunion for characters from Shades (which I think is really welcome if you read the Shades of Magic books first). Seeing Maris and Kell and Lila again was just REALLY nice, and I missed them.

Which, speaking of Kell and Lila, holy crap I missed them and their dynamic so much. I do very much love the growth they’ve gone through in the seven years from what I’ve seen. Lila, while she has some of the same traits (knife kleptomaniac), feels like she’s softened a little and Kell, while he has some of his sadboi traits, definitely feels…way more confident. Like, I’m talking LEAGUES more confident.

Plus, seeing them both function as Antari magicians is really cool, because Lila only really “grew” into her powers starting in AGOS. To see her using magic with proficiency is like “Wow”.

It isn’t the same for Kell, who, first and foremost, those flashback scenes to the months/early years after his magic was shattered hurt me so much, dude. Especially because like, magic was the thing he was valued for as part of the crown—his worth always lied in his ability to not just do magic, but wield it with ease and proficiency. He was always looked on as this figure of power.

I don’t blame him for being so afraid and anxious about what that means for his sense of self-worth. Especially considering that most, if not all of his worth, hinged on his ability to do magic.

I did like the little analogy that Lila gives him, though, about the swordsman who learned to use his other hand to fight (implying that Kell can still fight, just with using other things instead of his magic—magic, whether he can use it or not, doesn’t define his worth).

But the other little thing I appreciated is that this, even seven years after the fact, is still something Kell struggles with. Using magic, Antari spells or otherwise, is still a fallback for him when his swords and knives fail. It isn’t something that just goes away.

Some other small things I wanted to note is just I love all of the little callbacks to the first series (Lila and Kell’s little “What was that for?” “For warmth.” exchange had me giggling and kicking my feet. They’re so whipped it’s insane).

Also, this would explain where the ring (in that one snippet that had me literally on the floor) came from. It’s not a wedding ring (like I assumed it was), but it’s a binding ring. Which, is almost kind of like a wedding ring, but without the vows. Plus, the fact that Kell mentions he only wears two for the people he loves most (his girlfriend and his brother) made me 🥺

Some things for these characters never change.

And I’m excited to see the rest of it and meet the newer ones.

[ririzzzzz]

Good TXT fanfics (not ranked):

1. Under the sky in room 553 I discovered you and I - by spellfire on ao3 (completed)

Story description (made by the author):

“Have you ever heard about the origami hearts tradition in the hospital?” Taking the heart, the child excitedly inspected it, nodding in glee. “Yes! My mama told me that when someone leaves the hospital to go to heaven, we all fold a paper heart for them! Like this, like this!” “That’s right,” chuckled Soobin. “But do you know how it started? It started here, in this room. From a boy who used to fold a paper heart every day for his lost love, hoping each one he makes will take him closer to the day those eyes would open again.” "Unfortunately for him, the day never came." In other words, a hopeless love story of two childhood best friends who didn't realise what it meant to have each other until it was too late; compiled of yearning, loss, forlorn hope, unrequited love, and every tragedy in between.

Under the sky in room 553 I discovered you and I : https://archiveofourown.org/works/2762552

2. Paper Hearts - by pulsefire on ao3 (completed)

Story Description (made by the author):

A world where you’re born with five luminous hearts on the inside of your wrist. When you get your heart broken in any way, one of the hearts loses their colour and fades. Once all five have dimmed, it’s said that you can never fall in love again. Enter Choi Beomgyu; a music major with only one heart left, barely hanging on a thin thread. He pledged to himself that he wouldn’t find love again to save him from the curse. That changes the day Kang Taehyun joins the picture with five complete hearts, taunting Beomgyu. Out of spite, Beomgyu bets with his friend that he can break at least one of Taehyun’s hearts. What’s one heart less? What he didn’t expect was to possibly fall in love in the process, leading to his demise.

Paper Hearts : http://archiveofourown.org/works/24356467

3. The End of the World - by maskatojas on ao3 (completed)

Story description (made by the author):

"You need to remember, Soobin." There seem to be quite a few things that Soobin is forgetting about his high school experience fifteen years ago. During his high school reunion, Soobin finds himself trapped inside a burning building. He is saved by the one person he didn't expect to see. Can he recover his memories and figure out why Yeonjun left them all those years ago? Why Beomgyu now seems to hate him? Or perhaps why people keep talking about Taehyun being in hospital?

The End of the World : http://archiveofourown.org/works/33819385

4. Written Hearts - by gravviee on Wattpad (completed)

Story description (made by the author):

In order to make his ex girlfriend jealous, Kang Taehyun blackmail his classmate, Lee Mirai, to be his fake-girlfriend. But what if his act turns into something more?

Written Hearts : https://w.tt/3Jfou5m

5. For 24 Hours - by champagnestrawbs on Wattpad (completed)

Story description (made by the author):

“I think it’s better to have you for just 24 hours than to never have had you at all.”

The moment Choi Soobin transferred to my school, I knew I liked him. Well, what’s not to like? He’s nice, talented, a gentleman - He’s every girl’s dream guy!

There’s no way he would notice me.

What’s to like about me? I’m plain, simple, and boring. For two years, I’ve never had the courage to talk to him, but not until this party happened. We had the most exhilarating game of truth or dare.

And then, the bottle lands on me.

I was dared to be Choi Soobin’s girlfriend for 24 hours.

For 24 Hours : https://w.tt/3ZiK5zg

6. The suicide hotline - by straychu on Wattpad (completed)

Story description (made by the author):

“Is this… the… suicide hotline?”

“I… um, yes?”

“…Are you asking or telling?”

“…Telling?”

“What would you do if I told you I wanted to die?”

“I would beg you not to.”

“Would you, stranger? Would you really?”

“I would.”

Kim Sunhee was raised in a sleepy town, completely sheltered from the darker things in life. That’s why she doesn’t know how to react when she gets a call from a boy looking for a suicide hotline. Out of fear he’ll commit suicide if he doesn’t get help immediatly, she lies and pretends to be a hotline worker.

Choi Yeonjun is on the edge. He’s sleeping into the void, but unlike some he’s aware of it. In a desperate attempt to save his own life, he calls a suicide hotline. The girl on the other end sounds very sketchy and suspiciously young. Not that it matters. He’s just glad someone pretends to care about his life and his problems.

When a cynical, depressed boy unintentionally lets a bubbly, optimistic girl into his life, he has no chiuce but to bend to her will and see that maybe, there was more to life than he thought.

The suicide hotline : https://w.tt/3KUwF8b

7. FAT - by SoftForTaehyun_ on Wattpad (completed)

Story description (made by the author):

“Why are you wearing a baggy sweater, it’s like 50 degrees outside?”

“The answer is simple, I don’t like my figure.”

FAT : https://w.tt/3SRV5Bt

[sbmscurtainconvictionau]

Random Em doodles [Long Thread]

HEAD START! A silly meme i made teehees cutely i love lore ONCE AGAIN I AM MAKING LONG THREADS I LOVE MAKING LONG THREADS AND EXPLAINING WHAT MY TINY BRAIN HAS TO OFFER ^-^

Anywho off we start with this image and God 💀 it is so terrible out of context because it IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT HAPPANED

Okay so basically the whole plot of this AU is basically Em trying to create a reality where Emmet and Ingo do end up getting their reunion in exchange for his mortal body to be severly twisted and his already terrible mental illness and sociopathic behaviour isn't helping him make any decision a good decision so he ends up by accident in order to control the lives of Emmet and Ingo he has to essentially manipulate their surroundings and suggest them so many things to become who they are today. Nothing can fix this man, my guy.

Youre gonna watch him suffer.

Anywho. More bacon man here, hes smiling for once ^-^

Picture of him sleeping with a pillow ^-^

Height difference and usual arguments at their shared abandoned house

He has severe abandonment issues 💀 He'd be pretty hurt if Lolo ever betrayed him but I dont think so, at least. Would Lolo do it?

Em merged his account with Lolo's account because he's technically not supposed to be alive. He has his grave back in Unova but he never visited it before. It was right next to Indigo's grave too, except Em brought back Indigo's corpse all the way from Hisui.

Em doesn't understand a lot of emotions and Lolo is usually trying to get him to understand what he's feeling. Sadly he also uses it to his advantage too at times.

If there was an otome train gacha game I'd want it too

Em: I was laying on the ground right behind our house. It was raining and really damp and all the worms and maggots started eating me. It was ticklish at first but it was relieving. And then, the ground kept piling up on me until I couldn't see the sky anymore

Em: I couldn't feel my muscle, and the bones I had were starting to break down to scattered pieces. It was really nice, I felt hazy mostly but it was honestly just relaxing. And then next thing you know I was able to fly and there was nothing on me. I had no weight

Em: It was like I became some kind of angel ghost thing, it was really freeing. I've been repeating this dream for some time now so I'd figured I'd share it with you

Lolo: So all this time you were sleeping for 4 days straight was just you dying in your sleep?

Em: Wish it was

Lolo: Wow, okay. I'm trying to sleep here but after hearing that I'm not sure I'd like that kind of dream. Small spaces freak me out

Em: it's so freeing though, think about it. If you're no longer human, you don't have to suffer any more

Lolo: Ugh, wake me up in the morning

Finally! Em in some normal clothing

That's all for now see you next time ^-^

[electricbluebutterflies]

13 & jessleto perhaps?

Canon-divergent'verse, PG-ish, also on ao3.

looking out for potential dangers all the time

Everything had been under control. Isn’t that how it always goes sideways?

Jessica had, to the best of her ability, acclimated. She’s not proud of everything she’s had to do survive, but she has survived, that’s the important part, she is still breathing and vengeful and-

Everything had been under control, and then it turned out her widowhood didn’t stick, and-

Well. Strange things always come in multiple. Now she waits for the next twist of the knife of fate.

She has always run paranoid; she knows now that genetics may have been a factor there, and her programming on top of them, and the unexpected desire she has to live her own life by her own terms and-

She’d almost figured out this era. A Reverend Mother is left alone, and her particularly brutal widowhood… perhaps she revealed things she might not have otherwise as part of her web of protection, but she knows how men can be and establishing how impossibly high her standards are seemed like something to do well before she had need of that defense, and-

It didn’t stick. She has known for two days. Her body has not stilled in that time.

She had accepted those circumstances, gotten too used to sleeping alone, and then her beloved had to go and-

She knows this is real. She has run her hands over every inch of his skin and made sure everything is as it should be if not quite as she remembers, a few new scars and slightly different distribution but still the same heartbeat and pleasant voice and everything that matters, and-

“You haven’t been this tense in years.”

Jessica glances towards her partner, wonders if it is even appropriate to hold hands where others will see. Her worries about them are unchanged, even though it is different now, even though no one here gives a damn what she does in the quiet of night and-

“I have been alone in a new way since-“

“Do you not find this acceptable?”

That is not a word she’d start with, she thinks and will say later when they are less likely to be overheard. Entirely different from what she once knew, to start, and she had gotten too comfortable within his protection, the understanding that no one who stood under those banners would do her harm and-

The banners have all burned, and she carries knives in her skirt-seams for the first time in over a decade, and she turns her senses down just so she may walk through a public space without incident. The hum of her daughter’s growing consciousness is distracting enough – that is high on the list of things that do not need to be revealed at any point ever – and the rest is-

“Do you think we are wanted here?” she breathes, quiet as she can.

“Our son is-“

“Our son is a pawn, and I may have…”

Her partner threads their fingers that much tighter, and she wonders what she sees, brought into this new environment under just slightly less desperate circumstances than she was. He has always had a way with people that she envies, and-

“What of you, my storm?”

She did not sleep through the night between their downfall and their reunion, she would say if she were less aware of how he worries for her. She is uncertain her protections are enough. She is uncertain how to change them in light of-

“You are still the only person I can trust,” she breathes. “We are unchanged.”

“No wonder you are-“

“I have done what I had to do. Different scenery is not-“

She would prefer to have this conversation in private, she thinks, but their dialect is at least less common here and she is not-

“You have stayed.”

“I had no other choice, beloved. Adapt or die.”

He is silent for too long, as they wander. He does not know the course of her days, how she makes her presence visible, how she has become a symbol of the divine unknown and the war barely started and oh she is unsure how to do any of that now that she is not alone and-

He is a competent fighter, she reminds herself. If that is how he is needed, he will adapt. She will… do everything in her power to prevent. Better to keep him close, here, with her, safe, with-

“What do you not tell me?”

“I am unsure what I will have to do to keep you by my side.”

“Would it not be enough that you are weak with child?”

“You know my stubbornness and even you can rarely avert it. No one here…”

“Keeping you safe and calm would be use enough for me.”

“It will not be so easy, but-“

“I would assume you are allowed a protector?”

Jessica rolls her eyes. “I assumed a number of things that have proven untrue, beloved, and the questions we face now are not-“

“Or perhaps I will stand under your protection instead. That does seem to be the way-“

“We may be in public as we have been alone, for once.”

She likes that idea, as she allows herself to consider it. To be a full equal to her partner, to change their circumstances in that way, to never feel as though she wants more than she is allowed…

They are more dangerous when they are of the same mind. Jessica has known that for nearly twenty years, and she knows their current set of situations will make them even more so. This will not be an easy few months at the very least, and-

“Would you allow that?”

“Would you?”

She knows this man she loves, how acclimated he is to power and how the loss of it must burn, and to offer himself as no more than her guard… what does she not know about the months they were apart? What happened in the brush with death that made him so-

“To stand beside you? Anything.”

[vrishchikawrites]

You know what would be interesting?

JC never lost his golden Core.

And Wei Wuxian did not lose his.

But he still gets dropped into the Burial Mounds. And like I dunno how, but he comes out of there having mastered the new form of cultivation.

Jiang Cheng acts like a dick that's par for cannon. And this Wei Wuxian who has survived the burial Mounds with his golden core intact has no time for his drama.

He definitely confesses to Lan Wangji o ce he is out of the burial mounds.

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji in the Sunshot campain would be brilliant. Cultivating and * *wink wink nudge nudge* * dual cultivating.

JC is seething with jelousy. He has everything. The gentry name, the money and sect leadership but the whole world is only speaking about Wei Wuxian and his like awesome cultivation. Both the sword style and with his flute.

Wen Qing and Wen Ning- Wen Ning convinces his sister to join the war. Wen Ning wants to be on Wei Wuxian's side.

What would JC throw a tantrum over if he doesn't have anything to throw a tantrum over??

Like for example he blames Wei Wuxian for Lotus Pier burning. Obviously it's not his mistake. But one day he is yelling at Wei Wuxian about it and sect leader someone maybe XiChen, maybe Sect leader Nie. Whoever. Comes and like defends Wei Wuxian.

What would he do then faced with the facts? Cling all the more to his warped world view? Or apologize?

It will be interesting to see.

You don't have to take this prompt if it's too messy or whatever. I love you and your writing.

Also, thank you for choosing to write my previous prompt.

XOXO.

(this is a little similar to trapped and patient but also quite different. Hope you like it! The format is a bit different because this is a lot of time to cover in a short prompt)

When he stumbles out of the Burial Mounds, Wei Wuxian is stunned. He can't believe he made it, that he was able to survive it, without his sword.

Wei Wuxian walks forward shakily, one unsteady step at a time, putting distance between him and that wretched place.

He feels weak, drained, devastated in small ways.

But he is free.

---

Yiling offers shelter in unexpected ways. He's able to hide in a temple to recover. His condition is wretched enough that he's mistaken for a beggar. A few people take pity on him and offer fruits and buns.

It takes him a week.

That's all it takes for him to recover.

Wei Wuxian washes all traces of Burial Mounds off him, soaks in icy river water for hours on end until he feels purified and reforged.

Now, he's ready for revenge.

---

Wei Wuxian has only tried his cultivation method on the dead. He has used it to repel the fierce corpses, fierce ghosts, and spirits soaked in resentment.

When he tests the method on the Wens, it proves to be even more effective. They scramble like mindless beasts, driven by fear and confusion. The sounds of his Dizi pierce the air and induce madness.

He watches from a distance, indifferent as the Wens turn on each other, swinging their swords, shouting at phantoms, all sense and intellect gone.

He turns away.

---

Jiang Cheng's arms wrap around him and the fog around his mind starts to slowly recede. He stands stiffly, blinking a little before looking beyond his martial brother.

Lan Zhan is there, staring at him with wide eyes. There's so much open concern on his usually stoic face that Wei Wuxian wants to turn away.

"Wei Ying,"

It is only then, under the power of that golden gaze, that his fugue state dissipates. He sees Lan Zhan step forward, almost reaching out only to pull back at the last moment.

Jiang Cheng pushes him away and punches his shoulder, "Where have you been? How dare you abandon us and just frolic off somewhere?"

Wei Wuxian swalllows with difficulty and answers their questions with his habitual dismissive charm.

But that honest expression of open concern on Lan Zhan's beautiful face doesn't leave.

He meets those golden eyes and feels something shift within him.

Shaking his head, he dismisses the feeling. There's no time for sentimental reunions. He turns his attention towards Wen Chao, unsheathes his sword, and kills him in one clean strike.

There. Done.

---

The war is already in full swing by the time he joins it. His martial brother and Lan Zhan are quick to take him to Qinghe, not even letting him ride his own sword.

"Wei-gongzi, I'm happy to see you safe," Lan Xichen greets, running a discreet eye over him. The older Lan brother's concern is well hidden but Wei Wuxian senses it nevertheless.

The man looks like he's just about ready to banish him to the healing halls.

He opens his mouth to reassure Lan Xichen but Nie Mingjue intervenes, slapping his back solidly, "I hear you're responsible for the devastation at Yiling. Good work!"

Wei Wuxian smiles brightly, hoping to banish that increasingly familiar look from Lan Zhan's face. "Thank you, Nie-zongzhu." He smiles up at the man, "I can give you a full report of what happened if you wish it."

The Chifeng-zun's expression shifts into one of approval and he nods, "I do wish it."

"I would like to know as well, if you don't mind," Lan Xichen says and Nie Mingjue nods before he glances at Lan Zhan.

He chuckles, "Lan er-gonzi can join us as well."

---

Wei Wuxian doesn't realize he's been spending more time with the Lan brothers and Nie Mingjue until Jiang Cheng angrily points it out.

"You're too good for us, are you?" He demands, "Abandoning us in favor of your new friends! Even in the battlefield, you and Lan Wangji are inseparable! Have some shame! How dare you abandon your responsibilities and mess around with that man?"

"a-Cheng," Shijie reprimands gently but her voice is weak.

"Aiya, Jiang Cheng, who keeps track of such things amidst a war? They're all our allies. It's not like I have abandoned everyone." He still trains with the Jiang disciples and leads them in battle after all.

"Wei Wuxian!"

"Jiang Cheng," His voice makes his irritation clear, "Is this really the right time to worry about such trivial matters? Who cares about appearances during war? Are were not all one when on the battlefield?" He asks, narrowing his eyes on the furious Jiang, "We don't know whether we'll live or die when we ride out and you're concerned about who fights alongside me? Just who are you speaking of?"

"Who I am speaking of?" Jiang Cheng snaps in return, "Your obsession with that man is unseemly and reflects poorly on the sect! You know it and yet you carry on shamelessly-"

"My obsession?" He demands, "Just what are you trying to imply, Jiang Cheng? You're going to be a brat just because Lan Zhan happens to be the only one able to keep up with me?" It is no secret that his three month stint sharpened his cultivation in ways people find hard to fathom. He didn’t just develop a new cultivation method, he grew. Surviving the Burial Mounds is a feet beyond the skill and endurance of most cultivators. 

Wei Wuxian has earned his already formidable reputation.

Jiang Cheng reels back at the reminder, his face twisting with rage.

Never let it be said that Wei Wuxian takes things lying down. He has spent a lifetime appeasing Jiang Cheng and dealing with his insecurities.

He no longer has the patience.

---

He reaches out instinctively, pulling Lan Zhan out of a blade's path, spinning around to block the strike with his bare arm.

His thick leather brace manages to minimize the damage and he doesn't lose his arm but it is a near thing.

With a hiss, he crowds against Lan Zhan and brings Suibian down in a sharp slash, cutting the Wen before him from left shoulder to right hip.

"Reckless." Lan Zhan says later as he carefully stitches the cut.

"I couldn't let you get hurt." Wei Wuxian says softly, peering down at the kneeling figure before him. He has seen Lan Zhan in various states of indignity, covered in blood, robes soaked in the disgusting sludge of a war-torn field.

Nothing diminishes his beauty.

Wei Wuxian's heart races, his head spinning as he smells the scent of sandalwood. He swallows as Lan Zhan shifts closer, carefully snipping the excess thread and studying his neat stitches.

This close, he feels overwhelmed and realization dawns.

"I love you," He breathes, stunned.

He loves Lan Zhan. The knowledge strikes him now, suddenly, without warning. "How did I not know?" Wei Wuxian feels strangely dazed. How could he not know? It is so obvious to him, his constant need for Lan Zhan's attention, "I hate it when you ignore me." The feeling of those snapping golden eyes on him when he finally manages to gain Lan Zhan's attention, "It's thrilling when you don't."

He has never met anyone more beautiful, "I find you better looking than any maiden." Lan Zhan's proximity now makes him feel-, "Breathless," He says, "When I'm close to you I feel- how did I miss-"

Lan Zhan grip is like vice around his wrist.

Wei Wuxian stops, going pale as he realizes how brazenly he had just confessed love to a man. If Jiang Cheng were here, he'd definitely gut him with Sandu, "Lan Zhan, I-"

Lan Zhan surges forward, eyes blazing and expression dark.

Warm lips slide over his and his mind goes silent.

He doesn't think a single thought that night.

---

War doesn't wait for anyone and Wei Wuxian doesn't say anything in protest when Lan Zhan pulls away from him. He watches with heavy eyes as Lan Zhan shrugs on his discarded outer robes and glances at him.

"Is your body alright?" He asks and Wei Wuxian feels a blush crawl up his neck.

“No! Of course it isn’t,“ He complains even though his body is buzzing with lingering pleasure. He pouts up at Lan Zhan, who studies him with careful golden eyes, “Really, going on and on, taking your pleasure without any care for my virgin body.“ Lan Zhan’s ears are delightfully red, “Who knew er-gege could be so bold?“

“Wei Ying,“ Lan Zhan’s expression is flat but his voice carries a hint of a waver. Wei Wuxian just grins in response, “Be serious.“

In all honesty, his body is already back to its regular state of being. His Golden Core is still spinning furiously and the lingering energy from Dual Cultivation has healed any aches and pains he might have. 

“Fine,“ He says in a petulant tune, inwardly delighted that Lan Zhan is now his, “But er-gege must kiss me to make me feel better.”

Lan Zhan doesn’t hesitate, leaning over him and gently tipping his chin up for the demanded kiss. 

Wei Wuxian sighs, sinking into it as a curtain of silken black hair forms a private cocoon around him. 

---

The war ends but Wei Wuxian’s problems don’t end with it. Three issues stand before him; helping the Wen remnants, helping rebuild YunmengJiang, and figuring out how to marry Lan Zhan. 

One obstacle stands in the way of two of these three goals. Jiang Cheng absolutely refuses to lift a finger to help the Wen remnants, even though Wen Qing’s assistance helped them win the war. Jin Guangyao may have killed Wen Ruohan but Wen Qing prevented thousands of casualties.

Wen Ning was also responsible for rescuing Jiang Cheng from the Wen capture before he lost his Golden Core. It was fortunate that Wen Zhuliu had been called to visit Wen Ruohan and Wen Chao had to wait to enact that punishment. 

Wen Ning and Wei Wuxian managed to steal Jiang Cheng away just hours before Wen Zhuliu returned.

And yet, Jiang Cheng chooses to side with the Jins on the matter instead of listening to Lan Xichen or Nie Mingjue. Wei Wuxian knows it is partly because their sister is marrying into the Jin clan and they can’t afford to make things difficult for her, but still.

Jin Zixuan will obviously protect shijie. There’s no need to be so cautious, especially if three out of four sects oppose imposing any sort of punishment on innocent people. 

On a personal front, Jiang Cheng’s disapproval of his relationship with Lan Zhan is blatant.

Jiang Cheng can’t really stop Wei Wuxian from marrying whoever he wishes. He doens’t need the sect leader’s permission as he’s not really the member of the family. But his shidi is making things difficult with his sneering disapproval and contemptuous comments in public.  

He has already alienated Lan Xichen completely by calling Lan Zhan’s honor in question (boy did he earn the punch Wei Wuxian had leveled at him - sect leader or no). Nie Mingjue will never side with some upstart over Lan Xichen. 

Lan Zhan himself doesn’t care. He has never liked Jiang Cheng and he never will. He only retaliates when Jiang Cheng tries to attack Wei Wuxian. 

His protective er-gege as no tolerance for anyone trying to harm him.

Which is what, ultimately, breaks Wei Wuxian’s ties with YunmengJiang. 

The confrontation is embarrassingly public. He doesn’t mind Lan Xichen or Nie Mingjue being present but feels upset about Jin Guangshan and Jin Guangyao being there as well. 

“Twin Prides of Yungmeng, isn’t that what you promised me?“ Jiang Cheng demands, “Where will your pride be if you break all of your promises and get into...” He waves his hand at Lan Zhan in disgust, “Is this how you intend to repay us? My father raised you to be the Head Disciple of the Jiang Sect and you would rather be some sort of deviant?“

“Jiang Cheng-“

“And you would side with the Wen dogs too! Was this always your intention? Did you always want to bring down my sect and support its enemies?” 

“The Wen remnants have helped us. They’re not our enemies.“

“They’re not our enemies now,“ Jin Guanyao interjects calmly, his voice soothing and patient, “But surely you see that it may not remain so? We cannot risk another war.”

“They’re barely a few hundred people and we have already taken most of their resources. They’ll live as poor peasants. How can they be a threat to us?“ Wei Wuxian asks. 

“You’re indeed naïve, Wei-gongzi,“ Jin Guangshan says in a gentle, placating tone, “Perhaps your fondness for Wen-guniang is making you turn a blind eye. Beautiful women have a tendency to do that.“ He chuckles indulgently.

The sly implication in his tone isn’t lost on anyone. Lan Zhan’s expression turns frosty and Wei Wuxian feels a surge of fury strong enough to make his blood boil. There are so many things wrong with that statement that Wei Wuxian, for once, is rendered speechless.

“You question the honor of Wei Wuxian of all people?“ Nie Mingjue demands, taking a step forward, “I have stayed silent because Jiang Sect business isn’t my business but I will not have you slander and belittle a proven warrior in my presence!“

“Indeed,“ Lan Xichen says calmly but there’s no mistaking the sharp look in his eyes. Lan Xichen rarely reacts to provocations or interferes in sect matters that don’t concern him. But he’s not going to let anyone upset his younger brother carelessly, “The matter of the Wens is easy to resolve. Let us give them a small piece of land, let them set up a village, and forbid cultivation among them.“

“Er-ge,“ Jin Guangyao begins but Lan Zhan is out of patience. 

He steps back and bows to all assembled before placing a hand on Wei Wuxian’s back, “Wei Ying will choose his own path. Wens will remain free. Wei Ying and I will marry.“ He meets Jiang Cheng’s furious gaze, “Jiang-zongzhu must decide whether his brother’s happiness matters to him.“

Wei Wuxian winces. 

“My brother’s happiness?“ Jiang Cheng demands, “All everyone has ever cared about is his happiness! What about me? What about our Sect? A sect he nearly destroyed because of his loyalty towards you.“ Jiang Cheng looks at him, “Did you forget my mother? My father? How do you intend to repay the enormous debt you carry, Wei Wuxian?“

Wei Wuxian stares back at him, “What is my repayment, Jiang Cheng?” He asks softly, “What will it take for you to consider that debt repaid?” It has been over five years since the fall of Lotus Pier. Wei Wuxian has bled and slogged through war to restore that place to its former glory. He has kept Jiang Cheng safe, helped renegotiate shijie’s marriage, and used his name to draw skilled cultivators to YungmengJiang. 

What more can he give? 

“Loyalty.“ He stills, “You devote your life to YungmengJiang and nothing else.“

Lan Xichen makes a faint, alarmed noise while Nie Mingjue huffs in disapproval. 

Wei Wuxian takes a deep breath, feeling Lan Zhan’s fingers flex on his back. He levels a flat look at Jiang Cheng and thinks on the matter of debts. He thinks about Madam Yu’s refusal to bend, of Jiang-zongzhu’s passivity and lack of planning. He thinks about the Wen’s unprovoked attack on Cloud Recesses and the inevitability of war. 

He thinks of his Lan Zhan and shijie’s Jin Zixuan, without swords and facing an armed group of Wens under Wen Chao’s orders. 

He thinks of love. Of what it means to be truly, unconditionally loved. 

No sorrys and no thank yous. No debt owed for simply being a part of someone’s life. 

He thinks of acceptance that comes with an older brother’s amused smile. He thinks of an uncle’s gruff admonishment to behave followed by a stiff reminder to eat, you’re skin and bones already. 

He takes a deep breath and decides. 

“No.“

[kryptoniancape]

This is probably as good a day as any for me to finally materialize these thoughts that have been gnawing at me since the end of April. This is going to be messy because I’m writing it in between innings of my softball game.

What is the likelihood we get some form of canon by the end of the series?

When this all started, the crackhead in me really had to wonder, what if this is all a sick ruse to cover up a fake out?

As much as I regard that notion as the chaotic timeline, I think those theories were actually fair considering the very odd incompetence that we’re observing in marketing surrounding the final season, and just, franchise direction in general. Of course, the idea that this is all some conspiracy for next gen clout becomes more favourable than the less spectacular reality, which is just, people in the positions of creative authority at AMC not valuing their characters and stories as vehicles for great art, as much as their fans.

I do think it’s possible we could see some form of fake out death in the final act. It could be Carol, or Daryl (since tracking indicates a potential rescue mission) as an easy means for propelling their development. It could also be Judith, based on the set photos where she is apparently injured. Either way, I’m almost certain there are going to be a lot of major and minor character deaths to clean up the inflated cast, and go for basic shock value in classic TWD fashion, so at least one fake out for a major character could balance all that tragedy.

I feel certain evidence says Carol won’t die. However, I have a feeling we could be looking at Rosita, Aaron, and/or Gabriel biting the bullet. These would be the characters that need to go imo, in order to justify any narrative where Carol becomes leader of Alexandria and stays behind, which is what I assume they will try and do. Daryl and Carol would be next in line for leadership in the absence of these figures in AZ. At the very least, I like the idea of everybody finally looking up to and appreciating Carol’s contributions.

I actually believe they are going to give us canon in some capacity. If they don’t, several chunks of several seasons of storytelling will have amounted to a complete waste, including the bizarre separation of their two leads for two whole blocks. Since s7 I haven’t underestimated this show’s capacity for wasted potential, in fact, I routinely bank on it. But to me, fully wasting Caryl will be next level failure for AMC. They really should have gone canon in s10, to give time for the relationship to materialize, but I always suspected they would procrastinate out of fear of writing mediocrity after so many years of anticipation. I think losing their planned season 12 probably played into why the current season is so unhinged.

There are frankly too many cues pointing to a Daryl and Carol romance to just ignore. Their last scene with the lunch date in particular seems to be spelling it out. Even the 11C sneak peek they gave us juxtaposes Daryl and Carol relative to their relationship to the Grimes kids. I think we’ll see lots of solo Caryl moments that allow them to emotionally unpack, and just maybe, bring them together before the battle with Commonwealth peaks, with the meat and potatoes of the relationship happening during the time jump—a lacklustre consolation to a post-war honeymoon road trip any way you slice it. This is why I’m inclined to think they will get the lead on Rick post time jump. It could at least open the floor for some emotion heavy scenes between Caryl as they have to very suddenly deal with this news that is both magnificent and damning to their present situation. This is how I presume they will attempt to string their fans further—not with no canon (as we’ve long worn that out) but with their first “reunion” as an actual item. I don’t want to comment on the infamous wedding theory at all tbh, but where I brushed it off before as being kind of corny, maybe it will prove to be the only thread they can utilize to tie Caryl together in a way that is unmoved by whatever life has to say about it.

The thing I hate most of all about this whole situation is how it’s only made me anticipate 11C more. Lmfao. The cruel irony, and inevitable emotional damage to my person is palpable. Once I’ve pledged my love for the characters, I have to see through the whole shitty shebang to the end. Though there will continue to be no orthodox viewership from me until season 11 proves it can entertain me. Their perception of what constitutes thrilling storytelling these days is just sad. These bold claims they’re making about the “humanity” of the ending are either going to have to smack their viewers like lightning, or be gaffed at by reviewers like typical TWD self flagellation. It’s depressing to think that they’ve already shit the bed, so for now I still find it plausible to follow the motions, with my cynicism in my back pocket. But I genuinely think there may be something of substance that can still surprise us beneath the horizon.

[sweeethinny]

Jily Fanfic Rec

I said I wanted to make a rec list, but as I read a lot of fanfic Hinny, a lot, I need more time, but in the meantime, here's an Jily Rec, because I love them..

so as not to get an excessively long list, I'll just put the ones shots that are in my bookmarks and that I love very much

Maybe I'll do another one, with Multi-Chapter, or more One Shot :)

ONE-SHOT (AU and Canon Compliant)

color theory - @clare-with-no-i

''Lily Evans learns about love: its hues, its tints, its shades. Some disappoint. Some dazzle.''

one of the last fanfics I've read, and it's beautiful, it's just adorable ho Lily learns what love is, and I love fanfics where Lily dates before James, I think those are the most real ones and the ones I like the most.

Reunion - @writtenbyfreckles

"Get your robes off." Lily started. Stared. "What?" Instead of responding, hands started to pull at her clothing. She batted them away. ''Oi. Hey! Are you in a time warp? This isn't high school. We don't do that anymore."

I don't usually read fanfic where James and Lily aren't together, but since I love whatever Freckles writes, I readed, and my god, it's just ... Damn.

It's so cute, to say the least, James's concern, Lily's insecurity... I don't know much to say, it's very good, I love it

Wildflowers - @YouBlitheringIdiot

“Hold still for a minute!” James is lying on his back, hands behind his head, the warm afternoon sunshine on his closed eyelids, a stupid grin on his face. He half opens an eye and blinks up at her. “Evans, what are you doing?” his voice heavy with Summer stupor. “Oxeye daisy,” she replies. Her hands thread through his hair, small fingers nimbly moving, wordless magic twisting the stem into place.

This fanfic broke my heart, with such cuteness, and with the end of it.

Read, that's all I can say.

Summer heat - @startanewdream

James is late and the summer heat always brings out Lily's emotions.

Okay, me again putting Mah on my lists.

I just wanted to choose one, but I recommend all of hers, but this one in particular has a place in my heart. I love how she writes Jily so well

And it was - @midnightelite

Lily is in love with her best friend who also happens to be her soulmate. It sucks that James isn't interested in her, but she is determined to get through this trip. She will figure out how to continue cohabitating together when they're back home.

I don't have a very good memory to remember just from the synopsis of the stories, but this one, when I read soumates and saw what I had written in the bookmark, I knew what it was.

I also don't read a lot of Soulmate fanfic - even if ironically I'm writing one - but this is one of my favorites, without a doubt

Nah, She Didn't - @jilythot

the seven times Sirius Black said "Nah, she didn't" about James and Lily.

This fanfic is on Sirius' POV, and I was trying not to post several fanfics here so it wouldn't get too big, but I can't let this one go, I think it was one of the first ones I read, along with another one that I will link to too, and I love this story

it's another story that I just read the name and already knew exactly what it was

The Most Brilliant Baby in the World - @magic-girl-in-a-muggle-world

“...and you’ll be a brilliant Quidditch player, even better than I was!”

If I'm not mistaken, this was one of the first Jily fanfic I read, and it was a fanfic that made me cry, and made me write for the first time about Jily.

This fanfic is beautiful, I was separating the links and I knew that this could not be missing, I remember talking to my friend about this story, and being totally emotional.

If I didn't convince you to read this story, I don't know what will.

james potter's #1 rule for primary school pick up - @goingmywaydoll

James has one rule for picking up Harry from school and he really doesn’t think it’s that hard to follow.

another great story, I love it when Jily lives and we can see them doing normal parenting things, and having dilemmas like this ahahahha

a great fanfic

Time Makes You Bolder - @jamespotterthefirst

Lily and James prepare for Harry's seventeenth birthday. Harry, meanwhile, prepares to bring his lovely girlfriend home to meet his parents.

I don't know what to say about this

I thought about saying how I felt when I read it, or how I like this fanfic, but it turns out, words are not enough.

I love this fanfic, I love that Jily lives, I love everything.

I apologize for not knowing what to say, but just remembering this story makes me ... speechless

chewy - @gryffindormischief

Harry is nine and wants to go trick or treating without his parents in Godrics Hollow because he's ~grown~

this was also another that I could not miss, again, I don’t have much to talk about besides how amazing this story is, and how it made me have a whirlwind of feelings while I read

hey ex-girlfriend - @ofmermaidsandmarauders

is your wife technically your ex-girlfriend

Last but not least, the one that always makes me laugh, I love this story, it’s that fanfic that will make you smile on shitty days, and that’s why I’m going to put it here

[raineydays411]

Oh what am I supposed to do without you?

The reunion

Loki x daughter reader

Masterlist

Y/n POV

In an other room, Frigga was helping you with the gowns and your hair.

“Oh this color is lovely on you” she said, fixing the skirt of the gown.

It was a beautiful dress, light pink and flowy. It was a long sleeve and off the shoulder, the sleeves wide and as flowy as the dress. The bodice was covered in blush covered flowers. It went down to your feet where it dragged lightly on the floor. Your feet covered by beautiful golden sandals. Your hair was put in an updo, gold hair accessories intertwined.

You felt like a princess.

You turned to Frigga, “ I can’t thank you enough for how kind you’ve been to me.”

She stays quiet for a moment, a small smile on her face. “ my dear, you may not know it, but you are practically family.”

You look at her with a bewildered expression. She continues on

“ you know, in that gown, you look almost identical to your mother.”

You freeze, looking up at her, “ You..you knew my mother?”

“ Oh yes,” she smiles as memories cross her mind, “ very well, in fact, I remember helping your mother with this exact dress the day she arrived here as well.”

“You mean...this dress was hers?”

“Mmhmm, it fits you perfectly too. It was meant for you.”

You smile, tears welling in your eyes as you turn to the mirror. You could imagine your mother in the exact spot, fretting over her hair or the many layers on this dress.

“ I...I think I’ve learned more about my mother now than I ever had in my life.” You mutter, looking down and playing with a loos thread on your sleeve.

“Well, did you know that your mother loved to read?” Frigga says, “ any chance she got, she had her nose in a book. There were times Lo-“ she stops herself.

You look towards her, waiting for her to continue her story. She shakes her head and sighs.

“There were many times we had to go find her and drag her to the dining halls to eat because she was hiding somewhere reading.”

You laugh, relating to the story.

“ I can’t tell you how many times Tony had to come get me cause I almost skipped dinner by reading.”

“Tony?” She asks, unfamiliar with the name

“Oh! He’s like.. kinda like my dad/ uncle. He and the avengers raised me”

“ Ah I see.” Frigga says, her tone sad. Then a knock on the door cut through the conversation. It opened to reveal Thor, he was fidgeting with a book so he wasn’t looking up when he walked in the room.

“ I apologize for interrupting Moonlight, but I have a gift for you and I think you would like...” He trails off as he looks up at you. His heart clenches as he realizes what you’re wearing.

“ Thor, it’s improper for a man to barge into a young ladies room.” Frigga scolds from her place beside you.

“ My apologies...Y/n, you look..you look beautiful” he smiles sadly, thoughts of his best friend flooding his brain.

He, like his mother and almost everyone else that knew her, pushed those memories deep down. They had to, or else they would have never moved on. But..she was a big part of their lives. Loki never realized how much his family cared for his wife. It’s the original reason why Thor couldn’t bear getting rid of you completely. He couldn’t, not when you were the last piece of his best friend. So he took you somewhere he could see you. See you grow, live. Did it hurt him when he realized you were an exact carbon copy of your mother? Yes, but standing here, seeing you in her clothes, smiling and happy made it all worth it.

“ Hey Uncle Thor, look! I look like a princess!” You shout, twirling around the room with a large smile on your face.

Frigga and Thor share a look. He then realized that his mother felt the exact same way he did. Only, she didn’t get to see you grow up. Abd her only grandchild, has no idea who she truly is.

“ Oh dear princess moonlight!” Thor says dramatically, “ Pls except the gifts I bear to you!” He reveals the book and a beautiful necklace.

“ Thor...where did you get that book?” Frigga says lowly, recognizing the journal and who it belonged to.

“ Ahh, I may have borrowed it from my brother..” he say nervously

“ Thor!”

“ Mother he will not notice, besides where did you get that dress from?” He shot back a playful smile on his face. Frigga just says and rolls her eyes.

“ Hey..this journal belonged to..” you start to say the name.

“Yes!” Thor said quickly cutting you off, “ it did belong to your mother. When...when she found out she was pregnant with you, she decided that she would write as much about her life as she could...in case..”

“ in case she didn’t make it.” Frigga finished, looking down briefly.

You took the book in your hands, tracing the carvings on the cover. “ So...she’s...”

Thor looks up, realizing he never did make it clear on whether your parents were alive or not.

“ Yes..your mother passed” he said, “ I am truly sorry I never told you y/n..I just..” he sighs “ I was being selfish.. I didn’t want to relive that moment.”

You stay quiet. You don’t know what to think. Deep down you had the feeling that she wasn’t alive, from the little bits that Thor told you, she wasn’t the kind of person that gave away her children. But hearing it be confirmed, it hurt. Knowing your uncle was keeping it and many other things a secret hurt as well, but you understood. You saw the pain in his eyes as he told you stories of your mother and the pain now. You wonder...

“I understand why you didn’t tell me, don’t worry about it” you say, flashing a smile at him, the squeezing Frigga's hand. “ Are we going to eat? Cause I’m starving!”

Frigga laughs,” Supper will be served in an hour, I trust you can hold out till then?”

“ Yes ma'am! Do you mind if I explore the grounds then? I think my curiosity is getting the best of me”

That’s when Frigga realized that you may look like your mother and sometimes it’s terrifying how similar you act, but you were your own person. Your mother...she was never the adventurous woman. She read about them, but never felt the urge to go out and explore. You, you seem curious about the world around you.

“ Of course! But I beg of you, please don’t get your gown dirty.”

“ cross my heart” you say with a smile.

“Y/n” Thor says with a warning tone, “ I know how you are when you get bored at Tony's galas.”

“Uncle Thor, I promise! Besides, this dress is wayy too nice to mess up”

He looks you in the eye for a bit then smiles, “well alright then, go on”

You smile, then grab a shoulder bag that was laying around the room and put the book inside and your phone (that surprisingly still worked). Then you skipped out the room, an adventurous look in your eyes.

Frigga sighed, “ Thor... why did you bring her here?

“She has powers. Ice powers.”

Frigga's eyes widened, “ What do you mean?”

“On her birthday, she wasn’t feeling well, she was cold all day. And when she was put under stress, she turned a light blue and shot snow out of her hands.”

Silence takes over the room.

“We must take her to see Odin” 

“I know.”

“We have to tell her who her parents are.”

This time Thor sighs. “I know.” 

“Do you think that will be the only power she’ll possess?”

“Who can tell, we don’t know much about her mothers side of the family. But she was powerful, even if she didn’t show it. And Loki...”

Another silence filled the room. 

“ Do you think she might run into Loki?”

“No, I told him royalty was coming to visit, there’s no way he’d leave his room.”

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

Loki POV

Loki left his room.

He felt as if something was off. There was a presence in the palace that he hasn’t felt in...years.

He decides to go find his mother, she would most likely know what’s going on. Plus, he hasn’t seen her since the morning.

So, even though every part of his being does not want to encounter the visiting royalty Thor spoke of, he left the room.

As he walked through the hallways, he noticed the atmosphere felt...happy. The servants were bustling and smiling, something that was rare now. As he passed by, they stopped chattering and stared at him. Which was slightly unusual, but he brushed it off at first. It was when he heard the name “y/n” whispered a little too loudly. 

He turned to glare at the woman who dared to utter the name when a body bumped into him. 

“Sorry mister!” then in a flurry of brown, pink, and gold the person was gone. 

Loki was frozen on the spot. He could’ve sworn that...

“No” He thought, “ Its impossible” 

Then he shook his head and kept walking, determined to find his mother. But as he walked, he couldn’t help but feel as if he didn’t know something everyone else knew. 

He finally found his mother and Thor, in a guest room of all places. 

“Mother.” Loki said, “I have been looking for you everywhere.” 

“No way he’d leave his room Thor?” She muttered to Thor as he paled. 

“Loki! It’s wonderful to see you out. What was it that you needed?” She said with a smile. 

“Is it me, or are the servants acting strange?” He asks, “ I heard them talking about..”

Thor holds his breath, even though he knows what his brother is about to say.

“About Y/n” 

Frigga sighs, looking at her sons,” Thor, you have to tell him.”

“Mother..” “Tell me what?”

“He has a right to know.”

“Of course he does, I just worry about-”

“It’s better to do it now than when she’s in the room, or have him figure it out on his own”

“What are you two talking about?”

Thor looks over to Loki and sighs. 

“Brother, perhaps you should sit down.” 

Loki, not understanding what going on was about to argue, but then he saw the look on his mothers face. so he sat on the bed. 

That’s when he noticed the a bag on the floor. 

It was a beige bag that had footsteps all over it and the words “Marauders map” on it. 

“That is a Midgardian bag.”  Loki states, “ Harry something, is it not?”

Thor freezes looking at the bag you had left on the floor

“Yes...That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Well, go on.”

“Loki...Brother...remember that night sixteen years ago-”

“I do not want to talk about it, I have told you this time and time again!” Loki shouts as he stands up from the bed, starting to walk to the door.

“Damnit Loki! Sit down and listen to me!” Thor shouts, surprising both Frigga and Loki. “I am tired of lying to her because you were too cowardly to raise her on your own! You will listen to me now.”

Loki squints at his brother, "What are you talking about?”

“Your daughter Loki. Y/n.”

“Thor..”

“NO, for sixteen years, she has been raised by me and the Avengers. And now she has shown that she has powers. Ice powers to be more specific.”

Loki’s eyes widen at the information. He knew that it was Thor who ultimately got rid of the girl. But that's all he knew, all he cared to know. Now he’s finding out that Thor and his...band of Midgardian friends have been raising her. On top of that, she seems to have inherited his Jotunheim blood. 

“Why are you telling me this...” Thor stays silent. 

“Thor.” Loki says, “Who’s bag is that?” 

“Loki...” Thor says softly, “ I think you know who it belongs to.” 

“She’s here?” Loki asks emotions not showing. 

“Yes, but Loki she has no idea who you are.”

“Good. I want nothing to do with that...that--” 

“Careful how you speak of her brother. Remember, I am the one who raised her.”

“Then I am certain she has no redeeming qualities.” Loki deadpans. 

“You do not know anything about her” Thor argues back, “ If I had it my way, you would.t have known she was here until she was gone.”

“Well, I am glad we can agree on something.”

“You-”

“That’s enough. Both of you.” Frigga finally says, silencing the men.” Now Loki, I have kept quiet about the decisions you made and continue to make. But enough is enough. That child has had to grow up without knowing her parents and heritage. I for one, intend for her to learn it, with or without you.” She sighs looking at her son.

“You have suffered a terrible loss, not only your wife, but the chance to have raised that beautiful child.” And with that, Frigga left the room. 

There was a beat of silence, then Loki spoke

“So, she was with you then?”

“Yes.” Thor said simply, “ She doesn’t know about you or her mother...well she doesn’t know anything about you.”

“So you told her about-” 

“Bits and pieces. It is kind of hard to explain that her father sent her away because her mother died giving birth to her.”

“She should know. Know how she killed her--”

“She did no such thing. Loki she was an infant.”

“It doesn't matter, my wife is gone because of her.”

That’s when Thor exploded.

“YOUR WIFE KNEW SHE WAS GOING TO DIE.”

“wha..what are you talking about?”

“She knew brother. She didn’t tell you but she knew.”

“I don’t understand, why would she..”

“Because, she loved that child. She loved Y/n”

Loki tears up at the thought. The whole time, the whole pregnancy, she knew. She knew she was going to leave him. That he would mourn her. But she carried on anyway. That's why she wrote in that damn book all the time. 

***Flash back****

“My love, why, pray tell are you writing in that book again?”

A smile forms on her face, "Because darling, I want our child to know how much it is loved by their mother. How anxiously I await their arrival.”

Loki smiles, not understanding his wifes antics, “Well in that case, make it known how much they are loved by their father.”

***

Loki stands and walks out of the room.

“Where are you going?” Thor shouts at his brothers back.

“I need to be alone. Don’t worry, the child will not be harmed.”

And with that, Loki disappeared.

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

Y/ns POV

During your exploration of the castle, you ran into some of the staff. After many apologies, you managed to introduce yourself. But it seems that the particular woman you ran into knew who you were. It was weird but added to your theory.

She directed you to the garden, saying that it was the largest in all of Asgard, so of course you had to check it out.

So there you were. You were surprised to find that it was actually pretty large. You walked around, taking in the scenery and all the plants that didn’t exist on earth. You took pictures for Tony and Bucky, they’re probably worried sick.

After a while, you got bored and decided to find a place to sit, you wanted to read that journal Thor gave you. So you found a quiet spot, it was tucked away behind some trees but it was perfect. A small gazebo, covered in wilting flowers. It was old, chipped paint came off when you put your hand on it. It creaked when you sat down on the wooden bench.  

That's when you noticed it. The letter L and another that was too faded to tell. You shrugged it off, digging in the bag for the journal, your headphones and the pastry you stole from the kitchens earlier. You settled in, playing some music and started reading. You got two pages in when your favorite song came on. Unable to resist, you started singing along. 

Getting lost in the music, you didn’t notice that the flowers started to perk up. The color started to come back and they blossomed. The gazebo itself looked as if it was freshly painted. 

Like magic.

Your singing caught the attention of another who came to the garden to be alone.

“What are you doing here?”

You jump, ice shooting out of your hands 

The person dodged it, but looked at you in surprise.

“Y/n” They whispered. That’s when you recognized him.

“Oh hey, I bumped into you earlier huh?” 

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

General POV

Loki was speechless. At first when he heard the singing, he thought someone was trespassing. Everyone knew they weren’t supposed to go anywhere near the gazebo. That was her favorite spot. 

So, he marched over, about to yell at the figure that dared to be in the space he and his beloved used to enjoy. That's when you turned around.

He thought he was seeing a ghost at first. That he had died and his beloved was waiting for him. But then he realized that this person shot ice out of their hand. And that’s when it hit him.

“y/n’

“Oh hey, i bumped into you earlier huh?”

Loki stayed quiet, still looking over your features. Realizing that the baby he sent away was now a teenager and had no idea who he was.he didn’t know what to say to you. How to explain that even though he could have raised you, he decided to selfishly sent you way. That the very sight of you had enraged him so much that he couldn’t bear to look in your eyes.

Emotions flooded his body as he looked at you. Remebering how excited he was to be a father. To raise a child with his true love.How he felt the night she died, before she could even hold you in her arms. 

Then he spoke, “You..you look so much like your mother...”

Then he broke down, crying as you ran to his side, wondering who this man was, and how he knew your mother.

[energy-into-tomatoes-new-girl]

In Anticipation of the "New Girl" Cast Reunion Panel, A Nick/Jess Fic Smutfest

Hot damn, the connection between Nick Miller and Jessica Day is something (says me, Captain Obvious, reporting for duty.)

Having entered the New Girl fandom in earnest only this year (I am the stupidest of all the stupid girls), I'm very late to the party. But from The Hallway Kiss That Changed Everything to The Furiously Hot Dining-Room Table Almost-Fuck, I've become shamelessly devoted to reading & writing Nick/Jess fanfic that gets, um, explicit.

These two clowns — with their sexiness and stupidity; their electric chemistry; their self-defeating stubbornness; their underlying, overarching, ever-present love for each other — just rev my dang engine.

So... to mark & celebrate the upcoming New Girl cast reunion panel, I figured: why not collect some smutty Nick/Jess goodness all in one place (especially for those who, like me, came to this show in earnest after its on-air run, and initially missed all the spectacular stories written during its early years) — and also put out a call for additional recommended reading?

The first seven entries listed below are recommendations of others' work, followed by links to a few of my own stories.

If there are hot Nick/Jess stories you love and want to highlight, reblog or comment with titles & links, and maybe this post/thread can become a repository of smutty Nick/Jess fic recs? (Or maybe it will just remain me, thirstily talking to myself, but you never know until you try...)

OK, here we go! All of these stories are explicit, for adults only, and published on A03:

At the Edges, by @blithers

Because let's be real here: she is totally flirting with him, too. There's no question about it. She's flirting back hard, her hand wrapped around the stem of her wineglass and her laugh getting throatier and lower into Jessica Day sexy land.

A ridiculously hot one-shot in which Nick and Jess's first time takes place at the bar. Come for the glorious hotness; stay for the perfect channeling of Jess's inner voice.

Mistakes We Knew We Were Making, by @kyrafic

Inappropriate laundry room activities, etcetera.

A magnificent fic that starts with a wildly hot encounter in the laundry room and then somehow, impossibly, just keeps getting sexier from there.

Just What Humans Do, by yolandawinston

But logic and past precedent and the truth gnawing at her gut aside, she must have been drunk. Because there's no way that sober Jessica Day would have had sex with her roommate, whom she previously had kissed a grand total of once, in the place where her other roommates brush their teeth in the morning.

A story that includes both gorgeous characterization and crazy-hot first-time sex in the loft bathroom? Sign. Me. Up.

Lay My Head on the Hood of Your Car, by arbitrarily

Jess moves on. And gets it on with her roommate. Normal stuff. Nothing to see here.

Written way back at the start of the show. Hilarious and hot and somehow perfectly true to character -- even though it was written when only a few episodes had aired.

Tonight Will Be a Memory Too (or, Jessica Day's First Sex Dream About Nick Miller), by @ghostcat3000

A night alone in front of the TV used to be very different in #4D.

If you happen to have read, well, pretty much anything of mine, you'll know that I love writing Nick/Jess sex dreams. I love reading them, too — especially this one.

This Must Be the Place, by innie

Nick and Jess both said yes.

An absolutely beautiful story that starts where season two ends, with the hottest reference to Nick's nose ever made.

Another One by @actualbabe

“C’mon birthday girl,” Nick whispers into her ear, his voice pitched low. “I think you’ve got one more in ya.”

Hot hot hotness, in which Nick Miller's great big hands play a starring role.

And up next, here are a few of my own contributions:

And This Is the Morning (WIP)

In retrospect, maybe asking Nick to go with her to The Crafters’ Castle the day after he almost nailed her on the dining room table wasn’t Jess’s brightest idea ever.

Or: What happened in the 24 hours after the fishtank broke.

(Canon-divergent. Set after 2x19, “Quick-Hardening Caulk.”)

1,893.2 Miles

Nick Miller is shit at lying to other people. He’s pretty good at lying to himself.

(Set after the S5 finale. Nick is in New Orleans with Reagan and in denial about his intense and lingering feelings for Jess — until a series of events happens that he can’t ignore. Jess, in LA, embarks on what she's calling her Summer of Eventually Discerning The Right Nick-Related Next Steps; things don't go exactly as planned. A three-part, alternating-POV story in which Nick and Jess fumble their way back towards each other over the course of one summer filled with realizations, recollections, a sex dream or two — and then, at last, a reunion. Canon-adjacent and then divergent.)

Designs on You

She could have sworn that earlier this week, Nick looked at her with a hint of That Night’s same dark fire in his eyes. She had asked him to help her with a stubborn bracelet clasp; after he sprung the mechanism, his fingers curled briefly and unnecessarily around her wrist.

“There ya go, Jess,” he said quietly, swallowing once, his eyes on hers, before he let go and left the room.

(She’d be lying if she said she’d forgotten that asking him for help with things turned him on.)

(Set in 4x22, “Clean Break," a year after Jess & Nick’s breakup and an hour after their so-much-left-unsaid Sex Mug conversation in his room. Canon divergence ahead.)

***

If you're of age and Miller and Day get you going, thanks so much for chiming in with your own sexy Nick/Jess fic recs or your own sexy Nick/Jess stories (and for considering reading mine). There's so much incredibly great stuff from so many wonderful writers out there.

Thirst on, fellow Nick/Jess thirsters, thirst on... and fingers crossed for some questions about The Kiss and The Chemistry at the reunion panel June 8!

[cocochannel00]

Things that Husband!Harry would definitely do (a thread)

(If you don’t think that Tiny Desk Harry doesn’t give off mad husband!harry vibes - he looks so fluffy- then we can’t be friends)

- He’d sneak into your room the night before the wedding because he missed you even though he knows its bad luck and when you’re mad at him for it he would just smile and place a kiss on your forehead and say “I don’t need any luck, I just need you”

- At your wedding reception he would walk around the room introducing you to everyone as “my wife” as if they didn’t already know who you were 

- During your wedding dinner he’d spend the whole night whispering dirty jokes in your ear trying to make you laugh because he knew that even though it was your wedding day you were still spooked by all of the attention

- On your first year anniversary Harry wanted to surprise you by making you breakfast in bed so he started making pancakes as you slept. You woke up to the sound of your fire alarm going off and Harry blowing the smoke off a pan with a pillow. He’d give you a sheepish smile before mumbling a “maybe we get takeout this year?”

- During the holidays he’d hang mistletoe all around your house and force you to kiss him at every one. “Look love it’s mistletoe, you know what that means” he’d state with a grin. “Harry I just kissed you literally 2 minutes ago in the other room” you’d grumble “Doesn’t matter love, it’s mistletoe and those are the rules. Now come here and kiss your husband”

- Anytime the two of you would get into any sort of major fight where you would say “I hate you” he would shoot back “Well I love you so I guess you’re stuck with me” before going to sulk on the couch

- Whenever you went to his shows or stayed with him on tour he would force you to sit back stage and watch him from the wings so he could watch your reaction to his corny jokes and steal a kiss from you in between sets and on his bathroom breaks

- You agreed to be the designated drive for your group for a night out so Harry gets drunk and becomes extra clingy. He spends the entire night stuck to your side, shoving his face in your neck whispering “I’m going to marry you one day” to which you’d remind him quietly that you were already married. He’d then nod thoughtfully and mumbled “Well then I’m going to marry you again just in case” 

- One night you would be tossing and turning in bed unable to sleep and you would accidentally wake up Harry. You’d apologies because you knew he had to wake up early the next day, but he would just shush you with a quick peck before repositioning you so that you could lay your head on his chest. He’d then softly start humming the tune to one of the new songs he was working on until you’d fall asleep

- Harry would convince you that he was capable of building the Ikea coat rack the two of you had bought for your new home on his own so you’d go into the room next door to take a nap. When you woke up and hour later you found him laying on the floor facetiming Mitch as he tried to figure out why the last piece wasn’t fitting properly only for you to look at it and realize he had built half of it backwards

- Harry would come home late from one his movie shoots and would mumble a quick hello as he walked in through the door. You’d be sitting on the couch watching and episode of Dateline and he would throw himself next to you and lay his head on your lap. You’d start running your hands through his hair as you finished watching the last couple of minutes of the episode before asking Harry how his day was only to realize he had passed out on your lap and was now quietly snoring, a small trail of drool slowly coming out of his mouth

- The next season of your favorite show Handmaid’s Tale had come out so you and Harry started watching it. Every five minutes Harry would ask you a question about the show until mid way through you looked at him and bursted out “Harry if you ask me one more question about the show I’m sending you to our room”. Harry would pout at you and sink into the couch, grumbling about how it wasn’t his fault he couldn’t remember what happened last season before he shoved some popcorn into his mouth

- You’d need to go shopping at Target one day to get some decorations for your niece's birthday party and Harry would decide to come along. “This is our list Harry, we’re not buying anything that’s not on the list” you’d say in the car before getting out, but it would be hopeless because every other aisle Harry would pick something up and say “babe we need to get this” and you would stare at him and say “is it on the list?” and he would grumble a no before sulking back down the aisle to put it back

- On road trips when he let you pick the music he would grumble when you would change the song every 30 seconds. “Love just choose a song, it’s not that difficult, gave you the bloody playlist” he’d state as you would continue to skip through the songs mumbling “I’m tired of that song though, just wanted to hear the chorus”. “Is that what you do with my songs too, just skip all the good parts to get to the bloody chorus?” he’d ask mockingly as you gave him a sheepish smile and mumbled a “sometimes” before finally picking a song

- It would be nearly 4 am and you would still be awake reading your book in bed as Harry slept soundly next to you. You could feel the tears running down your face as the main character just had their heartbroken and a soft sniffle left your nose which caused Harry to startle awake. “Babe what time is it?” he’d mumble as you continue reading, paying him no mind. He’d turn on his phone and groan as he saw the 4 flash at him before turning to see the tears on your face. “Oh no love did she get her heartbroken again? Sure they’ll get back together by the end” he’d state, knowing this was your third rom-com book of the month. You’d mumble a yes as Harry gently dog eared the page before you could protest. He turned off your lamp before tucking you into his side, pulling the covers up to your chin, letting you crying into his chest over your fictional characters

- You and Harry going to your 15th high school reunion together and he gets jealous when he sees you talking to your ex-boyfriend from when you were 16. He’d come up behind you and wrap an arm around your waist while placing a kiss to the side of your temple before reaching out his free hand to introduce himself. “Hello I’m Harry. The Husband” he’d say as he shook your ex’s hand just a little tighter then necessary

- Harry would be overly invested in your work place gossip so when the two of you would have dinner together he would constantly ask questions about what happened with your coworkers that day. “So did Stacy and Justin get caught yet or does Janet still have no idea? Did Kathleen ever get that promotion? If I ever see Garrett I’m going to punch him”

-  He’d force you to wake up early with him so the two of you could workout together in your home gym, but you’d just sit on the floor against the mirror in your workout clothes staring at him. After several attempts at trying to get you to stretch with him he’d give up and say “If you’re not gonna workout at least give me some motivation babe” so he’d do his abs workout in front of you and every time he came up from a sit-up you’d give him a kiss

- Harry would come down with a cold and he would turn into a 5 year old boy and try to milk it for everything it’s worth. “Think the doctor mentioned that cuddles would really help with my headache, love.” “Harry I don’t think that’s what the doctor said” you’d reply as you placed a cold wash cloth on his forehead. “Don’t think I would have forgotten such an important order from her. Now, come here I want to cuddle my wife” 

- He’d come home from the studio fidgeting with his beat-up blue iPod in his hand as you were finishing up a quick dinner for the two of you. He would gently place the iPod on the counter next to you as he poured himself a drink to calm his nerves. You’d stare at it for a minute before asking “Is it finished? Can I listen?”. He’d nod before you gave him a quick kiss and took the device to the living room, leaving him there with his thoughts. An hour later you came back into the kitchen, tears streaming down your face as you ran up to hug him. “Liked it?” he’d ask nervously, this being the first time you’d heard the finished album. “Absolutely loved it” you’d whisper back causing Harry to release a deep breath before taking your face in his hands and kissing you roughly

- He’d start every award acceptance speech with “I’d like to first thank my wife for always supporting me” and then try to catch your eye in the crowd, giving you a soft smile that was only meant for you before going on to thank everyone else

- “We need an intervention Harry. Why are your suits in my side of the closet?” you asked as you came down stairs with one of Harry’s Gucci suits. “I was running out of space and I didn’t think you would notice” he replied with a blush. “Well I did so either you move them or I’m throwing them out” “Love but they’re Gucci you can’t just-” “Ah ah ah I don’t care. My side of the closet” you’d state before dropping the suit in his lap and walking back upstairs

So many others come to mind but these are just a couple that came to mind. I’ll probably do a Dad!Harry version at some point as well