#L!Alm

[tyresdeg]

bryan herta | petit le mans 2007

[c0nes]

[enduring-oblivion]

-> im h ave left fhe di2k on my 2helf wifh my re ading le ave2 and 2hells ! 2 keep it in a proper pl ace while im am on my w alk

-> my friend will w atch over it when 2he w ake2 up (＾＾)

-> m aybe on my w alk im will find a “hu2ktop” which i2 not a p awhu2k 2o im h ave been told !

[justawritterwithideas]

"Let's get started," Aaron commented, letting Jennifer take over to start showing the case.

"Wait, two of our geniuses are missing." Emily turned to look at the two empty chairs across from each other.

"Reid and L/N are coming late." Rossi turned to look toward the door. There was no sign of one or the other showing up. They waited a couple of minutes before Hotch signaled J.J. to initiate or they would lose a lot of valuable time saving a woman.

"Okay, this is Dorris Archer. The third woman to go missing this year in Boise, Idaho." He paused to flick through the other images. "Along with Paula Renmar and Samantha Rush, they disappeared within two months of each other." He paused to notice in the distance a shadow approaching. "Well... Hello."

It was Spencer. But it wasn't the Spencer she knew.

His long hair had been cut short and, now, he wore his hair quite fashionable, a bit tousled, but giving him that youthful air that attracted the attention of all the women in the office.

The boy gave her an elongated smile, left the notebook he was holding on the table and sat down at his desk. His gaze wandered from Hotch, who was next to him, to the empty chair in front of him, where you sat.

Where was it? Spencer wondered.

The boardroom table was surrounded by silence, everyone focusing on the youngest of the group and his new haircut.

"Did you join a boy band?"

"No."

Laughter joined Hotch's sentence, causing confusion on Spencer's face but that didn't last long as the attention quickly dissipated as a new shadow approached, at great speed, all the way to the boardroom.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry" The sole of your tennis shoes echoed in the room and was soon silenced as you situated yourself in your seat across from Reid. Your hand went to your hair, combing it before you could look straight ahead and feel the anticipation of the team for your reaction.

It was an open secret that the two of you had a clear attraction to each other, even more so coming from you when flirting was your way of responding to every comment Spencer gave you as flattery.

Your gaze lifted, stopping on the young genius and his new style. Your mouth opened slightly and, without thinking, you blurted out.

"Ay papi, who are you and what did you do with dr. Reid?" The rest of them laughed again at seeing the blush of his pink cheeks take over even his ears. "It looks good on you, very good. My compliments to the hairdresser." You gave him a wink and turned your attention back to the front when Derek muttered "Turn off Reid, or I'll have to call the fire department."

Spencer smiled as he felt his cheeks burn, perhaps his way of getting your attention had been a complete success.

︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶

a/n: A tiny boyband!spencer x reader blurb, because I've been obsessed with boyband!spencer for weeks now, my tiktok is full of it everywhere.

If you like it, don't forget to like and repost it.

a lot of love, alme. ❀

[whencyclopedia]

Thomas Wolsey

Thomas Wolsey, Cardinal Archbishop of York (l. c. 1473-1530 CE) served as Lord Chancellor to Henry VIII of England (r. 1509-1547 CE) from around 1513 CE to 1529 CE. Wolsey rose to become the most powerful man in England after the king, he created the Chancery court, worked with some success at England's foreign policy, and famously built Hampton Court Palace near London. Unable to secure from the Pope the annulment of Henry's first marriage to Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536 CE), Wolsey fell out of favour with his friend and monarch. Accused of treason, the cardinal was already seriously ill when he died on his way to imprisonment and trial in November 1530 CE.

Early Life & Rise in the Church

Thomas Wolsey was born c. 1473 CE in Ipswich, the son of a butcher. He studied at university and became the chaplain to Henry VII of England (r. 1485-1509 CE), gaining invaluable experience of Tudor politics from his sponsor, the councillor Bishop Richard Fox (1448-1528 CE). However, it was under Henry VIII that Wolsey's career really took off. Indeed, after being appointed the royal almoner (giver of alms) in 1509 CE and benefitting from the new king surrounding himself with his own advisors rather than his father's, Wolsey enjoyed a meteoric rise to power from 1514 CE. He became the bishop of Lincoln in March 1514 CE and just a few months later, in September, he was appointed archbishop of York and so became the second most powerful church official in England.

Eager to be the top man in England but realising the current Archbishop of Canterbury was secure in his position, Wolsey bypassed him by directly approaching the Pope. In 1515 CE Wolsey became a cardinal and so he now outranked even the archbishop; he was truly a 'prince of the Church.' In 1518 CE Wolsey went one step higher and became a papal legate (legatus a latere), that is a representative of the Pope himself and entitled to make decisions on his behalf. Usually, legates were given their authority for a limited time only and for a specific purpose such as an international conference. In 1524 CE, Cardinal Wolsey was given legate powers for life. Thomas could now really believe that one day, he might even be in a position to grab the very top job of Pope.

Even before these momentous ecclesiastical progressions, and much more importantly for history, Wolsey had become Lord Chancellor around 1513 CE (or perhaps 1515 CE, historians do not agree on the date). In this position, he was, in effect, Henry VIII's sole minister, the very apex of the pyramid of political power in England. Thanks to his administrative skills and good friendship with the king, Wolsey became a giant political spider with a web of subordinates that stretched into every part of the kingdom.

As the historian S. Brigden summarises, Wolsey developed a very special working relationship with his mercurial monarch:

The Council was still consulted, but only after Wolsey and the king, in a kind of partnership, had determined policy. Wolsey would first 'move' Henry towards some idea; the King 'dreamed of it more and more'; and only then would the council be informed. Wolsey's influence seemed supreme, and his household, in its magnificence, looked a rival to the royal court. So completely did he see himself as alter rex, it was alleged, that he would say: 'The King and I would ye should do thus: the King and I do give you our hearty thanks.' His pride and splendour were legendary: crosses, pillars and poleaxes, hated symbols of his authority, were carried before him; earls and lords served him. (106)

Continue reading...

[biggie-chcese]

oh your a fire emblem fan? Name every fire emblem character

bet.

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light (+ remake and sequel)

playable: marth, caeda, jagen, cain, abel, draug, gordin, wrys, ogma, barst, bord, cord, castor, darros, julian, lena, navarre, merric, matthis, hardin, wolf, sedgar, roshea, vyland, wendell, rickard, bantu, caesar, radd, roger, jeorge, maria, minerva, linde, jake, midia, dolph, macellan, tomas, boah, beck, astram, palla, catria, est, arran, samson, xane, tiki, lorenz (FE1), elice, gotoh, frey, norne, athena, horace, etzel, ymir, nagi

non-playable: mostyn, malledus, anna (and every following iteration that isnt playable), nyna, aurelys, anri, cornelius, liza, miloah, naga (let's slash out future iterations too), adrah, artemis, cartas, marion, iote, ordwin, ludwik, jiol, camus, michalis, gharnef, medeus, gazzak, gomer, hyman, bentheon, merach, emereus, harmein, kannival, mannu, zharov, khozen, volzhin, heimler, grigas, hollstadt, morzas, sternlin, orridyon, xemcel (me when i'm an incel with pronouns), rumel, rucke, gail, toras, dahl, yodel, eibel, willow, nehring

Fire Emblem Gaiden + Echoes

playable: alm, lukas, gray, tobin, kliff, silque, clair, clive, forsyth, python, luthier, mathilda, delthea, tatiana, zeke, mycen, celica, mae, boey, genny, saber, valbar, kamui, leon, atlas, jesse, sonya, deen, nomah, faye, fernand, emma, shade, yuzu, randal

non-playable: mila, duma, rudolf, massena, jedah, marla, hestia, dolth, jamil, desaix, slayde, barth, garth, lawson, gazelle, zakson, blake, wolff, grieth, mikhail, garcia, tatarrah, nuibaba, seazas, xaizor, magnus, mueller, jerome, gharn, hades, argentum, aurum, cerberus, naberius, liprica, halcyon, lima IV, irma, berkut, rinea, forneus, jarth

Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War

playable: sigurd, alec, naoise, arden, azelle, lex, quan, ethlyn, finn, midir, edain, dew, ayra, jamke, deirdre, chulainn, lachesis, beowolf, lewyn, silvia, erinys, tailtiu, claud, brigid, seliph, lana/muirne, larcei/creidne, scáthach/dalvin, oifey, diarmuid/tristan, lester/deimne, julia, fee/hermina, arthur/amid, iuchar, iucharba, shannan, patty/daisy, leif, nanna/jeanne, finn, ares, lene/laylea, tine/linda, febail/asaello, ced/hawk, hannibal, coirpre/charlot, altena

non-playable: oifey, arvis, shannan, mariccle, mananan, eldigan, grahnye, manfroy, sandima, kurth, victor, cigyun, lahna, dimaggio, gerrard, filat, munnir, cimbaeth, batu, imuka, eve, alva, eva, elliot, philip, boldor, macbeth, voltz, clement, zyne, chagall, jacobi, papilio, pizarl, dobarl, myos, daccar, annand, cuvuli, pamela, díthorba, donovan, lamia, slayder, vaja, byron, ring, andrey, lombard, reptor, travant, magorn, azmur, aida, lewyn/forseti, julius, manfroy, arvis, bloom, hilda, ishtar, ishtore, harold, schmidt, danann, liza, vampa, fetra, eliu, bramsel, jabarro, muhammad, ovo, brian, scipio, kutuzov, coruta, maikov, kanatz, disler, travant, arion, jake, musar, judah, ridale, morigan, zagam, robert, boyce, rodan, felipe, palmark, yupheel, fisher, daggon, baran, meng, maybell, bleg, mus, bovis, tigris, lepus, draco, anguilla, equus, ovis, simia, gallus, canis, porcus, loptous, forseti, salamander, gair, maera, heim, baldr, hoðr, od, njörun, dáinn, nál, ullr, fjalar, thrud, ced, bragi, yudu

Fire Emblem: Thracia 776

playable: leif, finn, eyvel, osian, halvan, dagdar, tanya, marty, ronan, lifis, safy, brighton, machyua, lara, fergus, karin, dalsin, asbel, nanna, hicks, shiva, carrion, selfina, cain, alva, robert, fred, olwen, mareeta, salem, perne, troude, tina, glade, deen, eda, homer, linoan, ralf, ilios, sleuf, sara, miranda, shannam, misha, xavier, amalda, conomor, diarmuid, saias, ced, galzus

non-playable: august, dryas, raydrik, veld, manfroy, julius, ishtar, reinhardt, kempf, bloom, seliph, julia, lewyn, travant, arion, altena, hannibal, coirpre, weissman, bucks, lobos, bandol, truman, aizenau, rumei, merlock, dobalzark, largo, gomes, oltof, cullough, baráth, seimetol, fraus, zaom, rist, baldack, paulus, makroy, codda, aihiman, brook, mua, nicolov, mueller, rinecok, palman, gustav, wolff, cowen, alfan, farden, coruta, zile, mus, bovis, tigris, draco, canis, porcus, yubel, romeo, carl

Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade

playable: roy, marcus, alen, lance, wolt, bors, merlinus, elen, dieck, wade, lot, shanna, chad, lugh, clarine, rutger, saul, dorothy, sue, zelot, trec, noah, astolfo, lilina, gwendolyn, barthe, ogier, fir, sin, gonzalez, geese, klein, thea, larum, echidna, elffin, bartre, raigh, cath, melady, perceval, cecilia, sophia, igrene, garret, fae, hugh, zeiss, douglas, niime, juno, dayan, yoder, karel

non-playable: damas, rude, slater, erik, dory, wagner, devias, leygance, henning, scott, nord, zinc, scouran, oro, robarts, morgan, ain, gelero, flaer, randy, maggie, rose, ohtz, raeth, narcian, windham, arcard, martel, monke, sigune, gel, roartz, teck, thoril, brakul, kudoka, maral, kabul, chan, murdock, galle, pereth, zephiel, brunnya, jahn, idunn, guinivere, mordred

Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade

playable: mark, lyn, sain, kent, florina, wil, dorcas, serra, erk, rath, matthew, nils, lucius, wallace, eliwood, marcus, lowen, rebecca, bartre, hector, oswin, guy, merlinus, priscilla, raven, canas, dart, fiora, legault, ninian, isadora, heath, hawkeye, geitz, pent, louise, karel, harken, nino, jaffar, vaida, renault, athos, farina, karla

non-playable: eleanora, leila, elbert, kishuna, darin, nergal, uther, lloyd, linus, brendan, limstella, sonia, ursula, zephiel, guinivere, bramimond, batta, zugu, glass, migal, carjiga, bug, bool, heintz, beyard, yogi, eagler, lundgren, groznyi, wire, zagan, boies, puzon, erik, sealen, bauker, bernard, fargus, damian, zoldam, uhai, aion, teodor, cameron, oleg, eubans, jasmine, paul, pascal, kenneth, jerme, maxime, georg, kaim, denning, fire dragon, desmond, hellene, murdock, natalie, ephidel, jan, hausen, marquess araphen, helman, jake, igor, fae, sophia, roy, lilina, reissmann, roland, durban

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones

playable: eirika, ephraim, seth, franz, gilliam, vanessa, moulder, ross, garcia, neimi, colm, artur, lute, natasha, joshua, forde, kyle, tana, amelia, innes, gerik, tethys, marisa, ewan, duessel, cormag, l'arachel, dozla, saleh, rennac, knoll, myrrh, syrene, orson, lyon

non-playable: fomortiis, vigarde, mansel, morva, pablo, klimt, dara, carlyle, o'neill, breguet, bone, bazba, bandit, saar, zonta, novala, murray, tirado, binks, gheb, aias, beran, saaga, nada kuya, melina, zethla, monica, zabba, mcgregor, caellach, riev, ismaire, selena, glen, hayden, valter, renais

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

playable: ike, titania, boyd, oscar, rhys, shinon, gatrie, soren, mia, ilyana, mist, rolf, marcia, lethe, mordecai, volke, kieran, brom, nephenee, zihark, sothe, jill, astrid, makalov, stefan, tormod, muarim, devdan, tanith, reyson, janaff, ulki, calill, tauroneo, ranulf, haar, bastian, lucia, geoffrey, largo, elincia, ena, nasir, naesala, tibarn, giffca

playable in a weird way: oliver, shiharam, petrine, bryce, ashnard

non-playable: black knight, caineghis, dheginsea, gareth, greil, izuka, kurthnaga, leanne, lorazieh, nealuchi, sanaki, sigrun, lotz, zawana, ikanau, havetti, maijin, dakova, emil, balmer, kamura, nedata, kotaff, danomill, mackoya, seeker, norris, gashilama, kimaarsi, kayachey, homasa, kasatai, schaeffer, tomenami, lillia, rikard, gromell, bertram, hafedd, heddwyn, ramon, lekain, hetzel, rajaion

Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (will avoid repeats from PoR)

playable: micaiah, edward, leonardo, nolan, laura, aran, meg, volug, fiona, vika, nailah, rafiel, heather, danved, lyre, kyza, skrimir, pelleas, renning, lehran

non-playable: agony, aimee, almedha, amy, ashunera, alder, ashera, burton, callum, catalena, daniel, djur, goran, isaiya, istvan, jarod, jorge, kezhda, laverton, levail, lombroso, ludveck, maiel, maraj, muston, nico, numida, pain, pugo, radmin, roark, rolf's mother, rommit, seliora, septimus, sephiran, sergei, silvano, tashoria, valtome, veyona, wystan, yeardley, yune, yuma, zaitan, zeffren, zelgius

Fire Emblem Awakening

playable: chrom, robin, lissa, frederick, sully, virion, stahl, vaike, miriel, sumia, kellam, donnel, lon'qu, ricken, maribelle, panne, gaius, cordelia, gregor, nowi, libra, tharja, olivia, cherche, henry, say'ri, tiki, basilio, flavia, gangrel, walhart, emmeryn, yen'fay, aversa, priam, lucina, owain, inigo, brady, kjelle, cynthia, severa, gerome, morgan, yarne, laurent, noire, nah

non-playable: validar, naga, grima, first exalt, garrick, phila, raimi, roddick, orton, victor, hierarch, vasto, chalard, campari, vincent, mustafa, dalton, ke'ri, gecko, jamil, xalbador, cassius, ruger, holland, nelson, morristan, gyral, dalen, nombry, ezra, ignatius, farber, cervantes, pheros, excellus, algol, mus, bovis, tigris, lepus, draco, anguilla, equus, ovis, simia, gallus, canis, porcus, zanth, ardri, old hubba

Fire Emblem Fates

playable: corrin, azura, felicia, jakob, kaze, silas, mozu, shura, izana, ryoma, hinoka, takumi, sakura, hana, subaki, saizo, orochi, rinkah, kagero, oboro, hinata, hayato, setsuna, azama, kaden, reina, yukimura, scarlet, xander, camilla, leo, elise, effie, nyx, arthur, charlotte, benny, beruka, selena (formerly severa), niles, odin (formerly owain), peri, laslow (formerly inigo), keaton, flora, gunter, fuga, kana, shigure, dwyer, midori, sophie, shiro, kiragi, caeldori, asugi, hisame, rhajat, mitama, selkie, siegbert, forrest, ignatius, nina, ophelia, percy, soleil, velouria

playable in a weird way: daniela, lloyd, llewelyn, haitaka, kumagera, nichol, candace, daichi, funke, senno, zhara, tarba, gazak

non-playable: garon, iago, mikoto, lilith, arete, sumeragi, anankos, kilma, hans, kotaro, omozu, anthony, zola, rainbow sage, katerina, ikona, layla, cassita, cadros

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

playable: byleth, sothis, edelgard, hubert, ferdinand, linhardt, caspar, bernadetta, dorothea, petra, dimitri, dedue, felix, ashe, sylvain, mercedes, annette, ingrid, claude, lorenz, raphael, ignatz, lysithea, marianne, hilda, leonie, yuri, balthus, constance, hapi, rhea, seteth, flayn, hanneman, manuela, gilbert, alois, catherine, shamir, cyril, jeralt, monica, tomas, jeritza, anna, aelfric

special little guys: gatekeeper, abysskeeper

non-playable: metodey, thales, solon, kronya, cornelia, myson, odesse, bias, chilon, pittacus, kostas, miklan, pallardó, acheron, baron dominic, baron ochs, christophe, claudia, count charon, count ordelia, count rowe, derick, duke gerth, emile, erwin, fleche, glenn, godfrey, grégoire, gwendal, holst, ionius ix, judith, klaus i, kyphon, ladislava, lambert, leopold, lonato, loog, ludwig, lycaon i, lycaon iii, margrave edmund, marquis vestra, matthias, nader, oswald, pan, patricia, randolph, rodrigue, rufus, tiana, volkhard, waldemar, wilhelm i, viscount kleiman, seiros, sitri, nemesis, indech, macuil, blaiddyd, charon, daphnel, dominic, fraldarius, gautier, gloucester, goneril, lamine, riegan, maurice, aubin, chevalier, noa, timotheos, luca, iris, chevalier, bernhard, gajus, wilhelm, marcelle, simone

Fire Emblem Engage

playable: alear, vander, clanne, framme, alfred, boucheron, etie, céline, louis, chloé, yunaka, alcryst, citrinne, lapis, diamant, amber, jade, ivy, zelkov, kagetsu, fogado, bunet, pandreo, timerra, merrin, panette, hortensia, seadall, rosado, goldmary, lindon, saphir, mauvier, veyle, jean, nel, nil, zelestia, gregory, madeline, rafal

non-playable: sombron, hyacinth, zephia, griss, marni, lumera, sommie, ève, morion, seforia, nelucce, teronda, rodine, abyme, mitan, totchie, tetchie, durthon, anisse, calney, pinet, sean, anje

while the emblems are said to be different from the canon version, i will be leaving them out since they're pretty much the same as the already listed characters

OCs from the Archanea Saga: frost, dice, malice, belf, roberto, reiden

OCs from the Cipher cards that aren't in the Echoes DLC: alice, valjean, niamh, poe

OCs from the warriors spinoffs not dividing them by playability because i dont care: rowan, lianna, darios, yelena, oskar, velezark, SHEZ!, arval/epimenides, berling, getz, lazley, simon, adrienne, jetz, baron gillingr, baron barnabas, viscount essar, viscount lochin, viscount hymir, viscount menja, viscount fenja, viscount mateus, viscount elidure, viscount gideon, count duval, marquis erebus, baron pryderi, baron mateus, viscount brennius, yvette, viscount enid, count geraint, baron müller, viscount siward, viscount albany, viscount burgundy, leif, anaximandros, dolofonos, the immaculate one, anselma, victoria, gunnar, krouffer, banfig, kite, morianne, laetitia, duke ifan, zoltan

OCs from that fuckass gacha game

playable in some way: kiran, alfonse, sharena, anna, gustav, henriette, askr, ash, bruno, veronica, letizia, embla, elm, nifl, fjorm, gunnthrá, hríd, ylgr, múspell, surtr, laegjarn, laevatein, helbindi, hel, eir, ymir, líf, thrasir, ganglöt, loki, thórr, peony, mirabilis, plumeria, triandra, freyr, freyja, eitr, ginnungagap, niðavellir, reginn, ótr, fáfnir, dagr, nótt, eitri, seiðr, heiðr, gullveig, kvasir, nerþuz, ratatoskr, heiðrún, eikþyrnir

non-playable: feh That Fucking Bird That I Hate, fehnix, hvergel, menja, angrboða, alfaðör, alfrik, billingr, dvalinn, grer, þjazi, veðrfölnir, njörðr, hræsvelgr, níðhöggr, læraðr

i am not listing the fucking alts. you get the point. never test me again.

[eri-pl]

Silm reread 19: Game of Thrones the Children of Hurin

Also maybe this time I will remember to put it in the queue instead of posting immadiately.

TW: you all know which ones apply here. (No details, even less than in the book.)

So, Rían. What's with her??? Postpartum depression?

Anyway, we leave her at her enigmatic death and go to Túrin. He is born in the same year when B&L meet. I guess the bad/good luck is budgeted per year…

Morwen is cool, and it comes to her head to send Túrin to Dorriath in secret. So, we know where we're headed.

Thingol is now a fan of Men (good for him, but in this case— no, wait. It does not bite him personally in the rear. Húrin does later, but maybe he would anyway.

Morwen doesn't want to leave her house where she lived with Húrin, which is more understandable than the version in (poetic text? I don't remember) where she just says that she doesn't want to be given alms by elves. She sounds proud in that one, and in a bad sense.

Saeros. He is a Nando… which ones were those, Green Elves? Riven Elves? anyway he's a jerk. He is jealous because the king likes Túrin. also, his insult (Mannish women running naked in forests) seems kind of prophetic or at least foreshadowy. (Nienor) Also, I only now realized that Túrin's revenge is simply "now you do the thing you've just said my people do". Which is… not nice but stylish in a way.

He dies on bad luck, Turin feels guilty and is afraid that Thingol will put him into prison. So he runs away. Which isn't fair to Thingol, I would say. Or the right thing to do.

He joins a band, they attack everyone from either side of the war.

Thingol forgives Túrin without talking to him, which is very kind of him. also he sends Beleg to go find Túrin because he misses the guy. Which is very lovely.

In the meantime Túrin calls himself "the Wronged". By whom? saeros maybe, but he's already dead. Thingol??? Maybe go and check your assumptions with reality, my guy? Go talk with your elven foster-dad?

Beleg gets beaten, Túrin is sorry and promises to only attack Morgoth's minions from now on. This will be important later.

Morgoth (or something in his hierarchy? Easterlings?) is poetically referred to as "the Black Hand" which is quite unique.

Beleg tells Túrin that Thingol forgave him… and Túrin is too proud to accept it. Seriously, my guy, come on. why. why are you so stubborn to be upset?

Thingol is sad (very relateable, very sweet, in this story he is the good guy in general, very lovely of him).

Beleg gets Anglachel, ignoring Melian's advice. Also, Anguirel is mentioned.

Túrin and his men attack some Dwarves. So…. remember when he promised to only attach Morgoth's minions? Yea. He doesn't keep to it. As we will see, Túrin is one of the worst at keeping his word. And the characters that are on par with him about this are clear bad guys, namely Morgoth and Ulfang.

So of course it goes wrong. But this is not a summary, this is a "things I did not remember and my thoughts" post, so I won't recap all the Mîm story.

Also, we see Mîm complaining on "Elves gave new names to everything" which sounds like a Tolkien's in-joke. Because he loves giving names to stuff.

Túrin is sorry for the death of Mîm's son. As we will see, his "learning from having killed someone and becoming better" skill is on par with Maglor "apology videos songs" Feanorian.

Also, he promises Mîm that if he ever becomes rich, he will pay a weregild in gold. Another promise that later goes nowhere. Also, funnily, the place where Túrin will become rich is Nargothrond. And who years later gets the treasures of Nargothrond? Mîm. So, fate makes this promise fulfilled (more or less), even though Túrin does not.

Túrin gets vibes from Brethil, I'm not sure why.

Mîm forgives him, more or less, convinced by his sadness and/or promise of recompense. they talk a lot and Túrin learns things. also, we get the story of the "Petty" Dwarves and how the Sindar hunted them out of ignorance and how that hate the Noldor for living in Nargothrond which was initially their. (I am certain Finrod did not know this and is not at fault here, this doesn't seem to me like his kind of bad decision. Not talking about things: yes. But chasing other race out of their homes? No.)

Also, weather note. Morgoth becoming more powerful = winters are worse. (Cut to CSL chuckling in the background ;D …but no this is an older trope I think.)

Beleg again, Túrin doesn't want to return to Doriath again. we arent told whether Beleg asked "how is the 'not attacking non-evil peoples' thing going?" but part of me wishes he did)

Anthropology… well, Eldarology: the Noldor have more skill and lore, but the Sindar are wiser. Or are they just wiser than Men? Translation unclear.

Anyway, Mîm hates Beleg, because racial prejudice, and because the bandits respect him.

Morgoth gets a paragraph he totally does not deserve the poetics of, even if technically it is true. Also, we are told that he knows a lot and knows more about his opponent's plans than anyone suspects, even Melian. whom BTW he thinks a lot about.

Also, this paragraph is in present tense which means that either a) the text was written pre-War-of-Wrath b) the translation is messed up again.

Anyway Morgoth hears about the Dragon Helm, realizes it's Húrin's son and sends spies to the area. And orcs.

So, betrayal and capture. Beleg is powerful! Also, Gwindor.

Orcs are afraid of the storm! They think it's the work of the Valar. do they react to every lightning like this? But…. Morgoth can shoot lightnings too (see: B&L)? Maybe they are afraid only of lightning strikes accompanied by rain. (Rainless storms are a thing and they are creepy, make the air feel exhausting, give people headaches and look quite Morgoth-coded)

Beleg dies and from now on Túrin is in mourning, and it never fully goes away. even though he is healed by Ulmo's magic spring.

Also, Anglachel is a heavy sword! Two-handed? At least one and a half probably. I will need to pay more attention to details of the fights. I would love to know what type of sword is it.

Finduilas and the love triangle. Poor girl tbh. Poor Gwindor too,. And Túrin isn't at fault in this particular situation either.

Túrin changes his name again. Plus we get a description: pale, grey-eyed, dark-haired, more beautiful than most Men then (unclear how this compares to modern people). Also, he's got Elven manners and …seems like a Noldo? Does it mean he can speak Quenya? Maybe not.

Anglachel gets a makeover.

Also, túrin gets a dwarven armor, and finds a golden dwarven mask and … I think he is pretty wealthy at this point. And, despite the fact that Mîm had betrayed him (which I'm not sure he knows? Maaaybe from Beleg via Gwindor?) he could at least try to fulfill his promise. Because, you know, promises.

Seriously, if Túrin and the Feanorians averaged with one another on their attitudes to "keeping your word" everyone would be much happier.

But no, he fights in a precious Dwarf-made armor and doesn't care about the poor Dwarf whom he promised to pay for the death of his son.

Finduilas falls in love, it is "stronger than her will". OK, feelings happen. And can't be controlled. I love how they all behave about it, all three are civil and respectful and don't make much drama about the romantic stuff.

Gwindor is like "I love you, but if you don't love me, don't try to force it, follow your heart. But maybe don't marry this guy because he's got a bad vibe." Plus some talk about how such relationships Should Not Be Unless Fate. (I'm not a fan of this. But then, Gwindor had spent a lot of time in angband so I can dismiss some of his opinions as "warped by Morgoth's influence".)

Also, he tells her who Túrin is, which I'm not sure what I think about. I believe that he doesn't try to get her back, just to make sure he's safe. But also, this is betraying of a frnd's secret. But also, this secret was stupid and Gwindor did not, I think, promise to keep it, just was asked to. Anyway I don't think it changes much.

OK, I take it back. It does change something. Just not in the love triangle. Orodreth starts to favor Túrin. which has good effects (the people of Nargathrond stop being trechearous cowards) and bad effects (the bridge, nor enough caution).

Gwindor is against Túrin's ideas, but is ignored, because he's not a good warrior. (there will be a similar situation near the end).

Another good consequence of it is Morwen and Niennor getting to Doriath.

Ulmo sends a warning to Orodreth, but Túrin is too proud to listen and loves his big bridge. and Orodreth seems to be bad at having his own opinions tbh.

We are told that Túrin is proud and wants everything to go according to his will, which reminds me of similar line about Maeglin. Those two parallel each other very much in this moment. The main difference is their romantic situations. Maeglin is in unrequited love, Túrin is loved and … when did he even learn about Finduilas' love for him? Oh, wait, she told him her conversation with Gwindor, so I guess then. It must have been somewhat awkward. anyway he doesn't seem to care much about her.

Nargothrond falls, Gwindor curses the day when he saved Túrin (they all love cursing things) and tells him that only Finduilas is between Túrin and his doom. which seems like one of those I-am-dying-so-have-a-prophecy things (which Brandon Sanderson totally did not borrow from the Silm, along with an assortment of various visuals, but not so much to look unoriginal)

The bridge. And the dragon, who is, like werewolves, inhabited by an evil spirit. It enchants Túrin and gives him a warped self-image and toxic sense of guilt. Also, an obsession about finding his mother and sister.

So, Gwindor's advice was too late. Ulmo's advice was not too late, but has been ignored. and here we are.

Some madness and stuff.

Turin comes to his senses, but decides to go looking for his mother and sister, because he would bring doom upon them. This doesn't sound like a good idea to me, also, he changes his mind all the time. If he kept doing one thing and went to Doriath, maybe he would not land in the incest situation? But I don't know the timeline this well. anyway, it rings wrong, like a bad decision.

He finds Finduilas' grave. And names himself Turambar, which … is Quenya? So he is fluent in Quenya too. huh. I guess Orodreth taught him. Or Finduilas.

Poor Anglachel is put away, but I guess it is a good sign.

Morwen and Niennor leave Doriath…. So yes, this checks out, he probably should have gone to Doriath back then. Also, their motivarions are "despair" and "an unlucky hour of hope" so… this can't go well.

Glaurung has to use 100% of his power to be able to do anything to Nienor, which is extremely cool of her. She's more strong willed than many elves, i think.

But she gets enchanted and runs and runs naked through the forest, which was foreshadowed by Saeros.

Brandir is another instance of "I love you, I won't try to get you but please don't matty Túrin". And he is, just like Gwindor, not great at fighting, because disability.

Anyway, Túrin and Niniel get married. Yay.

Also, we learn that Glaurung sent orcs to Brethil. So, he commands orcs. Dragons are in the chain of command. this is an interesting tidbit for fics.

people ignore Brandir's reasonable opinions (just like Gwindor's), he is upset and stops loving his people.

Túrin ills the dragon and it might have ended better, but he wants to a) get Anglachel back, and b) the satisfaction of seeing his enemy dead. Bad reasons, bad results.And since it's Túrin, the results are unproportionally bad.

Glaurong dies and his magic disappears instantly. It is how this works in the Legendarium, I suppose.

Turin and his sister/wife get a Romeo&Juliet scene.

Brandir kills Dorlas. WHY??? For his cowardice?

Túrin realizes that fate is upon him, curses Brandir and kills him (a rare combo), then goes to sit on the grave and be sad about what he did. Maglor vibes intensify, but he seems to be reaching a little bit of progress here? He asks Finduilas for advice (for her own good, I hope she's in Mandos and not listening to him) because he's got no idea what to do and what would be good for others. Hey, he is willing to take advice! This is a new thing.

But instead, Mablung comes. BTW Mablung is a kind of guy that is in the background of many important events, but surprisingly survives (until he does not).

So, now Túrin sends him to bring his curse to Doriath. (And curses Mablung's mission too)

Yes, definitely Maglor's approach to "learning from your regrets" :Þ

Seriously.

My guy.

Mallory would— You know what? Túrin just landed above the Feanorians on my list of "take them from Tolkien and give the custody of them to sir Thomas Mallory".

Yes, I know the gerne and stuff. but still. I am upset. I keep being upset on reading those even though I know what happens.

…but we're gonna sing it anyway.

[theiloveyousong]

CYM CUCUMBER QUEST :)))))

ITS BEEN A YEAR SINCE IVE READ IT BUT YIPPEE!!!! this ask is also from january 22 2023. go here for desc!

cucumber - @gods-favorite-autistic can you feel it. can you feel the energy

almond - @thecrabbybarista !!!!!!!! real !!!!!!! its just occurred to me how emmacoded alm is

sir carrot - you dori :)

saturday - ME. i loev her

princess parfait - @pinklemonslices REA:!L!!!!

cordelia - @small-purple-duck im just doing this because duck will never see this

peridot - @builtlikeastickofcelery i dont have an explanation for thus one excepy. silly

nightmare knight - @dellonthebell the nightmare knight is a really nice guy ignore the name

cosmo - @angelwiththeblue-box you could pull them off sooooo well

nautilus - @grimdark-gnostic you guys have the SAME energy

[androgynousabyss]

n-o- need . there 1s much enterta1nment 1n s1mply watch1ng th— -o-h sh1t they are tear1ng that nut creature t-o- shreds

-o-h sh1t 1 hear the h-o-nkb1rds -o-uts1de . they s-o-und upset , haha . 1 am a tad caut1-o-us t-o- the 1dea -o-f peek1ng , but 1 have been wa1t1ng f-o-r th1s f1ght t-o- break -o-ut f-o-r half a sweep n-o-w

[classysassy9791]

“When you’re ready.” - artwork by me (do not repost)

When a job goes terribly wrong, the Fairy Tail guild is left to pick up the pieces. Mourning the deaths of their guildmates, Lucy can't seem to find the strength to move forward. But she comes to realize one person understands. His madness was her mercy, and she finally began to hope that maybe he could make her heart beat again.

Fandom: Fairy Tail Genre: Adventure/Tragedy Warning: Character Death(s)

Ch. 1 l Ch. 2 l Ch. 3 l Ch. 4 l Ch. 5 l Ch. 6

Chapter 7 Word Count: 5400 Can also be found on AO3 and FFN @ft-reboost​

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“Levy?” Cana shook her head, her glassy eyes turning back to the barrel she had been clutching since she strolled into the guild just after dawn. “I haven’t seen her all day. I didn’t see her come back to Fairy Hills last night either.”

Gajeel leaned against the bar, steely eyes peering over the expanse of the guildhall. Only a week had passed since the news of Titania and Salamander’s deaths, along with that silly blue cat of his. Things were far from normal at the Fairy Tail guild, but slowly people were beginning to show up for meal times and try to make conversation.

Some people, like Gray and Lucy, hadn’t been seen since the funeral. Gajeel hadn’t been too concerned about them - they had lost their teammates after all - but Levy had always been present. So, it bothered him that she had suddenly disappeared.

Cana shrugged. “She’s been reading books pretty avidly lately, more so than usual anyways. Maybe check out the library?”

Gajeel grumbled a ‘thanks' before pushing off the bar and finding his way to the Fairy Tail library housed beneath the guild. He had never stepped foot inside the book repository. He never had a need to. So it took him a while to search through the maze of shelves.

He found Levy near the back of the library sitting on the floor with a dozen books spread around her. She sat with her knees tucked beneath her, wind-reader glasses resting on the bridge of her nose, and hair pulled back by a headband. It was hard to tell in the dim light, but with Gajeel’s sharpened sight, he could see the bags forming under her eyes. She wasn’t destroyed, but she was getting there.

“Hey, Shrimp,” he called out to grab her attention.

Her brown eyes continued to quickly shift over the words on the page, completely zoned in on whatever had captured her attention.

He crouched down, leaning his arms against his thighs. “Levy.”

She startled, shooting her tired gaze to his. When she realized who he was, she relaxed, a breath of relief passing her lips. “Gajeel. What are you doing down here?”

“Came lookin’ for ya. Cana said she didn’t see you come home last night.”

“Yeah, I was out late and I left pretty early this morning. Wanted to get some reading done.” She marked the page in her book and slipped off her glasses, rubbing her thumb and forefinger over tired eyes. Wisps of stray blue hair framed her face as she smiled up at him.

He watched her carefully, taking note of how lifeless her peppy personality had become. “Your smile isn’t as bright as it used to be,” he off-handedly commented.

Pink dusted her cheeks. “O-Oh, is it now?” She chuckled nervously before shrugging and tilting her head. “Just give me a little while to be said. Someday soon, I promise to come back brighter than ever!” She pumped her fist in the air to emphasize her words.

Nothing could ever scare Gajeel more than the look in her eyes right then - that false bravado, the courageous face she was putting on. But her eyes told it all. Levy was slowly dying inside from the grief, and it terrified him.

The iron-dragon slayer cleared his throat, glancing over the mountain of books she had surrounded herself with. Majority of them were in languages he couldn’t name, but the ones he could make out had the words ‘demons’ and ‘purgatory’ in them. “Uh, what’re you reading about?”

“Well,” she started sheepishly, poking her index fingers together and peering up at him with a hesitant expression - almost like a child waiting to be scolded. He raised a brow, prompting her to continue. “I, uh, I’m researching the demons that attacked Team Natsu.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You serious? Those demons are long gone.” He scoffed and stood up. “Whoever did this will still be out there after we get our feet back under us.”

Pursing her lips, Levy climbed to her feet beside him and shook her head. “I know that,” she murmured, clasping her hands in front of her and looking up at him with determination. “But if I stopped, if I gave up for now, I wouldn’t have anything left driving me forward and grief would consume me.” She released a shuddering breath, her eyes misty as she glanced away. “I-I can’t fix anyone’s pain. I can’t bring Natsu, Erza, or Happy back. I can’t piece together whatever happiness we have left. But this…” She turned and gestured to the towers of books. “Finding the people who did this, no matter how small of a chance - this is something I can do.”

He studied her closely. For as long as Gajeel had known her, Levy had never given up. Not when she fought to forgive him after he brutally attacked her. Not during the battle of Fairy Tail when she rewrote Freed’s spell and released him and Natsu to take on Laxus. Not when they battled Grimroire Heart on Tenrou. Not even during the battle of the dragons as she pushed all the townsfolk to safety. She had always been front and center, doing everything in her power to ensure victory, no matter the cost.

So, as he stared at her, petite yet fierce, he knew no matter what he said, she wasn’t going to let this one go. And part of him didn’t want to. Because the demons who had killed their guildmates were going to pay.

“Tartaros.”

Her brown eyes widened. “Wh-What?”

“It was Tartaros.” Gajeel had overhead Makarov that day in the guildhall, picked up easily with his sensitive hearing. Sleuthing was one of his strong suits. It’s why he was able to play a double-agent so well. However, Makarov’s caution regarding Tartaros was justified, and he wasn’t yet sure if he should question that decision. Makarov wasn’t exactly a man to doubt when it came to his motives. The other dragon slayers hadn’t been nearby, so Gajeel was sure he was the only one who knew.

Levy swallowed thickly, her surprise quickly snuffed out with new resolve. “I-I had a feeling they may have been involved. They’re the only dark guild left that could’ve done something like this. Just hadn’t found proof yet,” she murmured, her eyes sweeping over her research. “Not sure how the demons tie into them though.”

Gajeel smirked. Levy’s actions over the past couple of days and the books piled on the floor at their feet were evidence that she had figured it out. Of course she did. “Well, what did you find?”

They shared a look, one filled with unwavering conviction. The unknown of what laid ahead terrified them - the notion of going up against a dark guild known only as the Gates to the Underworld. But their pain and grief triumphed over everything. Their vengeance would remain strong and true until the bitter end, whenever that would come.

For now, Levy smiled and sat down on the floor again to share what she had learned. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

After another unsettling night in the guildhall - quiet grieving masked by alcohol - Mirajane and Lisanna worked to clean up the aftermath. It had dawned on the elder Strauss sibling that they would run out of booze soon. They hadn’t yet recovered from their most recent celebration after Crocus, which had only been a week ago, but it felt as if a lifetime had passed since then.

Had it only been seven days? Seven days since the end of the Grand Magic Games, the dragon attack, and the parties that followed. Natsu had stolen the king’s crown, an embarrassing yet hilarious end to their time in the capital. He had jubilantly shouted for them to bow down to him, causing Erza to nearly punish him on the spot for mortifying Fairy Tail. Everyone had laughed, including the king and Hisui, the terrifying battle with mythical creatures now behind them. They had been victorious. And now-

A jarring crash stole Mirajane’s attention, the echoes of broken glass filling the empty guildhall. She quickly looked over to see that her younger sister had dropped a plate, causing it to shatter on the floor. “Oh, Lisanna! Are you all right? Here, let me help.”

She knelt down with a towel beside her, attempting to clean up the mess, but as they began picking up the broken pieces, Lisanna cut herself on a shard of glass. “Ouch,” she murmured while recoiling, wincing as a drop of blood appeared on her finger.

“You have to be careful,” Mirajane gently chastised, wrapping her towel around Lisanna’s injury.

Lisanna sighed, averting her gaze. She bit her lower lip until it was almost raw, the sisters remaining quiet as Mirajane put pressure on her finger to stop the blood flow. A few moments passed before Lisanna finally spoke up. “Is there something wrong with me?”

Mirajane was pulled from her thoughts and looked at the younger take-over mage. Ever since her youth, Lisanna had always had this upbeat and positive attitude. It was infectious and often kept Mirajane’s own worries at bay. But now, looking at the deep sadness that reflected in her eyes, Mirajane realized even the most positive people could have their world crushed.

She tilted her head and knitted her brows. “What do you mean?”

Lisanna wouldn’t meet her gaze. “I-I know Lucy is a good person. She’s beautiful, smart, and kind. But…” She paused, swallowing thickly, and curling her uninjured hand into a tight fist. “I-I’ve been jealous of her ever since I met her.”

Mirajane frowned. As far as she could tell, Lucy and Lisanna had been amicable since they met. She had seen no ire from either of them, and Lisanna had never confided in her with such feelings before. Yet, she had an inkling of where these emotions stemmed from.

“But,” Lisanna continued with guilt-ridden eyes. “She was also Natsu’s best friend. I know I shouldn’t be jealous. When I was away, Lucy came along and became a part of Natsu’s life. And part of me is happy about that, because when I was in Edolas, I had been so worried about him - about what would happen to him without me around. Yet..” She paused again, tears filling her eyes.

Shame was not an easy burden to carry. Mirajane rested a gentle hand on her sister’s shoulder. “What is it?”

Lisanna choked out a cry, hurrying to brush away the tears that fell down her cheeks. “I-I just can’t help feeling as if part of me holds Lucy responsible for Natsu and Happy’s deaths,” she confessed quietly, her sin finally out in the open. “She was there - right there - and didn’t save them! That somehow it’s all her fault that they’re gone.”

Realizing the cause of her sister’s affliction, Mirajane’s heart went out to her. “Oh, Lisanna,” she sighed.

“Is there s-something wrong with me?” she asked again, her words broken as whimpers escaped her lips.

Mirajane wrapped her hands around her sister’s, coaxing their gazes to meet. “Yes, but it’s the same thing that’s wrong with all of us. We’re looking for someone to blame - someone tangible right in front of us - because it’s easier than believing this had all been a terrible tragedy at the hands of demons we can’t find.”

Lisanna nodded her head, sniffling. “I just-” She paused, fruitlessly attempting to push away her tears. “I had so many things I wanted to tell him. I wanted to tell him how much I had missed him, and that I was proud of how strong he had become. Just so many unspoken thoughts and words, but I couldn’t say them to him. I couldn’t face him and admit to him that I was jealous, and how hurt I was when I came back and things weren’t the same. It’s because of that fear that I never got the chance to say the one that was important. I never had the chance-” *Hiccup* “To-To tell him I loved him.”

As she broke down crying, Mirajane pulled her to her chest, feeling her own eyes well up with tears. Long ago she had suspected the animal take-over mage had developed feelings for the dragon slayer. Their friendship ran deep and the two were rarely seen without the other. Even though Lisanna had her siblings, and Natsu had the rest of the rowdy bunch of young wizards, the two of them had always shared a special connection.

If she were being honest, Mirajane couldn’t remember Lisanna and Natsu actually sharing a moment alone after she returned from Edolas. The S-Class Trials began only weeks later, and they had all been swept up in the grandeur of friendly skirmishes. After their seven year stasis, they immediately began to train for the Grand Magic Games. Between being declared the victors and the battles with the dragons immediately following, it was amazing that Lisanna had adjusted as well as she did. They really hadn’t been granted the opportunity to immerse her back into their life. The sisters had shared conversations and talked late into the night on plenty of occasions, catching Lisanna up on what she had missed during her time away, but that didn’t account for the memories and emotional attachments she had missed.

Mirajane felt the weight of the world on her shoulders and the weight of Lisanna’s grief in her arms as she contemplated her sister’s predicament. “I know it’s difficult to keep going,” Mirajane soothed quietly, running a hand through her hair. “But just know that you have to.”

“How?” Lisanna cried out, her emotional vexation reminding Mirajane so much of her own when a certain red-head had come to her aid. “How can I, when I feel so bitter, as if I have no direction anymore?”

Mirajane smiled sadly. “I remember that feeling. You’re caught between all that was and all that must be. You feel lost.” She pulled away to look down at her sister, wiping away her tears. “But remember, things will weigh you down, but only if you let them. I get it. It’s hard to pretend that a boulder is a feather. It’s hard to pretend that something difficult is easy. So, just do what I’ve done for years. I just pretend that I’m strong, until I am.”

Lisanna sniffled, her sobs finally beginning to quiet.

The elder take-over mage sighed, memories turning back to when she thought Lisanna had died, and the guilt that nearly killed Elfman. “You may feel bitter toward Lucy, and angry over Natsu. But the truth is,” she said, gently resting her forehead against her sister’s. “Unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself for those feelings, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize the situation is over - you can’t move forward.”

Levy knocked on a familiar door she had walked through many times before. She played with a strand of her hair, brown eyes drawn to the floor boards beneath her feet. It had become her daily ritual when taking a break from the library to walk to the apartment complex not far from the guild hall, her heart aching for a smiling, blonde, celestial wizard to welcome her in. But that moment had yet to come. Not the day after the funeral, or the week that followed. Lucy Heartfilia had become a ghost, locking herself within the same four walls and refusing to see anyone.

The solid-script mage exhaled deeply, feeling terribly helpless during this time of grieving. Her research hadn’t turned up anything worthwhile at the Fairy Tail library, so in between musing over other means of gathering information, she filled her days of attempting to bring some semblance of normalcy back to the guild. She read books in the hall and tried to greet everyone with a cheerful smile. The awkward responses she received indicated she was trying too hard, but she didn’t know what else to do. They needed someone to spur them into action, a speech of hope and faith to give them the final push toward defeating their current adversary.

However, Makarov had said nothing on the subject, instead locking himself within his office for days on end, allowing only Mirajane and Laxus to speak with him on occasion. Levy didn’t know what the master was planning, but she had a sneaking suspicion he was doing his own digging into Tartaros, perhaps pulling strings she herself did not possess.

“Lucy,” she called out desperately for her friend, knocking again in the hopes this time she would let her in. The deep blues of night had descended on Magnolia, snuffing out the last bit of sunlight, and causing Levy to feel that more anxious about Lucy’s well-being. “Please, I just want to talk, make sure you’re okay.” Her eyes filled with frustrated tears, hands curling into fists at her sides. “I’m worried sick, Lu. Open the door.”

The tiny script mage’s voice was stern - demanding - so different from her carefree nature only weeks before. She was tired of fighting against Lucy’s absurd way of shutting out the world. They were a family, dammit, and they needed each other. Couldn’t she see that?

She pushed her blue hair out of her face, setting one last despondent look at Lucy’s apartment door before turning to leave. Just as she began making her way out of the front door, Loke appeared in a glitter of golden light, startling her. His suit was clean-pressed as usual, but his expression twisted into one of concern.

“Levy,” he greeted languidly, slipping his hands into the pockets of his slacks.

“How is she?” Levy asked, hands wrapping around themselves in worry. “Why-Why won’t she let me in?”

“She’s okay,” he soothed, dark circles under his eyes speaking of exhaustion. He readjusted his glasses. “Don’t worry. Her spirits are looking after her. Lucy suffered a terrible loss, and she’s taking it hard.” He sighed, looking over at her door as if he could see right through it. “From what Aquarius told me, when Lucy’s mother died, she tried to do the same thing. But she was young - easily distracted by her estate’s employees and the little attention her father gave her.”

Levy shook her head dismissively. “Then why won’t she let us help her now? Why won’t she come to the guild, or let us in?”

He shrugged. “She just lost her team, and one of her best friends - the person who gave her purpose in life again. Lucy spent years under her father’s thumb until she ran away to find happiness. Natsu gave that to her. He brought her to Fairy Tail. She’s going to need time to heal.”

That wasn’t the explanation Levy wanted to hear, but she could understand what Loke was saying. And seeing as how some of Lucy’s spirits had been with her for far longer than the guild had, she supposed they understood her grieving process better than she. Even so, Loke’s words did little to soothe her concern.

“If she becomes a real concern, I’ll make sure to come find you,” Loke said as a last attempt to pacify her apprehension. “I promise.”

Levy nodded, her gaze holding his. “I’m trusting you,” she murmured, before pushing past him and out the front door.

Loke stood for a moment, rubbing tired eyes, before slipping back into Lucy’s room. Virgo was in the process of running her a warm bath. Although Lucy always loved soaking in her tub, it had been hard to convince her to do so lately.

“Here you go, Princess,” he heard Virgo say from beyond the bathroom door, assisting their mage into the tub. Shortly after, Virgo stepped out into the room, exchanging a look of unease with him.

Lucy sank down into the water, the silver-gray stream curling and dancing through the air, filling the bathroom completely. After a while, a golden light shimmered in the air, and Aquarius appeared, arms crossed over her chest as she glared at Lucy’s indifferent expression.

“Lucy,” she tried, receiving not even a notion that she had been heard. She frowned, her usual bitter attitude and short-lipped responses falling to the wayside. Pathetic didn’t even begin to describe the blonde sitting before her. She sighed. “You can’t blame yourself,” she murmured, watching her carefully. “Not for this.”

The celestial mage turned her head away, eyes staring at moisture accumulating on the tile floor. “How can I not?” she asked quietly. “I survived and they didn’t.”

Aquarius had no real answer for that. Survivor’s guilt was not something that could be overcome easily. It was like the weight of the ocean’s walls were crushing a person, uncontrolled by levis. The mermaid spirit had been around long enough to have seen many of her former key holders experience such a thing. Being a wizard was not always a joyous job to yield.

“It’s okay that you survived,” she spoke softly, looking at Lucy with a pitied gaze. “I’m even happy about it.”

That made Lucy look up at her with a raised brow.

A deep blush settled on Aquarius’s cheeks. “Look, you may be a brat, but you’re Layla’s daughter. Of course I wouldn’t want anything really bad to happen to you.”

For the first time in a long time, Lucy’s lips tugged into a half-hearted smile. “Thanks, Aquarius.” Although their relationship had always been close to volatile, the mermaid spirit spoke her care discreetly.

Aquarius folded her arms over her chest, blue eyes continuing to study Lucy. Her grief this time had upended her life much like Layla’s death had, but this time, Lucy wasn’t an easily distractible child. The celestial mage understood very well what had happened to her friends, and had witnessed the trauma first hand. It wouldn’t be something that she would be able to overcome anytime soon.

“You should talk about it,” Aquarius urged gently.

Lucy’s reaction was instantaneous. She wrapped her arms tighter around her knees and hid her face between them. Aquarius could feel the anxiety coming off the girl in waves. “I-I can’t,” Lucy’s muffled, shaky voice came from the protection of her self-made sheath.

A deep exhale slipped from her lips. With a hand more gentle than ever before, Aquarius ran her fingers through Lucy’s golden tresses before coming to rest comfortably on top. “You’ll have to eventually. When you’re ready.”

Coruscating golden light filled the room and Lucy felt Aquarius’s hand disappear along with her presence. She was left alone in a lukewarm bath. Aquarius always hated bath time. The fact that she had decided to show up now soothed Lucy’s heart.

Moments later, Virgo assisted Lucy into her pajamas and then to the couch, where Virgo set about brushing Lucy’s hair. Silence filled the apartment, Virgo being careful not to pull at Lucy’s tresses. Loke stood by the window, looking down at the street below, stealing glances behind him at his mage.

Loke had lived for a very long time. He had seen the blackest moments grief and tragedy could offer. They could bury a person alive simply by the sheer weight of it all. The darkness would swallow people whole without mercy, even bringing about death. Yet, he had also seen the other side of that coin - the light that shined brightly despite the wickedness life would bring. He witnessed euphoria and triumph, the gleeful laughter of happiness too much to contain.

More than anything, Loke wanted to show Lucy that world - the brilliant sun and the skies. Happiness lived outside of these four walls she had cocooned herself within. It existed all around - in the ice creams that melted quickly; the sandy beaches and waves that tickled ankles; in the little white shells hidden under the sand, their insides still grainy with remnants of sand and iridescence. There was happiness in the fiery red and orange hues that filled the sky when the sun bid farewell; and happiness even in the pale calm of the night with the stars that shone above, reminders of all the things that were greater than the world.

There was so much more to this life than her grief, and he only wished he could help her see past this moment.

“All finished,” Virgo said quietly as she ran her fingers through Lucy’s tresses a final time.

“Thank you.” The mage’s mumbled gratitude was more conversation than the spirits had hoped she would have offered. She hadn’t been up for much talking.

Virgo exchanged a look with Loke before disappearing back to the celestial realm. Still, Lucy didn’t move. Her gaze fixated on a spot on the wall, her fingers fidgeting with the blanket on her lap, her mind obviously elsewhere.

“Are you okay?” Loke asked, quickly chastising himself for asking the question as Lucy scoffed. The blonde didn’t spare him a glance, but did pull her gaze to her lap. He closed the distance between them and stood in front of her so he could meet her eyes. His expression let her know he wasn’t going to leave until she answered him.

She wasn’t able to hold his stare long before she looked away. “I’m just tired, all right?” she finally said to pacify him. It seemed to be her answer every time he asked. And he asked a lot. Over and over and over again, day in and day out, as if waiting for her answer to change. He was sure he was beginning to annoy her, but to be frank, any emotion that Lucy exhibited other than overwhelming sadness was a win in his book.

“Get up.” It was more of a demand than a request, which only seemed to anger Lucy further.

She frowned and ignored him, not even entertaining him with a response. If she had her way, he was sure she would fall asleep on the couch just to spite him.

Loke sighed and knelt down so he was eye-level with her. “Please, Lucy. Do it for me.”

His pleading gaze nearly broke her conviction. He could see it. They had been through so much in such a short time together, he knew she would have a hard time denying his request. Was he playing dirty by waving their trust in her face? Probably. But he was desperate.

The lion spirit reached out a hand and covered hers. “If you do, I promise I’ll give you some space.”

Well, that compromise seemed to peak her interest. “Why?” she asked warily.

He chuckled, picking up on her guarded expression. “We aren’t going far. You’ll like it. Trust me.”

And he knew that was something Lucy could never deny. The trust between them was iron-clad and something she would never dispute. “Fine,” she ultimately conceded with a deep sigh. “Where to?”

“Follow me.”

The Leader of the Zodiac took her hand in his, guiding her carefully to her apartment door. She hesitated as he attempted to direct her into the hallway, panicking about venturing back into the world that still turned without half of Team Natsu. But Loke encouraged her with a gentle tug.

Lucy took a deep breath and followed him up the stairs to the third floor, and then up further still until they happened upon the hatch to the roof. Loke opened it before reaching behind him and helping Lucy out. “What are we doing out here?” she asked once she was standing beside him.

He stayed silent, pulled her with him toward the front end, and sat down near the edge where the shingles began slanting downward. He patted the ground beside him invitingly and she cautiously joined him. Once she settled in he pointed out toward the Magnolia, past the river the boatmen always drifted down.

“Look, Lucy.”

She followed his finger to where the sky met the horizon far beyond the town. The outline of the Fairy Tail guild, shrouded in darkness, could be seen, and just beyond that sat Lake Sciliora. A shimmering of stars lit up the night sky, becoming more visible as the midnight hour approached. The city quietly began to fall asleep as lights faded from windows and people emptied the streets.

Folding her knees and wrapping her arms around them, Lucy wistfully gazed at the heavens. “I wish I was a star,” she said aloud.

Loke reached over and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “But don’t you see,” he murmured, her eyes pulling to his. “You’re already a galaxy. You have universes trapped beneath your skin and stardust shining in your eyes. You are so much more than a star.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “What-What if I don’t want to be more than a star?” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

“Oh, Lucy,” Loke soothed, brushing away a tear that slid down her cheek.

“Loke,” she cried out, no longer able to hold back her sobs. “I-I don’t want to feel like this anymore.”

He frowned as she began to cry, her shoulders shaking. “This isn’t the end,” he tried, wanting her to understand that she wouldn’t always feel this way.

“But what if I-I want it to be?”

Her words tore through Loke; the very thought of Lucy feeling so broken as to even consider the idea of no longer existing made his stomach drop. Had she truly fallen so far? Had the beautiful, shining blonde who always smiled become so grief-stricken as to even consider taking her life? The very idea nearly made him snap.

Loke reached out and pulled Lucy into his arms, wrapping her tightly in his embrace as if he could hold her together. She wept into his chest, folding herself within him and hiding from the world. “It’s going to be okay,” he murmured, his repetition glaring, but he wasn’t sure what the right words were to say.

“I-I wish I didn’t need y-you to tell me-e that,” she sputtered through her tears.

He pulled away then, needing to look at her, needing her to understand how serious he was being. Her confession terrified him. “You have me,” he promised sharply, wiping away her tears as quickly as they fell, holding her head between his hands. Her lips wobbled and her eyes were glassy. She reached up and held his hands, leaning into his touch. “You have me,” he repeated in a gentler tone. “Until every last star in the galaxy dies, you have me.”

Loke pulled her back into his arms and closed his eyes, listening to the sound of her ragged breathing. He knew no matter what he said to her, nothing would lessen the impact of her pain. He could only sit there and hold her, offer her whatever she required of him, anything to help her smile again. Because ever since that day, the heavenly bodies didn’t shine as brightly.

Lucy’s cries soon lessened to whimpers, her tears drying up, and she finally settled down to shaky sighs. After a long moment, he pulled away and allowed space between them. He didn’t say anything, allowing her this moment of quiet.

The blonde tucked her hair behind her ears, smoothing it out as if to make herself more presentable. He didn’t know why. She had always been beautiful to him. He reached out and ran his thumb across her jaw, his eyes searching hers. “I’m here with you.”

She nodded silently, her eyes leaving him and searching the horizon again. Darkness had fully descended over Magnolia, and the sky was alight with the stars she loved so much.

Loke followed her gaze and then pointed into the sky. “Which constellation is that?”

Lucy easily found which stars he pointed to. “Saggitarius,” she murmured.

“And that one?” he asked, indicating another point in the sky.

She allowed a small smile. “Capricorn.”

He took her hand. “Every time you start to feel down, every time you begin to think of the end, I want you to look to the stars,” he said. “Name the constellations. Know that this world is so great and beautiful - and would be less-so if you were gone.”

Brown eyes met his, and for the first time since everything went to hell, Loke saw life flicker behind her gaze. Lucy was still there - no longer drowning, but still swimming, trying to get to shore.

[mxescargot]

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[pt: As of posting, nobody has made any donations. The goal is 30K CAD.]

[zalrb]

Elena laughed nervously. "No, I'm serious,” she said. “Um, really ... what ... what's something that you've always wanted us to do?" 

"Sex tape." 

Elena raised her eyebrows. "You were really quick with that answer."

Damon shrugged. “I’ve thought about it a lot. Watching you? Watching us? Getting hard just thinking about it.”  

this is the douchiest thing ive ever heard. which is funny cause i dont think sex tapes are inherently douchey. its just the fact that its damons FIRST suggestion. thats ODD. and reminds me of a certain someone...

He didn’t ask twice but instead kissed her hard on the mouth. Elena wiped away the saliva.

immaculate shade.

“Got the playlist queued up and everything.”

Z A L

"So now she was here. Drinking her fourth glass of wine. The music started. “Closer”, Nine Inch Nails. Elena watched Damon walk -- or was that a prowl? -- into the room in a shirt and black jeans, swaying his hips and doing body rolls. She put her hand over her mouth and bit down on her finger to stifle her laughter and from the way his movements became more and more exaggerated, it looked as though Damon took her gesture to mean something else. For which she was grateful."

so basically a serious version of this? 😂

"She kissed him again, trying to give all of herself over, to find the abandon she had the summer they stayed in the bedroom for hours on end but even that summer, she hadn’t been truly lost in him. She’d thought about Stefan the entire time, what he was doing, if she should call him, she’d hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that something had happened to him."

He reached between her and then stopped kissing at her, his eyebrows furrowed. “You’re not…?”

"She needed to find her inner Meg Ryan and give a performance of a lifetime. The sex couldn’t have always been like this, it had been good, great -- their first time, their second time too, it had felt like some kind of seismic shift, like she was experiencing all of these new sensations that were richer and deeper and more intense. Where did that go?"  

LOL. wbk this is precisely what wouldve happened in canon as well if the writers had considered that her heightened senses and emotions would wear off eventually

"Elena looked down at the top of Damon’s head and felt no inspiration. Her eyes wandered the room and she caught herself in the phone’s camera and at seeing how awkward they looked, averted her eyes until they fixed on the closet where she’d shoved the blanket. She shook her head, trying to look away, trying to focus on something else but her eyes always went back to the blue and brown plaid, to the stories it could tell. Like the swimming hole."

i see where this is going

“I never said it was a ‘she’.”

Elena raised her head up to look at him. “You and Klaus had a lot of late night rendezvous did you?”

KLEFAN REFERENCE

"She rid him of his jeans and then held the waistband of his boxers, relishing the ripple of his stomach as he took a sharp intake of air. She raised her head to see him already looking down at her, a hint of carnal desperation in his eyes that burned with anticipation. That alone made her lightheaded. She swallowed hard. What he could do with one look. 

Elena was now slick with remembered want, she arched off the bed and then she saw Damon look up at her triumphantly before moving across her body again. She kept her eyes on the blanket to sustain the memory, and as she held onto Damon to contain his flailing limbs, she conjured the delicious rhythm of Stefan’s movements, the precision and restraint that eventually came apart beneath her or above her when he could no longer hold himself back.

“Yes.” It was Damon’s voice. A distraction. “You like that? You like that?” He kept asking.

Swaying atop Damon, she raced toward the building inside of her as she remembered the way she eagerly went about making Stefan finish. When his breathing was hard and his body was tight and strained and needy for a release only she could give him. 

She was almost there, just about there, about to ---

And then Damon cried out before she had the chance to reach her destination. She mimicked him then lay next to him, sweaty and panting and guilty."

“You’ve never fucked me like that,” said Damon, laughing. He turned over to kiss her shoulder and chest but Elena stayed looking up at the ceiling. 

“What were you thinking about? Hmm? Elena?” He tapped her. She finally looked at him. “What were you thinking about?” he said again.  

Elena pressed her lips together.

“Salvatore prowess,” she said finally. “What else?”

I. AM. DEAD.

WELL SHE DIDN'T LIE. IT WAS THE TRUTH.

[fayesdiary]

Mycen doesn't interact with the Ram Kids other than Alm, huge Heroes L

[ase-trollplays]

Florah, what are three things you're grateful for?

I'm uh... grateful f✿r a l✿t ✿f things, actually.

I'm grateful f✿r all the friends I have wh✿ checked ✿n me and stayed with me after Karima was killed. If n✿t f✿r them, I w✿uldn't still be alive. They gave me the strength t✿ keep living even th✿ugh I l✿st the m✿st imp✿rtant pers✿n and relati✿nship in my life, and I was c✿mpletely shattered and miserable. I ✿we them everything.

I'm grateful f✿r Feriya f✿r giving me an✿ther reas✿n t✿ live. She helps me calm d✿wn when I'm anxi✿us, and she d✿esn't let me is✿late when I'm depressed. M✿st imp✿rtantly, she keeps me c✿mpany. Sure, I have Snelly, but it's n✿t the same, y✿u kn✿w? Heheheh, it's alm✿st like she's a m✿irail.

I'm even grateful f✿r Maer✿n, if y✿u can believe that. She was the first pers✿n t✿ find me when I was still basically catat✿nic and dead ✿n my feet, and she was actually really kind and patient. We hated each ✿ther's guts, but she still helped and t✿✿k care ✿f me until Tuuya, Cac✿ph, and Pr✿xus t✿✿k ✿ver. I d✿n't think I can hate her anym✿re, h✿nestly. I mean, h✿w d✿ I keep hating her after she basically saved my life, s✿me✿ne she d✿esn't even like, f✿r abs✿lutely n✿ benefits? She hasn't used what she did f✿r me t✿ make me indebted t✿ her ✿r s✿mething. She did what she did, then went ab✿ut her business like it was n✿ big deal.

✿h geez, I'm talking way t✿✿ much n✿w. I've been spending t✿✿ much time ar✿und Tant✿r.

>> You don't voice it since it would be more than three things, but you're thankful for Proxus as well. She brings a level of peace that you thought only your moirail could do, maybe more since she understands the rainbow drinker stuff since she's one, too.

[kuliak]

Telharmonic in shift register mode getting notes from Marbles. Phase and Harmonic outs get mangled by Cold Mac along with the attenuated noise out. These are mixed with Ts-L getting the same pitch CV, VCA’d with a spiky vector envelope from o_C. Further modulation shapes from Pam at /16 modulate Centroid and Degree (skew LFO and stepped random respectively).

The whole mix goes through Ampla Versio with the resonance cranked, allowing for a quadrature-like effect where the vector envelope and resonance chirps play off of each other. This all finally goes through Data Bender in micro mode, providing a vague sense of rhythm and glitches.

...

I know I said I was done with 3U for the time being. However I am a weak willed man and I always have my eye out for sales. I managed to find steals on a tELHARMONIC, which already showed up, and an Ikarie which should be here sometime next week. That really is it though, until the Three Sisters and Mangrove restock in Summer - and shortly after those I’ll get a new 9U ALM case to house them.

[violettesiren]

When I am a stranger to my own ruin, twilight reminds me to give alms to my best sins. March: the city is purging in the humility of worms, salt washing from the grasses. When I breathe in, I say thank you. When I breathe out, I say gone, I say garden, I say guns. Three crows devour the dead rat. Look at all that booty, the man mutters and blows me kisses. The sky is worthless and my bulbous ass is always a dinner bell. I run farther, I run with a feather inside my ear, I run from a bird with a broken neck and follow the sound of thawing snow. Aren’t we all boundless though? The way a dream secretes the morning after, the way moths feed on the eyes of fawn. Two and not two— vines that strangle trees never say they’re sorry. I reach the lake with this grateful ache in my throat. And if I say my body is its own crumbling country, if I say I am always my own home—then what does that make me?

A Woman Runs on the First Day of Spring by Erika L. Sánchez