#Liam is reacting to his father

[scorpioriesling]

I (Almost) Don't Believe You

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *

Pairing(s): Brennan x reader

Warnings: mutual pining, tiny mention of injury

Summary: It was already bad enough to find out your father and brother invaded your best friend's privacy; but sending you on a mission where it nearly killed her? Unbelieveable. What else is unbelieveable? The boy you'd fallen for so long ago would only be waiting for you on the other side...

SR’s Note: Um okay, as I am progressing through Iron Flame rn... like, Brennan is... ooh okay I am liking him quite a bit. He's helping ease the pain of loosing Liam (': Jokes, jokes... I don't think I'll ever get over that reality. Enjoy, lovelies.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *

The hours you'd been counting seemed to blur together as exhaustion weighed heavily on your shoulders. Was it exhaustion? Maybe it was just guilt. After everything you'd seen and gone through today, differentiating the two was... well, near impossible.

Your dragon has been all but silent, giving you time as thoughts race through your mind. Would your best friend wake up? If she didn't, the male sitting to your left would be all but gone too. A male you've come around to, especially seeing the way your closest friend reacts in his presence.

Gods, you wished for something like that.

Violet stirrs, her brow furrowing and shoulders moving on the cot where she lay. Both you and Xaden lean forward instinctively at the same time, and he huffs a small laugh as he glances sidelong at you. The two of you haven't spoken much since the arrival, and you're sure his mind is racing just as yours is.

"Vi... I hope you wake soon, you have people who've been waiting forever to see you," Xaden whispers. Your heart warms at his words -- long gone is the fearsome Wingleader you'd met only a year ago, and his familiar warmth is graciously returned in Violet's presence. She rolls to her side, eyes squeezing closed as she lets out a wide yawn. Xaden is on his feet in an instant -- you're quick to follow, flanking to her bedside.

"Violet?" You whisper. Xaden extends his hand, brushing hair from her face as she slowly blinks her eyes open. You can practically count the emotions swirling in her green eyes -- the one she registers and lands on quickly though, is confusion.

"Xaden... Y/N..." She pushes to a sitting position, Xaden clutching her shoulders and helping her readjust. She rubs her eyes with the back of her hand, and looks around the room in confusion.

"Where... what is this?" She asks. Xaden sighs, hanging his head low. Her eyes meet yours in silent question, and you shrug. "Hey, I could ask the same thing. The more important thing right now is that you're awake..." You say.

"Awake and healing quickly," Xaden adds. His fingers have threaded through hers, and her confusion quickly turns to anger.

"Don't... don't think I've forgotten-" She yanks up the side of her shirt, revealing a dull purple bruise on her side. Angry black veins thread from the injury, and her gaze flicks back to Xaden.

"I haven't forgotten." Is all she says, and you feel sorry for Xaden. Sure; you're grateful your spitfire of a best friend is alive and well, but her gaze could cut right through him.

"I know." Is all he says, so hushed that you barely hear it. You nod once, and begin backing away from the bed.

"I'll... leave you guys for a while." You say. Xaden nods, and Violet shoots you a pleading glance. You can see her asking you not to leave her alone with him, but you know they have a lot to talk about.

You decide instead to head down the hallway outside the door, finding a kitchen shortly along your way. If you were going to give your friends space, you might as well do something productive. A million thoughts raced through your mind; where were you? Where were the others? How far from Basgiath were you? Not to mention the millions of thoughts plaguing your brain about your father, your brother; knowing what they were sending not only this section, but their own family into...

You shake your head. Productive. Rifling through the foreign cabinets, you look for something to make.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ

The afternoon sun is dipped low beyond the horizon, painting the sky in streaks of violet and navy as night falls. It didn't take long for the others to find you -- perhaps it was the smell of the dinner you'd scraped together that drew them in.

The first two days, Garrick or Bodhi were sent out to retrieve food for the group, and you decided by day three that you should lend a hand. After all, you'd been shown many house-chores like this over the years; your father never expected you to become a rider rather than a housewife, that is. Neither did your brother, and you knew he didn't like it one bit.

Your older brother Dain had always been protective over you; but his overprotection only intensified when your best friend's brother died, and he practically treated the two of you as though you were made of glass. When you'd braced the parapet, he looked ready to hurl, never expecting his little sister (or her fearless best friend, for that matter) to dare entering the rider's quadrant.

But, your appreciation for his overprotection died the moment he used his signet to send your section to certain death. Not only did he send you, his only sibling; but the girl he'd oogled over, swore so many times he loved with all of his heart, right along with you.

It didn't matter now. Everything was different.

"I don't know how you did it," Garrick smiles, sitting on the bench seat near the small dining table in the kitchen. "But you've got some skill, Y/N. I mean seriously, who scrounges all this up in a place they've never been, and produces such a delicious meal?" He shakes his head, shoveling a huge bite of stew into his mouth. You smile as Imogene makes her way into the space.

"Gods, I could simply kiss you for this," Bodhi follows her in, snatching up a bowl and waiting behind Imogene for his turn to scoop from the pot. You chuckle.

"You mean to tell me that you don't enjoy going out and hoping to return with food for us all?" You raise an eyebrow playfully, and before he can answer, Violet enters the kitchen. You instinctively make your way to her, and her pained smile emerges as she pulls you in for a light hug.

"How are you feeling?" Imogene chides, perching in a chair across from Garrick and looking Violet over. You let go of her, and she glances around to everyone.

"I'm... I'll be alright." She says, and you nod. Her eyes meet yours, and she quickly whispers, "We need to talk."

Your eyes widen, and you glance to the stove where the awaiting pot sits. "Violet, you haven't eaten in days-"

"It can wait." She rushes, taking hold of your wrist and all but dragging you into the hallway and out of earshot from the others. You glance around, and she sighs.

"Violet, I know you have questions; I mean, so do I, but-"

"Brennan is alive." She stares straight into your eyes, and a wave of adrenaline rushes over you at her words.

"Violet, what are you-"

"He's alive. He's here. Brennan. He's..." She fumbles, her hands clasping and releasing frantically. You place a hand on her shoulder lightly. "He's alive, Y/N." She says in finality. You shake your head, a small smile appearing on your lips.

"Violet, you might be thinking some wild things, they did give you a lot of medicine-" She grasps both of your shoulders with her hands, holding tight and giving you an incredulous look.

"Would I lie about something like this?" She whisper shouts. You furrow your brows at her.

"No! Gods no, I don't think you're lying, I just..." You shrug defeatedly. "He's been dead for six years, Vi. The last time we spoke of him..." Your throat tightens at the memory. "His soul was being condemned to Malek." The way the fire sparked as his belongings were thrown in. The way Violet cried for weeks, you sleeping in her room with her for sheer comfort. The way your heart tightened every time you thought of the way he used to look at you; his soft voice, so contrasted against his mother's uniformed nature. The way he'd lend you his books, sitting and talking with you for hours on end...

"Fine. Go see for yourself." She gestures down the hallway, the countless doors fading to dark as it stretched on. "Fifth door on the left. He's probably still in there." She says. You sigh, looking to her once more.

"Violet-"

"I'm going in to eat." She walks through the kitchen entryway once more, leaving you alone in the hallway. You sigh, wiping your clammy hands on your pants. You head down the hallway, counting the doors as you go. One, two, three... four...

You stood, face-to-face with the fifth wooden door, the only sound this far down the hall was your ragged breaths. You swallowed, raking your fingers through your hair as you remembered you'd been wearing the same, disgusting leathers for three days. If he really was on the other side of this door, you hated that the first thing he'd see of you in six years was... well, not your favorite look.

You knock softly, and the door creaks open. You hastily shove it open, breath catching as you peered around the room. The empty room, that is. Moving inside, you took in various things; tons of papers, many books, quills and ink pots upon the desk-

Your breath catches in your throat as you spot a tome that you'd recognized. It was one Brennan gave to you all those years ago, when you were nothing but a teenager with a crush. Your heart still fluttered at the feeling, the ache in your heart as fresh as it was the day he died.

You huff, not sure why you expected anything but this. VIolet was on many remedies, and there was no world in which a man that had died would come back to life, no matter how convincing your best friend sounded.

A small knock sounds on the door behind you, and your head whips around from the papers you'd begun staring at. Your heart immediately seizes as your eyes meet those familiar brown irises you'd longed for, for so, so long.

"Y/N?" Brennan whispers, and you can't help the immediate sting of tears behind your pupils as you look him up and down. It felt surreal; his cream-colored button down is only buttoned up half way; his fitted trousers outlining every muscle along his masculine legs. Your hand flies to your mouth as you gasp, the words choked behind a sob rising in your throat.

"Brennan?" You stutter, and his eyes widen as he immediately surpasses the door way. You don't stop yourself from stepping quickly toward him, throwing your arms around his neck as a soft cry escapes your lips. He was real. He was really real, he had to be. The ends of his brown curls, longer now than when you'd seen him last, tickle your forarms as you pull him close. His arms wrap tightly around your waist, lifting you on to your tip toes as he stands at his full height.

You can't contain the tears flowing from your eyes as you breathe him in deep; his familiar scent of cedar and cotton bringing you back to all of those special moments you'd shared before; sitting close, sharing stories and thoughts. All of those almosts.

Before he …died, anyway.

You pull back to look up at him, but he doesn't release you. Instead, his fingers card through your hair, stroking lovingly as he continues his embrace. You shake slightly, allowing every emotion taking over your mind to run free. You never thought you'd see, feel him again. All of your greif receeding as you accept the reality that you had only ever dreamed of.

"Y/N I'm... I'm so sorry." He whispers. You cry harder, only wishing he'd keep talking and convincing you this was real. But, you forced yourself to believe it was; the boy you loved, now in front of you once more, holding you, physically touching you-

"Gods, I missed you so much." You retreated from his hold, his hands still braced on your hips as your watery eyes bore into his. Taking him in, you realized he was different. Older. No more was the boy you'd been in love with six years ago; now before you, was a man. A handsome one, nonetheless.

"I... I don't..." you stutter, and a small smile braces his lips as his soft hands brush the few stray tears from your cheeks. "I... I don't know what to say." You admit, and his thumb brushes along your cheekbone.

"Well... at least you're saying something," he says, chuckling softly. The sound is like music to your ears, a sound you hadn't heard in so long. "I was afraid Violet would shread me with one of her daggers when I tried talking to her." You swallow, your gaze drifting to his mouth as he spoke.

"I... I don't say I could blame her," you say softly, your eyes reconnecting with his as shame takes over his expression once more. He sighs, the hands on your waist falling as he takes a step back. You immediately wish he wouldn't have, already hoping to be back in his embrace as soon as you could.

"Look, Y/N, I..." his eyes peer at the wall above you, as he seems to contemplate his words. "I never meant to hurt anyone, alright? I had to do it because-" You step forward, taking his hand in yours. You stare up at him longingly, shaking your head that this was all truly real.

"You can explain it all later," you say, and his mouth closes. You can't help but take in the familiar slant of his nose, his more defined jawline, the golden planes of his skin...

"You can't keep staring at me like that, Aetos." His voice has dropped so low it’s almost gravelly, as his gaze darkens upon glancing toward your mouth. You grin, your deft fingers unlacing his and moving to slide thorugh the mass of curls on his head softly.

"I'm just... I'm really, really happy you're okay." You whisper. His hands slide around you, finding purchase along the small of your back. You suck in a breath as he pulls you against him once more, and you spot the tears pooling along his waterline at your words.

"I thought you'd hate me," he whispers, his breath a gentle caress down the slope of your nose. His perfect lips, ones you'd pined over for years were so, so close. So... real. His chest lets out uneven breaths pushed up against yours, and your nerves threaten to eat you alive as you raise to your tippy toes once more to be eye-level with him.

"I don't think I could ever hate you, Brennan." He smiles, the motion only growing as your eyes search his once more. His perfect teeth are still the same; the sparkle in his eye, the way he chuckles softly. It's as if you're transported back in time.

"I didn't think I could love you more than I did the last day I saw you." A single tear slips, and your quick to catch it with your finger. As you retract your hand, his fingers are quick to curl around yours, holding your hands against his heart. Your brows knit in confusion as you lower your heels, but his grasp on you does not falter.

"You're..." you start. His hand caresses your cheek, guiding you as close to his lips as you could get without touching. Your heartbeat races as his thumb traces soft circles on the back of your hand pressed to his heart. His heartbeat picks up at the closeness, and you can't help but smile. Whether its anxiety, fear, pure love... you've never been quite the expert at sorting out your feelings anyway.

"I'm …what?" He whispers, and you can't stand it any longer. You lean up, pressing a hesitant kiss to his lips. He stills, and you pull back, eyes as wide as his in shock.

"I'm so sorry, I-" He tugs you close again, your mouth colliding with his as he kisses you more forcefully. He keeps kissing you, both of his hands now cupping your face as yours grab onto the unbuttoned collar of his shirt. His lips part, allowing you access at your own pace; but you're quick to oblige, sliding your tongue along his bottom lip. A soft groan escapes his throat, and you inhale through your nose sharply at the sound. He's definitely more grown up than he was six years ago; more confident too. Gone was the shy, 19 year old who’d been deemed “too old” for you back then — now, he didn’t seem to mind the 5 year age gap now that you’d finally turned 20.

You continue indulging, before the strike of the clock from the hallway sounds. He doesn't seem to care as he explores your mouth; hands continuing their exploration, too. As the quiet overtakes the room once more, you finally pull back, gasping for air as he smirks down at you.

"I've waited… so long for that," he says, and your face heats. Little does he know, so have you. “Not coming back to find you, tell you I was alright was so hard, Y/N.” He leans back in for more, but you turn so his lips connect with your cheek instead.

"Oh, nuh uh," you hum. "You've got some explaining to do first before any of..." you motion between the two of you. "...this, continues." He rolls his eyes (glad to know he hasn't changed all that much), and backs up, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Okay, okay." He says. "I have to be in a meeting, uh..." He glances quickly at his watch. Your eyes track the movement; wishing his delicious fingers were holding you close again. "Uh, now, actually." He laughs sheepishly.

"Better get to it, then." You fold your arms over your chest, tilting your chin up in mock confidence. His hand slides along your jaw one more time, and he gazes down into your eyes.

"Later, we'll talk. I promise," he says. You continue your confident expression as his hand retreats, and he heads for the door, leaving it open behind him. You wait a few seconds before you follow behind him, but freeze as you enter the hallway and are met with a familiar stare you've come to know all too well. Leaning against the wall is your best friend, a smirk so similar to her brothers plastered on her face as she pins you with an accusatory look.

"I told you he'd be in there."

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

[rhirooon]

These 2 are fucking insane, any fanfic can’t beat the tenth of their true story.

Miserable childhood, the power dynamics from birth, surrogate parental character, family boundary dissolution, enmeshment, over-control, idolization, emotional abuse, toxic codependency, and love lasts for the whole life………

Every time I watched Liam follow his big brother’s lead, I wanted to scream. He looked like a stupid little duck, and Noel walked so determined, just went ahead directly and knew Liam would be behind him.

He so enjoys being Liam’s everything, his big brother, his surrogate father, his lover, his protector, his armor.

He definitely loves a lot about the fact that after he left, Liam looked miserable and lonely all the time. (sometimes so desperate, I even felt sincerely sorry for him, and I'm a quite cold person, can imagine how other people would react, like he's a crying puppy or something.)

[update: I found out that people don’t have so much empathy towards Liam, they treat him quite cruelly, said he’s embarrassing and stupid.]

Liam wouldn’t go anywhere, even if he really tried, he really wanted, Noel knows Liam would run to him, give up everything else and choose him over anyone immediately after he gave any sign.

Fuck, I can’t stand it, they’re the best. I love them.

I can totally outlive them, I'm ready to love them in the next decades.

[crispy-armpit]

♱ 𝕱𝖆𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝕲𝖗𝖊𝖊𝖉'𝖘 𝕸𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙 ♱

Welcome to my church.

My name is Adam, otherwise known as Father Greed. I am God's first creation, or as you mortals call it, the first human.

I am a being that is neither man nor animal. I am both serpent and a child of God- the deceiver to have granted Eve the forbidden fruit.

Evil or not, I am merely a convoy. I guide you towards the crossroads of love and obsession, and you shall choose how the tale goes.

So, I must ask you...

Which path will you venture down?

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ Yandere Rockstar (he/him)

General: a mysterious, world-renown superstar with a rough past. he writes his own songs and is the frontman of the band, Ares. he is an 'emotional omnivore'/overwhelmer, obsessive, masochist-sadist yandere.

Physical: 6'5/195 cm tall, tattooed & toned body, 6 ear piercings, 4 facial piercings, pair of nipple piercings, 5 genital piercings (yeah..), 9 inches

Part 1 Part 2

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ Yandere Jock (he/him)

General: the star quarterback of your college's rugby team, the Panthers. he is extremely influential in the school & real world. he is an overprotective & clingy yandere.

Physical: 6'0/183 cm, shoulder-length hair when untied, slim-toned body with a few scars, 7 inches

One shot

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ Yandere Sea God (he/she/they)

General: an ancient ocean deity whose origins are unknown. they are said to be the god of raging tides and safe travels, and have the ability to transform between any gender (prefers male form). they are under an ancient curse. they are a sadistic, possessive, self-indulgent, eliminator yandere.

Physical: 9'7/292 cm, very big muscle body, sparkly skin like a pearl, 18 inches (he has 2 of them..)

Oneshot

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ Yandere Secret Agent (he/they)

General: a secret agent working for a mysterious government organisation specialising in supernatural threats. he is their most trusted employee. they are a cold-hearted, stalker, visceral yandere.

Physical: 5'10/178 cm, 1 facial piercing +1 tongue + 1 earing (there's a backstory i swear), slim-fit scarred body, 7.5 inches

Oneshot

Related Asks & Artworks

All

2k Special (Deimos & Liam Poly + art) reacting to y/n splitting watermelon with thighs ethnicities? chubby reader

Deimos

What he sounds like Carving your full name (art) Biting + head pats (art)

Liam

The morning after (art) Liam with a dominant reader (art) gyatt (art)

[lizzaneia-elizalde]

curious for all the student/university/studying yans: jock damon, ex bf lee, delinquent liam, bully uno and college student alpheus..

if darling got a scholarship outside the country and they accept it, how would these yans react? can they handle a ldr? would they come along? or would they prevent darling from leaving?

(minus bimbo/himbo darling from twinkie ashtons fic jadkshdkdg sorry </3)

Yandere students and their scholarship earning darling

aww this is kind of sad actually. Of course, all of them would be devastated but let's see.

YAN! JOCK

Damon will be a wreck inside.

"Oh shit... Really? Uh, congrats!"

He'll be happy for you of course. His little nerd is actually getting a scholarship? That's huge! But then... What do you mean you have to get out of the country? He can feel his resolve crack, and it's going to be the first time you see his real side. Staring at you with a blank, all devouring stare.

Thinking of the worst, he will sabotage your scholarship. Don't get him wrong, he will feel guilty about it since you worked hard on that scholarship. But out of the country? No fucking way. He's quite selfish too, so he didn't even think of applying for a scholarship there too because the University he's in has given him so much opportunities to pass on.

You'll just be surprised one day that your scholarship was canceled due to a "mismatch" of interest. Don't worry, he'll be there with you to comfort you. Oh! Will you look at that! This University both of you are attending gave you a full scholarship! How amazing and coincidental it is, right?

YAN! EX-BOYFRIEND

He just got you back.

And now you're leaving him again?

"Babe, what the fuck?"

He will be extremely hurt. Have you never thought of him at all? You two just fixed your relationship again and here you are, telling him that you got to move to another country just to do this damn scholarship. He went through grief, and now he's gonna go through another one.

You know the drill. This man isn't letting you go. But rather than hiding his disdain like Damon, he'll cling to you and cry, exclaiming to not go or else he'll kidnap you again. Well, that shut you up and gave up scholarship. He's also very selfish as you can see.

If you did refuse to do so, then another trip (locked inside) to his bedroom once more until you relent and give up that scholarship :( He'll be happy as a bee, and he will be extra clingy so you would just forgive him in what he did.

YAN! DELINQUENT

Liam is the rare one in this.

He'll be happy to let you go to the scholarship that you got!

After all, you got that damn scholarship just for yourself. If it made you happy, why won't he let you? He's gonna be the asshole in this situation if he didn't let you. He's more than happy to let you go (for now) and let you pursue what you want.

What you don't know is other than the tracking device on your phone, him learning how to hack and monitor you from your phone camera due to some shady connections, he's the one to manipulate the University you're going to go in giving you the scholarship. Mind you, he didn't exactly threaten them, but when he has close connections to... Let's say, Hades' mafia clan, it's not that hard to do :) (OOOH NEW LORE CONNECTION OH MY LORD)

After all, he's just working student! And if his father and mother are high ranking members in Hades' clan, he will use that connection for your happiness <3

YAN! BULLY

Uno would scoff and roll his eyes.

"Of course you would be the type to get a scholarship outside of our University."

As if mocking you, he at first teased you about it. Saying that you're such a nerd and he will be sad if you actually went away. In reality, he's seething inside. He already knows beforehand that you got that scholarship. He's too invested (he's stalking you) on you to not know the things you're up to. And the fact that he's also having a hard time manipulating the inside of the University you're going in is irking him to the bones.

But, once he's got you in the airport and is already on boarding, he'll be next to you, whistling like the dog he is. If you ask him, he'll smirk and show you his phone. He also got in. Oopsies, it seems that you have to be with him even in the new University. Now, how will the both of you terrorize this new place?

YAN! COLLEGE STUDENT

Another day, another emotion/feeling for this man.

"C-congrats... Babe..."

Oh, you don't like the look he has in his face. You know another problem is going to arise.

The few days after that was calm. It seems that he's okay with it, amazingly. Until one day you just found yourself cuffed to his bedpost. You swore you were just hanging out with Alpheus in his house, waiting to eat the food he's cooking, drinking the iced tea... Okay that was too obvious and you still fell for it.

But you pity the guy. He's dealing with what's akin to grief. It was the first time he felt this pit he seem to can't get out off, and it's suffocating him raw. You'll see tears for the first time, and you have to comfort him. With his face buried on your stomach as he knelt by the bed, with you sitting on the edge and stroking his hair, you had to explain to him what that feeling is.

Then when he gets better, surprise surprise, he also got a scholarship (rigged) at the same University as you! How delightful.

[astonmartingf]

REAL LIFE RELATIONS — THE FIRST

mick schumacher x reader x liam lawson

series summary— the world of motorsports is vast, yet it is also very limiting. like an intricate web of relationships, connections can get you everywhere, and underneath the pinnacle of motorsports are the secrets waiting to be unfolded.

CHAPTER ONE — BABY IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD

news catches to your parents while you spend time with them during the break, and new rumors begin at the start of the season

warnings: daddy issues, reader has nervous breakdown, even more conspiracy theories

previous ★ masterlist ★ next

“I’m surprised you found your way back home.” 

Your father’s voice is cold and distant as you enter the front door, no bother sneaking around your own house. After your late night trip to a taco truck and two orders of fries, you decided to stay over at Yuki's, a place you both shared together when you wanted to get away from your own house.

Entering the living room, you catch your father at the dining table, in his pajamas, glasses adorned on his face with his hair unkempt, a cup of black coffee on one hand and scrolling through his iPad on the other.

Old you would’ve caused a ruckus by now, shouting in the early mornings causing your father to reply in the same fashion. One thing you learned late, is that you are your father’s daughter, no matter how you may act around each other, you’re both made from the same pieces of string. There’s no denying that, not at least to you.

The best way to avert the situation is to play it cool and keep calm, walking past him making your way in the kitchen. You situate yourself on the kitchen island making your own breakfast, the same butter and honey on pumpernickel toast since you came home from college. It became a comfort food, reminding you of home, rather, your father.

“I slept at Yuki’s, I planned things with him way before the dinner and I was running late, it’s rude to be late at plans.” Your father scoffs, nodding his head slowly. Your face falls flat. You’ve seen that expression before, disappointment, doubt, suspicion. Your appetite weans off as you drop the toast back on the plate, avoiding his gaze.

“I see… Care to explain this then?”

Raising your head, eyes following the screen of your father’s iPad— a news article of you, well Mick’s but you could see yourself in the blurry pictures. You sit frozen, trying to gain composure, hiding your own nervousness to your father. There hasn’t been a close call like this, not in the last five years at least.

Your eyes wander, rereading every paragraph double-checking, triple checking if your name is mentioned. The thought leaves your mouth dry as your hands begin to shake under the table, eyes flickering through the screen. Taking slow and deep breaths, you avoid your father’s eyes. Knowing for sure he’ll have another outburst- this time it was truly your fault.

Your father cares too much about you to not let this slide, he always put your privacy above everything else, to the point where you began to think if he wasn’t proud of you, or if he didn’t want to be associated with you. 

It didn’t matter what you did, he always let you do whatever you want, as long as you're careful around the public. Your identity, a mystery to everyone, maybe it’s why you didn’t have a lot of friends growing up, maybe that’s also why you’re always with Mick or Yuki, you can be yourself around them.

Your perception of your own father confuses you sometimes, he would do all these contradictory things, like Pavlov’s dog you’d learn when to react to his affection, and when to keep distance. He’s always controlling what and what not to do, act, say, at some point you find yourself an extension of your father and not yourself.

It was whiplash, one second he’s singing you praises, the next he’s looking at you like the piece of shit under his shoes. Nonetheless, you’d learn to understand that it was all for your safety, as much as you loathe him, he’s your father.

There are things that can’t change.

“Of all the people… Mick? God YN, when will you stop acting out everytime things don’t go your way and grow up-”

“Stop it this instant.” You glance at your stepmother and step sibling as they walk into the kitchen. You stay frozen in your seat, hands trembling as tears slowly pool on the corners of your eyes. You look at her through your blurry eyes, desperate to leave, you didn’t want her to see you like this.

Especially your stepmother, but things don’t ever go your way, as much as you want to leave, your legs are stuck on your seat. Your heartbeat dampening the sound of whatever your father might be talking about, it only dawned then the gravity of your mistake. Not being with Mick, but the mistake of being seen.

You learned to live for so long away from the camera, you got used to not being seen. Sure you went on races but it was easier to control variables in the paddock. Seeing yourself on the front pages of a local newspaper-

“YN-” Standing on instinct, you face your stepmother, “if you want, you can leave.” 

Wasting no time, you burst through the door- leaving your bag, you had nothing but it didn’t matter now. You walk around avoiding the main streets to the nearest park in the area, feeling grateful how you chose to sleep at Yuki’s last night. It was still early enough, not a lot of people your age, mostly elders and their breed dogs walking around the park.

You don’t know how long you spent adorning the lake, it could’ve been minutes or hours— not that it mattered, you’re enjoying the solitary time. From the corner of your eye, you catch a familiar figure, a blondie panting as he points in your direction. “You’re hard to find you know.”

Watching him sit down beside you, he pants catching his breath before situating his head on your lap, lying down on the grass. “I know what you’re thinking… but you need to wait until I catch my breath… I’m— I'm not letting you leave this time.”

Instinctively, you move your hands at the stray hairs sticking on Mick’s face. Wiping the sweat off his face using the sleeves of your sweater, observing his face, the sweat dripping off his forehead as he catches himself in labored breaths, eyes closed. Smiling to yourself, you relax in his presence, leaning back on the heel of your palms copying his actions.

Closing your eyes, you feel the cold air rushing through your face, the warm sunlight peeking through the branches of the tree, shining light on both you and Mick. Your breaths, slow and steady, taking in every moment, when you open them, you watch Mick’s intently gaze upon you.

“How’d you find me?”

Mick smiles before showing you his phone, a message from your stepmother saying you left. You roll your eyes hiding the laughter growing in your smile. “Of course she told you…”

“Who else if not me?” Mick shrugged, clearly not caring if your stepmother called him early in the morning, or late at night. 

“If it’s you, of course I’ll come. I’m always one call away YN, for you especially.”

His statement earned a scrunch from your nose, cringing at his cheesy lines, “Even while you’re racing?”

This time it was him who grimaced at your statement, “Okay don’t play smart with me, if I could answer my phone during races, why not. But you know what I mean YN.”

You sit still in silence at his answer, playful or not, you knew Mick was sincere with his words, there are few people who you trust with all your life— Mick was one of them.

Which made it even scarier to you as you continue playing around with fire like this. Moments like these are a wake-up call to the burning fire already spreading out in your mind. Moments like these which make you think if you'd been a normal person, maybe your chances with Mick might be better.

Unlucky are you.

Pushing blondie away from your lap, you stretch your legs ready to leave. The blonde senses this and follows through your actions, timing his movements with yours, making sure he’s steps behind you leaving you space. It only frustrated you more, knowing how observant he is—

He who knows your quirks and the little things you do, your mannerisms, what you like and don’t like, he’s constantly there, showing up. Slowly picking up the mess you leave every single time you fuss or mess up, always the first one you call and talk to, always the one you look forward to seeing.

He’s always there.

And it hurts more knowing that one day, he might get up and leave— off with someone better, someone normal. Someone who isn’t you. And you’ll be left alone, still used to him, still looking forward to him, still you’ll be waiting for him.

“How does it feel to have offers left and right?” You bump your shoulders against Yuki as you walk around the Bahrain International Circuit with him. Your friend scoffs, looking back at you, “You mean to ask that to yourself?”

You press your lip into a thin line, hiding the smile growing from your lips slowly feeling bashful at his words. “My offers are yours Yuki, you know I won’t leave without you. I’ve been training to be your race strategist since forever, I think I’d rather be with you.”

“I heard from Helmut they’re interested in taking in a new race strategist for a second driver.” Your eyes widen slowly walking closer to Yuki, head glued beside him.

“A second driver for Tauri? Are they replacing you?” You shake his arm, whispering right by his ear.

Yuki scoffs, pushing your head to the side, “It’s for Red Bull, apparently they’re looking for a second driver for the next season.”

Raising your brows, you pull Yuki to the side of the track letting other members of the team walk first. Looking left and right, you check for other staff in the track doing their own session. Once the coast is clear you bring Yuki closer to you, “Where’d you get that? The season has yet to start, why are they looking for a second driver?”

Yuki shrugs his shoulders, “I have no idea, Helmut was asking about you since Newey wants to talk to you about something, I haven’t got a clue.”

You both continue walking, but your head is still stuck on the conversation earlier. How could Yuki know about that? You knew Helmut’s preference towards Yuki, he sang him with praises, which automatically puts Helmut in your good books. But is their relationship even that close to sharing information?

Apparently it is, but you can’t stop thinking about it, especially since Newey and Helmut asked for you— Yuki’s race strategist. Why would they want to talk to you? Unless…

“YUKI! Oh my gosh! Why didn’t you tell me sooner!” You pinch his arms, jumping in the middle of the track leaving the Japanese confused with your sudden outburst.

“You’re getting the Red Bull seat aren’t you?” You exclaim in full confidence, albeit a little loud for your own preference, it seems like no one noticed your scandalous statement as everyone continued walking along the track.

This time it was Yuki’s turn to burst out laughing, “Where are you getting those ideas from, like you said it’s the beginning of the season. I thought I heard crazy shit, but here you are spouting crazy nonsense.”

You deadpan, slapping Yuki’s arm— “Think about it, why would they ask to talk to me? A race strategist? Obviously this is about you. Yuki, I swear you’re getting this seat.”

Yuki nods along, not fully convinced, “Okay, let’s say they’ll be talking to you but they may just poach you away from me, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

The more you think about it, the more you feel upset about it. “I don’t want to be separated from you. I’d rather stay in Tauri than move up.”

Yuki raises his brows, patting your shoulders, “As much as I admire what you’re planning for us, it’s not as bad as you think. We still have a whole season in front of us, let’s leave those thoughts for later and focus on what we have now.”

Gasping, you throw a hand in front of your mouth, fake crying, “When did you get so mature Yuki? I can’t believe we’re already acting like serious adults, thinking about our career perspectives.”

Earning a groan from Yuki as he shakes his head in disbelief, “Like I said, forget what I said and let’s focus on the upcoming season. Also, don’t you dare tell anyone about it, and expect a call sometime now. I haven’t told anyone as well.”

“Not even Pierre?”

Yuki shakes his head left and right, leaving you flabbergasted, “This is serious, serious isn’t it? Why would you tell me something like that? Who am I going to talk to about it?”

“No one. Not even…” Yuki raises his eyebrows hinting on the person he’s implying.

Another gasp escapes your lips, “HECK NO! Especially not blondie, if he knew, then he’s contractually allowed to tell you know who…” you trail as your thoughts eat you alive.

Yuki twists your body, making you face him as he grabs both your arms, “Which is why I beg of you, don’t tell anyone. I know we already talk way too much, but you can only talk to me about it okay? And maybe Liam…”

Your face morphs into a blank expression, eyes dilating at Yuki’s deliberation, “I happen to tell him… but that’s aside the matter. Do not tell any other driver, promise me.”

You gulp at the seriousness, usually these rumors fly around the paddock all-season round but I guess this was something that will actually come to fruition in the upcoming future since they’re keeping it hush hush. You nod your head, afraid to speak anything out into existence.

What’s not adding up is how Yuki knew, at first you thought it was Gasly who told Yuki who told you. But this— this was from Helmut directly to Yuki and then to you.

How you got involved into all this is shocking, even to you. By now Yuki is probably regretting telling you, but you admire his honesty in telling you beforehand rather than getting blindsided by Helmut and Newey calling you to the main office. Suppose you knew about both teams picking drivers from the same pool, but staff?

It’s all too coincidental that they asked for you, even as Yuki’s race engineer they could’ve just gotten someone in Red Bull to replace you, if it’s Yuki they want. Especially with your personal circumstances, a secret daughter of an F1 Team Principal, people in the smaller circles of the grid knew who your father is.

You don’t want to jeopardize what you built for yourself all these years. But like what Yuki said, it’ll be another problem in the future. Maybe then you’d have the answers to your questions. Especially when you know how he isn’t your true father.

For now it’ll be better to keep your head down on the low, and focus on Yuki— because at the end of the day, it’ll be just you two. Just then your phone pings, receiving a message from a person you haven’t heard in a long time.

amgf ★ superstars @woozarts @minkyungseokie @iienstein @eugene-emt-roe @laura-naruto-fan1998

[fourthwingfan]

Madness - Chapter 21

Hello, there readers. Here is the new chapter. Enjoy :) And as always you're all awesome! ❤️

Don’t freak out if you can’t immediately channel your dragon’s powers, Mira. Yeah, I know you have to be the best at everything, but this isn’t something you can control. They’ll channel when they feel you’re ready. And once they do, you’d better be ready to manifest a signet. Until then, you’re not ready. Don’t push it.

—Page sixty-one, the Book of Brennan

This really isn’t necessary.” Violet glances sideways at Liam as we make our way toward the door of the Archives. The cart doesn’t even squeak anymore. He fixed that the very first day.

“So you’ve told me for the last week.” He shoots her a grin, revealing a dimple.

“And yet you’re still here. Every day. All day.”

“Come on, Vi. Don’t be like this.” I chided her. “Admit that you actually like him. Liam is awesome, you know.” I wink at her.

“Shut up, Aelin.” She retorts but blushes so hard, her face is almost red.

And that’s it. Liam’s charm is working. He’s courteous, funny, and ridiculously helpful. He makes it difficult to loathe his constant presence. I mean I tried to avoid him when we first met, but somehow he wormed his way into my life. And Violet can’t hate him either. Even though he leaves wood shavings in little piles everywhere he goes. The guy is constantly whittling with that smaller knife of his. Yesterday he finished the figurine of a bear.

“Until otherwise ordered,” he answers to Violet’s remark.

I shake my head at them as Pierson jolts upright at the Archives doors, straightening his cream tunic. “Good morning, Cadet Pierson.”

“You as well, Cadet Melgren, Cadet Sorrengail.” He offers us a polite smile, which dies as he glances at Liam. “Cadet Mairi.”

“Cadet Pierson,” Liam responds, as if the scribe’s tone hadn’t completely changed.

My shoulders tense as Pierson hurries to open the door. Maybe it’s just that I haven’t been around marked ones before Basgiath, but the outright hostility toward them is becoming glaringly, uncomfortably obvious to me.

We walk into the Archives and wait by the table just like every other morning.

“How do you do that?” Violet asks Liam in a hushed whisper. “Handle when people are that rude without reacting?”

“You’re rude to me all the time,” he teases, drumming his fingers on the handle of the cart.

“Because you’re my babysitter, not because…”

“Because I’m the son of the disgraced Colonel Mairi?” His jaw ticks, his brow furrowing for a heartbeat as he looks away.

I silently squeeze his shoulder and he faintly smiles at me.

„I guess I’m really no better, though. I hated Xaden on sight, and I didn’t know a single thing about him.” Violet says softly.

Liam scoffs, earning us a glare from a scribe near the back corner. “He has that effect on people, especially women. They either despise him for what his father did or want to fuck him for the same reason, just depends on where we are.”

“You actually know him, don’t you?” She cranes her neck to look up at him. “He didn’t just pick you to shadow me because you’re the best in our year.”

“Just now catching on, huh?”

“Hey, take it easy, Liam. I needed time too. It’s not that obvious.” I elbow him in the ribs.

A grin flashes across his face, then he looks toward Violet. “I would have told you that on the first day if you hadn’t been so busy huffing and puffing about the pleasure of my company.”

I roll my eyes as Jesinia approaches, her hood up over her hair. “Hey, Jesinia,” I sign.

“Good morning,” she signs back, her mouth curving in a shy smile as her gaze darts up to Liam.

“Good morning.” He signs with a wink, clearly flirting.

It shocked me to my toes that first day that he knew how to sign, but honestly, I should have known. He’s awesome at everything.

“Just these today?” Jesinia asks, inspecting the cart.

„And these.” I reach for the list of requests amid their obvious glances and hand it to her.

“Perfect.” Her cheeks flush and she studies the list before putting it in her pocket. “Oh, and Professor Markham left before his daily report arrived to teach your briefing. Would you mind taking it over?”

“Happy to.” Violet waits until she’s pushing the cart away from us, then smacks Liam’s chest. “Stop it,” she whispers out loud.

“Stop what?” He watches her until she turns the corner at the first set of shelves.

“Flirting with Jesinia. She’s a long-term-relationship woman, so unless that’s what you’re looking for…just…don’t.”

Ohhoo, Violet are you jealous?

His eyebrows hit his hairline. “How does anyone think long-term around here?”

“Not everyone is in a quadrant where death is less of a chance and more of a foregone conclusion.” She says as she tries to calm herself down.

“So you’re saying that some people still try to make cute little things like plans.”

“Exactly, and those some people is Jesinia. Trust me, I’ve known her for years.”

“Right. Because you wanted to be a scribe when you grew up.” He scans the Archives with an intensity that almost makes me laugh. As if there’s any chance someone is going to lunge out of the shelves and come after Violet.

“How did you know that?” She lowers her voice as a group of second-years passes, their expressions somber as they debate the merits of two different historians.

“I did my research on you after I was…you know…assigned. And Aelin is really gossipy.” He shakes his head. “I’ve seen you practicing this week with those blades of yours, Sorrengail. Riorson was right. You would have been wasted as a scribe.”

“Hey, I’m not ‘gossipy’, you moron.” I scowl at him.

“That remains to be seen.” She answers both of us.

At least challenges haven’t resumed. Guess enough of us are dying during flight lessons to hold off on killing more through hand-to-hand.

“What did you want to be when you grew up?” Violet asks suddenly.

“Alive.” He shrugs.

“How do you know Xaden anyway?”

“Riorson and I were fostered at the same estate after the apostasy,” he says, using the Tyrrish term for the rebellion.

“You were fostered?” Her mouth drops open.

Fostering the children of aristocrats was a custom that died out after the unification of Navarre more than six hundred years ago.

“Well, yeah.” He shrugs again. “Where did you think the kids of the traitors”—he flinches at the word—“went after they executed our parents?”

“I didn’t think.” She admits it in a meak voice.

Oh, Vi. I didn’t know her mother never mentioned it to her. It seems I am much more informed on the subject. Thanks to The General…

“Most of our great houses were given to nobles who had remained loyal.” He clears his throat. “As it should be.”

I don’t bother agreeing with what’s obviously a conditioned reply. King Tauri’s response after the rebellion was swift, even cruel.

The burning of Aretia, which had been Tyrrendor’s capital, to the ground had never sat well with me, though. Liam was the same age. It wasn’t his fault his mother had broken faith with Navarre. And I’m sure there’s more to it.

“But you didn’t go with your father to his new home?” Violet asks.

His gaze swings toward her, and his brow furrows. “It’s hard to live with a man who was executed on the same day as my mother.”

“No. No, that’s not right. Your father was Isaac Mairi, right? I’ve studied all the noble houses in every province, including Tyrrendor.”

“Yes. Isaac was my father.” He tilts his head, looking toward the area where Jesinia disappeared, and I get the distinct feeling he is over this conversation.

“But he wasn’t a part of the rebellion.” She shakes her head, trying to make sense of it. “He isn’t on the death roll of the executions from Calldyr.”

“You read the death roll from the Calldyr executions?” His eyes flare.

“I needed to see that someone was on it.” She admits it.

He draws back slightly. “Fen Riorson.”

She nods. “He killed my brother at the Battle of Aretia. But your father wasn’t on that roll.”But Liam was—as a witness.

“Vi, enough.” I try to stop her. We should not tear open his wounds.

She glances at me and I can see the understanding in her eyes.“I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“He was executed at our family’s house.” His features tighten. “Before it was given to another noble, of course. And yes, I watched as they did it that time, too. I already had the rebellion relic by then, but the pain was the same.” He looks away, his throat working. “Then I was sent to Tirvainne to be fostered by Duke Lindell, the same as Riorson. My little sister was sent elsewhere.”

“They separated you?” Her jaw practically unhinges.

He nods. “She’s only a year younger than me, though, so I’ll get to see her when she enters the quadrant next year. She’s strong, quick, and has good balance. She’ll make it.” The edge of panic in his tone reminds me of Mira.

“She will make it, Liam. And after that we’ll be there to help her.” I grab his hand and squeezes it.

“She could always choose another quadrant,” Violet says softly, hoping it will soothe him.

He blinks at her. “We’re all riders.”

„What?”

“We’re all riders. It was part of the deal. We’re allowed to live, allowed a chance to prove our loyalty, but only if we make it through the Riders Quadrant.” He stares at her in bewilderment. “You don’t know?”

“I mean…” she shakes her head. “I know that the children of the leaders, the officers, were all forced into conscription, but that’s all. A lot of those treaty addenda are classified.”

“I personally think the quadrant was chosen to give us the best chance of rising in rank, but others…” He grimaces. “Others think it’s because the death rate is so much higher for riders, so they were hoping to kill us all off without having to do it themselves. I’ve heard Imogen say they originally figured the dragons have unimpeachable honor, so they’d never bond a marked one in the first place, and now they don’t quite know what to do with us.”

“How many of you are there?” I ask him, because I don’t know the exact number.

“Xaden’s never?” He pauses. “Sixty-eight of the officers had kids under the age of twenty. There are one hundred and seven of us, all who carry rebellion relics.”

„The oldest is Xaden,” I murmur.

He nods. “And the youngest is almost six now. Her name is Julianne.”

I think I’m going to be sick. “Is she marked?”

“She was born with it.”

I understand it was done by Codagh, but what the fucking hell? My father is a monster.

“And it’s all right that you ask. Someone should know. Someone should remember.” His shoulders rise and fall as he breathes deeply. He suddenly turns toward Violet. “Anyway, is it hard for you to be in here? Or is it more of a comfort thing?”

Subject change noted.

„It’s like coming home, but not. And it’s not that it’s changed—this place never changes. Hell, I think change is the mortal enemy of a scribe. But I’m starting to realize that I’ve changed. I don’t quite fit here. Not anymore.”

“Yeah. I get that.” Something in his voice tells me he really does.

That’s when Jesinia reappears, the cart laden with the requested tomes.

“I have everything here for you,” she signs, then gestures to the scroll on top. “And that is for Professor Markham.”

“We’ll make sure he gets it,” Violet promises, leaning forward to take the cart. Her high collar shifts, and Jesinia gasps, her hand flying to cover her mouth.

“Oh gods, Violet. Your neck!” Her hand movements are sharp.

“It’s nothing.” She puts her collar back in place, covering the ring of yellowing bruises, and Liam reaches across me, taking the cart. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

She bobs her head and wrings her hands as we turn for the door. Pierson closes it after we pass into the hallway.

“Riorson taught me to fight during the years he was at Tirvainne.” Liam’s change of subject is appreciated and no doubt intentional once again. I still feel terrible. My farher is a monster. There’s no doubt about it. “I’ve never seen anyone move the way he does. He’s the only reason I made it through the first round of challenges. He might not show it, but he takes care of his own.” He glances toward me with a smirk.

“Are you trying to sell me on his finer points?” I ask as we make the ascent.

We round the corner and take the path past the Healer Quadrant.

“How can you do this anyway? Guard someone whose own mother oversaw the wing that captured yours?” Vi asks before he could answer.

“Wondering if you can trust me?” He flashes another easy grin.

“Yes.” The answer is simple.

He laughs, the sound echoing off the tunnel walls and glass windows of the clinic. “Good answer. All I can say is that your survival is essential to Riorson’s, and I owe him everything. Everything.” He looks me straight in the eye for that last word, even as the cart hits a raised stone in the paved corridor.

The scroll on top tumbles to the floor, and Violet retrieves it and it unrolls along the slight slope of the passage.

“Got it.”

The thick parchment isn’t eager to roll back into place, and when she looks at it, she pauses.

“What does it say?” Liam asks.

“Sumerton was attacked.” She flips the scroll to see if it’s marked as classified, but it isn’t.

“On the southern border?” He looks as confused as I feel.

“Yeah.” She nods. “It’s another high-altitude attack, too, if I remember my geography correctly. It says a supply convoy was looted.” She reads a little further. “And the community storage in nearby caves was ransacked. But that doesn’t make sense. We have a trade agreement with Poromiel.”

“A raiding party, then.” I say.

She shrugs. “No clue. Guess we’ll hear about it in Battle Brief today.”

Attacks along our southern borders are rising, all with the same description. Mountain villages are being torn apart wherever the wards weaken.

I hear an enermous growl.

„Sorrengail?” Liam looks over at her, concern etched between his brows.

“Tairn’s awake,” she manages to say, clutching her stomach. „Does it ever get any easier?” Being tackled by what they’re feeling?”

“I don’t know.” I shrug. “Aon is pretty good at keeping his emotions to himself, but sometimes I can’t separate myself from him.”

Liam winces. “Deigh keeps pretty good control of himself, but when he’s angry?” Liam shakes his head. “It’s supposed to help once they start channeling and we have the power to shield them out, but you know Carr isn’t going to bother with us until that happens.”

I’d already assumed Liam didn’t have his abilities yet, considering he’s with us in every single class, but it’s comforting to know he’s still in the waning population of powerless riders with me.

“So neither Aon nor Tairn has started channeling to you, either, right?” Liam asks, a look of uncertainty, vulnerability on his face.

I shake my head. “I think he has commitment issues,” I whisper.

“I heard that.”

“Then stay out of my head.”

Suddenly waves of emotions washes over me.

„Don’t be an ass.”

I swear I hear him chuff a chuckle in response.

“We’d better hurry or we’ll miss breakfast.” Liam says.

“Right.” Violet finishes rolling the scroll and put it back on the cart.

---

“I want to be like the cool kids,” Rhiannon grumbles as first-years from Second and Third Wings pour out of the stairwell of the turret that leads up to Professor Carr’s classroom that afternoon, further clogging the hallway on our way to Battle Brief.

“We will,” Violet promises, linking her arm through hers.

“You may be cool, but you will never be as cool as I am!” Ridoc pushes past Liam and me, and throws his arm over Violet’s shoulder.

“She’s talking about everyone who’s already channeling,” I explain, juggling my books so I don’t drop them. “Though at least if we’re not channeling, we’re not stressed about manifesting a signet before the magic kills us.” The relic on my back tingles.

“Oh, I thought we were discussing how I just owned that physics test.” He grins. “Definitely the highest score in the class.”

Rhiannon rolls her eyes. “Please. I scored five points higher than you.”

“We stopped counting your grades months ago.” He leans forward slightly. “Your grades in that class make it unfair for the rest of us.” He looks between Liam and me. “Wait. What did you get, Melgren? Mairi?”

“Not getting into the middle of this,” Liam responds.

“Me neither” I laugh at him.

I had pretty good scores. Only thanks to Liam. Despite of his assignment, he still has time to study with me. And I will be eternally grateful to him.

I smile at him as we’re entering the bottleneck of cadets to get into the briefing room.

“Sorry, Sorrengail,” someone says, stepping out of the way and tugging their friend with them as we enter the tiered classroom.

“Nothing to be sorry about!” She calls out, but they’re already headed up a few rows. “I’m never going to get used to that.”

“It definitely makes getting places easier,” Rhiannon teases her as we descend the steps that curve along the massive turret.

We find our row and walk to our seats, sitting as a squad among the first-years.

The room buzzes with energy as riders file in, and I can’t help but notice that no one has to stand anymore. Our numbers have decreased exponentially in the last four months. The number of empty chairs is sobering. We lost another first-year yesterday when he got too close to another rider’s Red Scorpiontail on the flight field. One second he was standing there, and the next he was a scorched patch of earth. I kept as close to Aon as possible the rest of the session.

My scalp prickles, but I fight the urge to turn around.

“Riorson just got here,” Liam says with mirth in his voice from the seat to my left, breaking from the little dragon figurine he’s carving and looking up the rows toward the third-years.

“Figured.” I hold up my middle finger to him and keep my eyes forward.

He just loves teasing me. Asshole.

Liam snorts and grins, flashing his dimple. “Now, that we’re talking about Xaden. I noticed that you two are always bickering. Tell me, is it fun pissing off the most powerful rider in the quadrant? ”

“You could try it yourself and find out,” I suggest, opening my notebook to the next empty page. I can’t turn around. I won’t. Wanting Xaden is fine. It has to be. Indulging the impulses it gives me? That’s asinine.

“That’s going to be a no from me.” He shakes his head.

I lose the battle with my self-control and look over my shoulder. Sure enough, Xaden is seated in the top row next to Garrick, mastering the art of looking bored. He gives Liam a nod, which Liam returns.

Then he concentrates on his carving, which looks a lot like his Red Daggertail, Deigh.

“Then you should focus on Vi. She is you’re assignment, not me.” I shot back.

“I swear, you’d think there were assassination attempts on me during every class with the way he makes you shadow me.” She shakes her head.

“In his defense, people are fond of trying to kill you.” Rhiannon sets out her supplies.

“One time! It’s happened one time, Rhi!” She says as she adjusts her posture.

“Right. And what would you call that whole thing with Tynan?” Rhiannon asks.

“Threshing.” She shrugs.

“And Barlowe’s constant threats?” I arch a brow at her.

“She has a point there,” Sawyer chimes in, leaning forward from the seat next to Rhiannon’s.

“They’re just threats. The only time I’ve actually been targeted was at night, and it’s not like Liam here is sleeping in my bedroom.”

„I mean, I’m not opposed—” he begins, his knife hovering over the piece of wood.

“Don’t even start.” She whips her head to face him and she blushes. “You are a shameless flirt.”

“Thank you.” He grins and goes back to carving.

“It wasn’t a compliment.”

“Don’t mind her, she’s just sexually frustrated. Makes a girl crabby.” I say and write the date down on the empty page with my quill. Those easy, mess-less pens some of the others can already use is just another reason I can’t wait to channel. No more quills. No more inkpots.

„That has nothing to do with it.” She shots me a glare.

“And yet I don’t hear you denying it.” I smile sweetly at her.

“I’m sorry I don’t make the cut,” Liam teases. “But I can review a couple candidates, especially if it means you’ll stop being so edgy.”

“And how exactly would you be reviewing candidates? What will you be scoring?” Rhiannon asks, one eyebrow raised above her wide grin. “This I have to hear.”

I manage a straight face for all of two seconds before laughing at how horrified he suddenly looks.

“Thanks for the offer, though. I’ll make sure to run any potential liaisons by you.” Violet teases him.

“I mean, you could watch,” Rhiannon continues, blinking innocently at him. “Just to be sure she’s fully covered. You know, so no one…sticks it to her.”

“Oh, are we telling dick jokes now?” Ridoc asks from my other side. “Because my entire life has led up to this very moment.”

Even Sawyer laughs.

“Fuck me,” Liam mutters under his breath. “I’m just saying that since you’re protected at night now—” We laugh harder, and he blows out a deep breath.

“Wait.” Vi stops laughing. “What do you mean I’m protected at night? Because you’re next door? Please tell me he’s not making you sleep in the hallway or something obnoxious.”

“No. Of course not. He warded your door the morning after the attack.” His expression clearly says she should know this. “I’m guessing he didn’t tell you?”

“He what?”

“He warded your door,” Liam says, quieter this time. “So only you can open it.”

“But if he’s the one who warded it, then he can get in, too, right?” I ask.

„Well, yeah.” Liam shrugs as Professors Markham and Devera walk down the stairs, heading for the front of the room. “But it’s not like Riorson is going to kill her.”

“Right. You see, I’m still adjusting to that little change of heart.” I fumble my quill and it falls to the ground, but before I can lean over, the shadows beneath the arm of my desk lift the instrument like an offering. I pluck it out of the shadows and look back at Xaden.

He’s locked in conversation with Garrick, not paying me a speck of attention.

Except, apparently, he is.

“If we can get started?” Markham calls over the room, and we fall silent as he places the scroll we had delivered to him before breakfast on the podium. “Excellent.”

I write Sumerton down at the top of the page and Liam trades his knife for a quill.

“First announcement,” Devera says, stepping forward. “We’ve decided that not only will the winners of this year’s Squad Battle receive bragging rights—” She grins like we’re in for a treat. “But they’ll also be given a trip to the front lines to shadow an active wing.”

Cheers break out all around us.

“So if we win, we get a chance to die sooner?” Rhiannon whispers.

“Maybe they’re trying a reverse psychology thing.” I glance at the others around us who are clearly overjoyed and worry about their sanity. Either I am a fool or everyone else.

“You crave the action just as much as they do, little one.”

“Don’t you have better things to do with your day than listen in on my private thoughts?”

“Not particularly. Now pay attention.”

“Stop butting in and maybe I can,” I counter.

Aon chuffs. One day I might be able to translate that sound, but it’s not today.

“I know the Squad Battle doesn’t commence until spring,” Devera continues, “but I figured that news would give you all the proper motivation to apply yourselves in every area leading up to the challenges.”

Another cheer resounds.

“And now that we have your attention.” Markham lifts his hand and the room quiets. “The front lines are relatively quiet today, so we’re going to take this opportunity to dissect the Battle of Gianfar.”

My quill hovers above my notebook. Surely he didn’t say that.

The mage lights rise to the Cliffs of Dralor that separate Tyrrendor, lifting the entire province thousands of feet above the rest of the Continent, before shining brightest on the ancient stronghold along the southern border. “This battle was pivotal to the unification of Navarre, and though it happened more than six centuries ago, there are important lessons that still impact our flight formations to this day.”

“Is he serious?” I whisper to Liam.

“Yeah.” Liam’s grip bends his quill. “I think he is.”

“What made this battle unique?” Devera asks, her eyebrows raised. “Bryant?”

“The stronghold was not only set for a siege,” the second-year says from high above us, “but was equipped with the first cross-bolt, which proved lethal against dragonkind.”

“Yes. And?” Devera prompts.

“It was one of the final battles where gryphons and dragons actually worked alongside each other to annihilate the army of the Barrens,” the second-year continues.

I glance left and right, watching the other riders begin to take notes. Surreal. This is just…surreal.

None of them knows what we do, that an entire village of Navarrians was ransacked last night along the border and supplies looted. And yet, we’re discussing a battle that happened before the convenience of indoor plumbing was invented.

“Now, pay close attention,” Markham lectures. “Because you’ll be turning in a detailed report in three days and drawing comparisons to battles from the last twenty years.”

“Was that scroll marked classified?” Liam asks under his breath.

“No,” Violet responds just as quietly. “But maybe I missed it?”

The battle map doesn’t even show activity near that mountain range.

“Yeah.” He nods, scratching his quill against the parchment as he begins to take notes. “That has to be it. You missed it.”

I blink, forcing my hand through the motions of writing about a battle I’ve analyzed dozens of times with The General. Liam’s right. That’s the only possible explanation. Our clearance isn’t high enough, or maybe they haven’t finished gathering all the information needed to form an accurate report.

Or it had to have been marked classified. We just missed it.

Or…they withold information from us.

I need to speak with The General. Somehow I have to gather more information.

“Careful, little one. You need to be careful when you uncover the secrets.” I hear Aon’s warning.

[overlords-au]

How was Liam close enough to Tate to mistake him for Ronnie????

How did Tate react to a neon demon snake trying to snuggle down into his hair???

Were Dee or Ronnie there?? And what did they say when they found out????

😂😂😂

Tate was doing undercover not related to his father for once when at the same time Liam who just happened to be at the same location had lost sight of the other two while they were out and about. His hair has a similar texture as Ron's that's why Liam mistook it for Ron's. Luckily it was early on when Liam was still an unknown element so Tate didn't retaliate as he usually would when a weird worm suddenly perches on his head

[angelasscribbles]

Heir Apparent Chapter 22: So This is How We End

Series: Heir Apparent.

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings: Drake x Riley, Liam x Riley (past)

Rating: MA

Warnings: Mature themes

Word Count: 1,223

A/N: So we finally come to the end after a mere two and half years! This series was such a learning experience for me. It was the first time I got wholesale attacked, and by multiple people, for my characters lacking "morality". 🤷🏻‍♀️

I strive to imbue my characters with real life emotions, flaws, mistakes, and reactions. This means they are often messy, sometimes toxic, but always realistic. Life is messy, humans are flawed and shit happens, then we deal with it.

I regret that I let the negativity derail me. I shut the story down and didn't pick it up again for well over a year and even then, the updates have been sporadic. I had to get to a place where I once again trusted the process, where I let the characters speak to me without the voices of my detractors in my head.

I think I've done that. I'm quite happy with this ending and I think I've stayed true to my characters, complete with their misperceptions, insecurities, and stubborn refusal to see the other side.

That said, stay tuned for an open ended spin-off series set in this universe. I have further ideas.....

Everything else: Master List.

The doctor from Auvernall delivered a healthy baby girl via c-section.

Riley spent the next three days in the hospital wing recovering. She was so wrapped up in her new baby that she didn’t question the lack of outside news sources in her room. There was no TV, and her cell phone was getting no signal.

Not that it mattered. All she wanted it for was to take candid photos of her new bundle of joy.

She was over the moon happy.

Crown Princess Eleanor Elizabeth Hana Olivia Rys was perfect. Ten little fingers, ten little toes, and no ill effects from the eclampsia outside of being born three weeks early.

Riley’s blood pressure stabilized by day three and as preparations were made for her to move back to the suite she shared with Drake in the royal wing, the men in her life realized they had to tell her about the treaty with Auvernall before she read about it online.

Liam had insisted on being the one to deliver the news. “I’m the one that made the call, after all.”

The conversation did not go well.

“I had no choice! My hand was forced!”

“Without consulting me? Without even talking to me first?”

He looked at her incredulously, “You were unconscious! You were about to die! I did what I had to do to save your life and hers!”

Tears of outrage and betrayal slid down her cheeks. “You promised me, Liam! You fucking promised!”

“I know, Riley. But things changed—"

“She’s a baby, Liam! She shouldn’t already have her life mapped out for her! What about love? She should be allowed to marry for love!”

Liam rubbed his eyes as defeat and frustration swirled through him. “You keep trying to apply rules for commoners to the monarchy.”

“Why should the rules for the monarchy be any different Liam?”

“Because they are Riley! You may not like it, it may not be pretty, but that's the way it is!”

She glared at him. “Then I’m glad you and I didn’t work out and I’m sorry you’re Eleanor’s father and not Drake! He would have never allowed this!”

Liam reacted as though he had been physically struck. His body jerked back and his mouth fell open as he regarded her with stunned disbelief.

He wanted to believe she was only reacting out of anger. He wanted to believe that she was just being illogical and unreasonable because she was hormonal and had just gone through a trauma. But he was afraid this was deeper. He was afraid that this was a fundamental difference in world views. One that might not be reconcilable.

He stood and began to pace the floor. Did he regret that he’d had to affiance his unborn child to the Auvernesse heir? Yes. Did he regret that making that decision saved the life of both the woman he loved and his child? Not even a little.

It had been a Hobson’s Choice and he’d done what had to be done. As he had been trained to do. As he would always do. Just like he’d done on coronation night, another impossible choice that had protected her, yet one she would never forgive him for.

The realization that this was the way it would always be engulfed him like a tidal wave. He suddenly saw the future he had wanted with her the way it would have actually played out, with her always second guessing him on subjects she didn’t fully understand.

He stopped pacing and turned to her with the most painful decision he’d made yet. “I rescind my offer.”

“What offer?”

“I told you that if you ever changed your mind about adding a Cordonian arrangement to your marriage contract, I would always be here. I won't. If nothing else this has helped me see that I was right in the first place that I would never marry for love. As loath as I am to admit it, my father was right. I love you Riley and I always will. But affairs of the heart have no place when it comes to making decisions for the good of Cordonia.”

He needed someone by his side who understood how the monarchy worked, how diplomacy worked. Riley had been right when she told him they would have never made it as a couple. She was always going to end up resenting him for something. It was better to let her go and be happy with Drake than to hold on and make her hate him in the long run.

“The good of Cordonia? What about the good of our daughter, Liam?”

“I made the hard decisions that had to be made. It's very easy to Monday morning quarterback the situation, you don't know what we all went through watching you almost die. If you had died, Eleanor wouldn’t even be here. She would have died with you. Have you considered that?”

“You don’t know that for sure.”

Liam shook his head sadly. “I’m sorry you’re disappointed in me. There will be a full investigation into everything that happened that night. If there’s a way out of the agreement, I’ll find it.”

Dr. Russo had been found locked in a music room by an unknown person. Godfrey had ties to Auvernall. Though no one could have predicted the medical emergency ahead of time, there were ample questions that needed answers. If the Auvernese king and queen had taken advantage of the situation and sidelined their doctor, he would find out. Meanwhile, a contract signed under duress could be challenged in an international court.  

He said none of that to Riley. He simply promised her to do what he could and then got out of her way so that her anger at him wouldn’t cause another spike in blood pressure.

He relayed the main points of the conversation to Drake.

“Why didn't you tell her?”

“Tell her what?”

“That at the end I agreed to it as well.”

“Why would I do that Drake? She needs you more than ever right now. She needs someone she can rely on, someone she can depend on, someone who understands her and the rules of the world she grew up in. That's you.”

“Sure. And I’ll always be there for her, you know that. But—"

“You fought me up till the very end. You only capitulated at the last second out of sheer terror for her life. And to be clear, I was going to do it anyway. With or without your approval.”

“But I still did capitulate.”

“And what good would telling her that do? Make her hate you too? Then she would have nobody to lean on. Let me be the bad guy so that she can have her husband to rely on. It's the only thing I can do for her now.”

Drake gave him a long, measuring look before slowly nodding his head, relief cascading through him. There was only a sliver of guilt as he agreed to be absolved of any responsibility in the decision. He understood Liam’s reasoning that, at least for the foreseeable future, it was more important for Riley to have someone to lean on, someone in her corner. And that was all he could do for her now, so that’s what he would do.

~Fin

[germygilbert]

it is like. both fascinating and infuriating to me when people downplay Liam's overdose at the end of season four

1.) I don't expect to hold addicts 100% accountable for their behavior while on drugs i think there's some play in culpability. HOWEVER:

2.) I do think that people who completely write this off and excuse this for the benefit of Fiona are pretty racist or at least have the biggest racism blinders on BECAUSE

2a.) like point blank comparing this specific act of neglect to other acts of neglect (which were no doubt terrible and traumatizing) is one thing. acting like they are on the same level or that say, monica's neglect of Carl is somehow worse is literally just racism

2b.) The choice in drug, as my girlfriend pointed out for a white caregiver to expose a black toddler in her care to, is intentional. You are meant to think about the racial dynamic at play here in regards to conversations and behavior around drug use for the last fifty plus years. Liam is a fucking BABY and you still cannot muster pretend imaginary sympathy for him? How racist do you have to be to react to this arc in this way. Has it been over a month since you called a black drug user a cr*ckhead be honest

3.) Lip losing his shit on fiona while this was happening was not an example of him "perpetuating Frank's cycle of abuse omfg

3a.) I'm not going to say Lip's behavior towards Fiona while she was being incarcerated was completely justified of course but that was their little brother who they both love dearly who might die and Lip is justifiably freaking the fuck out. this is categorically not the same thing as an abusive father yelling in order to exercise control

3b.) Your baby brother does not have the power required to exercise an abusive dynamic over you. Of course he can replicate abusive behavior as anyone who was raised by an abusive parent or otherwise can. The line of thinking that Lip is "abusing" Fiona here shows an irresponsible and, in the wrong hands, entirely dangerous misunderstanding of how and when abusive dynamics come to be

3c.) that is not even Frank's brand of abuse. I can count on one hand the amount of times that Frank uses yelling as a tactic. The name of his game is manipulation and he usually exercises it by acting overly kind to the youngest gallaghers in order to get them to participate in his insane schemes. We see him doing this to Carl and Debbie and Liam and we even hear of him doing this to lip when he was younger. He only hits Ian once and we have reason to believe that is the only time he has hit one of his children. textually. He understands he can't control Lip Ian and Fiona by series start and as such he moslty leaves them alone and occasionally even pals around with them. We SEE him discard Debbie and Carl when they begin to question him and argue against his hair brained ethically heinous schemes

4.)the narrative is indeed asking you to engage with the theme of cycles of abuse being replicated by people who mean well. During this specific arc is asking you to do so with FIONA, not Lip, FIONA, who is liam's legal guardian who she is in this moment recklessly endangering. Even if you pretend the race thing isn't there (which is extremely difficult because its place in the narrative is, as I've pointed out, intentional) Fiona still allowed a baby to eat cocaine through her neglect. You are supposed to be thinking about this. You are supposed to be comparing i in your mind to Carl's childhood injuries and Frank using drugs as a sleep sedative for infants. At all times throughout the show you are meant to be examining how many steps away each character is from being "just as bad as frank"

I know fandom is specifically designed to stomp out critical analysis but omfg.

[mintywolf]

A Long Road Home - Page 87 Author's Notes

Page 87

Before Whitestone Andy was established as having red hair in episode 37 I liked Liam’s darkly funny suggestion that he was “the next rope over” on the Sun Tree so I had imagined him as the effigy of Percy.

Which is who he remains in Remember Us:

Her mouth twists in something not quite a smile but not quite a grimace as she moves on to the pale-haired, bespectacled figure of Lord de Rolo. “I went to school with him. Had a bit of an embarrassing crush on him when I was a young girl, in fact. He didn’t feel the same way. But he didn’t deserve to end up like that.”

but I haven’t decided if I’m going to preserve that angle here. In case I do, I decided to split the difference and make his hair strawberry blond.

The Whitestone Andy incident on the show was a lot more sinister than I had originally planned it before e37. In my version (then-unnamed) Matilda was implied to have tried to make friends by showing off her pet frog, whereupon he had reacted with an attitude of “ew, get that away from me, you weirdo” and followed up with the dirt to express his contempt for her weirdness.

(excerpt from a very early outline:)

Page 38 Her childhood was not unlike Imogen's, she thinks — she grew up on a small farm on the outskirts of Whitestone, living simply with her parents. (We see her, looking more human now but still a little odd, working in the garden alongside her father and in the kitchen baking gingerbread with her mother.) Her powers of shadow sorcery manifested at a young age, though, and earned her the mistrust of the neighbors. She spent most of her time alone, playing in the woods in the company of her own imagination. (We see her about nine performing to an audience of some ghastly-looking ragdolls, a cat, a gourd with a face drawn on it, and an indifferent frog.)  She was a bit of a late bloomer, as well, which made social interactions a challenge. (We see her 13 years old showing off her frog to a young boy her own age, but he retaliates by throwing dirt in her face and running away.) 

But the frog remains as a relic of that earlier version.

The scene of him that was revealed in the episode, where he has weaponized her crush on him to lure her into an alley for the specific purpose of humiliating her, suggests a much more malevolent Andy than I had imagined. I decided to include the other boys he alludes to although they don’t appear in the stream, because making fun of a girl whose awkward affections the other boys tease him about without the audience of those boys crosses the line from bullying to sociopathy.

The posters on the walls here are advertisements for Dr. Dranzel’s Spectacular Travelling Troupe and The Alcove, a magic shop visited by Vox Machina (and Percy was on good terms with the proprietor before the Briarwood occupation, so presumably it was in business around this time).

[insert-stupid-username]

Ranking drivers based on how badly I want them to win a WDC. Dont hate yall this is soley for fun:

Logan Sargeant (listen I know hes off the grid, but come on man I want to be able to scream like an egal. I would have screatched like crazy if he got a point let alone a podium. if this man won a race or WDC I think the US would have exploded from fans losing their mind)(lets just hope he goes to indycar and wins the indy500 to beat the terrible driver accusations)

Lewis Hamilton (come on an 8th WDC as his last year at Mercadies would have been iconic) (Ferrari is gonna crush his 8th WDC dreams with their shitty pit stops)

Oscar Piastri (I just want to know what his reaction would be. mans is stone faced and I love it)

Charles Leclerc (he deserves it after the shit ferrari puts him through) (also I want to know what the state of italy and monaco will be in if/when he wins a WDC) (he honestly can do it not this year but eventially if and only if ferrari actually makes a good car cause he is putting that tractor in places it should not be)

Max Verstappen (love this funny dutch man) (he drives so many fia officals crazy and I love it) (Max Im rooting so hard for you)

George Russell (soley because I want to know what he would say to a WDC win) (like come on yabadabadoo for a race win? what would a WDC win bring out in that man)

Zhou Guanyu (he so sweet and this would finally give him some recognition)

Nico Hulkenberg (only if he can win it by getting second each and every race. Imagen how funny it would be if Nico won a WDC and still not had a maiden gp win)

Kevin Magnussen (cant seperate the hassbands) (also I think it would be funny)

Franco Colapinto (just think of how much more flirty that man would be if he had a WDC to his name)

Liam Lawson (Think of how much more agressive he would be if he had a WDC behind his name) (hes already flipping off senior drivers imagion how crazy he would be)

Alex Albon (Hes so nice) (I would love to see redbulls reaction cause dam they would have fumbled so hard)

Daniel Ricciard (think of australia) (though I dont think it would ever happen)

Yuki Tsunoda (I just want to know what he would say) (like man loves swearing so much) (the fia would hate to see him coming soly becuase of how much swearing would go down)

Carlos Sainz (he gets on my nerves but it would be funny if he won and charles didnt) (imagion the charles tifosi oh they would be pissed)

Checo (Think about how crazy mexico would be if he won, they would be having SO MUCH fun) (I dont want to deal with how redbull and crazy max fans would react if he won and max didnt)

Fernando Alonso (it would be interesting but Im not a fan of his, and he gets on my nerves)

Lance Stroll (I just dont want to deal with everyone saying that his father bought him the WDC)

Pierre Gasly (He ruffles my feathers in a way I cant describe. I just dont like him)

Esteban Ocon (Im not his biggest fan, I think hes just so meh also I dont think anything super crazy would happen if he won so...)

Lando Norris (he has the car right now I just dont like him so hes low on my list) (also I would rather it be charles than lando right now this year) (lando gets on my nerves and I feel like if it happened right now he would be insufferable)

Valtteri Bottas (He would be higher on my list be there is no way James would let that happen) (he would swoop in with his Valtteri its James attitued and make my post change)

[oacest]

one of the things about noel i noticed since i got deep into the oasis lore is that there are multiple instances where he goes through some kind of transformation or at least changes how he presents himself to the world.  here are the ones i’ve learned so far:

when his "love for oasis put him back into the closet" to be the leader of the laddish rnr band after years of being his queer self frequenting hacienda, listening to the smiths and being a roadie for inspirals

when he "wasn't suicidal or anything" going into hiding with a girl he’d just met and shaved his head after his dream of making it in america crushed (iirc there was a quote from someone that said something like noel seemed like a different person after that, but i can’t find it)

when he had a few panic attacks and quit drugs all together

according to liam he "has changed as a person" and is "part of the establishment" post breakup (or already in the band's later years?)

am i missing anything? also how do you think noel will act in front of audience/media post reunion? all we have rn is liam’s tweets, which are pretty much unreliable...

yeah, he's definitely been through it! imo there's no grand design to any of these instances, they're all pretty standard (in timing and scope, if not in general likelihood for the average person lol) stage-of-life things. being a shy moody teen/early 20s -> discovering the social/personal confidence-boost of drugs -> becoming famous (specifically for something he worked really hard at and was proud of) are pretty huge things to occur right at that already volatile time of life.

and then obviously yeah the massive disappointment of the whiskey incident (and his investment in ~*breaking america*~ being crushed) -> i think perhaps a sudden fundamental understanding (or belief) that it was more him-against-the-world than the-band-against-the-world (i THINK that quote you're thinking of re him being "a different person" is from tim abbot's book...). quitting drugs, in varying stages, and the panic attacks, big time. i'd say becoming a father even more transformative than any of these things, really. but all pretty normal stuff to occur in the process of one's life, more or less.

he's always had an incredibly strong and clear core of personality, intention, and belief system, even more than a lot of people. it's never particularly wavered beyond some details dependent on context. liam complains a lot about him "selling out" or whatever, but it's just that noel a) loves attention and socialising b) loves being recognised and lauded for his music c) knows how to play the game d) has, as aforementioned, an extremely strong internal locus of control/self and simply doesn't react the same way to critcism or other people's opinions as liam does, for better or worse. liam sees the things noel does as greedy self-betraying selling out, noel sees the things liam does as humourless self-absorbed inflexibility. neither of them are necessarily WRONG, they just love to consistently believe the most bad-faith interpretation of each other's actions. #siblings.

all this to say, i see no reason at all to think noel will be different during oasis reunion than he has been at any other point. he'll no doubt drop some degree of the estrangement charade he and liam have been engaging in for x-number of years, but in no way is he going to undergo any sort of personality transplant. he's going to be a sassy little hot bitch onstage just the way he has been for the past ~20 years. he and liam are just going to have to work out some kind of timeshare program for who gets to yap at the audience when, i guess. back to the good old days of squabbling overtop each other at their mics between songs!

[jackie4dinner]

Thinking about people’s reactions to Liam Paynes passing and how complicated the whole situation is, because there really is no “right” way to react. Like the man was an abuser and prayed on his fans, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that a man is dead, a man who was a father, a boyfriend, a friend and so many other things to so many people.

Like is it disrespectful to continue talking about the allegations against him? Or would it be more disrespectful to sweep it under the rug? And then there’s the whole discussion of people grieving their childhood and making this about them, when a boy just lost his father. Like none of these arguments are wrong, he was a man who hurt so many people, but he was also a man who so many loved. To grieve a man who played such a significant part in so many of our childhoods isnt wrong, but we also didn’t know him, his son however did.

What really got me thinking about this though is how I’ve seen people still making fun of him, (example being a videos of the strip that down dance) which my first reaction was “that’s so disrespectful” but then upon further thought does an abuser deserve respect? To some he may not and they wouldn’t be wrong for that, however people saying he does also would not be wrong.

Again the situation is so incredibly nuanced and my heart goes out to his son, girlfriend, the mother of his son, and any of the women who came forward in recent weeks about his behaviour towards them who may feel responsible. You are not <3

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for defending my friend lying about his dog dying?

Cw for animal abuse and Is ableist language (using sociopath as synonym for bad person)

I was in a friend group of three. Me (24f) my best friend since age 7 (24m) and we have a mutual friend he met in college when he moved away and has known for a little over a year (23f). Callin' them Liam and Rory for ease. Liam had an Esa (not a service dog, an esa). His whole life has revolved around this dog since we were 16 and he moved away. He keeps a very strict schedule with this dog. We are all aware of it because he will leave group chats mid conversation to make sure "Buddy" gets walked or fed or whatever time it is. He takes really good care of this dog and hand-makes its meals and takes it to the vet every 2 months.

Few weeks ago he was acting weird but trying to cover it up. I had been meaning to ask what was going on more privately but I kinda dropped the ball because my aunt died suddenly.

Flash to a week ago Rory sent a huge wall of text to our group chat calling Liam a barrage of names like "sociopath". It turns out that his dog died but he'd been acting like everything was the same which is why he seemed off. She found out when she came onto his property to check on him and he had to "confess."

Shes upset at him for lying but I knew there was more going on. So I talked to him about it privately over the phone and he just shattered. He had no idea what to do or say because he thinks his dad killed Buddy but he doesn't have direct proof. I had never heard him cry before this, because he was raised to really keep that stuff close to his chest. He's tried to open up to me over the years but it's visibly difficult for him especially with how his father still treats him. I believe him because if he truly wanted to manipulate me I still do not think he would have let me see that. He kept apologizing and sounding really lost and ashamed so I really don't think it was an act, you can't fake that kind of helpless abused kid feeling.

I forgave him for keeping it from me because it was obvious he was going to tell us once he processed the situation because that's a lot to say the least. I explained what happened to Rory and said sure maybe it wasn't 100% in the right but he was obviously expiercing trauma and him acting like everything was fine wasn't about hurting us, and we knew something was wrong but didn't ask, she thinks he's trolling for sympathy and that if I forgive him it tells her everything she needs to know about what kind of person I am. And says if he really thinks he dad killed his dog he would have called the police.

There are several reasons he shouldn't call the police one being that his dad has always treated Laim really badly but we never thought he would kill a dog and my friend has to live with him because he's a broke college student. She said he should have figured that out on his own but instead he manipulated us and is now trying to make us feel bad that he got caught.

I also feel like he was in danger from his dad and if he told us Buddy was gone he'd have to say why and then he'd be lying to us anyway until he figured out what the hell happened or if it was safe to tell us. We don't have enough information so I just don't think it's fair to totally write him off as a bad person over what is obviously and extremely traumatic situation? Without even talking to him? She found out Buddy was dead, left and refused to speak to him before announcing her departure from the group and blocked him on everything and basically made me choose between her or him.

I told her that was a really heartless take and that she's over reacting and she told me if I wanted to be best friends with a sociopath that was none of her buisness but she wanted nothing to do with either us because I'm just as bad as him if I don't agree with her so she doesnt loose anything by cutting me off.

She really made me feel like I was helping Liam hide a body. So I'm wondering if she's right. I don't think I'll change my mind, I won't abandon him but I am willing to admit I was wrong if I am.

Am I the assshole for sticking by him?

What are these acronyms?

[newjerseylove]

lg relatively open about being a victim of CSA, it's just that people will skate over it like it's not real when he says anything (which is also how they react to lg-ng incest)

his reaction to his father, hating his father even more passionately than noel does despite saying that his father 'never touched [hit] him' in supersonic. noel had to calm him down when they saw their dad in a pub in ireland and afterwards liam called his dad and threatened to break his legs

this one woman describes liam as 'glowing' with rage when he said he doesn't believe in god, because if god was real then none of that would have happened. implied by the documentary to mean physical abuse only, but that's not all it has to be

liam (noel too, to be fair) had a penchant for drugs and alcohol that started before being famous. if you can't sleep without ptsd dreams, it makes sense why you'd like uppers to keep you awake, or alcohol to make you sleep without the torture of laying awake in the dark, or even suppressing dreams. also, he could be hypersocial to try to stave off thoughts that come when he's alone

i initially assumed his dad was the only perpetrator but it seems to be quite a few older men

oacest is true and real btw

noel being 5 and a half years older is definitely significant here. my guess is that liam imprinted sexually on noel because of his father. it must have started pretty young, too. noel does behave like a father in some ways: older, commanding, withholds love and praise sometimes. i have no fucking idea why noel would have gone along with it, but he clearly did. he's certainly not free of trauma himself. though id go out on a limb and say you still shouldn't be fucking your baby brother, my friend. cocsa is also bad.

this allows noel to truly believe that liam 'started it', and thus blame him. he's always been the one to leave, as far as i can tell. that's probably genuine growth on his part, he's removing himself from a situation that was... real bad. doesn't mean he's very kind to liam about it, though

noel clearly struggled with jealousy and bitterness towards liam. he's upfront about the whole 'taller, prettier, more charismatic' thing but i bet he was also very bitter about liam getting off easier in childhood [see: never hit by their father]

noel's approach to his own trauma is: don't talk about it, don't do anything about it, forget it. he literally says his father 'beat the talent into him' which is pretty... zen about the whole thing. shall we say. meanwhile he denigrates liam for being a glowing ball of rage. why can't you repress it like i did? why can't you forget it? why can't you be normal, for fuck's sake?

noel must have been some kind of shelter and source of stability for liam. obviously not a very good one, their relationship is fucked. but when noel left, this left a hole in liams life that he doesn't know how to fill

this shit is really sad

[muqingswife]

I saw you reblogging mtp content a few times on my dash, can you recommend me some good x reader fanfics? I'm new in this fandom I hope you will accept ☺️

OH MY GOD I HOPE I DIDNT MAKE YOU WAIT TOO LONG, i usually dont see my tumblr notifications 😞

well, answering your question, i only read william fanfics, here are some that i really like (obs: its 5am now in brazil, im dying of sleep and the sfw n nsfw r all mixed, in the beginning i tried to be more organised but now its a mess 🥴

of authors, I LOVE @moriartyluver and @pillow-anime-talk, they are definitely my favorite authors, you can read all their fanfics and ALL will be good but these are my favorites

moriarty

https://www.tumblr.com/moriartyluver/704616356287578112/hi-how-are-you-if-someone-hasnt-already-id?source=share (ive lost count of how many times i re-read this

https://www.tumblr.com/moriartyluver/710434893110394880/may-i-request-william-as-a-father-hcs-preferably?source=share (i love everything that involves characters being parents, especially liam

https://www.tumblr.com/moriartyluver/710722841291735040/ah-i-would-love-to-see-a-scenario-of-william-with?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/moriartyluver/713710729223602177/hi-hi-can-i-request-something-where-liams-noble?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/moriartyluver/714142684371156992/okay-but-imagine-being-liams-wife-and-he-forgets?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/moriartyluver/697486676026654720/request-character-william-moriarty-x?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/moriartyluver/698488819059687424/hi-may-i-request-a-louis-x-reader-where-we-just?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/moriartyluver/707901679885008896/good-day-its-me-again-just-a-little-question?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/moriartyluver/709146176959741952/hello-love-i-was-wondering-if-i-can-request-angst?source=share

pillow

sfw:

https://www.tumblr.com/pillow-anime-talk/725758537229320192/hello-can-i-ask-for-prompt-1-family-fic-with?source=share (I WAS THE ONE WHO SENT THIS ASK, this fanfic will always have a special place in my heart

https://pillow-anime-talk.tumblr.com/post/657788659226034177/still-love-you

https://pillow-anime-talk.tumblr.com/post/667681060241489920/rainy-time

https://pillow-anime-talk.tumblr.com/post/686427769925730305/math-lesson

https://www.tumblr.com/pillow-anime-talk/688791921871798272/modernwilliam?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/pillow-anime-talk/724986262872866816/good-day-for-your-event-may-i-ask-for-prompt-20?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/pillow-anime-talk/726390781048389632/hi-if-its-not-too-much-trouble-may-i-ask-for?source=share

nsfw:

https://pillow-anime-talk.tumblr.com/post/639699977267036161/skin-to-skin

here are other fanfics, by different authors

https://www.tumblr.com/fairy-writes/721874357355528192/hello-dear-how-are-you-i-hope-you-are-doing?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/joanquill/742188480465141760/valentines-day-headcanons?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/tulipsforvin/747118674735923200/hi-i-would-like-to-react-to-the?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/fairy-writes/720592047851094016/take-a-rest-love-reblogs-and-comments-are?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/tinkerleaf/746613545803923456/nap-time?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/tulipsforvin/748193420252774400/a-love-that-melts-all?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/temporaryrose200/714245436928671744/hello-sweetie-how-are-you-firstly-let-me-tell?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/neontokyoo/717607253349449728/hi-could-you-do-some-headcanons-on-the-moriarty?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/oh-ranpo/694247586565111808/pairing-william-james-moriarty-x-femreader?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/rosesrflo/694267122730336256/honey-just-put-your-sweet-lips-on-my?source=share (i love this one

https://www.tumblr.com/kunikame/707621180645998592/just-a-lil-something-thats-been-in-the-drafts-for?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/tulipsforvin/733983431386660865/helloooo-can-i-request-william-having-a-so-that?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/tulipsforvin/734078932718125056/hi-can-i-please-request-some-smut-headcanons-for?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/rosesrflo/701747703937384448/hiya-i-wanna-request-some-william-comfort-fic-bc-i?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/tulipsforvin/734029257887678464/hey-may-i-request-some-fluff-with-william-x?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/neontokyoo/718697150500028416/im-loving-the-way-you-write-william-maybe-hc?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/tulipsforvin/732423955241140224/william-j-moriarty?source=share

thats it for now, tomorrow maybe ill add more because now im really falling asleep, i hope you like it!