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venusbyline · 20 hours ago

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Aemond Targaryen — The Beloved Son

— summary: If Aemond could not seek love from the only woman who would take him in her arms and caress his hair, then he needed to find a replacement. An older woman who could make him feel safe and loved again.

— pairing: Aemond Targaryen x brothel worker!reader

— type: smut, dark

— word count: 4.9k

— tags/warnings: female!reader, DEAD DOVE: DO NO EAT, rough sex, oral (female receiving), vaginal fingering, mommy kink, breeding kink, breast worship, nipple licking, nipple play, overstimulation, pregnancy kink, dacryphilia, rough kissing, disturbed themes, age gap (older woman/younger man), Aemond is 19 and Reader is 29, biting, crying, pre-relationship, unhealthy relationships, referenced character death, Lucerys Velaryon mentioned, past underage sex, past child abuse, religious guilt and conflict, crisis of faith, blood licking, implied forced pregnancy, mommy issues, labor mentioned, implied Targtower Incest (mother/son) BUT NOT REALLY, implied Aemond Targaryen/Alicent Hightower BUT NOT REALLY, past Targcest (older sister/younger brother), past Aemond Targaryen/Helaena Targaryen, referenced non-consensual somnophilia, referenced rape/non-con, referenced breastfeeding, referenced lactation kink, minor Helaegon, Aegon Targaryen mentioned, past Aemond Targaryen/Madam Sylvi, underage dubcon, minor Alicent Hightower/Criston Cole, curse words, mild angst, ambiguous/open ending, switch!Aemond, sub!reader, canon divergence (Pre-The Dance of the Dragons), porn with plot. no use of y/n, english is not my first language.

— author's notes¹: I decided to explore Aemond's "mommy issues" side. There's no real incest between Aemond and Alicent, but I put it as a trigger warning because there are scenes about them that can be uncomfortable to read. And also because I see their mother and son relationship too complex and intense. In my opinion, Aemond had an adoration and love for his mother in the season one that the writers left aside during the season two.

— author's notes²: Furthermore, I believe that Aemond's loss of virginity with Madam Sylvi may also influenced a part of his weird behaviour. So this time I wrote about the consequences of this in Aemond's mind, even a few years later. I see what happened with him in the books/show as a real child abuse, so don't read this fic if you've triggers with these themes. I do not support any form of abuse, this is just fiction.

— crossposting: AO3

❥ about me • Aemond masterlist • HOTD masterlist • main masterlist

Aemond needed to vent. He needed some time away from all the chaos that must have been in the Red Keep since he confessed to killing Lucerys. Some time away from all the chaos he caused.

He remembered everything quite accurately. How he arrived at the castle with wide eyes and his body drenched, entering his mother's chambers without even knocking on the door. Alicent had let out a loud scream at the sudden appearance and covered her slim body with the white bedsheets. Despite there being no one there with her, his mother's body was sweaty and her cheeks were flushed, as if she had cum just a few minutes ago. At first he ignored the strange sight and muttered, with his voice trembling and weak, that he had become a kinslayer.

He remembered explaining confusingly how he was trying to scare Lucerys and ended up losing control of Vhagar, causing the old dragon to chew every bit of his nephew, only some remains of his tiny dragon falling from the sky.

He remembered Alicent widening her eyes, still covering her small breasts and telling Aemond to wait for her outside the room.

As much as he wanted to leave the place and wait for her in the hallway like the good son he had always been, Aemond nodded and left. Not just her chambers, but also the castle. He looked for any clothing that did not look so expensive as to give away his noble origins, and wore it along with a dark suit. He passed by Ser Criston Cole on the way out of the Red Keep, ignoring the fact that the guard's armor was not orderly as usual, and said something about needing to get some air away from there. Aemond did not wait for a response from the older man, knowing that it was only a matter of a few minutes for Alicent to look for Criston and tell him what her beloved boy had done.

Aemond was lost. He knew that.

As soon as Aemond entered the brothel, he looked everywhere for Madam Sylvi, his sweaty and trembling hands searching for the only woman who could perhaps help him.

When he was chasing Aegon together with Ser Criston to take him by force to his own coronation, he did not expect to be reunited with the prostitute who had taken his virginity. Aemond had an excellent memory and remembered that night very well, every second of that embarrassing moment. If he tried harder, Aemond could even feel Madam Sylvi's full lips around his still developing cock, or the way she lifted his wine-flushed face to her large breasts. Aegon demanded that she not be too soft with his younger brother, saying that a thirteen years old should already be brave enough to handle a little sexual intensity. However, the woman respected Aemond's nervousness and guided him calmly.

That night had not been so bad at all, even if he had not wanted it. He never returned to any brothel, his mother's disgusted reaction to Aegon's impulsive and selfish decision and her plea to Aemond not indulge in such promiscuity made him give up on going there again. He should do as she asked, marry a pretty noble lady and be a loyal husband, be Aegon's opposite.

He did not want to hurt his mother's feelings, he did not want her to look at him with the same look of disgust she gave her eldest son. He wanted to keep making Alicent proud, being her beloved son.

But Aemond had already failed with her the moment he decided to act like a spiteful boy and chase Lucerys through the skies. Now that he was a Kinslayer, his mother would fear him. She would be ashamed of him. I would see him as a murderer, cursing their whole family forever.

And if Aemond could not seek love from the only woman who would take him in her arms and caress his hair, then he needed to find a replacement. An older woman who could make him feel safe and loved again.

Perhaps Madam Sylvi could do that. When she spoke to Aemond when he and Ser Criston were looking for Aegon, she made it clear that he had grown up so well. She looked surprised, perhaps even horny.

Now, after six years without visiting the place, Aemond was there again. The place where he had promised his dear mother in the name of the Seven that he would never set foot again.

He needed to seek affection from Sylvi or another whore who would make him feel as loved as Alicent made him feel before he grew up. He needed to feel worthy and loved by a mother again.

That was a busy night at the brothel for you, too many clients for too few prostitutes to deal with them. Madam Sylvi warned the women that she would take a day off to rest, a privilege that only the oldest and most renowned courtesans were entitled to. Most of her favorite clients seemed angry about this fact, and even though you and the other girls explained the reasons as calmly as possible, no one cared about what you had to say.

Some people just rolled their eyes and walked away, others snorted and threw coins at you so you could do her job then, and some were even excited about fucking a different cunt.

It was not unknown to you why Sylvi had so many customers who frequented the place in search of her. She was very experienced, a beautiful older woman, with large hips and big breasts. She understood how to please men and even women, both sexually and emotionally.

"Where is Madam Sylvi?" A deep voice caught your attention from behind your shoulder, making you jump and widen your eyes, sighing embarrassed when you saw that it was just a customer.

"She is not here today, sir." You forced a smile, trying not to look too much at the eye patch the boy wore. It was strangely familiar and he had facial features that seemed more handsome than most of the men you served, even if he wore a hood that shadowed his details.

With a frown, the man clenched his jaw and muttered one more time. "I need her tonight. Right now."

You recognized almost all of Sylvi's frequent men, and that one was completely unknown to you. You bit your tongue to try not to question him about why he was so desperate to see the woman if he had never been there recently. However, you took a deep breath and forced another smile, your voice sweet and hiding your curiosity. "My apologies, sir, she is not here tonight. But you can look for another courtesan if you want to, we have many options." You reassured and tried to walk past him to go find another man or some woman who could pay you a few coins, before being stopped by the man's hand on your arm, keeping you close to him.

"Well, you are free to please me." It was not a question. He already knew you did not have any customers waiting. You stared at that violet eye for a few seconds, before swallowing hard, your throat hurting while you nodded, having no choice whatsoever. "Then get an empty, private room for us immediately."

You opened your mouth to explain that the isolated places required a greater amount of gold than the common services, but the man interrupted you, handing you a heavy bag full of coins that were almost slipping out of the opening. "I assume you will make it worth the price, woman."

The moment you and Aemond entered the isolated room, he watched you pulling the curtains until they closed, keeping the events that would follow there a secret from other people. Although you still did not realize who he really was, there was an expression on your face indicating that you were suspicious about something. Perhaps it was the money he was willing to spend without complaining during just one night with someone who was not even the courtesan he was looking for, perhaps it was the eye patch that left a little part of his scar exposed, perhaps it was the extremely pale skin...

It could be many things that were making you suspect there was something unusual happening.

When the other prostitutes finished pouring some wine into two glasses and warming the place with candles, Aemond finally cleared his throat, almost as if he were embarrassed or did not know what to do.

"How old are you?" He asked in a more vulnerable voice than he intended, cursing himself for it.

Your brow furrowed at the rude question. There were men who sought out younger and less experienced whores to satisfy some dark desires, but you doubted that was the case. "Twenty-nine, sir."

Aemond sighed and nodded, satisfied with the answer. You might not be as old as Madam Sylvi or Alicent herself, but you were a maturer age than his. It made him less tense. "Good... That is good." He muttered, his single eye directed to the ground when some thoughts shuffled through his mind. A part of Aemond hated himself for having listened to his mother's advice to never set foot in a brothel again. Now, he was ten and nine and barely knew how to talk to a whore, while Aegon must have already fucked even the one he was about to try something on. "Has King Aegon II already enjoyed your services?"

His words caught you off guard, making you fidget with some discomfort, sitting on the mattresses around the floor, your robe tied and expecting anything other than that. "I cannot expose any of my clients' secrets, much less our King."

Aemond hummed without surprise, already expecting an empty answer like that. He took off the hood that shadowed the most part of his face, revealing his long silver hair tied with a not very effective ponytail and the violet eye that shone much brighter now without the dark fabric that made you unable to noticed the true color.

You did not have to be so smart to know the man in front of you was a Targaryen. A Targaryen prince. Perhaps...

"Aemond." His name dripped from your lips like the sweetest honey. "Aemond Targaryen."

The prince maintained his look of neutrality and almost disdain, nodding and then shrugging. "Or Aemond One-Eye, like some people call me. Your King Aegon is my older brother." Due to your lack of response and your wide eyes, Aemond sighed. "And I asked you a question about my brother. Are you going to answer it or not, woman?"

"He... He never fucked me, Your Grace. During the few times I saw him around here, he was either too much drunk or already busy with another courtesan."

That was good. Someone untouchable by Aegon. Not like his mother, who had given birth to Aegon three years before him, contaminating her precious womb with that bitter soul she one day carried, swearing that her firstborn would become an ambitious and noble-hearted boy, worthy to sit in the Iron Throne.

You also would not be like Madam Sylvi, who had already slept with Aegon several times even before his brother forced him to wet his cock inside her during his thirteenth name day.

You were... Pure. Not for the eyes of the world, which saw you as a mere whore, a hole for fun. You were pure for Aemond's eyes. You were untouchable by Aegon's filthy hands. You could be like a mother to Aemond. Hold him like Alicent had held him when he was a child, you could let him fuck you like Madam Sylvi had done when he was just a little boy...

You could be whatever Aemond asked you to be. His whore for some minutes but his mother afterwards. It will be a way to distract himself from what he had done to his nephew. A way to justify his impulsive actions that were about to declare war.

Aemond thought to himself if he should let it all out and just leave later on. That was what he planned to do with Madam Sylvi, even though she was attractive and hot.

Gods, he should not even be there, with the curtains closed and an older but kind woman waiting for him sitting on the mattress, your robe tied carelessly so you could seduce the customers who saw the smooth and transparent silk cloth covering just a little of your beautiful body. He should be with his mother, asking for forgiveness due the war he would cause, begging for the kisses on the forehead that she used to give him when he was younger.

Aemond should just turn around and leave. Leave and wait for Sylvi the next night.

Or rather, he should leave that dirty place forever and go to the Septa to seek forgiveness for his terrible behavior and quick promiscuous solutions.

Of course Aemond should do anything like this. And yet he did not. There was something interesting about being there, analyzing you as if you were fresh meat. Analyzing every detail like he did when he was buying some wooden toys for his nephews Jaehaerys and Jaehaera.

He was analyzing everything with precision, and was enjoying every bit of that vision. "Tell me your name." He crossed his arms, none of his clothes other than his hood were off his body.

You bit the lip before whispering your name and repeating it later, along with your last name. The prince nodded, humming the name on his mouth to test the sound. Enjoying the result, Aemond gestured to your robe and you immediately obeyed his nonverbal demand, untying the knot and letting the thin fabric fall around the mattress, your bright eyes lifting so you could see how the Targaryen prince was reacting.

With flushed cheeks and arms crossed again, Aemond walked a little closer to you, steady and slow steps until he was face to face with you. His index finger lifted your chin with a calm that was the opposite of everything you were used to in the brothel. You even believed that he could treat you really well, unlike other rude customers. But your hope disappeared the moment he grabbed your cheeks, his short nails digging into your skin and forming tears in the corners of your eyes.

"I need... I guess I need to take my emotions out on something. On Someone."

You did not dare blink, muttering an agreement and not resisting when the prince pushed you to lie down. His body was warm, unlike his hands that was cold from sweat. You remained in the position Aemond had placed you in, lying beneath him with your legs spread to let him take control if he wished.

Aemond's heart beat fast, knowing this would be the second time he was about to fuck a woman. The second time he was going against the Faith of the Seven, against his mother's requests. Hurting the feelings of the woman he loved most and probably amusing his older brother, who should have been laughing and drinking, finding it funny that Aemond had not only killed his own nephew due some petty revenge, but was also now enjoying the pleasures he had always despised.

"Do you need help, Your Grace?" You worked up the courage to ask the prince as you noticed how his fingers were a pathetic mess, unable to undo the ties on his own pants after he freed himself from the tunic.

Aemond wanted to tell you to fuck off. To tell you to be quiet and let him fuck your cunt until it is dripping with his seed. Until you are pregnant with a silver-haired bastard. He wanted to humiliate you like Aegon did to all whores.

But for the Seven Gods' sakes... He did not want to be like Aegon anymore.

"I do not know!" Aemond shouted, breaking the silence of the private room. He stopped trying to get rid of his clothes and turned his body to the other side. His heart felt like it was about to explode, his hands were trembling again and his legs were weak. Aemond's head ached like the Seven Hells and he had not drunk any drop of wine that the other courtesans had left there for the two of you. "Gods! I thought this would help me, but I can barely get my fucking cock out!"

Your body moved closer to his, pressing your face against Aemond's warm and bare back. His breathing became more erratic when you remained quiet, but brushed the tip of your nose against his skin as if you were a kitten.

Aemond opened his mouth to scold you for your childish action, and then closed it. There was something different about your silent actions. You did not judge him for being there, you did not mock him when he failed to drop his pants and fuck you fast like any man in their right minds would do. Aemond was far from a sane man and it did not take long for you to notice that.

Even though he was fully aware that you might change your mind about him when you learned the truth of what he had done to his own half-sister's son, Aemond let out a sigh of relief. Neither of you moved the bodies, feeling something good from that whole complex situation.

Then Aemond turned to you, his eye filled with tears that he cursed himself for letting escape. His palm went to your chin, holding it softer than he had done before. It was gentle and almost delicate now. Everything he liked to be for his mother. A good boy. A good son.

The prince looked down at your naked body, your breasts so inviting to him that he did not think twice and immediately touched them, squeezing the soft flesh with an inexperience that was cute to you. Aemond only felt the smoothness of a female chest three times during his entire life.

One of them was when he was just four years old and he was jealous of his mother breastfeeding his youngest brother Daeron after his birth. So he touched Alicent and asked for her milk too, which was denied and he spent hours crying until he got distracted by some wooden toy that which the maids brought at Alicent's request, to entertain the greedy little boy as quickly as they could. After that, Daeron began to be fed by a wet nurse and Aemond never noticed his mother's breast milk again.

The second time was when Helaena was pregnant with the twins Jaehaera and Jaehaerys. Aemond was still an innocent twelve years old boy and was very curious seeing how the girl's breasts were suddenly bigger due to the breast milk. His youthful curiosity got the better of him and he took advantage of the fact that his older sister always let him sleep next to her when Aegon was busy fucking whores in the brothels. He snuggled into a hug with Helaena as she slept and pulled the neckline of her nightgown aside, playing with his thumbs on her nipples until they were leaking white and sweet drops.

Unfortunately for Aemond, Aegon arrived drunk just as he was sucking Helaena's nipples, being breastfed like a baby. Aegon laughed loud at the scene. Aemond's cute lips were so wet with his sister's milk and his face was reddish like a strawberry, body shaking as he explained himself in the least convincing way possible. But fortunately for Aemond, Helaena did not wake up and probably never found out about his immoral act. Or at least he preferred to believe that she never found out about that.

Despite having begged for forgiveness at the Septa so many times, Aemond was dragged against his own will by his older brother to a brothel to celebrate his thirteenth name day. He did not want none of that and he was angry with Aegon, but also scared of the whole situation that would develop, even if a part of him wondered if this was some divine punishment he deserved for taking advantage of his dear sister's innocence during her sleep.

The night of the loss of his virginity had been the third and until then the last time that Aemond touched any intimate part of a female body, his young and plump face buried in the middle of Madam Sylvi's large chest.

He had promised to the Gods that he would only do something like that again with his future wife. But here he was, thumbs rolling your hard beaks and making you gasp. Aemond may not have been sexually experienced like his brother Aegon, and not like his uncle Daemon or his sluttly half-sister Rhaenyra, but he was a quick learner with a good memory.

He remembered Madam Sylvi encouraging him to pay a special attention to her nipples using his mouth, and Aemond was eager to follow that old lesson. Wrapping one of your beaks with his lips, Aemond licked you like a hungry man, his tongue swirling around it and then nibbling.

Every muffled moan that left your lips was like music to the Prince's ears.

Once your breasts were completely soaked with Aemond's spit and red marks from the bites he gave you, Aemond smirked satisfied, the desperation that was taking over his mind disappearing and giving space to the lust building up inside his veins.

He spread your legs like he watched Aegon do with the maids when they were both younger, smirking at the view of your wet cunt, the pubic hair glistening with your own juices. "Fuck, you are really dripping. I thought you whores got paid to pretend, not to actually enjoy it."

You moaned at his mockery. In fact, you did not usually feel pleasure with your customers, even the most frequent ones who were not rough to you. They always focused on themselves, not really caring if what you were feeling was pleasurable or not.

But Aemond Targaryen was different. He was appreciating your body, hands on your breasts as if you were an anchor keeping him safe, face in front of your legs, excited to devour you and satisfy all his hunger.

Aemond Targaryen barely seemed to see you as a whore. He seemed to be seeing you as a woman he wanted to worship more than anything. Almost like a...

"Do you have children?"

The prince was full of random questions, and it was another one of the moments when he crossed an unusual line. Why the hells was this important? Was he some boring man who wanted to have sex just with not so experienced whores? Was he disgusted by pregnancies?

"I do. I have... two kids."

The words was almost impossible to hear. Anyone would tell you to repeat what you said. Anyone could be angry due the answer. Anyone but Aemond Targaryen. The prince's keen hearing caught your words perfectly, a smirk of relief and excitement pulling at his lips.

It was perfect. Almost too perfect to be true.

It did not matter where your children were now. It did not matter if they might be suffering from having a mother working in a brothel to be able to feed them with the bare minimum. All that mattered to Aemond at that moment was that you had two children. Just like Alicent had Aegon and Helaena before he was born.

He could pictured himself coming out of his mother's womb. She always said that Aemond was the most painful birth of all, as the boy came out of her womb with such eagerness that the midwives swore it almost caused a hemorrhage inside Alicent's cunt. While Aegon's birth had been traumatizing due to the fact that it was Alicent's first time going through that labor experience, Helaena's birth was soft. The little girl was born so silent that for a few seconds the Queen feared she had been born dead, but Helaena cried when Alicent began to sob, as if she was feeling her mother's emotional pain.

Aemond remembered how his mother described the birth of each of them, even Daeron, who was the fastest of all to be born. And one thing Aemond would never forget was how his mother described his birth.

Alicent said it was like giving birth to a dragon. She felt like she was being ripped from the inside out and for a moment she could swear that little Aemond enjoyed hearing her screams of pain while the midwives were desperate to help stop the bleeding. She said he stopped crying immediately, the sounds of her suffering calmed him.

If he came out of Alicent's body like a dragon whelp, then he would come into yours with all the Targaryen fire inside his veins too. The true perfect replacement for her mother could handle anything. Perhaps he could really trust you to vent and look for affection if you also saw him as your and Alicent's third children. The most devout and the most feared. He could be that for both of you.

Six years ago, Aemond had no awareness about how to please a woman. He was sure that Sylvi had pretended to cum so that he would not feel so humiliated, not that it mattered anyway, since Aemond had not lost his virginity by choice and Madam was already used to faking pleasure reactions for the vast majority of men who visited her brothel. However, there with you, after not knowing how to deal with the chaos tormenting his own mind, Aemond allowed himself to lower his head and get between your legs, rubbing his tongue on the swollen bud that he knew what it was based on what it was written in the forbidden books of the library in the castle.

At first, the movements of his tongue were disorganized and uncomfortable, and you tried to guide his head, but Aemond bit your thigh, drawing some blood from you and hearing you cry out. Aemond did not care about any of that, licking up the red drops that dripped down and going back to licking your clit, taking a little more care than before, understanding that he had done something wrong. He made his tongue less pointy and flattened it better, rubbing it against your cunt and giving gentle licks, eating out the juices that dripped from your wet hole and then moving it up to focus on your clit, trembling moans escaping you while you rolled the eyes at the sensation.

Your thighs trembled and your back arched upward, forcing Aemond to grip your legs to keep your body down, the wet sucking noises buzzing in his ear when you had the first release.

Aemond did not wait you to recover yourself from your high. He kept your legs open with one of his large hands, the other undoing the ties of his pants more quickly than during the first attempt, throwing them to the side and caressing his hard cock. You looked at his muscular torso and looked down at his long legs and the dark hair on his groin.

You did not even need to entertain him with false praises or get him drunk with the wine the other prostitutes prepared for the two of you. Aemond was ready for it and ignoring his own nervousness.

He spat into his palm, pressing his arousal one last time and finally slamming into you, the abrupt stretch hurting your cunt, lips parted and eyes widening when Aemond ignored your brief pain and started moving his hips, letting out low guttural growls at the feeling of your tight warm walls crushing him.

"Your Grace..." You moaned in a mix of pleasure and discomfort, the thrusts hitting the soft part of your cervix and making you see stars.

Aemond smirked at your incoherent moans, lowering himself until his face was close to yours, capturing your mouth in an aggressive kiss, uncoordinated tongues together, teeth practically devouring each other's lower lip. The exchange of saliva tasted like blood and your own cum.

He had not felt the sensation of being inside a woman in so many years that the pleasure was almost like losing his virginity for a second time. It was intense, strange and desperate. He needed more. He needed to fuck you deep inside, until you were like Alicent, carrying a part of him in your womb.

The faster he got closer to his orgasm, the more Aemond's low growls became whispers begging the Gods for forgiveness and also tearful moans calling you his mother. Prayers and cries coming from a filthy sinner in search of redemption, or from an innocent little boy who needed the love of the woman who gave birth to him.

With each violent thrust inside your tight and sore cunt, Aemond pictured a little silver-haired boy coming out of you after nine moons and destroying you just like he had done to Alicent during his own childbirth.

Now that the only woman who ever loved him with her entire body and soul saw him as a monster, Aemond wished that future routine nights with you in the brothel could fill the void inside his heart. However, deep down Aemond knew that no one could ever love him more than the woman who brought him into the world. For Aemond, failing Alicent was worse than failing the Gods. And there was no divine or maternal forgiveness for a murderer.

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foone · 21 hours ago

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I need to watch more Star Trek: The Original Series. Despite, you know, everything about me, I've only actually seen like a third of it. I never was a big fan as a kid and I never went back to watch it.

The slightly embarrassing reason why I need to watch it is that I've been developing this headcanon about Bones where he's got a complex and somewhat destructive relationship with death and I honestly don't know if it's backed up by canon and I don't want to keep talking about it (in the same ways, at least) if it's not really canon-compatible.

So I wanna re-watch/watch TOS just so I can see if my Bones characterization makes any sense or if it's solidly an alternate take on the character, like "what if bones was a depressed perfectionist with substance abuse issues?"

Like, I know he's often the smilies and jokiest of the crew, but that always read as, like... "clown happiness", for lack of a better term. It's smiling and joking as an act, because you don't want to look and sound as miserable as you are.

I think McCoy is a man who wants to save everyone and despite the wonders of his future technology, he knows he can't win. No matter how many miracles he pulls off, it's just a matter of time before they come back from a mission with something he can't fix, and they die on his medibed or in his arms on a mission. This is, of course, not helped by his two closest friends being Kirk and Spock, who are always willing to die to save each other, the crew, the mission, strangers, alien rocks with laser eyes, the concept of hatred itself, whatever.

He's "happy" and "jokey" but in a M*A*S*H sense: you're saving lives but sometimes it hits a little too hard that you're saving soldiers who are just going to go back out there and get shot or blown up or whatever damn foolish way. And he drinks a lot more than he should to not have to face those facts sober. And to forget, even if only for a moment, all the faces of those he failed to save.

Spocks got an eidetic memory from his green-blooded heritage, but Bones doesn't need one to be sure he remembers that young ensign who was grabbed by a plasma macrobe and had all his red blood cells turned to dust. There's one of those every day, it seems. Different reasons, different situations, different faces dying in front of him and he never stops feeling like a failure when it happens. But he goes on, because if he gives up that'll just mean more deaths and pain and sickness.

He knows he's gonna lose this war in the end. But that's no reason to stop fighting. He drags himself to the sickbay every morning, happy and chipper, because if he doesn't do this he can't live with himself, and you've he's got to put on a good show for the patients, nurses, officers. They're counting on him, and they need his wholesome bedside manner.

But you can see it when he gets angry. How pissed he gets when people die for no reason, are sick for no reason, are denied treatment for no reason, and how much he hates all this space malarkey. His anger sounds like a man who has been hurting for a very long time and is finally letting some of it out.

#Bones #star trek tos

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worldly-fluster · 2 days ago

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Snapdragon

Dragon!Sylus x Non-MC! Reader

Part 1 of ?

*This will be Non-Canon BTW it starts with Dragon!Sylus and goes into normal Sylus*

Warnings: Blood, cussing...I think that's it lol

**non-mc but will be called MC because it's easier to write than (y/n) every time 👍**

-The Start of Something Normal-

-1st person POV- changes throughout**

Have you ever wondered if there was something...more?

Something other than going to a 9-5 and paying rent with all you earned, there must be something else.

At least I had my games right?

Today is weird.

Just weird.

Ever since I woke up from a weird dream, that I can't even remember, I've been randomly smelling flowers.

Checked the LADS game, flowers.

Got ready for work, flowers.

Delt with customers, flowers.

But I'm the only one smelling it?

Maybe it's the stress, I'll just have to take melatonin when I get home.

As I walked through the front door of my apartment, coming home after a long day at work, I was greeted by dark silence. I hate living alone...

I sighed as I placed my keys on the shelves by my door and threw my heavy jacket on top of them. I limped slightly into my living room/kitchen, my feet hurting from standing all day. When I reached the couch, my nose was assaulted by the smell of flowers once again causing me to groan.

"What the fuck... Bruh." I plopped down on the cheap leather futon with a weeze, reaching for the bottle of melatonin gummies I threw on there the other night.

Popping two into in my mouth, I grabbed the iPad next to the bottle and opened up the Love and Deepspace app.

I smiled when I saw Sylus show up immediately on the screen, my heart doing a badump as I sang quietly along to the intro.

Finally getting onto the game, I went to the daily login that I forgot to get this morning, ignoring Zayne standing there in his Panda onesie.

After completing the normal, I didn't know what to do, so I went to check the memories. Only then did I remember I never actually watched the new Dragon Sylus cards...

From what I heard about them it seemed traumatizing. But I guess if I had nothing else to do?...I'm gonna regret it aren't I.

The smell of flowers hit my nose again, even stronger than before, when I tapped the first one I saw called 'Abyssal Blossom'.

As the memory loads, the iPad glitches and shuts off. Maybe I forgot to charge it and it died? The smell of flowers is almost overwhelming, as if I'm standing in a field full of them.

I started feeling tired, so tired that I could hardly stand up so I decided to just sleep for a while on the futon. I fell asleep quickly.

This dream?...felt familiar...and too real.

The scent of the flowers made more sense here, the field looking familiar...oh its almost exactly like the flower field you can see in one of Sylus' Dragon cards.

What was the name of it again? Abyssal something...

Oh whatever, these flowers are nice. The scent kinda comforts me, almost like a mix of vanilla citrus? With a slight hint of herbal lavender I think... I don't know I'm bad with identifying stuff.

This dream is quite detailed though, the flowers, the dirt, the nice cool breeze and warm rays of sun on my skin...wait, what's that? Looks like something flying in the sky? A big bird maybe...it's coming closer? Oh shit, what the fuck-?!

The air was knocked out of my lungs as I was picked up and yoinked through the air.

"Are you here to try to kill me?"

I blinked up at the...man? Are we flying??

"No?"

I wheezed out my answer, it sounding more like a question in my shock as I clung onto him. The man? narrowed his eyes at me.

Are those red eyes? And horns? Why does he look like Sylus?? Wait, Dragon Sylus???

He seemed to search my face for something, his own relaxing a bit as he found what he was looking for.

"Then why are you in my territory?"

"I don't know, I just woke up here..."

"Woke up here? Who, in their right mind, would come into my territory for any reason?"

"I don't know...I just remember falling asleep at home and waking up in this field. It's beautiful by the way."

"Hm..."

"What should I call you? I'm MC."

"...Stayrus*" (Something that sounds similar lol)

"...How about Sylus?"

"Do what you want. It'll be up to me whether I answer or not."

"So...where are you taking me?"

"To my home, where I will be keeping an eye on you."

"Oh okay."

"Don't get any ideas human. I'm bored and I have been waiting for something interesting."

"I mean, I figured. No one just goes out and picks up a random stranger without being a little bored."

He grunts as he continues flying through the sky.

He brought me to a cave opening at the top of a deep canyon, he sat me down and lightly pushed me inside.

"You will be staying here until I say so."

"Alrighty. Any rules?"

"No...you are oddly okay with this."

"Well," I shrug, "it's either this or fend for myself in an unfamiliar place outside."

"Sylus?"

"..."

"Um...Stayraytus??"

"That was terrible."

"Sorry..."

"..." He sighs, "What is it?"

"So...I have zero survival skills...can you teach me how to survive here? Please?"

"...child."

"Yes...sorry."

It's been about a week since Sylus, yes he started answering to it, let me stay in his 'home'. He started teaching me some survival things, like how to find food, telling me to ask him first if the thing is edible. Other than that, it was...boring.

In my boredom, while Sylus lay on the cool cave floor surrounded by gold, I started stretching.

Touching my toes, bending to the side, balancing on one foot like a flamingo...you name it, I was trying to do it.

I was in the downward dog position when Sylus spoke.

"What are you doing?"

"...yoga?"

"...yugo."

"Pffft-" I couldn't help but laugh a bit, "it's Yo-gah."

"...why are you doing whatever that's called?"

"It's so my body doesn't get stiff."

"...how old are you?"

"23."

"..."

"...Don't you dare say it."

Sylus grunted as he went back to messing with his golden lamp thing.

After a bit of silence he spoke.

"I'm 27."

I looked up at him in a little surprise.

"Really? You look my age honestly."

"hm."

We were sitting by the entrance of the cave, watching the sunset, when Sylus broke the silence.

"Your hair..."

"What's wrong with my hair? Is there knots? I swear I got them all out earlier..."

"No, it's just different."

"What do you mean?"

"everyone I've ever seen had lighter hair...yours is darker. It's...pretty."

My face felt hot as I turned away from him.

"Oh, thank you...no one's said that about me before."

"Why not?"

I shrug.

"I'm sure that you get called pretty, beautiful, every time someone sees you, I mean, you're pretty attractive...I'm going to shut up now..."

There was a bit of silence until he spoke, looking over my face.

"No one has ever called me any of those things before..."

"Oh...well I still think you are. Those people are just blind."

"...Thank you."

I smile at him.

"Any time."

A comfortable silence settled over us but I couldn't take my eyes off of him if I tried. His hair looked so soft and fluffy...

"Hey Sylus?"

"Hm?"

"Can I...touch your hair?"

He looked questioningly at me, one of his brows raised.

"Why?"

"It looks so soft, but you don't need to say yes. I was just curious."

Sylus looked to the side, seeming to think for a moment before he looked down with a small smile, giving a small nod before he lay stretched out and placed his head on my lap, careful of his horns.

I let out an excited hum as I carefully ran my fingers through his hair, my nails slightly scratching his scalp. He grunted, not really used to this type of contact but...he thinks he can get used to this.

Sylus closed his eyes as he felt your hands work their way through his hair, around the base of his horns gently and lightly rubbing behind them in the hard to reach places. His chest felt warm, his heart fluttering as all he could think about were your hands, the warmth of your thighs...

He could definitely get used to this.

It seemed winter was fast approaching as the cave seemed to get colder, frost covering the edges of the entrance. I sat snuggled into Sylus' side.

"...What are you doing?"

"It's cold, it's called cuddling for warmth."

"... do as you wish."

His tail gently curled around us, pushing me just a bit closer.

"...it is getting colder out. We'll have to get you something warmer."

"Ah, don't worry about it. You're warm enough so I'll just have to stay right here."

Sylus grunted, his tail wrapping just a bit tighter. Just enough for me to notice.

The next day, Sylus was gone for a little while. I had to stay warm by my own makeshift fire, the dry sticks that were just by the edge of the cave entrance being my fuel.

While I waited for Sylus to get back I watched as the smoke went up through a small hole in the ceiling of the cave, wondering, how long have I been here? Where he could have gone? ...how much longer will I be allowed to stay?

After just a few more minutes, I heard the sound of his powerful wings as he landed at the entrance. He was holding a big bundle of... something.

He walked over to me and just, dumped what he was holding onto my head.

"Mph?!"

"This should work."

His tail moved the pile of burning sticks to the side before I could accidentally fall onto it with his gift still suffocating me.

Seeing me still struggling with it, he chuckled and plucked one blanket off my head letting me poke my head out of the pile.

"Guh! Why you do this?"

"English Sweetie."

"What is this?"

"Blankets, for warmth."

"...Thank you Sylus."

"Hm. Now scooch over, I'm cold."

"You're literally a walking furnace?"

"... I'm cold."

"Just say you wanna cuddle."

"...cuddle me."

As winter gave way to spring, the flowers started blooming again. The change in temperature seemed to make Sylus stir crazy.

I let out a squeal as his thick tail wrapped around my waist and pulled me along.

"Sylus! No!"

"Sylus yes."

"No!"

"Do you want to see the flowers or not?"

"...fine. But if you drop me, I will haunt you."

After a short flight, Sylus landed at the field of flowers he found me in. I looked around, having not had the chance to fully look around before being whisked away, when I saw something that made me gasp.

"Oh! Look, there are Snapdragon's!"

I moved towards them, Sylus staying close to my side.

"What? There aren't any other dragons here."

"No not actual dragons, Sy, they're a type of flower."

I move so he could see it better.

"This is a snapdragon!"

"That looks nothing like a dragon."

"It kinda does, see? This is it's eyes, nose, horns, and this!"

I push the sides of the flower together, making a small opening into the flower.

"Is it's mouth! Cool right?"

"... dragons don't open their mouth just because you touch their cheeks."

"These ones do. Try it! It's fun."

"Fine."

I watched as he moved his claws around the flower, actively trying not to damage it, but failing.

"Sylus you have to be gentle." I giggle as he accidentally crushes the flower between his claws.

"Here, use the pads of your fingers instead."

I hold his hands as I help him gently open the Snapdragon's mouth. His breath seemed to stutter as he let me guide his hands.

"There, you did it!"

"Hmm..."

In a small burst of confidence, I giggle and lift my hands to his face where I gently press on his cheeks.

"Good job!"

His eyes widen slightly and out of reflex, or shock, his mouth slightly opens.

"You know, you're my big Snapdragon."

After we made our way back to the cave, I had a thought.

"What if I end up going back some day?"

"Back where?"

"My home, like how I woke up here, will I one day wake up back home?"

Sylus seemed to stiffen a bit as he looked towards me, eyes searching my face.

"...do you want to go back home."

"I don't know, some days I miss home but most days I forget."

"I understand...what if you never go back?"

"Then I hope you'll let me stay?"

"I'll be here."

There is a long comfortable silence as we watch the sunset from the mouth of the cave once again. I took in a big breath of the freshest air I'll ever have and enjoy the moment.

"Sylus? Can you promise me something?"

"What is it?"

"If I do end up leaving somehow, I want you to find things that make you happy, not just surviving but living."

His tail flicks a bit behind us.

"...fine, as long as you promise the same."

A few days later we were at the flower field once again.

The sun set and we continued to sit amongst the flowers after a long day of lazing around. The stars slowly came out one by one.

While I watched the stars it reminded me of a song that gets stuck in my head.

"You and I stargazing...intertwining souls..."

I quietly sang, trying not to disturb the quiet night.

While I looked at the stars and the moon that hung beautifully, Sylus looked my way with a slightly raised brow, curious.

"What's that?

He whispered his question, his rough voice surprisingly soft.

I gave a small hum, still looking at the night sky.

"it's a song from my home... sitting here under the stars reminded me of it."

"Hm..."

"You know...the moon is very beautiful tonight."

"...yeah, it is."

He couldn't seem to look away from you, watching the moon and stars that reflected in your eyes.

I heard birds chirping as I slowly woke up from a comfortable sleep, feeling warm. I could smell flowers still. I tried to turn but a weight on my side stopped me.

I heard a deep grunt as the weight tightened around me and pulled me closer. A second weight being added onto my legs, seeming to curl around and in between them.

I groggily opened my eyes to be met with a familiar shiny red jewel, just barely grazing my nose. I moved my hands up from their place by my stomach up to the jewel. I leaned my face into the jewel and snuggled closer.

I could feel a soft rumbling coming from the dragon I was cuddled to, having realized it was him from the warmth he gave me.

"It seems we fell asleep..."

His voice was deep from sleep, his clawed hands pulling me closer. The scent of flowers being drowned out by his smell. Scent like a bonfire and leather.

"We're still in the field?"

"Yeah...I didn't want to wake you."

I felt his warm breath on the top of my head, taking in my own scent.

He...he's definitely used to this. He never wants to let you go. You gave him a warmth he thought he would never receive, showed him care and treated him not as the monster everyone screams he is. With you, he's not a Fiend. He's Sylus, your Snapdragon.

-**

It was only a few moments...

That's all it took.

One second, you both were walking through the field towards home when there was a sharp sound. Sylus reacted almost immediately, dodging the claymore that sliced into the dirt where he was just seconds ago.

He barely let out a breathe before the assailant attacked again. He dodged once more before he heard.

"Sylus! Help!"

His head snapped towards the direction of your voice. What he saw made his blood boil. You were being pinned to the ground by a big burly, ugly, man.

"I got you!"

In his moment of distraction, the one attacking him hit him with something like magic. Golden chains wrapped around him, pinning him down. He heard a laugh as a woman walked into his sight, she was a sorceress and she had an overconfident smirk on her face.

"Time to face your fate, Fiend!" She laughed out, "honestly, I thought you were stronger than that. How disappointing."

"Fate?! What fate?!"

Sylus heard you struggling, making him start to struggle as well so he can get you out of here.

"Now now," the sorceress tutted towards him, then turned towards you, "His fate is to die by my claymore. Simple."

"That's his fate?! Bullshit!"

"You can't change fate-"

"Like fuck I will!"

You cut her off, just as you knocked the large man off of you with a quick kick to the groin. When you were free you threw yourself between her and Sylus.

"Just watch me."

You smirked as you watched her eyes widen and she took a step back.

"MC! No!"

Sylus struggled with the golden chains of magic holding him down.

"Don't worry Snapdragon...I got this."

"Stop! This is not-"

"Too late, already did."

-**

I grunt as the claymore goes through my chest, I can feel the intense pain for only a moment before it seems to disappear. The claymore is lodged in my chest, a ringing going through my ears. Sylus' eyes widen as it feels all the air is taken from his lungs when he sees the end of the claymore exit your back.

"MC!"

"Hahaha! Now what are you going to do Fiend?!"

"I'm going to fucking kill you!"

I heard a growl and the sound of something breaking but my mind goes a little fuzzy as a fight rages on, roars of anger and grunts reach my ears along with the sounds of a blade and claws. I could faintly hear the sound of tearing flesh.

All I could do was stare at the claymore still embedded in my chest, my hands too shaky and weak to pull it.

For a moment I thought the last things I would hear was the fight until-

"MC-"

Sylus slides over to me, his bloodied claws gently holding me. His wounds are already healing over as his panicked eyes look me over.

"MC, she's gone, you don't have to worry now. I got you."

"Sy..."

"Shit..." His voice grew hoarse, his eyes and hands shaking slightly as he tried to figure out a way to help. He seemed to find an idea as his brow set in determination.

"We need to resonate, my healing could help you but we need to resonate, now."

I nod slightly and he grabs my hand gently with one of his as his other gently tries to remove the claymore. I could feel his claws shake a little as he closed his eyes but I didn't want to close my eyes yet. I didn't want it to be the last time I did, so I watched as his power and a power I didn't know I had, connected. When I concentrate I can feel his anger, his fear, and something else I couldn't place. I watched as the claymore fell out of sight, his now free hand coming up to cup my face.

He leaned closer, our foreheads lightly touching.

I could almost feel my flesh mend, but the pain was numb to me as I kept my eyes on his face. I saw his brows furrow, his lips thin in what looks like pain-our shared pain, his eyes stayed closed in concentration.

After a moment more, I felt complete. I let out a sigh as the resonation slowly disappeared, my eyes fluttering closed a moment before I fixed them onto him. I watched as his eyes slowly opened, his nose grazing mine as his eyes locked on mine.

"You aren't going anywhere. Not without me. We live together and we die together. Only you can kill me, and I you."

There is a slight glow to his eyes and the gem in his chest as he stares into my eyes, into my soul.

"Sylus-"

"You're stuck with me. Who else will teach me about your home?"

I shake my head with a giggle.

"What would I do without my Snapdragon?"

"Hm..."

"I'd probably die."

He glared at me for even joking about it, his hand gripping mine a little harder. The hand on my cheek pressed against me, forcing my forehead to press onto his a little more.

"Even if I wasn't here, I would do everything to make sure you stay by me."

"That doesn't even make sense." I laugh.

"You know what I mean." He smiles as you bring a hand to his face, rubbing your thumb of his cheek to get some dirt off. He leaned into your touch, his eyes full of warmth as he continued to stare into your eyes.

After a moment I pull away and stand, Sylus standing as well. I look around at the now destroyed field, a pang of sadness hits my heart...

As both of us take in the aftermath, an oddly familiar scent hits my nose...when suddenly my body starts to glow slightly.

"Wait, Sylus what's happening?"

"I don't know, come here."

This feeling I get from the soft glow feels familiar...my eyes widen when I realize, the smell...

"Sylus!"

"MC?!"

We reach out to each other but the moment his clawed hand touches my hand, a bright light shines and I'm gone.

-**

Nothing is left of her as the light completely disappates

"MC?!"

Sylus turns this way and that, wanting- needing to see just a glimpse of her. His tail whipping around wildly as he floats around in a panic, clawed hands reaching for something, anything.

"MC!...Where..."

Sylus stops for a moment, slowly landing on the cold ground beneath him before collapsing to his knees.

He throws his head back as he lets out the most broken yell that could be heard for miles.

He looked to the side when he ran out of breath, his chest heaving as he let out a whimper. He saw that claymore, laying coldly on the dirt. Your blood still covered it, your scent still on it...

A few tears fell from his eyes as he reached out and gripped the handle. He pulled it towards him, curling around it slightly on the ground.

He lay there for what felt like forever to him, in the very flower field he met you...the flowers mostly crushed by the ambush of the sorceress that was sent to kill him with this very claymore.

When he finally had the energy to move, he went back to your shared cave, claymore in hand. Seeing the entrance made his flight stutter, knowing you won't be there to welcome him home...

He landed at the opening, he stepped heavily inside.

He saw your pile of blankets, the small fire pit you built, the little trinkets you collected from his horde that he let you have...

He stabbed the claymore into his old sleeping place then made his way towards the small stream that runs through the edge of the cave. He used the water from the steam to clean the blood off of him, yours, his, that damned sorceress...

After he was cleaned and dried off with the cloth you used to use, he made his way to your pile of blankets.

Sylus collapsed into them, burying himself in your scent, a wine leaving his throat as he held tightly onto what was left of you.

The dragon is lost without his master...

#love and deepspace #love and deepspace sylus #love and deepspace imagine #lads sylus #l&ds sylus #lads fanfic #sylus x reader #sylus love and deepspace #lnds sylus

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taldigi · 2 days ago

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what are your yu headcanons? i’m curious — i love hearing ppl’s interpretations of the persona mcs!!

Sure! I think about him too much, anyway.

Loves his family more than anything. His friends are his family, too.

Autism man 1000 years strong

Oral fixation. It was almost eliminated but it came back full force due to the stress of the investigation. RIP his pencils. Chews his (disposable) chopsticks to splinters.

Didn't know any origami until moving to Inaba. Makes cranes when anxious or bored. Learns more types over time. It's become a telltale sign that Yu's been in the area when you see origami stars or cranes littering the area.

Gay. i know canonically he's not/is at least bisexual but idk- Atlus has a good track record of of their "MC can't be too interested in a single girl lest we invalidate a player's chosen girl" that just comes off as them being not interested at all.

Is actually pretty genuine about liking things like fishing and cooking (sometimes i've seen people interpreting these hobbies like they're a means to an end). He knows many recipes by heart.

He knows the recipe for LeBlanc's curry. He thinks he dreamt it up because he remembers Ren telling him about it during PQ2.

He thinks the Yasogami uniforms are really cool and likes how they feel, too.

Is really good with kids. He has has two social links with kids and one with a mom and her kid. That, plus he's pretty welcome doing a daycare gig as a boy- which is typically a pretty unwelcoming field for guys.

Tries his best to see the best in people. Adachi fucked that up a bit for him tho.

His arena title actually hurt his feelings a lot more than he lets on.

Incredible patience developed from years of neglect as a kid. This is not always a good thing. Sometimes (outside of extreme circumstances) he needs to be reminded that he's allowed to be mad or frustrated.

Stone faced and calm for similar reasons. Was scolded pretty harshly a few times for emotional outbusts as a child- emoting too much stresses him out since there's the fear of being admonished (even though he's too old to be scolded.)

He's a chronic people pleaser and it's caused him trouble more than once.

That being said, he doesn't shy away from being blunt.

Struggles to ask for his own needs to be met.

He cannot sleep until after midnight on rainy days. Even when away from Inaba. He's tried, even with medication.

He may have the braincells of the group, but one of those braincells is Yosuke. Yosuke is also 40% of his emotional control.

All of his friends are special to him, but when it comes to anything: he reaches to Yosuke first. He trusts him enough to follow him to hell. Psychic partner connection.

Teddie is his unproblematic fave. He is President of the Teddie fanclub. Blorbo.

Has wondered if Izanagi is his "true" persona, or if it was forced onto him by Izanami. He is also a little self-conscious about never having a shadow.

there's something gender about him.

Hates being alone, living alone even moreso.

Not particularly fond of lying. Not that he'll blurt truths or anything comical like that, but deceptive behavior is the quickest way to push his buttons.

Cats cats cats. If Neko Atsume was a personality trait.

Not picky about food. Will even eat stuff that shouldn't be food. Neglect side effect. He never grows out of it. Would absolutely drink the water in tartarus.

Nervous about a post-fog TV world, but warms up to it after Teddie ushers the team to visit. After confronting Adachi, he never visits alone again: but it's a pretty great spot to escape to. Good picnic spot (not that Inaba is lacking in them)

(future Headcanons)

He uses his TV world glasses as an emotional comfort item, even though he doesn't need them.

He learns that he's not super fond of the city, and once he gets his driver's license after college: he never spends more than a day or weekend trip in big cities.

I imagine him as a college dropout. Instead, he opts to get various licenses. This disappoints his parents and they have a fallout about it.

Grey rocked his parents.

Works on call for the shadow operatives. He also watches over the TV world with the rest of the IT and offers regular reports to them. The benefits are generous, too.

His Wildcard ability eventually erodes over time as he doesn't really gain access to the Velvet Room's functions again. Most of the alternate personas he has sort of... fuse back down into Izanagi (which is why, in the sequels, he doesn't really utilize multiple personas)

As said before, he thinks the Yaso uniforms are cool as hell and is almost crushed when he can't fit in his old one. Kanji makes him a sort of lookalike/inspired jacket as a gift and it's his favorite jacket of all time.

Reaches out to Namatame, and actually keeps him pretty informed on TV world stuff. I like to think they have coffee sometimes.

(Izanagi)

makes deep grumbly noises with sharp metalic sounds. Think like.. pokemon's Bastiodon or Aegislash.

Looks and acts stoic, but as he's technically Yu's shadow, he's a little weepy & cries easily.

Gets lonely easily.

this is a really silly one, but: You can give Izanagi a little treat by feeding him batteries.

thats all I can think of for now.

#Anonymous

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blackbloodteeth · 1 day ago

Text

@bcbdrums Happy Secret Santa! The original gifter unfortunately couldn't really make it, so old man yaoi to the rescue haha (we meet again haha)

This was originally going to be a little sillier but that wasn't really working out, so they look a little cooler now haha (can't say it couldn't happen in canon at some point hah)

Bonus doodle that I saved and an unrelated snippet below:

Spirit has no idea if Stein is doing it like this intentionally haha

————

His steps start to slow down shortly after entering the room, eyebrows furrowing at his meister cackling to himself in the corner – quite literally as Franken has nearly wedged himself against the wall with the chair facing away from him. "What on Earth are you doing back here?"

"Oh, Senpai –" Spirit preemptively pockets his hands into his suit while Stein turns to face him, a suspicious look of giddiness and a handful of… beans? "– Did you need something?"

"I wasn't really going to say yes, but now I need to know what twisted experiment I'm going to be stopping now."

Another chuckle twitches across his mouth before Stein wheels himself on over, presenting the small dried beans sitting in his palm as- wait why are they moving.

"Cydia saltitans." He watches on in horrid fascination at the tiny hopping legumes and presence of their scientific name.

"More commonly known as Mexican jumping beans." He continues to watch on in horrid fascination when an entire see-through container of them is lifted up to him. "Well, more specifically the larva of the jumping bean moth, neither of which actually being legumes."

Spirit finally remembers to blink again while gawking back at Franken's giddy smiling. "…Jumping… beans?"

"Yes. Here, hold some."

One can not be entirely sure if it was by sheer bafflement or just the helpless willingness to go along with whatever plan his meister dropped upon him that Spirit finds himself already holding out one of his hands, beans bestowed upon his palm, yet here he is anyway. Lost and four jumping beans richer like Jack before having to face a rather cumbersome magic beanstalk.

"Well.. consider me bean-boozled…"

"No, too obvious," Franken hums disapprovingly.

Spirit blinks at him again. "…Sorry, I guess I jumped to that too quickly, I think I can do moth better than that low-hanging fruit."

In an instant, Stein snickers into one of those mischievous grins of his, which for him was the equivalent of an uproarious applause. Looks like he's still got it.

————

Yes, not only did I have the amusing thought that Stein likes to collect bugs (the weirder, the better), but that of course Spirit keeps bad dad jokes up his sleeve and Stein actually delights in groan-inducing puns hahaha. He always felt like a bit of a trickster to me, so the two make a very silly duo.

(And what's the deal with the jumping beans, anyway?)

Oh hey, because my brain is truly unmitigated chaos, here's some other ideas I thought about doing, 'cause why not:

Spirit is finally going to prank Stein back after all these years he's endured, however Stein can already see him coming and always pranks back harder.

Stein is temporarily taking care of guinea pig, and decides to tease Spirit by pretending it's for an experiment.

Stein helps tie Spirit's hair up in a ponytail like how he used to wear one, out of curiosity. (I wonder how Stein would look in a man bun...)

Spirit sees himself as a fox, but Stein sees him as a hound. I had to stop myself from doing something werewolf-related again and that one scene in the anime isn't helping.

Stein is indifferent about Christmas, but loves sweaters and believes there's an art to the ugly ones. Coincidentally this makes it easier and harder to gift to him because he is surprisingly picky about them sometimes (could be Spirit's tastes hah).

Speaking of sweaters, it would be really funny to put these two in one of those two-person sweaters.

Stein probably has an entire collection of sweaters he just stitches together as a hobby. Say what you will about the man, he could probably sow anything at this point.

Do you think Stein would be one of those sweater-knitting grandpas.

Okay I'm losing track of myself again haha, hope this silly assortment is enjoyable!

I will say though, I also had an idea a little while ago where Stein takes Spirit to see a strange ram witch because Spirit has been cursed so that he can't leave his scythe form. Went a little something like the witch asking for one of the screws in Stein's coat pocket, which he swears wasn't there before, and the witch then uses it to guide them in the right direction. A strange but helpful fellow, that one.

#2025 art #traditional art #writing #soul eater #franken stein #spirit albarn #stein x spirit #spirit x stein #I give up on ship names #sesecretsanta #I think Stein might have actually become one of my blorbos at this point and I don't know what to think about it

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astarioffsimpmain · 19 hours ago

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Wip Whursday

Bless you for titling this, whoever did so LOL And thank you for the tag, @nerdallwritey !!

This is a spicy, 18+ only snippet from my long-fic with Lyra and Gale!

“Ahh,” you moaned softly as his fingers curled around your crossed wrists, gently but firmly holding them in place over your head. You squirmed beneath him, his weight upon you unfamiliar, but exhilarating.

“Have you ever been pinned down like this, my love?” He whispered. He knew the answer. He was riling you up — and succeeding. You shook your head, molten heat cascading to your core as he settled between your legs, the rub of his corduroy pants against your wet heat nearly too much to bear. “Ah ah ah.” he tutted gently, pressing down on you. “Use your words.”

“Hhhggh, no.”

He chuckled and the sound reverberated through you, sending pleasant tingles throughout your body's nerve endings. You were already aware of your thoughts beginning to blur, all previous fears and concerns sliding into your subconscious as his scalding tongue made a glistening track up to your earlobe. “You like it, do you not?” He whispered into your ear and another moan burst forth from you. Your body acted of its own accord, arching upwards in search of his, desperate to have him closer. A pitiful whimper escaped your lips when he bit gently into your earlobe. “Words, my love.”

“Y-yes!” You gasped, the simple word almost too difficult to reach amidst your overwhelm. Unconsciously, you fought against his hold on your hands, aching to reach him; to have him, and to never part with him. “Mmm how marvelous are you, hm?” He hummed, inching over you further until his knee began to press into the underside of your right leg, urging it upwards. You didn't even have the presence of mind to question him as he parted your legs with his own, exposing your glistening slit to the open air. You mewled as the sensation hit you. God, you were so wet. You couldn't remember ever being this wet so early on. When you pleasured yourself, you had the bad habit of coming too quickly, and rarely reached this level of moisture before your high. Gale had barely touched you. The realization was nearly sobering, and you would have commented on it had Gale’s fingers not decided to explore. A digit brushed over your slit and you gasped. Was that his finger? Thumb? You couldn't tell, but you needed more. You whined in protest of his fleeting touch and he grinned down at you. “Patience, little love,” he murmured, his deep brown eyes locking with yours as he brought his thumb to his lips and took it inside his mouth. His eyelids dropped closed and he groaned lowly. Your jaw dropped as a wave of pleasure went straight through you. ‘That is the hottest sound I have ever heard.’

Tagging, Darlings: @fanon-and-canon @charlenestrawart @micropoe10 @just-a-refrigerator @knightofmight01 @serenaoffaerun @worfs-glorious-hair @senualothbrok

#baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #gale #gale bg3 #gale x tav #gale x reader #gale x oc #gale x lyra #songweave #wip whursday

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veinvv · 1 day ago

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i haven’t seen anyone talk about the outfit descriptions in wuwa and i honestly don’t know if they’ve always been there or if that’s new bc outfits are a thing in the game now

BUT LIKE

who wrote these ????????

rovers is so borderline passive aggressive that every time i look at it i giggle

also. did that line single-handedly make the fact that rover doesn’t ever change clothes canon within the story?

mortefi’s only has one line that’s actually about the outfit (same goes for like half the characters). but we know damn well that most of the academy researchers are NOT dressed like him and that’s all you had to say pertaining to his outfit ????

some of the funniest ones are like baizhi’s where they try and convince you the outfit is practical. like no….it’s not…

you have her fighting tacet discords in a mini bodycon dress….

shout out to yuanwu for having a description that is genuinely (mostly) just about the outfit

and then shout out to aalto and youhu’s outfit descriptions for having absolutely NOTHING to do with their clothes

“Red is Carlotta’s color.”

but…

…pink…?

her outfit is pink….

i can forgive that solely for for the laugh i had when reading that last line because i refuse to accept that they wrote that unironically

and lastly, my personal favorite. jiyan.

because what do you mean ?????

i have so many questions !!!

you’re telling me that either:

1.) jué can just materialize an outfit at will and its certified drip magic ended up outliving its omnipotence

2.) jué, the sentinel of jinzhou, a deity, somehow communicated with a human to commission a custom tailored outfit. (maybe that’s why it appointed jinshi as magistrate right afterward….so it could impart its dreams of making jiyan its personal dress-up barbie girl by making her talk to a tailor for it…)

but no matter what the answer is, just remember that jué specifically curated an outfit for jiyan that leaves little to the imagination in the chest area.

unless jué genuinely thought that’s what the rest of the rangers dressed like. “based on the standard uniform”—THATS NOT EVEN REMOTELY WHAT THE RANGERS ARE DRESSED LIKE??

there’s probably more good ones but i don’t have like half of the characters

this game is ridiculous i love it dearly

#wuthering waves #wuwa #wuwa posting #jiyan wuthering waves #wuwa jiyan #jiyan #wuwa mortefi #mortefi #wuwa carlotta #wuwa baizhi #wuwa rover #wuwa aalto #wuwa outfits

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the-lonelybarricade · 1 day ago

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Queen of Thieves - Chapter 9

Summary: A fulfillment of this kinkmeme prompt. Or: A Canon AU where half fae, con-artist Feyre makes an ill placed bet.

Happy New Year!

Read on AO3・QoT Masterlist ・Previous Chapter

Two hours.

It was barely any time at all.

And that was assuming the High Lord didn't cut his meeting short out of sheer impatience.

Feyre sprinted back to the apartment, gritting her teeth against the protests of her aching body. She was sore everywhere, and each slapping step against the cobblestone seemed to lodge a new pain forward—a kink in her neck, a stab in her abdomen, a sharp twinge between her legs. The stone was smooth beneath her feet, but in her mind she pictured she was running over fractured glass, where every stride revealed a new reflection of the ways the High Lord had touched her. Claimed her.

As fast as she pushed her legs, she couldn't outrun the memories. Her mind was fixed on Rhysand's expression in that final, scorching look he'd given before he'd left. Rest. You'll need it when I'm back.

She'd been starving enough times in her life to recognize that kind of hunger. Unfulfilled, it was dangerous. Unpredictable. Her stomach swooped at the thought of what he might do when he returned to see she was gone. Would he check to see if she'd taken anything? Had she remembered to shut his bedside drawer?

Around her, High Fae meandered the pale stone streets, dressed in long coats to ward off the crisp air. During this time of year, when Velaris straddled autumn and winter, it was always the wind that had the final say in the weather. Today, it blew in from the east, carrying the cold of the Illyrian Steppes with it.

Nights were warmer when the wind blew in from the west. Feyre had spent many winter mornings praying that the winds would carry warmer weather, but on this night she was grateful. Even as the air gnawed at her nose and fingertips, she considered it a good omen.

Feyre ran faster. Until her throat was bloodied and her muscles screamed. City-goers scrambled out of her way, some shooting her filthy looks that became blurs of color as she darted past.

Her sisters were already waiting outside the confectionery, their bags packed, eyes scanning the streets. Nesta visibly relaxed when she saw Feyre coming.

"You're late."

Nesta's tone, accompanied by her withering stare, was sharp enough to cut a grown male to their knees. Feyre had seen it happen enough times during their years in the tavern. Even when they were swaying on their feet, the drunken males knew almost instinctively to give Nesta, and Elain by proximity, a wide berth.

The death stare had long lost its luster on Feyre, however. She knew her sister, and though Nesta fought to keep her body rigid, her eyes still darted warily over Feyre's shoulder—checking to see if anyone was following.

"I know." Feyre winced. "I had to add extra time to our bargain."

"Why?" Nesta demanded, extending Feyre's bag as she skidded to a halt in front of them. "Did he suspect something?"

Before Feyre could say anything, Nesta's eyes narrowed on her throat. Feyre didn't have to look down to confirm what her sister noticed. Though she'd stolen one of the High Lord's coats to cover the love-bites on her exposed shoulders and stomach, there wasn't much she could do to hide the marks on her neck.

Rhysand was nothing if not thorough.

"No," Feyre said, feigning indifference as she took the bag from Nesta and slung it over her shoulder.

"You're certain?" Nesta pressed.

As clearly as if she was standing before his portrait, Feyre could picture the High Lord the way the rumors painted him. The way her sisters imagined him. Some dark, imposing figure with stern features and a power honed to near-omnipotence. Outwitting an opponent like that felt impossible.

But she felt that she could smear her thumb over that image to find a second, softer portrait beneath. One that offered a hesitant smile and sounded sincere when he told her, I'd like for you to stay. He'd left her in that bedroom expecting—or perhaps, simply hoping—she would be there when he returned. That wasn't the kind of vulnerability a person would show to a suspected thief.

She felt a pang of guilt pinching her chest, which worsened as she reflected on the moments she swore she'd caught him looking at her with genuine fondness. But fondness didn't equate to much, in the scheme of things. Feyre had seen the Tavernkeeper affectionately pat the hides of pigs before he butchered them in the kitchen and served them for dinner.

It was better this way. There wasn't room for someone like Feyre in a High Lord's life. Not for anything larger than being his novel plaything—a diversion to soothe his unchecked boredom and dust off a treasury too large to fathom.

It was painful to share those thoughts out loud, though. More painful, still, to examine why.

Feyre only nodded.

"Good." Nesta fastened her own pack across her shoulder, tight enough to stay secure if they needed to run. "Then let's get out of the city before he realizes."

Feyre glanced at Elain, who clutched her small satchel close and offered a determined nod of agreement. It was almost pathetic how easy it was to pack up their lives. Anything they had of value fit into one bag each, and it wasn't much. A few new sets of clothes, which would come in handy for the journey, and a handful of sentimental trinkets. What few of them they hadn't pawned off for coin.

"You're certain you don't want to bring your cards?" Elain asked, glancing towards the window above, where Feyre had left them when she'd packed her things the day before.

Feyre shook her head. "I'm certain."

Rhysand would find them when he undoubtedly came looking. They were worthless, and would probably be trivial to him, but she couldn't resist that final way of saying goodbye. To the High Lord, and to a life she'd never truly asked for.

Wherever she ended up after this, Feyre didn't want to be known as a witch or a thief. She wanted a fresh start, and had two diamond cuffs around her wrists that would help her get there.

"Let's go," she said, guiding them back into the crowd.

They didn't run. It wasn't worth the attention it would draw. But their pace was quick, sufficient in roughening their breathing by the time they reached the boathouse.

It was run-down, like many buildings along the docks. The green-stained, mossy overgrowth on the stones caused most onlooker attention to glaze right over the entrance, despite its attractive spires and archways. Though big enough to house one of the cargo ships docked outside the harbor, at present the structure was filled with small utility boats, flipped upside down with oars strapped to their sides. One such boat was floating in the small bay of water in the center of the boathouse, tied up beside a ladder.

Feyre frowned, searching through the dark, dripping space for its owner.

Behind her, Elain yelped.

Before Feyre could react, a gloved hand reached out through the shadows, snapping Feyre around the wrist.

"Did you bring it?"

The quiet cold of that voice licked down her spine.

She shook his grip away, whirling to glare at the sliver of High Fae features visible through the mask and hood. He kept to the darkness, which swelled over him like a cresting wave. Through it, she spied narrowed hazel eyes, framed by thick, dark lashes. Black hair curled against his forehead under the hood, though he quickly lowered his face when he saw her looking, preventing Feyre from studying him any closer.

Still, he was familiar. In a way that made her stomach churn.

"Here," she said, retrieving the velvet box from her pocket to extend it towards him. "It deserves to be buried with your wife."

It was like blinking, how quickly he moved. One second, the box was in her palm, and the next it was gone, swallowed by shadow.

"Thank you."

He didn't sound moved. Not in the way she would expect from the sob story she was given. And he didn't check the ring, either, to make sure she'd found the right one.

An oily feeling settled over her. She'd suspected it was a lie from the moment he'd told her the story. But what did she care why he needed the ring? What mattered was that he held up his end of the promise—and that was part of an unbreakable bargain.

She looked at him expectantly. "And the ship?"

The male nodded towards the front of the boathouse, where it opened to the sea. Docked beyond the harbor, she could see the mast of a great ship, nearly as large the merchant vessels her father used to sail. Its mainsail was furled tightly in the mast, waiting to be loosed and filled with the Illyrian winds that would send it westward.

"That one's set to embark in the hour. The captain promised discretion for a steep fee. You three get to stay in the hold for any inspections."

"Great," Nesta said dryly.

Feyre ignored her. It was going to be a long journey, even with the winds at their advantage.

"Thank you," she told the masked male.

He only shrugged, gesturing toward the small tied up boat. "Better get rowing."

They'd made it all of three steps before he called out to her.

"I'm curious. How did you manage to take this from him?"

Feyre paused. She turned back to the male, studying what limited features she could see through the thicket of shadow. "How did you know it would be in his bedside drawer?"

"Lucky guess."

"Feyre," Nesta warned, pulling at her elbow. "Let's go."

But she couldn't. The compulsion for knowing was too strong, and before she could check herself, she was already drawing the bowstring of her mental arrow and spearing it towards the stranger, one after the other.

Tell me who you are.

Tell me what you know.

Tell me if you're going to hurt him.

Thunk, thunk, thunk. Like firing shots into a metal post, each pulse of her magic repelled off the surface of his mind, unable to find a hold.

All fae had an innate mental shield. Some possessed stronger shields than others, depending on a person's power and species and, she suspected, intelligence. But she'd never encountered a shield she couldn't penetrate with a little bit of force.

Until she'd met Rhysand.

The masked fae held her stare, his eyes brighter than they'd been moments ago, as if amused. "I've answered your question. Now answer mine."

She had a feeling if she yanked down the mask, she'd find the makings of a dangerous smile.

They needed to leave. Now. Rhys would be finished with his meeting soon, and she didn't want to risk being halfway between the shore and the ship when he came looking. She also had a curdling suspicion the male in front of her would be selling them out the second they left the shore.

Feyre angled her head in feigned innocence. "Would you believe he gave it to me out of the kindness of his heart?"

"Maybe if you'd asked for it nicely, Feyre."

It wasn't the masked male who spoke. This voice was richer, smoother. Like a cup of melted chocolate. The sound of it turned her blood to ice.

"Though, I'm sure I don't need to remind you that stealing from a High Lord is a capital offense."

Her heart was a tempest, thundering against her chest. Part of her was too petrified to look over her shoulder to confirm who she already knew was standing there. Instead, Ferye looked to her sisters, validating the worst of her fears in their expressions alone. Elain was staring toward the front of the boathouse in unmasked horror. And Nesta—fierce, unruly Nesta—stared with an expression of unflinching stone, hard enough to endure the sharpest blade.

It was her eldest sister's courage that gave Feyre the strength to look.

Her eyes met cold, blackened violet. Just like the day she'd met him, the day she'd witnessed the type of punishment he doled to those who dared steal from him, she could feel his anger radiating, plummeting the temperature of the boathouse. She could see her next breath peel from her lips. It was potentially her last.

Pinned by that gaze, Feyre's mind went spinning at breakneck speeds, mentally sorting through every fraction of knowledge that could help her recalculate their plan:

She knew the Archerons were fighters. Even Elain. Especially Elain. If Feyre took a stand, they would fight beside her to their own detriment, clawing and thrashing until the bitter end;

Rhysand was a proud male, and she'd wounded his ego twice over by stealing from him and snubbing the chance to warm his bed;

And if they tried to run, there was no chance that all three of them were escaping.

So she made a snap decision, the same kind that brought her into this mess in the first place.

She stepped closer to Rhysand, placing herself deliberately between him and her sisters.

Unlike the masked male—who had vanished at the High Lord's arrival—Rhysand didn't shy from the light. He stepped into the sun shaft pouring in from the front of the boathouse, basking in it. Demanding she look upon him to answer for what she'd done. Feyre couldn't help but marvel how someone could be flooded in sunlight and seem colder for it. Like the warmth and brightness emphasized all of his darker elements, his hair and clothes a black contrast against the glowing sky.

"Stealing?" Feyre echoed. "I'm not sure what you mean, High Lord. How can it be stealing if it never belonged to you in the first place?"

"Is that what you were told?"

Rhysand's gaze shifted toward the wall where the masked man had been standing. The fact that Rhys wasn't chasing after him lent merit to her suspicion that this had all been an elaborate trap.

Feyre crossed her arms. "I was told," she said, subtly maneuvering her fingers towards the clasp of her bracelets. "That the High Lord once stole a female from her home. That the ring in that box was once her wedding ring. And you kept it when she died."

"All true, I suppose."

The amusement in his voice sickened her.

"So that really was her husband?" She demanded. "You truly refused to give it back to him?"

Rhys barked a laugh. "Now that, Feyre, is where I feared you've been lied to."

It didn't matter what the truth was. The diamond bracelets were loosened around her wrist. She quickly shoved them behind her back, directing one to Elain and the other to Nesta.

Take them, she urged in their minds. And run. Don't stay together, you'll be easier to catch.

Feyre's hope was that Rhys would focus solely on her, and that by the time he remembered they existed, they'd already be gone.

On my signal, she told them.

"Was this all something you orchestrated?" She asked him. "Some sort of test of loyalty?"

"I suspected there was a reason behind your sudden change in heart. But no, Feyre, I didn't plan for you to steal from me and—what was your plan, exactly? Get on that little row boat and go where?"

Feyre shrugged. "Anywhere but here."

Rhysand's lips pulled back at that answer, flashing his teeth. The blatant display of anger shocked her—even with the sailors, he'd kept his expression neutral. Indifferent. He had to be in a truly terrific mood to let his emotions show this much.

Feyre would ponder at it later, how her dislike of Velaris had coaxed such a strong reaction from him. Did he really think his precious city was so perfect that no one would ever want to leave? Or was it simply one insult too many for a High Lord's supreme, immortal patience?

Either way, she saw her opening.

Go, she urged her sisters.

That was the only prompting needed. Each of them took off in separate directions. Feyre cut the path closest Rhys, hoping he would take the bait and dismiss Nesta and Elain entirely.

As she darted past, a talon scraped her mind, trying to find a hook.

Don't run from me, Rhys cautioned. It will only make me excited for the chase.

Feyre scoffed. Don't you have better things to do?

I did. Imagine my surprise when I came home and found those 'better things' had run off with one of my precious belongings.

He was trying to distract her, but he could try all he liked. Feyre knew these streets. She could trace them in the dark because she had, more nights than she could count. When the attic was too cramped and the tavern was too raucous, she'd walk along the docks and listen to the ocean slap against the harbor.

Rhysand might have been High Lord, this might have been his city. But he wasn't raised by it.

Wooden boards creaked and groaned under her feet as she sped to the other end of the boathouse, hoping he would follow her out and give chase through the harbor. With the sun settling behind the horizon, the fishermen would be coming in to peddle the day's catch. It would be crowded enough to lose him.

There were no thunderous footsteps at her back, causing her to wonder if he was even following, or if she looked half-mad dodging barrels and leaping over fishing nets for the fun of it.

She didn't slow until she'd elbowed her way into the center of the fish market. A glance over her shoulder didn't show any sign of him, only errant market goers balancing baskets on their arms and fishermen carting barrels of their latest catch, some of the fish still twitching.

If would be a fitting end for Rhys to catch her here. When he was done, he could toss her atop one of the barrels and she would blend right in among those hollow eyes and gaping mouths.

That was, if he even bothered chasing her. If he didn't choose to pursue her sisters instead, thinking they were the easier prey and knowing Feyre would trade anything for their well-being.

Because she needed to know that they were safe, she cast her magic in a wide net, hoping he would hear her taunt.

Won't your people think it's strange to see you chasing someone through the street?

Only if they notice, came his immediate response. Try not to make a scene, will you? Bad press for the both of us.

It was impossible to gauge his distance. In their minds, he sounded close, like he was whispering in Feyre's ear, but she was being vigilant in keeping her head on a swivel. She knew he wasn't anywhere in eyesight.

Feyre edged her way to the end of the dock. She could veer off here, take one of the alleyways back into the city center, but that was where Rhys would be expecting her to go. It would be a quieter place for a confrontation, less likely to end up in the papers.

But it was either that, or double back the direction she'd come.

Or… she could swim.

If he wasted enough time scouting the docks and alleyways, she could probably get decently far. Make camp on a quiet shore, then regroup with her sisters and catch a ship out in the morning.

Feyre took one last cursory glance around the marketplace, searching for violet eyes or a general whiff of self-inflated arrogance. When she was certain he wasn't here, she took a deep breath and dived into the ocean.

All at once, the chatter of the market went silent.

She always appreciated that about the ocean. The calm. All she could hear were the air bubbles whooshing from her nose and the rhythmic strike of the waves lapping at the harbor. Everything moved slower underwater, floating so delicately, so compliant to the will of the current.

Feyre had never been very good at letting something else take control. She wondered if it would be peaceful, the way the seaweed rippled to and fro at the ocean bed. Or like the buoy, oscillating slowly with the tide, content in its role of directing mariners in and out of the harbor.

There was something in her, and it was no small part, that longed to stop. To float. To see where the current would take her, so that the weight of survival could rest on something else for a change. But then she thought of those dead-eyed fish in the marketplace. And she started swimming against the current.

She stayed under water as long as she could, until her lungs began to squeeze, demanding she surface for air. She fought that, too, until her throat was on fire and black spots plagued her vision.

Only then, did she swim to the surface, gasping for air and praying she was far enough not to be spotted from the docks. The chatter of the market was dulled to a distant hum, replaced by the squawking gulls overhead. Their shadows swooped past as they scouted for food.

Having a nice swim, darling?

She gasped, whipping her head back towards the docks. It was too far away to make out any person in detail. Could he really see her at that distance?

Do be careful. You can never be too certain what's lurking below the surface.

A dark shape swooped down overhead. One of the gulls, she thought at first, diving for a fish.

She didn't remember that the High Lord Had wings, and that those wings could fly, until she realized the shadow was becoming much too large for a bird. And when she looked up, she saw large, membranous wings and the face of an avenging angel, come to deliver the wrath of the gods.

Panicked, Feyre was about to duck her head back under the surface when a cold, icy touch slithered around her ankle and yanked, dragging her under with an abrupt shriek. Water flooded her mouth and nose, gagging her as she went down, down, down.

Let go of me! She thought, clawing above her head to resist the pull, thrashing her feet to try to break loose.

Me? Rhysand's croon held an air of derision. I'm not touching you, Feyre.

Magic counts.

You should be more careful with your words then. How else am I meant to take them at their true value?

Feyre curled back her lips, baring her teeth into the vast darkness. So this is how you intend to punish me then? Drowning?

There were worse ways to die, she supposed. Better ways, too.

Her lungs were starting to burn, seizing as if constricted by a flaming fist. Black spots dotted her vision, blending with the dark water so seamlessly that at first she didn't notice the rippling darkness.

Not until the High Lord formed from the shadows, violet eyes glowing in the dim light. His smile was cruel as he watched her helpless writhing.

Punishment? Rhys thumbed her chin, drifting closer until their lips were inches apart. Not necessarily. How this goes is up to you.

Feyre would blame her disoriented mind on the lack of breath. It was making her dizzy and vulnerable to absurd thinking, like how warm his body would be if she pressed closer. If these were her last, precious seconds, they might as well be pleasant.

She arched into him, thoughtless, impulsive. A procession of bubbles escaped Rhysand's lips in what she imagined to be mocking laughter as he pulled away. Denying her in her final moments.

Not until you make your choice, he said.

Her eyelids were becoming so heavy. She shut them, reveling in the brief reprieve from the sting of saltwater.

Rhys's fingers tightened on her chin, squeezing until she opened her eyes again. Focus.

What? She snapped.

I'm offering a trade. You can drown and join the other thieves at the bottom of the Mother's Cauldron. Or, I'll provide my help and winnow you to the surface.

Help? At least her mind was sound enough to recognize what a ridiculous notion that was. You're the one drowning me.

You're facing the consequences of your own poor judgment. He corrected. But I'll pardon your crime, in exchange for your service.

Feyre focused on the stone grip he held at her chin, channeling the dregs of her fading energy to keep her eyes open, fixed on the unyielding violet before her. Darkness danced in the corners of her vision, but she couldn't be certain if that was Rhysand's magic or her waning senses.

A life debt. That's what he was asking for.

Would he truly kill her if she denied him?

Her lungs were panicking now, thudding against their cage for the sweet release of air. She clenched her teeth, fighting against ancient instinct that begged her to breathe. To ease the sharp, excruciating burn coiling through her throat.

Rhys stroked her cheek. Softly. The way he'd touched her in the early hours of the morning, when the lust and hunger were finally sated and all that was left was the sweet, aching sensation of warmth. Skin against skin. A pulse beneath her lips, a beating chest beneath her fingertips.

Did he remember those gentle moments as he looked into her eyes?

What will it be, Feyre darling? He asked, in that same voice he'd used to whisper sweet nothings in her ear.

Go to Hell.

Pity, Rhys mused, brushing his thumb along her lower lip. You could be destined for so much more. And you'll trade it all away for your pride.

Feyre knew better. There was no escaping a life debt. With such ill-defined terms, she'd be agreeing to be little more than his slave. Her will, her life, her desires, no longer relevant. She would feel the restraint of that bond for the rest of her life.

At least in Death, she would still belong to herself.

Her resignation must have been obvious, because Rhysand's mask of arrogance faltered. As her vision blurred, she felt those intense eyes studying her, weighing if this was a bluff.

I never expected to see defeat in your eyes, Feyre Archeron.

Giving in to you would be the defeat, she countered.

There was something pensive in the way he lowered his mouth to hers, murmuring, Are you certain?

This was not how Feyre imagined Death.

There were plenty of moments where she'd been hungry enough and cold enough and defeated enough to think it would finally win, but she always managed to evade its covetous touch. She thought it would be cold. The bitter frost of winter, ensnaring her the moment her guard was down, grinning as she wilted and rotted beneath its inescapable grasp.

But this—this was a sweet, soft surrender.

The burning in her lungs wasn't pleasant, but the pain ebbed when Rhysand's lips met hers, parting slowly. She opened for him, knowing it was her last breath and using it in spite of herself.

Her fingers slid into his hair, their soft waves floating and merging with the water. Easy to slip her fingers into and hold onto something for the last time.

She wasn't aware her magic reached for his until his mind parted, and it was like diving into the ocean anew. Somewhere deeper, darker, quieter.

Peaceful.

Feyre shut her eyes, floating in the warm darkness, letting it caress and soothe every fear, every pain.

A voice asked, strained, Is this really what you choose?

Just hold me until it's over, she said.

There was no response, save for the darkness that curled around her, letting her drift in the cradle of its warmth until that, too, slipped away into nothingness.

#Queen of Thieves #QOT #Feysand #Feysand fanfiction #Feysand fic #Feysand fanfic #Feyre x Rhysand #Rhysand x Feyre #Feyre x Rhys #Rhys x Feyre

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mollywog · 1 day ago

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What are your thoughts on Possibility of Peeta in Canon feeling guilt over a perception that he forced Katniss into the Star crossed lovers?

Oooo -Thank you for giving me an opportunity to talk about this.

One of Peeta’s main survival tactics is his ability to read people and situations…. And he’s pretty good at it (which probably was helpful to him far before the arena with a volatile mother but that’s maybe more the stuff of HCs so moving on)

With that in mind:

One of the first things Peeta says to Katniss upon her discovering him in the arena is:

"Lean down a minute first," he says. "Need to tell you something." I lean over and put my good ear to his lips, which tickle as he whispers. "Remember, we're madly in love, so it's all right to kiss me anytime you feel like it."

Even in his fevered state, Peeta is aware that this is an act (at least on Katniss’s side)

Later - when he’s trying to convince Katniss not to go to the feast and she claims that she isn’t, he says:

"You're such a bad liar, Katniss. I don't know how you've survived this long." He begins to mimic me. "I knew that goat would be a little gold mine. You're a little cooler though. Of course, I'm not going." He shakes his head. "Never gamble at cards. You'll lose your last coin," he says.

‘I knew that goat would be a little gold mine. You're a little cooler though. Of course, I'm not going.’ -> all moments he (accurately) clocked where Katniss wasn’t being 100% honest if not outright lying

The ‘I don’t know how you’ve survived this long’ part is particularly interesting to me but I digress.

So then fast forward to after the feast where Katniss risked her life to save him:

"No! Just don't, Katniss!" His grip tightens, hurting my hand, and there's real anger in his voice. "Don't die for me. You won't be doing me any favors. All right?"

I'm startled by his intensity but recognize an excellent opportunity for getting food, so I try to keep up. "Maybe I did it for myself, Peeta, did you ever think of that? Maybe you aren't the only one who ... who worries about ... what it would be like if ..."

I fumble. I'm not as smooth with words as Peeta. And while I was talking, the idea of actually losing Peeta hit me again and I realized how much I don't want him to die. And it's not about the sponsors. And it's not about what will happen back home. And it's not just that I don't want to be alone. It's him. I do not want to lose the boy with the bread

"If what, Katniss?" he says softly.

I wish I could pull the shutters closed, blocking out this moment from the prying eyes of Panem. Even if it means losing food. Whatever I'm feeling, it's no one's business but mine.

"That's exactly the kind of topic Haymitch told me to steer clear of," I say evasively, although Haymitch never said anything of the kind. In fact, he's probably cursing me out right now for dropping the ball during such an emotionally charged moment. But Peeta somehow catches it.

"Then I'll just have to fill in the blanks myself," he says, and moves in to me.

In this moment Katniss inwardly acknowledges that she has real feeling beyond the act and Peeta, again, reads those feelings correctly.

This is the turning point for him.

So, then imagine his surprise on the train tracks (and all the self doubt):

"It was all for the Games," Peeta says. "How you acted."

"Not all of it," I say, tightly holding on to my flowers.

"Then how much? No, forget that. I guess the real question is what's going to be left when we get home?" he says.

(Just picture Peeta replaying the games in his head and trying to figure out where he missed the tell.)

We often joke about Peeta being oblivious to Katniss’s feelings for him in Catching Fire, but really: He’s been burned by ‘misinterpreting’ her before and he’s trying not to make the same ‘mistake’ again.

In a way

“You love me. Real or not real?

Is a remnant of that doubt.

Anyways - back you your original question:

There wasn't a single person in Panem expecting the Gamemakers to allow for two winners prior to the rule change... 73 years of one Victor: It's unprecedented.

The star-crossed lovers strategy, under normal game circumstances,

Benefits them both. The romance makes them both fan favorites to sponsors. But, at the end of the day, there can only be one Victor. So when one were to die, public sympathy would swing sponsors towards the broken hearted other.

Relied very little on Katniss; she didn't have to opportunity to state her feelings for Peeta to the audience after the interview and in the arena, up until the rule change, she barely saw him. Had he died before the (unprecedented) rule change, there wouldn’t be much for her to do but appear sad. The star-crossed lover but is eventually just a sound bite.

No one could have predicted that both Katniss and Peeta would be crowned victors and have to maintain the strategy indefinitely.

So yes, on top of believing he mistook Katniss’s feelings for him in the arena, he then discovered they’d have to maintain the pretense of lovers for the rest of their lives… I’m sure he felt all sorts of miserable ways about that.

#thank you for the ask!!#nonny #anon #ask #thg meta #maybe #peeta mellark

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shakalchik · 1 day ago

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🔫My headcanons on Boothill×reader, but in this AU Boothill never met IPC (let him be happy somewhere)🔫

>Boothill has a poor sense of personal space, as he was the fifth child in the family and did not even have his own room, so you better be a tactile person in a relationship with him. He may just lie on you if he sees you relaxing on the couch, he may even jump at you with a running start.🫂

>Boothill doesn't suffer from toxic masculinity, so he'll let you do whatever you want with his face, nails, and hair, the only rule being that the scissors shouldn't touch his badass hair. For example, he can sit on the floor while you or your adopted daughter paint his nails, although it looks pathetic considering his fingers are covered in calluses, scars, and biting under his nails from working on the ranch.💅

>And no, Boothill didn't go through an emo phase, his black hair turned out to be like that at birth, it's just that later white hair started growing, but Boothill decided not to cut it, making it his signature.💇

>Boothill sings songs with guitar like "Remember me" and "No more birthdays" to his tiny daughter. And he sings to you without rhyme and with one looped melody, because for you he wants to be more original and not repeat in your eyes what you have already heard.🎶

>By the time he was an adult, Boothill had already seduced half the town, the most eligible bachelor had had enough flings on his travels that you could bump into his exes. And it was awkward. Because Boothill really doesn't have a type, and they were all terribly different and had different reactions to his current marital status.💗

>Boothill doesn't focus much on material things, living in the moment, so it's hard for him to choose gifts (except for the occasional alcohol). However, seeing how he keeps crafts on the shelf in his daughter's bedroom, you realized that he would carefully accept even a horse made of dirty twigs and scotch tape if it was from his loved one.🎁

(Attention: all headcanons here are my nonsense and I do not claim canonicity, I'm just having fun)

#honkai star rail #hsr boothil #boothill x reader #boothill

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thewistlingbadger · 16 hours ago

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I can understand why people are against the vander flashbacks of season 2. HOWEVER. I truly do believe that there are just a lot of misconceptions and misinterpretations about these scenes and I wanted to break them down.

1. Silco did not know the kids. When it was revealed that Felicia was friends with Silco and that he knew her when she was pregnant, people assumed that Silco was around while the kids were around too and was a member of their lives. People have criticized this because if this is true then it doesn't make enough sense for him to try to kill Vi later in life. However, this is not true. If it was true that Silco was just as active in their lives as Vander was, then the kids would remember him. Vi has no idea who Silco is in act 1 and neither did Jinx. If the flashback scenes were trying to tell us that, then they would have showed us Silco actually being present, like how they showed Vander being present. The flashback scenes tell us that Silco was friends with Felicia while she was pregnant but for some reason he did not involve himself in the lives of the kids. This could be for any reason.

2. Silco was not responsible for the death of Felicia. In one of the flashback scenes, we see Silco on the bridge, throwing a Molotov cocktail. It lights an enforcer on fire. The camera then pans down to show Felicia's dead body. While all of this is happening, we're getting cuts to the monkey bomb. This, plus vander's letter, made people believe that Silco had somehow accidentally killed Felicia on the bridge or was responsible for her death. This is not true. We are told several times in the show that she was killed by enforcers. We see in the flashback that Silco's Molotov hits an enforcer, not Felicia. The fact that the monkey bomb is included in this segment is odd, considering that Vander has no idea the significance of the bomb, or the fact that its impact was unintentional. Vander is completely oblivious to the fact that Jinx was there that day, that it was her bomb, that she is responsible for the damages and that it had been an accident. This flashback isn't there to tell us Silco is responsible for Felicia's death, it's there to tell us that Silco was present on the bridge the day of the riot, which is information we did not have before.

3. Silco did not promise to protect Felicia's kids. He canonically didn't promise her ANYTHING when it came to her children. As previously stated, he didn't even know her kids. Silco toasted to Blisters and Bedrock, the idea that Silco and Vander should do anything and everything possible to achieve the nation of Zaun, specifically for Felicia and her children, though we know that was not his only motivation for wanting independence.

4. "Silco and Vander knowing Felicia's kids/having promised to look after Felicia's kids cheapens the relationships between Jinx and Silco and Vi and Vander." This is an opinion I've seen that I find to be inherently flawed because like I have already said, Silco didn't know Felicia's kids and he didn't promise to protect her kids. Canonically only VANDER knew Felicia's kids and although we never actually see or hear of a promise between Vander and Felicia regarding her children, this wouldn't be a far leap to make. To me, it was ALWAYS clear that Vander and the kids had known each other prior to the bridge. You can see the way Vi relaxs once she recognizes Vander as Vander. The fact that Vi is able to wordlessly ask about her parents to Vander and the fact that he knows exactly who and what she's asking about both suggested that they were aware of each other prior to this point. This makes logical sense because we know Vander was the leader of this rebellion and Vi's parents were rebels in this rebellion. They subscribed to Vander's beliefs and his cause, so it makes sense that they would know each other. So to me, the flashback in season two didn't cheapen the relationship between Vi and Vander, it just hard confirmed something that had been heavily implied at the start of the show. It also didn't cheapen Silco and Jinx's relationship because they both are unaware of the fact that they share a mutual connection through Felicia.

5. "Silco and Vander adopting the girls makes so much more sense now that we know they knew the girls before/knew their mother." This is definitely an interpretation of what we were told, I just feel disagree with it. Silco and Vander adopting the girls ALWAYS made sense. It makes sense when you only watch s1 AND it makes sense when you only watch s2. I feel like those who truly subscribe to this interpretation seriously have misunderstood the show. Even though Vander knew the girls before the riot, it is not the sole reason or even the biggest reason why he takes them in. The biggest reason he takes them in is STILL what it was in s1 it STILL is because he finally sees the drastic and unethical consequences his rebellion is going to require. Silco doesn't take in Jinx because he knows her or because he knows her mother, because he has no idea who she is. Silco has no idea Jinx is Felicia's daughter. He has seemingly never met her before this moment. Silco takes in Jinx because she is a reflection of him.

6. "Vander trying to kill Silco solely because of Felicia cheapens the story between Vander and Silco." It is easy to come to the conclusion that Vander and Silco's falling out was solely because of the death of Felicia. However I don't think this is actually what was trying to be said. Because if this was the case it WOULD be too shallow and petty. I believe the inclusion of Felicia in the silco/Vander dynamic doesn't take away from Silco and Vander i personally think it adds to it. The impact of her actual death isn't why Vander betrayed Silco. I believe that Vander betrayed Silco because he saw what their dream would cost them and he decided it wasn't worth it. It was not worth having complete freedom as a zaunite if it meant it came at the expense of the lives of other zaunites, especially if it cost him the lives of those he cared about. The fact that Felicia was also Silco's friend and her death did not give Silco any pause at continuing the fight for freedom was why Vander betrayed him. It was not because of her death, it was because of the principle that was highlighted by her death. To Silco, one person, even if it was someone he cared about, was not enough to stop fighting. But Vander came to the conclusion that night that he was not willing to pay the price their independence would cost them. The fact that Silco wanted to keep going even after seeing all the harm it did made Silco a threat, and so Vander tried to kill him. I also argue that Felicia's death was actually a major inspiration for Silco given that she chose to die fighting for the Nation of Zaun but this is only an additional note.

#arcane #arcane season 2 #arcane s2 #arcane season two #mic does analysis #silco arcane #arcane silco #vander arcane #arcane vander #vander and silco #silco and vander #Felicia arcane

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