#NO idea if ive been envisioning it all right but like. i like it

[ninjasmudge]

once i post my own hc designs for the taz steeplechase pcs i get to go through all the art i was avoiding (bc i wanted to make my own uninfluenced designs first) i will not apologize for the person i will become at that point

[dulciechi]

tumblr finally told me “girl stfu”

The cave is narrower than they expect, barely big enough to fit a giant god like Kallamar. And it is dark beyond measure. No light from the distant sun reaches here. Only their own fire illuminates the cave walls, ignoring the shift in pressure as they dive deeper and deeper. There is no colorful coral, no kelp reaching for the light, not even tiny mindless fish. In this place, there’s only darkness and cold seawater. It seeps into their wool and grinds salt into their skin. The faster they get out of here, the better. After what feels like at least half an hour of swimming, the cave mouth widens into a strange stone antechamber. Two giant doors loom above them, their stone etched with runes and glyphs. Their pulse quickens. This is it. Kallamar’s secret Vault.

[the-moon-files]

so... my interpretation of guide!reader may be vastly different from others but with my vast assimilation of yours and others content, this is my variation of the one I like envisioning involving concepts such as yours (Humans are NOT Hylians and Guide!Reader) so this is my official start to the ramblings *DEEP INHALE*

when I read the post about reader losing their sord and just punching the monsters and it is working along with the other links being amazed

I imagine that because of the fact that hylian's are so light that they didn't put that much into the growth of physical arts

they can punch and kick fine but that's more so used for scraps agents one another, rather than in fights against monsters

hylian's don't have enough strength or weight to have it be worth it on the battlefield

its much more worth their time and energy to learn things like swordsmanship or artery, and be nimble

but guide dose have: the muscle, weight, durability and training necessary for such a strategy to be worth it

It would be more effective for the reader to use the Muay Thai and Taekwondo they worked so hard on instead of learning something new

_*looking respectfully

I can imagine that this levees them beater of physically than most (*cough* me *cough*)

leveeing them much more prepared

along with giving them a lot more... muscle...

Link's(-wind):... please crush me between your thighs

Guide!Reader: what?

Link's(-wind): what.

I know that it has been said that reader is shorter than time, but I personally like them slightly bigger than time

you know... forehead kissing rang

so it's only slightly less awkward to pick them up

I think their deep honey like voice could be compared to their slightly dark honey-colored eyes

someone like legend would appreciate how their eyes turn golden in the sun light, shining like no ring on his finger

Hyrule loves how they feel different from the cold sweetness of sugar water, instead they feel like rich honey and warm cinnamene

wild remembers them as there very first true companion and comfort

to wars, an immovable force, never leveeing their side

that's all I have fore now, but be warned...

I'll be back!

and I'm putting them in a dress (:<

AHH SORRY FOR LATE REPLY U HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH IVE BEEN HOGGING THIS TO MYSELF

Martial arts reader/Mc my beloved <333

U sent in ART TOO??!!!! 😭����

i love stuff like this sm ur style is so 😳💌💘💝💖💓💞💕❤️‍🔥🙈

The bit abt hylians not needing as much/making intricate martial arts/making their body be the weapon is so peak worldbuilding, if i had an official stamp to say smth is canon in my little HaNH AU (Humans are Not Hylians) i would stamp this 10x over

Acc u know what one sec

Since u made art, have some shitty meme art in return

LMAO its shitty but i hope u know it is the biggest support i can give you, like GOD the ART i keep coming back and Also. Looking Respectfully.

And this is the biggest thank you i could give for sharing this w/me!!

Ok spam headcanons?? Sorta

CONTENT WARNINGS: MILDLY SUGGESTIVE? CONTENT, 16+/18+ MATURER AUDIENCES RECOMMENDED.

COULD YOU IMAGINEEEEE

How the Hylians view Wrestling.

Like, your knuckles/elbows/knees (the parts where thers not as much fat to protect) start to bleed punching armored monsters/arms get tired and you just-

Wrap ur legs around a lynels neck and spin around their neck, using your body weight to drag and lay that bitch Out.

(This is a Real Martial Arts move Ive fucking seen a gif of hold on i NEED to find it- FUCK i cant find it but try youtube and see if yall can find it, its So Real i promise, it was on tumblr at one point)

Who's swooning? Not all 8 Links, nope-

Links, externally (+Wind genuinely): Hahaha, u can crush a watermelow open between ur thighs?? Omg thats so cool- !! 😃

Links, internally (-wind): omfTRIPLEGODDESSES- DID U SEE THAT?? IT WASNT JUST ME RIGHT??? SO WE ALL LOWKEY WANNA,, RIGHT??? 🙊😶🙈😳😳😳(Making eye contact w/each other and communicating this silently, everyone going super red/turning away/ears twitching)

Wind makes you do like another 4 watermelons bc its genuinely so impressive to him (does he think its hilarious to watch the others get all embarassed? Hell yeah- what else are little brothers supposed to do??)

Okay but OG asker/Snack Eater DID NOT emphasize how insane a Muay Thai fighter in HaNH AU would go???

If u dont know, Muay Thai is DEADLY-DEADLY kinda martial arts, like it has been considered assault with a deadly weapon before i think/been banned a lot of other fighting places outside its country of origin? I think its Thailand?

Anyway Thailand is fucking crazy for not having a higher rate of murders acredited to this martial art, bc guys, they use Elbows and Knees in their moves.

Like. That's banned/outright no moves created/or at least taught, a lot of the time in other martial arts from diff places.

Like that kills people. So easily. 😃

Like, the Chain already knows ur deadly, but when u reveal (having done the Honorable/Give Them A Fair Chance Thing) and not used Elbows or Knees yet, only to get into the harder enemies like boss fights and suddenly get real close (!!! What are you doing Guide Back Up-!!)

And whip out an elbow, crack the motherfucker straight in the head, and watch the thing immediately flatline right before their eyes??

Its like seeing a biblically accurate angel descend.

Like their in awe, but also scared? But its also like feeding into the awe?? Jaws have dropped.

U tell them that Elbows and Knees are even banned back home, and every single Link is like "Understandable. Obviously. But also, oh my goddess?? A move even the Humans banned?? Bc its so deadly???"

Wind: "..."

Wind: "...hey. Can you kill Gods? ...Can you kill Ganon?"

(The entire Chain goes silent in shock before exploding into Exsistential Crisis Mode, it takes Time/Wars like 5 minutes to recover from this information/experience enough to get up and calm everyone down lmao)

ALSO???

On a completely diff note-

Shorted Links, Taller Guide Reader my beloved?? <<<3333

Oh i def been leaning towards some Links are taller bc i think the imagery of you picking them up easily is funny (what can i say I live to embarass/try and fluster Time/Twi)

But you being taller?? Sign me tf up babe I have NOTHING against that, and am ALL for it????

Like u go thru a triangle portal/wake up from playing Loz and the Links are all shorter than you?? blessings rain down upon us like????

Twi/Time/Wars (who i headcanon as the tallest Links, in that order, along with Sky when he stops slouching lol)

And for Twilight to just be forehead kissing height?!

(He might've realized he's got a thing for lowkey feeling like worshipping ppl taller than him, bc other than the few humans who did live in Ordon, he was the tallest Hylian)

Time adores looking up at you, like u swear you saw his ears flapping a little

Wars is just,, 😀😳👉👈🥺 h-hey

Like flirting is infinitely harder when theyre a head taller than you, the poor Captain has found

(Yknow bc im personally 5"3, or abt 160cm, i think itd be even funnier if no matter what height you are, ur still taller than the tallest Hylians LMAO, Four our here actually being 3-4 ft tall like hobbits lol)

Omg (i know, i PROMISE, i KNOW) that its not canon at all, but i think itd be funny if the hylians most common hair color was blonde/most common eyecolor was blue/green,

And its rarer for ppl to have brown eyes/dark hair

Like the opposite of a lot of American beauty standards, ur seen at the Y/N, the main character for having darker features

(Lowkey inlcuding skin tone bc, and this is canon, have u seen the skin tone diversity historically for Loz games lmao 😅)

Ok im done sorry for rambling

Thanks again for this!!

___ TW: Hurricane Helene talk below ____

Fair Warning: I WILL NOT be tolerating any condescending/hateful or otherwise negative responses about the effects of Hurricane Helene.

People have died. Myself/my friends/my family/my coworkers have been affected. Be respectful.

You will be blocked/possibly reported for hate speech.

This was like Hurricane Katrina for us, because these areas were NOT prepared for hurricanes.

Those most affected are Mountain communities, we're supposed to have more mild weather, and the last time this happened according to older locals was decades ago, if then.

...

Hey!! If u read my tags of my last reblog, im doing better, we got back to town and realized our powers back on, and then the next day luckily our water was back on too

(its not drinkable but at least we can flush the toliet/shower 😭)

Luckily too by this point the water distribution/rescue crews are here,

DUDE. We were/are so fucked Biden came to look at us 😃

Im personally still on the lookout for missing ppl (my coworker has missing family in the town nearby and in telling my friend over there to spread the word)

And cellular service is back up, but they may jut be bc they brought in temporary towers/Tmobile is giving out free service for everyone too

Its slow going still, all these developments are taking days to achieve if u cant tell

And no pressure, esp if u dont have the spare money,

But if you could donate to help my city/the cities nearby who are still very isolated bc theyre smaller, along with helping our homeless people who no doubt are worse off, thatd mean to world to me/all of us!! <3

Here's some links for that, even if its just tip money/money for a coffee, anything helps!

https://pay.payitgov.com/ncdonations

https://crowdfund.charlotte.edu/project/44126

https://www.chabadasheville.org/templates/section_cdo/aid/6606696/jewish/Hurricane-Helene-Relief.htm

Thanks for reading, and blessed be those still in need of rescue, from human to animals, and to those who have passed.

May those you left behind find peace.

<3

Peact out,

🌙

[vixensbrainrotts]

Committed to you - Manjiro >Mikey< Sano

(part two)

Idea/ prompt: Mikey from the last timeline who wants to propose to us but has no idea how to ask so he ask advices from draken and emma

Vixen's two cents: Hi. I know ive been gone for like 2 weeks, I dont know why but it's been hard writing lately. anyway, thanks a million to @anahryal for giving me this idea whilst I was in the pits of my writers block!!! thanks girl, I can't tell you how much this helped. anyway, REQUESTS ARE OPEN and I advise you to use them! now please enjoy my revival piece!

Mikey has thought every possible thought he could have. He had run through every possible situation, every possible outcome, every possible setting, but damnit why was this so hard? He couldn’t do it. Not for the life of him.

He had browsed millions of travel blogs, pondering about every possible spot on earth to take you for the occasion. He had woken in and out of more jewelry stores in the past month than he had ever in his entire life. He had specifically stood in corner stores, reading the wedding catalogues in the magazine section trying to figure out what the hell he was supposed to do.

None of it helped.

Manjiro wanted it so bad. So so very bad. Every white dress he walked by, he envisioned you in it. Every bakery shop he passed, his eyes flitted up and down the fancy display cakes, pondering whether or not it would be good enough. Any time he woke up next to you, every time he joined you in the shower, every time he watched you cook, the urge to sink to one knee overtook him.

He knew he couldn’t make it that simple though. It was too domestic for him, so little of a gesture. He wanted you to know that he loved you, that he would bring you the moon if you wanted it. He needed you to see just how much he appreciates you for sticking with him through everything, and for that he needs a grand gesture.

However it seemed that nothing he could think of was quite big enough, quite meaningful enough, quite heartfelt enough. He was at the end of his wits. For one and a half months- seven weeks he had been fighting this battle alone.

He had made some progress in that time, having picked the ring because when he picked it up he just felt that this was the one. It was a niche store, and he was initially appalled by the average price of the rings, but decided, ah what the fuck? and entered the store for mostly shits and giggles. He was greeted by an expensive looking elderly gentleman who donned a monocle and silk gloves, clearly the clerk, and clearly an expert. He had the longest, most engaging talk with the man, explaining his situation and his frustrations, to which the man nodded understandingly and told of his own story and experience with marigge.

Seven long weeks he had kept it a secret from everyone, and now he couldn’t take it anymore.

He was just about to throw the towel on this whole thing and say fuck it and give up on this whole marriage thing and just accept that he would never make it, when he remembered that he didnt have to be alone in this. Not at all matter of fact. His best friend married his sister after all. If Ken could do it with the pressure of Shinichiro, Izana AND Mikey breathing down his neck, then surely he could do it too, right?

You were out on a girls night with Hinata, Senju and Yuzuha. Emma would have tagged along normally too, but with the addition of a new-born baby, she decided that it would be best to sit out this time. Either way you were out of the house for the night, and Mikey was left to his own devices. You had left him with a kiss and a home-cooked meal (which he felt bad about leaving behind so he completely stuffed himself before coming here) before he gave Ken a quick heads up over the phone that he was coming over with a VERY important problem.

Thats how he found himself here. Standing in the Kitchen of Emma and Ken‘s flat, hands perched on the counter, looking down at the surface, face in a deep frown. „What’s goin on? What’s the problem?“ Ken asks roughly, leaned on the refrigerator as he eyed his friend. Mikey didnt really respond though.

„What problem?“ Emma‘s voice was hushed as she entered through the kitchen door, pulling the door shut behind her, probably for the sake of the baby. „I dont know.“ Ken responded, rubbing his eyebrows „Ask your brother.“ he sighed as he gestured to Mikey who was still staring down the counter.

“Mikey?!” Emma sounded confused and a little concerned as she turned to look at him, eyes flitting between her brother and her husband. “Did you know he was coming over?”

Ken nodded wordlessly. “Said he needs our help about something.” Emma’s head tilted in question but accepted the fact. “What’s up Mikey?” She asked, approaching him and joining Draken at the other side of the counter.

Mikey didn’t say anything though, instead reaching into his pocket and producing a small, black, silk-encased box. He dropped it onto the table and looked up at the couple in desperation. “How do I do it?”

Ken gasped and felt his lips tug into a smile, happy that finally, finally Mikey was wiping you up (he had told him to do so since they were teens).

Emma slapped her hands over her mouth to muffle a silent scream, beginning to voice up and down on excitement as she realized- her brother was marrying you! She thanked the gods that Mikey fell in love with you because there was no better in-law than her Soulsister.

“Ahhhhh! Oh my goodness Mikey! I’m so happy for you! Can I see? Wow! Oh my god Ken are you seeing this!? He’s proposing! Ah I’m so glad!” Mikey nodded in response and let Emma pick up the box and crack it open, revealing the beautiful white-gold wedding band, encrusted with more diamonds than she could count. Notably, one large diamond sat in the middle of the ring, flanked by two smaller diamonds on each side.

“Oh.” Emma breathed. “Ken why didn’t you ask Manjiro for help when picking my ring?” Emma sounded slightly offended as she spoke, glaring down at the ring.

“Nah nah, don’t get it twisted girl. You told me what ring you wanted, I didn’t have much picking liberty other than the price.” Ken waved his hands in dismissal, brushing off her accusations with a grin still wide on his face. He made his way over to Mikey and clapped a hand on his shoulder, congratulating him for the occasion.

“Good on you man! Finally givin it the push, hah?” Ken was smiling as he searched for Mikey’s eyes, but he didn’t look up. “What’s up with the long face? You’re about to propose dude, you should be over the moon!”

Mikey sighed and shook his head. “I’ve been trying to propose to her for months. Months Ken. I can’t do it. It’s never right.”

The couple halted their celebrations and turned to look at Mikey again, Emma putting down the dainty box as her looks turns to one of concern. “What do you mean?” She fingered at the box as she leaned across the counter.

“It’s… i don’t know. Ken made it look so easy when he proposed to you, and Pah-chin was even more mindless about it! I really want to. I really do, but every time I get close, I chicken out because I get scared or because something isn’t right, and I’m starting to think that it’s better if I just… don’t.” Mikey sighed and cradled his head in his hands, his elbows resting on the counter.

Emma and Ken shared a look, a wordless exchange of worry and empathy. "What kind of proposal were you thinking of? Big? Small? Public? Private?" Emma started, hand rubbing soothingly across her brother's back.

"Big." Mikey mumbled into his hands, remaining hunched over the counter. "Big and public. I wanna make sure that everyone knows, everyone sees, I want them all to know. want them to know how much I love her."

Emma's eyes softened and she suppressed a smile, because all in all, it was cute. She had always known her brother to be big and strong, undefeatable, and most of all unwaverable. Mikey always put up the strong front when really, he was hurt. Vulnerability wasn't something that she was used to seeing from him, which made this moment all the more special.

"Do you want to go somewhere with her?" Ken steps in and asks, an idea arising. Mikey only grunts, a noise of agreement sounding through the room. "Do you know what kind of places she likes?" Ken continues.

Mikey's head slowly raises from the position on the table and he stares forward at the refrigerator. "Europe."

Emma and Ken looked at one another again, sensing that they were getting somewhere. "Then take her on Vacation. You both have that long shared break coming up, don't you? Travel through Europe and when it feels right, ask!" Ken said.

"How do I know when it feels right, though? What if it's not the moment?" Mikey asks, still not entirely convinced. "You'll know. I promise you, you'll know. I knew too and I didn't think I had the stuff to ever get married." Ken reassures again, and this time the two share eye contact, and it takes Draken a lot not to tear up.

Draken took a moment in his mind to look at Mikey. He had stuck by his side since they were kids, through thick and thin it's always been the two if them against the world. And now as he looked at Manjiro he no longer saw the unmatchable delinquent he saw ten years ago, but rather a distinguished person with complex thoughts and emotions. He saw a man that felt, a man that cared and a man that loved in front of him, and he couldn't be prouder.

Ken nodded at Mikey, and Mikey nodded back at him. "Yeah. She'll love it! Thanks, I'll do that! Gosh I don't know what id do without you two.."

"Oh, please propose to her in front of the Eifel Tower! Or the Coliseum! Or on some romantic Bridge in Venice!" Emma swooned and held her hands over her chest, hearts in her eyes.

Mikey smiled at her and nodded again. "I'll try and film it if I can."

-

The rest of the evening was spent with the three of them checking about a thousand booking sites, mapping travel routes and destinations, and the occasional cacophony of laughter which led to a grumpy Ryuguji-baby. Manjiro couldn't wait to go with you, he thought as he sat on one of the armchairs, gently running a thumb over the silk box that sat pretty in his hand.

[lilislegacy]

you may have gotten a similar ask before, but I'm new to your blog, so i just wanted to ask: what do you envision Percy and annabeth's post-college life to be like? how many kids? girl/boy? names? (If they have kids at all?) their jobs? where do they live? what does their house look like? do they have pets? what are their relationships like with the other demigods? This might be a lot for one ask but you seem like you can literally dive right into percabeth's minds so I just thought I'd ask 😅

ok. you have just asked me a question that i instinctually want to answer with a 3,000 word essay. so i am going to keep this as short as possible (which is not short at all.) i’m also open minded, so my headcanons can be changed if i see a take i really love. but these are my own beliefs

i think they get married. definitely after college. i know some people think they don’t marry because of hera, but i can’t stand the thought of them not doing what they want because of a god. (i also have a hc that they kinda blackmail her lol. as in she goes to them needing help - a quest - and they say they’ll do it only if she swears on the styx to never interfere with or harm their marriage)

i think they both do a lot of things over the course of their careers. annabeth is an architect, but she does multiple things with that. she creates some big famous attractions, she designs a greek version of new rome, aka “new greece” or “new athens” or something, maybe she builds hideouts for demigods (suggestion from a previous asker), etc. and for percy, i think he definitely does something that involves helping marine animals. he can literally speak to them - something no one else can do. he also is very protective of all sea animals he encounters in the books. so he needs to be doing that. personally, i love the thought of him becoming an aquatic vet. but there are several other marine animal related jobs that he could do in replacement of/in addition to that. i also see him doing several things throughout this life, and i made a big post about my thoughts there. i’ll link it at the end of this post.

they definitely have kids. no doubt. they’ve been thinking about having kids together since they were 16. i love the thought of them having 3, maybe 4. i think their first is a boy with short blonde curly hair and sea green eyes. i also think he has a “p” name, since his dad is named percy and his paternal grandfathers are poseidon and paul. but i don’t have names for any of them. ive always imagined them having 2 boys close together and then a girl later on. but i don’t have exact ideas, you know?

i think they live in a few different places. they probably start off in new rome, then eventually in new athens/new greece, and then i think nyc again at some point, maybe when the kids are grown. but i think they always try and live on/near beaches or lakes, when possible. (for obvious reasons)

they do a lot of traveling throughout their lives. because annabeth loves it, and percy loves seeing her happy.

they definitely have a family dog (look in the linked post for my thoughts on that.) plus horses/pegusi will always be around their place.

i don’t have exact house details in mind.

and they keep in great contact with all their demigod friends. both roman and greek.

all i know for sure is that they remain best friends who are deeply in love. they’re always each others battle partner. and they do everything in their power to not only protect their kids, but to make sure their childhoods don’t contain the same darknesses that their own childhoods did. they’re amazing parents, and they’re gonna do great things. they’re both going to use their abilities to help so many people and creatures. and their lives will never be dull or “normal.” not even for a second. and they love it.

my thoughts on percy’s career: ⬇️

[divaofmads]

King Baldwin IV | Childhood Love

Part I

~Inspired by history

WARNING: I am an amateur for all these and apologize for any mistakes I made as English is not my native language.

🌹🌹🌹

It was the year 1171. Manuel I was trying to return the Byzantine Empire to its former glory. For this, he had to organize expeditions and be the leader of the emperors mentioned in the Eastern Roman Empire. However, it was difficult to act alone. He had suffered many losses during his invasions. Although the future he envisioned in his mind and the steps taken towards this future were working perfectly in his imagination, the foreign policy he followed should have been much more active and ambitious.

Moreover, the Muslims were getting stronger and getting closer to the Eastern Roman Empire. If this continued, it was only a matter of time before they would capture the Holy Land. The king of Jerusalem, Amalric, was able to protect his lands with the strategic planning he followed, but what about his heir?

All these ideas led Manuel to set his sights on Egypt. By uniting with the Kingdom of Jerusalem, they could lead a joint invasion of Fatimid Egypt, or at least weaken their power. Thus, Manuel took the first step towards political rapprochement by sending an envoy to Amalric, the King of Jerusalem at the time.

The Latin King was happy with his alliances. Although he knew that Manuel was not qualified to rule, he wanted to make the Holy Land impassable by adding Byzantine soldiers to his army. This required more than a political alliance.

Amalric knew that the Byzantine King had a daughter who had just turned nine, only a year younger than his son Baldwin, and that their union would be the most logical step towards continuing the Byzantine and Latin lineage.

Even though she was a little girl, Maria was more than just that. She was the princess who carried the blood of the Komnenos Dynasty. The responsibilities that were hidden like a sneaky snake behind her luxurious, rich and fairytale-like life had already begun to inject their poison into the little princess's childish soul to celebrate the arrival of the right time. While the sons of noble lineage were trained to ascend to the throne and rule their country, the most ruthless duty fell to the girls. To ensure peace between enemies or alliances, to act as a bridge. Noble girls did not have the innate right to marry the man they loved.

Empress Bertha had also been forced into one of these marriages. Although she had a good marriage with Manuel, she was afraid that her lack of choice would affect her, that she would suffer the effects of the golden collar that her noble lineage had put on her. This was the reason for her tension at dinner. Maria could not understand her mother's sudden reprimands: You don't hold your fork properly, you don't chew your food twenty times, don't get your clothes dirty, why isn't your hair in a braid?

It was obvious to everyone that the queen was not only projecting her anger onto her daughter, but also onto the servants.

The aristocratic families, lords and leading merchants of Constantinople were at the table. Emperor Manuel had asked them to come to his table to give him the good news. After dessert, he stood up and made a toast.

"My dear friends. You did not leave us alone in this beautiful night, I raise my glass to you first," he said and after he raised the glass to his lips, the other people at the table took a sip of their wine. When the Emperor spoke again, Maria was watching her father in surprise.

"As you know, the alliance we have established with the Kingdom of Jerusalem has been going on for years. However, we must protect our lands from the Muslims, prevent their advancement, and strengthen our ties with King Amalric against possible future Turkish threats. When the political strategies of the Latins and the wealth of our empire come together, we will have no obstacles to achieve our goals." The Emperor raised his glass to his daughter and showed how much he trusted her with his gaze, placing an unbearable burden on the little princess' shoulders.

"My dear daughter, the engagement of Princess Maria and the Latin prince Baldwin IV will establish insurmountable bonds between the two Empires and will finally be officially crowned."

Just this morning, the princess who had just left needlepoint class and was playing with her dolls was going to be engaged to Baldwin IV as the future Queen of Jerusalem. It sounded far away. The little girl looked at her mother. Two drops of tears flowed from her eyes and followed their paths down her cheeks and dropped onto the plate in front of her. Promise, engagement, marriage... Bertha was talking about all of them to her daughter. She had promised herself that she would marry the man she loved when the time was right. Even though she was young, Maria realized her mother's shame at not keeping her promise to her. The intensive training she had received since she had reached the age of awareness had turned her into an intelligent princess. She was much smarter than her peers and had a great ability to interpret events. She was also aware that no one would oppose the engagement. This was her fate. The ultimate end of princesses. She had no choice but to appear happy to her mother. She did not want to see her disappointed. She gripped Bertha's hand on the table tightly. The Empress looked at her daughter to understand what she had done and saw the happy expression in her eyes.

"I will be the queen of the Holy Land, won't I, mother?"

Emperor Manuel proudly answered your question that you asked with happiness.

"You will go down in history as the most talked about Empress of Rome and the Latin people." He raised his glass one last time and raised his voice. "Long live our princess!"

Constantinople was the Jerusalem of Eastern Europe. The Hagia Sophia church was the Masjid al-Aqsa of Christianity; the temple where Jesus would come to worship after being resurrected. The dress of the Virgin Mary from the Notre Dame Cathedral, the cross and nails on which Jesus was crucified, presented by the King of Jerusalem during the reign of Justinian, were reminders of his sanctity to the entire Christian world. Therefore, the Hagia Sophia church was deemed appropriate for the engagement ceremony. Of course, when the time came, the place where the relations between the two empires would be formalized was the land of Jerusalem.

That's why an invitation was sent to the land of Jerusalem as soon as possible with various gifts. A treasure chest with fabrics decorated with roses, jewelry, wines that were at least two centuries old...

Maria had begun to see changes in her life after the night her father had given her the news that he was getting married. She had never felt the benefits of her age anyway. However, now the number of lessons had increased, she had to attend banquets, and every evening she had to work on the next day's to-do list.

Maria became increasingly afraid of this marriage. When all her toys were distributed to the poor, her rag doll, which she could hide in a crack in the wall, was now her friend. Whenever she was alone in her room, she would talk to her and play games in her mind.

When her nanny knocked on the door, she would run to the crack and hide it behind the dusty stones of the wall. That's why the baby's white dress soon turned gray. Her dreams about the prince darkened as she saw the color of the dress. In her dreams, the man she would marry turned into a bloodthirsty monster. A monument of arrogance, the whites of his eyes painted red. Now she would wake up crying from her sleep at night. Her nanny would wait by her side, trying to comfort her.

The night she had another of these nightmares, she leaned her head on her nanny's chest and squeezed her arms in fear.

"Nanny, nanny; do I really have to marry the prince? I don't even know him."

"Oh, Maria! You must put this childishness aside at once. Lord Alexios' daughter took her child in her arms at the age of sixteen. Lord Romanos' daughter had just become a young girl on her first night of marriage; she was fifteen. Now you too must prepare for womanhood; stop behaving like a little child."

"They're coming tomorrow, aren't they?" she asked, wiping the tears from her eyes.

The nurse stroked the princess's hair. "They will be here tomorrow. Now rest," she said, and getting up, she laid Maria on the bed and covered her.

There was a normal bustle in the palace. The servants were running, the chefs were preparing the meals from scratch, and Lady Bertha was personally taking care of the palace decorations.

The person who was really affected by this bustle was Maria. While the servants were washing her in a tub full of water with rose petals in it, her nanny and a few seamstresses were trying to decide on her outfit.

While she was getting cleaned up nicely and putting on her clothes, there were noises coming from outside. It was too late. Little Maria was not ready. While they were putting a white silk scarf that was big enough to cover half of her hair on top of the bun they had made from braids, the nanny went to the window, pulling on the skirts of her dress.

"Jesus! Lady Bertha will ruin me."

She looked around then. Then he stopped in front of the maid who was holding the pillow with the crown in her hand and shouted.

"You are not here to be fools! God knows if I had the chance I would have chased you out of the palace long ago!" She took the crown in her hand and looked at it hopelessly. Still, the fire in her eyes did not fade. "I said the crown with the emerald stone."

Maria's awareness of the necessity made her surrender herself completely to what was to come, but she did not want to wear a crown, nor did she want to go down and curtsey to the prince she did not want to marry.

The welcoming ceremony was already over when the princess was ready. Bertha immediately went into her room and scolded first the servants, then the nurse.

"A bunch of idiots who don't take their jobs seriously!" She stormed out of the room and turned to look at her daughter. "Don't come downstairs now. I told them she was feeling a little unwell. She'll come down when it's time for the feast. If you can manage it, that is!"

The banquet table had everything the King of Jerusalem would love. Fresh venison was cooked over a wood fire, mixed with special sauces. Deer farming was not common in Constantinople, so it was brought from far away and placed in the middle on three sides of the U-shaped tables. The fish of the city famous for its sea were not forgotten, of course, they were caught in various ways and flavored with rich recipes. The wines were brought from the palace cellar, selected and served according to the King's taste.

Emperor Manuel watched Amalric's pleasure, so he didn't say much. Bertha was bothered by the queen's attitude towards Baldwin. She acted as if the prince didn't exist, and when Bertha brought up the subject, Queen Maria was quite insincere. She implied, though not directly, that her own children would make much better rulers.

"Baldwin is a very emotional boy. The Latin Kingdom did not survive on emotionalism. Amalric never gave the Muslims and Jews of Jerusalem a chance. He gave them what they deserved, not when it was necessary, but ruthlessly before it was necessary." He looked at his stepson with disdain and smiled falsely. "When Amalric leaves the holy land to Baldwin, it will be a matter of time for the Arabics to win."

Empress Bertha was so irritated by the woman's ambition that for a moment she did not know how to respond. She looked at Baldwin sadly. She could hear the conversation between his and his half-siblings, and the boy's mature demeanor for his age contradicted Queen Maria's.

"I have no doubt that he will make my daughter Maria happy. He is a clever boy and will be a king loyal to the Latin Kingdom," she said.

Meanwhile, Amalric asked about the princess. It had been a long time since she arrived and the future Latin Queen had still not arrived. Of course, he knew that the disrespect was unintentional, but he was not happy with the situation.

The emperor became angry. If he had no concern for strengthening the bond between them, his reaction to her threatening words would have been severe. However, now he saw fit to show his anger to his wife. He shouted and showed his authority. He ordered the princess to come immediately. At this moment, the door of the hall opened and the servant entered and introduced Maria.

Baldwin was suddenly distracted by a conversation with his siblings. Although he was only ten years old, he already had many criteria in mind for his future wife.

When Maria entered with her nanny, Baldwin couldn't believe his eyes. Her cherry lips shining on her skin as white as snow, her cheeks as warm as the land she was born in, her golden hair that the goddess Freya would envy when she saw it... The first thing that came to his mind was, "Is this a fairy?"

When Maria glanced around the room, looking for her future husband, she saw the boy staring at her intently. It had to be Baldwin. What should she think? He was a beautiful boy, she couldn't deny that, but would they get along?

The only couple who didn’t speak during the feast as the conversation deepened was the prince and the princess. Although they didn’t seem to like each other, they were both just shy. Maria followed Baldwin’s movements as he plucked a grape from the table in front of him and put it in his mouth, and when the little prince’s gaze turned to her, she turned her head in displeasure. A lady shouldn’t appear interested in marriage. That would symbolize her simplicity. But the Empress was not pleased with this coldness, and she knew exactly what would attract attention.

“I hope his majesty likes jousting,” she said, raising her voice.

"Of course," the king replied and continued. "The jousting in this city is done on horses, much more brutal. It's exciting."

"I hope one day my daughter and your son will duel each other. I'm sure it will be much more exciting," he said and sipped his wine.

The king could not hide his surprise. He frowned, thinking he had misunderstood.

"Is what I heard true? Does this naive princess know how to use a spear?"

Manuel looked at his daughter with pride. "She is still in the training phase, but she is quite talented. If she is going to be a queen who will make a name for herself in the future, she must be good at everything."

Queen Maria looked at him with a look of disdain. Yet she did not lose her hypocritical smile. "I suppose you take the Turks and Norse as an example."

"Of course. You will take the good aspects of your enemies as an example, so that they will have less leverage against you."

That day, the two betrothed hardly spoke because of the princess's secretive attitude. The prince began to think that he was not loved by his future wife. Until he started playing in the garden. While Baldwin and his brothers were playing in the garden, Maria preferred to stay with the two queens. While they were sitting in the palace garden overlooking the Bosphorus and having an evening tea, the voices of the children reached her ears. She heard how cruel the real children of Queen Maria, whom she deemed worthy of the kingdom, were. When she turned her head and looked at them, they would unknowingly use violence on Baldwin, and then call him a spoilsport so that the little boy would not complain. Even though Baldwin knew how bad they were, he had to get along well. Because Amalric adored his wife and therefore her children.

Maria could not stand it any longer and took the first step to defend her husband. She called out to her nanny, leaned in to her ear and said that she wanted to play with the children. Although her outfit was not suitable for playing with wooden swords, she allowed it in order to escape the princess's insistence.

"Okay, but I'll keep an eye on you, my lady. If you take the slightest hit, I'll bring you to me." The princess raised her eyebrows in a knowing manner. She looked proud. "Agreed," she said and got up from the chair and walked towards the children. In the meantime, the three brothers were arguing with each other. They were claiming that Baldwin cheated, even though he had won the sword race again and again.

Maria suddenly spoke up. "Why don't we do this duel as a group. Two on two."

Theo spoke up without waiting for his siblings. "You're a girl. Why don't you go have dessert and chat with our mothers like a lady?"

Maria replied with a smug air, her tone unmoved. "Is that another way of saying you're scared?"

Theo remained silent. He had nothing to say to Maria, for every word would be returned as a positive answer to the question he had asked.

Maria addressed Baldwin's tutor. William of Tyre was Baldwin's tutor and was always by his side; like a nanny.

"I want a wooden sword!" Then she looked at the three brothers and said, "William will be the referee and swear that the race will be fair."

Of course, her partner was Baldwin. Theo and Niko had taken their places, waiting for William's signal to start. Niko was looking at the princess with hostility. But he didn't know how good the princess was at observation. He had noticed every evil she did while fighting Baldwin.

When the duel began, Maria was swinging her sword with calm but rapid movements. Only when Niko would treat her badly would she defend herself harshly and quickly, taking the little devil by surprise. William of Tyre was one of those who did not like the queen's children, of course. It was a great pleasure to see Maria defeat him. The little brat had started to whine because of the wood that had hit his arm.

Baldwin laughed. "Niko, will you stop that? It doesn't suit you at all."

The moment Maria returned Baldwin's smile, they got closer.

Meanwhile, the two ladies watching them did not agree. Bertha was saying proud sentences about her daughter, and was constantly defending that she was the right wife for Baldwin. But the one who was not happy with this situation was the queen. The fact that her child was defeated by a little girl had stimulated her ambitious side, causing her to finish her glass of wine in one go.

The prince seemed to be inspired by Maria to defeat Theo. Now he had someone else besides William who loved and supported him. Your presence gave him confidence.

The defeat of her second son drove Queen Maria mad and she did not forget to scold William while shouting at the children to go to bed.

The prince and the princess had just found the perfect time to get to know each other, but it was not possible again. But the Empress called Maria and Baldwin to her side as if to oppose the cruel lady of the Latin Kingdom.

"Theo and Niko should listen to their mother, but you have much to talk about. Why don't you take a walk in the garden?"

The queen was angry, but necessity pressed her not to show her true face. She spoke through clenched teeth. The smile on her face was so forced that her facial muscles trembled.

"I almost thought you were against me, Lady Bertha."

"Of course not. It would be impertinent of me to interfere with your own children, but when I consider the blood relationship and the engagement ceremony of the two children, I conclude that my say in Baldwin's case is superior. I am sure you will understand."

The queen smiled and nodded with her uncomprehending personality. Her soul was too filled with arrogance to respond to the empress. Yet if you could hear the voice inside you, you would hear the shrill, mad woman's voice screaming.

Baldwin nodded to his mother-in-law. “Thank you, your majesty. I would like to inform you that your daughter is safe with me.”

Bertha smiled and returned the prince's respectful gesture with a slight bow of her head.

"What doubt is there?"

Baldwin pulled his fiancé by the hand. The two children began to run. They ran and ran until they were out of sight... Finally they came out onto a stone path surrounded by stunted trees. The path ended at the seaside, and it seemed they would have enough time to get to know each other on the path that stretched that far.

The princess avoided being the first to speak. In fact, she followed the rules in this period when neither palace etiquette nor men were given priority. But she was no longer sure of her feelings. Every question she would ask the prince was a step towards getting to know the man she loved. But would the prince be attached to her with the same feelings, she was not sure.

Things were not going so normally for Baldwin either. The reason for his silence could be that the princess did not like him or that he could not speak out of respect. Still, as a man, he had to have the first say.

"Tell me, princess? Are you afraid?"

Maria paused. "I think you can call your fiancé by her name."

The boy stuttered excitedly. "Of course I am, I'm just respectfully..."

Maria cut him off. She seemed pleased that Baldwin was excited around her. She smiled and continued walking. "No, I'm not afraid." She continued walking ahead. Baldwin increased his speed as he got closer to her so that she wouldn't see him smile.

"So when I think of Theo and Niko, you're different from them. That's good."

Baldwin got used to Maria as he was alone with her. He was no longer timid to keep up with her steps. He stopped the princess suddenly by grabbing her arm.

"You know, I was very scared. The first meeting of a couple is very important and determines how they will spend the rest of their lives. My fear was the moment I first saw you..."

Maria was about to hear things from the prince that a nine-year-old child would be ashamed to hear. So she interrupted him with a mocking look. "In which book did you read these words?"

Baldwin could not hide his surprise. He answered, avoiding her eyes. "Actually, it is not a quote from the book, William warned me when I came here."

Maria grinned happily this time. "I guess William likes to talk complicated with you."

While the prince looked at his fiancée with pride, Maria seemed lost in his proud gaze. No matter how quickly the harsh lessons he had been exposed to in his noble life had made him grow up, at the end of the day, she was still a nine-year-old child. Although her mind was well-developed for fancy speech, it would take her a long time to learn how to hide her emotions.

Maria sighed as she looked at the child's glowing skin. "You are so beautiful."

Baldwin was surprised to be the recipient of one of those compliments given to girls. Shouldn't he have thought of it?

"I don't understand, my lady."

Maria, confident, forgetting that she was breaking God's prohibitions, approached Baldwin and put her hand on his cheek and caressed it. Then her hair. As if she were playing with a rag doll.

"I've never seen a boy as beautiful as you. You really do remind me of the Greek gods I've seen in books."

Baldwin took a step back, away from his fiancée. He lowered his gaze and frowned.

"No, my lady. You deserve the compliment. Forgive me for not telling you in time."

Maria was as open and honest as ever.

"I don't care if you compliment me or not. I know you like me but what I said about you is true. You are beautiful."

Baldwin wasn’t sure if he was embarrassed or uncomfortable with the reversal of their roles. Still, he was flattered to be admired so much by his fiancée. The eyes that had looked at him with such admiration had last been his mother’s, and now his future wife’s. How could he ever forget the passion hidden in those eyes that had managed to fit every lake and forest in the world?

“Forgive me for interrupting, my prince, but we must return to the palace now.”

The two betrothed were embracing each other when William suddenly appeared behind them. He was happy that the prince had met such innocent love. That was why their childhood love was sacred to him.

The two children separated but did not let go of their hands as they turned to William. Baldwin held his princess's hand tightly. The night was long and they did not want to spend hours apart from each other.

Baldwin began. "The Empress has given us permission to be alone, Will."

"I understand, your majesty, but that was an hour ago." Then he looked meaningfully at Maria. "It is by your mother, Lady Bertha's order."

The little girl bowed her head helplessly and approved. Baldwin did not let go of his fiancée's hand. "Don't worry, my princess, when we get married, we will never be apart." Baldwin held Maria's hand tightly neither when he went to the queen nor when he entered the palace. But when the time came for them to leave and they went to their rooms, neither of the two children knew that it would be their first and last happy moment.

🌹🌹🌹

Maria stood in the middle of the apse with her fiancé Baldwin, listening to the priest's words from the Bible. Everything was perfect, and miraculous. Their people looked at them with envy. After all, even if they were not heirs, they were upper class people and had to marry men or women they did not want in order to make a deal or have better conditions. Everyone Maria and Baldwin had chanced to see in church was unhappy in some way or had cheated on their spouses, but the prince had held his future wife's hand tightly and promised to be by her side before presenting her with the priestly decorations brought personally from the Pantagrator monastery.

Maria knew how upset the Empress was. She was against political unions. She wanted to believe that her daughter truly loved the prince, but her logic believed that the happiness in Maria's eyes was just a mask she had developed for what she had to do. Yet her only daughter had acquired the most sacred feeling God had ever created at such a young age; what a great honor and a proud opportunity!

The princess raised her head towards the Empress's lodge and looked at her mother. She was aware of the embarrassment she was trying to hide behind her despotic gaze, and she was mature enough to smile confidently so that she would not feel guilty. Although Bertha did not respond to her daughter, she was pleased with her happiness.

At that very moment, little Maria noticed movement on the ceiling and turned her eyes to the seraph fresco. She was looking directly into the princess’s eyes from between her wings; the expressionless face she remembered had been replaced by sadness, and she could have sworn to swear by the two tears that were flowing from her eyes. Of course, it was impossible to hide her surprise at the sight she saw. Moreover, the princess’s reaction had attracted everyone’s attention, and a few curious people had fixed their eyes on the ceiling. They wondered what had affected the princess so much. Or would the sacred temple that Justinian had given to Jesus collapse again?

The priest had to nudge the princess with his words: the dynasty rings would be worn.

The priest presented them with the rings placed on the purple pillow. Baldwin reached for the ring first. The emerald stones, which were the companions on both sides of the diamond, were placed on the gold ring. The details were carved with Nordic shapes. However, when Baldwin put the ring on the beautiful princess, the drops of blood that hit the stones splashed and stained her finger red. The princess first pulled her hand away harshly and then looked back up at the frescoes on the cathedral ceiling. Everyone was surprised, unlike the priest. Because he had also witnessed what the princess saw when she looked at the ceiling. The ceiling was cracking insidiously, blood was gushing out from between the cracks, staining the temple. However, the guests were not aware of what was happening. Even Baldwin, despite being face to face with the princess, did not see or notice anything. He was only saying her name.

"MARIA, are you okay? Maria?"

The half dome almost collapsed on their heads. As the cracks widened, the blood flowing increased in intensity. The blood branching from the stained glass windows prevented sunlight from entering the church. The priest grabbed Maria by the arm and started pulling her away. It was as if red rain was falling on the cathedral. The nobles' expensively woven dresses, their bearskin furs, their crowns decorated with jewels could not be seen because of the blood. Despite this, everyone was calm, continuing to look at the apse. As if they were enchanted, as if everyone had entered a vegetative state.

While Maria was screaming and trying to run towards Baldwin to get him out of this pool of blood, the priest had already taken her to the second narthex. The little princess was struggling and begging the priest to let her go. The priest said that he could not do this, otherwise she would be one of those who drowned in blood.

The priest had finally managed to get out of Jesus' house with the princess. Now they were watching the nobles drowning in blood from afar. The two Houses were dying in agony along with their other nobles. There was not a single drop of blood leaking out. You were wondering what was going on inside, and you were crying out the prince’s name.

The priest tried to calm you down, but as the level of the red liquid seen through the windows increased, your ravings turned into pleas. The priest was begging you to be quiet. It was too late now. For the entire kingdom, for Baldwin.

“Maria! Maria! Maria!”

When she looked up at the sky, she could swear that the sun was practically calling her. Was it a divine call?

"Maria, please wake up, your majesty!"

When she opened her eyes, her heart was beating rapidly. It was hard to breathe as her chest rose and fell violently. She looked around with astonished eyes, straightened up, took the glass her nanny had handed her and drank a few sips of water. One of the maids was trying to clean the drops of sweat running down the girl's neck with a wet cloth.

The nurse asked, "What were you seeing, princess? I called out to you for minutes, but your moans did not stop."

Maria was still in the grip of what she had seen and was having difficulty regulating her breathing. The candles burning in the room, the high ceiling; none of them relieved the feeling of being trapped in a tiny box.

"I must speak to the father."

The nurse stammered. "For a nightmare? That doesn't make much sense. We must not occupy His Holiness unnecessarily."

The little princess stared at the woman and repeated her words harshly. The nanny, not knowing what to do, snatched the glass from the girl's hand and bowed respectfully to her, saying that they could go to the palace priest tomorrow morning after breakfast.

"Not the palace priest! We will go to Hagia Sophia. I am telling you this is important, are you really that stupid!"

This was the first time the nanny had seen the princess behave so disrespectfully. But this did not calm her anger. She clenched her teeth. How dare she criticize her intelligence? What she really wanted was to grab the princess by the arm, shake her, demand an explanation, and then beat her; unless she wanted to die in the dungeons with her skin flayed by the Pope right after doing so. Now all she did was to bow her head, holding the glass in her hand in front of her, and assure her that she would fulfill her request.

In the morning, the Latin Kingdom and the Byzantine Empire took their places at the breakfast table. The food did not only include products grown on the Empire's lands. Sugared almonds, cherries and citrons brought from overseas were another way of showing the guests how rich the table was.

The emperor and the king could not help but talk about their strategies even at the breakfast table. There were political implications and metaphors behind every word they used to describe how happy the entire Empire was about their children's engagements.

The two women, overwhelmed by their husbands' passion for work, had turned the conversation completely to the day they would officially become a family. The Empress turned to her daughter at one point and expressed her displeasure that the food on her plate had still not been eaten. Of course, Baldwin, who was standing right in front of her, could see that Maria was behaving differently.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to go to church after breakfast."

Bertha looked at her daughter.

"what's this all about?"

Maria didn't want to talk about the dream she had. When she glanced at her father, she knew that he seemed to be interested in state affairs. She knew very well how obsessed the emperor was with dreams. He would definitely jump on her and make things worse.

"I just want to do a prayer of gratitude for my engagement."

"No way, you have a geography lesson after breakfast. After that, you will personally announce your engagement as the future king and queen. When you return to the palace, you must attend the banquet."

Maria pressed her lips together. She had no answer to say. The to-do list her mother had given her was endless. Besides, that day was her laziest day. No one but Baldwin had noticed her discomfort at not being able to go to church. She would use her intelligence to save her only love from the situation.

"I thought God's word ruled in Byzantine lands, your majesty."

Manuel stopped talking suddenly and looked at the little boy with a frown. He caught the attention of everyone at the table by banging the rings he wore on his five fingers, each set with a precious stone, on the arm of the chair. Baldwin's accusation was very bold. The tension between the two kingdoms was at its peak now. When Amalric tried to silence his son, the emperor interlaced his fingers at chest level without taking his elbows off the arm of the chair.

He looked very calm. This was an attitude that would never suit the emperor. Everyone knew very well how ruthless he could be.

"Tell me Baldwin, why did you say that?"

Baldwin, unlike the others at the table, was very relaxed.

"I apologize if I was misunderstood, your majesty, I just wanted to express that worshipping the god is much more important than lessons. She is trying to raise the princess in the best way possible, to make her like you, but this should not be a reason to delay her worshipping in Hagia Sophia. I am sure you think the same way I do.

The Latin king was still nervous. Queen Maria was pleased with Baldwin's impudent attitude. She could trick her beloved husband and get him the worst punishment. A good start to discredit his son in his father's eyes.

But the emperor answered the prince with a faint smile on his lips.

"Your apology is a part of your humility, a symbol of your lion-heartedness in defending what you know to be right. Very good Baldwin."

Then he glared at his wife.

"And my dear wife, I do not want to believe the idea that I have not attained the reason of a ten-year-old child."

Then he turned to his daughter.

"What is it that makes you want to go to church so badly?"

The princess lowered her eyes in embarrassment.

"Your Majesty, all I want is to go to church and give thanks. If you will allow me."

"Get ready after breakfast," the emperor ordered.

Maria looked at Baldwin from below and smiled coquettishly in thanks. Baldwin, however, continued to focus on the plate in front of him, without losing his haughty gaze.

When the princess and her servant arrived at the church, the priest was surprised. He had never been here before except on special occasions. Although he was sitting in his office working on state matters, he left his work unfinished. He went down the stairs and approached the princess standing in front of the apse. He was aware of the strangeness in her attitude. Maria was looking at the stained glass windows, the windows where she had witnessed blood choking people. She continued to look until the priest spoke.

"My princess, welcome."

When the princess turned to the priest, she felt uneasy as if her nightmare had come true.

"What brought you here?"

Maria swallowed. "I had a dream, Father Antonio. I wouldn't have come if I didn't think it was a dream worth listening to, but I think it's worth it."

The priest was aware of the fear and despair on the girl's face. He put his hand on her back and guided her to the pews in the nave.

"Come, my child, let's sit down and talk."

In fact, the priest was prejudiced against the girl at first. A little child could have been affected by a terrible dream. What she was going to listen to now could be complete nonsense. But at the end of the day, she was the princess and she had to listen.

Although the priest's face was so gentle when Maria started telling her dream, what she heard later in the dream frightened her. While blood was bad in itself, the fact that there were people drowning in it, and moreover, inside Hagia Sophia...

The priest asked, trying to control his excitement. "Were you among those who drowned in the palace?"

Maria answered, "No," and was about to continue her dream when the priest stopped her.

"No, my child, you don't need to continue because what you saw is just your fears." Even though he didn't want to lie, it wasn't right to tell a little girl what had happened. He had to talk to the emperor directly.

He continued, stuttering as if he knew he was lying. "Now return to your palace, my child. It's normal for you to be worried about the future because of your engagement ceremony, but there's nothing to fear."

Antonio accompanied Maria to the first narthex. No matter how comfortable she seemed, she now knew that the two kingdoms had heavy penances to pay. Moreover, this was much closer to home for the Latin Kingdom. Very soon, problems would arise in the holy lands, and she would be dragged into an impossible path.

Thank God, all these negativities would strengthen the little princess, and her suffering would grow her.

But what really frightened her was the fact that the third Crusade could resurrect.

[veemunson86]

I see you everywhere

Pt 3, love of my life.

Series masterlist

⭑･ﾟﾟ･*:༅｡.｡༅:*ﾟ:*:✼��　　✿✼:*ﾟ:༅｡.｡༅:*･ﾟﾟ･⭑

it was Steve's idea, to write a letter to Eddie and burn it. you thought it was cheesy but decided to give it a shot. the heavy weight your heart felt for him ached more and more every day which was causing unwanted stress. going  into the 8th month of your pregnancy began to become unbarable without him. all you wanted was to feel him holding you late at night, but he couldn't, and that alone was a crushing feeling. at first you thought it was a horrible idea, but when you were missing him extra one day, you finally found the right words.

" my dearest eddie, today marks almost 8 months since you left me. it still hasn't gotten any easier. everyone says it gets better, but when? i miss you like crazy. i still wear your ring, but its too big for my hand so i have it on a chain i swear around my neck. i wonder what our wedding would have been like. i wonder how you would have raised our beautiful baby girl, would you have played her music to help her sleep? everywhere i go, its like you're here with me. i see you everywhere around the house that would have been ours. i wake up to what would have been the side of your bed, and its like sometimes i envision youre laying next to me... your hair a big frizzy mess. i find myself doing that a lot, thinking youre here with me, that maybe, just maybe you'll come back to me. but you wont, and that's when i snap back into reality. you're gone. its still hard to say out loud. our baby is growing so fast. she has a strong heartbeat. i remember when i would lay my head  on your chest when we would be on the couch, or laying in bed. it was my favorite thing to listen to. that day when i held you, i felt your heart slowly give out, and a part of mine died with you that day. everyone here says ive changed, and the truth is i have. the y/n i was died when you did, now I'm just the shell of the girl i once was. the shell of a girl who lost the one person she truly loved. but i wanna change, that's why in writing this. i wanna change for our girl. i wanna be the best version of myself i can, for her. it scares my thinking about having to do this alone, but i know I'm not alone. i have the kids, and steve, nancy and robin to help. they go with me to every appointment. i know she is gonna be so loved by them, and that makes me happy. i decided on a name. remember when we talked about a family of our own one day? we wrote down names that we would want for our kids. i found that notebook when i moved your stuff in here. our house. just like we wanted. 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom. big backyard, with a small swimming pool. it wasn't easy, but i had help. my parents and your uncle helped me until i could get up on my feet. i moved your stuff here, part of my thinks youre gonna show up one day. our bedroom is perfect. we both have a nightstand, i have pictures of us together o your side. i know it all sounds stupid, but its comforting. i have a few of your shirts in the closet, they still smell like you. i always loved that smell, like cinnamon and weed. it makes it feel like youre still here. i open up our closet and that's the first thing i smell, it smells like home. like you. i picked our girls name, i decided on Amelia. shes gonna have your last name. i set up her nursery with the help of steve, dustin, and max. her little room is adorable. i have a light pink crib, and above it there is her name smelled out in wooden letters. there is little ducks on the wallpaper, as when i went through my first nesting phase i didnt know the gender yet. there is a fuzzy white rug right by her crib, and a rocking chair so i can feed her in there. i wish you could be here to see it, but alas, youre not. so i guess this is my final goodbye to you. steve said writing this and burning it would give me piece of mind, and i think hes right. so goodbye my love, i will love you forever, please watch over me and our baby. i love you."

and with that, you folded the paper in half, throwing it in the fireplace, watching as it slowly turned to ash.

Tags:

[oldiesstationlover11607]

hiiiii, i hope youve been well!!

ive been on the lore grind lately and I think I've read every single lore-based tyler fic out there LOL

would you be willing to write tyler x bandito!reader in which she is a part of the group that helps tyler escape from dema? i lovee a strong independent reader and then Boy who follows her around like a lost puppy , i think its such a cute dynamic.

also!!! cover & radio interview requester here 🙋‍♀️

i love the idea of the emoji labels!! if its not already taken, "🕸" is the emoji i'll use! :D

Escape - Clancy!Tyler Joseph x Reader

Relationship: Clancy!Tyler Joseph × Reader

Warnings: none

Word Count: 1977

A/N: Hi! I've been doing super well recently! Hope you are doing well too! I can definitely use '🕸' as ur emoji! I also hope that this is what you were envisioning! Enjoy!!

As I smiled, Tyler—now Clancy—seemed to straighten up just a little, the weight of the name settling on his shoulders. Something in him had shifted, like the simple act of choosing a name had given him a fragment of the strength he’d need in the days ahead.

We rested in silence for a moment, the canyon winds whispering around us. The sun was starting to dip behind the jagged rocks, casting long shadows that stretched across the land. Time was running short. If we didn’t move soon, we’d lose the cover of dusk, and it’d be too dangerous to lead him through Trench in the dark.

“Clancy,” I said, testing the name out for myself. He looked up at me, his eyes more steady now, the fear that had gripped him earlier slowly ebbing away. “Are you ready?”

“I think so,” he said, the uncertainty still present, but there was something else there too—determination.

“You’ll be okay,” I reassured him, standing and extending my hand. “Stick close to me. Trench is unpredictable, but if you stay with me, you’ll make it.”

Clancy nodded, taking my hand and pulling himself up. We moved back toward the entrance of the cave, where the rest of the banditos had gone. The path to camp was still long, but the worst of it was behind us.

As we walked, I thought about the first time I had made this journey—the fear, the confusion, the overwhelming sense of stepping into something bigger than myself. I could see that same struggle playing out on Clancy’s face, the questions he was too scared to ask still lingering on the tip of his tongue. But I knew better than to push him. Everyone had to find their own way, and sometimes, silence spoke louder than words.

The sky grew darker as we neared the camp, the faint glow of torches flickering in the distance. We were close. Clancy’s pace quickened beside me, his nervous energy returning now that we were so close to the unknown.

“There it is,” I said softly, gesturing to the distant light. “Your new home—for now, at least.”

Clancy swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on the campfires ahead. “It’s real,” he whispered, as if he’d half-expected this all to be a dream.

“Very real,” I replied, placing a hand on his shoulder. “And this is just the beginning. You’ll meet the others, hear their stories, see the movement for yourself. And then, when you’re ready, you’ll fight. We all do.”

His eyes widened, and I could see the weight of that truth settling in. “Fight?”

“Not today, not tomorrow. But soon enough.” I met his gaze. “The Bishops have held Dema for too long. The time for waiting is over.”

Clancy didn’t respond right away, but I could see the thoughts turning in his mind. He wasn’t ready yet, but he would be. We all had our moment when the fire was lit inside us, when the weight of oppression became too heavy to bear and rebellion was the only option. His time would come.

As we approached the camp, the familiar faces of my fellow banditos greeted us with nods and whispers. The Torchbearer stood at the center, his tall figure illuminated by the glow of the flames. He caught my eye, giving a slight nod before turning his attention to Clancy.

“This is him?” the Torchbearer asked, his voice steady and commanding.

“This is Clancy,” I replied, stepping aside so he could take in the boy standing beside me.

Clancy shifted nervously, his eyes darting between me and the Torchbearer. The Torchbearer took a step closer, studying him for a moment before speaking. “Welcome to the banditos, Clancy. You’ve made the right choice.”

Clancy nodded, his voice caught in his throat. “Thank you,” he managed to say, though it was barely more than a whisper.

The Torchbearer’s gaze softened. “It won’t be easy. But you’ll have us. And together, we’ll change everything.”

For the first time since we’d left Dema, I saw a spark of something in Clancy’s eyes—hope, yes, but more than that. Resolve.

The Torchbearer turned to me. “You did well, Y/N. Get some rest. Tomorrow, we’ll start his training.”

I nodded, feeling a sense of pride and relief wash over me. Clancy wasn’t just another scared kid from Dema anymore. He was one of us now—a bandito.

As the camp settled in for the night, I found a quiet spot by the fire, the warmth of the flames chasing away the chill in the air. Clancy sat across from me, his eyes reflecting the light as he stared into the fire, lost in thought.

“You did good today,” I said, breaking the silence.

He looked up, a small, tired smile on his face. “Thanks. I still feel… like I’m dreaming.”

I chuckled. “It’ll feel real soon enough.”

And as we sat there, surrounded by the quiet hum of the camp, I knew that this was just the beginning. For Clancy, for me, for all of us. The rebellion was growing, and the days of Dema’s rule were numbered.

We would fight. And we would win.

//

REQUESTS OPEN

[mihai-florescu]

1 & 25 <3

The thoughtful Tia, hii!! Thank you for the questions:3

1. Song of the year?

Weeell spotify says it was wuthering heights by kate bush, but i think knights' discography ended up being irreplaceable in keeping me alive this summer...hmm if i had to choose just one...maybe ironic blue. It is on a playlist from when i was paranoid that i wont survive if i dont listen to it, crazy roulette & artistic partisan in the morning.

25. Did you create any characters (in games, art, or writing) this year? Describe one

Nod nod especially in the second half of the year i made a bunch of ocs, rotated the ideas for their stories in my head, and then put them back in boxes inside my brain. I made the alien gals, fascinated by humanity through rose tinted glasses of media they got their hands on, coming to earth and experiencing the horrors. I wonder what that could be about!

Ive drawn them in my sketchbook a few other times but this is the only digital colored ref so far...

Aaanyway, then i also had mt fujo, a vtuber who reviews bl media and her nr 1 online hater (for reasons of they both ship their otp differently. AxB vs BxA is no joke) is actually her sweet irl coworker she has a crush on. But they dont know... until they do. Her outfit is supposed to have that aoba figure as a necklace/central piece of sorts

And recently ive been doing animal gijinkas. No story, theyre just fun character design exercises

Ah and i have a mhyk oc based on Margarita from The Master and Margarita. Gonna copy paste a message i sent oomf about her (since oomf is the reason i read the book in the first place and one of the reasons i finally read mhyk, it felt right they'd hear about the oc): Her lore is shes a eastern witch who fell in love with a human writer. He wrote a novel that paralleled their story, shedding a positive light on human-wizard relationships. In the town they lived in, he was mocked and the book was forbidden from being published, out of humans' bitterness towards wizards. This put a lot of strain on both him and their relationship, soon enough he got sick and died. In grief, margarita flees to a forest where she builds a library where all kinds of forbidden and banned books can be found. She also specializes in restoring objects. Her magical focus is a torn page of the book her partner had written, the one that was banned, the page being one of the few remnants of its existence. On the side, after she restored his book, she hopes to use her object restoration and psychometry (feeling memories inside objects) powers to bring the master back to life through the memories inside his book. She toys around with making other puppets like this before she can try to bring him back, but has been unsuccessful in her goal so far. Murr has visited the library in the past, and now one of his soul shards resides there; he appreciates her dedication to restore and keep banned books and also her commitment to her gone lover. I envision western and eastern sages wizards would get called to a mission at the library, and it would stir them up. Shy for the fact that hes doing a similar thing except murr isnt dead, faust because the forbidden books include some about what actually happened to him in the past, etc...

This was a first sketch, im not sure if i want to keep it, but still. Some sort of visual.

[bunnyswritings]

ur blog is soo helpful !!!! ive been looking into writing more lately and this is like a godsend <3 i was wondering if u could do some starter tips?? like stuff to avoid as a new writer :o ps. hope ur having a wonderful week!!!

ahhh, hello!! this is such a sweet message, and thank you, i hope you have a fruitful week ahead too ♡ i'm so glad you're writing more lately- i'll def do my best to provide some starter tips (though i'm really also a starter myself 😅 so i hope you like these, and feel free to let me know what you think!) also, just to put it out there that these are what i found helpful personally / what i think will be helpful, and may / may not resonate with everyone. Also, this topic is soooo broad and there are a million things that can be covered, but for now I'll just keep it short and go with stuff to avoid (or rather, approach differently) as per request. if you / anyone else would like another post for more specific writing tips, feel free to drop it in my ask box!

Some general writing tips — stuff to avoid; little things to not overdo

over-planning

overusing fancy vocabulary

over-describing

over-criticising your work

over-comparing

more details under the cut!

Over-planning — plan the general outline, direction of your plot, message of your story, characters and their rough personalities; yes, do all that well! good planning makes for a good story, but i think it's helpful to remember that sometimes things don't pan out the way we envision them to. and it's important to let certain things go, appropriately of course. if your initial storyline doesn't quite fit the characterisation of the protagonist etc (and vice versa), then perhaps it's time to rethink things — and NOT be too hard-up about it. [tldr: be flexible!]

Overusing bombastic vocabulary — i'm sure you've come across millions of writing advice pieces that aim to spruce up your vocabulary with bombastic phrases. by all means go ahead and pick a few that fit the mood and style of your writing. otherwise, i'd say that sometimes, less is more. throwing in fancy words for the sake of it may not be as helpful as you think. there should be a fine balance between using words that add flavour + help to illustrate nuances and using words to make your piece seem complex. simplicity goes a long way, as i've learnt. but having said that, building up a solid repertoire of vocabulary / good phrases is always helpful, the key thing is using those phrases in the right context. definitely easier said than done, so i suggest reading your favourite author's works couple of times through and pick up their way of using language to their advantage.

Over-describing — narration, descriptive language are great, and can really help to nudge your story in the right direction. it helps set the scene, the mood, and all these are critical in writing... BUT! not the same can be applied to describing actions. not every single action has to be written out explicitly — an example: she walks over to the kitchen, turns around, and opens the refrigerator. she then takes out a canned drink, and places the drink on the countertop... etc — you get the point. some things can be left implied, rather than explicit.

Over-criticising your work — ahh, the age-old piece of advice. i do it all the time, and you probably do too... sometimes, being harsh on yourself and on your work may seem like the only way to better yourself and push your limits, but often times, i personally find that this is counter-productive both on the physical and mental front. it wears you down, it is a nidus for dejection and negative vibes. i think the way i try to get round this is by taking pride in my own work; telling myself that 'this is something i wrote, these are my ideas put into prose, these are my thoughts written on paper'. the caveat here is that avoiding being over-critical of your work DOES NOT and should not mean avoiding proofreading. proofreading is extremely crucial to check for grammatical and structural errors (i recommend doing it once or twice yourself, and if possible, getting a fresh pair of eyes to do the same).

Over-comparing — this ties in nicely with the previous point. take pride in your work! this is something original from you and you only, written in your unique style. having authors/writers whom you look up to is essential in moulding your writing style and habits, but should not be the sole focus when you write. remember that every writer is different, every piece of writing is different; this goes even for pieces with similar plots / tropes / character personalities. nuances, subtleties and underlying messages can come through very differently when written by different people. after all, our life journeys are all personal, which is a factor influencing the way we convey messages across through the written word.

and... that's it for now! i really hope that this helps. honestly, i'm scratching the surface here, and there are lots more i can talk about when i have more braincells >_<

feel free to drop any other requests or questions in my ask if you'd like ♡

[duchessonfire]

Whatever AU you create I live for it, honestly I'm your biggest fan at this point. Feel free to expand! The abo, supernatural twist, the motherfucking reverse sugar that i did not expect 😂 what kinda dynamic do you envision? Are they overall similar to savior except for some key point or is the energy between cegan completely altered? What are the vibes 🤩

Also! What are you thought on Negan's evolution and can you add your twist as to where do you think Carl can fit in it

(ive never watched dead city and stopped twd years ago coincidentaly right after carl died i keep up a bit with spoilers so i got the gist of it. But from what i can see he's become a fundamentaly different person. Swagger still there but dialed down enough to make me sad 😔 wbu do you keep up? id be impressed if you did cause that's some damn comitmment.

Listen i've been trying to recreate your magic by combining ao3 tags lately but nothing seems to fit! Its the age difference, its the slow burn with what started as someone playing meanly and exerting their power on someone else only to be hit with the feelings 🫢, it's the top tier d/s subtext, its the jealousy and the two step forward one step back, its the smut tbh mostly the smut, simply put it's giving.

And absolutely no rush and dont feel obliged to answer but what kinda irl timeline are you predicting for part 3 and 4 and the neganpov? You've been churning out updates lately (22k high quality chapter within a month; we are spoiled god bless🫂).

I'm frothing at the mouth waiting for your next update. You sincerely bring me joy.

Hi again Cegan lovely! ✨

Thank you so much for this sweet message.

The dynamics of the other Cegan project I have planned will be very much similar to the Savior!Carl universe with Carl and Negan going from enemies to lovers. The only one that is truly different is the reverse sugar daddy AU where I'm going for a Carl that is super shy and vulnerable, really a gifted kid who has trouble connecting with people and who clings to his crush for his former PE teacher for dear life. I'm really excited about those projects even though I have no idea when I'll have time to write them 😅

I am still heavily involved in TWD universe and I have watched the main show until the end, as well as the Daryl Dixon, The Ones Who Live and the Dead City spinoffs. I was very unhappy with Negan's characterization in the last season of TWD but Dead City really brought a breath of fresh air and I'm excited to see what lies in store for Negan in season 2.

So funny thing, part 4 of the Savior!Carl universe will cover Rick's arrival and the war between the Saviors and the other communities, but because I want to stick closely to canon, part 5 will deal with the time Negan spends in the cell and the Whisperer War. So I have in fact plans for Carl and Negan's relationship even after Negan loses his empire. (I'm actually very excited about their new dynamics after that happens ❤️‍🔥 While Negan will go softer, Carl will become a lot harder and more ruthless so that will be pretty amazing to explore...).

I'm so happy that you enjoy the Savior!Carl AU 😍 If you're looking for more Cegan content, I recommend looking at my bookmarks. If you enter Carl Grimes or Negan Smith in the "other work tags to include" section, you will be able to see all my Cegan bookmarks. I especially recommend the fics by Gemjam: Wildflowers and Genesis, which are really the main inspiration behind the Savior!Carl universe, but in my bookmarks you will find loads more of amazing works by amazing writers! Happy reading 📖

So for the time-line, part 3 will finish this summer for sure, hopefully by beginning of July. I will post chapter 10 this week (hopefully today or tomorrow), and then it's only two more chapters to go. The time-line for 4 is a lot blurrier because I still have a lot of brainstorming to do. Same for part 5 and for the Negan's pov. Ideally, I would like the Negan's pov to post at the same time as part 5 because Carl will spend a lot of time away from Negan while he's in the cell, so posting Negan's pov at the same time would still giving readers a healthy amount of Cegan next to the plot of part 5.

Thank you again for such a lovely ask and I hope you have an amazing day 💐😘

[werebutch]

I cant wait to move out im going to suffer so much but ill also have so much that i dont right now. Im so glad i found my love of cooking recently its so so fulfilling. I’m so excited for school and im so nervous. I’m so excited to make friends again and have a schedule. Live in my own little world. It’s like so cheesy but im kind of finally starting to get over my thing about dying young. Like since i was 12 i planned to die before i graduated high school (and at 12, i hoped before i completed 8th grade) but its been almost 2 years since i got my diploma. Now i have my little bunnies and a lot of passion for new and old hobbies etc. like up until a little while ago i could not envision a future for myself at all, its like i was genuinely incapable. And i still kinda am, but its slowly getting better at least for now. And idk im a major loser im pretty much freeloading right now i dont really have friends and I haven’t dated in like.. 4 years? Which is insane. But also like a lot of other people are major losers. I’d go as far as to say most people are losers. and ive told myself this so much im starting to believe it so thats good i guess. The suicidal ideation hasn’t gone away but i can deal with it better. Or at least distract myself better. Anyways ive also experimented with art so much the last couple years and it only makes me want to try more mediums. Since becoming less depressed my intense love for the earth just keeps inspiring me more and more and i think i finally have a very abstract idea of what i want to do with my career. Maybe. At least for now i do, which is good. It’ll change and thats fine. I’m honestly really worried about this high ive had for the past couple weeks because im really scared it will all go away. I’m not usually this optimistic and its scaring me big time. I still have so much mental trouble with my body and my relationship with my family those are like the major things. And the loneliness of course. I just really hope i dont like ? Crash? And start feeling horrible again. I dont know what im saying anymore LMFAO i should really write in my journal im just lazy. If u read this all youre a real werebutch fan. Make me feel less scared of college please

[pixlpxie]

do you have some ideas what i can talk in a videocall (with yunho), because i really want to built that idol x fan friendship, and if he sees me at a concert he would remember me from our calls yk... like i wanna call regulary but i cant always talk the same stuff... (wanna be special 😮‍💨) see the view from the idol, i would be so happy if i would have fans who regulary call and talk to me with exitement... nevertheless i ones had a call with him and i started to shake so bad and was so nervous... lmao he noticed and said oh you are really nervous right 😟(with that face) and he started to talk a little like thank you for being a fan and at the end he said see you next time (which gave me hopes, thats its ok that i kinda failed that talk but he understand CRY) ... Usually i am the biggest yapper in the world, if im with people who are normal to me i can but then i need to talk to people who i really respect/ my crush, i run away from them and be too shy to talk to them, bc if i fail to talk to them normal / they remember me as weird/ give me side eyes, literally thats my end and i would really tend to k*ll myself, honestly bc yunho is the only reason in my life to not end it all (not to go that deep here but its the truth 😅) yeeea so i just want him to like me and remember me good way or funny way yk 😆😆

First of all im sorry for this late response ive been busy a lot lately so i couldn't get back to my asks😭😭

Youre asking the wrong person because i truly cant envision myself having a fc or fm with him so i can never think of what i could talk with him because id just be too nervous to do anything 😭 but he really is a sweet guy literally look at him getting worried for you 😔 usually based on my observations idols like it when you can stand out so maybe you can do or tell him things you find interesting although i truly have no idea what they might be, maybe you do something in the name of him and show it to him, dress up as something he might enjoy/find funny or show him things that will make him laugh it might work 🙂‍↔️ trust me as long as fans don't act weird i don't think that you are weird so you don't have to worry about that

Also im sure there are many more things that keeps ypu going, you may just not realize what they are but if you need help id gladly help you as much as i can 🥺🩷

[natsury-kazuki]

Valentine Card 2023

Hey, like every year there are Valentine's Day cards, this post will be updated as I find the cards, feel free to send me the missing cards! Enjoy - 06.11.23

HEARTSLABYUL

My dear friend─

Riddle Rosehearts : Not found yet

-

Hello friend ─

Trey Clover : Not found yet

-

Eyyy, friend!

Sweets aren't normally my jam, but the ones you

picked out were PERF─and they looked great

too! You must've put in some WORK picking

them out.

So, thanks! I'll make sure to do the same for you!

Cater Diamond

-

My good friend─

Thanks for the amazing gift! You got me those

mega-popular sweets we just talked about, right?

They were so good! It's kind of a shame I ate them

all.

Have you had any? I guess it'd be weird if I gifted

you the same thing, but come shopping with me

sometime and we can pick out some sweets for you.

Deuce Spade

-

Heya, pal─

I kinda freaked when I saw you left a present at

my door─in a good way! You actually sent me

sweets! You could've just given them to me in

person, you know.

I haven't had any yet, but I'm sure they'll be

great! We should share them at lunch tomorrow.

Ace Trappola

-

SAVANACLAW

Hey─

You gev me SWEETS? I swear, sometimes I

don't know what goes through that noggin of

yours.

I'll be nice and say I appreciate the

sentiment...this time. But don't expect any

glowing food reviews.

Leona Kingscholar

-

Welp─

Ruggie Bucchi : Not found yet

-

Hi.

Jack Howl : Not found yet

-

OCTANIVELLE

My boon, companion─

Thank you for the heartfelt gift. I suppose I owe

it to you to partake of these sweets. Don't worry.

Once I've analyzed the flavor, I'll gift you

something equally delicious.

After all, fair's fair.

Azul Ashengrotto

-

My good friend─

You've outdone yourself. Sweets that pair well

with black tea? My deepest thanks. I'm flattered

that you thought of me so when selecting them.

You've inspired me. I'm going to spend my

mountain hhikes pondering just the right tea

blend to suit your palate.

I do hope you'll enjoy it.

Jade Leech

-

Dear little shrimpy─

I saw your present. You got me candy?

That rules! I saw JUST in the mood for

something sweet. I might not be tomorrow

though, so I think I'll polish them off today.

Thanks.

Floyd Leech

-

SCARABIA

To my dear friend─

Thanks for the present! What colorful and

sparkly sweets. They look delicious!

I just had an idea! How about we eat them

together after school? Gifts like this taste better

when shared, after all.

I'll pick out a good tea to go with them. Can't

wait to see you later!

Kalim Al-Asim

-

Hello─

I was suprised to see you gifted me sweets.

At first I wondered if you were hinting for me to

make you something similiar... But when I pulled

the gift out of the bag, I saw all the details you put

into it, right down to the ribbon. It's clear this was

a heartfelt gesture.

I'll treasure these treats as I eat them. Thank you.

Jamil Viper

-

POMEFIORE

Dearest friend─

Thank you for the gift. The sweets were dazzling

and most attractive.

Did you try to imagine what I'd like when

picking the out?

If so, you made an apt choice.

I'll have something for you later in return.

Vil Schoenheit

-

Bonjour, and merci beaucoup!

What a lovely batch of confections!

They're so darling that I'm tempted to stow

them away in a brilliant bejeweld box.

Ah, but I jest. I'll enjoy every morsel of this gift

you've so thoughtfully bestowed upon me.

Rook Hunt

-

Dear classmate─

Epel Felmier : Not found yet

-

IGHIHYDE

@YOU 

huh? What the wha?

im low-key scared here

why would u give me sweets???

ig that sometimes i run low on sugar when ive been

gaming too long and my aim becomes trash...

ok sure, if this is ur way of looking out for me,

ill take it

Idia Shroud 

-

Hello, Perfect─

Ortho Shroud : Not found yet

-

DIASOMNIA

To my dear friend ─

Thank you. Never did I envision someone

presenting me with the gift of sweet treat.

It would be a shame for me to eat them all by

myself. Ithink I'll share them with you.

Would you be willing to provide the tea to go

with them ?

Malleus Draconia

-

Greetings!

Your present was delightful.

The treats had a sublte sweeteness that was

perfect for a slightly mature fae like myself.

I'll be making you a lovely treat in return,

I hope you'll enjoy it.

Lilia Vanrouge

-

Salutations─

Thanks for the gift. I read once that suger can

boost your concentration.

Did you gave me these to snack on when

I'm about to nod off during my studies?

That was very considerate of you.

I think I'll try them out today.

Silver

-

Human─

Sebeck Zigvolt : Not found yet

-

NRC STAFF

Dear esteemed student─

Dire Crowley : Not found yet

-

Dear juvenile─

Mozus Trein : Not found yet

-

Dear pup-

Is this gift for the staff? Excellent. Now that I

have some treats to sweeten my breaks, I'll be able

to grade your exams with a much more critical eye.

I can see the grimace on your face now.

Relax, it was a joke.

It's usually frowned upon for dogs to be the ones

buying gifts, but since you're suche a loyal pup,

I'll let you off. I'm generous trainer, after all.

Divus Crewel

-

Dear student─

Ashton Vargas : Not found yet

-

Yo, little imp!

What is UP? Thanks so much for the gift!

You've got a real eye for quality.

I'll make sure to stock up on goods that'll pique

your interest, so swing by the shop soon!

Sam

-

OTHER

Dear hench-human─

Mraaah! Is this ALL for me?!

I've never seen such sparkly, yummy-lookin'

candy before! I feel like a king!

But I'd feel bad leavin' you out of this sugar

extravaganza, so I GUESS you can have a small

piece. I'm lookin' forward to more gifts, partner!

Grim

[tenaciouschronicler]

December 20 & 21 2024 2009

God I love the little scrabble dancing these two are doing to avoid the bullets. But also, oh my god why are you shooting! at! them! They havent even done anything yet!

WV and PM dash for cover behind the rock between them. I guess this goes to show Jade isnt the most omnicient character. I dont think this is how she envisioned the present pass was supposed to go.

These two are so awkward. I get it. You've been alone who knows how long and now the first person you meet is supposed to be the enemy. But you've been tasked with with democratic duties so you've gotta try. Luckily the pass goes well and we confirm PM is a Miss Mail Lady.

You know Ive been thinking gender with these guys and Im kinda curious. Did the designations come before or after Jades involvement? Are the pawns split half female, half male (like the kids but seemingly arbitrarily)? What the heck would happen if a male pawn gets queened? These are the real questions yall.

And then the reveal of who is in that other tower!

Genuinely rocked my world when I saw this! So far from what we see it looks like this room also doesnt have any posters up but it Does have the drawings all over the wall except the ones here are glowing! The walls are blue instead of pink (stereotypical much?) and theres a plush Imp that kinda looks like that Jack fellow, just missing an arm and with a scar over the right eye. It doesnt escape me that the missing arm is the same left handed one as the original harlequin plush. Can you imagine having something predestined for you because icing makes terrible glue?

Dream Jade is very familiar with John but doesnt seem to be very familiar with herself. I didnt even clock it at first but this Jade still has memory problems because she doesnt use finger reminders, hands devoid of colorful bands.

This next panel is so pretty.

The shadow casted on Jade. The surface of Skaia with its blue hues and fluffy clouds. The forced perspective of her tower. The sheer void of nothing in the distance (and all around if we're being honest).

Your MOON is getting very close to SKAIA. You had better go inside soon. It is never a very good idea to be outside during the ECLIPSE.

Im gonna be honest, genuinely forgot that Prospit and the Dark planet do in fact have moons. I skirted around it so hard in my last post but it was so unnecessary 🫠. Maybe I should have re-read my own post about WVs drawings, smh. I do have to wonder why would they chain the moon to the planet? Whats the gravity situation in an endless void? Theres gotta be at least some if everyone else is walking but not enough to keep your moon?

Before we get to experience what the heck an Eclipse is all about, we jump to John doing what he does best.

Mucking around with things.

Rose is doing some redecorating, ie. rebuilding, so John is free to alchemize whatever his heart desires. I have to say though, did she waste grist moving the Alchemiter around? We saw earlier that moving these machines is supposed to come at a cost, or is that machine specific? Seems like a fair question, no?

The first thing John makes is the result of double punching the slime ride and hammer.

This time instead of overlapping (&&) the two cards which created the POGO HAMMER, you use the two codes to double-punch (||) a blank card, producing a different hole pattern. ... Double-punching cards creates patterns with more holes, rather than less holes by overlapping cards.

Pretty neat. And now with this knowledge, John gets some fashion upgrades. First, slime shirt && suit, then slime suit || wise guy book.

You make the WISE GUY SLIME SUIT.

This is so much better. It seems there are lots of secret trickstery gimmicks concealed in OH SHIT THERE GO THE CARDS

Oh John, never change /aff.

[introverted-author]

Gold Rush

Five times JJ didn't realise that Emily was in love with her and one time she did. | Written for @prentiss-theorem bingo. Fulfills the prompt '5+1'

word count: 3860

tw: unrequited love, mention of being shot, mentions of brands + being staked, non-descriptive very mild smut, mentions of torture + hospital, IVs and burns

One.

But I don't like a gold rush

Emily felt numb. Sitting there in the jet, she stared intently out the window, practically willing the unshed tears to come. They refused. Instead they remained on the inside, flooding her heart with emotions too big and too heavy to ever possibly name. All she could see was that child’s face: Carrie. All the pain that she had endured. Emily saw the future together that she had envisioned when she first locked eyes with the orphan in the hospital. But now every last moment had been snatched away and given to someone else to share.

Emily was startled out of her thoughts by movement in the corner of her eye. She tensed, apprehension twisting in her stomach, a spark that ignited a flame of worry - she didn’t want to talk now. Not to anyone. Not about this. She couldn’t-

Ocean-blue eyes doused the flames almost as quickly as they had arisen. The silent watcher was none other than Jennifer Jareau. Her hair was golden; the gold that so many rushed after. And to talk to this golden goddess… maybe Emily could do that.

“You okay?” asked JJ, her words liquid honey.

Emily searched for an answer, scrambling for something to say to the thought-halting woman in front of her. She eventually got out, “Yeah.”

Yeah. Was it a lie? Probably. Concern flickered across JJ’s face before she quickly erased it, returning her features to their natural state. Emily knew then that her facade could not fool JJ. The two held eye contact, each daring the other to speak first. Emily knew that if she opened her mouth, all that would come out was tears. And Emily didn’t cry in front of people, let alone in front of Jennifer Jareau.

“They’re good people. Carrie’s new family.”

Emily pushed the tears down and forced a fake smile. “Good. I’m glad.”

JJ smiled sadly, clearly more attuned to her friend’s feelings than Emily had thought. Emily hated it. She loved it. She wanted to run. But she was stuck in this chair, unable to move a muscle as she sat in the attention of the goddess.

“I think it’s a good idea though,” JJ spoke again, spinning webs of opulence with each syllable.

“What’s that?”

“You. Kids.”

Emily felt a blush creeping up her neck from JJ’s words. She couldn’t help but picture it: her and JJ, sitting in the sun of the park, picnic blanket under them as they watched two small versions of themselves chase each other on the grass.

JJ spoke again, tearing Emily out of the vision. “I can see it.”

You could never see this vision though, JJ. Emily knew that JJ would never share that dream with her - just like with Carrie, JJ was fated to share those moments with the man of her dreams. JJ’s golden prize. 

But Emily didn’t - couldn’t - say any of that. So she just settled for, “Yeah?”

JJ nodded as Emily’s heart fractured that tiny bit more. Because it could never be. Not like she had pictured it. Not with JJ.

Emily returned to staring out the window, but this time instead of willing tears to come, she was pleading them to stay back.

Two.

I don't like slow motion double vision in rose blush

Garcia was dying. That was the horrible, terrible truth.

Emily had been at home when she got ‘The Call’. She had dropped her glass of wine right there on her apartment floor. Maroon liquid had splashed onto laminated wood, leaving a pattern not too unlike that of blood. The image was seared into Emily’s retinas; every time she blinked, she saw blood. Blood. Garcia was going to die and all Emily could see was blood.

Emily had arrived at the ER in a confused blur, almost running straight into Hotch’s torso as she frantically searched the waiting room for the BAU. Emily spluttered out an apology, ever grateful for Hotch’s steadying, comforting squeeze to her shoulder.

JJ was next to her side, enveloping Emily in her arms. Emily wasn’t sure if she was comforting her or herself. But she couldn’t bring herself to care, wrapped in the arms of her love like a warm blanket on a freezing night.

When JJ pulled away, Emily instantly felt a pang of guilt, like a knife through her gut. Garcia was dying. And yet JJ was at the forefront of her mind. 

Stop it, Prentiss, she hissed to herself, digging nails into the flesh of her palm. The pain was grounding, punishing and perfect. The pain was the only thing stopping her from falling apart right then and there.

“What do we know?” Reid’s question pulled her out of her thoughts and slammed her back into her body and the present moment.

“Police think it was a botched robbery,” said Hotch, the frown lines in his forehead deeper than Emily had ever seen them. 

Emily at that moment realised that there was someone missing from their group, the most important person in the current situation. “Where’s Morgan?”

Words of liquid gold met her ears, “He’s not answering his cell.”

Emily turned her attention to JJ, taking in every inch of the woman, every curve and imperfection. She drank in her eyes, so like sinking ships on inviting waters, desperately trying to drown the flames of worry with the tranquillity of JJ’s eyes. JJ’s here. It’s alright. JJ’s here.

Conversation continued around them but Emily didn’t register a syllable. She was too focused on keeping herself calm, keeping herself focused on JJ. JJ turned curious eyes to Emily’s and she started in surprise and guilt, tearing her eyes away. This wasn’t the time for pointless wanting.

JJ announced that she was going to go ask at the desk for an update, yet again. The others murmured in quiet agreement. As JJ walked away, Emily couldn’t stop her eyes from drifting back to golden hair glowing in the fluorescent hospital light. However, she was quick to avert her gaze as soon as JJ turned back to return to the group of anxious agents.

“They can’t give me an update,” she sighed as Emily’s stomach plummeted with dread.

Garcia was going to die, Garcia was going to die, she was going to die-

“Morgan’s phone just keeps going to voicemail,” Reid voiced.

“Where the hell is he?” Emily snapped, pinpricks of tears stinging her eyes. The entire team’s attention turned to her as Emily inwardly swore. And then JJ stepped forward, taking Emily by the shoulders and gently guiding her to a seat in the corner, away from prying eyes.

The two sat in silence. Emily silently cried, tears noiselessly trailing down her face. JJ’s eyes were distant and sad. She was trying to act strong for her friend but clearly was in a similar state of emotional upheaval. Emily turned her head to take in the goddess beside her whose wings were battered and torn; a fallen angel.

Emily reached out her hand, gently taking hold of JJ’s. JJ interlocked their fingers as Emily’s pulse sped up, electric sparks flying from their joined hands. JJ gently squeezed Emily’s hand. A golden promise. Everything would be okay.

Emily found herself opening her mouth, emitting a barely audible ‘thank you’.

“Of course. You’re my best friend Emily.”

Just like that, JJ took Emily’s rose-tinted glasses and shattered them under the heel of her boot.

Three.

Everybody wonders what it would be like to love you

It had been a week of heartbreak. A week of watching JJ, her JJ, with that detective, Will. Emily had felt it from the moment he had stepped into the room. JJ was so distracted, so lovestruck. And Emily was left standing there, forgotten like cold tea. That was how the week had gone. An endless blur of tears, longing, and angered whispers only loud enough for Emily alone to hear.

And now the case was over. The team was preparing to leave. Emily should have been packing up boxes of files or preparing her go bag for the flight back to Quantico. But instead she found herself standing in the shadows of the bullpen, observing her goddess as she spoke to the man from hell.

Emily couldn’t pick up on any words. All that she could hear was the gentle cadence of JJ’s voice, harshly offset by a heavy western drawl that was reminiscent of nails on a chalkboard. She felt a sharp pang in her chest as JJ laughed softly, clearly giddy as she lost herself in the eyes of William LaMontagne. Emily nearly screamed when she saw Will lean in the smallest amount before bidding JJ goodbye and scurrying away.

He couldn’t even bring himself to kiss her. JJ deserved so much better. JJ deserved her. But then Emily saw the hurt in JJ’s eyes and found herself crashing back into reality. Emily could never have JJ. But if she couldn’t have her… JJ still deserved happiness. Even as much as she hated Will, she could never deny JJ that happiness. She hated it with every fibre of her being. But nonetheless, she had to let the gold rush proceed.

Emily found herself moving as if she was in a dream. She saw herself walk across the room to the golden angel’s side. She took a breath. And another. And then she opened her mouth to speak and damned all of her secret dreams and desires to the grave.

“You should go for him.”

JJ didn’t respond for a moment, too lost in her own desires. “What?”

Pretending that her whole being wasn’t dying, Emily said, “You’d make a cute couple.”

The corners of JJ’s mouth twitched up slightly, the woman wringing her hands before taking a deep breath. “You know what…?”

As if the director had called action, life slammed back into JJ’s body and she sprinted away. JJ sprinted away from all that could have been, away from Emily. At that moment she had made her choice. And as Emily watched her golden goddess kiss the demon from hell… Emily knew that it was over.

She was barely aware of Reid’s comment, of Morgan’s teasing jeers. She barely managed to mutter an excuse before walking away perhaps a little too quickly, finding the nearest empty corner and sinking into pure despair.

Four.

I don't like that falling feels like flying 'til the bone crush

The jet was somewhat comforting to Emily. Sure it was an Interpol jet, not the BAU jet, and sure the brand on her chest was burning as if it was fresh but… Emily sat there on the couch with JJ right beside her and for the first time since she had seen that damn flower in her apartment, maybe she finally… maybe she finally believed that everything would be alright.

Emily winced as the brand twinged again, ever desperate to remind its owner of its presence. Ever desperate to remind Emily that Doyle was still out there. Not even JJ could soothe her anxiety. And the worried aura that surrounded the golden goddess announced that JJ was feeling the exact same. But there was something else in JJ’s eyes; something that the rational part of Emily’s mind couldn’t explain.

Unable to bear the loaded silence for a second longer, Emily said, “The first thing I'm doing when we get to Paris is having this removed. How could a brand hurt more than getting staked?”

She tried to say the question playfully, lightly, as if it was simply the latest gossip shared over a cup of coffee. However, she knew as soon as her words landed that she had in no way been successful; JJ’s frown only deepened.

“Maybe it's a psychosomatic itch you're scratching?” JJ asked cautiously, taking care in how she stoked the inevitable flame of emotion. “The brand left an emotional toll, Doyle established dominance over you by marking you as his. The stake... I mean, you overcame death. The ultimate victory over your foe. Why suffer a pain you're proud of?”

But right now the pain of the brand was dwindling, overtaken by another pain. An emotional pain that Emily was in no way proud of. A longing, a childish desire. But Emily could never voice that, so instead they just lapsed into silence. One beat. Two. Three.

“Or you could just get another tattoo,” the golden one shrugged.

Emily laughed at that, shaking her head in embarrassment. No one was ever meant to know about her tattoos, let alone JJ. “No.”

“Yeah, something transformative, like a... a phoenix.”

Emily rolled her eyes, all too happy to bask in the playful banter that let her forget about Doyle. Let her forget about why she was on this plane to Paris. Let her forget about what she would be leaving behind. Or rather who.

“Or what about a blackbird?”

Emily smiled at that, imagining a small blackbird engraved on her skin. She didn’t mind it. “I love the song. But something tells me I shouldn't tread in your waters.”

JJ shifted at that, blue eyes unable to meet Emily’s dark gaze. A tiny spark of hope ignited in Emily’s chest. There was a hint of something else, something that she had never dared to hope for, yet something she had often imagined.

“Come on JJ,” she probed further. “Something's obviously different-”

Before Emily could even finish her sentence, golden lips were on hers and just like that, she took flight. In the back of her mind, she knew that this was wrong. She knew that JJ would never leave Will. She knew that whatever JJ’s motivations were, they weren’t good. But maybe Emily just needed the escape that JJ would bring. Whatever the reason, Emily didn’t refuse as JJ bestowed upon her the most priceless gift that she could bring.

…

Paris was like something out of a dream.

Emily had found herself twisted in bedsheets with JJ in a haze of expensive wine and spilled truths. Emily was on wings, JJ the songbird to her blackbird. She wasn’t quite sure how they had gotten there. She wasn’t quite sure why JJ was even kissing her. But she knew that no matter her motivations, no matter how twisted it could be, JJ was kissing her. And right now that one truth trumped all.

Every touch, every whisper put Doyle further from her mind and brought a welcome clarity. She was flying, flying, flying. Emily turned every precious moment into a song; a folk song to be passed down through the generations; a folk song about their burning love.

Emily couldn’t believe that her dreams were coming true. Her golden goddess was touching her, loving her. It was all too exhilarating and Emily found herself lost for words as JJ worked pleasure into every corner of her body. When she hit her peak she lost herself completely, reaching high to the very moon on her wings of ecstasy.

Emily could see as JJ pulled away that war was waging in her mind. She could see the sudden realisation of what she had done, the guilt and horror. She had just cheated on Will and that was all that she was aware of. Emily’s wishes, Emily’s dreams were nothing to her. They never would be. And Emily should have been smart enough to know that from the very first touch of golden lips.

Perhaps JJ had realised her feelings when Emily had almost died. Perhaps she had finally worked out how to express her desires. Or maybe she had just finally seen an opportunity where they would not be interrupted. Regardless of JJ’s reasons, Emily knew that she loved Will first. Will was who she loved. And Emily would never be him.

Emily hit the ground hard as her wings finally faltered. Yet even her clipped wings couldn’t stop her from going to the nearest tattoo parlour the next day and requesting a blackbird.

Five.

And then it fades into the grey of my day old tea

Weddings were meant to be the most joyous occasion, a celebration of life and love. So why did Emily feel as if she was preparing for a funeral? Maybe, in a way, she was. It was time at long last to bury her unspoken feelings, to release them into the sea, never to return. And then she would leave. Leave everything behind. Leave JJ. Because ever since Paris, working with JJ was becoming a near impossible, torturous task. So when she had been offered the job at Interpol, her response was instantaneous. Yes.

She looked at herself in her bathroom mirror as she put in her earrings, barely able to recognise the stranger in the mirror. Ever since Doyle, her life had been falling apart. Ever since Paris… Paris had tilted her world on its axis and JJ had been acting like nothing had ever happened. The online Scrabble they had played while she flicked from address to address, terrified that Doyle would find her… JJ had gone straight back to acting like she always had, just a friend. And Emily hated it.

She went through the motions of getting ready in a melancholy haze. She must have spent minutes just standing in front of her car door, trying to make her hands move.

Get in the damn car, Prentiss.

Emily had never experienced a longer, more soul crushing car journey.

…

JJ was beautiful.

That was the only thought that Emily found herself capable of as she watched her goddess walk down the aisle, her smile brighter than any that Emily could ever give her. Emily forced herself to mirror that smile, true emotions be damned. Emily truly loved JJ so why couldn’t she be happy for her? Happy for the love that she had found, happy for the wonderful husband that Emily knew she’d have in Will?

Golden rings glinted in the moonlight as Will took one from the pillow that Henry was bearing. A golden ring for a golden girl. As Will slipped it onto JJ’s finger, the gold seemed to be mocking Emily, laughing in her face. The angel and the devil kissed, such a jarring pair. Emily had never felt such blazing fury, such insatiable longing and such bittersweet heartbreak ever before.

Emily would spend the night with her friends and she would cherish her final moments with those who had been her family when her own couldn’t even acknowledge her. Emily would dance with Hotch and laugh with Reid. She would join in Rossi’s toast, raising her glass high. She would let Garcia shed bittersweet tears on her shoulder and banter with Morgan. She would fight back the tears so desperate to break free and enjoy her last night with the BAU. She had to.

At one point in the evening, Emily found herself on the sidelines, watching as the new couple danced in the silver moonlight, golden rings still taunting her with every flash of metal. JJ’s gaze parted for just a moment from her husband, landing on Emily. JJ imparted her final words to Emily, communicating with only those rich blue eyes. I’m sorry.

The gold rush was over.

Six.

'Cause you know it could never be

JJ woke up in a cold sweat, heart racing and a scream escaping her lips before she could hold it back. For a moment, she was back there; in that room, wrists aching from bruising metal and pain ripping through her nerves as electricity jolted down her body.

“JJ! Hey, no, it’s okay, Jayje-”

JJ’s eyes adjusted to the low light of the room to see none other than Emily Prentiss standing before her, her hands out in front of her, calming JJ as though she was a spooked horse. JJ felt her heart rate begin to slow as she became aware of her surroundings. She was in a hospital room, machines lightly beeping as they monitored her body. Cold fluid was flowing into her arm through an IV and her burns - though still painful - were dulled by the pain medication that must have been administered to her.

She was here. Emily was here. She was safe.

JJ reached tired arms out to pull her closest friend into an embrace. JJ didn’t trust herself to talk right now. So she tried to put everything - her gratitude, her terror - into the hug. JJ knew that Emily would understand. The two of them were thick as thieves, as close as brothers. And there was no one she would have rather been there as she awakened.

The hug went on until JJ’s arms couldn’t bear it any longer and she let them go limp, arms falling back to her sides as they ached like hell. Emily smiled sadly and pulled a chair right up to the bed, her hand slipping into JJ’s. JJ held it tight; it was her anchor to the world while the stormy waves kept trying to drag her back to that godforsaken room.

JJ didn’t know how long she and Emily held eye contact. JJ found something comforting in the gleaming browns of her best friend’s eyes. There was a promise that JJ couldn’t quite explain. A promise that was the reason she was finally safe, finally free from Askari.

“You came. All the way from London,” JJ said, shaking her head in disbelief. She couldn’t believe that her best friend’s love for her ran so deep. And she knew how lucky she was to have a friend as great as Emily. “Emily…”

“You would do the same for me. You did the same for me,” Emily said, bringing JJ’s mind back to three years ago when their roles had been reversed.

“Emily, I was in the same state. But you came from London. London. Why?”

Because as much as JJ would like to have believed, platonic love didn’t ever run that deep. And perhaps JJ was bordering on a realisation that she didn’t, under any circumstances, want to have. The silence stretched on, JJ silently daring Emily to say exactly what the blonde was so afraid to hear.

“I needed to keep you safe,” Emily said after what felt like an eternity. “I… I couldn’t live without you.”

At that moment, everything fell into place. Every small glance, every small touch, Emily’s reactions to Will, Paris. Oh fuck, Paris. A collage of moments from the entirety of their friendship formed a final image that showed one truth.

“JJ… I love you.”

“I know… I know.”

Emily sat there, eyes void of emotion as JJ’s words found a home in her heart. She blinked, face blank, clearly trying to process what had just been said. JJ saw her heart drop like a glass of wine, shattering into tiny shards on the hard hospital floor.

JJ had to say something. Quick. “Emily, I-”

Emily was already standing, pulling her coat on and grabbing her things. “I’m sorry, JJ. I… I’m sorry.”

“Emily, wait!”

It was too late. Emily Prentiss had already left.