#That's how I know it's officially winter! ❄️

[bishopinblue]

.

[soleadita]

ya know i was listening to the hunger games soundtrack today while studying and it occurred to me that james newton howard actually . sorta used a different style w those soundtracks than what he usually does to fit the Vibe of the movies because like. he's got the light kinda fantasy-sounding soundtrack style that he's usually known for but the hunger games soundtracks are SO. like. solemn and poignant and dark (I'm specifically thinking abt this one but it applies to most of the soundtracks tbh) and idk. an artist modifying his style to better fit the tone of the media. i think it's cool and wanted to share :]

oh MANNNNN ok ok i am listening literally now as i respond to this (i started with the song you linked but i might just let the album play through as i work today bc it's such a vibe) and it's blowing my mind a little bit???? like it's crazy because i can still tell that it's him (i don't know the Right words for music but like something about the way certain parts of it pause and transition and build still fundamentally feel like james newton howard to me)(NOT THAT I AM SOME JNH EXPERT i just hyperfixated on One Specific Soundtrack for years in my youth lmao) BUT YES. it's darker it's more solemn there are some ominous parts in there.....OOHHHHH. you are SO CORRECT it's very cool and i'm SO glad you shared.

[frozen-snowflakesandsunflowers]

D23: Frozen content breakdown | Breakdown/ Analysis

What a day it was yesterday! So much content we were flooded with and especially for us with the Frozen 3 and 4 update! I'm sure you all know the latest deets but I would like it to break it all down and guess what it could all mean. So be prepared to read a lot! ❄️

[long post alert]

Frozen III logo

A couple of hours before the Frozen panel had begun, we were given a first look of the logo for Frozen 3:

It features the four elements symbols and two snowflakes too for Elsa and Anna as the fifth spirit. The III had a purple - pink gradient to it and the background had a spring scenery south blossom/ sakura trees and mountains far behind. Some of us predicted before that Frozen 3 would be set in Spring given Frozen being in winter/ summer and Frozen 3 in Autumn.

However, some people didn't believe this logo was real. But after the panel, Josh Gad put it on his stories and as a post on Instagram, the announcements and reveals made at the panel.

This must mean that it's real. But a more accurate, rendered logo was also revealed at the Panel and that Gad had also shared in his post.

So my conclusion is that the first one is a working title, a concept of what it would be like when it's promoted. The second one is a mix of the first Frozen logo and the second movie's logo combined being more 3D but still with a frozen effect. This logo is the official used rendered one whilst the first one is just a concept based on the implied spring theme of the movie. Both are real.

Frozen questions left unanswered

When the Panel began we were given a flood of questions on the board that were the questions the fans had after Frozen 2, aka the questions that were left unanswered. Here they are:

Who gave Elsa her powers?

Why doesn't Anna have powers?

Was there a fifth spirit before?

What kind of Queen will Anna be?

Will Kristoff be a King?

Do they [Anna & Kristoff] want kids?

Where are Kristoff's parents?

How did Kristoff meet Sven?

How can Sven be so old and still so virile?

Why is Olaf alive?

What about Marshmallow and the snowgies?

Is it “Hoo Hoo” or “You Hoo”?

What are Elsa's powers still growing?

Why are their castle ruins throughout Ahotohallan?

Where do the nature spirits come from?

Do we still need to beware of the Frozen Heart?

Who is the Frozen Heart?

What happened to Hans?

These questions will most likely be answered in Frozen 3 and 4, as they are confirmed to be a two part film. These are actually really good and interesting questions we have that we do need to have answered. I actually want to try and analyse (and answer them for fun!) them because some people might feel some have already answered so why the need to answer them again?

Who gave Elsa her powers?

We already know that Ahotohallan is where her powers come from. That's the source along with the other four spirits. But they probably felt like they didn't make it clear enough. Some people before Frozen 2 had theorized that there was a Snow Queen who gave Iduna something that caused Elsa to have powers. Maybe there's more to Ahotohallan than we know.

Why doesn't Anna have powers?

This isn't addressed in the movie other than the fact that Elsa and Anna are both the fifth spirit and the bridge which has two sides. But why doesn't Anna, I believe that's because the fifth spirit's role is to create balance between the powerful and the powerless (in a literal magical form). The fifth spirit was never just one being I don't think. It was always two to have one with powers and one without and have the two form a deep unbreakable bond so that humans and magical entities would look at them and see that though different, they can get along and have peace amongst each other, and live in harmony. If both were magical it would defeat the objective of creating peace between the two different types of beings

Was there a fifth spirit before?

I think yes because in the Myth VR on Disney plus, it was revealed that there was a fifth spirit before Elsa and Anna but after it created harmony with the other spirits and humans, it disappeared creating disharmony in the forest and caused the spirits to rage. Then the other four spirits managed to calm down until they were raged again by King Runeard's war between Arendelle and Northuldra. Even if this isn't canon I still believe there was one. I think it's important to know because it could be important with the journey Elsa and Anna next go on.

What kind of Queen will Anna be?

Her own kind of Queen. She will continue to bring peace and joy to Arendelle while also supporting the Northuldra tribe as her statues unveiling had suggested. She won't try to be Elsa. She's not Elsa. She's Anna. She may be the fifth spirit But whether or not she realises that she'll help maintain peace between magic and humans will Elsa's support too.

Will Kristoff be a King?

If Anna does abdicate from the throne then yes. To be exact he would be a king Consort. At the end of Frozen 2 we saw Anna greet the public as Queen and unveil the statue of her parents and kids. That wasn't the coronation which is confirmed and this confirms it too as it asks will he be king? and not is he king? I loved Elsa as Queen but she probably felt that she couldn't take care of Arendelle as she had to restore and look after Northuldra/ the enchanted forest and felt Anna deserved it after she had scared her and Arendelle twice without a doubt.

Do they [Anna & Kristoff] want kids?

That's a question that none of us thought of? Do they want kids? I think they do but will find it hard to do if there's threats and danger around. Anna definitely would be a lovely mother and Kristoff and lovable dad. But I don't think we'll see them have kids so soon, at least not in the beginning of the movie, like we won't immediately be introduced to them I don't think.

Where are Kristoff's parents?

A question we've been asking since the first movie. All we know is that he grew up as an ice harvester. He seems to have grown up independently with Sven. I can't even guess the answer because I'll probably be wrong anyway.

How did Kristoff meet Sven?

Another question regarding Kristoff's backstory we've been longing to see. It's nice to see they're including Kristoff's backstory now. The first two movies were about the sisters backstory and development arcs (and 3 and 4 continue that) but now we can finally learn about Kristoff!

How can Sven be so old and still so virile?

No clue! I never noticed that actually. I never thought of why. I don't know much about reindeer so I didn't know that Sven was so old yet so virile. Perhaps when he was young he was injured and the trolls may have healed him giving him a longer youthful life. I'm certain the trolls have a role in this if it's magic related.

Why is Olaf alive?

Why not how!! Another really interesting question that I can answer. We all know how he is alive because we saw Elsa bring him back to life but why was he brought back? He's still an important part of the sister bond and individually he has much more in him than we have seen. Plus he's Olaf and we love Olaf!

What about Marshmallow and the snowgies?

I believe they all too, along with the ice castle and all other permanent creations of Elsa, got restored either automatically after Elsa's return or by hand when Elsa got the chance. They too are as iconic as Olaf is. I hope they return in Frozen 3. They're so lovable and cute - it would be a fun addition to the movie.

Is it “Hoo Hoo” or “You Hoo”?

I always thought it was... “Yoo Hoo” because that's what people say. Hoo Hoo is an owl's line lol and one says that.

What are Elsa's powers still growing?

Just as we grow individually sometimes in height, in character, in what we feel, powers are no different. They grow as we grow inside. And Jen Lee has previously said that her powers will reach a new height in Frozen 3.

Why are their castle ruins throughout Ahotohallan?

I think they are referring to Ahotohallan as a castle and inside and out it looks ruined. During Show Yourself Elsa has to lift things up and add things to get across to the place where the memories are held. I theorize that the previous fifth spirit may have done something to Ahotohallan or to its power and caused chaos that caused Ahotohallan to have ruins in it. Ahotohallan probably was the previous fifth spirit's castle and when it went rouge Ahotohallan may have been left abandoned and ruined.

Where do the nature spirits come from?

Ahotohallan is where their powers are from. But perhaps it's more complicated than that and it needs to be addressed for lore reasons. There's more to Ahotohallan than we know.

Do we still need to beware of the Frozen Heart?

Oooooh!! My favourite question along with the next two. Do we? We must be if it's even a question at this point?

Who is the Frozen Heart?

Who? Frozen Heart is a person?! It was literally Anna in Frozen but metaphorically it was Elsa. Maybe someone else will be the Frozen Heart. Hans? Kristoff? A new character/ being?

What happened to Hans?

A question we've needed answering since Frozen and one that Hans fans have been trying to answer. His backstory based on official and unofficial media is that he has 12 brothers but they all or at least most of them treat him poorly along with his dad because he's the last child and last in line to the throne. That means, they think Hans as unworthy and unless of anything. So why did the Queen and King have another child? Probably as an accident child or just because. I'm sure the Queen is loving. He was sent back at the end of Frozen to his home, the Southern Isles so they can deal with him themselves and they did. As punishment they made him do chores like sweep up horse poop as seen towards the end of Frozen Fever before Elsa's giant snowball accidentally yet subconsciously hit him causing his major injuries. The southern Isles didn't immediately know where the snowball came from. But what happened to him after that? In a poster in the new Frozen Park in Hong Kong, it is revealed that Elsa and Anna invited the Southern Isles among other kingdoms to celebrate a year since Anna sacrificed herself to the Elsa and the Kingdom.

Hans couldn't come because he was injured. But his return is almost certain in Frozen 3 with his rise in unofficial/ canon media. Will he return as a villain or a redeemed hero is to be determined. I don't think he should return as a villain. If he did he would have taken his revenge out during Frozen 2, as he would have been recovered by then. Seeing the concept art of Frozen 3, which I'm about to go onto, it looks like we'll see mythical beings and a world bigger than Ahotohallan. Hans wouldn't fit as a villain in the expanded world of magic because he doesn't seem to be interested in magic in that greed sense. I think he'll be redeemed and help them in their new quest. Perhaps he does have tied with magic in his ancestry as we know nothing about his family.

All these questions are ones that the team feel like they need to answer in the next two movies and I think that's good. Along with showing something new, we get answers from questions we've long waited for too. And I think it's a good strategy for them to tell us the questions we've been asking so that they can answer it in the movies. They're letting us know that they can hear us and want to fulfil our wishes while telling a new story. It's good communication in my opinion.

Frozen 3 concept art and new release date

Jennifer Lee also revealed the concept art of Frozen 3. I'm sure there must've been dozens of art but this one may have been the direction they're headed in.

We have a beautiful calm colour palette that reminds me of dawn/ dusk of spring. Trees are on either side, golden light beams from behind a mystical palace in the left centre. Flowers and leaves present hinting at a Spring setting. Anna's on a horse with Olaf and Elsa on the Nokk on the river both heading to the palace-like place. The scene is set at night as the aurora borealis/ northern lights can be seen arising from the castle. Perhaps this castle has some connection to the northern lights. In the Lego Northern lights series, the trolls crystals are the ones to cause the northern lights or have a connection to them. I don't think the Lego series is canon but I do wonder if the trolls will have a role in this too.

Elsa and Anna are in their Frozen 2 attires, Anna in her travel one and Elsa in her fifth spirit one but with boots (for practical reasons). That doesn't mean that's their final look. Frozen 2's early concept art had Elsa and Anna in their Frozen looks. Olaf looks worried as he points to something off scene.

Just below the direction in which he points, in the river, lies a shadowy creature. It could be that that's the shadow of the creature Olaf points to. The creature appears to have horns and hold a staff/ spear with a sharp end.

Just below the palace-like place is a land. I was going to say Ahtohallan but the silhouettes are different.

So it seems like this place is unknown. If they went North in Frozen 2, perhaps Thai time they're going south, which is why Hans could appear. But that's just a guess.

During the panel it is also revealed that the release date is November 2027 having it moved back by a year from its original 2026 release date. 2027 seems quite far away just when we felt we were getting closer to Frozen 3 but we'll just have to be patient and hope we get some other Frozen content released meanwhile.

Frozen: Winter Festival short form series?

That's everything that was revealed regarding Frozen 3, but no word on the series that was revealed by dolls and their descriptions. I believe since the movie got delayed by a year, probably to spend more time developing the two part movies (which is a good thing so we avoid the mistakes caused by rush in production for Frozen 2), the short form series will be delayed by a year. That would mean the announcement could be closer to time in next year's D23. That or they wanted to announce the series later. The dolls are to be released in September and the series is said to be released this fall. That is of course unless they have delayed it by a year but we'll have to wait and see if anything gets said before September otherwise consider it delayed by a year (😭).

And that's all the information given to us for now. Frozen 3 looks so good and promising - the vibe of spring with a deeper fantasy element is making me extremely excited! New places, new seasons, new characters, expanded lore, possible character returns, new looks and more!! Can't wait!! And yeah though my patience is sad that Frozen 3 had been delayed by a year, I'm glad because it means they can spend more time on the movie, to develop it properly and not repeat the same mistake they made with Frozen 2 with no good planning and a rushed development to the run up of the movie.

And the Frozen: Winter Festival I'm also excited for. I think Frozen needs a canon series in its franchise.

The future looks big and bright for the franchise! ❄️

Any new info or details I have not mentioned please let me know! Any questions for me please feel free to drop them in the "Ask" box

[dreamlandreader]

Cruel Summer

Chapter One - A Recipe for Disaster

Merry Christmas @throneofsapphics - it is finally time for me to reveal myself as your Secret Santa for the @acotargiftexchange ❄️ It has been such a joy getting to know you over the past few months, and I've had the best time writing this fic. I really hope that you love this gift as much as I have loved working on it.

Summery: Nobody knows what happened between Mor and Elain last Winter Solstice. One day they were joined at the hip, giggling as the seer taught the warrior how to bake, and the next morning, they refused to look one another in the eyes. Sick of the tension, Rhysand and Feyre are hopeful that two weeks in the sun will be enough to help the pair rekindle a friendship, but the inner circle are oblivious to the fact that their relationship went much deeper than they know, and it will take a hell of a lot more than a beautiful beach to repair what was broken.

Story contains: Forced proximity, only one bed, second chance romance, lovers to enemies to lovers, angsty start with an eventual HEA.

The patrons of The Frosted Peak - Velaris's sparkling new fine dining restaurant - sat silently as they gawped at the family dispute breaking out before their very eyes.

The High Lord and his beguiling cousin sat centre stage amongst the crowd, but the gentle tinkling of piano keys and candle lit ambience did nothing to soothe the tension that was taught in the air.

“Absolutely not!” the warrior growled through gritted teeth.

“Mor, please just-”

“No, Rhysand! I am 540 years old. I do not need a babysitter!”

Mor had already suspected that Rhys had an ulterior motive when he invited her for dinner on such short notice. It was ever so rare for the two of them to dine alone these days, especially since Rhys had become a father. She knew she was going to dislike what he had to say when they arrived at the restaurant and Rhys began to skirt around the subject. Mor lasted five minutes before snapping and telling him to just ask what he wanted to ask.

“She is not a babysitter Mor, she is a very skilled seer who has been training tirelessly with Azriel and who needs the opportunity to practice what she’s learnt in the field,"

"The field! Rhys, it's a conference for emissaries in the Summer Court, it's basically a paid vacation!"

"It is still official court business and anything could happen. You need someone to support you if anything untoward happens, and she needs to prove to Azriel that she is ready for actual missions,"

“Sounds like a babysitter to me,” Mor mumbled, glaring at Rhysand so furiously that he feared she may set him alight through sheer willpower.

“Please do this for me. I don’t know what happened between you two last winter, but you were friends once, I’m sure you can get back there again,"

Mor continued to glower at her cousin, internally begging that he would back down, but Rhysand would not be backing down today. Not when he had been sent here by his mate.

“I'm serious Morrigan,”

“Ooh full name, boss man must mean business,” Mor quipped sarcastically, scrapping her chair across the hard wood floor, readying herself for a dramatic exit. That would show Rhys just how serious she was.

“If you can't do it for me then do it for Feyre,” Rhysand threw out, desperate for Mor to see sense.

“It's crushing her that she can't have her best friend and her sister in the same room without you both ending up at each other’s throats. Please, Mor,’

Mor contemplated for a moment telling him no, but then she thought of Feyre. Of all the sacrifices she had made for them all. Of how much she valued her friendship.

“It’s a damn good job that I love your wife!”

Elain Archeron had spent the last three weeks pretending that her upcoming trip was not happening. Three glorious weeks of ignorant bliss, that did not involve her dwelling on the dreadful adventure upon which she was due to embark. But present Elain was actually rather furious at past Elain for her decisions, because she had left every ounce of packing until the very last minute. This was why she sat on the cool floor of her bedroom surrounded by piles of clothing, as her sisters draped across her bed, giggling at the language coming out of the seer’s mouth.

“Elain, calm down,” Nesta drawled, a lopsided grin spread across her face. “I know you enjoy dressing up, but it’s not the end of the world if you take the fusha skirt instead of the magenta one,”

“It does matter! For starters, I have to blend in if I’m going to feed information back to Azriel. I also need to consider the heat because most of these clothes are far too warm for the Summer Court, and don’t even get me started on what she will have to say if I end up wearing a fashion disaster!”

“Elain, breathe!’ Feyre said, sliding off Elain’s plush bed and sinking onto the floor besides her sister.

“You will blend in just fine, you’ve trained so hard. I have every faith in you,” she smiled, softly holding Elain’s hand. “Secondly, if you are struggling with packing me and Nesta can help, can’t we Nes,”

“Mmmhmm” Nesta mumbled, face down in Elain’s pillows, lazily lifting her hand in a thumbs up motion.

“Look, Elain. Are you sure this is really about the clothes?” Feyre pried carefully, tiptoeing around the point.

“Huh,” Elain replied, scrunching her brows in confusion.

“I just mean are you sure that you’re not actually freaking out about spending time with Mor?”

“That’s ridiculous Feyre! Why would I care about that?” Elain screeched, her voice rising an octave and a rosy colour creeping across her cheeks.

“I just don’t understand how you and Mor went from barely interacting with one another, to joined at the hip, to enemies in a matter of weeks,”

“I don’t know. Sometimes people just don’t click that’s all,” Elain brushed her off, as if it was nothing. As if her sister’s investigation wasn’t ripping open a barely patched wound. As if Elain had not spent months agonising over the same thing, wondering what happened and how they had got themselves into such an uncomfortable situation.

“It didn’t seem like you were struggling to click last solstice,” Nesta interrupted, “We barely saw you because you were oh so busy getting to know each other,”

Nesta raised a brow and Elain’s heart sank … did she know? Had Nesta worked out the details of the worst heartbreak Elain had ever suffered.

She wished more than anything that she could tell her sisters everything. How she fell in love, slowly and then all at once. How she had placed her delicate heart in the hands of someone she thought felt just the same, only to watch them destroy it in front of her eyes. How she had been living, heartsick, and guarded ever since. She wished she could, but she couldn’t, because speaking it out loud would mean acknowledging the ache she felt in the depths of her soul, and no good would come from digging that up, not when she had spent so long pushing it down down down.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Elain whispered.

“But I just-” Feyre started.

“No! I just want to have one last night with my sisters before I’m stuck in another court for weeks. I’ve agreed to go so that I can be approved for actual missions. I will put up with her company and keep things professional. But I have so much to do before I leave, and I don’t want to spend the time I have talking about Morrigan. Please,”

“Fine. Fine,” Feyre said, raising her hands in surrender. “You and Nesta get started with the packing and I’ll go grab the wine!”

There was not much in life that Elain Acheron hated more than being late. Perhaps it was due to the etiquette lessons her Mother had forced her and Nesta into as children, or maybe she just appreciated punctuality. Either way, the clock was ticking ever closer to four pm and Mor had yet to show her face.

Elain began to pace, her heart fluttering relentlessly at the anticipation of coming face to face with the woman who had smashed her heart into pieces. They’d done a pretty successful job of avoiding one another over the months, but it had meant sacrifice. Avoiding each other unfortunately also meant avoiding the people they loved.

On the few occasions that they were forced into each others company, the weight of the air around them became suffocating. Harsh words were flung across the table, as vicious and deadly as daggers. Neither party seemed able to restrain themselves from snipping, despite the protests from everyone else in the room. It seemed that time was no great healer, no matter what the ancient poets said, things had only become worse the longer they went on.

"Elain, you are wearing a hole into my new flooring. Please stand still, I beg of you," Feyre implored, guiding her sister into a chair.

Elain shot up again immediately, and continued to pace, and rant, and pace some more.

“Where is she! We have to leave in five minutes Feyre!” Elain screeched, making her sister jump.

“Four actually,” Mor drawled, having slipped unnoticed into the grand entrance of the River House with Rhysand whilst Elain was mid tirade.

Elain stopped dead in her tracks, and span on her heel. It felt like the blood had frozen in her veins, like time itself had melted away. Mor stood, beautiful as ever, with utter contempt consuming her features. Silence rang through the room like a warning bell, begging Elain to run, to hide, but she wouldn’t. Not any longer. After all, she had done nothing wrong. It was Mor who had lied. Elain had nothing to be ashamed of.

“You will both make it with plenty of time Elain, don’t fret,” Rhysand spoke soothingly, patting her arm as he passed and settled next to his mate.

“Mor here was simply primping and fussing over what to pack. But, she is here now, aren’t you?” He continued, smiling over to his cousin who fixed him with a deadly glare.

“And you are both sure to have a wonderful time,” Feyre finished enthusiastically, far more hopeful than the rest of the room.

“Pfft,” Mor scoffed, at the same time that Elain mumbled something equally as obstructive under her breath.

“Are we going then, seeing as you are oh so desperate to keep to schedule?” Mor asked, paling somewhat as she offered Elain her arm. Dread swept over Elain’s body like an icy wave, as her hand made contact with Mor’s bare arm. Feyre was wrong, this was not going to be a wonderful time. This was going to be a total disaster.

The second that Mor's feet touched the white sands of Adriata she tore her arm away from Elain and put a healthy amount of space between them.

The turquoise sea glittered under the boiling midday sun, lapping gently at the shore, but the calming scene did nothing to ease the anxiety that swirled in Mor's chest. To feel Elain’s touch once more after so long without it had thrown her completely, the skin of her arm still tingling. With her closeness came a flurry of memories, of soft caresses and urgent grasping.

Mor snapped herself out of her thoughts. It would do her no good to sink into memories that were once so warm, but were now twisted with a tinge of guilt and a bucket load of resentment.

“Neither of us wants to be here. Let’s just make the most of it and stay out of each other’s way,” Mor asserted, daring to glance at Elain, whose loathing was written across her face.

“Fine with me,” Elain replied, offering Mor only her back as she turned and walked towards their accommodation, a hauty sway in her step.

 “One room,” Elain squeaked.

“With one bed!” Mor spluttered, wide eyes taking in the hotelier with desperation.

“I thought we’d have separate rooms,” Elain stated plainly.

“With separate beds!” Mor exclaimed.

“I’m sorry ladies, but we were not aware that Ms Acheron would be accompanying you on your travels, and all of our rooms are fully booked,”

“And there is really nothing we can do?” Elain asked. She had paled considerably upon hearing the news. Not only would she be sharing a room with her ex lover, but a damn bed. White hot claws of anxiety punctured her chest. This trip was brewing to be a total nightmare.

“I’m afraid not. I can provide extra blankets and pillows if you want to try and fix a bed on the floor?” The hotelier offered, sensing the discomfort radiating off her two newest guests.

“Thank you. That would be very helpful.” Mor said quietly, clearly resigned to the idea that avoiding each other was now not so simple after all.

As they both slumped up the staircase to their room, Elain fought the memories of the last time the two had shared a bed. It was a rush of tangled limbs and searing heat, purposefully placed kisses and fumbling hands. It was nothing short of incredible. Until the next morning, when Elain had woken to an empty bed.

“I’ll take the floor,” Mor stated coolly, breaking Elain from her thoughts as she threw the bundle of bedsheets and pillows onto the ground.

Looking around at the room Elain suppressed the idea that in drastically different circumstances she’d be squealing with joy. The room was pleasantly sized, perfect for one person, or even two if they were willing to make themselves cosy. A beautiful arched window looked out onto the sea, reflecting oranges and pinks with the setting sun. The bed looked luxurious. Although it was on the smaller side, she knew the second she sat down, that she’d sink delightfully into the plush mattress.

“You aren’t taking the floor, don’t be ridiculous!” Elain grumbled.

“Pardon me?” Mor replied, her brows furrowed in confusion.

“We are both fully grown adults, I’m sure we can handle sharing a bed,”

“Thanks but no thanks, I’d rather take the floor,” Mor quipped, writing the idea off quickly before she even considered it.

“Fine. I should’ve known you’d act like a child,” Elain huffed, rolling her eyes.

“I am not a child!” Mor snapped, a hot rage beginning to burn behind her eyes.

“Sure,” Elain replied sarcastically, striding for the door. “I’m going to get some food. Do as you please,”

Elain felt Mor's eyes on her as she strode out of the room towards the oak staircase, feeling ever so smug that she had the last word.

Mor had spent an hour stomping around the room, unpacking her bags and seething over her conversation with Elain. How dare she act as though Mor was the child? After everything that had happened between them. After everything she had done! No, Mor was most definitely the adult. It was Elain who had acted like a teenager. Fickle, and thoughtless. It was her who had treated Mor's heart like it was worthless. Well Mor was ready to show her just how mature she could be.

Plonking herself down onto the bed, Mor huffed as she surrounded herself with the luxurious sheets and turned her back firmly to the door.

It seemed like hours passed before Mor heard the door snick open, though barely twenty minutes must have passed. Just long enough for Mor to fight off the memories that so desperately longed to be on her mind.

Mor lay silent, feigning sleep, as Elain began to pad around the room in an effort to prepare herself for bed. When Mor felt the weight of Elain joining her in bed, she had to stifle an intake of breath. The sweet scent of rum seemed to drift through the air as Elain adjusted the blankets, and the slightest brush of their legs had Mor unravelled.

No longer able to fight against the memories that flooded her brain, she decided to let them in, oblivious to the fact that right next to her, Elain was also lost in the same thoughts.

~ 6 Months Prior ~

The River house was full of revelry. Laughter bounded around the room, eyes bright and cheeks flushed with joy. Wine flowed freely as Elain entered with desert propped carefully in her hands.

The three tiered cake towered high in the centre of the table as she gently placed it down. The inner circle looked on in awe at the masterpiece. Elain had decorated the cake with a multitude of pastel colours, pinks, blue and purples made up a scene of a beautiful sky and spun sugar adorned the sides like fluffy delicious clouds.

‘Elain, once again you’ve outdone yourself’ Rhys beamed.

‘A true artist!’ Feyre added, painting a soft blush along Elain’s cheeks.

‘Yes Elain you are truly wonderful, but please can we eat it now!’ Mor whined, plate at the ready.

‘You’re just jealous, Mor,’ Cassian smirked, a glint of mischief in his eyes.

‘Jealous?’ Mor replied, her eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

‘I think he means because you can’t bake, dearest cousin,’ Rhys said.

‘I can bake!’ Mor scoffed, rolling her eyes.

‘Mor do you not remember the bread incident?’ Azriel suggested gingerly.

‘That was one time Azriel!’ She responded, whipping her head in his direction and fixing him with a pointed stare.

‘What bread incident?’ Elain enquired curiously.

‘The girl made a loaf of sour dough that was raw on the inside but burnt to a crisp on the outside, it was quite the feat,’ Amren stated, lazily sipping from her glass.

‘Sour dough is hard!’ Mor was quick to clarify, shrinking a little in her seat. Elain eyed her carefully and was surprised to see that the warrior, who never seemed to be anything but confident, looked mildly embarrassed.

‘I can help teach you to bake if you’d like?’ Elain blurted out without thinking twice. Mor’s warm brown eyes flicked up to meet Elain’s and her heart began to race at the attention.

‘You’d really do that?’ Mor said

‘Of course,’ Elain smiled softly. She had always silently admired Mor, her strength and femininity so intrinsically intertwined that she didn’t have to give up one in order to wield the other. She would never admit it out loud, but when she first began to train with Azriel and the sessions felt unbearably difficult, she would picture Mor’s powerful presence and it would motivate her to keep moving forward.

‘Good luck with that’ Cassian muttered under his breath, swiftly followed by an ‘Ow!’ when Mor smacked his arm.

‘I bet you 500 gold marks that by this time next month I can bake a cake as grand as any bakery in Pythian!’ Mor stated, determination flaring in her face. ‘With lovely Elain’s tutelage of course!’ She smiled.

And so they began to meet and bake. At first it was planned they would meet twice a week, but after the second session that increased to every two days. Their baking lessons were filled with laughter and accidental touches which caused heat to bloom in places that neither party was yet willing to admit. Before long both were making excuses to see each other every single day. Whether Elain had found a new technique she thought Mor might want to help her with, or if Mor had come to Elain for advice on how to make tiny fondant flowers - they were spending every waking moment in each others company.

Then three weeks in to their arrangement something shifted. Elain floated into the kitchen of the River house bright and early to make herself a pot of lavender tea, only to see that Mor was already pottering about. Her back was to the door as she hummed a little tune to herself, fussing with something out of Elain’s sight.

‘Hi,’ Elain said softly, smiling as she leant in the doorway.

‘Oh Elain you made me jump!’ Mor clutched at her heart as she span around, hiding whatever she was working on so carefully.

‘Sorry I didn’t mean to scare you. What are you doing up so early?’ Elain moved into the room, trying to see what Mor was blocking from her view.

‘I - well I wanted to make you something. As a thank you! But uh it’s - well it’s better if I just show you I guess,’

Elain could sense the nervousness vibrating from Mor as she gingerly moved out of the way, and presented her with a very runny looking raspberry tart.

‘I had put edible flowers on top. I thought you’d like them. But they sank to the bottom,’ Mor explained, her eyes looking to the floor.

‘I love it!’ Elain whispered, her eyes lined with tears as emotion bubbled in her throat.

‘What? It’s inedible how can you love it!’ Mor sputtered, perplexed at how anyone could appreciate her failed attempt at a thank you.

‘Because you put so much thought into it! No one has ever made me anything before. Thank you!’ She replied, nothing but genuine joy written across her face.

Elain leaned up on the tips of her toes and placed the most gentle of kisses on Mor’s cheek. Her lips tingled, and her heart swelled in her chest. Hearing the light gasp in her ear, she pulled away, slowly, leaving their faces only inches away. This close to the warrior, Elain could make out every tiny detail of Mor’s face. She could have stayed there all day, counting the freckles before her, mapping the constellations of her face, but she knew one of them would have to speak soon.

‘Mor I -‘

Elain never had the chance to finish her thought, as Mor leaned in and kissed her. It started slow at first, tentative pecks and trembling hands. After a while Elain felt Mor’s mouth part and they deepened the kiss, heat swelling between them. It was far from the first kiss Elain had ever shared with another, but it was the first time she felt so light that she could fly. Mor sucked gently on Elain’s lip, eliciting a soft groan, before pulling away, bursting into giggles and leaning in once more.

Elain broke from her reverie. Remembering just how good things were at the beginning hurt so ferociously now that she knew how it ended. She couldn’t let herself get swept up again. No matter how much her heart longed for Mor. No matter how much it hurt to remind herself over and over how it was never meant to be. She had to let it go, she thought as she began to drift off to sleep. It was the only way she would ever make it through the next two weeks.

A/N - Ah I’m so happy I finally got to share this, I’ve been bursting to share the first chapter of this gift for such a long time and it’s finally out in the world!

The next chapter will be out soon and it gets spicier from here so it is definitely one to look forward to! ❤️‍🔥 I really hope that you’ve enjoyed the story so far!

Check out my masterlist here!

Dividers by the incredible - @tsunami-of-tears

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hey Raven! Hope you're doing well, and I hope you had a great holiday, if you celebrate, that is.

I hate to clutter your ask box with something like this, and you don’t have to answer, you can just read this with an open mind, but I feel you're the only one I could go to with this without being straight-up attacked. It's also why I'm asking anonymously.

But, what's your stance on the whole war between the JP and EN versions of the game? I'm not asking you to pick a side or anything, I just wanna know your thoughts.

Obviously, I'm an EN player, and idk if you seen, but there's some hateful things out there about us, and honestly, it's hurtful and disheartening to every time I get up here. And it's always on this we as players can't control. Mainly the dialog translations and it's changes.

I've seen people calling us dumb and weak, saying we water down everything because we can't take it, etc. I've seen people saying we don't know how to really correctly and analyze characters and that we're not even playing the same game. They say we've ruined the game, the fandom, and that they wished it was never localized. I've also seen quite horrible things, but I don’t wanna repeat the things said, but yeah.

And the kicker is, it's only the JP side I've seen post this stuff. I've seen more hate come from that side more than anything, and of course not all, like you. You're my fave btw.

So yeah, thoughts?

Hello, hello! ^^ I’m not really a super big celebration person but I’m hunkering down for a cozy hibernation this winter ❄️ I hope everyone had/will have a good 2023 holiday season~

Before I provide my response to the question posed in this ask, I want to make sure we're all on the same page for this discussion first:

Please be advised that my perspective is coming from that of someone who started off playing JP in March 2020 and then picked up EN when it came out in January 2022. I have played on both servers since their initial launches.

When I refer to TWST JP and EN fans in this post, I am only referring to the English speaking fans (as in, English speaking fans who play JP and English speaking fans who play EN).

For the sake of simplicity, I will be disregarding “hybrid” fans (English speaking fans who play both JP and EN) as a separate category and will lump them in with “JP” fans (English speaking fans who play JP). This is because I assume most mixed fans started off with JP and then adopted EN later on.

I am not talking about ALL English-speaking JP and/or EN fans here; I am only talking about the ones Anon described in their ask.

As the Anon said, I ask that you go into this post with an open mind; do not assume that I will bash JP and/or EN, take sides, defend or condone toxic attitudes, or that this post exists just to “stir the pot”. That is not the purpose of my response. The purpose is to have a meaningful and constructive discussion about TWST’s fandom culture, particularly as it pertains to English-speaking fans. I hope that in talking about this, we can better understand “the other side” (however you may personally define that) and work toward making the fandom space more welcoming for all.

Please read the entire post and think about your own choice of words before commenting and/or sending in an ask about this topic, should you choose to.

To the Anon that submitted this ask and to anyone else that plays EN and may have had similar thoughts: I’m sorry to hear about the negative experiences you’ve had in the TWST fandom. I hope that this post brings you some peace of mind, if not at least some catharsis for what you may be feeling.

Firstly, it’s important to understand the mindset of both JP and EN fans. As such, I will delve into the background and the development of each side. It is NOT meant to justify either side, but rather to inform you on how each perspective originated and grew to what it is today.

The animosity and opposition to an official English version of TWST has been present for a while. An English version of TWST has always been contentious, even long before the localization was announced. Some wanted it to happen for accessibility reasons (as some people find it tedious to hunt for translations) or were supportive of the idea because it means a larger fanbase and thus more potential to make friends or to discuss the game. Others were more apprehensive of the quality of a localization (as much tends to be cut or censored to make the content more palatable) and/or claimed that expanding the fanbase in such a way would bring in more “bad apples”.

When EN first came out, it did, in fact, expand the fanbase. However, many were quick to notice the many (and I do mean many) errors and short sightings present in it: frequent spelling and grammar mistakes in the game and on official social media posts, inconsistent phrasing, incorrect translations, game-breaking glitches, frequent censorship, half-hearted promotions, etc. EN also became infamous for its absolutely brutal pacing of content in the early days, particularly related to the limited story event schedules (including back-to-back Halloween events). This, in combination with EN’s constant pushing of paid gems (which occurs far more frequently than in the JP server) has left a bad taste in JP fans’ mouths. To them, TWST EN did not make a good first impression and continued to misstep again and again. This is especially true of the many dialogue changes to make the TWST localization more “culturally appropriate” (which is the definition of what a localization is; there is a reason why TWST is not called a translation, which would be a more accurate/“faithful” or direct translation of the dialogue).

The claim that “EN fans are weak/can’t handle the real story” likely arises from how EN has removed or altered details which may offend western audiences. This includes things like the term “master”, the mention of Azul’s weight, Kalim’s “30-40” siblings, etc. These are conscious decisions made on the part of the game localizers to make TWST more broadly appealing and appropriate for a western audience, where such topics are contentious or considered taboo. This is adapting TWST to a new culture so that it can (in a dry business sense) perform well. However, I also want to mention that some cultural changes EN made do significantly alter the story/characters (such as Jamil no longer stating his family will be on the streets if they defy the Asims; in EN he only says his parents will be mad at him), particularly if you are viewing through an EN-only lens. Unfortunately 😔 as much as I can point the nuances of localization out, there will always be fans who still oppose any sort of censorship. This is also true of the anime and manga community in general, and this post isn’t large enough in scope to tackle those issues. I only mention this here to help you, the reader, better understand the changes from Disney/Aniplex.

A lot of the original negative feelings that were there before EN was announced were then confirmed by the official release, and this strengthened the dislike of EN on the part of JP fans. These JP fans may then become hostile toward EN fans who defend the localization (whether or not they have the context of TWST JP) because, in the eyes of the JP fans, the localization is not as good as it could be. Ultimately, it seems like their intense feelings stem from passion for what they love and not wishing to see it “desecrated” rather than an actual hatred of fellow fans. JP fans are upset because they fear EN fans are not getting the full scope of the characters and a story they enjoy, and they want others to appreciate those aspects of TWST as well.

Of course 💦 the fact is that EN fans are not responsible for the localization. But EN is there and that is what is the easiest and the most time efficient for English-speaking audiences, so most people will go with that rather than alternatives (ie hunting down fan translations). The issue is that some JP fans conflate simply consuming the localization as being bad or the “wrong” thing to do, and thus, by proxy, extend this frustration to EN fans themselves (especially those those are EN only and have zero prior knowledge of JP) and not just the product. Again, this is because they tend to see JP as the “full” version, without the changes or censorship present in EN. This inevitably leads to discrepancies in understanding between JP and EN, whether due to staggered release of new content or how the characters are presented differently between the two servers. To those who say “the versions are basically the same except for minor changes”, I disagree. There are several dialogue changes that appear small in isolation, but because TWST’s narrative is told primarily via dialogue, those “small” changes are actually very large and can drastically modify how one perceives a character or situation without explicit knowledge of JP to balance it out. When Jamil is made an “employee” rather than a “servant” and worries about his parents being mad at him instead of his entire family literally being on the streets for defying the Asims, it takes away the bite from his motivations. When Cater inserts a #WOW that wasn’t there in JP while Riddle is breaking down sobbing, or makes him come off as far more insensitive than emotionally aware. These are just a few examples, but they are very prominent ones that can change how an EN only fan sees things. The idea that “we aren’t even playing the same game” can ring true to some JP players because of this.

It cannot be helped that EN fans would interpret the characters and stories differently when the localization is their only or primary source of TWST content. Not everyone has the time or the desire to look for more accurate fan translations (not all fan translations are the same quality), as some JP fans have suggested. If EN fans want to, that’s great! It’s nice to expand one’s knowledge and to be cognizant of the changes between the versions. There are many blogs out there dedicated to educating people on these matters, and many EN and JP fans alike flocking there to be informed. But that level of engagement shouldn’t be demanded of anyone. To deem those that don’t engage in “further research” as “lazy”, “dumb”, or a “fake fan” is not acceptable, not in the name of love or otherwise. The expectation to ��do homework” only puts pressure on EN fans to be a certain way or else be rejected by the fandom, and that only breeds more hatred and negativity. It makes EN fans feel “not worthy” of being a fan unless they study up, when the truth of the matter is that no matter how much we like TWST, it’s… media at the end of the day. People are free to consume their choice of media however they like, and that includes casually or at their own pace. It’s not fun to be in a fandom where others are breathing down your neck and policing everything you do, especially since these spaces are meant to be a temporary escape from reality. If JP fans meant to gatekeep in an effort to make others recognize the “real” greatness of TWST, then it’s failing because this kind of attitude only serves to drive new fans away.

Among EN fans, there is this idea that “JP fans are stuck-up”. I can understand where this thinking comes from, as I have witnessed hatred for EN myself which comes unprompted and has killed many conversations. Admittedly, some points are geared toward the company themselves (and those are valid), such as rushed and/or inaccurate translations or the pushing of paid gems, but I’ve also seen my fair share of nastier, invalid comments directed at EN fans. There are JP fans who actively hope that EN will shut down or who outright dismiss EN fans because of the version they play, thinking of their thoughts and opinions as “lesser” or doubting their media literacy skills. It’s true that this behavior is out there in the fandom, and that is unfortunately a sad reality.

That being said, JP on EN hate is not the only form I see, and nor is it the majority. It goes both ways (and I would say about equally for all, although this is just based on anecdotes and not objective data). There is plenty of JP on JP hate (particularly when someone spreads mistranslations around as though it were the truth) and EN on EN hate (arguments over what is and is not appropriate to ship, differences in headcanons, harassing fans that fall outside an “acceptable” age range, etc). There is also EN on JP hate which feeds into a dangerous back-and-forth with JP on EN hate. I briefly mentioned before that EN fans tend to believe JP fans are elitist, and this leads to assumptions being made about anyone that critiques EN and sometimes lashing out about it. I myself have previously been accused of “hating” EN because I often make posts commenting on the changes made between EN and JP (which ones I think work and which I think don’t). This preemptively defensive behavior drives another wedge between JP and EN fans, making JP fans reluctant to engage with EN fans, which then fuels the belief that JP fans think they’re “better” than EN fans (when really, some JP fans may be intentionally distancing themselves for their own wellbeing). Additionally, a lot of behavior deemed more acceptable in western oriented fandom spaces (such as moral justifications, taking pictures without crediting, callouts of other fans, and incorrect use of fandom tags) are not so for JP spaces (or those familiar with JP spaces). There have also been times when EN fans harass the actual Japanese-speaking side of the fandom (be it Japanese fans or the devs themselves) and demand (not ask, but demand) content that caters to them or free translations of fan comics they make. When EN fans fail to observe such “basic fandom etiquette”, it leads to JP fans thinking them rude or entitled, which makes JP fans reluctant to interact with EN fans and, again, feeds into confirmation bias. It’s a viscous system.

What is “ruining” the fandom is not just one side. There has always been turmoil present in fandom spaces. It just appears more visible now that TWST’s popularity has grown to this scale. Right now, both sides (JP and EN) are antagonizing each other because of a loud minority that’s attacking the other side. That minority then gets extrapolated and assumed to be behavior of the entirety of the other side, and that is what keeps the hate going.

If I’m being entirely honest 😔 I don’t think these tensions will realistically ever die out; the fandom is too large to “stomp out” what has already been established in its culture. When both sides are fueled by something so strong—a passion for TWST—it’s hard to seek out and/or to consider alternative perspectives. We become fixated on their own negative experiences and fail to think about where the “others” maybe be coming from, and then close ourselves off from discussion. That promotes isolation and contempt rather than friendliness and cooperation.

If we want change, then it starts at an individual level and in smaller TWST communities. We shouldn’t assume the worst of “JP” or “EN” fans; we are all TWST fans. Let’s keep open-minded and welcome other fans and their diverse schools of thought. And if you don’t feel comfortable with that, that’s also fine! You’re allow to keep a distance and curate your online space as you like; just please don’t go out of your way to disparage others, you have your own lane and others have theirs. Don’t encroach on other lanes.

Maybe we don’t necessarily agree with each other or we think may hold different opinions—but that’s good, isn’t it? The freedom of thought and the open exchange of ideas promotes flexible thinking and can lead you to see things from a new angle, or perhaps develop a new idea of your own. If we all thought the same way, then life becomes boring or it can cultivate an “us versus them” narrative that sparks online wars.

Let me put it this way to close off the post: isn’t this the message that Twisted Wonderland itself is trying to teach us? The true value of attending Night Raven College isn’t just about receiving a good education. Countless times it has been stressed to us (and often by Lilia, the oldest and wisest of the core cast, someone who used to be resistant to opening up to outsiders) that it is vital to understand other people in spite of how different we may be. Let’s take a page out of the students’ book and try to live up to that ^^

[thisismeracing]

King of my heart | MS47 | Part. 17

― Pairing: Mick Schumacher x Hamilton!reader (she/her) ― Warnings: curse words, twitter environment, mention of food, not proofread, etc, etc. Minors DNI! ― Summary: Yn decided to take a break from social media as well, but her friends were hell-bent on protecting her image and not letting people talk shit about her in front of them. When she comes back, ready to launch her winter collection, someone shows up ready to talk too. ―  A/n: none of the pictures used are mine, they are all from Pinterest and other apps. Everything else is made up by me, and I do not give permission for it to be published on a different platform. I would appreciate it if those things could be taken into consideration 💛 ― A/n²: We're heading to the end of this series. I'm sorry for going MIA for a beat, but I'm back now, and I'm gonna work to get everything done by the end of this month 💛

⁕ part. 16 | series masterlist | part. 18  ⁕ my masterlist | my taglist here ⁕ Support my writing by reblogging, and leaving me a message 🤍

📧 Lewis and Mick

francisca.cgomes

liked by pierregasly, lewishamilton, and others

francisca.cgomes ⭐️💓 te amo, linda!

view all comments

schumacherpt Where's your phone case from, Kika??

⤷ franciscac.gomes It was a gift, I dunno, love 🥺

mercedesamigasf1 they're so pretty

ynfan oh to be a wag and besties with the other wags 😍🥺

⤷ user33 Yn's not a wag

⤷ mickshoes DENIAL IS A RIVER IN EGYPT 👍🏻

lilymhe

liked by estebanocon, ginaschumacher, and others

lilymhe all my fav emojis for you, babes 🦋🦕🪲🦩🍄🌷💐🌸🌼⭐️💫🌈❄️🩷🤍🩵🏓🎨🍭🍋🍉🌊

view all comments

alex_albon I love how you always leave me for her

⤷ pierregasly Kika does the same, I don't even mind anymore

⤷ franciscac.gomes let the girls club be! 😒

nandolonso I'm so soft *teary eyes*

ynsunshine I'm under the impression that Yn gives the best hugs

⤷ charles_leclerc It's true

⤷ ynshunshine OMG

lewishamilton 💖

⤷ braziliangp22 Yn's biggest supporter

lewishamilton

liked by normani, mercedesamgf1, and others

lewishamilton spent the week with my fav people ❤️

comments on this post have been restricted

carlossainz55 ❤️

charles_leclerc tell Yn to save some cupcakes for me, I'm flying to you guys

⤷ arthur_leclerc why you've never posted a dump with me with the caption 'my fav people'?

⤷ lorenzotl because you're not his favorite 🙄

cullen_angela Love you guys sm

gina_schumacher I love you two 💖

estebanocon 🧡🧡🧡

landonorris can I join? 🙏🏻😁

ginaschumacher

liked by lewishamilton, charles_leclerc, and others

ginaschumacher weekend dump ❤️ much love

comments are turned off for this post

theofficialyn

liked by landonorris, lizzoobeating, and others

theofficialyn Our winter '23 collection has an official launch date! Check ynthebrand for more info. Can't wait to share everything with you all 🤍

view alll comments

lewishamilton Congrats, bitsy!! 🩵

sainzsalz THE CROWN?? THE CAPTION?? SHE REALLY CAME TO SLAY

ynswiftie back by popular demand, babyyyyy

hamiltonsiblings my fav family 💗

charles_leclerc if my invitation don't get here by tomorrow I'm flying to you

⤷ pierregasly me too

f1wagsupdates

liked by 551644_, lechairschumi, and others

f1wagsupdates Some of Yn's looks on her Winter's collection launch in Paris.

view all comments

formulaumdois she looks so pretty! 😍

sunshinesteban the way this woman can reinvent herself all the time

lewiscars I saw that she's launching some pairs at an accessible price, does anyone know when it gets to the stores?

⤷ keepingupwthehamiltons I think everything will be available at her website ynthebrand.com

⤷ monzashalrs bruh I chuckled when I saw she had shoes at an average prince, but she also had shoes with golden in them. talk about a mindful queen 😂

ylnhamilton I'm totally coping one of these model dresses for my grad party 🤓

vettellbees someone said she's parading with the models too, I am SO READY FOR THIS <3

vegasricciardo DID YOU GUYS SEE THAT APPARENTLY MICK IS ATTENDING?????? 🆘🆘🆘

💌 Yn and Mick

― ⋆🪩 VOICEMAIL: Heyyyyy!!! Omg its been forever since I last updated, and I'm really sorry for that but I'm finally back *yay* I'll try posting the next chapter later today or tomorrow, and if things go smoothly this series will be over by the end of the month *cries gently into my hands*. Let me know your thots! Don't forget to leave me a comment and reblog *mwah*

⁕ my masterlist and my taglist

taglist: @sachaa-ff @ferrariloverr @mellowpizzapuppy @mickslover @dalsuwaha @formulakay3 @mishaandthebrits @iloveyou3000morgan @crimeshowjunkie @fdl305 @saintslewis @carojasmin2204 @chaoticevilbakugo @wondergirl101ks @smiithys @shhhchriss @f1kota @lunnnix @leclercsluv @baby-is-crying @balekane_mohafe @uuuseeerrr12 @karmabyfernando @crashingwavesofeuphoria @schumacheer @pinksstrawberry @callsign-scully @moonyschocolate13 @v1naco @dearxcherry @p8dris @heelariously @peachiicherries @elliegrey2803 @he6rtshaker @therealcap @alm334 @mehrmonga @thatgibbsygirl @the-depressed-fellow @cixrosie @darleneslane @buckybarnessweetheart (if you're not tagged make sure to enable the tagging button on your profile's setting. Let me know if you're supposed to be tagged on this series or only on my other works *mwah*)

All rights reserved © thisismeracing 💜

[chaoticcicadacryptid]

❄️ Invader Zim Amino Winter Contest 2024 ❄️

Hello, all my fellow Invaders, Extraterrestrials, and all those alike! Welcome to the Invader Zim Amino Winter contest of 2024!

I know it's been a long time since the Invader Zim Amino hosted an official event, but as we've noticed some new users on our platform, we’ve decided it was time to revive the contests and events for all the newcomers!!!

Now some might be reading this from Tumblr and wonder, “Why is this posted here when it's a contest on Amino?” Well, due to Amino not being as lively as it once was (and rather understandable as to why), the staff at IZA have decided to host the contest between both Tumblr and Amino, so we can reach as many users who may want to attend as possible! (While keeping it manageable of course.) Those who attend, will get a chance at winning the prizes and being featured as the winner for this Seasonal Contest!

This season is Winter! And the two themes all contestants will get to choose from are:

“Blizzard” and “Snowed In”!

Your entry can take many forms, whether it's writing, drawing, crafting, animation, etc! It just must follow one of the themes, and must take place in the Invader Zim universe! (OCS and AUs are welcome and encouraged!!)

All entries will be judged by a mixture of skill, appearance/structure, how it ties to the theme, and the overall effort put into it! The leader of the Invader Zim Amino, and its curators (as well as some feedback from the users and those observing the contest), will be in charge of going through and judging the entries and gathering them all together!

Now, we won't be able to find your post unless it has the special tag, #IZAWINTER2024

In Amino, all you must do is type it and place it somewhere in your post, and for Tumblr, you must make sure it is in your tags section before you post! This way the gathering process is just a tiny bit more simple! <3

The Contest will be closed on December 30th!

🎉The Winner Prizes🎉

🥇: A Fully Rendered Full body, a Fully Rendered Waist Up, and a Fully Rendered PFP piece of any characters of your choosing! Those who have an Amino account will also win 500 Amino Coins as well!

🥈: A Fully Rendered Waist Up, and a Fully Rendered PFP piece! Those who have an Amino account will also win 300 Amino Coins as well!

🥉: A fully Rendered Bust, and Fully Rendered PFP piece! Those who have an Amino account will also win 100 Amino Coins as well!

All artwork will be made by me, and it might take some time to finish but I promise I will send as many updates as possible to the winners as I work! I will finish first place’s pieces first, and then go down the line from there!

❗‼️Rules‼️❗

❗All entries must fit into, or under, a PG-13 rating.

❗-NO NSFW (excessive gore, sexual content, highly suggestive content, etc)

❗-NO COPYING OR TRACING (If an incident occurs we will do our best to get to the bottom of the situation.)

❗-NO A.I. EVER. If you are suspected of using AI, you will run the risk of being blacklisted and banned from this contest and all that will be held in the future. If you can't bother to put the effort into making something of your own, you don't deserve to attend a creative contest.

❗-If ships between aliens and humans are involved, both parties must be the same age or 18+. This way we can avoid as much drama as possible.

❗-Be Respectful towards everyone involved, including the contestants, judges, and host!

If you have read all the rules above, please add your favorite animal(s) to your comment below, along with which theme stands out to you! Thank you so much for taking the time to read, and have a wonderful winter!!!

[confusedhomicidalrage]

Welcome to this hellhole! 🙋🏻

❌DNI! Racists, Homophobia, Transphobia, terfs, Anti-Xenogender, Anti-Therian, Anti-Furry, Ableism, Zionists, Sexists, MAP/Pedo (supporters)❌

⁠✯!Info Sheet!✯

🩹Basic Information!🩹

💳Name: Fips

📑Other names I accept: Yakov, Artemis

📇"Signature" name: (⁠｡⁠•̀⁠ᴗ⁠-⁠)⁠✯ (I DO NOT OWN THIS SIGN, I JUST USE IT FOR MOST OF MY ACCOUNTS!)

🗂️Nicknames: Fipsy, Fip, Eli, Bassie, Fi, Ribby, Rose, Fipsolino, Fipsidipsi, Yaki, Artie

🗒️🩷Pet names: Puppy, Bun, Pookie, Darling, sweetie, Froggie

🗃️Dead name: Unavailable

🔞Age: Under 18

📏Height: 5'2" (160 cm)

⚖️Weight: Unavailable

🎁Birthday: 26th of April

🐂Zodiac Sign: Taurus

🗺️Country I live in: Germany

🇩🇪Nationality: German

🇺🇲🇩🇪Languages I speak: English, German

🏳️‍⚧️♂️Gender: Bxy, Transmale, and many many Xenogenders!

🌈Sexuality: Aroace (Aromantic, Asexual)

⚧️Pronouns: Any, except She/her

🩺Mental illnesses: Autism, Depression

🎉More stuff about me!🎉

🎇🤩Current Special interests: Sam Neill, frogs, Kirby, Oscar Wilde

🩷Other things I like: Plushies, newsies, poppy playtime, dolls, Beware! Children at play, moths, Leeches, dogs, cats, flowers, snakes, the umbrella academy, Julius Caesar, space, Saw, Axolotls, the good son (1993), Basically any movie Sam Neill played in, Daniel isn't real, Dark Deception, Murder by Numbers (2002), ducks, Murder drones, clocks, Game of thrones, The umbrella academy, cry of fear, minks, seals, The Lucius games, The omen (the first three), the big bang theory/the little bang theory (basically Sheldon Cooper and young Sheldon), Children of the corn, bandages and bandaids, language learning, Historical figures, Struwwelpeter

🙅🏻Things I dislike: Bright/neon lights, loud noise (my music doesn't count), the words "crawling and "armpits", spiders, Flashing lights, spitting

💕"Favorite" stuff!💕

💖🍝🥐🍫Favorite Foods: Spaghetti Bolognese, Chocolate filled croissants, cinnamon rolls

💖🍫🥛Favorite Drink: Chocolate milkshake

💖🌻Favorite Flower: Sunflowers

💖❄️Favorite Season: Winter

💖🎆Favorite Holiday: New Year's Eve

💖🐸Favorite Animal: Frogs

💖🎥Favorite Movie Genre: Horror

💖🖍️Favorite color: The most specific shade of maroon red ever

✖️"Least Favorite" stuff!✖️

🤢🦐Least favorite Food: Shrimps... (Ew!)

🤢🥤Least Favorite Drink: Vanilla stuff

🤢💐Least Favorite Flower: Unavailable

🤢☀️Least Favorite Season: Summer

🤢🥂Least Favorite Holiday: Thanksgiving

🤢🕷️Least Favorite Animal: Spiders

🤢🎬Least Favorite Movie Genre: Unavailable

🤢🌈Least favorite color: Neon/bright colors

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Relationships! (Excluding actual family)👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

🐈Pet: A cat called Fritzy

💞Bestie: Lawrence/lauren ( @brains4ne/ @thornonthevine ) (I adopted Eli, Joshua, Micah, Josiah, Mordecai, Abel, Isaac and Malachai with them)

👨‍👨‍👦‍👦Adopted Fictional children: Eli and Joshua Porter (children of the corn; Urban harvest), Micah and Mordecai (Children of the corn; Final Sacrifice), Abel (Children of the corn; Revelation), Isaac Chroner, Malachai Boardman, Job, Sarah and Joseph (Children of the corn, 1994), Josiah Nock (Children of the corn; The gathering), Matt (Children of the corn; Isaac's return)

💝Adopted little sister: @aristarxs ( @shakespeare-official-account/ @shakespeareofficialaccount/ @shakespeare-official-reblogs )

🐈‍⬛Fictional pet: Lancekitty (Something that started off as a joke on @thornonthevine, but now it's the Family's pet..)

💫Other Random stuff!💫

➡️Side blogs: @real-antonio-vivaldi, @messy-stimboard-disaster, @lord-alfred-douglas-official, @germanifier

⚠️Important: Please don't spam my inbox with stuff. Unless you are Ari. To me, it feels like me and her spamming each other is sort of like a unique love language, so please don't spam my inbox unless you are Ari!

🤷🏻Why haven't I been active: Okay so, I currently have lots of stuff going on. I am back in the psych ward, which means I won't be on my phone A lot unless On the weekend. I don't know how long I have to stay, but My therapist said it'll be a short visit, so I'm hoping for maybe four or three weeks, but I'm not sure. Before the psych ward, however, I always seemed to forget and be caught up in school or Simply have no motivation. After I get released again, I'll probably be on much more. So yeah, Life ain't going well currently. But I won't die. MY MOM REMAINED CUSTODIAL!! (Last updated: 21th August.)

[thinkingotherwise]

Hi hello👉👈

I hope you're having a nice day. If not, I'm sending good vibes🌿✨🌸

I wanted to say that I really like your genshin npc x reader series! And also I'm wondering if you'll continue it, like mb with someone from Sumeru?

Hello there, thank you for the vibes 🤗 I'm actually melting in the summer heat hoping for winter to come quickly ❄️❄️, but I hope you have wonderful weather and a great day

I actually have a lot of ideas for stories but I can't get myself to finish them. I'll try to post something for the series once in a while. And well, as you ask for Sumeru person I dug through my drafts and pulled up this little story I liked and finished it. Hope you like it and if there's someone else you'd like to see from Sumeru or somewhere else, just write and I'll happily oblige 😉

Khalaf x Sumeru! Dominant! reader

A little spice for the summer days, I'm starting to think I have a thing for sidekicks 😅

Also: Hot woman = Hot sidekicks

It was such a nice evening. You were after work and ready to relax after all the stress you collected in the past few days. You even bought some things in the bazaar like the new scent bath salt that you were already thinking of trying out.

The only thing left to make your evening even better would be a special someone, who promised to visit you after his event is finished. And while you wanted for him to come, you knew he might take some more time and so you decided to ready a bath for yourself.

You let the hot water run in the tub and poured the needed amount of the new bath salt. It was already smelling so good, you felt yourself relaxing even before touching the water.

After the bathtub was filled, you took off your clothes and let yourself be embraced by the citrus smell and hot water. It was so relaxing and soothing.

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, after a few minutes, you were interrupted from your leisure time by the sound of keys and opening of your door.

You tilted your head in thought and started getting out of the tub.

"(Y/n)?" The voice you knew so very well echoed in your house and made a smile appear on your face.

After quickly putting on a robe you went out of the bathroom and saw your mercenary standing in the living room looking for you.

"Khalaf dear, welcome back." You said joyfully and his attention went to you instantly.

Smile adorned his face when his eyes met you but he felt his cheeks and ear reddening at the state of clothing you had on.

"Hi." He said waving his hand lightly.

He couldn't help but admire you from his place in the middle of the room. You were so pretty in his eyes, so so lovely. Your skin, your body, your eyes, everything was perfect for him, and that god damned smile of yours, which made his heart beat faster each time he saw, or even thought about it.

Although officially you haven't decided on any title yet, unofficially you could say you were really close to each other. Really close.

He was just waiting for a perfect moment to ask you out officially and you were pretty content with that. Of course, you wanted everyone to know you were together but having him for yourself in the privacy of your home was good enough for now.

He felt himself be mesmerized by you but your chuckle brought him back.

"Take a seat, I'll be back shortly."

Khalaf did as you mentioned and breathed deeply to calm his heart down. You, in the meantime, made your way to the bedroom to change into your pajamas.

"So, how did the recruitment event go?" You asked from within your room.

"Now that Dehya appeared, it was much more exciting. There were a lot of people actually, hopefully some of them will decide to join the Blazing Beasts" He replied happily and you could hear the excitement in his voice.

Whenever he talked about his members or the Flame-Mane he always had this kind of excitement in his voice, but it was nowhere near the change in tone whenever he talked about you.

There were a few times you heard him talking with some of your neighbours or even his friends and whenever Khalaf or they mentioned your name there was this little tingling excitement and eagerness in his voice and he brightened instantly. You appreciated that part of him and his feelings for you. Sharing them on an equal level, if not higher.

"Is that so?" You asked finishing changing and entered the living room again.

"Yes, we even planned a fighting show." He continued and took your hand in his after you sat next to him.

"Oh, and how did it go? Did you have fun beating up your friends?"

"Of course, but I think Harun did something to my shoulder." Khalaf replied with a grimace on his face and you turned fully to him.

"He did?" You questioned observing him carefully and looking for some other injuries he might have received.

"Yes, we were fighting and he hit me pretty hard on the shoulder. Now whenever I move my arm it hurts."

His hand left yours as he placed it onto his aching shoulder moving it in circular motion and wincing in pain.

"Hmm.. let me take a look." You moved his hand away and stood up placing yourself in front of him.

Your hands touched his shoulder and he winced once again.

"Auch!"

You hummed in thought and started massaging the place to relieve his pain.

"Does it feel better now?" You moved a little away from him to give him some space and he tried moving his arm which went much smoother the aching was still there but it was much lighter.

"A little yes, how did you do-" He started but you cut him off with a big grin.

"Can I help you then?" Your eyes shined brightly wanting to help your mercenary in whatever way you could.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You sprained your shoulder, right?" You started and he nodded his head as if agreeing with your quick diagnosis, "I can massage that for you, you are going to feel so much better after that." You said confidently and grabbed both of his hands while standing up.

"If you say so." He hesitantly replied but truthfully he knew he would do anything you told him to do.

"Oh trust me. I know so." Your reply was accompanied by a cheeky wink and you lead him to your bathroom.

His face instantly reddened and he felt his heart rate quicken as you started unbuttoning his shirt for him. After his shirt, you took off his hairband and ruffled his hair a little making him laugh.

But his laughter stopped when you moved your hands to his trousers and started taking them off. In his flustered state, he lightly smacked your hands away.

"I'll do it." He moved back to do it himself.

You smirked slightly and moved towards the tub.

"Just come in and relax."

You patted the bathtub that was still filled with now warm water and he looked at you quickly before coughing and moving his finger in circle, silently asking you to turn around. You did so and he quickly pulled down his underwear and stepped into the bath.

As soon as you heard the water splashes you turned back and smiled when you saw Khalaf already starting to relax as his shoulders went down and he let a small sigh escape him.

"It smells like.. citrus. Is it a new bath salt I don't think you smelled like that before?" He said after sniffing the water and his now wet hand.

Your heart soared at his words, of him recognizing the new fragrance.

"Hahaha yes, I'm happy you noticed. Now then let me do the magic."

Your joyful voice rang from beside him and he turned around only to be face to face with you.

"You certainly are magical." He whispered softly and you quickly pecked his lips before moving behind him.

You placed your hands on his shoulders and pushed him back.

"Move a little back and.. here" You placed him perfectly for the massage and kneeled behind him starting from his neck.

"You are so tense, your muscles are tight." You said while tightening your grip on his shoulders and-

"Ahh.." The sound left his mouth and he pushed his hand against his mouth in surprise.

You smirked and grabbed the hand that covered his face placing a light kiss on his fingers.

"Do you like it, dear?" Your voice was dangerously close to his ear.

He gulped at the closeness that was more evident to him with every second passing, with every contact your skin made with his.

"Y-yes, it feels nice."

Moving your hands over to his chest you pressed to his back, embracing him while moving your hands over his torso and slowly moving towards his abs.

Your hands moved back and forth over his pecks and abs. From your perspective, you could see him closing his eyes tightly and trying to calm his beating heart.

"Mmm.. I knew that for some time but now that I can take a good look, you actually do have really nice muscles." Your hands moved around his front sensually and you could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest.

"Ah- thank you." He answered breathlessly.

You somehow liked this side of him even more than the one he showed in public. For outside people, he was brave and rash mercenary, but you knew his other soft side and loved it as much as the one he showed everyone.

"You're so putty in my hands right now." You added lowly and moved back to place a lingering kiss on his neck and then another one on his jaw.

His face flushed even more and his ears had this beautiful tint of red, which made you giggle softly.

Seeing the effect you had on him made you really happy but you decided to go back to pampering him and helping with the aching shoulder. You massaged his shoulders and back for some more time and quickly noticed that Khalaf was more and more sleepy with every minute passing.

"Don't sleep on me now, just wait a few more minutes and we'll be done." Your soothing voice only added to the sleepiness evident on his face.

"But I'm really tired after today's event." His words were accompanied by a yawn that escaped him and you stopped pampering him.

"Are you, darling? Well then let's get you to bed."

"Mhm." He hummed and pulled out the bathtub stopper draining the water that was around him.

You stood up slowly and moved back to your room searching for the clothes he left behind some time ago.

When you came back you saw him sitting on the edge of the tub with one of the towels around his waist.

"Here, wear that." You gave him your clothes and he looked at them.

"Is that mine?" A questioning look accompanied his tired voice.

"Yes, you left it last time." You told him and collected his previous clothing putting them away on the small cabinet nearby.

"Ah, okay."

After noticing his small smile you turned around and left him to change while you went to the bedroom and added another pillow for him to be more comfortable.

Soon enough he stepped into the room and got under the covers with you.

"Now come here, let's cuddle." You said opening your arms for him and he happily moved towards you embracing your body.

"Good night." You said softly.

"Night." He kissed your lips lightly before tightening his hold on you and falling asleep.

You fell asleep shortly after.

The next morning after waking up Khalaf got dressed and went out, not forgetting about your goodbye kiss. But forgetting something else.

As soon as he found his friends and moved to them they were greeted by a certain fragrance.

"Why do I smell citrus in here?" Harun mentioned while sniffing the air.

"It's coming from you, Khalaf." Hisham confirmed after coming closer to his friend.

"Where the heck did you end up to smell like that?" The friend added shortly after.

Slightly confused by the question Khalaf smelled his uniform and he caught the smell of your citrus bath salt on his body. Before he could think about an answer for his friend your voice cut through the place.

"Khalaf, you forgot your hairband!" You called to your mercenary as you run up to him.

"Oh, (y/n), thank you." He said and moved to grab the cloth from your hand but you stepped closer to him and put it on his head.

He stared at you with his mouth agape and tried to fight off the blush that was making its way to his face. Your public display of affection got him bad, but he loved every second of you being so close to him.

His eyes moved around your face seeing your lightly flustered state and he smiled lovingly at you.

"No problem, remember to come by sometime soon, okay?" You replied and he nodded his head while you made the last few corrections to his soft hair.

"S-sure."

"Great, then have fun and see ya!" You placed a quick peck on his covered forehead and turned around going back to your day plans.

"Bye." He answered, his gaze following you till he couldn't see you anymore.

Then his hand made its way to the hairband to touch-

"Khalaf?" His friend's voice startled him and he turned to the both of them.

As if remembering the conversation from before you appeared he sniffed his skin once again.

"Does it really smell bad? I think I actually like it."

"You like the smell or the person connected to it?" Hisham jokingly asked.

"Shut up, (y/n) is nice!" He argued, voicing his opinion almost immediately.

"Mhm, they surely are."

"You are just jealous, that they are taking care of me." Khalaf mentioned proudly.

"As if! I could ask them to do whatever they did for you to do for me too." Hisham said indifferently but hearing the statement Khalaf's eyes instantly darkened and his eyebrows furrowed.

"No. (Y/n) is mine, find yourself someone else."

[virgo-mess]

Silver Bells

Here we are guys finally made it to the sequel for Silver Thread. It is a Christmas fic. I had intended to write during Christmas, but Silver Thread took me longer to put together than expected, so I hope you don't mind reading a Christmas romance in spring. Hopefully, the Birds and the Bees will even it out as it's very much a summer romance! This post is going to be the master post so all the links for the chapters will be added in order here, but I think I'll still put the next parts at the bottoms of the chapters when they're available. Without further ado, here is the first official part of Silver Bells. Enjoy!

🎄❄️🎄❄️🎄❄️❄️🎄❄️🎄❄️❄️❄️🎄🎄🎄❄️❄️❄️🎄❄️🎄

Chapter List

Prologue

Chapter 1: Hot Chocolate for Two

Chapter 2: BUT HE ALREADY KNOWS HOW TO SKATE!

Chapter 3: Hugo’s Plan/ NO, Get Out of the Hot TUB!

Chapter 4: Orange is Not Her Favorite Color….

Chapter 5: Christmas Strife

Chapter 6: Silver Bells pt 1

Chapter 6: Silver Bells pt 2

Chapter 7: Constellation

Epilogue

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

Prologue:

December 14th, 1985

Two pairs of eyes stared back at each other from across the still room, one pair was a deeply melancholy shade blue, and the other was a painfully somber shade of brown, but both were teary. The Los Angeles skies mirrored them through the obnoxious stain glass windows, thick, weighted grey clouds loomed across the dreary winter skies and smothered the sun. Looking like they might finally give away and weep over the city marking the end of the warm golden days of LA summer and the arrival of the cool rainy days of LA winter. Usually, the brown pair of eyes wouldn’t mind such a thing with the joys of Christmas, their favorite holiday, just around the corner. The brown eyes had thought this Christmas was going to outshine all their previous Christmases because this time the blue pair of eyes would be right by their side. But that was when the brown eyes couldn’t tell where they ended and where the blue ones began, back when their eyes were blended together to make a dusty brown-grey shade of purple. Soft and pretty, perfectly intertwined in a harmonious dance neither of the eyes wanted or ever thought would end but now the brown eyes were facing the reality that the dance was in fact ending. That the music was fading, and the warm, golden sun was setting on what they had declared their own little personal Eden. Damning their once flourishing garden, into a hellish, lonely eternal winter.

The blue eyes were denying this reality, they pleaded to the brown ones from across the room insisting that the music was still playing, the sun wasn’t setting, and the dance wasn’t coming to an end. The brown eyes believed the blue eyes when they said it last time, the night they swirled with sincerity and the deepest form of love the brown eyes had ever seen or felt. That night the blue eyes gazed up at them from where they knelt upon abodes of red rose petals that blanketed the floors of the Alhambra Suite at the Mission Inn with a black velvet box sitting in their trembling hands. Asking a question the brown eyes hadn’t really wanted to hear yet but gladly accepted because it was easier than accepting that their once loving relationship was now clouded in secrecy. White lies that grew in both number and size until the brown eyes found themselves questioning if anything the blue eyes had ever told them was true. If their love for each other was real, or if it was just a means to an end in the grand scheme of the vengeful plan the blue eyes had crafted and executed against the brown eye’s own kin.

“Veda baby, listen to me please I need you with me today…” Terry said, his blue eyes vulnerable and pleading as he knelt down in front of Veda’s slightly trembling form and let out a long-saddened sigh as they registered the tears welling in her brown orbs. It seemed all she did these last few weeks was cry, at least when she wasn’t holed up in one of the guest rooms. A shaky breath escaped her lip, her brown eyes were trained on her feet because she knew that if she met Terry’s gaze, she’d throw her escape plan out the window. She kept reminding herself it was too late to get the deposit back on the U-Haul she had Larry Park a few streets over just like it was too late to cancel her last-minute vacation rental. Though she wasn’t sure how running away to spend Christmas and her winter break in solitude up in the mountains of Big Sur could be considered much of a vacation. Veda already knew anywhere Terry Silver wasn’t, was absolute torture for her and part of her felt like she deserved to have a miserable existence for betraying him this way… leaving him this way when she was still completely in love with him was the hardest decision she’d make in her entire life. She tried to keep reminding herself that Terry had betrayed her first, that he lied to her directly and indirectly for months, that he had chosen to prioritize his relationship with John Kreese over theirs and that he had single handedly orchestrated a plan to make her little brother suffer behind her back. Some of those thing Veda might be able to look past if Terry didn’t seem to wholeheartedly believe he had done nothing wrong that everything he did was to benefit both her and John.

“I can’t Terry…you lied to me… you keep lying to me” Veda’s voice came out surprisingly firm even though she was physically shaking like a leaf and her stomach felt like it might empty itself all over the bedroom floor. A bedroom she once considered theirs though it looked like neither of them had slept in it for weeks. Truthfully that was because they hadn’t, while Veda was off sleeping at Zoe’s or in one of the bare guest rooms Terry wasn’t sleeping at all. Terry took a sharp inhale as he stared up at Veda with dilated pupils and slightly bloodshot eyes, he found himself wishing he could pour his heart out to her the way used to but that would mean admitting he had a problem and that was something he couldn’t face right now. His heart was heavy with more shame, guilt, and pain than he had felt even in those dark days he spent locked in a cage in the jungle.

“I know I lied and I’m so sorry baby girl but after the tournament today everything’s going to go back to normal, it’ll just be you and me again you won’t even see John. We can go to dinner at the roof top place, we can go to the pier, we can go to the museums, the Ranch whatever you want, sweetheart I promise. Just come with me, please” Terry’s tone is urgent and desperate as he tilted her head up so he could stare deeply into her eyes. They’re swirling with sincerity and desperation and Veda thinks for a second, he’s on to her and her growing need to get away from everything. Even if her need to run away and leave her life with Terry behind her wasn’t this strong she still couldn’t handle going to the tournament today she couldn’t watch Daniel go through the pain of being in Cobra Kai’s bad graces all over again.

“I don’t want to watch Daniel hurt, Terry and I can’t watch you do this…please don’t make me go.” Veda said just above a whisper as the tears in her eyes finally start to spill over. She sat unmoving as she felt Terry begin to wipe and kiss away the stream of tears from her cheeks, his kisses are tender, but his thumb is frantic as it brushes against her flushed skin. Terry breaths are coming out in nervous bursts of air as he tries to soothe Veda in the only way he’s ever known how. The fact that it doesn’t seem to be working scares him enough to finally consider the fact that he may be losing the love of his life this time and a last-minute spur of the moment proposal wasn’t going to fix it this time.

“Okay… you don’t have to go” Terry whispered, cradling Veda’s face in his hands he swore he felt his heart shatter as her brown eyes stared back at him looking lifeless and defeated for the time ever. Terry let out a shaky breath before leaning forward to place his lips on her forehead in the form of a long tender kiss as he contemplated just where to go from here. Losing Veda was never something he considered a likely possibility, he always swore he’d never let it happen, that he’d never let her go, that he’d make it next to impossible for her to move on or to ever be free of him. Yet now that the gravity and consequences of his action the last few months were finally catching up with him and the reality of losing her was more tangible Terry couldn’t bring himself to force her to stay. He knew the right thing to do today would be to skip the tournament, to forget John and his quest for revenge and just stay here and hold her until the look swirling in her brown eyes faded. Terry wished more than anything that he could, that he could forsake John and forget about Cobra Kai and get back to the blissful existence he had with his sweet girl before his old friend turned up asking him for a favor. Terry wished he had ignored John’s adamant advice about keeping Veda in the dark because it was clear from the get-go John Kreese was less than satisfied with Terry’s chosen beloved. The why of which Terry had yet to figure out but John sure looked happy when Veda showed up at the dojo in tears looking equal amounts hurt and betrayed.

“You don’t have to go just, please go to dinner with me tonight so we can talk about all of this okay, my sweet girl?” Terry pleaded; Veda let out a long sigh as she now felt her own heart shatter this time because it was clear to her Terry knew she was planning to leave.

“Okay, we’ll talk over dinner” she forced the words out like they were poison and refused to let herself acknowledge the way her heart fluttered when his blue eyes lit up and he peppered her cheek with adoring kisses. They both knew she way lying but neither of them felt equipped to talk about it as they danced on thin heart-breaking line of Terry showering her with affection and Veda sitting in his arms unmoving.

“Everything will be okay, baby girl I promise, you’ll see. I love you…” All Veda could do was nod as she thought of her response to his declaration but didn’t allow herself to utter the three words back to him. Even when his lips brushed against hers passionately, she waited until she heard his footsteps retreating down the loggia before she broke down into a fit of agonizing sobs. The sobs didn’t stop even when Margaret, Larry, and Milos came in the room to help her gather her things cooing reassuring words to her. They tried to assure her Terry would come to understand, that he could never hate her, that she wasn’t a bad person, but Veda couldn’t bring herself to believe a single word. Her sobs only intensified as she was failing to remember what things belonged to her before Terry was in her life and what things were only hers because of him. Margaret insisted she take them all, but Veda knew she wouldn’t be able to fit everything in her small student dorm at CalTech or the one she was supposed to occupy next fall at USC. The only thing she didn't keep was the ring he proposed with, the solitaire diamond didn't seem to shine the way it did that night as Veda sat it on the nightstand with a shaky hand. She let her eyes sweep across the room that she once called their before they settled on the promise ring she was still wearing on her right finger. Veda couldn't bring herself to take it off even after Terry gave her the engagement ring because she liked it a lot more and because it reminded her of a happier time in their relationship. Even now, even after everything that happened, she couldn't bring herself to it. So, she took one last shaky breath as she scooped the last of her belongings into her arms and walked out of the Ennis house for the last time.

The hours up until then seemed to pass by in slow motion and when the time finally came for Veda to hop into the truck and drive away, she felt numb. Utterly and completely detached as the three adults she had come to know and call friends pulled her trembling form into their arms. Silent tears were still rolling down her flushed cheeks as she hopped into the truck and turned the key in the ignition. Igniting a melancholy sounding engine just as the clouds finally gave away and wept, the first sign of an unusually cold winter swept through the treetops as Veda pulled the truck out of the long drive and on to the road. The soft patter of rain hitting the windshield and wet truck tires rolling on the pavement fill the silence of the car and Veda finds herself wanting to turn around but knows she can’t for reasons she doesn’t even fully understand yet. She reaches over to turn on the radio with a shaky hand and Joni Mitchell’s River lulls through the stereo in all its blue melancholy.

“…It’s coming on Christmas

 They’re cutting down trees

They’re putting up reindeer

And singing songs of joy and peace

Oh, I wish I had a river

I could skate away on

But it don’t snow here

It stays pretty green

I’m going to make a lot of money

Then I’m going to quit this crazy scene

I wish I had a river

I could skate away on

I wish I had a river so long

I would teach my feet to fly

Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on

I made my baby cry

He tried hard to help me

You know, he put me at ease

And loved me so naughty made me weak in the knees

Oh, I wish I had a river

I could skate away on…”

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

Veda dry heaves, feeling her stomach lurch and twist uncomfortably as she nears the expressway and Terry’s Rolls Royce Corniche comes into view across the street. She can make out his dark hair through the raindrops on his window and the distressed look on his face. She wishes she could run to him more than anything right now, to have him wrap his arms around her and listen to his heartbeat one last time....but she doesn't. She turns the truck onto the expressway as a fresh wave of tears and sobs overtake her.

Terry glances down at his watch before training his blue eyes on the traffic light, becoming increasingly agitated as its cycle seems to purposely want to halt his trek home. Though part of him knows his urgency to get there might all be for naught, he heard it in the way Veda spoke to him this morning and he felt it in the way she couldn’t bring herself to kiss him back. He saw it in her sad brown eyes and yet he couldn’t bring himself to do the only thing he ever wanted to do since she came into his life. He listened to John, a man he once considered his best friend and now he was trying to drive home to the only other person in the world that brought him an ounce of comfort even though he knew he lost her. Terry groaned, glaring at the traffic light as he aggressively turned the volume up on the radio to drown out his thoughts and sorrow as his foot finally hits the gas.

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

“…I’m so hard to handle

I’m selfish and I’m sad

Now I’ve gone and lost the best baby

That I’ve ever had

Oh, I had a river

I could skate away on

I wish had a river so long

I would teach my feet to fly

Oh, I wish I had a river

I could skate away on

I made my baby say goodbye

It’s coming on Christmas

 They’re cutting down trees

They’re putting up reindeer

And singing songs of joy and peace

Oh, I wish I had a river

I could skate away on…”

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

June 14th, 1987

Terry sighed, leaning back on a patio chair with a book in his hands listening to the faint sound of the waves crashing on the beach below. He was surprised his father moved him to such a luxurious rehab center, to be completely honest Terry was surprised he cared enough to come visit him without giving him a lecture. In fact, he was rather nice to him during his last visit, Terry suspected Margaret probably knocked some sense into him the same way she’d done to him a month ago. Terry for once accepted her verbal lashing though he wished she had done it before Veda left. Though he’s not sure the coke would’ve allowed him to hear it.

Terry was pulled out of his thoughts by one of the counselors walking out of the house with someone lingering in the doorway behind them.

“Mr. Silver you have a visitor, a Lucille LaRusso” he said, Terry flew to his feet with a rush of emotions overtaking him as he looked to the doorway surprised. It was in fact Lucille LaRusso, the mother of his ex-fiancé and Daniel LaRusso, the boy he tormented for a few months on his war buddies command and on Veda’s behalf.

“Mrs. LaRusso, hello” Terry said awkwardly, his cheeks flushing in shame and embarrassment as he looked at her. He was fully expecting to get another verbal lashing or a slap to the face as she walked up to the patio table he’d been sitting at. He wouldn’t blame her if she did, he hurt both of her children, intentionally and unintentionally. Terry would be lying if he said Daniel basically handing his college fund over to Mr. Miyagi without caring about the affect it had Veda didn’t fuel him into accepting John’s request. Because it did, he’d already been planning on teaching Daniel some semblance of a lesson before John showed up but finding out that he was the essentially the catalyst behind a lot of the horrible things Dutch did to Veda had him seeking out a punishment he thought fit the crime. If Daniel hadn’t ended up in Cobra Kai’s bad graces Dutch and Johnny never would’ve sought Veda out, using an innocent girl as a means to get back at Daniel. To make it all worse Dutch took things a step further, beating her half to death on two separate occasions for daring to call him out for being the trash he is and was. Veda was unwittingly collateral damage in a month’s long feud, one she had no responsibility in creating yet she suffered the most in the grand scheme of things. Terry dealt with Dutch accordingly, but he still had nightmares of the state he found Veda in, curled up under his office desk on the verge of a GHB overdose. And it all started because of some feud her bratty little brother took part in, truthfully, Daniel got off easy in comparison. Dutch Howard was still sitting in a cell waiting for his case to go to trial in a few months, Terry had already exhausted every avenue he could to make sure Veda would never have to take the stand…

“Hi, Terry. You can still call me Lucille” she said reassuringly, taking him by surprise as she pulled him into a brief motherly embrace. Terry furrowed his eyebrows but gladly returned the hug because he can’t remember the last time, he’d gotten one, he wished Veda was the one giving it to him, but Lucille was the next best thing. Lucille pulled away giving him a soft smile before taking a seat at the table Terry sat down still feeling a bit awkward despite how happy he was to see her.

“Uh, what brings you here, did Maragret call you?” he asked curiously, Lucille shook her head pulling out the letter he sent to Veda a few weeks prior. Terry shifted uncomfortably when he realized it was open. “Oh, that, I um…” he trailed not sure what to say, since it was a thinly veiled attempt to win her back so to speak even though he knew he shouldn’t be dating anyone for at least a year after treatment was over. There was still only a select set of people he let influence his decisions and one of them was sitting next to him right now. Lucille gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

“She didn’t read it, I did, and I thought it was important that someone came to see you while you’re healing. So, you better get used to seeing me Terry, next time I come I’m expecting a warmer greeting, young man. I’m also here because I thought that it was important for you to know what’s going on with Veda, I need you to understand why I’m not giving her this letter right now and why I need you to be patient with her. I also know you were the one that funded that program for Veda to go to USC, it’s a good thing you submitted it anonymously. I don’t think she would’ve accepted it otherwise; I know I don’t have to tell you how stubborn she is. Once she sets her mind on something you’ll very rarely talk her out of it” Lucille chuckled very obviously trying to lighten the mood after such a heavy statement, Terry appreciated her effort nonetheless, but his mind was reeling with all the things that could be wrong with Veda.

“Yeah, she is a true Taraus that’s for sure. How’d you know it was me?” Terry asked, trying not to seem as nervous as he felt, and let a slight smile grace his lips as he looked back at her. Thinking and talking about Veda still hurt him so much right now.

“You aren’t the only one with connections, Terry Silver. I may have agreed to go on a date with the Dean if he let me see the paperwork” she said proudly, Terry let out a genuine laugh for the first time in months, forgetting about his dread over the current state of his relationship with Veda for a moment.

“And that’s why Veda is so good at sweet talking people, huh, Lucille. How is USC going for her so far, she’s been there like a year now, right” Terry asked nonchalantly even though he very much wanted to know anything he could, though he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to stand hearing, Veda was dating other guys yet. He always said she’d never find anyone to take his place, but he also said he’d never let her leave and in the end he did. She could do much better than him right now, that’s why he needed to do everything he possibly could to be better for himself and for her.

  “School wise she’s doing great; she’s majoring in Business Administration with a focus on Entrepreneurship and Innovation and English Literature. Then she’s also minoring in art, art history, marketing, and surprisingly musical theater. I think she might be having an early midlife crisis right now, but she can actually really sing very well. I had no idea she could, she’s learning guitar and piano right now” Lucille said, Terry felt a slight twinge in his chest as he remembered the first time, he ever heard her sing. He still couldn’t listen to Fleetwood Mac without crying because he still pictured her head on his thigh looking up at him like he was the best thing ever created. He remembered the way her voice pulled him out of the jungles of Vietnam on the 4th of July like it was yesterday, it was hard for him to believe that would be two summers ago next month. Terry chuckled bittersweetly under his breath because it would seem they both developed a passion for music in their time apart.

    “That’s funny, I’m learning piano too” he said, even in their time apart they were still doing things together it would seem; Lucille smiled but it faltered after a moment and Terry knew she was gearing up to tell him bad news. “Oh, you said she’d doing great school wise, but how is she doing otherwise…” Terry trailed, feeling a rush of concern overtaking him despite how much he didn’t want to hear if he had caused her more pain. Lucille let out a deep sigh, toying with the letter in her small hands.

      “I mean she says she’s fine, but she isn’t, you know, as her mother I can tell she’s not and I don’t know how to help her. She won’t talk about it, Terry, she barely sleeps, and she eats like a bird. She’s lost so much weight, she’s so frail looking all she does is go to work or to school, she hasn’t seen Zoe and Rob in months, and they’re worried about her too. Then last week her doctor called me and asked if I was willing to check her into rehab because her lab results were a life-threatening kind of bad, he can’t give her a full diagnosis unless she has a psychological exam and Veda refused treatment. Obviously in this case I’m legally allowed to force her into treatment, I could but I just don’t think that’ll do much for her in the long run. I think she needs to hear it from you, Terry, hearing that you’re also struggling and getting help might give her more incentive to get better. I’ve read some of her journal entries and she feels really guilty for leaving you Terry, she thinks that you hate her for breaking her promise to you and she still loves you. I know you wrote this letter because you want to win her back Terry, but I think the best thing for both of you is time apart, to grow and heal. You both need to learn how to cope with things in a healthy way before you can be together otherwise something like what happened will just happen again and before you know it the love that brought you together is gone. I think what you guys need right now is to just be friends, you guys' kind of skipped that part. But the strongest relationships have to be built on something, you both got caught up in fixing each other and your problems instead of just helping the other through the problems. You can still love and support each other without coddling and trying fix the other person. Veda needs to just be a normal college kid right now and you just need to focus on getting sober. When the time is right and you’re both healed, you’ll know. So, I was wondering if you’d be willing to write her a different letter…” Lucille trailed, Terry wasn’t sure when he started crying, but he was, he felt the drops hit the back of his hand. Flooding from his eyes much like they had on her 19th birthday. Terry wordlessly nodded his head as he rushed into the house to grab a pen and paper.

            The words, like his tears, flooded out of him, almost like some outside force was pushing him along. Terry knew what it was though, it was love, unconditional love. The kind of love he promised her would always be there for her when she needed it, and he intended to keep to that until the day died. He’d never stop carrying that torch for her, but he wanted her to be happy even if that meant it wasn’t with him. He scribbled across the paper passionately, toying with his promise ring, he could never bring himself to take it off.

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

            Dear Veda,  

           Hi sweet girl, I heard from a little birdy whose name rhymes with surreal, that you’re learning to play piano. You’re not going to believe this but so am I, it’s funny how even after our time apart we still seem to be so close together, we even picked up the same hobbies. I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on the way our relationship ended, and I can’t go into detail in this letter, but I need you to know that the things that happened, the choices I made, were not your fault. They were my mistakes, Veda, I made them, if anyone should feel guilty and responsible it’s me, not you. You didn’t break your promises, I did. The first life lesson I ever taught you was that actions have consequences, losing you and Dynatox were the consequences of my actions. I understand that now, that’s why I’m trying to get better, for myself. I’m in a rehabilitation facility now and it’s really helping me understand who I am and why I’ve done some of the things I’ve done, some of those war and childhood wounds don’t hurt so bad now. What does hurt me though, is knowing how much I hurt you, Veda and to hear that you’re still hurting because of me kills me.

 I once told you we were meant to happen regardless of time or circumstance, perhaps Romeo and Juliet weren’t the best couple to compare us to. Fate brought them together, but their lovesickness was ultimately what did them in because they thought they couldn’t live without the other and we thought that too. We stayed in our little bubble, and it prevented us from seeing that what we really needed was to just be there for each other, to help each other without coddling each other. Neither of us knew how to do that for whatever reason and that’s why us being apart right now is a good thing. We both needed time to grow, we must be better for ourselves before we can be good for each other. As much as I love you Veda, you were too young to be helping me get rid of my demons and I was wrong for trying to keep you in a relationship you were too young to be in, it took me a while to understand that while our love was real, our relationship was unhealthy because we both had unhealthy tendencies and coping mechanisms. I thought I was taking care of you, that I was protecting you, but what I was really doing was preventing you from growing up and living a life without me because of my own unresolved issues. I wasn’t just holding you; I was holding you back, you should’ve been enjoying your youth and finding your own place in the real world. I thought I was doing it because I loved you, but I was really doing it because I was afraid of being alone again. Now I understand that loving you means letting you live out your dreams even if they don’t involve me. I’m happy that you’ve found a place at USC, Veda, I’m happy you’re chasing your dream but I’m not happy that you aren’t living your life, that you’re not spending time with Rob and Zoe, and that you’re hurting yourself this way over me.

 I recently read about The Red String of Fate, how God placed an invisible red string around the pinkies of two people that were destined to meet. It says the string may tangle, stretch, and twist in different directions but it doesn’t break regardless of time, place, or circumstance. That’s us, when I told you that my love for you was unconditional Veda, I meant it. You can live your life, see the world, be a reckless kid, break the rules, or find someone else to love if that’s what you need to do because it won’t change the way I feel about you,  it won’t change the fact that the place next to me belongs to you, and it won’t change the fact that I don’t mind waiting for you. I’m sorry for putting you through all of this, I never wanted to hurt you, and I’m not expecting you to forgive me anytime soon, but I hope someday you might and that we can at least be friends. That ball is still always in your court though, Veda and I just needed you to know that I’m here for you whenever you need me. I’m not mad at you for leaving and I could never, ever, hate you. You did the right thing, I never would’ve been able to accept the fact I made a lot of bad decisions if you had stayed because, like I said, just being with you was a reward for me. I never would have gotten help if you hadn’t Veda and now, I hope this letter will encourage you to get some help of your own. You deserve to heal, and you deserve to be happy, Veda, all I ever really wanted was for you to be happy. Even if you can’t forgive me, could you at least do that and not just for me Veda, do it for you.

              Love you always,

 regardless of time or circumstance,

              Terry

[mcufan72]

Cold winter days, a lonely woman on a bench, a stranger in the park...

An Encounter in Winter ❄️

Loki and female reader (18+)

Chapter 7

Chapter 6

18+/adult themes/talking/flirting/slow burn/fluff/angst/smut (eventually)

Warnings: two adorable idiots in love, passionate kisses and in the end it gets steamy and slightly smutty...

Loki left the terrace and went to the fireplace lounge. He passed the bar and grabbed a cocktail from the counter, a 'Fjellbekk'. He needed something stronger than champagne to drink. He needed a moment to calm himself and his cock down. He was overwhelmed and irritated. Did he just kiss you? You? The most precious girl he had ever met? How dare he? What, in the name of the Norns, had gotten into him? But you wanted it too, right?

And you tasted so good and your closeness and your embrace felt good, too good and it made him feel safe and valued…and aroused. He could barely remember what it felt like to get lovingly hugged by a woman who didn't just want to fuck him. And then his body betrayed him. Why? Why did he have to be so horny? Why wasn't he able to restrain himself? It was just a friendship kiss, wasn't it? You wouldn't forgive him, would you? Loki went up and down in the room, sipping at his drink. The refreshing and pleasant, sweet taste of the aquavit, vodka and lime juice slowly cooled him down.

"Ah, here you are, " Thor said when he found Loki.

"Lady y/n asked for you."

"What?"

"Yes, she said you were missing after you left the winter garden lounge."

"I needed a moment alone, Thor. Does she want to go home after…after I kissed her and because of my…mishap? I shouldn't have left her alone. Why can't I do anything right in my life?" and he made a helpless gesture with his hand.

"A mishap? What mishap? Anyway… Relax, brother! All is well! Is Lady y/n your girlfriend now?"

"No!" Loki frowned his eyebrows.

"But I saw you kissing each other and after what you've told me about your dates in the park and in the café…" Thor said teasingly.

"No, she's NOT my girlfriend, and the kiss…It was…just a friend kissing a friend, to…to celebrate the beginning of the New Year," Loki stammered, running his fingers down the bridge of his nose, squinting his eyes.

"Loki, come on, you like her! It was a loving kiss. You care about her. You meet her every day. Loki…brother, c'mon," Thor said and gave him an appreciative laugh.

"So what? There's nothing!" Loki answered, annoyed.

"Loki, what are you trying to tell me? It's obvious that you like her, really like her and there's nothing wrong with it, she's cute! And she's sincere and extremely gracious. You should stop whoring around and officially court her instead."

"Look who's talking! It's none of your business, brother, okay! You can fuck around and it's fine for everyone, you're THE womanizer but if I do the same I'm the whore? You're pathetic!" Loki huffed angrily, sipping on his cocktail.

"Aahh, you're a womanizer too Loki, look at all the ladies who are lusting for you. The only difference between you and me is that we both like different types of women." Thor said amused. He couldn't hide a grin.

"I never fucked her…she is…She is not like that…she's special to me!"

"That's what I meant, Loki. She makes you happy. I've never seen you so extremely happy as tonight and you laughed a lot. Don't fuck it up, brother…she likes you too, if not more. But…keep whoring around and if you don't want her…" Thor said, teasing his brother again to make him admit the truth.

"Don't you dare touch her! She's MINE!" Loki said loudly, anger in his voice.

"Hah! I KNEW it! And don't worry, I would never do that. I would never court my brother's girl," and Thor patted hard on his brother's back.

Loki huffed annoyingly and rolled his eyes.

"You should tell her how much you like her, Loki. You shouldn't let go of a precious warmhearted woman like her. I'm sure she's all you've always been looking for."

"I can't, and you know why. She would never want to see me again if she knew the whole truth, what I really am."

Loki's voice sounded desperate.

"You won't know it if you don't tell her, brother." Thor said quietly.

He patted Loki on the back again and left the room.

"Come back to the party, she's waiting for you!" Thor said while leaving the room to return to the winter garden lounge.

Loki was clueless, he didn't know what to do and how. He emptied his drink in one large gulp and decided to go back to the New Year's party. He wanted to spend the rest of the night with you and the others. If Thor had told him the truth you would still be there and waiting for him.

When he returned to the party, you went towards him immediately.

"I've missed you, Loki," and you placed your hands on his shoulders.

He wrapped his arms around your waist and looked into your eyes. He still felt embarrassed and sorry for what had happened while kissing you and that he had pressed his hard-on against your body. You knew exactly what his problem was.

"Everything is fine, Loki. I'm not mad at you and it didn't feel bad…I liked it," and you bit down on your lip and smiled at him.

Loki looked quizzically at you. Did he get you right? You…liked it?

"I have some news for you," you said,trying to enlighten his mood.

"News"?

"Hmmhmm, yes. I'll work for the Avengers and for and with Bruce now, in his lab. I'm so excited. Are you as happy about it as I am?" You smiled at him, eagerly waiting for his reaction.

"Yes, snowflake I am, that's really fantastic good news and then you'll be here every day, by my side. Is that what you really want, snowflake? To be here, by my side?"

"Yes, Loki, there's nothing I want more," and you pecked his lips softly.

"You're wearing my hoodie? Are you freezing, my little snowflake?"

"Yes."

"Why is that?"

"You weren't here to warm me. I felt alone without you. And I needed you around me, that's why you gave me your hoodie, right?"

You pecked his lips again and he pulled you flush against his chest.

"Yes, that's right, that's why I gave you my hoodie, little snowflake."

Were you two in love with each other and if so, why was it so difficult to confess it then?

"Come Loki, take your coat off and dance with me," you smiled lasciviously.

You took off the hoodie, tossed it over a chair together with Loki's coat and pulled him with you to the dance floor.

The New Year's party continued and it was a wonderful and funny night, full of laughter and joy. You hadn't had so much fun for ages. And for Loki, it was the same. Everything was so much easier and more enjoyable with you by his side. He never wanted to be without you again.

When the time had come to call it a night, Loki brought you to his apartment. You loved it there. The book wall, his comfy sofa, his big bed, it felt like a safe space. Would he allow you to sleep here tonight? How much you wished you could fall asleep in his arms while listening to his heartbeat.

"Want some tea before we go to sleep?"

"Ah yes, please. Am I allowed to stay here with you? I mean, I could sleep in the guest room again after drinking tea with you, it's no problem…"

"I won't allow you to sleep anywhere else than here, snowflake," and he pecked your lips.

"I go and make us some tea. I'm back soon. Please make yourself comfortable, darling!"

"I'll do," you smiled at him and when he had left the apartment, you kicked off your high heels and plopped yourself onto the couch.

You leaned back against the cushions and giggled. Loki had kissed you. His wonderful soft lips on yours tasted heavenly and you were already addicted to him. You wanted more, you wanted him. And he wanted you to stay here, in his apartment. That was a good sign, wasn't it? But it was also possible that you misread the signs, you weren't completely sure.

Short time later there was a knock on the door.

"Lady y/n?"

"Yes?"

" May I come in?"

You sat up straight again and invited Thor to come in.

"It's Loki's apartment but I think it's okay. Come in Thor. Please, take a seat."

Thor sat down next to you and faced you.

"I want to thank you, Lady y/n, for giving back the smile to my brother."

"No, there is no need to thank me, Thor."

"There is a need, Lady y/n. You make him feel more lighthearted and content and he laughs more often when you're around him. You and your presence make him happy. You're good for him, you know?

He only speaks in high praises of you and how much he likes your daily dates in the park and the café. He cares about you, you're special to him and he's protective of you. He was upset and scared beyond belief when you didn't appear for two days at your meeting point in the park. He walked around here restlessly."

"He did that? I didn't know that. And he spoke that much about me to you and…was he really that concerned? I mean…he was and is always decent and polite but distant. I never dared to hope that he likes me that much."

"I'm sure he likes you very much, if not more. He's always smiling like an idiot when he's deep in his thoughts and feels unobserved …and I'm sure he thinks about you then. Yeah, he was definitely concerned beyond belief when you didn't come to the park for two days, he thought that something bad had happened to you."

"I still feel bad about it. It happened spontaneously that I had to work. I wanted to tell him that I had to work but…on the one hand, I thought he wouldn't be interested in that and on the other hand, I didn't have his phone number back then. I feel honoured that he thought a lot about me if it's true what you're telling me. But until tonight I was just an acquaintance, a friend."

"I'm pretty sure you've always been more to him than that," Thor answered reassuringly.

"All I did was meet him in the park and talk to him. But I'm still very grateful for his friendship and that he offered me to sleep here when I had forgotten my keys. Otherwise my bed for that night might've been the park bench." You laughed, embarrassed.

"You would've frozen to death!"

"That's what your brother said, too." And you laughed…brothers, indeed.

"He brought you here and introduced you to all of us. He never did that before. He had Ladies here for …you know what I mean..but they all left the next morning before breakfast." Thor told you.

It wasn't new information for you and you had no right to be jealous but it hurt somehow to know that he pleasured other women but you. And that other women pleasured him. You wanted to do it for him because you knew none of them cared about him as you did and it bothered you.

"He just wanted to be nice to me and helped me to deal with a messy situation…. Oh nooo… and I left before breakfast too because I had to return quickly to my working place to look for my keys…nooo, you all must've thought I'm one of his …bed sheet-mess-makers!" you covered your mouth with your hand and you giggled embarrassed.

"None of us ever thought of you like this. You have been here how many times now? And you spent New Year's Eve with us and he kissed you, I saw it with my own two eyes … so, think twice and consider the possibility of him being very interested in you for more than just for one night," and Thor winked at you and laughed, satisfied with himself. He would be a good matchmaker or wedding planner.

"I love my little brother, Lady y/n. I had lost him more than once and I wish nothing more for him than to be happy and in love for the rest of his life. He deserves it. He's a good guy and I never want to lose him again. You are the woman he was always looking for. You're a good match for him."

You raised your eyebrows in astonishment. You still refused to believe that Loki might be into you. And if so he knew how to hide it…until tonight. Was he really that hideous? Or didn't you just see the signs? Or didn't you want to see them? No, he was just kind to you. And to be flirty doesn't mean he is in love with you.

But after this wonderful kiss, you were irreversibly charmed. You couldn't forget the feeling of his soft lips on yours, his taste, how good he smelled and how good it felt. But it was just a friend kissing a friend, right? Yes, he got hard in his pants and you got wet, that can happen, even if you haven't had sex for a long time like you, besides that you didn't know how long he wasn't having sex but…he would be extremely disappointed if he wanted to get intimate with you. You were neither a good kisser nor good in bed…your ex said it to you more than once.

"I'm glad to know your brother and that I had the opportunity to meet all of you and that I was allowed to be here every evening in the last few days and to have such funny conversations with you all. I also appreciate that Bruce offered me to work with and for him and for the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. and that I got this fantastic job now. It's a really great opportunity. I feel less alone in this big city now."

Thor smiled at you.

"And Loki is less alone too…because he has you now."

You chuckled humbly and bit your lower lip.

"It's okay Thor…I know he meets other women for…amorous adventures in the night. I'm not really his type I think and I'm okay with it. And who can blame him, he's an incredibly attractive man. And there are so many beautiful women out there who want him. And he can have them all. There's nothing special about me."

You had to swallow down your rising tears.

Thor wasn't sure if Loki still met other women since he met you regularly and he felt bad for you.

"Are you sure he's still doing it? 'Cause I'm not. Believe me, Lady y/n, you're a very beautiful woman, too and you're …, "

Loki entered the room with two cups of tea in his hands, looking at you and Thor sceptically.

"Your tea, snowflake," he said to you and passed you one of the tea mugs.

"Thank you, Loki," you said and smiled warmingly at him.

"What are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing specific," you said to Loki.

"Goodnight, Lady y/n! Brother!" Thor stood up from the sofa, nodded at you first and then at Loki and left the room.

"Goodnight Thor and thank you," you answered him.

"What were you talking about?"

"Nothing specific, Loki, really."

"Did he…did he make advances, did he ask you for a date, did he…" he panicked.

He panicked? You couldn't help but chuckle.

"Loki, Loki listen…" you interrupted him and placed your mug on the coffee table.

"Please listen to me!"

You stood up from the couch and made a step towards him.

"He thanked me."

"He …what?" Loki looked with furrowed eyebrows at you.

"He thanked me. He thanked me for giving back the smile to you. For making you feel less alone and happy again. Is that so? I never asked you that before. And there's one more thing I need to know. Do you still…do you still meet other women and do you…"

You closed the distance between you two and placed one hand flat onto his chest, right there where his heart was. It was beating so fast.

"….do you sleep with them?" You asked him anxiously.

"No, no I don't …not since I gave you my hoodie… not since Christmas when you didn't come to our meeting point," and he placed his hand gently above yours.

You smiled at him and let out a breath you didn't know you had held.

"I always…think about you, I always look forward to our date every day in the park. It means a lot to me…you mean a lot to me. I was so concerned that day when you didn't come and I didn't know if something had happened to you…and I missed you. I missed you so much. And yes, you make me happy. "

You felt his other arm engulfing you, pulling you closer to him. His lips just brushed over yours slightly, it was not more than just a soft touch, his nose nudging yours.

"Kiss me, please kiss me again, snowflake," he whispered against your lips and within seconds your lips latched onto his and this time your tongues danced with each other, enjoying each other's taste and softness.

You wrapped your arms around Loki's neck and buried your hands into his tonight's soft curls. His arms held you close, one hand squeezed your butt gently, his other arm wrapped around your torso, his hand placed under one shoulder blade, his long fingers slightly touching the side of your breast.

You kissed each other passionately and desperately. All the longing for each other lingered in this deep and feverish kiss. There was no way back, you wanted each other so badly. You felt his half-hard cock pressing against your pelvic bone and you grind your hips slowly against him.

"Sleep with me," you whispered against his swollen lips after you had stopped kissing him.

"No, no you're not like them. I don't want to do that to you. I want you but…"

"You're right Loki, I'm not like them, I want more, I want it all, I want you, all of you, every day, every night. You spent every afternoon and so many evenings with me by now, that's more than I dared to hope. And you captured my heart, right from the first day I saw you. Don't let me go, please never let me go again!"

You kissed him so desperately that Loki's eyes teared up.

"Are you sure you want that, my snowflake? Are you sure you want me?"

"Yes, I'm absolutely sure. And if it's only this one night, only once and never again …yes, I still want you…" and you continued kissing him and your tongue began playing again with his.

"Then promise me that you'll stay…that you'll stay forever. That I can trust you, that you want me, not only my body, that you not just want to use me, that you won't toss me away and break my heart when you're tired of me, when you can't bear my possessiveness anymore, my need to always protect you," he asked you between kisses.

He could barely stop kissing you and he held you impossibly close.

"I promise, Lo. Please be possessive over me, protect me, and never let me alone again. With you, everything feels right." You whispered against his kiss-swollen lips.

"Then own me, my love. Own me and make me yours. I'll never let you go again, I'll always adore you as the Queen you are. That's my promise to you."

"And I'll be yours…"

You began to unbutton his waistcoat, untied his cravat, unbuttoned his shirt, and pulled it all down over his broad shoulders while still kissing him and sucking at his lips.

You unfastened his belt and opened his trousers. The sight of his bare chest, raising up and down while heavily breathing, the contraction of his defined muscles, doubled your arousal and desire for him. Your hands trailed over his pecs and abs, his muscles flexing under your touch, his jaw clenching. Loki closed his eyes and enjoyed your tenderness, quietly moaning and sighing.

"Undress me, Lo…please." you whispered into his ear.

He opened his eyes again and with shaking hands and nimble fingers he reached for the zipper of your dress, pulled the straps down your shoulders, and let your dress pool down to your feet and you stepped out of it. The sight of you in your lingerie in his favorite color made him gasp. How beautiful you were. He didn't deserve you, but he wanted, no he needed you.

"May I?" he murmured against your lips, his fingers ready to unclasp your strapless bra.

"Yes, of course, Sir," you replied.

When he had freed your breasts, he caressed them tenderly, his thumbs brushing over your nipples. He let his fingers trail further down your sides to the strap of your lace panty and you felt it sliding down to your ankles. You tossed it away with your foot. Loki's gaze was still fixed on your face.

He looked down at your hands which opened his trousers completely and shoved them down together with his briefs and he stepped out of it. One of his large hands wandered down to his half-hard manhood and covered it. A little smile came to your face. You never expected him to be shy but it was so adorable. And he was really a statue of a man, everything about him was perfect.

"Lo, you're so beautiful," you whispered while you cupped his cheeks.

He took in your features and couldn't take his eyes off of you.

"You are so beautiful, my love. Do you have any idea how gorgeous you are?"

You smiled at him shyly.

"Really? Am I? I don't think so."

Loki stroked over your cheek softly and then gently from one corner of your lips to the other side with his thumb, his eyes fixed on yours.

"Snowflake, you are amazingly beautiful, you're perfect. I already know that you will be my downfall."

💙❄️❄️💙❄️❄️💙❄️❤️❄️💙❄️❄️💙❄️❄️💙

Tags

@lokisprettygirl @wheredafandomat @smolvenger @fictive-sl0th @lokixryss @huntress-artemiss

[belovedrival]

My mom’s oldest sister, my aunt D, died early Monday morning. I feel weird about it because she’d been in poor health for so long and she’d been living in assisted living, before being put on hospice a week ago so on the one hand it’s a relief. But on the other, I’m feeling guilty for not going to see her. She lived about an hour and a half away. It wasn’t that I *didn’t* want to see her; life just kept getting in the way. And now…🥺💔

She was the oldest child on my mom’s side. When my grandfather died suddenly in 1963, my grandmother was in shock. D did all the driving for the family for a couple months. She was only 16 then, and Grandpa had taught her how to drive a few months before. She was always a very independent woman. She graduated from college in 1969, and worked in education for a while, for the state. She lost her hearing as an adult, and worked in deaf services for years. She never really learned ASL; we could talk to her face to face so she could lip read. Both her sons, my cousins, are really good guys. They loved her dearly. This is going to be extra hard for them.

Mom and her remaining siblings (it’s so weird to say that) will, I think, be okay. But it’s going to be a massive adjustment. My aunt K, the second oldest, is taking it harder than the others. She’s only 18 months younger than D and the 3 youngest kids (my mom sandwiched in between her brothers) are 7+ years younger. K grew up with D; they were the “oldest”, and after losing their dad young they really helped Grandma cope. Later this week is the anniversary of Grandma’s passing. K’s birthday is next week. I just feel so badly for her, and all of them.

Feeling meh. My sinuses kicked up last week, so I’m in month three of dealing with snot, a runny nose, and carrying around a box of tissues. And while going to aunt D’s visitation and funeral was always going to happen, I told Mister that I’ve already gone to one funeral this year (my bestie’s, in January), and now here’s another. It’s just a lot. I know it’s a tall order, but can the rest of 2024 PLEASE not totally suck? I expect some level of suckage, but gimme a break.

Good things: Jonas keeps growing. And since we’re in official Fake Spring here in the Midwest, he can play outside a lot. Sunshine is good. I didn’t mind the snowstorm on Friday (practically all of it’s gone now, ha), because we needed the moisture. His birthday is coming in a couple weeks and because we’re crazy we’re having a little party for him outside. Under a pavilion at the local farm, which he LOVES. Hopefully it won’t be pouring buckets of rain that Saturday. Winter! You never know what happens here! ❄️🌱🌞🌧️

Oh, and I officially registered Jonas for preschool this autumn so he’ll need to be potty trained by August. Send help 😄

One of these days, I want to update my dormant fics. But it’s not because I’ve lost interest that they’re dormant…I can barely find time to get normal stuff done.

I want to end on a good note. Hmmmm, Downton Abbey is coming back!? Well, I’ll take it 😊

Love you all. Drink water, hug your loved ones, and get out in the sunshine when you can.

[frozen-snowflakesandsunflowers]

Jared Bush says Frozen 3 will surprise people | Latest Updates

In an interview during D23, last weekend in Brazil, Jared Bush, the recently appointed CCO, gave away some teases about Moana 2, Zootopia 2 and the future of Encanto, but he also mentions a bit about Frozen 3.

He says:

“Yeah, yeah, Frozen 3 is coming. And from what I've seen so far [of the film] I think people are going to be surprised. I can’t give away too many spoilers, other than to say that Jennifer Lee is leading the charge and that the story and the direction that she’s taking these characters, what they’re facing, what they’re going to go through, I think is going to surprise a lot of people but it's also going to deliver on everything that people love about Frozen.”

So surprised is the word he uses to describe how we'll react to Frozen 3. That's given because as Jen has said recently that the concept art that was shown during this year's first D23 is just a glimpse of what we could see in the movie. Apart from what we make from that concept we have no clue what Frozen 3 is about and tbh I have to give it to the team for not spilling a single detail about the movie. I know we want to know more but imo I think they're saving all that content for the end of 2026 and into 2027. Maybe a few teases or better insight of the story by the end of 2025, but who knows. Probably also because they're still working on it so whatever they would have told us about the film so far, could have changed and form opinions in our heads about it which they really don't need at this current stage of production. I don't think the cast have even got the script yet as the story is still developing!

Bush also mentions that Frozen 3 is going to deliver on everything that people love about Frozen. Now that's the only real piece of information given - the focal point being on what we want to see. That's what the questions on the first D23 event were about - what we would like to see, what we feel is left to tell. We love the characters, the story, the individual arcs of those characters, the dynamics, the settings, the potential, the mystery, and so much more and so I'll take this a positive sign. That's all of what I make of it.

I know nothing major was revealed in this interview, but I still thought I'd share for those who do take into consideration these little hints and teases. Since Frozen 3's date has been pushed back from 2026 to 2027, most of the content will be given the year of the release and some the year before base done the previous two films promotion (it could be different as this movie is a two parter). I know that's quite long to think about (😭) especially with the honest disappointment that Frozen Winter Festival was not a short film or an official short series but rather just a YouTube series (which is cute nonetheless and good to see they're feeding the younger fans of the franchise), but now moving into 2025 we have 2 and bit years left so we should get more teases in interviews and events here and there.

But regarding FWF, I don't blame them too much because all their focus is on the Frozen 3 and 4 as it is being made back to back, then I'm certain it'll be worth the wait. We can still hope for some kind of Frozen content soon as we do have a couple more years to go so let's see. 🤷🏽‍♀️

P.s I have some Frozen edits I'd love to share so I'll post those if you need something new regarding Frozen. ❄️

[stepswowdsen]

【KagePro】 KuroEne Christmas Anthology Comics Illustration 🖤💙⛄❄️

I was looking through my old files and found this Christmas/Winter-themed art of Azami, Ene, and Kuroha 🎄 🔔

OMFG ENE IS SO CUTE AHHHHHHHH OMFG MY WIFE!!! 💙 🥺 🫶 ✨ HER EXPRESSION IS SO ADORABLE GOSH ADHSHDDHSHDSH I LOVE THE COLOURS TOO

Snow bunny Santa (Cutest Santa) and evil snake bf~~ 🐍 🐇

I can't find the source unfortunately but I'm assuming it's from one of the KagePro anthologies or KagePro fanbooks considering it seems like it's from a booklet with the page photo/scan and also cuz it names the illustrator in the bottom right as Osora

I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT KUROENE HAVE "OFFICIAL" ILLUSTRATIONS??? SCREAMING THEY'RE SO CUTEEEEEEE Or at least ones in fanbooks that are approved by the official creators??? (I'm just assuming anyways)

KUROENE MY KAGEPRO OTP!!! 🖤 💙

ENE'S CUTE CHRISTMAS HAT AND MUFFLERS I'M ASCENDING!!! THE CUTEST!!!

Ok I managed to confirm that this KuroEne + Azami Christmas/Winter themed illustration comes from one of the Kagerou Daze Official Anthology Comics. The KagePro anthology comics are mainly drawn by KagePro fan-artists, but official KagePro artists, Sidu, Wannyanpuu, Mahiro Satou, and Sayuki, have also drawn stuff for the anthologies. So, these are licensed and approved by the official creators.

I need my hands on the "official" KuroEne illust so bad 🥺 🖤 💙 🫶

I managed to confirm it cuz the font that denotes the artist is the same throughout the Anthology comics.

Now the big question lies in WHICH anthology this comes from… Some of the illusts are posted on the KagePro fan-wiki, but not all of them.

Like I'll have to see if the E-books for these were ever released online, but if not, then I'll try to get my hands on physical secondhand resellings

ON GOD??? "OFFICIAL" KUROENE ILLUSTRATION??? FOR ME??? THEY'RE SO CUTE WAHHHHHH

Just did a quick search and frick I don't think the e-books are available online 😔

I think I tracked it down tho. I tried looking for anthologies that おそら (Osora) drew for, so I think it could be SUMMER, WINTER, BITTER

Tho I'm not too sure, cuz not all of the anthology comics' product descriptions put the Artist list.

Trying to hunt down where the KuroEne illustration comes from so I'll just buy all KagePro anthology comics through used copies (secondhand resellings). It's go time

Since I'm not sure which one it's in, I'll get all 11 of them for cheap 🙏 Plus I also wanna scan the comics + illusts in them.

Feila just confirmed for me it comes from the Winter anthology, which makes sense considering the Christmas themed clothes. Tysm! 🙏

Feila, I hope you don't mind me posting your edit 🤭

They noticed that in the KagePro: Anthology Comic KuroEne illust by Osora, Kuroha's holding a snowman with blue colours (coincidentally, the same colours that Ene's hair and eyes tend to be drawn as - turquoise and her image colour blue), so the snowman is Ene /lh

Ene is carrying a giant red presents bag with a cat sitting on it so, honestly, thinking of a KuroEne idea where Ene is the Santa who goes around giving gifts is soooo cute.

Ene: It's Christmas!!! Which means it's time for presents!!!

Kuroha: Where's my present, hm?

Ene: Put the gun away, tough guy, it's CHRISTMAS!!!

Kuroha: Oh? This one is just a toy gun, though. (<- Is he lying or telling the truth? Who knows!!!)

Ene: Bad naughty guys like you just get COAL!!! BLEH!!! NO PRESENTS FOR YOU!!! (//>~<//) (:P)

Kuroha knows how to appeal to Ene's need for praise and attention so he just "butters her up" - showers her with praise and compliments and flattery, and Ene responds like, "Yeah, yeah, yeah!!! Call me cute!!! Say I'm the cutest Santa in the whole world~ And MAYBE I'll think about giving you your present~" And pouts and crosses her arms at him in Ene's classic embarrassed tsundere fashion.

It would be cute if he kisses her (like on the cheek or the lips), and then says, "Thank you for your hard work this year, Santa~" And Ene just explodes (//O//O//) /lh

[not-so-bored]

1 January 2024, Monday ✨✨✨

The 2024 dostoyevsky-official challenge: January: Bunt młodych by Ewa Lipska 

Things I have done:

🦉 Duolingo: Dutch 

🇳🇱 Dutch: Lesson 3.1

🇳🇱 Dutch: Lesson 3.2

❄️ Walk (40 minutes) 

🗒 Literature Revision (2 questions) 

🗒 Maths Revision (2/73)

🤩 Philosophy 

Winter Studying Challenge 

1st January - Happy New Year! What did you learn in the past year? 

Lots! I don’t even know how to list that. Listing only academic stuff is a huge understatement. Realized a lot of things about myself, my brain, but also my environment, friends and family. 

January study challenge 

what did you achieve last year? what are you setting out to achieve this month? this year?

Last year: important competition, German course, CAE, my text published in a magazine, new acquaintances 

This month: study for my finals, learn more logic, learn Dutch, walk regularly, dance in my room sometimes, eat more tangerines

This year: graduate, find a job, move out, start studying at the university

[fitzs-trained-monkey]

❄️To Run Afoul of Winter❄️

(Not my Gif.)

Request by: @unstablereader

Title: To Run Afoul of Winter

Word Count: 12,000

Warnings: Casual violence, some language, seasonal depression, segmented flashbacks.

Summary: In your human life you had been born a cripple - a frail, feeble little thing barely clinging to life. It was a miracle you survived long enough to join your siblings in becoming the first vampires. Bouts of what your family called Frost-Sickness kept you bed ridden each winter and despite your twin brother's efforts to cheer you up, life just hardly seemed worth living. When you turned, your body grew stronger, but so did your mental affliction. This is your story. || Mikaelson Family x sibling!reader || Here lies my Masterlist ||

A/N: This was written in like two days of an absolute writing frenzy. I know the request would have preferred Klaus to be the reader's twin but I just couldn't figure that out in my brain. Sorry! I hope you like it anyway. Also, one more thing. This fic is the first official fic of Cassie's Christmas at the Compound 2022 which I'll be kicking off later today as I was too lazy to do it on Dec. 1st. Thanks for being here and supporting my writing. Happy reading!

❄️STORY BEGINS BELOW❄️

Northern Virginia, Viking Colony: December 21st, 998 A.D.

"Sister?" You recognized the speaker instantly - you always had and you always would. Just as one always recognizes their own reflection, you could never forget the voice of your other half. 

You didn't say anything in reply, offering a soft hum instead. You didn't feel much like talking.

"We're lighting the bonfires," He continued. "Come along now before you miss all the fun!"

That wasn't really what he'd said all those years ago. No, your native language had long since been lost to time, morphing into a variety of tongues since then. You and your siblings were likely the only ones in the world who still knew it in its pure form - not that you spoke it anymore. You hadn't spoken your native language in so long, not even with each other. There was something lonely about it and the lot of you were already so alone.

Especially you. After all, what did you have besides dreams to keep you company in your most quiet estate? But that was beside the point.

"Really?" You lifted your head from the pile of skins that made up your bed. "They're starting so soon?" 

Standing in the doorway, the boy’s dark eyes widened in alarm that quickly faded into concern. "Y/N…" He began cautiously. "What day do you think it is?"

You had thought about that. Of course, you should have known something so trivial yet so vital to your livelihood but keeping track of the days seemed like such an exhausting chore. Akin to many things lately.

"Is it not eleven days to winter?" You asked, tilting your head. Then again, the village was lighting bonfires… but no, you couldn't have been Frost Sick for seventeen days! That was absurd.

Your twin's lips pressed into a thin line - they did that when he was worried and that was how you knew it must have been serious. For Kol son of Mikael was so rarely a worried soul.

The boy shook his head. "Y/N, it's the first day of Year's End - of bonfire season…" His voice thinned, close to breaking. "The harvest is plentiful, the moon is waning, and Odin smiles upon us. Can you not abate the sickness but one evening? Will you not join us?" He entreated you. "Will you not join me?" And oh how your twin had cherished the season so. Always first to cast his wish into the flames, always the first to dance, always the first to smile and laugh like the boy he had been so long, long ago. 

You didn't want to disappoint him, but you felt so weak. The chill of the evening air pricked at your skin and bones, threatening to sink into your very soul. "I-I don't-"

"Please, sister? Bring your blankets with you if you must, just please come celebrate?" Your brother begged. His eyes were once wide with innocence, love, concern, and yearning. His eyes didn't look like that anymore. For long since had darkness shrouded them, rendering their pine-bark depths as hollow and empty as this memory that you sought comfort in. The boy standing before you in your dream was naught but an illusion. Your twin had perished in the dark, alone and frightened, in years left to history long since forgotten. 

And the creation that had taken his place?

You weren't entirely sure who he belonged to. For certainly he was your sweet, fun-loving, intuitive brother often enough but from time to time the bloodlust consumed him entirely and that creature was not one you recognized. He was not your twin.

Just so with all your siblings, if you were honest. They all had faded away - shells of the family you knew and adored. Animosity had grown between each of them. All except you. 

"Y/N?" His voice called to you again. Oh, how you missed the innocence in it. 

You lifted your head, clutching your blankets as you stood on frail, trembling, legs. "Coming! I'm coming, brother." 

The boy grinned and raced out the door. You followed him eagerly despite your limp. Passing under the arched doorway of your family's hovel, you found the scene outside blurred and out of focus. You blinked and your vision sharpened, although now you were no longer standing just outside your home. 

Northern Virginia, Viking Colony: October 31st, 988 A.D.

You were kneeling on a patch of frost-covered grass in front of a pile of wood stacked haphazardly. Kol knelt beside you and the sky overhead was bleak and gray.

"Show me again, brother," You demanded, buzzing with excitement, though you couldn't quite remember what for. "Please show me it again? I want to see."

"Y/N, you know father hates it," He said, frowning.

"Father isn't here and I won't tell him," You argued. "Please, Kol?"

"I don't know…"

Your voice quieted. "You're the only one that can help me," You insisted. "The Frost Sickness tugs at the edges of my mind even now. Your light is the only thing that keeps it at bay."

"Alright," He conceded with a sigh. "Just don't let it touch the firewood."

You nodded eagerly and held out your hands. Kol rubbed his own together vigorously before moving them close to his lips. 

"Incendia," He whispered. A spark burst in the air before his lips with a splitting crack and before long, bright orange flames leaped between his fingers. Some in your village whispered that Kol was cursed but you didn't believe them. Your brother was blessed by Frigga with the gift that was magic and he was brilliant in his craft. The boy grinned and glanced up at you. His eyes seemed lighter then, like a sunset. "Ready?" 

"Yes," You breathed, still in awe of your brother's magic. This was not the first you'd seen of it but it still amazed you all the same. "Yes, I'm ready."

Kol offered you another sweet smile. Shuffling a little closer, he gathered the fire in his hands before tilting them and letting it pour into your waiting palms. The flames flickered and danced, licking your fingers as they sent wave after wave of warmth radiating through your body and soul. You sighed. The magical fire burned away the creepings of your Frost Sickness, postponing it a little longer. You were lucky to have a twin like Kol for only the flames of his witchcraft could assist you with your illness.

You memorized his face then, the innocent, joyous, impishly youthful smile on his cheeks and in his eyes cast in the warm glow of the fire held in your palms. He hadn't smiled like that in so long. So, so long.

Northern Virginia, Viking Colony: March 31st, 989 A.D.

Left to your reverie only a moment, the scene before you shifted once again. It was spring, glorious spring all around you. The flowers were in bloom, the trees burst with leaves, and you were once again awake - wide awake. Crossing a bubbling brook with the confident leaps of a small child, undeterred by your bad leg, you admired the beauty of the moss-covered stones you employed as your bridge before continuing on to explore the forest. 

Along with having been born frail, you had also been born with a bad leg. The bones were a little misshapen and it couldn't support your weight. Ayana - the village's healer and foremost practitioner of magic, had fashioned you a splint to help you walk, and you had since refused to let it slow you down. Niklaus had carved for you a walking stick for balance and though you couldn't run, you could skip with the proficiency of a stone on a smooth lake. You danced between the trees as you chased a beautiful butterfly through the brush when a nearby shout brought you to a swift halt.

"Y/N!" That was the voice of your eldest brother, Finn. He didn't sound very pleased. Although, then again, Finn was rather easy to upset. 

"Be gentle, Finn." A different voice chastened. Elijah. "Y/N! Come out, little one!"

This, of course, only prompted you to duck behind a tree to hide as the footsteps of your brothers drew ever nearer. 

"Y/N!" Finn called again, attempting to sound a little less stern. "I swear, that child and her tvíburi are creations of Loki."

"You had best hope not," Elijah advised. "If either of them grow to be any more clever or cunning, then I fear we'll never be able to find them." 

You couldn't help the giggle that left your lips at his statement as you were rather flattered by his praise. Their footsteps began to fade a moment later and you peered out from your hiding spot to check.

"GOTCHA!" Without warning, two arms wrapped around you from behind and hoisted you into the air. You shrieked in surprise but soon began to laugh as you realized that it was Elijah who had captured you. He smiled warmly. "Hello, little one."

"How did you find me?" You wined, pouting a little. 

"Simple," Finn supplied. "We merely listened for the sound of complete disobedience and followed that."

Elijah sighed. "Finn…"

"No, brother. She needs to be taught," Finn said. He rounded on you again. "What were you thinking, running off on your own like that? Do you have any idea what could have happened? You could have gotten lost! You could have died!"

"B-but I was chasing pretty butterfly," You whimpered, beginning to tear up. 

"I don't care what you were doing!" Finn shouted. "Do you know what a wolf would do if it found you? Or Odin forbid - a bear? It would have-"

"Enough, Finn!" Elijah demanded. "That's enough!"

"Is it?" Your eldest brother argued. "Is she too young to understand the danger her frailty will bring to all of us? You know how mother worries about her. Tell me, Elijah - look at her! Is she not so very light to carry?"

"She is but a child," Elijah sighed. He knew Finn spoke the truth. You had been born small. Even now, you were hardly more than half the weight of your twin brother. 

"Rebekah is younger and yet she is heartier still and more stable on her feet." Finn stepped closer, lowering his voice. "You and Niklaus were always so fond of her. But how long do you really think Y/N will last - afflicted as she is? By tradition, Father should have left her to the gods."

You did not understand his words at the time. But no matter what Finn said, you weren't afraid. Finn liked to worry - he never wanted you to do anything - but Elijah, you knew, would always protect you. Nothing bad would ever happen as long as Elijah was there. And even as a child, you knew he always would be.

Elijah stood up a little straighter. "He tried if you recall. He left her in the woods all the night long but the forest would not take her. A fox and vixen stood guard over her until morning; small as she is, they deemed her worthy."

Finn didn't reply, or if he did, you didn't hear. You were far too busy watching a robin make its nest not far away until Elijah spoke to you again.

"Y/N, might you happen to know where your troublesome tvíburi is?"

"Noooooooo…." You lied. You absolutely knew where he was - you always did.

"I think you do," Elijah coaxed, poking you in the ribs. Giggling, you shook your head.

"I don't, though."

"He's probably attempting to burn one of our neighbor's homes to the ground," Finn suggested with a sigh.

Elijah sent you a questioning look and you shook your head again. 

"No!"

"Or torturing some innocent animal…"

"No, we're doing that tomorrow."

"Or hiding everyone's left boot…"

You giggled. Now, that was a fond, fond memory. It took Sven two days to find his boot and by that time he already had a foot full of splinters.

"Or putting worms in someone's pillow - likely mine…"

"Couldn't find any worms - they're still sleeping," You replied with a shrug.

"Or-"

"Alright! I'll tell you!" You finally huffed, rolling your eyes. "But don't tell Father."

"You have my word," Elijah promised before Finn could say anything. Your eldest brother had some annoying traits but he wouldn't make a liar out of Elijah. 

"Kol is making protection wards for Henrick and for everyone so bad things won't happen to us," You informed them in a whisper - this was a secret after all.

"Why is he making them, little sister?" Elijah wondered. 

You just shrugged. "I know not. He said something about having a bad dream last night."

"I see, and what's that little miscreant got you doing?" Finn asked. 

"Picking berries," You answered simply. Elijah let you down and you took each brother by the hand as they began walking back towards the village. 

"Berries? Why?" 

"Snacks!" You chirped. Then you tugged on their hands. "Swing me!" You commanded, bringing your knees up. Finn rolled his eyes but both your siblings caved to your demands, swinging you back and forth between them as they walked you home.

Northern Virginia, Viking Colony: November 10th 1000 A.D.

When the world shifted yet again, you were met with a familiar blackness. The furs of your bed brushed over your skin and the midsummer night was warm and wet though the cool draft breezing through the cave made it rather pleasant. Light from the full moon shone down through a crack in the ceiling overhead but you didn't mind - you liked the nightlight. The rustling of blankets sounded on your right and before long, the dark outline of one of your siblings was creeping its way toward the mouth of the cave. You sat up and pursued as silently as you could in spite of your limp. Though you tried your best, the walking stick Nik had carved for you clacked against the stone floor, alerting whoever was sneaking out to your presence. Still, you waited until you were out of earshot of the rest of your family to speak up.

"Where are you going?" You hissed into the dark, unsure who was doing the sneaking. The figure froze.

"Go back to sleep, Y/N," Niklaus's voice whispered back.

You stepped closer. "Nik? What are you up to?"

"Nothing." His response was too quick to be the truth. "Don't worry about it. Just return to your dreams."

"But I do worry about you, Niklaus," You said. "I know you admire the wolves - I can feel your curiosity." You had always been in tune with the thoughts and emotions of those around you. Sensing them came rather naturally to you, just as spellcasting came so easily to Kol. Somehow Niklaus's emotions had always been the most vibrant of all your siblings and his thoughts the easiest to read. It was probably why the two of you were so close.

"Your magic is growing stronger then?" Nik tried to change the subject but you didn't fall for it, knowing what weighed on his mind. You stepped closer, tilting your head.

"You feel like somehow… you belong with them… as if you're meant to be up there running with the pack." Your brows furrowed and your mouth twisted into a frown. Your eyes grew unfocused and your voice took on a droning quality. "Running. Yes, running. Running underneath the moon and the stars but not the sun. Running. Yes, running on and on forever… always and forever. Running. Running for eternity. Running wild, running scared, running hungry, running blind. Running cursed. Yes, we'll all be running cursed…"

"Y/N?" Niklaus jabbed your shoulder. When that didn't stop your mumbling, he took hold of your shoulders and gave you a firm shake. "Y/N, snap out of it!"

You blinked, shaking your head. Then you looked up. It wasn't odd for you to have visions. You had quite a few of them while your brother had only ever received maybe one or two. Most were rather mundane or just complete rubbish but every so often you would be privy to a glimpse into the future. This night had been one such time, though you hadn't realized the true extent of your visions' significance. You remembered this night. Yes, you remembered it all too well. It was but one year to the day that your mother cursed you all.

"Niklaus, do you not love me?" You asked suddenly, feeling tears prick your eyes.

"What? Of course, I do!" He insisted. "Why ask such a ridiculous question?"

"Because you feel like you belong with them - with the wolves," You explained. "But I don't want you to be with them. I want you to be here with me… and Finn, and Elijah, and Kol, and Rebekah, and Henrick. I don't want you to go and replace me."

Niklaus smiled fondly, reaching out to ruffle your hair. "Oh, sweet little sister… How could I ever replace you?"

"With a dog," You muttered.

He shook his head. "A dog can't find the perfect flowers to make paint out of - not like you can. I love you, Y/N. I'll always love you."

"Then don't sneak out to see the wolves," You pleaded. "They hurt someone tomorrow… or yesterday… I don't know. Can't remember the order. " The events were all jumbled up in your head. Past, present, and future all existed simultaneously and you had no way to distinguish which one was which.

"Did you have a vision?" He demanded. You nodded.

"Things change when you go," You told him. "Wait a little longer? I want one more bonfire season before this era comes to an end."

It wasn’t his fault that he didn’t understand what your words or your prophecy had meant - you hardly understood them yourself most times and the rest of your siblings stopped trying. Not that it mattered anymore. You no longer had visions, no longer cast spells nor drew wards. It wasn’t long after that night that everything fell apart. Henrick died and your mother cursed your family and everything - everyone - fell apart. 

Finn lost himself to self-loathing. He became as winter itself - cold and distant. Though you tried to reconnect with him, it seemed to you as though that was the last thing he wanted. 

Outskirts of Rome, Italy: May, 18th 1156

It was summer if your recollection served - your recollection of the last moments you spent alone with him before Niklaus decided he was a danger to himself and the rest of you, that was. You had sought him out that afternoon. You were the only one to do so as the rest of your siblings had given up attempting to include him.

But that wasn’t you. 

It was how you and your twin were different. Kol had always been a bit of a flake, however, he was an extremely prudent one, to his credit. He would come at a problem a thousand different ways, but would never try the same solution twice. On the other hand, you liked things simple and direct and knew that sometimes a problem requires tenacity. You just hadn’t been ready to let go of Finn. Abrasive as he was, you loved him.

“Do you mind if I join you, brother?” You asked, having finally found him. He sat leaning against the base of a mighty oak tree at the edge of a summer meadow. The grass was bright green and the sky a brilliant blue - it was your favorite time of the year.

Finn glanced up, his expression unguarded as it was, displaying a lost sort of melancholy. “I suppose you may,” He said. You smiled and sat down beside him, leaning your head on his shoulder. You were still so small for your age. Despite having turned eighteen merely a week before Henrick died, your appearance could pass for that of a fifteen-year-old. You looked more like Henrick’s twin than Kol’s.

“What are you doing all the way out here?” You wondered, watching the white puffy clouds drift overhead.

Finn shrugged. “Just… sitting quietly,” He replied. He did this quite often, though you were more inclined to think of it as wallowing in self-pity. Not that you would say that out loud. The last thing Finn needed was more mockery, though your siblings didn’t seem to see that. Finn was a bit more like you it seemed. Your family and village had always called it Frost-Sickness, though as the world developed and greater advancements were made in the realm of medicine, you came to discover in later years that your condition was labeled Seasonal Depression. It was a sickness of the mind rather than the body and saw to it that your moods were more heavily influenced by the weather than those of other people. 

Thus, Finn you figured, must have been a bit like you. Except the rain cloud which hovered over his head was not quite as severe and certainly less predictable. Though it didn’t leave him bedridden as it did you, his bouts of sadness came and went as they pleased and when they came they drew him further and further away from his siblings.

“What about you?” Finn asked, fiddling with a branch he’d picked up off the ground. “Why are you here, sister?”

You shrugged. “Kol can be really loud sometimes,” You said simply. 

Finn hummed his agreement, nodding. “That he can.”

“There are days when I find it impressive,” you admitted, voice pensive. “but today is not one of those days.” You planned to continue adding elements to your reasoning until you won a laugh from him. You were the only one of your siblings who could make Finn laugh. “And then Niklaus joins him and you know how those two get when they drink together so may God have mercy on that poor, poor, tavern -” Finn huffed, rolling his eyes. “Then, bloody hell, I don’t know whose idea it was to invent Pub Archery but let's hope it doesn’t catch on, otherwise Italy will have gained a new sport and we’ll have to listen to those two gloat about it for the rest of the century.”

“Pub Archery?” Your brother questioned, raising a brow.

You nodded. “Indeed.”

“Dare I ask?”

“Well, the rules are dubious at best but from what I can tell, a mug of ale is placed on a table halfway between the wall and wherever the player is standing. A bow and an arrow with a mid-sized hook affixed to the shaft are given to whoever is currently in play. Apparently, Kol has officially dubbed this position “the Arse in Question” - he was very clear about that when explaining the game to me.” You shrugged and continued. “Anyway, the Arse in Question then attempts to send the arrow through the handle of the mug, while doing their best to ensure that the fish hook catches on the handle as the arrow passes through it. Their goal is to lodge the arrow in the wall with the mug of ale still on it. If the mug is still somewhat full by the time the Arse in Question can make his or her way over to it then they are awarded the proper number of points and they have to drink whatever is left. Three points for a full pint, two points for half-full, and one point for a quarter pint. Now if the mug falls off, or the arrow fails to remain in the wall, then the Arse in Question loses five points.”

Finn frowned, slightly confused. “And what if the… bowman were to miss the mug on the table completely?”

“Well, in that case, he takes a shot.”

Your brother rolled his eyes. “When does this game - if it can be called that - end?”

“I haven’t the faintest,” You shrugged, shaking your head. “Though, so far I think it may be with whoever is the first to pass out. According to Rebekah, there’s a fifteen-point penalty for fainting, so I’d assume at least competitive play ends after that. I didn’t stick around long enough to inquire further. I value my eyes.”

“Smart decision,” He said with an approving nod. “And does Elijah know of this latest depraved scheme?”

You sent him a look. “Elijah’s the self-appointed referee,” You deadpanned. Your second eldest brother liked to believe he had some maturity and admittedly he had more than you, Kol, Nik, or Bekah, but it really wasn’t much.

“He approves?” Your bother asked in slight disbelief. 

“Elijah’s responsibility is a facade. What is a wall of stone to outsiders, we know to be a bride’s veil,” You said sagely, nodding solemnly. 

And finally, finally, Finn laughed. It had been years since you had heard him laugh. It was a soft chuckle, not much at all, but it was there and you knew better than most that sometimes that’s the best someone can give.

“You make a fine point, little one,” Finn mused, patting your hand. “Would you like me to talk some sense into them?” 

You snorted. “Right. Good luck with that, mikill göltur.” You gestured lazily with a few reeds you had plucked and were now playing with absently. “By all means, go right ahead; although, I must warn you that the aroma of that establishment is a fine shade of brown.”

Your eldest brother grimaced at your description. “I see. In that case, I think I’ll leave Elijah to deal with them.” He leaned back against the tree, folding his arms behind his head. 

“You should go see that Sage woman again,” You prompted, entirely out of the blue. It amused you to see the blush that covered your eldest brother’s cheeks at your suggestion. He was fond of her.

“W-what on earth makes you say that?” He sputtered, casting his gaze pointedly to the sky.

“She makes you happy,” You answered, plain and simple. That was who you were, plain and simple. “I like seeing my siblings happy - all of them.” With that, you tossed your creation - a corsage woven from wildflowers - into his lap and hopped to your feet. “Now go see her!” You commanded, nudging his knee with your foot.

He sat up. “Perhaps I will.” 

“Good!” You turned and began to skip away.

“But only if you talk to that blacksmith lad!” Finn called after you. You froze. Whipping around on your heel, you gaped, staring at him with wide E/C eyes. He just shrugged, smug as could be. 

That was the last you saw of your eldest brother. Nik put a dagger in his heart and then there were five.

Now, Elijah on the other hand, was not Finn. They were radically different and Elijah got lost in his own way.

See, Elijah was hungry and he killed Tatia. He killed his love and the grief consumed him. He became so obsessed with somehow making it right as if keeping his hands clean from then on could somehow remove the stain of her blood. You knew what he’d done and you didn’t blame him but through the next hundred years and on it almost seemed to you as though he forgot. It was odd, but you chose not to bring it up; perhaps that was a mistake on your part. So it was that instead of drawing away from you and your siblings, Elijah drew closer. He viewed it as his responsibility to watch over the family and keep everyone together. What Elijah could not see, however, was that some things are simply fated to fall apart.

Somewhere Off the Coast of Cadiz, Spain: June 22nd, 1730

Five hundred years after you spoke to Finn beneath that tree in Italy, you found yourself in front of Elijah in the somewhat damp confines of a cargo hold in a ship just off the coast of Cadiz, Spain. Behind him stood two caskets and inside one of them was your twin brother, immobilized and in excruciating agony. You could practically feel the dagger in your own chest yet Elijah refused to let you free him. 

“Move aside, Elijah!”

“I’ve said no and my answer is final,” Your brother repeated. “Kol will remain as he is until such a time as Father is half the world behind us. Only then will we risk reviving him.”

“That’s not fair!” You argued.

“Oh I do believe it is,” He countered, crossing his arms and looking down at you. He was much taller than you were. “It was Kol’s mass slaughter in Cadiz that led Father right to us and clearly nothing you or I have said to him has made an impact.This was never my first course of action, Y/N. But until you should devise some other more prudent method to disway your brother from devouring the entire town, I’m afraid this is how things must be. He. Must. Learn. Control.”

You rolled your eyes and huffed, long since tired of his condemnations and hypocrisy - intentional or not. “He’s our brother and for the millionth time, Elijah: That’s not the problem! It’s not his fault if he can’t control it, because you lot have never given him a reason to!”

“That is preposterous and you know it,” He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“Do I?” You demanded. “It’s always you, Rebekah, and Niklaus. That Always and Forever pact - that was you three. It wasn’t us! I knew that you would make it before you did and yet nether of us were a part of it! Whenever the three of you do something, you never think to invite him along. The few times you and Nik actually ask all of us to vote on a decision, you don’t give our opinions half the weight you give to Rebekah’s.” 

Elijah frowned and held up a hand to stop you. “That is not remotely true. I view each-”

“No, you don’t,” You hissed, fighting the tears pooling in your eyes. “You hardly even notice us when we’re in the room with you, unless one of us is shouting and if either of us leaves, you might as well forget we exist entirely! I remember one time when Kol just up and left - said he was going to catch one of the bloody crusades.” You laughed but there wasn’t much humor in it. “He was gone for five and a half months and you didn’t even notice!”

“I did notice, actually.”

You glared at him. “I distinctly recall you commenting about how quiet it was one morning, after he’d been away three months. I told you he left. You were surprised and then you went right back to your book; you didn’t even ask where he’d gone!”

“I suppose I would have if such a question mattered, but unfortunately, Kol can look after himself,” Elijah said in disdain. You were aware that Elijah had carried a grudge towards Kol since the day the two of you were born. Though he’d never said it out loud, he’d always thought of your twin as a leach because he’d been born strong and you had been so frail. “He excels at it.”

“Because you don’t care to do the job!” You exclaimed. “You discount our opinions and refuse to see either of us as anything more than children. I mean, you hardly so much as look at me unless I’m attempting something you deem too dangerous. I hardly dare speak to a boy, even if he’s naught but a servant, lest I ensure that Niklaus shall orchestrate some awful accident to befall the poor lad. Both me and Kol - you see us only as another burden you bear and you ignore any attempt we make to change your mind.”

Aside from Kol, all your siblings had always seen you as weak and in need of protection - Elijah most of all. His eyes narrowed and he looked over you with scrutiny. 

“Always so quick to defend him,” He huffed. “If what you claim is true, then how have you mastered the control he so completely lacks?”

“It’s different for me,” You insisted. “My magic was different.”

“How was it different?” 

You bit your lip, mulling over your answer. You wanted to get this right, wanted to make him understand that the bloodthirsty monster he condemned was merely a prison and that your sweet, bubbly twin brother was locked somewhere deep inside. 

“My magic was more constant, I think,” You started, speaking slowly. “You must understand brother, magic wasn’t just something Kol and I did; it was something we were, it was a part of us, but I think we each felt it in a different way. He was so good at spell casting - at manifesting his very will into reality. I was always better at seeing, sensing, feeling, and just knowing the thoughts and emotions of everyone - everything - around me. My magic was a blanket, a quiet comforting reassurance that I wasn’t alone and that nature was looking out for me.” That loss still weighed on your soul every single day. You sighed but continued anyway, “But for Kol I think it was more like water. He’s always hated feeling helpless, and for him, I think magic meant that there was always something he could do to fight back.”

“Fight back?” He questioned. Your expression grew grim, eyes darkening. 

“Against Father,” You said. “You know Father hated Niklaus most but Kol was always the next he would hit. Magic wasn’t a luxury for Kol - it was his survival. When he first tapped into it, our brother knocked Mikael flat on his ass - Kol earned Father’s respect. For him magic was a thrill, a lightning excitement, power, and reassurance, both a sword and a shield, and a bonfire wish - it was everything. It was like water - and like water, its absence consumes him. He tells me often now that it’s much too quiet. He can’t stand the silence - the vulnerability maddens him. He didn’t mean to bring Mikael upon us… He fears father more than you know.”

“And you do not?” Elijah challenged, regarding you strangely. Again you thought about your answer. 

“No,” You decided after a moment. Your brother frowned, shaking his head. 

“You are not such a fool as that, lítil víx,” He said with a disapproving gaze. He called you little vixen - the fox’s, smaller, swifter, and wiser counterpart. 

He turned to leave the cargo hold, knowing you would not disobey him, but you whipped around and caught his sleeve.

“I do not fear him as much as I once did,” You amended, looking your brother dead in the eyes. “Father fears death, he always has though I did not see it then. Knowing that what he fears is so common, so natural, and so inevitable a thing, my fear of him has dwindled. I think I more pity him now than I fear him. For how very sad it is that he hunts us with no other purpose than to destroy that which reared into being. How very sad it is that he disregards the exuberant beauty all around him in favor of his hatred. How very sad indeed.”

Your second eldest brother blinked, taking a moment to completely process what you’d said. “I suppose you’re right,” He said slowly, nodding. Then he frowned. “Do you not fear death, Y/N?”

You smiled softly. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” You glanced towards the coffin that would imprison your twin brother for far, far, too long. “But I do not fear it as Mikael did, nor as Esther did. I anticipate it, I think. I anticipate it as one anticipates the surprises a new day might bring. Good or bad - it’s a new experience; though it shall certainly be nice to be free of the Frost-Sickness, I think. However that may be.”

Your brother considered your words but you knew they would not change his mind. For your family was frozen in body and mind and that was how you would remain for the rest of eternity. You were as eighteen then as you’d been one hundred years before… Well, perhaps you were slightly more. Each year only seemed to make you stronger, faster, sharper, and more eighteen. Time was the seal of your mother’s spell. Immortality polarized.

“I know you miss him, Y/N,” Elijah said with a heavy sigh. “But this is for the best.” 

You hung your head and nodded, allowing the tears in your eyes to spill down your cheeks freely for a little while. Your older brother reached out and brought you into his embrace, letting you cry as long as you needed. “Then I have just one request, if you’ll grant it,” You proposed, voice chipping like the stained glass windows of cathedrals you so dearly loved. 

“What is it, little one?”

“Don’t wake him while I’m sleeping?” You sniffed. “I don’t want him to be sad.”

“You have my word, lítil víx,” He promised.

Then there were four. 

It wasn’t that you forgave Elijah. No, that would take time. Rather you simply could never bring yourself to hate any of your siblings. Not even Niklaus. As much pain as he caused, as much terror as he sewed, and as much paranoia as he reaped, you could never bring yourself to hate your dearest artist. Bastard, hybrid, abomination - none of those labels ever phased you because he was still the quiet, loving brother who painted you flowers when you were Frost-Sick. 

It didn’t matter to you that he had killed your mother.

You loved him anyway.

London, England: October 16th, 1702

“I see your skill with a brush is improving, Nik!” You declared, flouncing into the second-floor study that your brother had commandeered as his studio. “You have perfectly captured the Siberian tundra. Congratulations. Though, your depiction might have been better had you simply left the canvas as you found it.” You smirked to yourself, rather satisfied with your wit, as you reclined in the overstuffed chair you dragged into the room behind you.

Niklaus let go of a long sigh and returned the brush he was working with to a basin of water he kept beside him. When he spoke, he did not turn to address you.

“May I ask what I did to warrant myself deserving of such bite from my littlest sister?” He asked, calm and fluid. He wasn’t in a good mood - you could tell. Thus you wanted to stay all the more. Perhaps you could cheer each other up. 

“I am not even that short,” You stated. Niklaus tossed a different brush, still covered in paint, over his shoulder, aimed for your face. You lept to dodge it with a giggle. “Secondly, it’s the season - I simply can’t help it.”

It was autumn in the city of London and the year was 1702, only a hand full of years before your family relocated to Cadiz and then later, New Orleans. Autumn was a difficult time of year for you as it was when the Frost-Sickness began to take hold. It had only grown worse since your transition into a creature of the night, just as everything about you had been enhanced. Though the Frost-Sickness could no longer afflict you with illness as it had when you were human - keeping you bedridden or even unconscious for days or weeks at a time - it could now do arguably worse. 

As autumn came, you could feel your mind and body begin to weaken. You felt frayed and tired and uncomfortable in a body that had for too long remained unchanged. You felt the loss of your magic so much more keenly and the loneliness that caused was far too acute. As the season wore on, it would only grow worse until you knew only misery. At that point, the silver daggers Niklaus had kept seemed like mercy, and without Kol’s magic to keep your head above water, you had willingly begged for their employ. They were your only escape from the pain that came with winter.

“Oh, how tragic,” Klaus remarked. You could practically hear him rolling his eyes. “Where’s your twin?”

“On a bender,” You deadpanned.

Nik huffed. “Figures. Go annoy him. I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to entertain you.”

You gasped in full shock. “Nik! How could you say that?”

“Simple. I pass air between my lips - like this!” He twisted around and stuck his tongue out at you.

You continued, unbothered. “I do not annoy, brother. I berate. There’s a difference.” 

“An impressive distinction, to be sure.”

“And yes, I am sure Kol would love to entertain me if he were not otherwise preoccupied entertaining someone else.” 

Klaus groaned. “What’s he done now and do I need to dagger him for it?”

“Please don’t make me think about it longer than necessary, but no.” You frowned, shuddering. 

“Now you have to tell me,” Your older brother grinned.

“I’m pretty sure he’s endevoring to sleep with the entire female population of London.”

“...Wow.”

“Indeed.”

He whistled and returned to working on that painting of his. “Well, you have to admire his audacity if nothing else,” Nik chuckled. 

You made a noise that was certainly anything but ladylike, followed by a gesture that was far worse. “I absolutely do not have to admire any aspect of him!” You exclaimed. You had hoped Klaus would have been just slightly more decent - if only for the sake of propriety. “He may be a strumpet of a man, but I am not. I am a lady.”

“I don’t see why this upsets you so,” He hummed, shaking his head. 

You huffed. “Because unfortunately, I am also his genetic copy. Therefore - technically speaking - if he’s slept with them, then I’ve slept with them! Which, admittedly, wouldn’t bother me if this were not the absolute bloody cesspool that is the bloody city of London!”

You’d expected him to laugh, and he did just a little bit, but it wasn’t nearly what you wanted. Dirty jokes almost always cheered Nik up and hearing him laugh never failed to make you laugh. Peering over his shoulder, you caught a glimpse of gray fur. He was painting wolves again. 

“Must be nice,” He mused a while later, having left you to silence for over a half hour.

“What?”

“Having a twin as you do,” He explained, voice wistful and far away. “Having someone you belong with completely, a reflection of yourself you know could not betray you nor abandon you any than the sea can abandon the shore. Must be nice.”

“Its not all bliss,” You reminded him, sitting up in your chair. “Kol still agrivates the living daylights out of me.”

“Such is the nature of being Kol.”

You nodded but said nothing, allowing him a moment with his thoughts before you asked the question he so desperately wanted to hear. “What’s wrong Niklaus?”

He sighed, though it sounded broken.

“Do you ever miss our mother, Y/N?” He asked.

You stilled. Out of all your siblings, you were the only one who knew what Niklaus had done. How he had murdered your mother. You had received visions of the moment throughout your life but particularly often in the months before it occurred. He didn’t know. You had never told him.

“Why ask me that, brother?” You returned, tilting your head.

“Because I want to know if this grief that still weighs so heavy on my soul is mine own fault or her’s.” He eyed you with a flat stare and you nodded, pressing your lips together. You didn’t want to hurt his feelings but you didn’t think your answer was one he would like. 

“I loved our mother dearly,” You eventually decided to say after a few beats of silence had passed between you. “But I do not miss her as you do.”

Nik’s voice trembled and the paintbrush clutched in his fist snapped. 

“Why?”

You smiled thinly. “Because I knew her as you do not.”

Your brother glanced up, meeting your eyes with an expression that demanded you explain yourself. You sighed heavily. It was time to come clean.

“I know what you did, Nik.”

His entire body stiffened, his eyes widening in alarm and terror.

“I know you killed her.” You shrugged. “I’m not mad.”

He drew in a sharp breath, shaking his head, his expression a mixture of guilt, relief, and confusion.

“How? W-why?” He choked out, unable to grasp the concept you’d laid in front of him.

“Because you’re my brother and I love you,” You said, smiling as though it was as simple as the words would imply. “Esther loved all of us in her own way, but that was not how a mother should. She loved the idea of children but the reality was more difficult than she had predicted and she struggled to understand her place, I think. Esther was barren, you see. She tapped into some very dark rituals to change that. Thus, we are all products of dark magic and such things so rarely receive a generous fortune from the spirits of nature. So we were all damned from the start, I think.” Pulling yourself to stand on legs that were still so frail, you wandered over to a side table and picked up the brush that rested upon it. You began moving it through your H/C hair in careful strokes. “In the end, Mother paid the price for her selfishness, I suppose. I don’t blame you. I cannot blame you, Niklaus lest I blame myself equally because that woman never loved any of us enough to save our souls and for that, I am simply unable to forgive her. I may never be able to.”

Tears slipped down your brother’s face. “But she loved you. I know she loved you most of all,” He said, through gritted teeth. 

You nodded, huffing a slight laugh. “That she did. Actually, I think she loved me a little too much.”

“You reminded her of Freya,” Klaus whispered. “Of her firstborn, the one she lost to plague.”

“I know.”

“She worried for you constantly, terrified some sickness would take you just as it took Freya.”

“I know.”

“When your Frost-Sickness rendered you unconscious, she nery left your side!”

“I know.”

Klaus clenched his teeth and growled. “Yet still you whine like a spoiled cat!” He spat, rage and jealousy now taking the forefront in his aquamarine eyes. “You never suffered our father’s rage, never had to labor as the rest of us did to please him, you were always doted apon by everyone - never had to feel as though you didn’t belong, as though you had you earn your place! How dare you take all that for granted.” 

Your jaw locked and you gently placed the brush down to avoid crushing the fine wood into splinters. Inhaling deeply, you fixed your gaze on your brother. “I have never taken for granted anything that was given to me. The sun, the moon, the stars, the trees, the rivers, the land, and more than anything this family have I given thanks for every single day I have been allotted. You, Niklaus, know not what it is to wake up, surprised that you made it another day. You, Niklaus, do not understand what it is to rejoice in the unfathomable agony that plagues your bones as it means that you’re alive. You, my brother, cannot comprehend what it is to put off sleep in fear that you may not see the next dawn - nor to fight through a hell of your mind’s own making for no other cause than for the love of family.” You shook your head, disappointed in him. “Do not call me ungrateful, Niklaus.” 

“Then why do you think of our mother with contempt when even I who took her life cannot forgive myself?!” He bellowed. His voice and eyes were hollow and broken, his soul desperate for an answer to his heart’s riddle. 

You could feel yourself begin to cry as well. Not for your own sake, but for his. 

“Her love wasn’t for me, Nik,” You sniffed. “It wasn’t mine - it was Freya’s.”

“N-no… She-”

“I grew up smothered by a shadow of love and regret that never had anything to do with me!” You cried, wrapping your arms around yourself as if they might contain the pain that threatened to tear you apart. “Mother’s doting wasn’t compassion! It was obsession! She thought that if she could just fix her past mistakes that it might somehow change how things were for us, but it was always a lie. A fairytale.”

When your older brother opened his arms, you ran to him, and he embraced you as any older brother should. You had aimed to cheer him up, but such was not the outcome. Sometimes things don’t work out the way they’re planned and Niklaus just let you cry. At the end of the day, your siblings would always be there for you - even if it was only at the very end.

“What’s worse was that I knew, I felt it every second,” You sobbed into his shirt, clinging to him like a plank of wood in a storm-tossed sea. “I saw myself in her eyes and believe me when I say that through them I know what our dearly departed sister looked like. She even called me Freya more times than I can count.” You shook your head, letting the pain run its course. “I was just her replacement, Nik. Just a replacement she tossed to the wayside like the rest of of her children - damned from the start.”

In this memory it was Niklaus who hung his head, ashamed of his quick accusations. He pressed a kiss to the crown of your hair. “I-I’m sorry, Y/N,” He said. “My minnsta vix, you are my sister - blood be damned - and I’ll never doubt your loyalty agian.”

And he never did. Of all your siblings, you were the only one Nik never daggered out of fear or as a punishment. Not like Kol, who was easily the one finding himself at the wrong end of a dagger too many times to count.

As much as his actions against your family, Niklaus especially, pained you, you couldn’t blame him. Your mother’s curse had consumed your twin brother and oh how acutely did you miss the mischievous boy you had adored with all your heart. The only time he truly seemed to return to you was around Bonfire season, or as it came to be called, Christmas.

New Orleans, Louisiana: December 3rd, 1904

“Kol, sweetheart, honey-bunch, mistletoe of mine; you had better start running because I’m going to beat your ass to a pulp as soon as I reach the bottom of these here stairs,” You sang from the balcony overlooking the courtyard of your families New Orleans compound. A wide, placid smile was spread over your face but it was the equivalent of thin ice because your eyes promised death. 

Down below, decorating the positively gigantic fir tree Klaus had somehow managed to fit through the front gates, stood your menace of a twin brother. He glanced up, flashing you the world’s cheekiest grin. “Oh, darling that’s not very peace on earth of you, now is it? Especially when I’ve done absolutely nothing wrong!”

Your eyes narrowed. “I think you know exactly what you did, Charles.” 

He snickered but held your eyes. Beside him Rebekah looked confused, glancing back and forth between the two of you. “What exactly is going on here?” She asked. Your younger sister also took a step away from your twin for good measure. She was a smart cookie.

Keeping your razer sharp glare fixed on Kol, you drew an object from behind your back - a long, thin, wooden object. You held it on display before you, twirling it like a staff between your fingers. You said nothing.

Rebekah groaned, rolling her eyes. “Really? We’re back to this again?” She scoffed and rounded on Kol. “What, did you run out of actually clever pranks to pull?”

“There’s nothing wrong with the classics, Rebekah,” Elijah cut in from where he sat with his book in the corner. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - how appropriate. 

“There is when its this one,” She claimed. “We’re going to be cleaning bits of Kol off the walls for a century when she’s though with ‘im!”

“Damn right, you are,” You said, eyeing your twin brother like a lion eyes a gazell. “Got anything to say for yourself… dim-wit?”

Kol grinned from ear to ear. “Why yes actually, I do.” He cleared his throat and straightened his jacket. Then he looked up, spreading his arms wide. “God bless us, Everyone!”

For a moment you didn’t move. You just glared death at him and he grinned back. Then, you chucked the crutch in your hands like a javelin, aimed directly at his face before vaulting yourself over the railing, screaming at the top of your lungs. “SUFFER THE WRATH OF TINY TIM, YOU KNOB-HEADED WANKER!!!”

Kol squealed like a girl and bolted just as fast as his legs could possibly carry him. “Is it too late to say I’m sorry?” He tried as he backed away from you, using Elijah and his chair as a shield.

“You forged these chains link by link and yard by yard,” You quoted, inching closer. “No apology can save you from me!”

“Bloody hell!” He yelped and leaped to the side as you made a grab for him, just narrowly dodging. He raced into the room closest to the two of you, dashing around the dining room table and through the opposite door. “Just because you’re a cripple doesn’t mean I don’t love you!”

You pursued him into the Kitchen. “How’s this for cripple?” You lept onto the counter and from there flung yourself onto your brother’s shoulders, tackling him to the floor. “Surrender or die!” You commanded, pressing your forearm against his throat.

“Fine! I surrender!” He conceded. You moved off him and allowed the boy to stand. 

“Mean cripple,” He muttered under his breath. 

You punched him in the gut.

It was that playful side of him that you missed. The one that would tease you with jabs that didn't sting just a little. The one who never sneered at you or yelled. You even missed his endless supply of cripple jokes, because that was him. That was your Kol and he was gone now. Your mother's curse had changed him most of all. 

Rebekah, on the other hand, hadn't changed much at all. Though she had developed something of an extreme side, her patterns remained the same. She followed in Niklaus's footsteps, wherever they may tread. She trusted and feared him. Rebekah always chose Nik over you and your twin.

New Orleans, Louisiana: December 21st, 1914

"No!" You shrieked as you watched that cold silver dagger pierce your twin brother's heart once again. The color in his skin faded to a corpse-like gray and the veins beneath blackened and ran dry. "No…"

He was gone. Kol would be locked away and there was no telling whether Niklaus would ever let him out again. The grief, the pain, and the agony were too much. You had only nearly been hanging on and only for Christmas - only for Kol because he loved the season so. But with him gone, the pain assaulted you in droves. Tears burned your eyes and you found yourself turning towards Rebekah.

"I trusted you," You whispered - heartbroken. "We trusted you."

"Y/N/N, I-I had to," She claimed. 

"No, you didn't." You shook your head, tears already making their way down your cheeks. "No, you didn't."

"Y/N, you don't understand-"

You didn't let her finish. Shaking your head, you turned away and carried yourself back to your room. There, you let yourself collapse on your bed, allowing the weight of the Frost-Sickness to crush you. Already your body felt heavier, your chest like a vice. You didn't want to be here any longer. Not without him.

A knock sounded on your door. 

"I don't want to talk!" You shouted.

The knock came again.

"Go away!"

The door opened and Niklaus stepped in. You glared at him.

"Do you not speak English?" You demanded. "Go away, I said. Trŭgvaĭ. Partir. Verlassen. Scram. Beat it. Leave me alone, it's what you're best at."

"I did what I had to do," Klaus said, eyes hard.

"Keep telling yourself that," You spat.

"He was plotting against me, forging a dagger-"

"He wasn't going to use it!" You bit your lip, your whole frame shaking with unshed tears. "He-He wasn't… He was never-" You fell back against your pillows, burying your face in your hands.

"Love, please-"

"I can't." You heaved and gasped for breath but you couldn't seem to get enough oxygen. "I can't a-and I don't want to. I don't want to be around without him - not now. I don't want this pain any longer! To run afoul of winter will surely shred my soul! I can't stand it, Niklaus! Just put me to sleep!"

Klaus closed his eyes and sighed. "Are you confident this is what you want?"

"I can't do it without him. This whole season - I can't stand it. I don't want to spend Christmas without him! Not this one or any other!" You rubbed your red-rimmed eyes. "Let me sleep through the winter, and wake me when you wake him."

"As you wish, dear sister." 

From his pocket, Klaus withdrew a gleaming silver dagger. Its edges glinted like snowflakes, though New Orleans didn't have those. He moved to sit by your side, raising his arm so you could lean against his shoulder. You closed your eyes, and a moment later, felt the chilling metal slice your flesh, lodging itself firmly in your heart.

"Merry Christmas, Nik." The words were the last to leave your lips.

"Sleep well and dream of butterflies, minnsta vix," Those words were the last you heard Klaus whisper to you. "I promise I shall wake you one day."

You knew Klaus would keep his promise, though it startled you when that promise came to fruition.

Mystic Falls, Virginia: Present Day

The first thing you registered when you awoke was a voice. Two voices actually. One that sounded like music and another that reminded you more of a rotten honeycomb - slimy, sticky, and brittle. You remained still and listened as these were not the voices of your family members and thus, they would have some serious explaining to do.

"Damon?" The musical voice spoke. "We did it. Abby and I opened the coffin."

The second voice, most likely this Damon fellow - not that you cared - sounded rather muffled. Almost as if he wasn't actually in the room. Speaking of, whatever sort of room you found yourself in was large and open. That is, everything echoed.

"Yeah?" The voice prodded impatiently. "And what's in there? What did you find?"

"Another corpse with a dagger through it," A third voice joined the conversation. This voice was similar to the music-like voice of the young girl, though it had a smokier quality.

"What?" That second voice did not sound happy. "That's it?"

"Yup. She's just some girl," The first voice replied.

"How old are her clothes?" The second asked. 

“Uh, I don’t know…” You felt someone pinch the fabric of your skirts, likely inspecting the make.

“Early ninteen-hundreds, I’d say,” The third voice spoke. How long had you been out? Niklaus wouldn’t have kept you daggered for that long, would he?

“Did you take the dagger out?” Damon demanded.

Always one for a dramatic entrance, you took that as your cue. Sitting up slowly, you turned your head and opened your eyes. Your whole body felt drained and dry and you knew the telltale signs of desiccation were still there. Two women stood in front of you, one adult and one no older than seventeen. Both had beautiful caramel skin and black hair and they shared the same gorgeous green eyes. Witches they were - mother and daughter. You could tell in the way they carried themselves. Both of them gasped in unison.

“I’m afraid they did,” You said with a smirk. “Hope that’s not too much of a problem.” Of course, you didn’t mean such a statement but for now, you were in good enough spirits to be amused. You focused your gaze on the younger of the two witches, schooling your expression to assure her that you meant the girl no harm. “Hello, darling. Would you be so kind as to tell me the date? I’m afraid I’ve been asleep a rather long time.”

What odd clothes these women wore. Instead of skirts, they sported trousers. Scandalous to be sure, but what you wouldn’t give for a pair.

The young girl floundered for a moment, searching for words but you remained patent. 

“Uh, um… I-it’s January 20th, 2012.” 

Your eyes widened in shock for a moment as you digested that information, then your expression fell into a grimace. “Great,” You huffed. Tossing your hair back, you hopped out of that cramped coffin and onto the floor of the cave. “Well, in that case, who are you and do I need to murder you both?”

Both women took a hesitant step back. 

“I-I’m Bonnie, Bonnie Bennet,” The younger one said. “And this is my mother, Abby.” She pointed to her senior companion. 

“I see,” You nodded cooly. Your mood was souring by the minute.

“We-we were told you were the weapon capable of killing Klaus Mikaelson,” She said.

You raised a brow and laughed. "Kill him? Kill Niklaus?" The expressions of the women before you were entirely serious though they quickly began to deteriorate into confusion as you doubled over laughing. "Now why on Earth would I do such a thing?"

Both witches glanced at one another, uncertain. "Well… because he daggered you?"

"At my behest!" You dismissed with a wave of your hand. "As if he could suffer me anything against my will; though, by Odin, I would certainly love to see him try. Ha! Kill him… I'd sooner let Kol have the pleasure - as long as we're suggesting absurdities. However, I will have a few choice words for him, just as soon as he comes to collect me, that you can be sure of." You shook your head as your laughter faded.

"That'll be hard, princess," The owner of that second voice you had heard waltzed through the mouth of the cavern. "The big bad wolf's got no clue where you are, so I don't think you'll be telling him anything."

He was a tall man, a little shorter than Kol but a little broader in the shoulders, with hair as black as a raven's plumage and pale skin to match. His eyes were a piercing sort of blue and you might have found him attractive had it not been for the unnerving gleam in those eyes and the sneer marring his lips.

"I beg your pardon?" You questioned, falling back into a more defensive stance at the sight of him. You didn't fear the man but something about that voice of his set you on edge.

"No one's coming to get you, sweetheart," Damon said.

You scowled, snapping your gaze back to Bonnie who had begun inching towards her ally's arrival. "You, girl! Why do you seek my brother's demise?" You demanded, eyes hard and sharp.

Bonnie froze. "I just want to protect my friends," She replied.

You shrugged. "A noble cause, at least."

"Wait, Klaus is your brother?" It was her mother who voiced the question and you rolled your eyes.

"Yes, of course he is. What else would he be?" You answered impatiently.

"Then why did he have your coffin sealed?" The woman questioned.

"Because my siblings are a rather overprotective lot and they tend to overdo my security just a tad." You huffed and turned back to the daughter. "Do you know where my brother currently resides?"

"Y-yes." She nodded.

"Very well, darling. Take me to him," You ordered shortly. Your tone left no room for debate and the women both moved to obey you but the man held his arm out to stop them.

"Woah, woah, woah. Not so fast. You're not going anywhere, princess," He said, taking a confident step forward.

"Step aside," You demanded. You had run out of patience.

The man - Damon - shook his head. "Not gonna happen."

You raised a brow. "Oh?"

"Nope."

"I should warn you, that's rather ill advised," You said, smiling thinly. Your eyes promised danger.

"And why's that, sugar?" That southern accent of his was certainly grating on your already thin nerves.

"Because I lack my twin's fun-loving temperament and all-around more reasonable nature," You replied. "Move aside and take me to my family or I shall skin you alive and tear each strand of sinus from your muscles one by one as I weave them into a nice rug."

Damon snorted. "Could you at least make me into a tapestry? I always wanted to be one of those."

"This is the only warning I will give," You ground out, eyes narrowed.

He scoffed. "Come at me, short-ass."

The insult was entirely his mistake. 

You rushed at him, dodging right at the last second to avoid his attempt to grab you. Snatching his arm for balance, you angled your feet to the wall of the cave and pushed off. That initial push supplied you with enough momentum to cartwheel your tiny body over his shoulders. Your weight combined with the force you applied, threw him off balance and you took the opportunity to drive your elbow firmly into his skull as soon as you were solidly back on the ground. Damon reeled in pain but you didn't give him time to think. You swept your leg around and kicked his own out from under him, sending him crashing to the cave floor.

You knelt on his chest and met his eyes.

"Take me to my family," You ordered, impressing your will on his inferior mind.

The man smirked and tossed you off of him. You were sent stumbling and your back slammed into the side of the coffin you had awoken in. You blinked, shaking the slight daze away. What had happened? Why had your compulsion failed?

"Sorry, cupcake," Damon gloated, getting to his feet. "I had a vervain cocktail for breakfast."

"No matter." You shrugged and straightened up again. "I was simply intending to be nice. I should be thanking you. For now I can have a little fun without Elijah reprimanding me for it." 

You rushed him again and this time he was ready for you to evade his outstretched arms. He stepped to the right to counter you but this time you ducked and slid between his legs. Twisting around with all the agility of a coiled servant, you kicked him in the groin like the simple, prudent soul you were. Damon cursed and fell to one knee, glaring at you over his shoulder.

"That was cheap," He bit out, grimacing.

You shrugged. "That was practical," You replied, smirking primly. "And so is this."

Grabbing him by the wrist, you twisted his arm and pulled it around his back, pushing him over. You positioned your fingers to perfectly utilize the fulcrum point of that wrist as your shoved his hand forwards. Damon grunted and you grinned. Then you started breaking his fingers. One at a time. 

Snap!

Snap!

Snap!

The man cursed and screamed and you just giggled like the innocent little girl you had once been but were no longer.

Unfortunately, in your eagerness to take down the man in the black leather jacket, you had entirely forgotten about the two witches in the room.

"That's enough!" The younger one shouted. A searing pain ignited in your skull, prompting you to release your grip on the raven-haired man. You cried out clutching your skull as the other woman yelled:

"Motus!"

You were thrown back into a semi-damp wall of stone and held there by an invisible force. The pain in your head faded and your gaze snapped up, locking on Bonnie and her mother. You hissed, teeth-gnashing and eyes wild. You were tired and starving and miserable and cold and they were in your way. 

Then, a blur of motion startled you and before you could blink, a tall figure in a dark suit caught the elder woman by the throat and raised her into the air 

"Miss and Mrs. Bennett, I suggest you release my sister at once." Elijah's booming voice struck through the cavern and you grinned, turning your head to the door. There stood your brothers - well, two of them, anyway - and neither of them looked very amused. Klaus moved to intimidate the younger girl and Kol smirked as he delivered a few swift, bone-crunching kicks to Damon's ribs. 

You smiled wryly.

As it turned out, Klaus, Elijah, and Kol made for quite the menacing trio when the three of them stood together on something. You made a mental note to encourage them to agree more often. The magic pinning you to the wall faltered, the witch responsible having lost all her bravado along with most of her oxygen supply. You dropped to the ground, landing in a bit of an unceremonious heap. 

"Ugh! About time you three got here," You huffed, rolling your eyes as you brushed yourself off. 

"Apologies, sister," Kol grinned, finishing with Damon by snapping his neck before prancing over to you. "We had some urgent remodeling to take care of - you know how it goes." He tossed you something and you caught the object, inspecting it. The thing appeared to be a plastic bag containing… blood? 

Huh… how peculiar.

You shrugged and tore into it. The sweet nectar inside wasn't as fresh as you would have liked but beggars can't exactly be choosers now, can they?

"Don't ever presume to threaten my sister again. Do I make myself clear?" Elijah growled his tone a harsh bite emphasized by the glare Klaus cast between mother and daughter. Both women nodded vigorously and Elijah dropped the one he was strangling. She fell to the ground, gasping for breath and he turned to you, seeming to inspect your figure for injuries before speaking. "Are you unharmed, lítil víx?" He asked gently.

"I'm quite alright. Though, I most certainly would like to know whose fault is was that I fell into the hands of such incompetent brutes as these," You hummed, continuing to suck out the contents of the bag in your hands rather contentedly. Beside you, your twin brother smirked and threw an arm around your shoulders, pulling you firmly into his side as he turned and started from the cave. The other two followed with Klaus making one last rather threatening gesture before taking up the rear. 

"I'm afraid it was Niklaus's regrettable negligence that allowed all of our coffins to be stolen," Elijah informed you.

Klaus made a strangled noise of offense. "It wasn't my fault!" He protested. "I was a little distracted with killing our father!"

"Father's dead?" You asked in surprise. Your siblings nodded. "Oh… Well good riddance."

"Thought you might say that. Now, don't you ever scare me like that again, darling. Understand?" Kol demanded, hugging you closer. Despite how he had been changed by your mother's curse, you could always be sure he would still care about you. No curse on the planet could change that.

"Ah yes," You agreed, rolling your eyes. "I'll try my very best to avoid being kidnapped while under the influence of a magical sleep in the near future."

Your twin brother poked you in the ribs in response to your wit.

"He's serious, love," Klaus added. "You nearly gave us a heart attack."

"Careful, Nik. Statements like those might lead one to think you have a heart," You chastened playfully.

The hybrid chuckled. "Only for you, love. Only for you."

"And for the occasional blonde, let us not forget," Elijah quipped, smirking to himself.

You giggled but your mirth didn't last long.

Stepping out of the mouth of the cave system, you were met with the blackness of night and air even colder than that of the cavern. Snow drifted from a dreary sky and you frowned, shivering. Discomfort weighed in your soul and you could feel it begin to grow just as frigid rime creeps along until it smothers a plant. You sighed. It was going to be a difficult few months until spring. 

Kol rubbed your arm comfortingly and leaned in close. "It'll be alright, Y/N. I'm right here. I may not have my magic, but I'm not leaving you and you won’t be alone this winter."

Yes, as always, it was going to be a difficult few months until spring. 

But at the very least you had your family.

No matter what, you would have your family. Always and Forever.

Tagging: @yn-ymn-yln @r13mar @rootbeerfaygo @iiskittles16ii @fandomrulesall-blog @dark-night-sky-99 @railingsofsorrow @apolloroid @thatweirdoleigh @misswe03 @eat-cake @felinegrate @trikigirl271 @cute-freak27 @fayeatheart @archangelslollipop @slaypussypop-21

Hey there, people of the internet! If you want on or off the tag list for this series and/or all my other works, just comment or send me a DM to let me know! And if Tumblr won't let me tag you, I'll just send you a friendly DM reminder at your request. Thanks for reading!