#When I was 12 She Said I Ruined Her Life by Being Born

[authoralexharvey]

It's my mother's birthday and all I can think of is all the ways she traumatized me growing up.

[wandanatsgf]

Lovers, Vampires, Strangers Part 1

Pairing: Vampire!Wanda Maximoff x Vampire!Reader

Word Count: 1182

Summary: This story starts in the year 1850. You and your girlfriend Wanda are happy together. You have everything you could ever want, until she secretly turns you into a vampire. After a horrible accident, you leave her and that life behind. Now 173 years later, she's come to ask you for help.

Author's note: I tried a different style of writing, I hope you like it! This was originally posted on my old account. It was going to be a multiple part fic, but I never finished it. I am hoping to finally finish it now!

Part 2

Part 1: 1850, the Shittiest Year of My Life

This story starts in the spring of 1850. The year my life went to shit. AKA the year Wanda came into my life and ruined everything. Now I know what you’re saying dear reader, how am I alive if I was born so long ago? Well the truth is, I am a vampire, and no not the kind from twilight. We don’t sparkle in the sun. In fact we’re the same as you, except we have to eat blood to live and we have a few extra supernatural abilities.

Anyway, back to the story. The year is 1850 and I am eighteen years old. At this time I am living in France in my parent’s manor with my two siblings and best friend, Sebastian. I was normal then. I was human. My life was like any other person of nobility. It was full of balls and glitz and glamor. I would dance and be merry every night with my best friend by my side. I thought nothing could go wrong, and then it did.

I remember the exact day things changed. It was April 12, 1850. That was the day Wanda entered my life. She was an orphan, or so she said, and my parents took her in. She was the same age as me and she was beautiful. She had long brown hair and piercing green eyes that could stare into your soul. She was kind and elegant. She was perfect. Little did I know how dangerous she truly was. I was blinded by love and by infatuation. I knew not of the monster that lurked in her soul, the same monster that she made me. But I am getting ahead of myself. 

Before I knew who she truly was, I spent all of my hours with Wanda. She slowly became my confidant, my lover and then my everything. Sure it was considered wrong back then, but in my heart I knew something that felt this good couldn’t be anything but right. 

We would hang out by the mangroves near my house, making sure no one saw us. I would kiss her like my life depended on it and she me. I loved her with every fiber of my being, but that love burned out when she killed me.

She had asked me one day, “Don’t you want to be together forever Y/n.”

“Of course I do,” I had said, oblivious about what was to come. “That is all I wish for. I want to be with you forever and live in a world where we don’t have to hide.”

Wanda had smiled at this and handed me herbal tea we had brought with us. I took a sip and placed the glass down. Wanda had placed her hands around my neck, like she was going to kiss me and I leaned in. Her face gets within inches of mine, and then she snaps my neck. 

I awoke a monster, but I didn’t know that then. I thought I had just fallen asleep in the arms of my girlfriend. I didn’t know I was a vampire, something that defies all the laws of human nature. I was something that shouldn’t exist, yet here I am now, writing all of this down. 

The night I turned was the night of a ball in my honor. I foolishly attended, not knowing what it would lead to. The feelings that began to bloom within me were terrifying yet exhilarating. The power was tasty, and I was hungry. I was blinded by this and…well I’ll flashback and let you read what happened for yourselves.

 “Can you fasten this around my neck?” I ask Wanda as she helps me get ready. I was putting on the finishing touches to my outfit, but I couldn’t manage to get this clasp.

“Of course Y/n.” She fastens the intricate gold and gem necklace around my neck.

“You look beautiful,” she says. My face heats up at the compliment.

“Thank you,” I look down, unable to look her in the eyes and accept the compliment.

“Hey I mean it. You’ll be the prettiest girl there tonight.” She places a soft kiss on my lips and when we break apart I can't contain my happiness. 

“Now let’s go to that party and have the time of our lives,” Wanda says. I place my hand in hers and we walk that way until we reach the ballroom. We break apart when we enter the room and suddenly my senses are overwhelmed. All I can hear are the sounds of people’s heartbeats. All I can feel is hunger. My senses were overwhelmed and I didn’t understand what I was doing until it was over.

I walked up to Sebastian, my dearest friend. I didn’t mean to do it. He was my bestest friend and I just thought being around him might calm me. However the closer I got, the more tempting the feeling to rip his throat out was. I couldn’t resist it anymore and I sunk my new found fangs into his neck. He didn’t even have the chance to scream before he was dead.

People around us began to scream and I took a step back and realized what I had done.

“Sebastian,” I breathed out, coming out of the trance I had been in. People rushed past us, desperate to get away from the monster until it was only me, Wanda, and Sebastian left. 

“Please no no no,” I cried. I shook his body, begging for him to wake up. All I could think was, “What have I done?”

“Come on please,” I beg. I lightly slap his face and I get nothing. Not even so much as a twitch. 

“He’s not going to wake up dear. He’s dead,” comes a voice from behind me. I jump up and charge at this figure.

“This is your fault. You did this to me,” I screamed in the brunette’s face. I had her pushed up against the wall. “It was that tea wasn’t it? You did something to me, you changed me,” I cry.

“I’m sorry but I did this so we could be together forever.” She changes our position so that I am now the one pushed up against the wall.

“I did this because I love you.”

“You made me a monster,” I cried out. I could feel tears falling.

“No I didn’t honey. You’re beautiful like this.”

She gently caresses my face with her fingertips and I wince at the contact. I could feel fangs protruding where my teeth had once been. I could feel my veins popping out around my eyes and I could feel the blood that covered my face. It was sticky and wet and it belonged to my best friend. I was disgusted with myself and I could hardly breathe. I ran out of that house, with speed I didn’t know I had but that I now possessed. I left that house, that life, in the dust. I never saw Wanda again, until now. 173 years later here she is at my doorstep and I want nothing to do with her.

[tzuyuscloud]

My Loser Kim M.J x fem!deaf reader

A/n: This fic took awhile because I have no knowledge of Sensorineural hearing loss (SHL) whatsoever and wanted to get an understanding so I was reading articles and watching videos. If any information is incorrect please don’t hesitate to correct me respectfully. :)

Pairings: deaf!reader x non idol Kim Minji

Scenario: Kim Minji finds you in the art studio alone after being harassed by fellow students.

Warnings: Mention of blood, bullying, horrible parents, ableism (NEVER BE ABLEIST PEOPLE >:| )

Tags: Romace, college au, friends to lovers, angst??, art student y/n, loser Minji

⋆˙⟡ Star ⋆˙⟡

If my tears fall

Down in my universe

Turns into a new world

Time to find my way back home

As a famous artist said, “painting is just another way of keeping a diary.” And that’s exactly how y/n saw her creative process. As painting. She first started painting when she was 12 years old after she felt like her life was meaningless, she felt like she didn’t have anyone who understood her pain, so she spoke to a canvas. Sneaking into her grandfather’s studio and started splashing paint on the canvas, not caring when drops of color stained her freshly washed uniform.

She would come home and get interrogated by her parents as to why she was covered in paint, and she would sarcastically state the obvious, “i was painting, duh.” Thus being the beginning of her artists life when her parents placed her in an art school where she discovered more of her hidden talents with art.

Now as y/n was in her sophomore year of university, majoring in fine arts but focusing on painting specifically, she improved with every new painting she created. Her classmates envied the fact that she was a natural born genius, but the only thing that made her different than everyone else is the fact that she couldn’t hear.

Y/n’s classmates often sabotaged her works so that they wouldn’t be displayed in competitions or recognized by guest artists. They all envied her to the point where they often hurt her as well.

“Oh my, look what we have here” a group of students, led by one of the board members daughter, walked into the studio where y/n stayed painting late at night. Her body tensed up feeling the familiar vibrations of their footsteps causing her to jump when Jimin placed her hand on her shoulder.

“Whatcha painting?” Jimin said as she bent down to your level causing your arm to shakily create a false line on the brightly decorated canvas, ruining the painting. You closed your eyes hoping that they would disappear along with the world, often times when you we’re overwhelmed you would just close your eyes and turn down your hearing aid, because then the world would actually disappear.

“remember she can’t hear you.” one of Jimin’s little minions retorted causing the leader to roll her eyes.

“don’t be fooled, she has an hearing aid” Jimin then taps the device causing y/n to jump and clutch her ear, she angrily faced Jimin with a frown upon her face, looking eye to eye with the girl. “watch who your glaring at before I make you blind too!” Jimin smacked the girl on the head forcing her to look down,

“you think you’re entering the art competition? Ha, funny. You have no reason to be at this school anyways let alone enter into a competition. You will always be lower than everyone else-”

Jimin was cut off by a painful feeling that lingered on her cheek causing her and everyone around her to gasp and stare at y/n in shock. “the only low one is you.” y/n whispered, her voice shaky as she was now afraid of what was to come.

“oh~ how brave of our little y/n” Jimin smiled before grabbing your hair. While the rest of the girls knifed the painting, shredding up the canvas.

_

“ayo Minji! Make sure to grab everything from out of the locker that is labeled with red tape.”

“bruh, you literally said this already, I got it, I got it. How hard can going into the art building and grabbing your materials be?” Minji groaned on the phone, as she walked towards the entrance of the art building. It was pushing midnight and Danielle needed her art supplies that she had forgotten, but ended up catching a cold and wasn’t able to get them, so Minji being a great friend offered to grab them for the girl.

“alright alright! Thanks again Min, I owe you one!” Danielle smiled through the phone before hanging up. Minji walked through the halls, searching for studio 214A when she heard small noises coming from a fairly lit room. She peaked her head in the entrance and found a small girl sitting on the ground picking what looked like broken materials up while wiping away at her nose.

Once Minji squinted to get a closer look she saw what she was wiping wasn’t snot but blood, causing her eyes to widen and immediately run to the girl. “Hey bro are you alright, your nose-“ As the girl looked up at Minji from the shadow she casted. Minji saw that her lip was bruised and she had a scar on her head as well. “who did this to you?” she frowned. Y/n didn’t respond but just stared up the taller woman with tired eyes.

“can I help you with your wounds at least?” Minji asked again hoping for at least a nod. Y/n then pointed to the expensive hearing device that laid crushed into small pieces on the ground next to her. Minji felt her heart sink into her stomach as her eyes paneled to the broken device to y/n’s bleeding ear in which the device used to sit in.

Minji then squeaked out a small, “y-you can’t hear me?- minji don’t be stupid” before grabbing her phone and typing out sentences.

Who did this to you? Im gonna help you with your wounds if that is okay with you?

She faced the screen towards y/n and gently places it in her hands. Y/n looked up at Minji with soft eyes before typing something back.

Jimin and her friends.

Okay

Y/n handed the phone back to Minji and Minji never ran to grab a first aid kit so fast in her life once she got y/n’s consent to help her. She gently dabbed all the scars with cotton balls and places bandaids on them all, before picking up the pieces to the very expensive device and placed them in a plastic baggie for y/n.

Once she helped her clean up everything, including herself she offered to walk y/n home.

Do you stay alone?

Minji shook her head no at the question before softly speaking, “I live with my friend.” she said quietly leaving Minji shocked. She didn’t know the girl could speak, but she also knew very little about the girl and her her disability in the first place.

“What’s your name?” Minji asked and earning silence as she stupidly didn’t type out the question.

What’s your name?

Mine is Kim Minji

Y/n stared up at Minji and smiled, “Park f/n” she spoke. Every time y/n spoke, Minji got excited inside as the girl’s soft voice healed something inside of her. The whole way to y/n’s apartment was filled with Minji asking questions and eventually exchanging numbers where Minji texted y/n all through the night.

_

Minji still couldn't get the phrase "Jimin and her friends" out of her head. Doing everything she could to try and figure out who exactly Jimin was and why she would ever physically harm anyone.

Minji "Dani I have a question." The bright faced Aussie looked up at her best friend with a smile,

"What's up?"

"Mmm you're in the art department a lot," Minji paused "do you know someone who goes by the name Jimin?" just then Danielle's eyes widened and she let out a small gasp.

"ugh!! everyone knows her! Look I'm not one to talk behind people's backs but she is a bully" Dani huffed out with an animated frown. Danielle was never one to talk badly about people, in fact she spoke to everyone no matter how they came off or appeared, and if she saw someone who was sad, all she had to do was flash her signature smile and suddenly all clouds were replaced with sunshine and warmth. "Why do you ask though, Min?"

"Well when I went to get your supplies last night...there was this girl-erm Park f/n, and she was hurt badly. She said Jimin and her friends did it to her and that they always hurt her." Just then Minji was looking down and picking at her fingers, something she has a habit of doing when she's anxious.

Danielle jumped up from her spot on the sofa, "Wait...y/n?!" she slapped her hand over her mouth causing Minji's eyes to widen.

"w-what? is there something wrong?"

Danielle sat down after calming herself down to make her poor friend less worried, "that poor girl, she's in majority of my classes but I haven't noticed she was being assaulted." tears welled in the younger girl's eyes. "I try talking to her but she just rolls her eyes and looks away. I don't think she likes me"

Minji comforted her best friend as she pouted about the thought of someone potentially not liking her. "Dani"

"hmm?" the brunette faced her friend.

"y/n is deaf. Have you not known?" Minji asked genuinely. Danielle dropped the fruit that was in her hand and slowly turned to Minji.

She didn't know wether to keep her mouth open or close it but she looked like a fish out of water, "Im such a horrible person, everyday I would ask her questions and try to make conversation but- wow."

Minji cut the girl off, "well from what I have learned she can hear when she has her hearing aid, but recently it was broken because of those bitches. And when I catch them I will-" Danielle cut the girl off with a worried stare.

"Hey I know you are worried about y/n but violence does not solve more violence! What we need to do is report this to the school immediately to get justice for y/n." Danielle stood up proudly, while Minji scoffed from her place on the couch.

"Beating Jimin's ass seems like enough justice for me" she mumbled, earning a glare from the peaceful girl.

The older girl stood up, patting her best friend on the back, "well good luck with your peace treaties. Im gonna go take y/n out to eat"

"oh a date?~" Danielle teased causing Minji to blush, "no! she doesn't like me like that"

"But YOU never denied not liking her so, a one sided date, eh?" Danielle urged on, Minji grabbed the nearest pillow from the couch and smacked her friend on the head before running out the shared apartment.

"Ill be back!" she shouted on her way out.

_

Entering the small cafe, Minji noticed how you doodled in a sketchbook as you waiting for her to arrive.

“Hi y/n!” she greeted waving, silence. Her brows furrowed in confusion going to wave again but then as she walked to take a seat, she noticed that the small pink device was no longer in your ear.

Once she sat down you looked up feeling her presence, flashing her a small smile. You took out a small, cutely decorated notebook that was filled with stickers, and a pen before scribbling a few words down.

Hi!! :) I apologize, I can’t get a new hearing aid until next month. My parents are too busy to ship it to me

What kind of parents are too busy to tend to their own child?! Minji thought to herself. She couldn’t help but wonder why they would brush her off like that.

It’s okay, we can talk like this. Look.

Minji then tapped the table in y/n’s line of sight to get her attention. Her hands then started moving, forming words that were a bit choppy but still clearly showed that she put effort and time into learning.

‘Im learning sign language so you can speak comfortably’ her heart was racing afraid she messed up a few signs, because y/n just stared. She then smiled and looked down shyly trying to contain her excitement as no one has ever tried learning sign language to try and communicate with her, not even her own parents.

Y/n’s fingers swiftly flowed in different directions, speaking freely and comfortably. Although Minji couldn’t catch half of what she was saying, she still gazed at her with bright eyes.

“Thank you” Y/n whispered as she signed so that Minji could learn along with her, “for being nice to me” she said softly, looking up at Minji’s big brown eyes that never left hers.

Minji had ordered their food and drinks, sharing everything she had as y/n told her that she rarely tries new stuff because she is never introduced to anything.

I used to travel and do fun things before…the accident

Y/n gently pushed the book towards Minji as she cutely stuffed her face with fruit, earning a slight giggle from the opposite girl.

“Accident?” Minji mumbled to herself. Y/n let out a “hmm?” as she saw Minji’s lips move.

Accident?

Minji wrote but then quickly scribbled more,

You don’t have to tell me, it sounds personal

Y/n laughed at the panic writing, waving her hand and brushing it off.

It’s okay, I will tell you another time

You nodded before changing the subject, engaging in conversation that had you both laughing for hours without realizing how much time has passed. On your way back to her apartment, you heard her let out a small gasp and point to the small arcade that brightly lit up the evening skies. She took your hand, pulling you towards the machines as she eyes all of the plushies.

Letting out of the words “I want” slightly below a whisper. Minji couldn’t help but cave into her cute squeals of excitement as she pointed to all of the plushies she eyed. Pulling her wallet out she placed two bills into the machine bringing it to life.

Y/n excitedly jumped to hold the levers and when she thought she had the correct spot, she pushed the button. The claw grabbed the stuffed bunny, bringing it to the drop but dropping the bunny right next to it instead, before powering down.

The girl turned to Minji, puffing her bottom lip out in a pout before turning to walk away. Before she could take another step, Minji grabbed her arm, bringing her to a stop. The older girl then placed more money into the machine, focusing hard on the task at hand as she pushed the button. She hadn’t realized she closed her eyes, hoping that she would win the plush before she was shaken awake by y/n who was jumping around with the pink plushie in her arms.

“Bun bun! Bun bun!” she squeaked happily prancing around Minji who watched with sparkles in her eyes. She wrapped her arm around the smaller girl’s shoulder, walking her home before it got too late.

Y/n stood on her porch with a red tint to her face as she failed to look Minji in the eyes. “m’bye.” she waved, “thank you for winning bun bun” she spoke again and before she turned to enter her home, she quickly gave Minji a peck on the cheek before running inside.

Minji on the other hand, was stunned.

“She wants me bro!” The older girl said as her roommate rolled her eyes, laughing at the description story of their “hang out”

“That’s cute, she sounds adorable I wanna be her friend” Dani pouted remembering the fact that, said girl side eyes her during class. “what about me do you think she hates?”

Minji’s thick brows spoke before she did, “I wouldn’t say she hates you, she just doesn’t let her guard down easily” which confused her since she spoke to you easily. “I don’t know why she clings to me so quickly though”

Danielle laughed, “are you serious Min, you’re literally like a golden retriever. Your aura is so welcoming.” Minji blushed at the compliments,

“you think im a golden retriever girl” she wiggled her brows causing the both of them to burst into laughter. “but on a serious note, I think I like y/n”

The Australian girl looked at her roommate with a ‘duh bitch’ look, “I thought we all knew this?” she said with sass.

“I- goodnight”

-

Given y/n’s situation, she still had no hearing aid, causing her hell during her lectures as she had to rely on notes from generous classmates. She came from a well off family, growing her her parents would take her and her older brother on vacations and many outings, spoiling them, especially y/n since she was their princess. Treating her to whatever she wanted. Despite being handed whatever as a kid, her mother was still very strict and controlling at times.

You were always sent to every educational lesson after school as well as extracurriculars, and once she found out you had a talent in art, she ran with it and enrolled you in art programs. The life you had before the accident was chaotic, you didn’t enjoy it but you tolerated it because it was better than most. Though after the accident, you were pushed away. You were no longer the “princess” but more so the “burden.” You vividly remember your mother screaming at you to listen to what she was saying, even though you couldn’t clearly distinguish what she was saying.

She was in denial about her daughter being deaf to the point where she refused to tell anyone. Instead she blocked you out from the world, Park y/n had disappeared from the wealthy social circle and sent to study at a well off university. Anything to keep you out of your mother’s sight.

A knock sounded at your apartment door causing your roommate to jump up from her spot at the kitchen table to grab it. You looked up at the shuffles to find your older brother entering the place, smiling as she made conversation with your roommate.

He then looked at you with a smile before signing, “how are you, princess?” as you sat on the couch curled in a ball under blankets. You flashed him a thumbs up. You watched as he pulled a pink bag from behind his back, eyes following his every move as he handed you the bag. You looked up at him with a confused face considering there were no major holidays or birthdays near.

You opened the box and saw a brand new hearing aid. You looked up at your brother before tearing up. “thank you” you mumbled, wrapping your arms around him. Part of you didn’t wanna let go as it felt like that was the only family you had that truly cared about you.

“Of course you know…since I caused it” he whispered as he rubbed his neck. You knew he would forever feel everlasting guilt for what he did.

Summer of 2016

“Wait for me!” scrawny little y/n ran as fast as she could behind her brother and his friends. Her pink sundress flying with each stride, and her bare feet connecting with the grass.

She huddled around the older boys as they all piled fireworks on top of each other in the field. Different kind of pyro tied together and linked by a singular string that would be lit.

“This is gonna be awesome! I can’t wait to see the explosion” Y/n’s brother exclaimed, tackling one of his friends. Y/n was oblivious to what was actually happening, and got easily distracted by the beautiful flowers that coincidentally surrounded the pile of pyro.

She wasn’t aware of the stack being lit until she heard constant shouting from her brother and the rest of the guys. “Y/N MOVE!!” As she turned around she was thrown back as the fireworks went off in front of her. She felt someone pick her up saving her from the rest of the loud explosion.

All she could do was cry as she covered both of her ears. “It hurts!” the little girl sobbed. From the commotion her parents ran outside to see what had happened and was met with their daughter being cradled in her brother’s arms crying. She was covered in burn marks from head to toe.

“What happened?! What did you boys do?!!” Mrs. Park shouted, grabbing her daughter. Leaving no time to explain she rushed off to the hospital with her husband not too far behind with the boys.

Hours spent in the waiting room, the doctor had eventually came bearing the news of their daughter. “Miss y/n is doing fine. She is very brave for her age” he complimented.

Mrs. Park smiled faintly, “thank you doctor, is she healthy?” The man’s smile faded at the question before exhaling.

“Your daughter has hearing loss in both ears, she can respond to some sound but only depending how close she is to the noise. We recommend seeing a specialist for ears so that she can get a proper hearing aid that works best for her.” Mrs. Park threw herself into her husband’s chest with loud sobs.

“What am I gonna do with her now! I can’t let the world know she’s deaf!” she sobbed causing a gasp from the doctor. Y/n’s brother on the other hand felt guilty for what happened never thinking he could look his baby sister in the eyes again.

-

Moving forward, y/n got left at home and forgotten by her mother. She no longer received attention, not even basic conversations from her mother. She was put in more activities and after school classes to stay out of sight of her mother. The world had forgotten that the Park family had a daughter as she was hidden.

Present day

Y/n and her brother, Kai sat on the couch catching up about each other as Kai took over their father’s company.

“How’s mom and dad? Have they asked about me?” y/n whimpered, hating the fact that her own parents lost love for her, their one and only daughter.

Kai pulled his little sister in for a hug, “Father worries about you, he always talks about how he misses his little princess” you smiled at the thought of your father missing you, the thought warming your heart. “but mother. She’s still a cold hearted b-“

“woah okay okay, I see” You lightly laughed.

Kai then changed the subject, “What about you though sis, how has school been?”

All of a sudden you blurted out, “I think I like someone.” covering your mouth quickly. Kai started squealing like a teenage girl,

“omg omg what’s their name!?” He clapped his hands causing you to burst into laughter.

“Stop being silly, haha. Her name is Kim Minji” you said with a deep red tint forming on your cheeks. “We went to a cafe together and she helped me when I was…stuck on…an art project haha” you laughed nervously. You never wanted Kai to get worried about you if you told him about Jimin and her clan.

“she wants you” He joked, but little did you both know she actually did.

-

Minji: Would you like to go on a date Saturday evening?

Minji was pacing back and forth her apartment as she panicked at the message she impulsively sent to y/n. “You will be fine girlfriend, I doubt she would say no” Danielle gave the older girl a pat on the shoulder to reassure her.

“But what if she thinks Im some old creep who just happened to win her a plushie at the arcade and learn sign language?!” Minji pulled at her hair causing Danielle to roll her eyes.

“Puh-lease. She would never-“ the sound of the phone going off caught their attention. Minji quickly picked the phone up, reading the message aloud.

“I would love to, smiley face. SHE WANTS ME!” The Korean girl shouted before jumping around the apartment.

Dani laughed as she walked back into her room, “Nerd”

-

Minji laid in the sand next to y/n taking in the evening sky after a long day of playing in the water and writing in the sand. “I’ve never had this much fun since I was a kid” Y/n whispered turning to face Minji. “Thank you for accepting me Min” The words left Minji speechless at the thought of people not accepting her because of her disability.

Minji sat up, causing y/n to follow as she was concerned by the girl’s sudden movements. “You’re more than what people think you are y/n, and those who don’t accept you don’t deserve you because you are everything anyone could ask for and I-“ Pausing abruptly her heart started racing as she almost slipped up and confessed her feelings to the younger girl.

“You what?” Y/n smiled cheekily, playfully hitting Minji’s arm. Her face turning redder than the sunset as she started fumbling like the loser she was.

‘I like you, y/n’

Y/n’s eyes widened in shock, hoping she wasn’t hallucinating what she just saw you sign to her. “Like…like as a friend or-“

Before she could finish her sentence Minji grabbed her face, finally feeling the softness of y/n’s lips, the softness she had always imagined being on hers since the day she saw you in the art studio. You returned the kiss pulling her closer to you afraid it was all a lucid dream that would fade away as soon as you let go.

“Like you like you, as in I want you to be my girlfriend” Minji panted as she broke the kiss that had you feeling all kinds of butterflies.

“Such a loser” y/n giggled and threw herself in Minji’s arms. “But you’re my loser”

“SHE SAID YES!!” Minji stood up cheering for everyone to hear, “Park y/n is my girlfriend!!!” You couldn’t help but laugh at the action and when Minji turned to face you again, you couldn’t help but notice the sparkle in her eyes.

Pulling her into a hug while burying your face in her shirt you mumbled, “Kim Minji is my loser”

[vivianbernadetteaurora]

Mars in Capricorn🧨

I feel like this placement is such a flex, and I’m really, really jealous of it. These women literally get men who can provide for them and a lot of the time older men that are due to Capricorn being the father the older man figure in life and the attraction to older men and probably a lot of thme having issues., all these women at one born in their life of being with an older man, and is the man you’re attracted to, I mean let’s go to Anna Nicole Smith, Howard James Marshall, who is literally a billionaire, met her at the strip club, not saying all these women are gold diggers, but they like to have a bag and they can get back, and they get provided for, and I feel like every woman has that right to be provided for man. I generally do maybe it’s because I’m an Earth and I have in the 10th., I’m honestly like go get what you want, I mean Anna and her husband had an arrangement together, imagine them leaving together he probably would’ve had a heart attack, they had an arrangement and his son didn’t like it, but this man was a billionaire and he wanted a sexy woman on his own and he better than Nicole Smith one of the most beautiful women in the world if not the beautiful.

Then we come to Amber Hood who wanted to make us start in Hollywood for a long time and I believe you went for a party to try and find that way they either are both of these things or one or the other they can fuck their way to the top, now I look at Madison a bit of a side but I still love her, taste older and old before that time, this is why they are attracted to this kind of man. They have serious issues which we found out with Austin this case I don’t know if her dad was very close with Johnny, but we don’t know the relationship completely between the dad and her., but she got something with Elon Musk go ahead like men before too long and it’s not Elon Musk Twitter Elon Musk people in the blind item, the world will agree that Elon and Amber were each other soulmates. Don’t worry Elon features twice in this post. Look at him and Grimes. Anyway, going back to Amber and her child, a lot of people agree that Amber‘s child is with Elon because she had her ex frozen when they were together, supposedly allegedly. But Grimes has had a long relationship with Elon also, and a lot of Elon‘s girls start with Bruno and then go blood, but I think Elon likes a crazy man, a pixie girl, the edge of them, and that they could ruin them any time.

On the list is a very sad one Aaliyah and her relationship with R. Kelly and Name – who are both a lot older than her but Dame was a lot closer in age or Kelly obviously did some very inappropriate stuff really and the creep met her when she was 12 through her uncle which makes it even sadder Barry Hanson, an Aaliyah was a Capricorn sun as well and very, she had that hook up with a dad as she’s on but I’m jealous of the situation with the money and being built up by a man and having a man that looks after you let’s be honest don’t we all want? We don’t come on. How nice would it be for a?, And look after you and you didn’t have to worry about a thing., obviously this placement shows up in different ways, like I said with Aaliyah she was vulnerable and it naturally came into her life, I wish Amber feel it was more sort out the same with Anna.

Lindsay Lohan, who moved to Dubai and has had the most, who dated her maybe apart from Leonardo DiCaprio and Warren? Beatty, the oldest profession goes on in the world. She said she moved out there because of the paparazzi hounding her, but I think it was more, away from that too, but also to get towards men with money; Lindsey allegedly has attended to like stealing as well, even though she’s rich, shoplifting or lifting is a rush, another addiction?

I can’t think of the exceptionally massive age group she said, but I’m sure she has some we don’t know of. Samantha Ronson, who I feel is at least 10 years older than her,.

Holly Madison, holy Madison had a relationship with you. She was in the Playboy mansion, and she became the number one girlfriend. Do you see what I mean and the Playboy secrets? Many of Hughes's friends have said that she loved it at the time, and then she became the opposite, and now she does a podcast talking about Playboy. She hasn’t stepped away from it, so she is still making money from it to some degree. If you, Hefner, I’m saying that that’s bad. I’m just saying the obvious.

Traumatized for many years, I’ve noticed with these people, we don’t see dad at all in their lives. Actually, if I think of all these people, maybe Michael Lohan and, of course, Lindsey are going to have daddy issues with a man like that. A

Drew Barrymore, Barrymore may not, have been with older people, but she went out with Eric out of Hole and hung around with Courtney Love when she was literally just, she was also partying in Studio 54 when she was very very young, hanging around with people much older than her, and doing drugs and very young age. Around these people had died she had a very trauma, he was a drug addict and an alcoholic, was famous and become lineage of famous people in Hollywood.

We have the Olsen, and talk about Mary Kate Olsen, with Oliviar, They had a huge age gap. She even looked like one of his children she was even shorter than one of his children. I, it looked really creepy another person who’s not in the college here is Amanda Bynes and we know what happened there., know quiet on set .

And then, obviously you have Catherine Jones he’s been with Michael Douglas like forever , obviously many decades older than her. I just think it’s a placement I’d like to brag about it obviously has its , have my mars in the 10th house , and let’s talk about men with this placement Brad Pitt , Shia LaBeouf , and how they all a bit dodgy , and I’ve been all over the place with women

. Who allegedly did stuff with Michael Bay who is very abusive?, To her and they fell out., very casting couch,

[captainremmington-13]

A Lady Made of Snow

DISCLAIMER: I don’t own The Hunger Games franchise, the images above, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, or any of the characters in this fic other than Bellova and her parents. I also do not condone the beliefs or actions of Coriolanus or Bellova.

SUMMARY: Bellova is done letting Coriolanus’s presence hinder her. She decides it’s time to take back control once and for all.

⚠️Warnings⚠️: slight angst, implications of blackmail

A/n: This chapter takes place right before the epilogue in TBOSAS occurs. I know it’s a short chapter, but the next two will be MUCH longer :))

An hour after returning home from President Ravinstill’s mansion, Bellova lay in bed, clutching her sheets tightly. It had taken her maid awhile to take all of the pins out of her intricate hairstyle, and she’d spent a significant amount of time in the bathroom, scrubbing off every last bit of makeup on her body. She took a scalding hot shower that helped soothe her aching muscles, but she was sure she’d still be sore in the morning. Finally, she had pulled on the first nightgown she could find in her massive closet, and crawled into bed.

Normally, Bellova would’ve fallen asleep straight away. Alcohol and partying was as exhausting as it was exhilarating.

But her body refused to rest.

Her heart hadn’t stopped pounding. Not since she left Coriolanus standing alone in that room. 

He had scared her.

He had never made her felt that way before. She always felt superior, or at least equal, to him. Now, she wasn’t so sure. 

When she had looked into his eyes, all she saw was cruelty and arrogance. Any trace of vulnerability seemed to have disappeared, but she was sure it was still there somewhere.

She just had to search harder for it.

Bellova sighed in frustration. She could not let his presence affect her. It would ruin all of the progress she had made since he had left, and it would give him the upper hand. And she would never willingly let him have the upper hand.  

Her life would be so much better if he had stayed in District 12. But no, he had to ruin her peace.

Typical Snow.

But, as much as she hated it, she accepted that it was going to be difficult to continue ignoring him. She knew that with his charm and intellect, he was going to climb up the social ladder quickly. He would end up in a prominent position eventually, and then he’d be impossible to overlook.

‘There has to be a way to use his return to my advantage,’ she thought. ‘There must be. Or I will have no-one but myself to blame for my failure.’

Bellova racked her brain, searching for any snippet of her father’s words of wisdom to guide her. He knew plenty about power plays and how to use social connections to enhance status. In his younger years, he did many things in order to secure his position.

After all, his marriage to her late mother had been a political decision. She was born into the Avalon family, who had been involved in the justice system and lawmaking for generations. In marrying her, her father gained crucial connections to the higher-ups in the Department of Justice. He impressed them with his intelligence and ambition, and landed himself a powerful position in the department very quickly.

Her parents did learn to love each other eventually, but it took years of being together until that occurred. They had Bellova during their late twenties, and lived harmoniously for five years until her mother passed away.

When Bellova got a bit older, her father had a long discussion with her about the most powerful vices the world had to offer, and how each one could be twisted to work in her favor.

“Love is a beautiful but tricky thing,” he had said. “It can bring you unimaginable joy, but it can bring you unfathomable pain. It can be a hindrance, but it can be one of your strongest assets. You can harness it and use it to bring yourself happiness as well as power.

“And power? It can be just as beautiful as love.”

Then, Bellova knew.

She knew exactly how to end the constant battle for superiority she and Coriolanus had fought for years. 

And if he turned her down, he would regret it. 

After all, she had a long list of his secrets that were just begging to be spilled.

✧ ‧˚₊ ❆ ‧ ₊ ⊹˚✧ ‧˚₊ ❆ ‧ ₊ ⊹˚✧ ‧˚₊ ❆ ‧ ₊ ⊹˚✧ ‧˚₊ ❆ ‧ ₊ ⊹˚✧ ‧˚₊

TAGLIST: @daenerysqueenofhearts, @squidscottjeans, @euphemiaamillais, @gracieroxzy, @effectwalker, @vxnilla-hxrddrugs, @mystargirl-interlude

Author’s Note: Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think in the comments! I’m SO excited for the next few installments👀

Also, let me know if you want to be added to the tag list!

[atomic--peach]

Her Grace's Handmaiden Pt.12

(Cersei Lannister x Fem Reader x Sandor Clegane. TW: Mentions of Pregnancy and Pregnancy Loss/Termination. SMUT Touch Starved Sandor)

AO3 VERSION: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48276340

It seemed nothing short of a miracle that you had gone three days in the Red Keep without being recognized as a former handmaiden.

The Queen had fabricated a story out of thin air and instructed everyone who knew of your origins to stick to the story on pain of death.

Instead of a handmaiden born in Kings Landing's own Flea Bottom, you were the base born bastard daughter of a hedge knight who had met with the party on the way North.

The Hound, taking pity on you and your poor circumstances and entranced by your beauty, married you in Winterfell.

It wasn't a good story, if only because it begged belief that Sandor Clegane would show pity to anyone, let alone the nameless bastard of a hedge knight.

But that was the official line of the crown.

To any who asked, the handmaiden once favored by Queen Cersei was abandoned on the way to Winterfell without a penny to her name.

The ladies of the court, as predicted by everyone, did not take well to you.

Your manners were honed enough to pass for a lady, but just barely. The thing that seemed to give you way the most was your happiness. Happy to see The Hound when he walked into the room, most often tailing the prince. Happy to see the Stark girls, though Arya kept you at arm's length and Sansa never gave you a second thought outside of a polite acknowledgment.

But still, if anyone knew who you had been, they didn't say it.

All except one person. A person who made your skin crawl with unwelcome memories.

"Lord Varys" You nodded cordially.

"Ah, The Lady Clegane." the Eunuch smiled knowingly. "Taking in the air?"

"Thought I would visit the gardens; I hear they are wonderous."

"I'll walk with you."

Fuck

The two of you walked in silence, the sand on the garden path's crunching under your feet as you walked. Perhaps if you just kept your mouth shut he would leave.

"How are you these days?" He inquired.

"Well enough, settling in." You answered plainly, offering no details.

"And your husband?"

"Well,"

Varys eyed you with a sense of fond familiarity.

"It is good to see you again."

"I don't know what you mean, My Lord." you sped up your walk, "We have never met."

"Not in this life." Vary acknowledged, "In truth I imagine it's been quite a long time since I've really known you."

You turned to face him; he'd said too much.

"Not to worry" he gave a soothing smile, "no one is listening to us, I've made sure of that."

"Leave me alone" you whispered pleadingly, "please, don't ruin this for me."

"How much does he know?" Varys pressed, glad to have broken through your shell to prod at your the tender soft bits "And the queen?"

"He knows I came from Flea Bottom." you admitted, "as for her, if she knows anything she hasn't said. But she hasn't asked so I haven't told."

"Would you tell the truth if she did ask?"

"Of course."

Varys gave a look that said he knew you were lying.

"You never were a good liar, my dear. You never picked up the skill the way your brothers and sisters did."

"Well," you sighed, "There was always someone there to lie for me."

Varys approached you slowly, cupping your cheek in one hand. You did not flinch away from this familiar touch that was once such a comfort to you.

"You've really grown into a beautiful woman, you know." Varys looked almost sad, "I feared for you out in these streets. The world is not kind to pretty beggar girls who can't lie. Of all the places I could have found you, I am glad it was here."

You touched the hand softly and nodded, "I'm taking your advice. Trying to build a better life for myself."

You hand moved to your belly softly, "And those I love."

Varys glanced down and nodded, "You have settled yourself then."

"Trying."

"Do you remember what the maester said when you were 16? After you took that tea and got yourself sick?" Varys reminded you, "Don't set yourself up for failure, my girl. You're too smart for that."

"He never said I couldn't" You snapped, "He just said it would be difficult. He never said impossible."

"And that any children you had would be born sickly, possibly even stillborn. It would be cruel to allow your husband to continue expecting something that may never happen."

You said nothing, only glowering at him until he sighed in defeat.

"I must be off, there's another meeting about planning this blasted tourney. But Darling," he turned to go but glanced back over his shoulder, "He will find out, one way or another. It would be better if it came from you."

Knowing Varys was still on your side made you feel more at ease. When you were a young girl, he frightened you, but when he traded food and a safe place to sleep for information the offer was too good to refuse.

It was he who set you up as a kitchen wench in the keep when you were barely more than a child. Arys was still king then, and he frightened you even more than Varys.

Varys had always been good to you though. You weren't as skilled in collecting information like the other street children were, but he fed and sheltered you all the same, even if the information you brought wasn't always what he was looking for.

You were so young then, as you grew older Varys stopped using you to spy, but that was okay, because you could take care of yourself at that point.

You never wanted to tell Sandor this. Not because you were ashamed but because you wanted to put it behind you. You had a new life now.

----------------------------------------

Varys's words stayed with you well after you left the garden.

What did it matter if Sandor knew or not?

Would he have refused to marry you if he knew? Not likely, even if Robert had allowed him to decline.

As far as you were concerned, you still have the same odds of being barren as any other lady in court. It's not like you were the only woman in King's Landing to end an pregnancy.

But when highborn ladies got themselves in trouble, they took Moon Tea. It was safer, more likely to work, and had less risk of danger.

But you, you took Tansy Tea. And if your memory served you right, improperly made Tansy Tea.

It got the job done, but you still recalled those days that bled into nights, your entire body shaking and sweating on a worn mattress in the bowels of some half-abandoned sept with a half blind septon praying over you while maesters did everything they could to keep you living.

Varys had gotten you the job in the Keep's kitchens shortly after that.

No, you decided, you had a right to put your past behind you. If you got pregnant and carried to term, great. If not, it's not like Robert would grant you an annulment anyway.

Not that you thought Sandor would ask for one.

------------------------------

You had missed Southern summer nights.

Even if there was talk of autumn rolling it, you tried to ignore it. You prayed for a summer that never ends.

"Come away from there."

You turned to find your husband had returned from his rounds.

"There you are" you approached him grinning. "I missed you today."

Sandor didn't respond, moving to close the large window he found you standing in. "You'll catch a cold."

"Will not."

"Will so."

Sandor sighed, too tired to indulge your playful squabbles. His face was slack was exhaustion and his eyes trimmed with darkness.

You frowned, "Come here"

He obeyed slowly, leaning into your touch when you cupped either side of of face and kissed him.

"What trouble have you caused today?" He mumbled, wanting to at least try to engage in a conversation.

"None" you insisted. "But I met Lord Varys in the gardens today."

"The spider" Sandor grumbled. "Best to avoid that one."

"Oh I know. He and I were previously acquainted."

"Really?" Sandor pulled back at that and you frowned

"I did have a life before you," you reminded him. "Just like you had one before me."

Sandor seemed dissatisfied with this but pushed past it. Grabbing your wrist, he pulled you toward the bed.

You knew exactly what he wanted, straddling his hips and pulling the sleeves of your white shift down to expose the soft skin of your shoulders, neck and chest.

You had become accustomed to the feeling of his beard on your skin, entwining your fingers around his neck and head as he nestled his face again your chest.

"Hard day, darling?" You asked, knowing he would only grunt in response.

He wasn't a chatty man, and after your return to King's Landing you learned to appreciate that.

Everyone who met you wanted to talk, because of your novelty and newness.

Sandor just wanted to hold and be held, not even actually fuck. Not that it didn't usually lead to fucking.

"My poor old bear" you kissed the top of his head. "Shall I take point tonight?"

He nodded and you began to unbuckle and untie the fastenings of his clothes before slipping your shift over your head.

Once you were both bare you pulled him off the bed to turn it down properly.

"Come to bed, my love" you coaxed him, pressing your body against his. His response was a low rumble deep in his chest, pressing back against you with more strength than needed. You laughed, not allowing him to bowl you over and instead guiding him back against the pillows with light touches and kisses.

"My sweet husband." You purred, palming his cock and stroking it with a slow but firm rhythm. "So good to me."

Straddling him again, you pulled his chest flush with yours and sprinkled kisses on his face and broad shoulders. His mouth found the tops of your breasts, placing open mouth kisses over them and fondling the rest with rough, calloused hands.

Allowing him to distract himself with your chest, you carefully settled yourself over his cock and slipped the tip in.

Sandor groaned, face buried into your flesh as you sunk down into him painfully slow.

"There" You cooed, twisting his hair in your hands, "doesn't that feel so much better?"

After over a month of marriage, you had mastered the art of taking Sandor's impressive cock without pain. But all the same you couldn't hold back your whimpering moans as he stretched you.

"Fuck" you breathed, "you feel so good."

Encouraged, Sandor rooted around before slipping your nipple into his mouth. You purred loudly, know he loved to draw reactions from you.

The bed began to creak and whine with the motion of your bodies. The rise and fall of your ass as you bounced on his cock, slowly at first, but picking up speed and force when your husband indicated he needed more.

No words passed his lips. Not teasing or taunting to make you blush. Only moans and pants that you encouraged him to left flow freely.

"Y/N" he growled, bucking his hips slightly trying to keep up with you.

"Yes, sweetling?" You hung on his shoulders, using them as leverage to rock back and forth on him. Each movement brushed your clit against his pelvis and sent a shiver up your spine.

"I love you" he grabbed at your soft arms, holding them in place around his neck as he pressed his brow to yours. "Gods, Fuck- I love you so much."

You were breathless.

He hadn't actually said it before. You could hardly think straight, trying to keep your rhythm as your arms tightened around him.

"I love you, so much." You panted. "So much. Oh Gods Darling, hold me. Hold me please, I'm so close."

Nothing made you feel safer or more secure than when he tightened his large arms around your body, practically engulfing you, while you road out your orgasm on his cock. Feeling every jerk and spasm of your muscles as he continued to pump into you.

Your sensitive cunt clenched with each thrust, trying to catch up as Sandor gripped your hips and took control of them, forcing you to alternate rolling and bouncing on him.

Now it was your turn to become lost in the sensations of his flesh on yours. Keeping himself buried in you, he flipped you on your back and continued where you left off.

"Fuck, I-" you couldn't get a thought out. You knew after one climax you would last long before they came in droves. "Sandor, fuck."

"Sweet Wife" he echoed your words to him, kissing your neck and shoulders as he fucked you into the mattress. "So good to me. Let me be good to you."

You nodded encouragingly.

"You want to cum again for me, sweet girl."

"Yes" you breathed, gasping as his fingers found your clit.

"You want me to finish inside you again?"

"Please" you begged. "Please, please, please."

"Hmmmm" you felt his growl in the deepest part of your chest. "You beg so well. You know I couldn't deny you anything."

Your back began to arch as your hips raised to meet his hand, chasing your high with abandon as Sandor's mouth found the sensitive spot on your neck.

Your second orgasm came like a rolling tide, flooding your body and mind over and over again. Sandor growled as your cunt turned tight then relaxed, coating him in your sweet juices.

His release was also close at hand, and with a few more deep thrusts he nearly collapsed on top of you. Catching himself on his forearms, he peppered your face with hair with kisses before pulling out.

"Sweet love." You breathed. "Gods that was good."

"I needed that"

"I could tell" you nodded, crawling back to the pillows and curling up to him from behind. "Want to talk about why?"

"Fuck" Sandor rolled his eyes, "Fucking Gregor is staying for the Hand's Tourney. The whole week of it, the cunt."

"What, why?" You frowned. Gregor was the current head of House Clegane and he didn't have a legal heir. If he were to fall, he knew everything would fall to Sandor.

"Because he's a spiteful idiot,"

"Well," you thought, "You're not in the lists, right?"

"No, someone has to keep Joff alive."

"Well, then fuck him." You kissed the back of his shoulder. "If he wants to risk his life in some stupid tourney, let him. As long as I don't have to worry about you."

"He's doing this to fuck with me" Sandor grumbled. "I know it."

"Darling" You rolled him over to look him in the face. "I dont think he's smart enough to fuck with anyone. If anything, he probably just wants to bash someone skull in."

Sandor didn't answer, but allowed you to kiss his brow before snuffing out the lights.

[its-queen-panda-bear]

Drop the Little Constantine lore

I know exactly who asked this 👀 you're not slick

But shore, I shall use this as an excuse to ramble about the long lore of little Constantine

This is Ambrose Constantine, my DC OC that originally started off as a very quickly made dnd character and now has quickly ruined my life (affectionate) He is the son of John Constantine and would eventually become the embodiment of Death

(Lore ramble under the cut)

Ambrose grew up in London being raised by a single mother after his dad walked out on them before he was even born. Despite this, his mother has always held onto the hope that one day he would come back (hence why she named their son Ambrose John Constantine)

John falsely believed that his son wouldn't inherit any of his magic capabilities and figured that they would be safer if he was away. But he was wrong with the first bit because while his magic didn't come in until later in life, Ambrose did inherit his father's ability to see not only the dead, but other supernatural beings as well.

Ambrose was constantly tormented by these said beings, but everyone around him brushed it off as night terrors or something to that effect. He would also get constantly bullied for talking to himself while at school by the other kids, that sort of thing. He eventually got diagnosed with schizophrenia and was sent to a psych ward after he suffered a huge breakdown at just 12.

Then when he was 14, he stumbled upon a spell book while out in his public library and found a spell that he thought would help deal with his bullying problem. The next day while at school, he attempted the spell and it worked...too good and the bully nearly died after being caught on fire. Ambrose was then sent to another psych ward to avoid jail time but was suddenly broken out after only two weeks when one John Constantine showed up.

Long story short cause this can take forever, John explained everything about him being his father and about the world of magic and how dangerous it could be if not done right. There was a lot of back and forth, until John begrudgingly agreed that it would be better and safer if he trained Ambrose properly.

I'm also going to skim over the part when they discover that Ambrose's magic has an emotional component to it, meaning that not only can his emotions dictate how well or powerful his spells are when cast, it can also affect the color of it. This just basically means that he has to be in the right head space while casting or chaos/danger will ensue. This is why his bully almost died when he attempted a spell because he was so worked up and angry while casting it.

After a year of training, Ambrose joined in on his dad's adventures and was excited to help people. He eventually met other vigilantes, but continued to operate mostly with John. The two didn't really get along but John still felt an obligation towards Ambrose to at least try and keep him safe. It wasn't until he was 17 that they had a falling out and Ambrose struck out on his own. He decided that in order to protect his mom from any potential repercussions, he designed a costume and started going by the name Moonweaver.

Though, he soon discovered that his methods weren't all that welcomed amongst his fellow vigilantes and his magic was deemed too dangerous as he often left his villains in critical condition. They also didn't like how petty he could be as he was known for making people go annoyed him...shit frogs.

During this time striking out on his own, he met and started dating a girl named Agnes, who claimed to be a witch. He fell hard for her and she encouraged him to seek out more magic and branch out his spells. This led him to discovering his speciality for blood and chaos magic.

(Side note ramble which will be important to note later: Ambrose specializes in sigil and blood magic. He combines the two by drawing symbols with his own blood to add more kick to it since blood is a very powerful tool and ingredient. He ended up mastering creating his own sigils on the spot, which he can use for whatever situation 👌)

Everything with Agnes seemed to be going great with a minimum of red flags here and there...until a year and a half into their relationship Agnes was revealed to be a demon that had been sent to spy on him and wanted his soul. This resulted in a very messy breakup while they fought each other. Their fight attracted the attention of The Outlaws, who managed to come in and help hold her off while Ambrose set up a ritual to banish her.

After that, he somehow managed to find his way into joining The Outlaws.

With The Outlaws, Ambrose finally felt a sense of belonging and despite being the youngest there, he got along very well with all of them. (Especially with Anton aka Green Lantern aka Christmas who is my best friend's OC)

Then when he was 21, he met Nightwing and Starfire's daughter, Vertina aka Tina, who he immediately fell for. Though, the two didn't end up dating until a year later and suddenly, everything in his life felt like it was falling into place.

Tina was everything to him and the two were very clearly obsessed with each other, much to Nightwing's dismay. Tina brought out the good in him and he genuinely saw himself marrying her and helping her open her dream bakery once they retired from crime fighting.

Two years into the relationship, Ambrose couldn't hold himself back and proposed to her, to which she said yes

(Art of Tina by her creator @marstothestarz )

Though, in typical DC fashion, nothing good can last forever...

Months before they were planned to get married, an alien warlord invaded Earth with his entire army. All the heroes and villains teamed up together in order to try and stop them. Ambrose was sent out on a team with Nightwing and Batman (Cass) to infiltrate the main ship to plant bombs. Though, they were soon discovered and a fight broke out, which resulted in Ambrose getting badly injured. Cass managed to slip away, but the bomb was dismantled and Nightwing and Ambrose were captured.

They were thrown into separate cells and Ambrose was left bleeding out from a stomach wound. It was then that he saw a woman dressed in robes out from the corner of his eye and knew that it was Death.

Although, in that moment Nightwing managed to break them both out and regrouped with Batman. Since Ambrose was still bleeding from a stomach wound and the bomb was dismantled, the two older heroes decided to forget the mission and retreat in order to get Ambrose medical attention.

But Ambrose knew the stakes that were at hand and came up with a plan of his own. He knew that he was dying anyways and the entire world rested on their shoulders to destroy the ship. So he tricked the two into an escape pod and remained behind. He then found his way to the center control panel of the ship and began to use his own blood to draw sigils on his body and performed a ritual that made him the bomb instead by concentrating all of his energy and magic. So when the enemies broke through, he released the powerful blast that destroyed the entire ship with him in it.

...

But then he came back a year later after John Constantine rescued him from hell (long story) and after crawling out from his own grave, John immediately threw him his costume and sent him back out into a fight since it turned out that now Darkseid was invading and it was all hands on deck.

Ambrose was still reeling from the trauma of dying and his time spent in hell, but forced himself to focus on the task at hand and find Tina through the chaos. When he found her, he called out her name to which she turned around mid-fight to look in his direction... giving the enemy the chance to pick her up and rip her in half right in front of him

Skipping over the rest of the fight simply because we haven't fleshed that part out, but needless to say that in the end, Darkseid was defeated, but now Ambrose was left alone as he was forced to bury the love of his life so soon after coming back from his own grave.

Despite the fact he still had the ability to see ghosts, he never once saw Tina's, which drove him insane for that first year after her death.

He immediately retired after her funeral and didn't give any attempts at healing or moving on, although he did end up with a service dog that he named Coldplay.

For two years he spent mourning the life he never would get to have with Tina and waited till the day he could see her again.

And then something strange started happening.

Hundreds of people suddenly started dying randomly without any warning whatsoever at the hands of a mysterious woman, who turned out to be Death herself who had gone crazy from the thousands and thousands of years she spent reaping and guiding souls. No one could seem to stop her warpath as she continued to tear through people and causing chaos onto the streets.

Needless to say, this definitely brought Ambrose out of retirement as he joined forces with his dad and other heroes in an attempt to stop her. The only nagging question was what would happen if they did end up stopping her? What would happen if Death died?

Ambrose knew the answer.

Back when he was dating Anges, she mentioned in passing a rumor/old wives tell about how Death wasn't always just one person throughout the beginning of time, but was multiple people. It said that when the time came, Death would pass on their responsibilities to someone worthy, or should Death ever be killed, it would then pass onto the one who killed them. It was considered that if a person was Death for too long, they would start to go insane and corrupted, so it was important for them to pass on the responsibility before this happened.

Remembering this, Ambrose made a decision. Similarly to the way he sacrificed his life to save the world, this time he chose to sacrifice his death

We haven't gone over the specifics over how this goes down, but Ambrose manages to kill Death which causes him to go through the transformation of taking on the responsibility and role of Death

(Ambrose as Death ft. Ghost Tina)

Even though he willingly accepted becoming Death, it still took him a while to fully come to terms with the fact that he would never die and if he did, it would be after everyone he's ever known dies and watched as civilizations rise then fall.

One of the perks, however, was that this new promotion granted him the ability to see Tina again. In order to respect the balance and also not take her away from paradise, he is only allowed to see her once a year when the veil is the thinnest aka Halloween. While it's not a lot, he would take whatever he can get just to see her face.

And thus, is the lore of little Constantine 😁

[lovelyladyabsinthewrites]

A Mouse in a Lion’s Den Pt.13

Pairing(s): Rhaegar Targaryen x Lannister!Reader

Warnings: blood

Words: 2118

Summary: A dinner is held to celebrate your pregnancy.

Part 1   Part 2�� Part 3  Part 4  Part 5  Part 6  Part 7  Part 8  Part 9  Part 10  Part 11  Part 12  Part 14  Part 15  Part 16  Part 17  Part 18

Book One of Heir of Ash and Fire

That old witch had been wrong about everything. She should have known better than to trust that crazy bat that promised her a crown and a king. It all had gone to her sister. Her unworthy sister that didn’t realize just how lucky she was for Rhaegar to give her the time of day.

Why?

The moment she was conceived Joanna had been convinced that the babe was meant for greatness without even seeing her yet. Sometimes Cersei would catch her mother dotingly caressing her swollen stomach and promising her unborn daughter that she would be queen.

Nothing about (y/n) was extraordinary. She had just been a squawking newborn, not beautiful in any way. Oh but how Joanna loved her. For no apparent reason she loved her more than Cersei even though it was Cersei who was the beautiful one. Cersei, the one with the brains and wit even at such a young age-

“I’ve had enough of this!” Cersei growls at her father, slamming down her palms on his work desk. He quirks an eyebrow at her actions, unamused. “I want to go back to Casterly Rock!!”

“Lannisters never run away. No matter how unpleasant the news is.” Tywin watches his eldest child with impassive, pale, eyes. Cersei looked so much like Joanna, except for the fury. The fury was purely her own. Another one of his children had taken after her gentle nature. . .

“What use have we to stay here any longer?! You’re no longer the Hand! There’s no way of me becoming Rhaegar’s bride now! There’s nothing left for us here!”

Yes, things did look bleak. Tywin never had been accustomed to losing. He was a man of strategy. “Sit down, Cersei.”

Her normally pale face was blotched with anger as she forces her bottom onto a cushion. She never thought she would hate it in King’s Landing yet (y/n) ruined that as well. She’s ruined everything ever since the day she was born. That wretched day where Jaime had looked upon his baby sister. Fragile and small. Was that the day she lost Jaime’s favor? No, it couldn’t be. Jaime had always been her’s since the early days of their childhood. Even at the Tourney of Harrenhal, Cersei had still been the center of Jaime’s heart. When she was heartbroken over (y/n) being betrothed to Rhaegar, it was Jaime that comforted her. Jaime that said that she was the queen of his heart.

Everything must have changed recently.

How recent though?

Tywin’s words sounded important, but all Cersei could hear was the sickening beat of her heart.

She couldn’t lose Jaime.

She lost her mother to (y/n) as well as Rhaegar.

(y/n) wouldn’t have Jaime.

As Tywin spoke of his plans for the family, Cersei made plans of her own. (y/n) had ruined her life for the last time.

*

There was a brooding air around your husband lately. You had caught whispers, talks of war between him and Jon Connington. Things you weren’t supposed to hear. When he didn’t think you were paying attention you would catch a glimpse of his weary face. Underneath that youthful beauty was exhaustion. He wore it well though, you would give him that. It melted away when he would see the growth of your belly. At least that was something.

No matter how plagued he was by the secrets he kept, the clouds of his face parted to let out the sun.

With this new melancholy of his, Rhaegar would also be gone hours at a time. You didn’t know where he was when this happened, but could only assume it had to do with the passed whispers him and Jon shared.

War.

You place both hands on your swollen stomach. What did that mean for you and your baby? From listening to your father when he used to be the Hand of King Aerys, you knew that there were different types of war. Yet for Rhaegar to be so concerned you knew it was something big.

“My lady? Shouldn’t you be getting ready for the feast tonight?”

Fingers draw weary circles on your temples, you address Thalina “It’ll be fine if I don’t show up right? I’m not feeling up to a feast tonight.”

“But it’s specifically for you!” Thalina exclaimed, slightly outraged.

“Not for me,” you pat your abdomen “for him.”

Huffing, Thalina is already marching to your wardrobe to pick out a dress for you. “Regardless, the king will be there! How would it look if you didn’t show up?”

You shrug. “I’m sure he wouldn’t really care. I don’t know why he’s throwing a feast for us anyway. Everyone knows how Rhaegar lost his favor. Even I’ve heard the rumors that Aerys wants Viserys to be next in line for the throne. And don’t say that he’s doing it out of the kindness of his heart. Even you know that’s complete nonsense.” She knew that she was caught there. Aerys possessed no kindness in his heart. “Well. . . It would be nice for you to get accustomed to the court here. Ever since you got married you’ve either sequestered yourself here in your room with Rhaegar or in the courtyard. You need to show the others that you’re going to be a strong queen. For both Rhaegar and the little prince you carry inside of you.”

Thalina was right. You couldn’t hide away forever. You had to be the queen that Rhaegar deserved. After all, you wanted to be strong and smart enough to survive life at a royal court.

Inhaling deeply you consent. “Alright. Just choose something that won’t suffocate me or smoosh the baby.” Whenever you mentioned your unborn child, an intense wave of warmth would feel your stomach. A giddy smile sparks onto your face as you think about your baby. Your beautiful baby that would look exactly like Rhaegar. No matter what horridness went on around you at least you had the thought of your baby that was growing quickly inside of you.

*

“Your father is growing incredibly suspicious.” Ser Arthur Dayne tells his prince hastily. He had been away for quite some time, trying to rally supporters in secret for Rhaegar. Griff huffs, crossing his arms in a haughty manner. “The Mad King’s always suspicious. What makes this time so different?”

“Everything.” Rhaegar tells his red haired knight, making the man simmer down. “He’s anxious more than ever now that (y/n) is pregnant. Tywin Lannister is still here which doesn’t bode well. He has good reason to be suspicious now. We’ve been able to keep quiet thus far but the stakes are rising.” Weary he runs a hand through his silver hair. It wasn’t safe for (y/n) to be in King’s Landing. He didn’t know what his father would do. Her pregnancy was already so far along though, he couldn’t risk moving her. He should’ve known it months ago. Selfishly though he wanted to keep her by his side. Rhaegar had grown so used to her presence. Being away from her. . .

Pausing at the thought he realized he didn’t even want to finish it. To be without her would be painful. She was what kept him put together. She kept the melancholy away. A warm fluttering sensation made his stomach feel light and for some reason he felt like laughing. How was it that even when she wasn’t near that thinking about her caused him to smile and feel as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. Even as his knights argued among themselves he wasn’t worried.

That’s why when he let out a soft chuckle both Arthur and Jon turn their heads and stare incredulously at him. Rhaegar covers his mouth with his hand. “Apologies. Yes, this is very serious. We must start acting quickly if we are to still catch my father off guard. Which, needless to say, is a difficult task. As long as our decoys do as is instructed then his attention should be off of us.”

“Do you think it’s still wise to be trusting Tywin?” Frowning, Jon crosses his arms across his chest. “Someday he might use this as leverage.”

“He is my father-in-law and the man is guaranteed some trust. . .” sighs Rhaegar although it was the last thing he wanted to do. Not even (y/n) trusted her own father which said a lot. But Tywin Lannister was smart and calculating. Of course Rhaegar wouldn’t be chummy with him, rather keep a close eye. They did say to keep your enemies close. And with someone like Tywin Lannister it was best to hold their hand rather than stray away.

The one thing he was concerned with most was (y/n). He needed to get her out of King’s Landing before all hell broke loose. It would be best if he were able to move her into a nearby town that wasn’t too far of a journey.

“Arthur, how quickly can you acquire a place for (y/n)?”

*

What else could you expect the banquet to be? Everyone acted so happy for you but deep inside you could see the mirror of their words. At least Rhaegar had been there for you. Surprisingly you had enjoyed yourself. The food had been marvelous as had the music that you couldn’t help but dance with Rhaegar when he offered you his hand. You weren’t as graceful as he was, even before your belly had swelled so that it kept him at a distance rather than flushed against you. When you were with him you didn’t care if you looked akin to a mule kicking up dirt with his hoof. Even Tyrion had been allowed to attend, although he was incredibly self-conscious of the many eyes that stared at him. You tried to take his mind off of them by dancing with him and simply making him happy.

It was starting to get hard for you to get comfortable in your bed as your belly grew. Trying not to make too much noise you shift your body to face a slumbering Rhaegar. Smooth eyelids closed to allow his dark lashes to kiss his cheeks. Such beautiful cheekbones he possessed that sloped down to his chiseled jaw. Wild hair splayed all over his pillow like silver water. Full lips parted slightly as he dreamed of sweetness. He had had fun today too. You don’t recall ever seeing him smile so much and laugh so easily. At least not in a while. Something had been bothering him as of late and a dark part of you assumed it had to do with Lyanna.

Eyes dart over to his large desk where he kept his letters. Ever since he received that letter from Lyanna you had been dying to read it. What did she say?

You regard your sleeping husband for a moment, making sure he was truly deep in the arms of slumber.

“Rhaegar?” You whisper. He didn’t move or even indicate that he was a little bit awake. Satisfied you shimmy to the side of your bed and slide off. You take a candlestick from the side of your bed and light it, illuminating the way to Rhaegar’s desk. The curiosity was too much to bear.

Each step you took felt like the dull thud of your heart as you tried to keep your wits with you. What would Rhaegar think if he caught you sneaking around his personal belongings? You had never done anything like this before. It wasn’t in your nature to skulk around.

Your fingers brush against the brass handle of one of the desk drawers, holding your breath in your throat as your other hand placing the candlestick on the smooth surface. It might kill you to read what Lyanna wrote to Rhaegar. What if they were still having their emotional affair? It had been bad enough finding out about his affections for her, but what if they still lingered?

As you were about to slide the drawer open a stabbing pain pierced through your stomach and made you incredibly nauseous. You keel over, landing harshly on your knees, holding onto your abdomen as it felt like your insides were being ripped to shreds. Your breathing was hard as you tried to cry out for Rhaegar. You didn’t need to though. The violent sounds of you vomiting was enough to trigger him awake.

He instantly rises from his bed and rushes to your side. “(y/n)?!!”

Your eyes strained to look up at his pale face, but only fell to the floor. The light from the candle was enough to illuminate the massive red pile on the floor that you had expelled.

Blood.

--------

TAGLIST:

@esposadomd​

@ladybug0095​

[modernspellsword]

[NARRATE] The sender narrates the story behind one of their scars. (Bullet wound!)

((Oh boy. Here comes a doozy.))

"So? You wanna find out how I got these?" She asked as she poked two round-ish scars. "Its a story, take a seat. Want a drink?"

When her listener was comfortable Annalise began.

So, I'm Bi. Possibly pan. And I keep making terrible decisions. After a summer with a Werewolf where we just weren't meant to be I resumed my monster hunting career. Around 23 I took a job to hunt a demon in a small upstate New York town along the Erie canal. It was a town well past its time, with as many boarded up buildings as open ones. I went with a dedicated demon hunter. A nice guy who, while a touch extreme, was a genuine good guy. Fought with twin guns. Blessed bullets. Was pretty good too. A little quick on the trigger, but hadn't hurt anybody on his team yet. Aside from some ear damage. Well we had to find the demon in the area. So the two of us being the only ones who knew in town split up to search for this demon. While I was out I met this cute girl. Brie was her name. We hit it right off. Brie and I uh... We kinda became close. Very close. I'm a horny fool so in the 12 days we were together we had gotten close as hell. We did some stuff together. However on day 12 my fellow hunter said he had found out the demons identity and to meet him in the park.

So I go to the park and I see my co-hunter pointing a gun at my new girlfriend. I freak the fuck out. And well... Damn. That didn't work out well. Standing between my girlfriend and my co-hunter going 'Hol up why are you trying to shoot my girlfriend'.

Well a few seconds later I hear some gunshots. And a ton of discomfort in my gut. She traced her twin scars with her fingers lightly. I wake up a few days later in a fancy mansion and I learn finally what happened.

Over the 12 days I was in town Brie and I met for 8 of them. On the remaining four my demon hunter friend had discovered our demon. It was Brie. And she was no ordinary demon. Having heard that the flow of magic was restored to earth a demon queen, one of the born demons, not a sinner from earth, had come to earth. Taking a hit to her power in exchange for being left alone by other demons. Well uh, the hunter organization did what it loves to do and tried to ruin a peaceful monsters life. And my demon hunter? Well he truly meant well, and to be fair to him, had I known, I wouldn't have stood between us, but I would have tried to calm him down. And to be more fair, Brie? She was playing with him. Using her powers to do... Something to him. So when I met him things were coming apart at his seams, but he was aiming to put his pistols down. They just went off.

Brie? She was livid. For what its worth I had fallen for her like a goddamn ten ton weight off mt Everest. But she liked me. Genuinely liked me. She destroyed his guns with a thought and was going to do the worst things she could to him. However apparently I stopped her. I struck her with my blade. I don't remember this, and I'm told I didn't even cut her skin. But I told her 'no' and she listened. She sent the hunter on his way and made a pact with me. I could live, but I would become part demon.

And... I did. However I had two blessed bullets in me. While I won't die from them, my demon powers are limited due to them. And these scars? They will never heal. I lived with Brie for a bit, but finding out I fell for a demon queen was a bit much so when she had something lined up I stayed with a vampire teacher. It took a few years to learn my demon powers. And I still haven't mastered them. But I got a lot better at it. And... I still have these scars to remind me of the fool I am.

[trollocks-in-my-bollocks]

20 Questions about writing 2.0

A while ago @lavendelhummel tagged me in her ask post and I want to make a point about my ability to actually react to stuff in a timely manner (rip). I worked a 12h shift today and with an addled brain (edit: lol I haven't managed to post this from the drafts in two days), I'm doing this. This is fun, we are going to have fun now.

1. How many works do you have on ao3?

Officially five. Unofficially there's a secret 6th one.

2. What’s your total ao3 word count?

68,919 words, most of it was written in 2022 when I had a weird year. The country next to us was being invaded by another, people who I'd thought would know better just went fully insane, I felt isolated and I needed escapism. Then next year I moved to a farm in Italy for a month, then to another country to do research for half a year through a dark slavic winter, so being alone was a theme and I was writing most of my fics in those periods when I had no family or social life, just quiet nights and my laptop.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

The Wheel of Time, my plots are spoilery and most of my stories are about the gap between NS and TEOTW or set after TMOL.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Born from Dark Water -- (The Cute One)

2. Dark Matter // Trip Through the Ways -- (The Kinky One)

3. Winternight's Tales -- (a series of short stories with a Moiraine/Birgitte threat in the background, a sort of AMOL fix-it)

4. Rain -- (the Entai One)

5. Il vento non era l'inizio -- (The One Written In Italian People Still Left Kudos On???)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I receive the best comments and nearly always reply but sometimes when someone says something incredibly nice I take several days or weeks to reply because I don't want to ruin the impression my fic left in them with an inadeqate reply. I know it's silly.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I'm not willing to write angsty endings, we have the source material for that. If I need to choose it would be Il vento non era l'inizio because it's a story about Moiraine leaving Siuan behind in Tar Valon and she's accidentally making it snow (sad cloud dancer moment).

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Dark Matter // Trip Through the Ways has the most optimistic ending compared to were the story is coming from.

8. Do you get hate on fic?

Not really. Someone once freaked out a bit because my characters didn't cuddle but that was more on the entertaining side.

9. Do you write smut?

I try but light knows I'm so bad at it. I probably shouldn't be allowed to write wlw scenes but who else will write that specific story then?? the ethernal conflict.

10. Do you write crossovers?

No :(

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I think it's natural for this fandom to have this collective meta lore that evolves with time (e.g. we all think it was Siuan who taught Moiraine fishing with her powers) and people take inspiration from this collective pool, it can't be always traced back who had a certain idea first. That being said, I often start my chapters explaining in a short note which author inspired certain characterisations or ideas in my story, just to be fair and mostly because I'm obsessed with these fanworks and I want them to be read and cherished.

I did experience a certain author 'borrowing' very specific world-building elements from me. I didn't really mind it but they could have left notes, kudos or comments or something on the fic they were borrowing from, it wasn't really elegant this way.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not to my knowledge, but writing them is already a translation process (pain).

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No but it would be so motivating to do that.

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

Well, Moiraine and the Green Man of course. Siuanraine but I'm not good at writing them so I just binge other authors' stories.

While they never meet in the books, I'm obsessed with Birgitte/Moiraine and how well they could understood each other's pain. I'm actually so obsessed that I have written 37,229 words about the topic. (Most of it is just post-TMOL fix it, they only meet in the last few chapters of the story)

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but probably won’t?

Probably the secret one. Also I always think that the next chapter would be the final one for Winternight's Tales and then the story just takes a turn at its own will.

16. What are your writing strengths?

My worldbuilding and the way I'm writing platonic relationships, probably. I think I'm good at writing entai as well :DDD.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

The Sex Scenes and my dialogues.. Also I'm writing these long sentences and it's so hard to change that habit.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I'm constantly writing dialogues in another language. It's hard.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I've written a ballad for the Stargate fandom in my native tongue when I was a teenager. I got a comment on it on ff.net after I graduated from my bachelors but I was so happy about it :D

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Dark Matter // Trip Through the Ways, I laughed so much when I was writing this one.

I'm going to be a creep and just tag the writers here I sort of know and like so much, @lakeofsilverpike @asuitablegirl96, @gabolange @woodytwig @onaperduamedee @poohsticksbridge, @thatordinaryoddity but no pressure!

[mcx7demonbros]

Year of the Cat

Headcanons

C/W. None

At first, I intended this to be a fic. But I realized I couldn’t do it, so I turned it into a headcanon. Enjoy :3

N.B. Reader is implied to be a Vietnamese. Because only Vietnamese celebrate year of the Cat, instead of the Rabbit.

You brought the Lunar New Year and its traditions to the Devildom. Everyone enjoys celebrating each year with a different animal and associating an animal with a person (ex: Tiger with Diavolo, Snake with Levi and Barbatos, etc.)

So it’s Year of the Rabbit this time. Asmo is overjoyed since it’s his year.

In your place, however, people celebrate Year of the Cat instead. You didn’t want to ruin Asmo’s joy so you didn’t tell him. You only told the cat worshipper fourth-born Satan.

He went on to ask you a lot of questions. And I mean A LOT, until he’s satisfied.

“Why is there such a big difference in the Chinese zodiacs? What caused the difference? May I ask if there’s an interesting story behind this?” You then told him the story of the origin of the Chinese zodiacs, with the part that explains why the Cat made it to the cycle. This writer has to mention that the fourth eldest loves listening to your story-telling voice.

After hearing the story, Satan joined Barbatos in developing an enmity with rats.

Now Satan considers Year of the Cat to be a holy year that only comes once every 12 years. He also told Solomon so this holy year could be observed within their cat-loving society.

He also believes this is his lucky year and that he was born in a year of the Cat. Lucifer is ready to refute that at any moment.

The Cat is the 4th in the cycle, and Satan is the fourth eldest. Satan believes it’s not a coincidence.

Satan arranged a date for the both of you in your country. You two went to a lot of places where people displayed beautiful cat statues and figurines for the new year to take pictures and celebrate.

And since cute cats were literally everywhere in your country for the holiday, from statues to advertisements. You had to go literally every place so Satan could adore the cats.

Though he saw a number of not-so beautiful cat depictions.

“Where’s the artist? I have to tell them that they completely failed to capture the beauty of the sublime feline race.”

You had to pull him away before more trouble came.

You took him to meet real cats at a cat café to calm him down.

After the cat café, it finally came to the more romantic part of the date.

“Thank you, MC. For everything you have done for me today and before, and for being a part of my life. I love you.” Satan said as he gave you a kiss at the end of your date.

Satan and you decided to let the others in the HoL to figure everything about Year of the Cat out by themselves.

However, when you two returned, you were confronted by a whining Asmo and jealous Mammon, Levi & Belphie. Apparently, someone had leaked the information (it was Solomon).

[For this part, read the Chinese zodiac story first]

<<How the Cat made it to the cycle>>

After being tricked by the Rat, the Cat didn’t give up. It arrived at the Heaven after the zodiacs had all been decided. The Cat recounted what had happened to the Jade Emperor, who took pity on the Cat but couldn’t do anything because all zodiacs had been chosen. At that time, the Moon Goddess, who also pitied the Cat, stepped up to help it. She asked for the Rabbit to leave the zodiacs and joined her in the Moon Court. The Rabbit agreed and it was removed from the zodiacs, and the Cat replaced it, as the fourth of the zodiacs.

This has been sitting in my w.i.p for months. Argh.

Also, if you want to see beautiful and/or ugly cat statues in my country for Lunar New Year. You can ask me.

[sendsexycopsasap]

Resentment list 4th step

1.being born into an awful divorce, this traumatized me and ruined my self-esteem. This covers so much I'm not sure how I'll get to 20?

2.my shy, timid nature. It would kill me to hurt a fly I'm quite the softie.

3.self-harm. I began cutting myself extensively around 18-19, this really cemented the self-hatred that stalks me all the time.

4.my female friends as a kid knowing I was gay before I did. My dick really controls me sometimes I just wanna get rid of it.

5.Being brought to a psychiatrist at 14(wow this is a big one) and going along with whatever he said because I didn't know better(how could I?). He put me on over a dozen different anti-depressants by the time I turned 15.

6. Poverty and injustice I see all around me, it sucks how unfair this world can be.

7.My father being an alcoholic, although he would never admit this. He used to get drunk and "wrestle" me really aggressively as a kid( like age 9)

8.getting creepily diddled by my family doctor, she said she was "checking me for lumps" but she had this creepy grin on her face and it lasted for at least 20 seconds.

9. My mother refusing any contact with me for the past 6 years. This has been the saddest part of my life, she raised me on her own and I feel so lost without her I cannot bear. I love her more than anything, she's my everything.

10. Crystal meth. You sank your hooks into me and ripped away my kindness, humanity and soul. I will never forgive you.

11.The deep sadness I've felt my entire life. This kindof relates to the first two, but just for context, this is the hole that meth filled. This was caused by an acute lack, of love and kindness/ my upbringing.

12. The demons that Crystal meth brought out of me. I will get more into this as it's really a few things. First of all it made me violent, my first time coming down I punched this small, make nurse as hard as I could. this isn't me, this isn't what my mother raised me to to.

13. This is my blog and there's just no way around this, my dad is kindof a pedophile, or "hebophile" more accurately, I've seen him thirsting over teenage girls. My mother, acutely aware of this did her best to shelter me from him and keep me safe. I always thought my mother's love was enough, I believed it would protect me.

14. When my mother left me at 19, I pretty much immediately began masturbating to the thought of girls a few years younger than me as a coping mechanism. I'll never forgive myself for this, when she left it felt like the good part of me left too.

15. The strange omerta surrounding these, uh, "issues" that make it impossible to actually help anyone and pretty much guarantee someone could get hurt, even though it's 2024, I geuss it's because it only really happens in men and we're in a tough place as a society(COVID)

16. As you may have geussed by now, Crystal meth brought out full blown pedophillc thoughts in me. It was the only thing that made me not suicidal for the first time in years, but yeah after a few months of daily use. I just full on wanted to fuck a child I can't really explain it, I don't act on these thoughts I'd rather jump off a bridge.

17. In conclusion, you may say "LOL UR A P3D0 KYS", and to that I say, alright. I've survived 3 or 4 suicide attempts so don't think you can break me so easily. I'm not here to advocate for pedophiles, but I'm a person, an inconveniently queer one so make of that what you will!

P.S. I'm in therapy and have been sober from meth so since August, I'm doing my best to man-up and solve my issues but if that's not good enough for you, you know what I know exactly how you feel a lot of things aren't good enough for me, including your society.

[fierce-little-miana]

I have recently watched Mulan: Rise of a Warrior (2009), the Chinese movie about the ballad of Hua Mulan. It was a good a movie, I had a nice time watching it (even if I have my issues with parts of it) but what fascinated was how the final tragedy unfolded.

For a moment I really believed Mulan was going to die, and maybe even lose militarily, or at the very least her love interest was the one who was going to die. None of them did. They won the war, defeated the evil warlord and survived. And yet their end felt deeply tragic. At first I wondered why.

Mulan goes home to live with her father. She has no life, her childhood friend is dead, she has been fighting for 12 years. No one and nothing waits for her besides an aging sick father that probably won't live long and a life of domesticity for which she doesn't seem really eager (when she was a child her father said in her presence that he had failed raising her because she went beyond this domesticity to protect her friend). Her love interest becomes the heir of the emperor and marries for the good of the people. They both decide to part way after having spend years together, to live the role they were supposed to have at birth (that the war took away from them but which did not make them happy to begin with).

It is a sad ending, but not the saddest possible. So why did it nag me so?

And then I realized that the ending of Mulan: Rise of a Warrior asked the exact parallel question of Electra's ending by Jean Giraudoux.

In Giraudoux's Electra, the play ends after Oreste has killed his mother and uncle and this murder, in addition to avenging his father's murder, leads to the fall and sack of the city of Argos by Corinth. This is how a character resumes the situation:

"How do we call it? When the sun rises, like it does today, and everything is ruined, everything is wrecked, and yet the air has become breathable, and we have lost everything, the city burns, innocents kill each other, but the guilty people are dying in a corner of this very rising sun?"

(Translation mine)

In a way seeing our two main leads in Mulan so wretchedly unhappy at the end of this movie, after having done everything for their country and making sure everyone can live in peace and harmony, asks the exact opposite question:

"How do we call it? When the sun rises, like it does today, and everything is in order, everything is fixed, and yet air has become unbreathable, and we have gained everything, the city stands, innocent are safe, but the heroes are dying in a corner of this very rising sun?"

The answer to this question is given by the choir/god-like figure of the play in Electra. He says:

"It has a very beautiful name, […], it is called dawn."

(Translation mine)

You can read this line a myriad of ways of course. Personally I have always read it two ways. First it represents the mundanity of it all. How is it called when the sun rises? It is dawn. The fact that the guilties are agonizing, that innocents are punished too is mundane, not a thing really worth commenting on. The other meaning is tied to what dawn is. Dawn is the beginning of a new day, the symbolization of a new beginning. This great waste, this great moment of truth is a new beginning.

I have always made the synthesis of the two significations in my head: that all new beginnings, all great moment of truth, are born of colossal waste, always. That it is this connexion between the two that is as mundane as the sun rise being called dawn.

The ending of Mulan: Rise of a Warrior fits this perfectly. This new beginning for the collective is born of a colossal personal waste (while in Electra the colossal waste is public and the new beginning is personal).

From that I gather that you cannot get some worthwhile change without someone getting massively hurt in the process (someone who did not really deserve to be hurt like this). In this way the two stories answer each other.

That is why this ending keeps nagging. It looks at me asking "was it worth it?" and the answer is both yes and no.

[ghostbox-nostalgia]

Oh and since I've started the rough drafts of them, here's some info on the 12 disciples in my au. No I did not mean to make 12 it just sorta happened. I also want you to note that all but two had the same thought of "holy shit that's a child" when they met Eden and that's the main reason they decided to become followers in the first place to make sure he would be ok.

This is just some rough info to act as some backround

WARNING THIS IS LONG AS SHIT, MY APOLOGIES!

Starting off with canon(?) sort of characters we have:

-Webber, he/they/we: spider character from the game don't starve who was added during a collab to cotl. the youngest and a disciple in training. We first meet him at age 8 and is the last to come along. Life has been extended

-Haru, he/him: the yellow cat from the one animated short. Was a priest of leshys until he fought the lamb on a crusade and lost. Was brought back after realizing how much was censored about the slaughter of the sheep and asked if he could redeem himself. Age 24 and was the third last to become a disciple. Immortal

Now we have the not Canon characters who I have in my actual save file. I will also share their silly ridiculous names I have for them in game since I am atrocious at being serious.

-Mamer, he/him, has always been Mamer: a teal rabbit and the first follower and disciple of Edens. He was taken in by the compound that eden was born in and swore himself to protecting whoever was to become the prophesied lamb. Was captured by cultists a week before Edens execution and was about to be sacrificed when ratau and eden found him on the way to the compound. Taught eden how to fight and the traditional boxing style of the sheepfolk. Current grounds keeper. In game this man goes on hella missions and is responsible for at least 20 followers. Age 32, immortal.

-Clement, he/they, Friend Traitor in game: a big, surly orange tabby cat. He and his sister Cerise came as a pair and were found in the ruins of a village in darkwood, rummaging through their belongings to see if anything was salvageable. They had been taken temporarily on orders from kallamars clergy to aid in the construction of one of the wings of his temple. While they were away, their village started refusing to give anymore of their materials to the bishops so an attack was ordered on it. When they came back everything was gone. Both Clement and Cerise became disciples at the same time and became disciples second. Clement taught Eden how to build. Clements the head of the builders hut. In game they're just a silly feller with a silly name and I love them. Age 30, immortal

-Cerise, she/her, Amigo Treachery in game: a red and that's more magenta coloured. I said quite a bit of her backstory with Clement but the difference is that she runs the stonemines and lumberyard and taught Eden how to find and gather quality materials while on Crusading. She works in lumberyard mostly in game too but she also spends a fair amount of time at the shrine. Age 29, immortal

-Ellis, they/them, Taxes in game: a rosy maple moth and the third disciple. They were captured by helob while in darkwood and was a day away from being eaten when eden found them and bought their freedom. They had offered to walk Ellis back home but they had decided after working in Shamuras treasury for most of their life they didn't really have anything worthwhile to get back to and so decided to go back to the compound with the lamb and now work as the treasurer and tax collector. In game they're tax enforcer but otherwise kind of unremarkable. Age 34, immortal.

-Finley, she/her, Pæňïş in game (truly terrible name I'm so sorry girl): a raspberry colored raccoon and the fourth disciple along side Merrick, as they came in a pair. Both Finley and Merrick were apart on the Fox' cult and were cannibals for most of their lives. They only left after their fellow cultists turned against them while on a hunting trip. Eden found them an inch away from death and surrounded, and after killing the remaining heretics they took the two back to the compound to heal. After learning the two's story, Eden offered them a chance to redeem themselves and turn their lives around with the caveat that the cannibalism stops. They agreed and joined as followers, and earned their discipleship. Finley's the head cook and is the overseer of all the dietary restrictions, while her fellow workers take care of the compound at large. Despite the cannibalism she's actually quite lovely and very personable. Her and Merrick are just good friends and bonded after their mutual betrayal. In game I send her on missions quite a bit since her stats are good. Age 27, immortal.

-Merrick, he/him, originally Marth (my best friends a fire emblem fan and requested it. Personality doesn't match): a blue fox and the fourth disciple along side Finley. Backround info is above. He's sparky and snappish with a bit of a temper but is very good humored and lovely to be around. His job is the head butcher with a very lucrative side gig of disposing of dissenters. The lamb DOES allow the pair to partake in the occasional heretic or dissenter but by and large they both just eat regular meat now. His in game role is kept empty but he's usually the first to get to the drinkhouse when I need stuff made so there's that. Age 27, immortal.

-Azalea, she/they, was lovingly named *DJ sounds*, pronounced however the hell you want: a black koi fish and the fifth disciple. Originally from Anura and was apart of the lighthouse keeper cult. Was found calling for help just outside the cult after getting injured on the way home. Eden took them to the med bay to get patched up since the scope of the injuries was a little outside of their skill set and escorted them home once they were all fixed. They ended up going back with Eden anyway after they relit the lighthouse (they had been getting wood and Eden had firestarter on them). Her job is loyalty enforcer and assists the grounds keeper in keeping the place safe. Due to the decreased amount of heretics+high faith levels, they more just act as a welcome crew for new members and trains people in self defense. She's hard headed and blunt, and can be rude at times, but she has good intentions and has a soft spot for those close to her. Very sweet and patient with kids, less kind to adults. In the game she's also a loyalty enforcer and I desperately wish you could hide that fuckass hat. Age 28, immortal.

-Nimah, he/him, is Sonic because I had to: an albino hedgehog since I don't wanna make it SO obvious that it's just sonic. He is the sixth disciple and used to be a postman between all of the merchants and settlements outside of bishop control. He always wanted to be a doctor and kept an eye out for medical texts on his travels. He didn't have much luck in that regard until he came to deliver something to the compound and was kept there by a storm. Him and Eden got to chatting and after telling them about this little quest, Eden told him that while there's none at the compound that they could think of, they pick up books all the time while on crusades and could keep an eye out for any. One handshake and a new friend later, Nimah slowly studied and practiced to become a doctor until they got the title of head doctor. Taught some cultborn folks to do the mail route and now spends his days in the med bay. In game his only purpose is to be sonic and nothing else. His existence makes me happy :]. Age 53, immortal.

-Rowan, she/her, JAzz (I fucked up): a crow and the seventh disciple. Was a shrine maiden for Heket, and was trusted enough to be given the uncensored prophecy. After hearing it and making the very uncomfortable realization that they've all been praying for the downfall of a) an innocent race and b) a child, she dissented and fled to the cult to offer her services. Was a thief for a while, but was taken in by some followers of Heket and changed her ways. Was the second follower but had a hard time accepting the gift of discipleship for a while there. Very sweet and soft spoken, very good at quiet rage. In game she's on worship duty and is a very pretty lady and I love her. Age 30, immortal

-Florian, zey/zem/zer, named Alright in game: a silk moth and the eighth disciple. Was a primary weaver in Shamura's coterie for a good century. Zey were delivering tapestries to the main temple of Leshy when zer convoy was attacked by bandits and zey were left hiding and bleeding out. Eden found zem and took them back to their own temple since the med bay didn't exist at that point. When zey awoke, zey found zemselves bandaged in an unfamiliar place with someone they didn't recognize standing near them. Zey were suspicious until zey realized that that is a child zey were thinking of attacking, and that child is holding a med kit in their hands. Zey end up calming down and once zer'e healed, Florian offers to make a proper outfit befitting a vessel of death since zey don't like feeling like zer in debt. Eden agrees to this and they end up becoming friends, with Florian offering zer continued service in exchange for stable living. Zer personality is flamboyant but not loud. I personally imagine zer personality to be akin to one of those mob wives with the smoke pipe and the long satin feather robes. In game this fella was so unremarkable zey died of old age at level 1. Also zey get neos because I think they have so much gender that they/them simply doesn't cut it, although I understand if you use they/them for zem, it's a bit tricky to get used to. Age 33, immortal.

AND THATS A WRAP! Sorry for the length, some people are more thought out than others, not to mention I almost forgot a whole 2 people.

Their designs are coming soonish, I'm just trying to make some improvements with how I draw faces rn because Mamer looks like shit :[ I will get better and no one can stop me

[ars-matron]

The Last Sun: Prologue/Chapter 1

The Last Sun! Here we go!!

I started this series (like a week ago) after finding a rec for it on Instagram. The only thing they said about it was "It's about a prince whose throne is brutally taken from him," and then a bit about him having a body guard and it being a queer found family book. I'll give you a little more info that won't spoil anything. It takes place on an island city called New Atlantis, and yes that's because there was an Old Atlantis. It's ruled by a series of courts that are named after the major arcana in tarot (or vise versa in this scenario)

Prologue

The prologue is very short, just a small intro for Rune Saint John, our protag. He talks about how he survived the fall of his House and this is where my first gut punch of the series happened, because I did not equate "having a throne brutally taken" to mean "brutal assault" which is the wording he uses.

"I am, before anything else, a survivor: of a fallen House, of a brutal assault, of violent allies and complacent enemies, of life among a people who turned their back on me decades ago."

Then he lists some of the not so great names people call him. the Catamite Prince, the Day Prince, the Prince of Ruin.

"I am the last scion of my dead father's dead court, once called the Sun Throne, brightest of all Arcana, now just so much ash and rubble"

It's really so short, I'm trying to not copy the whole thing, but it does set the mood very well. Things aren't great, there aren't a lot of people Rune can trust. All his family is gone and he's left with the ashes of a broken court.

Chapter 1: The Heart Throne

We open with an insufferable rich man regaling people with a tale of kicking a woman to the curve. He calls this woman, "a wrecked parasite," and Rune notes he has an Old Atlantean accent, pronouncing the word 'wrecked' as reck ked. "Cleaving it into two waspish syllables."

After flicking a shrimp tail into a potted plant and completely forgetting any manners he ever learned and wiping his mouth on his sleeve, we find out that he is at a very fancy party. We also quickly become aware that Rune hates, hates, hates where he is. The room is the size of a football field, it's two stories tall and nearly all windows that over look the ocean and giant gilded mirrors. There are tables of drinks, things that look like drinks but are mostly illusions, tables of pills in every color imaginable. And a bunch of servants who are described as, "young, drugged, and blankly beautiful."

"There was a forty man chamber orchestra; a woman with flames dancing across the enamel of her teeth; a young page who chilled people's drinks with a spell that left frostbite on his palms"

Frostbite on his palms! For a drink! Rune is very upset by all of this, and yeah, so I am. But he puts this aside because he is part of raid on this house. As he waits he gives the earpiece he's wearing a little flick, because he, 'misses Brand'.

"It's working," he snapped, his voice a tinny echo inside my head. "Calm the fuck down."

I really do love them. When I first read this I assumed Brand must be stationed somewhere where he could see what was going on. How else would he know that Rune was flicking the equipment, or is agitated by the things around him? You learn in a few more paragraphs what exactly a companion bond is. Brand was born human and as a baby was put in the crib with baby Rune, some words were spoken over them (they weren't separated for like five years after that*) and a mental bond was formed between them where they can feel each other's emotions and know when the other is nearby.

As Rune is pushed through the current of party goers he ends up in front of a set of windows facing the ocean. He has a moment of remembering a time on the beach when the sun was out, of warm weather and soft white sand. Then he hears a woman talking about the night that his House was attacked. She's wearing at least 12 sigils (items that are able to contain magic) we learn they are very valuable, rare, and that most scions of courts keep them filled with frivolous spells that enhance beauty.

This woman is talking to a group of younger scions telling them about the night when the Sun Throne fell. About how she was there, at the current residence, when it happened. How they didn't hear anything. That the attackers had stealth wards. No one found out until it was too late. But quickly she turns to the topic of the Heir scion, which is probably how most accounts of that night go. She says that he was the only survivor, that seven men in masks took him a shed while the attack was going on.

"and by gods, the things they did to that poor boy. They had him for hours before he escaped."

I have wondered and wondered throughout the books just how much of it was reported to the public. We never learned what details were released. Only that they get some of it wrong.

She goes on to say that one can still find him, Rune, wandering around now and then,

"A very, very pretty man, but rank with darkness. It precedes him like a fog."

She claims to be able to see this miasma, because she has seers blood. She then calls Rune the Catamite Prince, and implies it's because Rune has had 'relations' with someone called the Tower. Rune, hearing all of this, livid, approaches the woman, and has a little fun, saying that he is also a seer. The woman is intrigued and we learn two things, one, Rune is wearing a disguise that makes him look like a blond man. And two, most important, Rune is short. the eyes of the nondescript blond man illusion are somewhere in the vicinity of his forehead. Rune says that he sees this woman "crawling in a field of blood and char with bone shards in her hair".

He's furious as he walks away and, somewhere else, Brand is worrying about him

"To hell with her. To hell with her sigils, her fat fingers, her crowd of stupid boot-lickers. To hell with the Lovers and their Heart Throne and their drugged slaves. To hell with nine men in animal masks in a carriage house, and all the other stupid details people got wrong."

Brand is very worried and threatens to come down there to him. And it is a threat, because that's the only love language Brand knows. Rune takes a moment to cool down because his love language is trying to make people feel better.

"my Companion, born human and bonded with me in the crib, raised and trained to protect me. And he had. He'd saved me-saved us both-that night."

Rune gets his calm back, says he was upset because he hates seers, especially fake seers, which are both things Brand knows. Then Brand brings up a hitch in the plans, and enter Julia, whose name Brand cannot remember.

During the raid Rune is supposed to go to a lab in the building, only they just learned that the labs have different security. Now Rune has to find a keycard to get through the security. But it's okay!!! Julia looked into who is on the floor that night with access, and all Rune has to do is find the red haired man by the doors who is about 6ft tall. Only to find the door and there are three tall red haired guys.

One is obvious high, staring at his hands as he sways, the rainbow residue of the pill buffet on his lips. So Rune turns his attention to the other two men, employing all his stealth training to do so.

By finding the drunkest man in the vicinity, telling him that a red haired man by the door said he was out back giving a horse a blow job a while go, and standing back to watching the fight ensue. The man the drunk guy picks is not a fighter. He does little more than try and keep the drunk man off of him, the other red haired guy though watches the fight in a calm and assessing manner, his body turned and poised in case the fight moved to him.

Rune gets a warning from Brand just before a spell rocks through the ballroom and everyone but the four people on the floor that are part of the raid go down. Rune walks over and plucks the keycard from the guard and moves through the residence towards the lab. As he moves through the mansion the halls go from opulent to grey and sterile.

We learn a bit about Atlantean culture in this part. That the Heart Throne, ruled by Lady and (now dead) Lord Lovers, used to be an archetype of love and sex and all that good stuff. They had been important to their society as Atlanteans are very big on group marriages and love no matter someones gender. That strictly homosexuality or heterosexuality were both seen as odd. After the fall of the Atlantis homeland some courts (like the Heart Throne) turned to twisted ventures that put the whole of their society at risk of compromising their treaties with the humans. And so, twelve of the Arcana had agreed to this raid. Every Arcana that participated in the raid would get a share of the spoils.

Which is why Rune is there.

Rune has a pretty kickass weapon that is able to take the shape of anything he wants. And, it shoots fire. It was one of the few things that survived the attack on the Sun Throne.

"I shook my wrist. My sabre, now in the form of a scuffed gold wrist guard, stretched and slid over my knuckles. By the time it was in my palm, it had transmuted into a swordless hilt."

Brand and Julia chatter a bit, they tell Rune that Lady Lovers is not accounted for down in the ballroom, they can't confirm she's even on site.

There are seven mercenaries by a locked door contemplating blowing the door down until Rune shows up with the keycard and lets them all into the area where the labs are kept. Rune makes for a chemical lab, thinking it will be less fortified, he just needs to get a terminal to download something for current employer, Lord Tower.

"The operating system was reportedly the closet thing in development to an actual artificial intelligence; the Tower had cashed in a lot of favors to stake it during the raid."

This is a little tidbit I didn't hang onto in my first read. The Tower has this almost AI, I wonder what he's planning to do with it?

There are two men in the lab he enters, they were not effected by the spell. They are pale and shaking and holding a lamp and stapler as weapons. When Rune brings up how ridiculous this is, since they are in a lab full of caustic things, the oldest of the scientist grabs a silver letter opener and holds it against the neck of the younger scientist. He then tries to barter for his life by threatening to kill the intern.

There is some back and forth where the scientist tries to claim that they are innocent and totally not slavers, but that Run should still let them go or he's going to kill the intern. Which Rune responds to by, shooting the intern in the leg.

Rune pops in his USB drive and downloads the files he needs. Claiming that his knowledge of technology and computers is just being able to avoid spyware on porn sites

As it's downloading the scientist tries to guilt Rune about what's going on, that they were just trying to find someone to pin this on to make the humans happy. Phrased in way that heavily implies that because they are Atlantean, they should be above such things as human laws. Rune asks if he were involved in Project Laius, when the scientist quickly shuts up Rune takes that for a yes and shoots him in the head.

"The stuff that began with projects like Laius had ended with the mind-fucking of underage kids, who spent the rest of their miserable lives in dog collars as someone else's property. So I did what I did, and my conscience whistled."

When he leaves the room Brand is throwing a fit. It turns out that they didn't just lose signal for the earpiece, but that Brand couldn't even feel their bond when Rune was in that room. Reports come that people are starting to wake up in the ballroom and that he needs to get out quick. There's a little fight with Julia, who, much respect for her, but she needed to take a step back here, tries to direct Rune as though he were one of the mercenaries she's used to directing, and tells him to abandon their plan to evac on the roof.

"Mind your fucking manners," Brand said, all humor evaporating. "He's not one of your mercenaries; he's a scion of Atlantis. If it was a question about needing safe routes, I'd have him turn the entire side of the mansion to slag and gingerly fucking tiptoe through the puddles of plasma."

Have I mentioned that I love Brand?

On the roof there is a man who pops out right in front of Rune with an assault riffle, whose head Brand immediately blows off from his perch in a water tower close by.

"When I could breathe again, I said, "I especially liked it when you didn't warn me. That part was fun.""

Followed quickly an actual dragon swooping by. But the dragon is part of Lord Chariots raid team, and does nothing to hinder Rune. Brand is yelling at Rune to get the fuck off the root NOW. Because assault riffles and dragons weren't bad enough, Lady Lovers rushes by and opens a secret door right next to Rune's secret hidey spot. Ignoring Brand, Rune decides to follow her. I mean, her House is getting raided and she takes time to rush up there, I too would assume there was treasure of some sort in there.

So Rune walks through the door, and is instantly knocked out.

He wakes up chained to a wall, unable to activate his sigils and his disguise temporarily disengaged. Elena, Lady Lovers, recognizes him, of course.

""Faith, but you are a very pretty thing, Lord Sun. Hasn't it even been said that you are the most beautiful man of your gener-" "That'll be enough of that, thank you," I said testily."

First instance of the beautiful prophecy!

They have a bit of back and forth in which Rune tries to remember to be polite to an Arcana while still pointing out that she deserves this. Arcana are very very old and powerful. In a city of magic users, they are demi gods pretty much. And now I'm wondering if Lord Lovers was an Arcana too...What house was he from? Was he a principality? (That'll be explained later) Something to think about.

When she finds out that it is 12 Arcana against her, a surprisingly high number for a sanctioned raid, evidently. Her demeanor changes. She releases Rune from the wall, his sigils flood back to his awareness once released. She tries to makes a connection between this raid and the one that happened to Rune's House, he is, of course, very angry. But, demi god, so he keeps it to himself.

Elena goes to her magic mirror and is able to use it to look onto the battle raging below

"To each age, a magic ascends. Death magic ruled the final days of the homeland. Hearth magic ruled the rise of New Atlantis. I had thought, perhaps, the lovers' time had come, that the age of heart magic was upon us."

Yeeaaahhh, from what we've seen "heart magic" is just fucking with people's minds and enslaving them. So, kinda glad that isn't the case.

At least she admits that things were wrong in the end, and that she should have released the Throne to someone else once her husband died. He was her Talla, soulmate, and she had only had the one consort ever. Which is very, very odd for their culture.

"In Atlantean terms, soul mates weren't always a cozy and romantic concept. Hatred was just as strong as love, in terms of metaphysical catalyst."

I need to go back to add Tallas to my list of things I'm going to be keeping an eye on. I have a THEORY!!! I'll add that after I'm finished here, I want to keep these relatively spoiler free for the whole series.

Almost immediately after reminiscing about her talla, Lady Lovers taps into her aspect. Sort of like the primal soul of an Arcana's powers. The demi gods within them, if you will. Hers is fea-ish. It's terrifying. Her fingers add another joint, her skin beings to mottle in jewel tones that moved as she moves. She has hornets wings and her dress is made of rose petal. Suddenly her scent (musk, honey, semen) is very powerful and her magic causes Rune to fall to the floor with an erection. It would be kinda funny, but the scene is suitably horrific.

""I would beg a favor, pretty Rune. I swear by the river the answer will be your own.---I ask that you deliver, and protect, a package of mine to a safe destination.""

In return for this favor, which she swears is nothing illegal, she will give him a sigil. A silver ring with three chips of emerald in it. Sigils are so rare and Rune has so few of his own, that after getting her promise that it isn't going to get him in trouble, he agrees. She releases the sigil to him and then she tells him the package will be delivered to his house and that he should hurry on so he isn't, "caught in the fire".

Rune gets out of there as quickly as he can, Brand is yelling again once he gets out, having lost all contact with Rune while he was in the warded secret room. Rune finally imparts that there is a bomb and using a gold chain sigil around his ankle, released a flying spell. He wobble-flies to the water tower to pick up Brand, depositing him by Brand's motorcycle to tell him about the deal, and his new sigil. Brand is upset, and they wait for a little bit to see if they mansion explodes....

it does not.

They drive home separately. Brand speeding off on his bike, Rune in his beat up old Saturn. He's nearly home when there is a large CRACK back near the Lover's compound and the sky behind him fills with fire and smoke. I would like to take the time to point out that Rune had "Foreseen" that the fake seer at the party would find herself struggling in a field of blood and char with bone shards in her hair. I wonder if that did in fact come to be?

At the door to their house Brand calls Rune a fucking dumb-ass and takes up the argument on having made a deal with an Arcana as though there was no time between. But he does calm down and ask if Run is okay after the fake seer incident.

They go in and Rune stops, because their house keeper, Queenie, always leaves cookies and juice out for them after their missions, and there is no cookies or juice on the coffee table when they come in. So Brand goes to check on her.

"He went in search of our housekeeper, Queenie, who lived in a tiny cottage in the backyard. Normally she laid out fruit drinks and snacks after a successful job, her small way of celebrating the fact that she was still employed."

I know I just said I wanted to keep this spoiler free, and it is, pretty much. BUT! what are they paying her with? How much? How can they afford a housekeeper?

Rune sits down and takes off his boots, telling us that they are warded and perfected fitted to his feet, and that he mostly doesn't wear socks with them. Gross. Brand enters and is followed closely by Queenie

"Her plain face swung side to side in a nonstop headshake. She said, "You took in a seventeen year-old boy?"

That's all we learn about her appearance. That she looks plain.

Rune is dumbfounded, because he does NOT remember taking in a child. But Brand, livid, and probably a little amused, let's be honest. Informs Rune that the "package" Rune agreed to take and "deliver" is in fact, a seventeen year-old boy. And the destination is his age of adulthood, twenty one.

And that is the end of the first chapter.

*this little bit of knowledge comes from a supplemental story you can download on the author's website. It's a four page PDF file and it's just a snippet of Rune and Brand as babies. And now that I'm thinking about it the tidbit that they weren't separated until the age of five might be something from another supplemental story. This is about what would have been their first instructor trying to separate them as toddlers. Neither of them can really speak, so it's told by their governess, Lady Patience (Look, if K D Edwards isn't a fan of Realm of the Elderlings I will eat everyone's hat! Lady Patience, Lady Amber, the Fool! If Francis isn't a Fitz stand in I will riot!)

It opens with baby Rune standing up in the crib, yelling about how Brand (he sits in the corner, well he sits where he wants but he always gives me the blanket and he's gone. And he took the orange rattle!) is missing. He's always been there for their whole lives and suddenly his Brand is missing. Lady Patience, not knowing how to calm him, goes in search of the instructor and Brand, to find baby Brand standing in a chair, brandishing the rattle, which is made of some pretty expensive material, at the instructor. He is also grumbling in a baby way because he too, can't really speak.

The instructor is displeased with the behavior going on here. He wants Brand out of the house, pretty much. Right around that time the door starts rattling, amber light filters in from under the door and it, kinda implodes inwards. Baby Rune is standing on the other side of the door, eyes glowing, and demands, "Band-aid!" Which is his word for Brand. Brand happily tottles over, hugs Rune and then proceeds to poke his nose to see if he can make it glow too.

The instructor is raging about how they need to be separated immediately, but is cut off by a tower of sunlight that stands in the doorway. Rune's father, Lord Sun. Even after he stops being on fire, no one can actually see what he looks like, only sunspots. He leans down and scoops both Rune and Brand up at once. Saying that he had to learn to pick them up at the same time, because they cried when they were picked up separately. He fires the instructor and walks off with "his boys".

It's really such a sweet story.

[hello-nichya-here]

Would Rhaenyra have had an easier time against the greens if she had made her eldest child with Daemon the heir instead of her eldest child with "Laenor" (Harwin)? If she were to win the Iron Throne and legitimized her bastards, would it then be okay for her son to be king after her?

A big "HELL NO" to both.

If she doesn't ler her firstborn inherit the crown when the whole point of her marrying Laenor was to have Rhaenys' bloodline on the throne, and doesn't make the second one get Driftmark like a true Velaryon, she'll basically be quietly admitting that they ARE bastards, even if she never says it out loud. It would be a scandal that would ruin her reputation, Laenor's, Corlys's, etc.

Rhaenyra denying the obvious might piss off a ton of people, but her doubling-down on the absurd lie that these kids that look nothing like her gay husband are totally his (and having the support of the freaking king, as well as the cooperation of most of her in-laws) is the only thing that is avoiding/delaying a HUGE political fight between the two families.

As for her legitimizing her bastards and letting the eldest one inherit after her, there's only ONE scenario in which she could get away with doing that, and it would absolutely require:

1 - Rhaenyra to be a man. Nobody is supposed to have bastards, but for men that is treated as a slip up, while for women it'd be essentially screaming "I have no honor or shame!"

2 - Male!Rhaenyra cannot have any true-born sons, even if they are younger than his bastards. It'd be preferable for him to have no other kids, but he could get away with not letting his true-born daughters inherit. Even better if he has no male relatives that could make the situation messier. A legitimized bastard inheriting as a last resource to avoid a huge conflict between power-hungry nobles that want to make their own dinasty is more than acceptable.

I've said it before, I'll say it again: from the moment she was married to a guy that could not give her true-born heirs AND that she could not kill without making a bad political situation even worse, Rhaenyra was screwed.

The only way she, as a woman, could get away with having bastards was if nobody knew/could reasonably prove her kids were bastards in the first place. If she had been lucky and her sons had inherited her Targaryen look instead of Harwin's, or if she had bastards with Daemon instead, she could have very reasonably claimed "They're not bastards, they just took after their mother instead of their father", Cersei style.

It'd be incredibly difficult for the greens to find enough evidence in that scenario, even with Laenor being gay, because it would not be that much of a stretch to assume he just did what men (and women) had been doing for thousands of years: having kids with his spouse out of obligation and fucking the person he actually liked on the side - hell, that was the agreement he made with Rhaenyra before they even got married!

Meanwhile, in canon, they just had to go "How the fuck did two people with silver hair, both from families in which everyone they're related to by blood has silver hair, ended up having kids with black hair? She must have fucked have fucked the guard these kids actually look like. It's not like her husband would want to touch her anyway."

Seriously, it's ridiculous how much easier Rhaenyra's life would have been if she had been banging only Daemon and he had accepted her challenge to kidnap/elope with her to Dragonstone. Or if she had married Aegon. Or if Viserys had sucked it up and married 12-year-old Laena when he had the chance.

What I'm saying is: House Targaryen destroyed itself because they forgot they're only supposed to fuck each other. Incest for the WIN!