#alta adventures

[imjustthisawesome]

Norway! (but in the winter)

At the end of last year, my friend Andra and I agreed that we would go on holiday to northern Norway. We both wanted to cross the arctic circle, hopefully see the Northern Lights, and visit the North Cape. We spent a bit of time planning it all, and the second week of March this year it was finally time to go! (more…) “”

[bestmombracket]

BEST MOM BRACKET; ROUND 2

Propaganda should be used to bring your side up, not the other side down! Please be respectful! The moms are watching 💚

[sprntrco]

Season snowfall total to 445 inches (11.3 metres) — officially the deepest start to the season (October through January) in the 43-year history of the Collins study plot. 🙀🙀🙀 [Via Chase Thomasen, courtesy: Dr. McKenzie Skiles] #Vscocam #vsco #lifeofadventure #letsgosomewhere #travelstoke #go #gowest #travel #explore #goexplore #wanderlust #roadtrip #ontheroad #adventure #utah #skiutah #alta (at Alta, Utah) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn8NJZrJLz_/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[rabbitgardens]

thinking......prodigy arcanist ciel d'luxe....coasting through life on his magical ability and now has to deal with problems he cant "uhm achtually" his way out of.....has "take the tv remote apart" autism.....would blow himself up trying to make a poptart....

[mymountaintrails]

Monte Cimone

Percorso: Lago della Ninfa – Monte Cimone Tipologia: A/R Distanza: 10,5 Km  Difficoltà: Normale Ascesa:  652 m Discesa: 652 m Altit. max: 2166 m Altit. min: 1500  m Tempo medio: 4:00 h Premessa Oggi saliamo sulla cima più alta della regione Emilia Romagna. Infatti non poteva mancare questa escursione tra i vari itinerari dell’Appennino Modenese che stiamo facendo in questo periodo.…

[heros-paradox]

English version here

¡Hola!

Este post será una especie de guía de los 12 Links que conforman la historia. No especificaré sus edades exactas, sino un aproximado.

Puedes leer la trama aquí

Aventuras: Skyward Sword

Edad: 20-21 [Joven adulto]

Ahora vive tranquilamente con Zelda en la superficie, donde ha encontrado la felicidad en una vida pacífica.

Pasa sus días ayudando a Zelda, tocando música o tallando madera.

Aunque ya no tiene en su poder la Espada Maestra, suele visitar el lugar de descanso de Fi, aunque nunca reciba una respuesta.

Aventuras: The Minish Cap

Edad: 11-12 [Niño]

Después de sellar a Vaati, ya no empuña la Four Sword.

No dejes que su juventud o pequeña estatura te engañen; subestimarlo sería un error.

De corazón bondadoso, honesto y dulce, nunca duda en ayudar a quien lo necesite.

Es el más joven (y el más bajo) del grupo.

Aventuras: Ocarina of Time & Majora's Mask

Edad: 20-21 [Joven adulto]

Tras salvar Hyrule y Termina, ahora vive como un viajero y ayuda en el Rancho Lon Lon.

A pesar de todo lo que ha enfrentado, nunca ha dejado de buscar a Navi.

Está considerando unirse a la Guardia Real.

Aún no lo entiende del todo, pero tiene un pequeño enamoramiento por Malon, su amiga de la infancia.

Aventuras: Wind Waker & Phantom Hourglass

Edad: 13-14 [Adolescente]

Pasa gran parte de su tiempo explorando nuevos lugares con Tetra y siempre regresa con regalos para su hermanita.

Es el más expresivo y hablador de todos.

Le gusta unirse a los demás cuando tocan música.

Aventuras: Spirit Tracks

Edad: 13-14 [Adolescente]

Es físicamente muy parecido al Héroe de los Vientos.

Tan pronto como New Hyrule estuvo a salvo, finalmente pudo dedicarse a su pasión: los trenes.

Suele ser muy olvidadizo y algo distraído. Su constante cansancio por el trabajo no ayuda, pero a pesar de eso, realmente lo disfruta.

Aventuras: Twilight Princess

Alias: Bestia de Ojos Azules, Héroe del Crepúsculo Edad: 19-21 [Joven adulto]

Extraña profundamente a Midna, más que a nada ni nadie.

Tras sus aventuras, regresó a Ordon, donde se dedica a cuidar animales y velar por sus amigos.

Lleva consigo una espada todo el tiempo, por si acaso.

Aventuras: Four Swords/Adventures (Combinados)

Edad: 13-15 [Adolescente]

Es quien más recientemente terminó su aventura; estaba en camino de devolver la Four Sword a su pedestal, pero terminó junto a los demás antes de poder hacerlo.

Hijo de un caballero, era un soldado en entrenamiento antes de embarcarse en su misión para derrotar a Vaati.

La Four Sword ha tenido algunos efectos secundarios misteriosos en él...

Aventuras: A Link to the Past, Oracle of Seasons & Ages, Link’s Awakening

Edad: 17-19 [Adolescente]

Suele llevar una flor, no porque le gusten particularmente, sino porque le recuerdan a Marin.

Tras su viaje a la isla Koholint, finalmente tomó un descanso de buscar aventuras; necesitaba tiempo para procesar todo lo que había vivido.

Pasa sus días cuidando su colección de artefactos.

Aventuras: A Link Between Worlds & Tri Force Heroes

Edad: [Adolescente]

Comparte con Wild el gusto por la ropa y tiene una docena de atuendos ridículos para cada ocasión.

Conserva con cariño el brazalete que le regaló Ravio; al final, aprendió a apreciar al avaro conejo cobarde.

Es animado y tiene un sentido del humor peculiar. De todos, es quien mejor se ha adaptado al trabajo en equipo.

Aventuras: Zelda I & Zelda II

Edad: 16-18 [Adolescente]

Tiene dificultades para bajar la guardia y relajarse, producto de vivir en un Hyrule hostil y enfrentar amenazas constantes.

Prefiere usar magia y hechizos, pero no duda en demostrar que es un espadachín formidable.

Aunque no lo diga en voz alta, para él convertirse en un hada es probablemente lo más divertido que hay.

Aventuras: Hyrule Warriors

Edad: 20-21 [Joven adulto]

De todo el grupo, probablemente sea quien mejor comprende la situación que están enfrentando; para él, es extrañamente familiar.

En el pasado, permitió que el exceso de confianza y ego casi le costaran la vida, y está decidido a que no vuelva a suceder.

Puede parecer arrogante al principio, pero no es más que una broma; en los momentos serios, es sensato y se preocupa profundamente por todos.

Actualmente, dedica su vida a su carrera militar.

Aventuras: Breath of the Wild & Tears of the Kingdom

Alias: Campeón Hylian, Campeón de Hyrule, Héroe Edad: 20-23 [Joven adulto]

A los cuatro años ya era un espadachín prodigio, capaz de vencer a caballeros entrenados.

Amaba silenciosamente a Mipha, viendo en ella un alma amable que lo amaba por quien era, no por su destino como héroe. Lamentablemente, nunca tuvieron la oportunidad de confesarse sus sentimientos.

Tras despertar, se volvió mucho más hablador y expresivo. Aunque aún carga con la culpa de sus amigos caídos y su reino destruido, ya no siente el aplastante peso de las expectativas del mundo sobre él.

____

Alturas

Gracias por leer

[happyhauntt]

forgiveness with teeth — nikolai lantsov.

series masterlist | writing masterlist | askbox

─── summary: nikolai lantsov is the most insufferable human being in ravka, and most unfortunately, anya is stuck with him.

─── pairing: nikolai lantsov & anya kamenev (original character.)

─── warnings: fluff, enemies, nikolai is a bit of an asshole but he's sixteen so it's allowed, threats of physical violence (but honestly he deserves it), swearing, krysa means 'rat'.

─── word count: 1.6k.

     There's something about Nikolai Lantsov that makes her want to break things.

     Anya can’t quite put her finger on what, exactly, gives her the urge to shove a rifle up his ass. Whether it’s the precise curve of his spine when he leans, half-slouching against any wall he can find, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his uniform, or the pitch of his voice when he cheers after winning a card game — she can’t say. She can’t even begin to guess.

     It’s just Nikolai, and Anya swears that there has never been another person alive to tempt her fury like that boy does.

     She didn’t always feel this way. Anya knows him… Well, she knows him as well as any nobleman’s daughter knows a prince, really. As a child, she would spend at least half the year at court in Os Alta. She recalls running riot through the hallways as she chased the boys, desperate to participate in their swordplay games, desperate to prove herself as something more. She’d sneak out of embroidery lessons and hide in the library, listening to lectures on diplomacy.

     Nikolai was much the same, when they were small. A troublemaker at his very core. It was impossible to miss the way his eyes twinkled at the prospect of adventure, and once or twice, they'd snuck into the Little Palace to watch the Grisha train. The Heartrenders had noticed them, catching onto the sound of two unfamiliar heartbeats racing with adrenaline, but they'd found it more amusing than anything else.

      As Anya grew older, and spent less time at the Grand Palace due to her ill health as her mother sequestered her on the family estate, or so the rumours claimed, what little relationship she’d built with Nikolai had changed from unlikely allies in mischief to mere acquaintances. A dance shared at her birthday ball, pleasantries exchanged at the Winter Fête, and not much else.

     Anya didn’t mind it much. She’d never been a gregarious person, and often found the constant smiles and simpering associated with her rank to be tedious.

     It was a matter of great misfortune, then, when she was assigned to his regiment.

     Even future duchesses must serve their country, and when she enlisted at sixteen, Anya's parents sent her off to battle with a stern warning not to draw attention to herself, and a flurry of fretful forehead kisses. Her mother's eyes, glassy with unshed tears, haunt her nightmares even now.

     Hunched over her breakfast in the mess hall, she hears him before he sees him. That obnoxious laugh, a rumbling sound that manages to carry all the way across the room. She almost winces as it sweeps over her, a tumultuous wave of noise. She’d bet her father’s title that they can hear him all the way in Ketterdam. 

     An eerie hush settles over the mess hall as he enters, chattering away with Dominik. The rest of their regiment isn’t used to having royalty in their midst quite yet, and seeing the fresh-faced prince join the peasants for his meals hasn’t sunk in. Anya wishes it would. The sooner they realise he isn’t any better than them — and, in several instances, is actually worse — then the sooner her sanity will return.

     She hopes.

      It's not a single thing about Nikolai that makes her so frustrated in his presence. He'd been a mischievous child, but so had she, so Anya can hardly judge him for that. He's a good soldier, humble and respectful to his peers despite his royal status. She’ll begrudgingly concede that all of this is true.

     But by the Saints, it doesn’t change the fact that he is insufferable.

     She makes a conscious effort not to look at him. Instead, she glowers down at her plate as his voice grows louder and louder. By the time she senses him come to a stop at her table, her breakfast no longer resembles anything edible, and she doesn’t feel any better.

     A moment of silence passes, then another, and then —

     "You're a wretched swine, Lantsov."

     She looks up at him, finally. He’s leaning against the table, one hand resting on its sticky surface. The wicked grin that stretches over his face makes a strange fight-or-flight feeling rise in her gut. She wonders how he'd look with claw marks all over his face. "Good morning to you too, Lady Anya."

     "Krysa." She sneers at him. Any trace of ladylike etiquette vanished the moment he appeared in her line of sight. All her years of meticulous training, conditioning, all the lessons in politeness her governesses drilled into her simply evaporate.

     Anya is certain her mother would faint to see her behaving like this, and towards one of their great nation's princes? She'd never live it down.

     Fortunately, her mother isn't here.

     The noise in the mess hall picks up again now that Nikolai is here, growing to a dull background hum of mindless gossip. Soldiers fill up the open space, milling about as they gather their meagre breakfasts. Dominik sidles up alongside Nikolai carrying two trays of breakfast rations and sits down at Anya's table, offering the girl a polite smile. She grunts at him, grudgingly pushing the remains of her food around her plate with her fork.

     "What could I possibly have done to earn such ire, Nastya?"

     Nikolai's use of her nickname only causes her scowl to deepen. He hovers over her, too close for comfort, bright blue eyes two roguish diamonds glinting down at her.

     He’s teasing her. She knows that. She knows she shouldn’t rise to the bait, but his lip twists and her hands curl into fists before she can stop herself.

     "You know exactly what you did." She turns away, refuses to look at him. She won't give him the satisfaction. Dominik glances between them and, bless him, does his best not to laugh.

     Anya wonders what the sentence would be for murdering a prince of Ravka. Execution, she imagines. But surely it wouldn’t be that severe, would it? He's a second son, spare to the throne, not overly important — and surely he gets on everyone else's nerves as much as he gets on hers.

     Perhaps she'll be made into a national hero for such a patriotic act.

     Even if she's executed, the short period of time between his death and hers will be blissful. And quiet. Right up until she joins him in hell (she knows damn well he's not getting into heaven, and after killing him, neither will she.)

     His chuckle rattles through her as he takes the seat beside Dominik. A girl can dream.

     "What did he do?" Dominik wonders, a curious twinkle in his eyes.

     Anya marks the prince with a stinging glare. "He fed my boots to a goat."

     "In my defence–" Nikolai chokes back a snort, spreading his hands wide. Dominik is quick to move a glass of water out of his reach, lest it be knocked over. "I thought they were my boots."

     Exasperation twists in Anya’s chest. "Why were you feeding your boots to a goat in the first place?"

     He shrugs, unconcerned. "I’d had a little too much kvas, and I thought he looked angry when I stumbled across him trying to make it back to the barracks. Distracting him felt like the best course of action. I didn't know they were your boots, Anya, truly. My sincerest apologies."

     Anya huffs, wriggling her toes inside the too-big pair of spare boots she'd been issued for the foreseeable future. She knows that she'll be feeling the pain of blisters in the coming days, and her frustration with him will only grow. How is it that their commanding officers find him so... charming?

     He has all the charisma of a puppy, all bright pretty eyes and boundless energy. It’s all simply adorable, and you find yourself falling in love — right up until the puppy shits on your pillow.

     But the puppy is sweet and sorry, and you find yourself forgiving any wrongdoings. No wonder they call him sobachka.

     Anya Kamenev never thought she’d want to kick a puppy until she met Nikolai Lantsov.

     “Apologies won’t bring my boots back,” she says, “and when we’ve marched five hundred miles through freezing rain and my blisters have blisters, I will sneak into your tent in the middle of the night, put a chicken in a pillowcase and beat you with it.”

     Nikolai pauses, fork full of food frozen midair. He blinks at her once, twice. “That’s… very descriptive. If I may ask, why the chicken? That seems unnecessarily cruel.”

     “Because a brick would land me in jail.” She rolls her eyes at him. “I never said it was a live chicken. I’ll find a dead one, or I’ll buy one from a butcher. I’m not insane, Lantsov.”

     He raises an eyebrow. “Aren’t you?”

     “Do you really want to antagonise me right now?” She kicks him beneath the table, hard enough to bruise. Nikolai hisses between his teeth. His fork drops back onto his plate with a clatter as he reaches down to rub his shin. “I can reconsider the brick, if you’d prefer.”

     “I’d go with a dead fish, if I were you,” says Dominik, grinning around a mouthful of food. “He’ll have to burn his pyjamas to get the smell out.”

     Anya smirks, eyes darting between Dominik and the prince. Nikolai’s mouth is agape as he stares at his friend. “I’ll take it under advisement,” she says with a decisive nod.

     An incredulous laugh bubbles up from Nikolai’s throat. He gives Dominik a shove. “Traitor!”

     “What can I say?” Dominik grins. “I like her odds.”

[flan-tasma]

Hear me out: childe and his boyfriend competing for Teucers attention, they love eachother very much but when it cones to being teucers favorite they have an unspoken rivalry

💖~ I'm listening to you and I love what you say!

Warning: Nope now 💖, Male!Reader | English is not my native language, so if I have made any mistakes in the translation, I am open to corrections | Content in spanish and english!

Spanish:

Salir con Nobile es una aventura divertida y hermosa. Hay ocasiones en las que quieres lanzarlo desde la montaña más alta de Liyue, pero luego ambos están teniendo una tarde tranquila mientras te cuenta con quiénes ha peleado en la semana o cómo le ha ido en sus misiones.

No es muy complicado satisfacer a este tonto, solo le gusta tenerte a su lado el mayor tiempo que pueda. Eres su preferido, su niño bonito y el mejor a sus ojos. Pero solo falta que llegue un pequeño niño especial para que toda la relación de un vuelco.

Las mejores vacaciones son cuando las pasan Nobile y tú con su familia, pero siempre hay un favorito para todo.

Teucer es un amor y el que diga lo contrario, diga hora y fecha y estarás dispuesto a partirle su madre a alguien. Así de mucho querías a tu casi hermano.

No lo secuestrabas ni nada, pero era común que salieras con el niño a pasear por las tiendas y le terminarás comprando algunas cositas, todo con las mejores intenciones. La mayor intención: ser el favorito de Teucer.

Al inicio a Nobile le gustó mucho la idea de verte ser tan cariñoso con su hermano. Luego empezó a notar que ya no estaban tanto tiempo con él y el fatui volvió a tirar de la cuerda para que su hermano lo siga viendo como su héroe preferido.

Nobile le cuenta historias de sus viajes vendiendo juguetes, luego lo compra con algunas golosinas y el niño está de nuevo en la palma de la mano de su hermano.

No puedes evitar una mueca en tu rostro. Está bien, puedes arreglarlo. Esperas al momento indicado, cuando Nobile está distraído, y le ofreces a Teucer jugar un rato en el patio.

Nobile sale a buscarlos luego de un rato y le ofrece al pequeño unos aperitivos porque seguramente está muy cansado. Su mirada en ti, la amorosa y preciosa mirada que siempre te habla de su consideración, ahora tiene un ápice de superioridad.

El pobre Teucer se siente en las mejores vacaciones, siendo bañado con palabras amorosas, regalos, caramelos y juguetes mientras no para de pensar en que sus hermanos mayores son muy divertidos. No tiene idea de que estás a punto de lanzar a Nobile por la ventana y que él ya no quiere dejarte entrar a la casa.

Solo es necesario que notes que tienes demasiado tiempo libre con Teucer para que notes que tu novio no está intentando algo nuevo, y lo buscas en su habitación mientras revisa una mochila con armamento. Una nueva misión, un nuevo tiempo en el que no estará aquí.

Lo entiendes, no dejarás que Teucer lo sepa tampoco, por lo que se unen nuevamente para sacar la maleta y volver con el niño para que juegue con Nobile un rato más antes de irse.

Él confía en que lo cuidarás, confía en ti como en nadie más y se despide entre burlas. Volverá para reclamar su puesto como el preferido de Teucer, pero por ahora te va a dar ventaja.

Claramente, cuando por fin vuelve no tienes idea, pero lo sabes porque hay una nota en la cocina con el desayuno y el lugar a donde fue con Teucer a pasear, burlándose por haber ganado esta vez.

English:

Hanging out with Childe is a fun and beautiful adventure. There are times when you want to throw him off the highest mountain in Liyue, but then you're both having a quiet afternoon while he tells you who he's fought this week or how his missions went.

It's not very difficult to satisfy this fool, he just likes to have you by his side for as long as he can. You are his favorite, his pretty boy and the best in his eyes. But all that remains is for a special little child to arrive for the entire relationship to turn upside down.

The best vacations are when you and Childe spend time with his family, but there is always a favorite for everything.

Teucer is a sweetheart and whoever says otherwise, say the time and date, and you'll be willing to beat someone up for it. That's how much you loved your little brother.

You didn't kidnap him or anything, but it was common for you to go out with the child to walk through the stores, and you would end up buying him some things, all with the best intentions. The greatest intention: be Teucer's favorite.

At first, Childe really liked the idea of seeing you being so affectionate with his brother. Then he began to notice that he were no longer with him as much, and the fatui again pulled the rope so that his brother would continue to see him as his favorite hero.

Childe tells him stories of his trips selling toys, then buys him with some candy and the boy is back in the palm of his brother's hand.

You can't help the grimace on your face. It's okay, you can fix it. You wait for the right moment, when Childe is distracted, and offer Teucer to play for a while in the yard.

Childe goes out to look for you after a while and offers the little one some snacks because he is probably very tired. His gaze on you, the loving and precious gaze that always tells you of his consideration, now has an iota of superiority.

Poor Teucer, he feels like he's having the best vacation, being showered with loving words, gifts, candy and toys, while he can't stop thinking about how much fun his older brothers are. He has no idea that you're about to throw Childe out the window and he doesn't want to let you in the house anymore.

You just need to notice that you have too much free time with Teucer to notice that your boyfriend isn't trying something new, and you look for him in his room while he goes through a suitcase of weapons. A new mission, a new time in which he will not be here.

You get it, you won't let Teucer know either, so you team up again to take out the suitcase and return to the boy to play with Childe a little longer before leaving.

He trusts that you will take care of him, he trusts you like no one else and he says goodbye with mockery. He'll come back to claim his spot as Teucer's favorite, but for now he'll give you the advantage.

Clearly, when he finally comes back you have no idea, but you know because there's a note in the kitchen with breakfast and the place where he went with Teucer for a walk, making fun of him for winning this time.

[sciatu]

LE DONNE DI RENATO GUTTUSO (BAGHERIA 1911-ROMA 1987)

Le donne viste da dietro, sono sinuose, invitanti come un sentiero giallo in un bosco oscuro si muovono inquietanti seducenti, affascinanti sono un mondo da scoprire una nuova canzone da sentire. Si muovono lente, sicure lasciando alle spalle profumi, ricordi, avventure versi orfani di una rima desideri mai avuti prima tentazioni, sogni, ubbriacature. Le donne viste da dietro fanno germogliare inaspettate carezze mai date o dimenticate rubano segreti, sensazioni stringendole per ridonarle nelle notti lontane e future. Seminano poesie, canzoni parole, sorrisi, emozioni. Lei donne viste da dietro sono un’alba improvvisa un fiume che scorre lento imponente, sovrano fiamma alta che serpeggiando dona luce, forza, gioia, Le donne viste di dietro sono la tela bianca di un quadro immortale, sono la pagina candida che attende un poema sono una immensa notte con infinite stelle d’amore sono la pioggia a primavera la neve che scende leggera Non imporla se se ne và o se poi a piacer suo torna e dei tuoi desideri si adorna Una donna vista da dietro è illusione, è speranza è sogno e puro diamante è verso, è assoluto silenzio è danza, è perfetta bellezza.

Women seen from behind, are sinuous, inviting like a yellow path in a dark forest they move disturbingly seductive, fascinating they are a world to discover a new song to hear. They move slowly, confidently leaving behind perfumes, memories, adventures verses orphaned by a rhyme desires never had before temptations, dreams, intoxications. Women seen from behind make unexpected sprout caresses never given or forgotten steal secrets, sensations squeezing them to give them back in distant and future nights, they sow poems, songs words, smiles, emotions. Women seen from behind, are a sudden dawn a river that flows slowly imposing, sovereign high flame that meandering gives light, strength, joy, Women seen from behind are the white canvas of an immortal painting, are the white page that awaits a poem are an immense night with infinite stars of love are the rain in spring the snow that falls lightly It is not important if she goes away or if then at her pleasure she comes back and adorns herself with your desires. A woman seen from behind is illusion, is hope is dream and pure diamond is verse, is absolute silence is dance, is perfect beauty.

[digi-egg]

A countdown has started to mark the release of the new Digimon Adventure 25th Anniversary PV.

Details about its release are as follows:

It will be first screened at 5PM JST on August 1st, in Shinjuku over at Alta Vision.

Next, at 6:30PM JST to celebrate the double feature re-release of Digimon Adventure and 02 movies there will be a special stage and advance screening held. AiM and Chika Sakamoto are scheduled to appear. This will be live broadcast on YouTube for worldwide audience, the PV will also be played as a part of this event. (note the movies will not be part of the YouTube broadcast)

At 7PM JST, the PV will be finally uploaded on the YouTube Channel.

Official hashtag on Twitter is #0801

[teecupangel]

In a hidden cove along the coast, a mermaid and a talking bird had a standing appointment every Tuesday at dawn. The mermaid, with her shimmering tail and flowing hair, would await the arrival of the bird, perched high on a jagged rock. The bird, with feathers that glistened like sunlight on water, was special—not only could he talk, but he could also read the human language, a skill the mermaid lacked.

Each week, the bird brought a new story. Perching close to the mermaid, he would read aloud, his voice filling the air with tales of distant lands, brave heroes, and magical adventures. The mermaid listened intently, her wide eyes reflecting the wonders of the human world she could not directly access.

One particular morning, the mermaid arrived with a spark of excitement in her eyes. As the bird settled on his rock, she began to speak in her musical, lilting voice. She shared an idea for a story that had blossomed in her mind, a tale of wonder and adventure.

The bird listened carefully, his head tilting to the side in curiosity. When the mermaid finished, he promised to take her story to the ferret who writes. The ferret, known for his nimble paws and keen mind, lived in a cozy burrow near the edge of the forest. He was the best scribe among the animals, capable of turning any tale into a beautifully written manuscript.

The bird flew to the forest and found the ferret at his desk, surrounded by piles of paper and ink. He relayed the mermaid’s story, and the ferret eagerly began to write, his paws moving swiftly across the parchment. By evening, the story was complete, and the bird took the freshly written pages and soared into the sky.

His next destination was the pegasus, who lived on a high plateau where the clouds touched the earth. The pegasus was known for her speed and grace, able to fly across vast distances in a single day. She greeted the bird with a nod, and he handed her the manuscript. Understanding the importance of her task, the pegasus took off, her wings beating powerfully as she ascended into the heavens.

For days, the pegasus flew tirelessly over mountains, valleys, and rivers, until she reached a distant land where the story was meant to be shared. She delivered the manuscript to a wise owl who resided in a grand library. The owl, with his knowledge and connections, ensured the story reached many eyes and ears, spreading the mermaid’s tale far and wide.

In the letter it says: "Came across this anime where a guy turned into a vending machine and Desmond turning into that would be really helpful just by giving medicine and other supplies.

P. S Not sure if I asked this before."

You sent this last month and I finally

The anime in question is Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon

The first season is only 12 episode long so if you’d like a unique take on the protagonist getting isekai’ed.

It will definitely be OP because Desmond could turn into any kind of vending machine and there’s a lot of variety that he can play with.

We can even give him a helping hand and make him be able to change to any vending machine made even after 2012 so he has more option.

But he has to unlock them, of course.

In this one, he’s gonna be placed in Jerusalem’s bureau first because no one is strong enough to carry him around all the time and it will be a team effort.

He’ll appear in the bureau a day before Malik arrives as the new Rafiq and he’d ask the novices what this strange box is.

Due to the mission’s failed attempt, all of the people in the bureau are new and no one knows what it is. Someone suggested it must be something the last Rafiq had and they just let it be because it wasn’t doing anything strange.

Then it started talking to them but it’s all stock phrases like “Hello there!” “Too bad” and “Please insert coin.”

Malik ordered that no one touches it and he starts trying to figure it out.

Then Altaïr appeared and Malik is too annoyed (and sleep deprived) to be in Altaïr’s presence.

And he forgot to tell Altaïr to not touch the strange box that has been lighting up and trying to catch their (it’s really Altaïr’s) attention.

Altaïr, being the smart person with idiotic ideas at times, does give it coin and gets yuzu hot tea.

By the time Malik returned, Altaïr had tried out everything and has found out:

(1) the device can change its inventory AND form

(2) the device can understand them but can only reply with stock phrases (they already had a phrase for “yes” and “no” in place)

(3) the device’s name is Desmond

“How do you know its name is Desmond?”

“His” Altaïr corrected before shrugging as he answered, “It feels right.”

====================================

“Uuuhhh… this one is addressed to the grand library but there’s no name on who it’s supposed to be for?” The courier asked as he looked over the large stacks between him and the alchemist who looked busy doing who knows with the cauldron.

“I don’t know who to address it to.” The alchemist answered before waving a hand absentmindedly, “The grand library will take care of it. They’re used to me anyway.”

He wasn’t sure about that but he wasn’t going to argue with someone close to a large amount of hot liquid.

“Alright then.” He placed the small… keychain?

He wasn’t exactly sure what this rectangular shaped thing was supposed to be.

But he’ll make sure it gets to the grand library at the very least.

“See you tomorrow then?”

“Yup!”

The courier left the atelier that smelled like… steak?

[depressedbagpipe]

A Heartrender's Fire Masterlist

Tolya Yul-Bataar x Lantsov!ofc [Shadow and Bone: Season 2]

Plot overview: Ravka's youngest princes changed their comfortable lives at the Grand Palace in Os Alta for endless adventures at the True Sea on the Volkvolny. Yet now, Nikolai and Irina Lantsov must return home, if only to aid the Sun Summoner defeat the Black Herectic, and unite all Grisha and their home land once again.

Series Warnings: canon-typical violence, grisha!reader (inferni btw), nikolai lantsov is a warning in itself, irina too, the twins being the twins, vasily (unfortunately), i follow the show's timeline, some casual misogyny, dialogue copy-pasted from the show, forever bitter about netflix cancelling it, poor understanding about grisha terminology

A/N: alright so i don't even know where i'm going with this but I've had this idea for far too long and i can't live in peace without writing some of it, at least. also sorry for the book lovers but i really liked the show's timeline so I'm gonna go with that because i can ;)

Chapter one: No shelter but me Chapter two: Rusalye Chapter three: Like calls to like Chapter four: Every Monstrous Thing Chapter five: Yuyeh Sesh (Despise Your Heart) Chapter six: Ni Weh Sesh (I Have No Heart)

General Taglist: @angiewhoohooo, @azaleaniath, @mishaandthebrits, @celestialcharles, @idohknow

[ericmicael]

10 CURIOSITIES ABOUT FROZEN 2

1 - The Northuldra Tribe and the plot of the dam was inspired by real life

In 1979 the Norwegian government decided to build a hydroelectric plant on the Alta River, but this would completely harm the salmon fishing and reindeer grazing that are the livelihood of the Sámi Tribe. They tried to oppose the construction, but were ignored and in the end the dam was built. But the protests they held were a major turning point for the tribe's relationship with the Norwegian government, which began to look more closely at the tribe even though it continues to commit various negligence towards it. In "Frozen 2" things were more drastic with King Runeard, Anna and Elsa's grandfather, creating the dam with the sole purpose of weakening the tribe and then managing to exterminate them because he considered them a risk to his throne due to their proximity with the spirits of nature and magic.

2 - Kristoff is technically a Northuldra before Anna and Elsa

It is no coincidence that Kristoff got along so well with the Northuldras and that people started to theorize that he is part of them since Kristoff is a Sámi or at least he was in the script "Frozen 1". In the film's script he and all the ice harvesters are called Sámi, which as I said at the beginning is the Northuldra Tribe from F2. As far as I know there is no confirmation in the franchise that brings the sides together (ice harversters and Northuldra), but considering that the Sámi Tribe is known for being a combination of different types of tribe, even having more than one language wouldn't be too wrong, and actually not unheard of since Anna and Elsa's mother's original tribe is different from the one she is shown participating in in F2 since her original tribe and family were completely wiped out when Iduna was 5 years old.

3 - Bruni or Sally

In the novelization of "Frozen 2" Olaf is in doubt about what name to give to the fire salamander, the options being Bruni and Sally. In the end he doesn't choose any of them and the book itself starts calling the salamander with the name Bruni. This is not the debut of the name Sally, in the Christmas short called "Olaf's Frozen Adventure" the stocking that Olaf hangs on the fireplace has the name Sally on it. And also about Bruni's name in the book "Dangerous Secret's: The Story of Iduna and Agnarr" which is a book that tells the past of Anna and Elsa's parents, Iduna calls the fire salamander with the name Bruni decades before Olaf choose this name for the Fire Spirit.

4 - Halima and Ryder have names inspired by real people

Halima, who is Mattias' love interest, shares her name with her voice actress Halima Hudson, and Ryder, who is Honeymaren's brother, shares his name with Ryder Buck, who is the deceased son of director Chris Buck.

5 - Santino Fontana and the redemption of Hans

Santino, who is the voice actor for the villain in "Frozen 1", even gave an interview saying that someone from Disney, who he obviously can't say who he is, told him that his character would return and I will have a redemption arc… Considering that the character since "Freezing Fever" has become the franchise's most recurring joke, appearing only to be humiliated as in the special "Once Upon a Studio" and in "Frozen 2" Elsa refers to him with the phrase "unreedemable monster" I have my doubts as to whether the person who said that to Santino really was someone from Disney or was playing a joke on him or was from a version of the script so early that perhaps the Northuldra Tribe didn't even exist yet.

6 - Lady Halverson and Woodsman

Speaking of the initial script we have these two figures, the first apparently was Mattias' initial love interest who, instead of being Halima, was a soldier in his battalion and the second is the mysterious being who transforms into a reindeer. We don't have any information about the two characters other than the video that can be found by typing: "Frozen 2 (2019) _ Queen Iduna _ Deleted Scene _ Exclusive Clip (HD)" and some art, and nothing else. "Woodsman" is just a nickname.

7 - Some of the deleted scenes were discovered or not

The production of "Frozen 2" was so chaotic that it generated a documentary where it is revealed that there were several moments deleted from the film, to this day there is not much about it, but we have some books like "The Enchanted Forest". "The Enchanted Forest" is an adaptation of the film, but it is not a very faithful adaptation so much so that there are several differences… Could it be that some of these differences are deleted scenes? There is the origin of the wagon that the group goes to the Enchanted Forest and even new lines between Elsa and Honeymaren, and this was one of the moments that is mentioned as being cut in the documentary. I'm not going to make a guarantee, but perhaps some of these books that portray "Frozen 2" in a slightly different way are actually earlier versions of the script before the cuts? Theories.

8 - Elsa's romantic life in "Frozen 2" and Kristen Bell

Although the theories and campaigns to give Elsa a girlfriend we have nothing official in the second film about Elsa's sexual orientation with Jennifer Lee herself, director, saying that the Snow Queen had a lot on her mind and wasn't ready. But going back to the deleted scenes, there are theories that Elsa would initially have romantic moments with Honeymaren, but they were deleted (in "The Enchanted Forest" the moments between them are new and just new dialogues) but there are some conceptual arts left like these two where Elsa presents intimately magic for the other woman in two stages of the film's development. But there is still this art where she does the same to Ryder which makes Kristen Bell, Anna's voice actress, enter this story, in an interview given to "SiriusXM" again the topic was "Elsa's girlfriend" with Honeymaren being mentioned, but Kristen Bell will mention the theme and ends up saying at the end that Elsa is free to choose and even has more than one option in the Enchanted Forest with her mentioning Ryder. Out of curiosity, the brothers Honeymaren and Ryder have already competed for Elsa in the mobile game called "Disney Magic Kingdoms" where they both try to take the Snow Queen for a walk through the forest, but Honeymaen arrives first, frustrating Ryder who still has to put up with the game itself. mocking him since the name of the mission was "barking up the wrong tree". Later, a festival takes place in Arendelle in this mobile game where Honeymaren offers herself as a saleswoman, wanting to do this just to please Elsa, and Ryder, upon realizing her feelings for the Snow Queen, decides to help… from rival to cupid.

9 - Anna would ask Kristoff to marry her

In one of the deleted songs Kristoff would talk about his feelings, but in the end it would be her who would ask him to marry her. The song is "Get This Right" and the entire scene, still in progress, can be found on YouTube.

10 - Elsa's death

There is a rumor that in the film's original script Elsa would not thaw and would end the film frozen dead, giving a hint that she could return in the future. The main clue would be this concept art where Elsa appears unconscious, thawed with Nokk and if you paid attention to what I said, the main proof that the film would end with her frozen is an art of her thawed. There are still those who use the fact that she couldn't stop the wave as proof since the castle was originally going to be rebuilt, but I honestly don't believe it.

[welcometololaland]

i didn't want to say 'goals' because you know, we're not putting pressure on ourselves to do anything other than create for love, but here are my general plans for 2024. feel free to send an ask or a message if any of these are up your alley, i have snippets for most of them and a lot of them are well on their way!

solo ventures:

1. 10 things i hate about you au (tarlos).

2. european adventure au (rwrb) - i vow to write this in 2024 even though it will probably destroy me emotionally. if anything is going to be longer than ALTA, it will be this.

3. product placement (tarlos).

4. the ring-in 2.0 (tarlos).

5. cause of action (hangster).

co-written magic:

1. (so far unnamed) pet store au with @strandnreyes (tarlos).

2. call me (by my name) with @rmd-writes (tarlos).

open tag if anyone would also like to share their wishlist 💜

[delfiore]

—THE GHOST YOU LEFT BEHIND.

pairing: zoya nazyalensky x fem!heartrender!reader

synopsis: a painful past between you and zoya comes to light when you are sent on an intel mission on behalf of the king.

word count: 4.3k

warnings: men being gross, a mild spoiler for the SoC book (?) idk i found the info on the wiki

a/n: hahAA 4k. shadow and bone has consumed my life and so has sujaya dasgupta ok thank you goodnight.

You looked down at the map strewn in front of you, a small smile creeping its way onto your lips. You didn’t look up, but you could imagine the fury on Zoya’s face.

“If I may, moi tsar—“

“I have made my decision, General,” Nikolai interjected, “you are my best fighter, and well, Y/N can be quite persuasive. I trust that you two would make an excellent team.”

For the glory of Ravka.

Finally, your eyes found her across the table. Her jaw was tight and her eyes hard as she looked back at you. “We depart at dawn,” she said, regal and in the manner of a good soldier, and left the room.

“Something humorous, sister?”

You shook your head, but the grin remained. “Now I think you’re just doing it for the hell of it.”

“I need all the information I can gather about jurda parem,” your half-brother reasoned, “and my advisor and general to not be at each other’s throats every time they enter the same room.”

“And your solution is to send them away alone with each other?” You scoffed.

“Precisely.” Nikolai nodded, with the same shit-eating grin. “I expect you back in a fortnight’s time with useful intel.”

By the time the sun was above you the next day, you and Zoya had been on horseback for hours outside Os Alta. Unsurprisingly, in complete silence.

You breathed in deeply. “Well, isn’t this lovely?”

“No.”

“A thrilling adventure back to my motherland,” you continued much to Zoya’s dismay, “almost like that time when we went to seek out the Crows. Just thinking about those Shu dumplings at the market makes my mouth water.”

Her silence was poisonous, and you felt the poison seep into your bones. The horses huffed as they trotted leisurely side-by-side on the dirt path.

“You know, we are going to be together for the next fortnight. Are you really going to do this without saying a word?”

“I am,” she said adamantly, “unless you’d like a punch to the jaw for breakfast, I suggest you shut it.”

“Speaking of breakfast, I am famished.” You looked down at your stomach delicately. “Perhaps we should stop. There should be a tavern in a couple of miles.”

To your surprise, Zoya let you stop at the tavern for some food, but not before she gave you a look that made you reconsider everything you’ve ever said around her. You were in the middle of devouring bacon and eggs, when you heard a scoff coming from her on the opposite end of the table.

“You eat like an animal,” she said, grimacing.

“Sorry that my table etiquette isn’t to your liking. I’ve learned to appreciate food having lived at sea where sustenance is never certain.”

“Why’d you pick it then? You were royalty.”

You huffed. “Not exactly. My status at court depended entirely on how my father, the King, felt about his illegitimate child that day. And that, in it itself, was fragile. But you knew that.”

Zoya shifted uncomfortably. You knew you had touched on a sore subject, but it was the most you had exchanged with her since returning home with Nikolai. All the spats and arguments left you little room to fill her in on all your adventures as you’d hoped. You wrote countless letters addresses to her, but you never received a response, so you’d only assumed that your words on paper had been reduced to ash by now.

“I’ll have you know I got the money for it. You just got to tell me where.”

“I’ll sell it to ya when I make sure I’ve got more coming in from Koba. The Crown’s maximizing security at the borders so it might take a while.”

“Are you listening?” You looked up at her, whispering quietly, so as not to alarm the men at the next table.

She nodded wordlessly.

“Thought the Fold being gone would make it easier, instead it’s just another useless king waving his magic wand around like a little prick.”

“Name the man. I’ll have my men do business with him.”

There was a stiff silence. Her hand fiddled with the napkin anxiously as she waited for the response.

A heavy fist slammed down on the table next to your plate, and the rugged men had surrounded your table.

“Got a couple of eavesdroppers, haven’t we?” One of the sneered.

“Oy, give us a bit of fun and maybe we’ll let you off,” another put his foot on the chair in which Zoya sat, and stroked her face greedily. “I’ll take this one.”

You could see the desperation in her eyes, begging you not to fight back. So, you held your tongue. You knew you couldn’t reveal the status of your being here. It was the reason why you and her dressed in plain clothes, and not your kefta.

“We’re just passersby, boys. Not looking for any trouble,” Zoya said sweetly, but you could tell that she was fuming too.

“C’mon, sweetling. No harm in a little fun, eh?”

You hated the way that prick was hovering over Zoya, it made you see red. In a quick motion, you whipped your head back against one of them, effectively breaking his nose with a loud crunch. With the other that stood beside you gawking, you pulled on his heart, until you could feel it squeezing in your hand, and he fell to the flooring, arresting.

The tavern once animated quickly fell silent, and the only sound left was the brawl that you found yourself in. Needless to say, a bunch of otkazat’sya were no match for two Grisha. But it was only you using your powers. Zoya had knocked down two of the men with her bare hands.

You found the informant amidst the brawl, now battered with blood on his face, and held him by the collar. “Tell me who the seller is and where I can find him.”

When the man refused to answer, you gritted your teeth, and pulled the air from his lungs.

“Fine! Fine! I’ll tell you!” He gasped. “Yuri Enkhbaatar, in Koba. Please, let me go.”

You nodded, satisfied, and punched him in the face, rendering him unconscious.

“Grisha scum!” One of them shouted as they all ran out of the tavern with their tails between their legs.

You took a moment to catch your breath. When you looked down at your hands, they were shaking and your right was bloody at the knuckles. The silver ring on your middle finger, fortunately, was still intact.

“It’s fine,” you said to Zoya, seeing her look at your wound with apprehension.

The sound of the horses neighing alarmed you. "No," you whispered and set off to chase the men, only to see them galloping away with one of your horses. You quickly ran after them, but they had rounded the corner and descended the hill, away from your immediate eyesight.

You let out an angry yell, just as Zoya caught up to you.

"Well done," she said sarcastically, a grin on her face.

"Save it," you grumbled under your breath, and keep walking in the direction you were supposed to go.

You heard Zoya's horse trot behind you, and you turned around in an attempt to counter whatever teasing comment she was going to throw at you. "Hop on," she said.

It took you a second to realize what she meant, frankly because you didn't think she'd be that hospitable. It might have been a different story if it was her horse that had been taken. You never liked being around an angry Zoya; a simmering Zoya was enough of a headache.

"You do realize that this means I'm going to be very close to you for the rest of our journey?"

"I'd rather that than have to wait for you every few paces," Zoya said, extending a hand to you. "Go on, we don't have all day. And if you keep babbling, you will walk.”

You took a deep breath before pulling yourself upwards; now you were very close to her. You thought the years of being apart would extinguish that bubbling feeling you get whenever you were around her, but here you were, trying your best to keep calm, as your legs wrapped around her. Thank the Saints she wasn’t a Heartrender.

“I’d say this is quite nice—“

“No.”

You sighed. It was going to be a very long ride to Koba.

On the fifth night, you arrived at the city. The sun had long disappeared behind the mountains, and the city lights could be seen from miles away.

“We should probably find our accommodation before doing anything,” Zoya said, “we might be here for a bit.”

You found a cheap inn in a small alley near the market. If you weren’t on a mission for the king, you’d almost see it as a much-needed vacation. You knew Zoya was exhausted by the way her eyes were barely open she waited for the innkeeper to assign you your room. She grabbed the keys as soon as it left the woman’s hand and went upstairs.

“All the Saints above in good Heaven,” you heard her exclaim as you peered inside.

“What?” You said. There was one single bed in the middle of an otherwise quite spacious room.

“It’s alright. You catch some sleep.” You said, sensing her annoyance. “I’ll go into the night market—“

She didn’t let you finish your sentence before throwing her day-bag somewhere on the floor and collapsing onto the bed, her limbs sprawled out across the entire width.

“—For a bit,” you said quietly, and closed the door behind you in the hallway, a small grin on your face at the unusual display of fatigue.

When you returned about an hour later, she was already in a deep sleep, but still in her riding clothes. Careful so as not to wake her, you pulled the cover from underneath her, earning an annoyed murmur from the girl, and throwing it over her body.

The commotion from the market had faded out the moment you stepped into your shared room. The quietness, not silence, that enshrouded the room, became loud. Your mind became loud as you thought about the past. Your past with Zoya.

You began to hear her voice, her young laughter as she chased you down the hall at the Little Palace, effectively putting many servants in charge of your wellbeing in distress. You despised your so-called family, the only one you liked was Nikolai, but things got better because you had your best friend, Zoya, the new Squaller that came from Novokribirsk.

You found her crying alone one day in a hidden part of the courtyard, when she was supposed to be training with Botkin. She had come only a few days before, and she was missing home.

“I’ll be your friend,” you remember saying to her, “that way you’re not alone anymore.” The pair of you were nine.

You sat by the side of the bed, resting your head against it, watching her sleep. She had every right to hate you, you knew that, but it hurt a lot. It hurt because you had promised yourselves to each other in the form of two silver rings. You didn’t understand the magnitude of that promise then, but you did now; Zoya Nazyalensky was your first love.

“I’m sorry,” you murmured, but you knew she couldn’t hear. Quickly, you placed your hands above your chest to slow your racing heart, and keep the tears at bay. Once calmed, you settled back against the side of the bed, listening to the other steady heartbeat in the room as you succumbed to sleep.

Ten years old. You pushed down on the door handle quietly, being careful not to wake the other girls in the room. It was way past your bedtime, and you knew you would have to sneak back into your own room before the sun rises. In the dark, you made your way to where you knew was Zoya’s bunk. She was fast asleep, facing away from you.

“Zoyaaaa,” you shook her softly. The raven-haired girl turned around, and rubbed her eyes.

“I can’t sleep,” you whispered.

Wordlessly, she moved over, albeit barely as her bed was tiny, and you happily got under the cover with when as she pulled you closer.

“What are you ever going to do without me?” Zoya whispered back.

In the pale moonlight, your best friend looked like the entire universe. “I’d just never sleep.”

“Y/N. Y/N, wake up!”

You jolted awake, feeling the weight of reality crash down against your heavy eyelids.

Zoya was hovering above you, furrowing her eyebrows at the snorting noise you made when you woke up.

“Look,” she said, pointing out the window.

You rubbed your eyes and squinted subconsciously at the bright light that penetrated the room. Deep into the alley, a space opened up to what appeared to be a tea shop, and there sat two of the men you encountered at the tavern in Ravka.

“Shit,” you grumbled.

Next to them was another man, the front half of his head was shaved, the back of it skirted down his back in a long braid. He had Shu features, Enkhbaatar.

“There’s our man,” Zoya said.

You lunged towards the door when she pulled in your sleeve. “What are you going to do?”

“Stopping those bastards from importing the drug into our country.”

“By doing what? Asking them nicely?” Zoya hissed. “Y/N, we’ve already directed enough attention to ourselves the other day. We’re not in Ravka anymore, we don’t have the same kind of protection here. If they find out what we are—“

“They kill us, I know.”

She nodded firmly. “So, I have a plan.”

Zoya was good at many things, a good Squaller, a loyal soldier, a resolute decision-maker. It led you to believe that her plan might just work, it checked out in your head. You got the name, Bo Yul-Bayur. But then, you found yourself chasing after Yuri Enkhbaatar down many winding alleys, until you stopped at what seemed to be a brothel and his goons looked like they were about to swallow you alive. Turns out the men that you had beaten up at the tavern alarmed him of two Grisha nobles looking for jurda parem.

“Kill them!” He shouted to them in Shu.

“We just want to talk, Yuri!” You held your hands up in defense.

“I don’t talk to Ravkans, most of all Grisha!”

“But you’re not human, are you? You’re Grisha too.” You laughed, albeit carefully. “You’re a Fabrikator, an Alkemi.”

The look on his face shifted, as he scanned his men.

“Let us go, and you will have protection in Ravka from the King himself until we arrest Bo and bring him to justice,” Zoya prodded.

“I don’t need protection from your boy king,” Yuri growled. “Tell me, will your Saints be there to watch over you in the afterlife?”

The men charged, and all you knew was to defend Zoya from their blades. But there were too many of them. You were getting overwhelmed by the others as you try to subdue one. Men piled on top of one other trying to fight you, and there was a moment when you thought you wouldn’t get out.

It would be poetic, you thought, dying with your best friend, and your first love. Word would reach your brother of your failure, and he would do with it as he willed, but you would be here with Zoya, and you would be alone together.

Through the chaos, you spotted Yuri fleeing the scene. He really meant to kill you. You looked over to Zoya, seeing her struggling to fight three men at once. One of them, in her blind spot, with a gleaming sword in hand sliced her arm and she reacted with a painful yelp.

“Zoya!” You yelled. The added strength of seeing her in pain allowed you to stop two of the men’s hearts at once, something you’ve never done before, as they instantly dropped like flies to your feet.

You sensed an opening in the disorientation, and quickly grabbed Zoya to make a run for it. You hid in another small alley under ropes of aired out laundry for added concealment, as you attempted to catch your breath.

Zoya’s sleeve, once royal blue, was now stained with a dark red where the open wound was. It looked deep, and she was trying her best not to let the blood mark your whereabouts on the ground. She clutched it poorly in an attempt to stop the bleeding, but her face turned pale as she looked closer to fainting.

Quickly, you tore a piece at the end of your garment off to wrap it around her arm. “Keep pressure,” you said, but she turned away and refused to meet your eyes.

“I don’t need your pity, Y/L/N.”

“Pity?” You scoffed incredulously. “Zoya, you’re bleeding out!”

“Don’t pretend like you care about me now!” You knew it was her pride talking. Years of being the perfect soldier—alone—has hardened her, and having her plans fail so spectacularly. “I’ve survived worse. I took a bullet to the leg, an arrow to the shoulder. This is nothing.”

“Zoya, please let me just—“

“And you weren’t there!” You saw your own reflection in her glossy eyes, like a crosshair, like a wanted poster. You saw yourself in her disappointment.

“I left because—“ your voice was breaking, “I left because I couldn’t stand it anymore. My . . . family, never saw me as anything more than a bastard child! I felt like I didn’t have a family. I was on my own.”

Zoya laughed bitterly, sniffling her tears. From the wall she was slumping against, she took a step towards you, her eyes burned with contempt. “I was your family, Y/N, and you left without even saying goodbye.”

“I’m sorry.” Your eyes were wet. You balled your fists, your right hand fiddling with your ring. “I loved you.”

“There was a time where I would have said it back to you,” she said, her voice wavering, “but that time is long gone.”

With that, she left, no doubt to find her way back to the inn, but you didn’t bother trying to show your face for at least until that evening.

Nikolai heartily welcomed your return. He had worried for your safety when word got back about the tussle at the tavern.

"Well done, Y/N. I never doubted your abilities."

"Truly, it was Zoya that came up with the plan to catch Yul-Bayur," your voice trailed off, and you shrugged.

Sensing your discomfort, your brother came to your side by the table. "You talked, then?"

"If by 'talk' you mean we screamed in each other's faces, then yes," you sighed, your last verbal interaction fresh on your mind. “The only times I regret leaving with you are when I think about her.”

Your brother understood not to make his thoughts known, but to be your comfort when he pulled you into his chest.

The way Zoya handles her emotional baggage was never something she was proud of. Her confrontation with you in Shu Han had dug up a lot of things she wished she had forgotten about. She had promised herself to never let anyone in as much as she did you, and it scared her how easily still you got under her skin, even now.

So she figured the best way to deal with you was to pretend you never existed at all. The only times she would see you were at dinner and training anyway, but she never bat you an eye. She wanted you to know what it felt like to be left behind.

“Lady Y/N asked about you,” Genya told her, “asked how your arm is doing.”

“‘S fine.” Zoya answered courtly.

In the little time Genya Safin had the privilege of knowing Zoya, she knew the girl could be difficult to talk to. However, it never deterred her from trying.

“Why do you deprive yourself so? You know you still care about her.”

“It’s none of your business, Safin.”

“It is. It’s everyone’s business, Zoya, when you both have been lathering those longing, melancholic looks at each other all over our faces! You don’t think the other notices when you look at each other, but Saints it is so blatant that it makes me nauseous.”

Zoya didn’t reply, but opted to observe some younger Grisha mucking about during their breaks from training.

“And what about those letters? Why’d you keep them then? For decoration?”

“I—I don’t know.” She must have read every single one of your letters at least ten times, each time hanging onto every word. She would find herself smiling as some of the stories you tell her, but quickly catch herself slipping. There would be three to four letters every few months, then the numbers dwindled until she had to get used to not receiving any at all. Five months later, you returned.

“General,” a guard made himself known to the women. “His Majesty requests your presence in the council chamber.”

To her utmost dismay, you were there too, along with Tolya and Tamar. She let herself settle by the table, ignoring the burning gaze you were directing at her.

“You called for me, moi tsar?”

“Yes, I was hoping to get your input on how we shall proceed with Yuri Enkhbaatar, and subsequently Bo Yul-Bayar.” The King leaned on the edge of the table. “You were face-to-face with Enkhbaatar, what do you think?”

She let herself glance over at you for a split second, seeing you already looking at back at her with a crestfallen look. Straightening back up at the King, she answered, “We may need some time before we are able to get to Yul-Bayar. With him hiding out in Kerch, the only thing we may do is issue a bounty for him. Might I suggest our . . . friends in Ketterdam?”

By the time the meeting was over, Zoya used her best effort to leave the room as quick as possible, but, as if you had known she was going to, you caught her in the hallway.

“Zoya,” you said. There was a hesitant pause. “I was hoping to talk to you.”

“I don’t want to talk,” she spoke calmly, almost too much so. You winced at her aloofness.

“Please, I don’t expect you to forgive me. I just want you to know that I’m sorry, and that I thought about you every day when I was gone. You must believe me.” You clung onto her sleeve with a desperate look. Zoya almost faltered at the glossiness that been to form in your eyes, you looked so defeated.

“I still think about you,” you confessed quietly, “you are all I think about.”

Your confession hung in the air like a puff of smoke, one that she wished she could condensed into a ball and throw away. There were other things that should be said after, but if she said them, her beating heart was going to jump out of her mouth into her hands for you see. There was a time when she wouldn’t have been afraid to let you see. Parts of her wanted to return to it.

“Th-That’s it,” you mumbled quietly, but something shifted in your eyes. You avoided her eyes and visibly deflated.

Zoya watched you floated down the hallway like a ghost, regretting choosing silence.

That night you couldn’t sleep. Tossing and turning in bed, you let your last conversation with Zoya played out in your head. You didn’t know what she was thinking, you used to be able to read her like a book. There were very little expressions on her face to indicate any emotion, and yet her heart was pounding in your ears like a scared prey.

One can wear as many faces as one needs, but the heart will always want what it wants.

You kicked off your covers, and quietly opened the main doors to your room. There was not a single sound in the hallway, the Castle had gone to sleep long before that. You had learned where everything was now located in your absence, and you stopped in front of a room right by the stairs leading down to the main atrium.

She opened the door, and didn’t bother to hiding the surprise on her face. “Y/N,” she called your name.

You gulped, and let yourself run your eyes across her features. Her face was bare, free of cosmetics, her hair was dark as the night and cascaded freely down her shoulders.

“I can’t sleep,” you said, smiling sadly.

There it was. You saw the walls cracking, and finally tumbling down. Her lips quivered as she stifled a small sob. She had been pretending so hard, and it all cane tumbling down.

Wordlessly, she pulled you into her room, her hands finding their ways to the nape of your neck. You let her cry against your forehead, as your fingers found the wound on her arm that has now closed.

“I’m so tired of pretending.” Zoya said.

“Then stop,” you shook your head lightly. “I’m never leaving again.”

You let her push you back towards her bed where you sat by the edge, as she slowly guided you onto your back, raven curtains divided her face from everything else. You let your hands roam free, all night, for a thousand nights.