#and i thought if i had more of a presence and interacted more i'd eventually get people to like. talk to me and comment stuff ig. idk

[sofastuffing]

i have a headache

[cafelattaes]

beat you at your own game | hrj

summary: y/n has a crush on renjun, who's not that great with people. despite his standoffish nature, she makes an effort to be friendly. but things take a twist when she starts to ignore him.

pairing: renjun x fem!reader

genre: college au, fluff, angst

word count: 3.5k

huang renjun, how exactly would you describe him? well, for starters, he can be a bit cranky. he's all about having his own space, not a fan of dragging things out, and gets things done in a flash. he’s also straightforward and not afraid to speak his mind. people have mixed feelings about him because of it. but oddly enough, it only adds to his charm, making people naturally drawn to him, much to his 'i'd-rather-not' demeanor.

needless to say, you just had to develop a crush on someone who’s the total opposite of you. you’re a people-pleaser; you’d much rather say things that would please others than express your genuine thoughts. confrontations make you uncomfortable, and you lean towards making excuses for those who hurt you on purpose. you also always try to avoid conflicts as much as you can and resort to suffering in silence instead. you're trying to change these aspects of yourself, but since you grew up having these traits, breaking free can be a bit hard. still, you're working on it.

you never intended to let renjun know about your feelings, but your friends were determined to embarrass you whenever he was around, constantly teasing you. it didn't help that despite not being close to renjun and his group, some of them were friends with your close friends, so they eventually joined in poking fun at your crush. one day, you decided to dismiss their incessant teasing and initiated a friendly conversation with renjun. at first, he responded out of courtesy. you weren't stupid though; you could tell that renjun was clearly fed up with his friends and wanted nothing to do with their antics.

he began to dislike being associated with you, offering only short responses and not acknowledging your presence more than necessary. you didn’t pay it much mind, since getting close to him wasn't your original goal. your aim was to ease the awkwardness and shed the embarrassment that accompanied your interactions. you happened to share some classes with renjun, coincidentally, those were the ones where both your friends weren't around. sitting next to him became a default habit, as he was the only familiar face in those particular classes.

one morning, you found yourself running late for your 8am class, prompting you to dash before your professor arrived. you accidentally collided with renjun, who happened to be holding an iced coffee. to your horror, more than half of the drink ended up spilling onto his shirt.

“oh my god, renjun, i’m so sorry!” you looked at him in fear, and it took everything in him to remain calm.

“why are you running around a busy hallway?”

“i’m really, really sorry. i’m late for my first class and i didn’t think i’d bump into anyone.” renjun let out an annoyed sigh.

“whatever.”

“wait!” you started rummaging through your bag to bring out some alcohol and wipes. “do you need them?”

“no, thank you.” he tried to walk past you, but you caught his arm.

“what about the stain?”

“i have a spare shirt. can you let me go now? i thought you said you were late.”

“shoot, you’re right. i’m sorry again, i promise i’ll make it up to you!” you shouted as you ran.

“please don’t,” he grumbled.

later on, you found renjun at the library working on your assignments. you sat quietly next to him and began doing your own. he didn’t spare you a look and just carried on with his work. you spent a few hours completing them, and both of you got it done at the same time. as you got up to gather your things, you spoke to the boy beside you.

“renjun, do you have anything to do after this?”

“no.”

“there’s this new diner that just opened up nearby. do you want to check it out? my friends have prior commitments, and i wanted to make it up to you for spilling your coffee earlier.” you already knew he was going to refuse, but it wouldn’t hurt to still ask.

“sorry, i’ll have to pass. i need to get home quickly.” you nodded in understanding and smiled at him.

“no biggie. take care on your way home!”

“thanks,” he simply said before leaving.

“so, what's the deal with you and y/n?" jaemin asked in a teasing tone. "any progress? are you going out already?” renjun scowled.

“shut up. i want her to back off, honestly.”

“you want everyone to back off.” jaemin pointed out.

“yeah, but most especially y/n.”

jaemin's eyebrows knitted together. “uh, why do you sound so annoyed with her?”

“because she's annoying. i turned her down multiple times, but she can’t take a hint. nothing’s worse than someone who forces themselves on others.”

“relax, man. aren't you being a bit harsh? you’ll see that she’s nice if you give her a chance.”

“what exactly is nice about her being fixated on me? this is mostly your fault, you know. if you guys weren’t such busybodies, she wouldn’t be so pushy.”

you quietly slipped away, making sure they hadn't noticed you. a single tear rolled down your cheek before you could stop it. it wasn't every day you heard someone openly express their dislike for you, and coming from the person you were supposed to like, it stung even more. you never meant to force yourself into renjun's space or push for a connection that clearly wasn't there. maybe it was time to face reality and let go of your feelings for him. it would be better for both of you in the long run to avoid any more awkward moments and misunderstandings.

renjun had grown accustomed to spotting you in your regular seat during your shared class. however, he was met with surprise when he noticed you had moved to a vacant seat considerably distant from your usual spot next to him. he was a bit confused at first, but chose not to dwell on it. he also noted that you didn't notice his entrance into the room, as you were engrossed in some task.

you continued to maintain a distance in your next classes with renjun. he was uncertain if you were oblivious to his presence or deliberately avoiding acknowledgement, given the lack of glances his way. he found it a bit strange that you refrained from initiating any form of interaction, but he didn’t mind. he thought he felt better. at least, for now.

however, renjun was not expecting your odd behavior to persist. it brought another surprise when you ignored him again the following day. even when your eyes accidentally locked for a second, you quickly averted your gaze. renjun wasn’t sure if you really didn’t see him or were just pretending not to. you weren’t wearing your glasses, and your eyesight wasn't the best. but even if you did ignore him on purpose, he didn’t mind… or did he?

it’s been a while since you stopped talking to renjun. at first, he thought he felt a sense of relief, thinking it gave him some space. but after a week, he was confused about why you suddenly stopped. the following week, he could feel his stomach churning seeing you leave class, secretly hoping you’d look back. then, the week after that, he felt a wave of anger because there were more than a few times he bumped into you purposely to get you to talk to him, but you did not utter any word other than a quiet apology. now, nearly a month later, he started to feel dejected because no matter what he did, you always acted like he wasn't even there. renjun wasn’t sure what he did wrong to make you so determined in avoiding him completely.

“renjun’s going through 5 stages of grief,” jaemin said with a smirk.

“what are you talking about?” haechan looked at him in confusion.

“y/n’s been ignoring him for a month.”

“WHAT? WHY?” jaemin shrugged.

“no idea. we’re not close enough for me to ask.”

“what about jeno?”

“he doesn’t want to pry.”

“maybe she got tired of renjun’s grumpy attitude,” chenle piped up.

“could be,” jaemin turned to the boy in question. “look at him, he’s miserable.”

“shut up,” renjun muttered in discontent.

“stop provoking him. it’s his first heartbreak,” chenle taunted, making renjun roll his eyes at their ridiculousness.

“you know you could just talk to her right? ask what’s going on?”

“if she wanted to talk, she would’ve reached out to me by now,” renjun said flatly. his friends could only shake their heads in disapproval.

“don’t be stupid.”

“and i’m begging all of you to mind your own business.”

“if you keep this up, you’ll end up in a situation you can’t fix.”

haechan nodded vigorously. “yeah, don't say we didn't warn you!”

you kept quiet about what you had overheard from renjun in the last month, choosing not to share the details with your friends. you figured they would eventually notice renjun's absence from your life, and when they finally asked you about it, you dismissed their probing questions. you casually informed them that your crush on him had simply faded after getting to know him better. you were quite good at making believable lies, they were convinced by it and dropped the topic quickly.

unexpectedly, renjun sought you out in an empty classroom to confront you about your sudden disconnection. you looked like a deer caught in headlights when you realized who had just entered, walking in long and quick strides to your direction. in your mind, you were already conjuring up excuses to explain yourself.

“why are you ignoring me?” his question broke the silence, leaving you with no room to escape.

so much for attempting to evade this confrontation.

you took a moment to gather your thoughts, unsure how to respond. you tried to conceal your distress as renjun stared down at you while waiting for you to talk. it seemed like he was determined to stand his ground, expecting you to tell him the truth. with a frustrated sigh, you finally spoke up.

“i’m just staying out of your way,” you said after a moment of silence.

“yeah, so why?” his voice was demanding, it ticked you off a little.

you questioned why you were initially afraid of renjun confronting you and why you bothered coming up with excuses. after all, it wasn't his place to interrogate you when you were simply doing what he seemed to want from the start.

“i don’t know why you’re asking. isn’t that what you want? you should be happy.” you began to gather your things so you can leave, but you heard him speak again.

“i never told you to avoid me. if you have a problem with me, just say it.”

“you're right, you never told me directly. you just told other people.”

“what are you talking about?” you turned to face him.

“renjun, i don’t get you. you push me away, you're openly annoyed by me, and you tell everyone you want me gone. now that i’m doing exactly that, you’re still upset with me? what’s your problem?”

renjun ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident. “stop speaking in riddles and just tell me what's going on."

“fine. last month, i was passing by the library and i overheard you talking to your friends. you were complaining about how i couldn't take a hint and how you wanted me to leave you alone.” renjun looked a bit puzzled at first. when you were about to walk away, his eyes widened in realization.

“no, y/n, i’m so sorry. i didn't really mean what i-“ you shook your head lightly.

“don’t be. you were completely right, and i’m not even angry about it. i just don’t want to do anything with you anymore.”

“please, listen," renjun said, his voice urgent. "i blurted out those things in the heat of the moment. i regret it, especially now that i know you heard what i said… it's just- it’s not how i really feel about you."

“it’s okay, renjun. i didn’t tell you all of this to get an apology. i’m only telling you why i’m doing what i’m doing, like you asked, and to make it clear that i’m done.” as you turned to leave, renjun stepped in front of you, blocking your path.

“hear me out, alright? i was being overly sensitive back then. my friends were pushing my buttons, and i didn't know how to handle it so i lashed out. i treated you unfairly and you didn’t deserve any of that. a month without you made me realize a few things. i had to confront what i really want and face some truths i'd been avoiding."

he paused, studying your face before continuing. “i miss spending time with you, y/n. and... well, i realized i've got feelings for you, more than i thought. it never crossed my mind that you'd actually distance yourself and it hit me hard. the idea of losing you if you choose to walk away made me lose my mind.”

your heart raced as he spoke, and his confession stirred up a mix of emotions. your confusion lingered, but you decided to reason through it, pushing aside the sincerity in his eyes as you gave him a skeptical look.

“are you… getting your feelings confused with something else? did you consider that maybe your mind is playing tricks on you and making you think you like me because you're used to others chasing after you?”

renjun winced, trying to ignore the implied criticism. it was a struggle for him to open up about his feelings, only for the girl he liked to question it and suggest that he couldn't understand his own emotions.

“i wouldn't be here asking why you've been avoiding me and opening up like this if i hadn't thought it through." he said quietly. "it might be hard to believe right now, but if you give me a chance, i can prove it to you."

“i don’t think this is a good idea,” you said, watching his face fall. he felt lost, trying to find the right words to convince you. taking a deep breath, he gently placed his hands on your shoulders, meeting your eyes.

“please, just give me a chance to make things right. i feel like i've wasted so much time.” the desperation in his voice was clear. still skeptical, you removed his hands as they fell down to your arms.

“i’ll think about it,” you said, turning to walk away, leaving a lingering sense of uncertainty in the air.

renjun’s friends had been observing him for a few days, and he’s become unusually quiet. they contemplated asking him what’s wrong, but they wanted to give him some space. it was glaringly obvious that something was bothering him, and he didn’t want to talk about it. jeno couldn't help but express his concern.

"renjun, you've been awfully quiet lately. everything alright?"

"yeah, i'm fine. just dealing with some stuff." jeno and jaemin exchanged knowing glances.

"we're here whenever you're ready to talk." jaemin assured, patting his back.

he had been feeling down since your conversation days ago. your words had been weighing on his mind and creating an internal turmoil. the fact that you continued to ignored him in all your classes didn't offer much comfort. renjun couldn't help but cast a longing look in your direction whenever he saw you. he wondered if there was a way to make things right, or if he had to live with the consequences of his past actions.

meanwhile, his confession has been replaying in your mind. the idea of him reciprocating your feelings caught you off guard; it was something you never saw coming. after some contemplation, it became apparent to you that renjun really felt apologetic and was filled with remorse. could it be that he genuinely likes you? even if that was the case, you're still unsure whether it's the right move to start something with him.

maybe i should stop overthinking this.

you took a deep breath before releasing a loud sigh, unaware that the boy who had been occupying your thoughts, stood right in front of you.

“y/n,” you looked up to see renjun. you waited for him to speak, but it seemed like he was having a mental struggle, debating whether to say what was on his mind. he mustered up the courage to ask if you were willing to give him a chance. staring at him with an unreadable expression, he didn't know how to interpret the situation. was it a bad time to talk?

“why?” you finally asked. although renjun was hesitant, he answered.

“i was wondering if you already thought about what i said? i mean… i can wait if you need more time.”

“if i say no, are you going to leave me alone?” your heart sank a little when his face fell.

he took a moment before responding. his voice barely above a whisper. “if that’s what you want... i guess i would have to."

“renjun,” you said, causing him to look up.

“yeah?”

“let’s give it a try.” his expression became hopeful.

“really?”

“yes," you nodded. "you said you liked me back, i'm choosing to believe that for now. just... don't let me down."

“i won’t," he promised, a smile slowly spreading across his face.

before you could react, renjun pulled you into a warm embrace. you found yourself returning the hug, allowing yourself to relax in his arms.

"thank you for giving me a chance," he murmured, his words muffled against your hair but filled with sincerity.

“i’m happy for them, really," giselle said, eyeing you and renjun across the room. "but watching those two make heart eyes at each other is sickening."

chenle snorted. "this is nothing. you should see renjun at the dorm."

the group's attention snapped to him. "oh?" karina prompted.

“let's just say personal space is not in his vocabulary anymore."

“huh… i would've expected y/n to be the clingy one."

“yeah, no. but i guess it makes sense, considering how he acted before."

giselle and karina exchanged amused glances, intrigued by the dynamic between you and renjun.

"amazing what a change of heart can do," jaemin mused.

karina nodded, a hint of approval in her voice. "guess he learned his lesson."

the group watched you and renjun for a moment longer, a mix of amusement and fondness in their expressions. it was clear that renjun had undergone a significant change in the way he acts toward you, transforming his initial aloofness to this new, affectionate version of himself.

“i have the dorm to myself this weekend.” renjun said, a hint of mischief in his eyes.

you raised an eyebrow. “and what exactly are you suggesting?”

“you know…” he trailed off, his look suggestive.

“i’m studying for finals," you replied flatly.

“exactly. i find myself more productive when i’m with you.”

“right. because we get so much done when we study together."

“don't you want my hugs and kisses?” he pouted.

“not when i’m trying to pass my classes.”

“i'll behave, i promise.”

“you always say that. i don’t believe you anymore.” renjun's pout deepened. cute.

“maybe i wouldn't be so clingy if you paid more attention to me. you’re always busy, you don’t have time for your boyfriend.”

“renjun, unlike you, i have to put in extra effort to get good grades. i’m not as smart as you are.”

“excuses.” he mumbled.

you rolled your eyes, but couldn't help smiling. “you’re so adorable,” you cooed, giving him a quick peck. “i never imagined you to be the clingy type.”

“baby, there's a lot of things you don’t know about me.” he said, his voice lowering.

“oh? like what?”

he leaned in close. “like how great i am with my hands."

your eyebrows shot up. "is that so?"

“yeah. apparently, i give one heck of a shoulder massage,” he finished with a grin.

you burst out laughing at his endearing silliness. the sound of your laughter made renjun pause. he watched you, a soft smile spreading across his face. suddenly, he felt an overwhelming surge of happiness. taking your hand gently in his, he pressed a kiss to your fingertips, capturing your attention and prompting you to look at him.

"you make me feel the happiest," he said softly. "i love you."

your heart skipped a beat, the euphoria of hearing those three words from him for the first time washing over you. it hit you then - this unexpected journey with renjun had led you somewhere you never imagined. he, too, held the key to your happiness.

“i love you too," you whispered back.

you closed the distance between you two and your lips met his. as he wrapped an arm around your waist, you let yourself fall to his embrace, deepening the kiss.

renjun was met with the realization that while you fell for him first, he descended later, but with an intensity that surpassed a thousand falls.

[stinkyturd]

After Hours Request

Pairing: Jin Kamurai/You

Comments: Jin has gotta be in my top three favorite characters. Tsunderes have a special place in my heart, and I think that this guy has a huge soft spot for the protagonist. I know I'm setting up a lot of commitments for myself, but I wouldn't mind doing a part two for this one at some point. Enjoy!

A senseless distraction you were.

It was unfathomable how much you continued to preoccupy Jin's thoughts well after your departure from Frostheim. Locked away in his icy chambers, the captain found himself far too often reaching for his phone to check for your texts throughout the day. It wasn't as if the two of you were on that friendly of speaking terms.

Jin recently began to have subliminal urges to send you at least one or two texts throughout the day that would inadvertently force an interaction. Be it requests, demands with threatening connotations, or even inquiries about other houses-- Jin found a reason. If it were possible, Jin would write a substantial check to Darkwick in order to have a non-negotiable monopoly of your time.

The Frostheim Captain found himself becoming increasingly more impatient with the delays in your replies, or the lack of frequency in which you would agree to make an appearance at his doorstep. You always chalked it up to the Chancellor needing you elsewhere and it was really starting to infuriate him. Jin knows it's not inherently your decision, but that didn't stop him from being a tyrant about it.

Right now, Jin is watching the 'typing' bubble animate on the left side of your chat log. The Frostheim Captain had sent you a message, summoning your presence to help him sort through paperwork that wasn't that disorganized to begin with. In fact, Jin had messed up the filing cabinet intentionally to make it less suspicious that he asked for assistance in the first place. You weren't that dumb, and Jin knew you could eventually catch on to his antics if he didn't throw in a few precautionary measures here and there.

'Sorry, Jin! I can probably come later this evening, but I don't think it will be before 7pm! The Chancellor assigned a mission for me at Obscuary. They need me to drag Edward out for this one.' 10:24am

Jin clenches his jaw in irritation at the news. Of course, that bloodsucking piece of shit is the culprit. Just as he begins to brainstorm a reply, another text comes in from you.

'We can always reschedule for tomorrow! I think I'm supposed to help in Frostheim anyways, I'd have to double check with Cornelius, though.' 10:25am

Jin scoffs at your presumptuous message. You seriously thought you were going to weasel your way out of this one? Without hesitation, he cascades his fingers against the touch screen to type out a reply.

'No. It needs to be done by tonight, even if you have to pull an all-nighter. I expect you to be here at seven on the dot. If you fail to do so, anticipate consequences, brat.' 10:25am

The Frostheim Captain lays back on his couch, with his phone hovering over his face, as he waits for your reply. You could deny him, but Jin knew you wouldn't. Even if you weren't intimidated by his status and supernatural abilities, you did still owe him. Much to Jin's delight, you had clumsily shattered a vase a few weeks prior that was likely worth more than any home you had ever lived in. Now that you were indebted to him, you were in no position to reject him.

Sometimes things just fall perfectly into place.

'Yes, Master, your wish is my command

(｡・//ε//・｡)!' 10:26am

Jin's grip on his phone loosens as he reads the text you sent, and it collides painfully with the bridge of his nose. Sitting up abruptly, the Frostheim Captain clamps a hand over his face as he feels the blood rush to his head from your unpredictable string of words.

"Master...? What the fuck is wrong with her?"

--

At around 7:15pm, you arrive at Jin's doorstep. You begin to wonder if not showing up at all would have less repercussions than showing up fifteen minutes late. Sometimes you were five minutes late, but never fifteen.

When you had passed Tohma on your way to Jin's room just a minute or so ago, the vice-captain spared you a knowing and thoroughly amused glance. Jin had likely made a comment or two about your tardiness in passing.

So what? The mission had taken longer than you had planned, and you had to rush to even make it here at the time that you did. No matter how unreasonable Jin's deadlines were you just knew he wouldn't see it your way. You had hoped that Jin would be sleeping upon your arrival so you could lie and say you had been there since seven, but your luck would never permit such mercy.

Pushing out a deep sigh, you mentally prepare yourself before rapping the massive navy double doors that stood before you. Five times to be exact, as per Jin's instruction in the past.

A few seconds later your phone vibrates within your pocket. You pull it out and see a short text from Jin displayed in your notifications.

'It's open.' 7:16pm

Stowing the device away, you pull the door open and slip yourself inside.

Upon entry, you don't spot Jin. You cautiously take a few steps forward and look around the room. An end table that is staged in front of the teal couch that you frequently find Jin sprawled over has an ashtray placed in the center. In it, there's a smashed cigarette butt that's still venting small billows of smoke.

Maybe he's in the bathroom?

Whatever, you could just get a head start on that paperwork that he was bitching about. You make your way over to Jin's desk that's positioned by the right back corner of his room and open one of the drawers that you recalled him storing paperwork in. The cabinet's hanging folders were thrown off kilter in such a way that the papers inside were spilling into the bottom of the drawer-- some even thrown haphazardly on top of it all.

Did Jin just get bored and violently shake up the desk to make you materialize at his beck and call?

What a funny idea that would be. You couldn't complain much, you figure, as you begin pulling out the bin's contents and setting them on top of the desk. At least his pretty face would end up being the highlight of your day, even if it would inevitably be scowling at you the entire time. You take a seat at the desk in front of you and get to work sorting. It occurs to you pretty quickly that not all of the documents were dated, so you begin separating the unknowns into a different pile as you wait for Jin's arrival.

At some point during your rifling, an out of place square paper flies out from in between the stacks in front of you.

"Oops," You mutter absently, your eyes trailing to the sheet as it descends to the ground. A polaroid, you realize.

"What are you doing here?" The question mindlessly flows from your lips at the inanimate object as you lean down to nosily peer at the subject of the photo.

Much to your surprise, it was a photo of you and someone else. At first, you don't recognize the other subject, because the face of the person next to you had seemingly been burned with the tip of a cigarette. This was one of the photos Kaito had taken with you before when he was testing out his new camera.

How did Jin get this? And why is it here?

Suddenly, a blue slipper stomps over the photo laying on the ground in front of you. You gulp, not daring to look up right away.

"Haha... Jin, what a surprise. Where were you anyways?" Your voice comes out strained, as you have a sneaking suspicion you just saw something you shouldn't have.

"You show up late, then start digging through my shit without permission? It seems you've gotten too comfortable, honor student," Jin bites out icily.

"Well, ya see I thought I'd get a head start on the paperwork," You explain as you lift your head slowly. Unusual, he's wearing white? And what a strange material-- oh shit, oh god.

Jin is standing in front of you with just a towel wrapped around his waist. The Frostheim Captain's lithe torso is fully exposed and on display for your unprepared eyes to soak up. His white hair is still damp, some pieces clinging loosely to the contours of his pretty face that is now glowering at you with disdain.

To prevent yourself from the humiliation of becoming a stuttering mess, you shield your eyes with your hands before continuing to speak to him. "Um, so... yeah. Late? That's what we were talking about? Sorry, the mission took longer than I expected. Edward took way too many breaks."

Jin clicks his tongue, clearly not pleased with your answer. "Did you tell that bloodsucker that he was wasting my fucking time?"

"Ah, you know, that might have come up? I don't think he really cared, to be blunt about it."

"Looks like your next task will be in-depth research on how to snuff out an immortal." You hear Jin shift next to you.

"Right. So gracious of you to overlook my transgression. I'll do my best, Master." Your lips threaten to curl up at your second integration of the suggestive word that day.

Sometimes, messing with Jin subtly was kind of fun, if you could get away with it. And you only did it because he would so shamelessly refer to you as a servant! This was his comeuppance, as far as you were concerned.

Alas, much to your disappointment, your bait was swiftly ignored.

"...How long are you going to sit there with your hands over your face?"

"Until you put your clothes back on," You retort.

"How presumptuous," Jin drawls. "And if I don't feel like it? How do you plan to get any work done?"

What a stubborn ass, new tactic.

"Well... I guess I can. I can't make any promises that I won't ingrain your mostly naked, flawless, body into my memory and use it as a reference to paint on canvas later," You say, feigning a dejected voice.

Jin's footsteps walk somewhere off to the right, if your hearing serves you correctly. "You've been mouthing off quite a bit today. And who says you can just use my likeness without my permission?"

You're really making this too easy, Jin.

"...I could probably say the same thing. I don't think I've ever seen anyone keep a photo of me tucked in their drawer so secretively like that."

The Frostheim House is cold as hell, but you're pretty sure the temperature just hit below zero.

Jin's voice comes, "... Just what are you implying, brat?"

"Implying?" You chuckle nervously, beginning to regret your glib comment. "No implications here. Why do you have a photo of me, anyways?"

"None of your fucking business," Jin counters. The sound of a drawer rolling open enters your ear canal. Is he finally putting on clothes?

"Right, not my business..." You repeat, stifling a snicker.

"... Wipe that smirk off your face," Jin demands. You think you hear him put on clothing at this point.

"Right. Just give me a sec," You say, splaying both hands fully over your face to cover your grin that won't be going anywhere for a minute. "If it makes you feel any better, I will fully welcome a Jin portrait being hung up in my room."

Jin scoffs. "Shut up, idiot. Uncover your eyes."

Obediently, you do as he asks. You find the Frostheim Captain standing by the wardrobe near his bed wearing a pair of matching blue pajamas. It's almost envious how he can look so beautiful in something so casual.

"Hey, clothes! I don't think I've seen you not in formal clothing. You look nice," You praise him with ease.

Jin averts his gaze from you, not being one to take compliments easily. "Had you not been covering your eyes like a moron; you would have had the honor of choosing my outfit. Anyways, enough chatter. I summoned you here for a task."

"Right!" You pick up a folder and hastily resume your quest to organize Jin's paperwork. "I got this. I'll make you almost glad that I broke your fancy vase."

Jin smirks at that. Striding across the room, he picks up a box of cigarettes from an end table. Pulling one out, he places it between his lips and lights it.

"You're only putting a miniscule dent in the cost to make that up, you know," Jin remarks coolly as he takes a drag.

"That's okay," You reply as you sift through a stack of papers. "I think I'll be more disappointed when you run out of reasons to call me here. Call me crazy, but I actually like being around you."

"... Don't go saying dumb shit like that so easily," Jin chides, slumping onto the couch and out of view. "Wake me up when you're done."

"Sure thing... Master," You near whisper the last part to yourself with a snicker. If Jin heard you, he chose to ignore you.

You're not sure how long you've been messing with papers, but at some point, you begin to feel thoroughly exhausted. Pulling a few all-nighters this week to keep up with your studies, Darwick's requests, and Jin's demands must have been taking its toll. A yawn escapes you when you're on your last folder. Surely it wouldn't hurt to rest your eyes for just a split second?

Caving into your whims, you rest your head against your forearms.

Just for a second, you tell yourself as you drift off to sleep.

When you open your eyes again, you're lying on something soft and silky. The sudden change in your immediate surroundings alarms you enough to sit fully upright. The room is dark, save for the moonlight shining in from the grand windows against the back wall. In the distance, you spot an all too familiar piano.

A dead giveaway that you're in the Ice King's room.

Holding your breath, you shift your eyes to your right. Jin is lying there next to you, probably closer than he should, considering it's a king size bed. The Frostheim Captain appears to be fast asleep underneath the covers, laying on the side that's facing you.

How the hell did this happen without you waking up? Did Jin seriously carry you to the bed with him? You're not even wearing your shoes or jacket!

God his face is deceptively peaceful and pretty when he's asleep so defenseless like this. And as much as you'd love to cuddle up to this sleeping beauty for the night, you can't. Maybe in another lifetime, if you're lucky.

You're not sure why Jin didn't just wake you up and tell you to get the fuck out, but you're not planning on taking any risks. Carefully, you lean your weight towards the edge of the bed with the intention of escaping without a sound.

Without warning a hand grips your wrist.

"Bianerus."

Your body goes stiff. "...You're awake. I was just going to see myself out."

Jin narrows his eyes at you. "Tch... do you know what time it is? You're not going anywhere. Your stupid little cathedral is nearly a mile from here."

"I know my way around this place," You argue as you fight back a blush.

"Lay down," Jin commands.

Your body lays flat against the bed, of its own volition. "Okay, yes Master," You squeak out.

"And stop calling me that, idiot."

"Okay, Boss," You manage as you giggle awkwardly at the ridiculousness of the situation.

Jin rolls his eyes in irritation. "You're insufferable. Just call me Jin."

"Jin..." Daringly, you shift your eyes to meet Jin's icy blue ones. Your heart skips a beat, as he's about a foot away from your side.

"...Tohma never saw me leave."

"So?" Jin counters.

"Uh... he's definitely going to think something is going on," You warn him, your cheeks heating up.

Jin raises a perfectly groomed eyebrow. "What difference does it make?"

"Well... as long as he doesn't spread that information around, I guess not much. Your fangirls would probably eat me alive, if they thought..." You avert your gaze, far too mortified to finish the thought.

Jin sighs. "Tohma wouldn't and even if he did, I'd kick his ass."

"Alright, I'll take your word for it," You concede, albeit reluctantly. "... Of all the beds I could end up in, I gotta say I didn't think this would be on the list."

Jin's eye twitches, in annoyance, you think. Suddenly, he flips to face away from you.

"Should you find yourself in another bed, relay the name and House of the unfortunate owner to me," Jin grumbles.

You blink. "Huh...?"

"That's an order."

You're not sure exactly what Jin could mean by that, though there aren't too many conclusions you can draw from such a request. "... Is the owner unfortunate because it's with me, or for another reason?"

"Shut up. I'm going to sleep."

Your lips involuntarily clamp shut for the moment. It seems that he's still activating his stigma. No matter, you were persistent.

A few minutes pass. In that time, you hear vibrations against a surface from somewhere on Jin's side. Peeking over him, you spot your phone on the end table on his side.

Plugged in a charger, too? God, he's cute.

Your phone has been set to receive notifications for just texts, so you wonder if it's something important. Maybe if you're super duper careful you can reach for it without disturbing the slumbering ice king in front of you.

Making up your mind, you steel yourself and slowly move to reach over him.

"Tch, how many times must I say it? Lay down."

Stigma activated, you find yourself collapsing partially on top of Jin. Your left arm slumps over his torso and your face ends up buried in his hair.

Holy shit, you're basically spooning him.

"Uhm, l-look I wanna apologize, but you're quite literally forcing my hand on this one," You stutter out.

"If you listened the first time, this wouldn't have happened," Jin replies, calmly. The Frostheim Captain shows no intention of moving or forcing you off. If anything, you swear you feel him relax into the contact.

"R-Right... So, are you gonna stop using your stigma, so I can get off you?"

"No," Jin deadpans.

Hah... if this is a dream, you sure hope you don't wake up.

"Okay, yeah... I can work with that. I'll just… chill." Not that you had a choice. And since you don't, you take the opportunity to not so subtly sniff his hair.

Smells like sage and juniper. It's so soft, too.

"...Weirdo," Jin mutters. You're pretty sure the back of his ears are turning pink. What a fortuitous day this is.

"Sorry, you smell good. Just so you know, if you intend on sleeping like this, I may start to get the hots for you. Aren't you rich guys supposed to be thrown into arranged marriages? If that's the case, I'm sure your fiancée would be furious," You ramble like an idiot.

"... I have no such fiancée," Jin says simply.

You feel the effects of the stigma wear off as your body relaxes into him. If he really didn't want you to move, then wouldn't it be fine to properly cuddle him? Would that be too far?

Deciding that the pros outweigh the possible cons, you snake your arm properly over Jin's torso and bury your face into his shoulder. The Frostheim Captain shows no indication of rejecting the calculated advance.

Maybe it's fine to stay like this. At least for a little while.

Tomorrow this could be weird. But that's tomorrow's problem. Maybe Jin would just pretend like nothing happened and the two of you would never bring this up. Whatever the outcome would be, you'd live with it.

Before you know it, the warmth from Jin's body nestled against you lulls you to sleep.

--

By the time you had woken up in the morning, Jin was already gone. You had checked the time on your phone and noticed that you had gotten up pretty late. Late enough that you were most definitely going to miss your first period. Not wasting a beat, you bolted out the door to properly get ready at the cathedral.

It was now lunch time and Kaito had caught you just after your last class and requested you eat with him by Frostheim's stomping grounds with Lucas. Currently, you sat at a bench next to the two Frostheim students, with a bento box that you purchased from the school cafeteria in hand. Kaito was rambling about DIY projects that he was working on in his free time. You did your best to stay tuned in, but you couldn't stop thinking about the events of last night.

"I understand you're busy with crafts, Kaito, but you should try to join me on a mission sometime. It will reflect well on us at the end of the year if we just apply ourselves to even a few more," Lucas implores. Always persistent with his futile quest to get Kaito to do anything productive in relation to Anomalies, or Darkwick.

"Fuck that! You can do that shit yourself. Why would I risk my life trying to fight those monsters when I could be learning to do stuff that's actually gonna help me?" Kaito argues loudly, as usual. "It's not like my stigma is that badass anyways! You get it right, (Y/N)?"

You tear your eyes from your barely touched bento and relocate them to Kaito's disgruntled face. "... Sorry, what was that?"

Kaito huffs and scrunches up his nose. "This jerk is trying to drag me on a mission again! I'm gonna eat shit, so doing personally productive things is better anyways, right?"

You look at Lucas who's giving the blonde a tired look.

"Yeah... I get both of your sides, but I think if you're enjoying yourself it's not time wasted. By the way do you know what time it is?" You ask absently. "I realized about twenty minutes ago that I can't find my phone."

You really don't recall touching your phone since you woke up, which is concerning. And you had been so preoccupied with getting out of Jin's domain as fast as possible, there's a chance it's lying in the grass somewhere.

"Oh shit, for reals?" Kaito's agitated expression turns into a look of concern.

Lucas pulls out his phone to check the time. "It's 12:45 pm. When's the last time you saw it?"

"No clue. Was in a rush this morning," You explain vaguely.

"Want us to help you look for it?" Kaito asks, setting aside his lunch box.

"No, that's not necessary," You insist, chuckling weakly. "It could literally be anywhere."

"You could try retracing your steps," Lucas suggests with a sympathetic smile.

"Speaking of retracing steps..." Kaito starts as he regards you with skepticism. "Is it true that you were in the Frostheim dorms before class? Someone mentioned it in passing."

Fuck.

Why was everyone at this school such busy bodies? You hadn't even considered that anyone would notice, so you didn't prepare an excuse.

"Uh... I don't know. Maybe I was passing through?" You offer an explanation, though Kaito and Lucas don't look convinced.

"Passing through?" Lucas repeats, lifting an eyebrow. "Perhaps the student thought you were someone else. You don't pass Frostheim to get to the main campus from your dorm."

Kaito places a finger to his chin, confusion etched on his face. "I dunno, I think it was one of (Y/N)'s first period classmates. You sure you aren't seeing someone here?" The blonde furrows his brows in determination. "Cause, I'll warn you now, pretty much all of these Frostheim students are total losers. They don't deserve your company!"

Lucas rolls his eyes. "I think that statement is more of an unfair and biased conjecture."

Just when you were about to prepare a bullshit excuse, a voice came from behind you, nearly startling you out of your skin.

"Oi, you lose something?"

You feel a tap on your head. Slowly, you tilt your head upward to find Jin looming over you, with your phone in his hand.

"Oh..." You near whisper.

Shit, shit, shit…!

"I found it outside my room. You ran out so quickly this morning, I'm surprised you didn't face plant into the cement on your way out," Jin goads, smirking impishly.

"WUUUUAAAAAAAAAHH...?!?!" Kaito screeches in horror, shooting to his feet. His teal eyes flick back and forth fervently between you and the Frostheim Captain.

Lucas just blinks in surprise, likely drawing the same conclusion as Kaito.

Jin covers an ear with his palm in irritation. "Tch, you're too fucking loud."

Impervious to Jin's irritation, Kaito continues to keep his voice aggravatingly elevated. "Y-YOU G-GUYS A-ARE...?!"

Your face burns with embarrassment, and you wave your hands frantically in an attempt to refute the assumption. "N-no, seriously it's not--"

"And what if we are?" Jin challenges, smirking smugly.

"Jin...! What the hell are you doing?!" You protest.

All the blood seemingly drains from Kaito's face. He crosses his arms over his face, shaking his head vigorously. "NO, NO, NO, I DON'T APPROVE...!"

"Too bad, pipsqueak. I didn't ask for your approval," Jin taunts. The captain drops your phone into your lap, since you neglected to actually take it in your state of distress.

"Congrats, guys...!" Lucas chimes in, an awkward laugh spilling from his lips.

You bury your face in your hands. "What the actual fuck is happening right now...?"

Cool fingertips touch your shoulder. "Come see me after you're done with your classes. You didn't finish your chores yesterday, servant."

"Hah... yeah, yeah," You grumble in response.

Jin's hand departs from your form and you hear him walk away. After a few moments, you uncover your face to find your Frostheim friends looking at you like you grew another head.

"Uhm... context?" Lucas asks, his eyebrows tented.

"Why didn't you tell us you were dating the fucking ice king himself?!" Kaito demands, clearly not any less excitable from the revelation.

"Uh... I guess I didn't know I was."

[daltonsluvr]

IN THE COMPANY OF THE STARS

pairing: theodore nott x gn!reader

summary: amongst the peaceful covering of the astronomy tower, you find an unlikely comfort in the presence of none other than theodore nott. (1.2k wc)

authors note: first little drabble to bring me back out of my writers slump - and who better than boyfriend no.1 to do so??

"Is this seat taken?" You turned around at the voice, to see none other than Theodore Nott standing behind you, his hands in his pockets, indicating at the space next to you.

Technically, the seat he wanted wasn't a seat at all. It's a part of the Astronomy Tower floor, of which you were sitting on, your feet dangling over the edge. You had a book in your lap, which had been left long forgotten as you looked ahead of you at the stars which danced upon the night sky. It really was the prettiest place in all of Hogwarts.

Slowly, you shook your head, and he nodded in response, taking a seat beside you. It's strange, you thought to yourself, watching him closely as he too dangled his legs out in front of him. The two of you knew each other from classes and such, yet had only interacted a couple of times, usually to ask for a quill or something along those lines.

You realised then just how weird you must have looked, watching him so intensely, and so you forced your attention back to the landscape around you, focusing on the trees ahead.

A few beats. 1, 2-

"You come here often?" he broke the silence first, turning to look at you. You hadn’t noticed until that moment just how startlingly beautiful his eyes were - dead, but with a softness behind them. It was entrancing, to say the least.

"Yeah," you answered, meeting his eyes. "The stars don't ask too many questions, so they're pretty great company when I need some peace." You hadn't meant for the comment to be funny, yet you watched as a chuckle escaped his lips: a beautiful sound, really.

"Didn't think you'd ever be a quiet person," he half-laughed, his eyes crinkling slightly. "Anyone could hear your voice from a mile off."

"Even the loudest of us need some quiet, sometimes," you responded, shrugging your shoulders, and swinging your feet slightly. "This must be a regular spot for you then, huh, given your notorious 'Mr Silent' status?"

The statement was true - this was the most you had ever heard the boy spoke, to anyone. It was his turn to now shrug, before leaning back on his hands. "You could say that."

You assumed the conversation had reached its natural end, and so you took the book you had on your lap and opened it to the page you'd bookmarked, and began reading.

"Romeo and Juliet?" A voice from next to you read, and you turned once more to see Theodore now reading the cover of the book, raising a brow in your direction. "You read muggle literature?"

"Shakespeare is one of the greats, I'd be stupid not to," you answered. Upon seeing the look on his face, you continued, "Don't tell me you've never read Shakespeare."

He shook his head, and you laughed, endearingly. "You are seriously missing out, Nott. Muggle or not, he's amazing. A real genius."

"Well, talk to me, then," Theodore looked down at you, his eyes piercing through your own. "Tell me about this guy and his books."

"They're plays, really," you started, almost unsure as to whether or not to continue. But he looked at you, almost daring you to continue, and so you did.

It was unusual for you to find someone so interested in talking to you, especially about something as niche as the works of William Shakespeare, but then again, Theodore Nott really wasn't like anyone you'd ever met before.

"-this book was one of the first my mother gave to me, and so its always been my favourite," you finished eventually, your voice growing slightly hoarse from talking so much. "Sorry for talking your ear off."

"No worries," he said in return, sending a small smile your way. "The b-play, certainly sounds interesting."

Looking between him and the book, you reached out to him, book still in your grasp. "Here, take it. To borrow."

He looked at you, almost questioning you with his eyes. "Why?"

"Everyone needs to read Shakespeare at least once in their lives, and I'm guessing none of your friends own any of his works, right?" He shook his head once again, and you shook your own in mock exasperation. "Honestly."

You coaxed him once again until he took the book from your hands, and you watched as he felt the cover of it. "It's a bit battered, because it's the one my mother got me when I was younger. And I have written inside it, so you may want to ignore that as well."

You got up, book officially out of your hands, and you dusted off your robes. Finally ready to go, you made to leave, until he called out your name. You turned around to look back at him.

"Thank you." was all he said, a smile lighting up his features with genuity.

"No problem, Theodore-"

"Theo."

"Theo. No worries, Theo," it was your turn to smile as you turned to leave, leaving the Slytherin boy alone.

— —— — — —

"A boy left this for you." A small first year girl approached you no more than a week later, a box in their arms, which they had outstretched towards you. You were sat by the window in your common room, Transfiguration homework in your lap as you worked through the questions McGonagall had set you.

"Did the boy leave a name?" you questioned, looking cynically at the box in front of you, which you had taken from the girl.

"No, he said you'd know who he is." The girl gave you a small fleeting smile, before skipping off, presumably to go and sit with her friends.

The box was noticeably small, and could be carrying nothing more than a couple of things, you thought to yourself, as you carefully opened it.

As soon as you saw the contents of it, though, a smile spread across your face, and you had no doubts of who the box was from. You had never pegged Theodore Nott to be one for dramatics, so you couldn't understand why he had decided to return your book in a box, but nonetheless you appreciated the sentiment.

You picked up the battered copy, the pages just as beautifully crumpled as before, and you found yourself smiling again. A note lay underneath the book, and you picked it up to read what it said.

The play was great - you clearly have good taste. Shakespeare truly is one of the greats. Astronomy tower at 8? — T.N.

Delicately folding the note and putting it in your robe pocket, you took back the copy of Romeo & Juliet in your hands, and began to flip through the pages.

His chicken scratch handwriting tattooed the pages - not overlapping the actual text or your writing, but still written as nearly as he could in numerous corners of the book.

You laughed as you read through a few of them, most of which were his sardonic comments about Romeo's idiocy, and in turn Juliet's naivety.

Eventually closing the book, you set it aside, and smiled to yourself. You weren't exactly sure how you'd found a friend in Theodore Nott, but you were certainly glad that you had.

[latenightreadingpdf]

Between the Pages - Spencer Reid

Summary: In the university library, shy PhD student Spencer Reid has an unexpected encounter with Y/N, a popular classmate. Despite their differences, a shared interest in neuroscience sparks a captivating conversation, leading them from strangers to friends (and possibly more…).

The university library was always a sanctuary for Spencer Reid, a place where the overwhelming noise of the world faded to a hushed whisper, allowing him to lose himself among the stacks of books and journals. As a child prodigy , he was no stranger to the pressures of academia, often engrossed in his research and studies. With his signature mop of messy hair and glasses perched precariously on his nose, Spencer was the epitome of the dedicated scholar.

It was a Tuesday afternoon when the serenity of his beloved library was disrupted. The usual ambient noise was replaced by a slightly louder, distinctly feminine laughter that seemed out of place amidst the studious atmosphere.

Curiosity piqued, Spencer looked up from his book and noticed a group of students huddled together a few tables away. Among them was Y/N, a classmate whose name Spencer had often heard whispered in hushed, admiring tones around the campus corridors. She was effortlessly charming, her charisma drawing people in like moths to a flame. Spencer had never spoken to her before; he doubted she even knew he existed.

Returning his attention to his work, Spencer tried to drown out the unfamiliar noise. Yet, despite his best efforts, his mind kept wandering, intrigued by the unfamiliarity of Y/N’s presence in the usually quiet library. Eventually, his curiosity got the better of him, and he found himself discreetly observing her from behind the pages of his book.

He was mesmerized by the way she interacted with her friends, her laughter infectious and her smile radiant. Despite being surrounded by people, she seemed completely at ease, effortlessly commanding the attention of everyone around her. It was a stark contrast to Spencer's own introverted nature, his shyness often making social interactions a daunting prospect.

Lost in his thoughts, Spencer failed to notice when Y/N's gaze wandered in his direction. When he finally looked up, he found himself locked in a pair of curious eyes. Flushing slightly, he quickly averted his gaze, his heart pounding in his chest.

A few minutes passed in awkward silence before a soft voice broke the stillness. "Hey, you're Spencer, right? We're in Dr. Harrison's seminar together."

Startled, Spencer looked up to find Y/N standing in front of him, her smile warm and inviting. "Um, yes, that's me," he stammered, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... uh, I mean, hi."

Y/N chuckled softly, her laughter putting Spencer at ease. "No need to apologize. I couldn't help but notice you sitting here all by yourself. Mind if I join you?"

Swallowing nervously, Spencer nodded, gesturing to the empty seat opposite him. "Of course, please, have a seat."

As Y/N settled herself across from him, Spencer couldn't help but feel a mixture of excitement and anxiety. He had never been this close to her before, and the proximity only heightened his awareness of her presence. He could smell the faint scent of her perfume, a delicate floral fragrance that was both intoxicating and comforting.

"Working on your thesis?" Y/N asked, nodding towards the screen of his laptop.

"Yes, I'm researching the neurobiological basis of memory retrieval," Spencer replied, his passion for his work shining through despite his nervousness.

"That sounds fascinating," Y/N said sincerely, her interest genuine. "I'm majoring in psychology, but I have to admit, neuroscience has always been a bit daunting for me."

Spencer's eyes lit up at her words, his confidence growing. "Well, if you ever need any help or want to learn more, I'd be happy to explain it to you."

Y/N smiled appreciatively, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "I might just take you up on that offer."

As the afternoon went on, the initial awkwardness between them melted away, replaced by a comfortable closeness. They discussed everything from their shared academic interests to their favorite books and movies, discovering unexpected common ground along the way.

By the time the library began to empty, the two of them were so engrossed in conversation that they hardly noticed the passing time. As they gathered their belongings, Y/N turned to Spencer with a smile.

"Thanks for today, Spencer. I had a great time getting to know you."

Spencer's heart soared at her words, a warm glow spreading through him. "The pleasure was all mine," he replied, his shyness momentarily forgotten.

As they walked out of the library together, Spencer couldn't help but feel a newfound sense of connection with Y/N. Though they had started the day as strangers, their chance meeting in the library had blossomed into the beginnings of a friendship - and perhaps, just maybe, something more.

[azrielsshadows42]

A Court of Scales and Fire VI

Word Count: 4161 And I know nobody cares but, my character count for this (Including spaces) was exactly 22222

Warnings: Swearing, Eris hate from the ic (Inner Circle), protective Cassian, Eris is a bit of a prick, snakes, over-thinking

Chapter 5 Character Moodboards Dividers by @tsunami-of-tears

Italics = thoughts Bold = Draconic Both = Telepathic communication (Colour will vary)

Y/n's Pov

I stood there a little stunned at how blunt Eris had been. That's ridiculous, you'll stay in Autumn, track them down and then I shall assist in getting them back to Elethairia. I was expecting more of a back and forth you know, like I don't trust you! You don't have a choice! My Court, my rules! My mission, my inhibitions, I'm going there with or without your permission Fire newt! Then we'd have a few rounds insulting each other, Cassian would cheer me on and eventually I'd have to get all up in his face like Listen jerk face, I don't care who you are, I've got a duty to fulfil, and you're not gonna stop me! Then, like a total badass, I would walk out onto the pavilion, Everest would fly into view in slow motion behind me, so it looked like I was the one with wings at the right angle, I'd jump of, land on Everests back and we'd ride to Autumn against the sunset.

I may have taken some creative liberties with that last part, but it would've been really cool if that did happen. While I was busy imagining how the interaction should have gone, everyone was looking at me. "Sorry, did you say something? I zoned out" Disappointed Azriel noises "Y/n" My focus went to Rhysand as he spoke to me, his expression was solemn. Who the fuck died in the five seconds I disassociated? "It's your choice, whether you choose to stay in Autumn or not" Oh, I did

It took me a second to realise they actually wanted me to give an answer, while they were all looking at me which I think is a little inconsiderate, who can make a decision with that much pressure? 1, 2, 3, 4 Fi-, five pairs of eyes just waiting for your response. Granted Amren wasn't actually looking at me, but her presence is intimidating. She should honestly count as three pairs of eyes all on her own.

On to more serious matters, I do need to decide if I stay there or not, staying there would be more convenient for me, and them, no one would have to winnow me there and back, but from my training I know that the main Autumn building is the forest house, which the majority of it is underground and is heavily guarded thanks to the former High lord's paranoia, perhaps that had changed since Eris ascended the throne, but I don't exactly feel like taking my chances with him. Being underground meant no windows that Everest could use to sneak in.

Ev, what do you think?

I think we need to find them and get home, I'll stay out of trouble See, I want to believe her, really, I do, but she doesn't have the best track record.

You know that Fire Newt is a High Lord, right? Specifically, the High Lord of the place we need to be in, meaning you can't do anything to him for attacking me despite the proximity. Judging by her grumbling lack of commentary, I could tell that was exactly what she had planned to do.

Fine. I promise I will not bite, scratch, hunt, or burn him. Nor will I drop him off a cliff, because according to your stupid high fae laws, that somehow counts as me killing him, even though gravity is clearly at fault, making it natural causes. She knows that's not how it works, but Everest has been adamant that cliff dropping should not count as murder ever since I explained to her that someone buying the last salmon while we were there to buy some doesn't count as stealing.

"I'll stay in Autumn" I could see Cassian tense in the corner of my eye. Rhysand and Feyre looked to each other, communicating through their bond. They locked eyes with me simultaneously which was a little unnerving, Rhysand was still unsure about me but I could tell that despite her mates worries, Feyre believed that I was telling the truth by the look in her steely eyes as she said to me "Be careful, he's dangerous, sleep with one eye open"

I began to wonder if I'd just made a deal with the devil. What exactly had Eris done to make them all react this way? Even Azriel hiding in his shadow puddle tensed at the High Lords offer. I got the feeling that he didn't like me very much, neither did Rhysand which both made sense, but I just felt like Azriel's dislike for me ran deeper.

Despite this, he still didn't like the idea of me going to Autumn and that raised my guard more than anything. "I'll send word to Eris, in the meantime, you should start preparing" There was a strange ominousness to his words that crawled up my spine. What the hell am I getting myself into?

-Time skip, 2 days-

Each member of the inner circle had come to me to give some kind of warning or bit of advice, all of it ran along the lines of, be careful, he's dangerous. Other than Cassian of course, whose advice was "if he tries anything, fuck him up and come here, we'll create an alibi for you" And while that plan would be ineffective, it was funny and soothed some of my anxiety knowing I could count on him if shit went south.

Today I would be willowed to Autumn. Oh, during the two days of preparations I learned it's called winnowing, not willowing and I have been saying it in my head wrong the entire time. I personally prefer my version, but I digress.

Everest was not particularly pleased with this development and demanded that I wear something she could hide in to avoid having to take a trip more than halfway across the continent. I wore a fur coat that was a little baggy on me for her to slip in, she hid around my neck with her tail curling around the top of my arm.

Rhysand walked in with Feyre on his arm, both dressed impeccably in distinctly Night Court attire. "Are you ready?" His voice was deeper than usual, just slightly, already slipping on the mask to speak to Eris. "As ready as I can be"

Rhysand would obviously be taking us there, Feyre was coming for diplomatic reasons, which as far as I've observed meant that Feyre told Rhysand she wanted to go as well, and he was all too happy to hang the stars for her. After about an hour-long argument, it was decided that Cassian could join for, as he so stoically put it 'my protection'. As if the sparring we'd done the past two days, and my years of training and experience wasn't enough.

Rhysand winnowed us there in the blink of an eye, and it was only as I felt Everest's claws dig into my shoulder that I wondered if he could sense her with his magic. I had put on a glamour to mask her magical signature, but I was unfamiliar with winnowing, would he feel her presence? It seemed either all my worries were for naught, or he was a good actor, for once we reached Autumn, he made no comment.

We all approached the entrance as one, I could see Fire Newt and another fae standing there. The High Lord was looking at my coat as if it had offended him and panic struck through me at the thought that he might sense her.

"High Lord Eris, General Madoc" Rhysand greeted them cooly, Feyre standing by his side mimicking his almost bored expression while Cassian stood like he thought the leaves were out to get him.

Eris greeted his fellow High Lord and Feyre, but pointedly ignored Cassian and I. The tension hung thick in the air as silence broke out, I almost flinched when Cassian shifted his footing making the leaves crunch. Everest moved, accidently tickling my neck and I masked it as a shiver, though thankfully Rhysand had chosen to break the spell that had befallen us.

"I expect updates on any progress, and we will be back in a week to ensure Y/n's well-being, there will be consequences if she is harmed here" The threat in his voice was clear. Just like that, they were gone, and I was left with Fire Newt. I should probably start calling him Eris in my head, otherwise I might call him 'Fire Newt' out loud, which I don't really wanna do. Actually, yes I do, but not while I need to be on his good side, I can call him that to his face when I'm back home.

The silence was becoming awkward as I waited for him to say something. "There is a room waiting for you. You are to settle in then join me at dinner so we can discuss a course of action" His words were clipped, as if I was making him late for something.

Eris turned swiftly, his coat flaring out behind him, but Madoc stayed in place, so I wasn't sure if I should stay, or follow. I was about to ask but small dainty footsteps sounded from inside. A lesser fae with a furred orange tail appeared in the doorway shyly, her head was bowed, and her dress was covered in stains. "This is Daphne, she will show you to your room, if you need anything, she will bring it to you"

She gave me a small smile and then started walking down the hall to a grand staircase. The entire floor was carpeted in red with golden embroidery, torches lined the walls giving it that homey glow, like candles. The walls were a dark spruce colour, and every door was had intricate engravings of different things, trees mostly, but some were of the woodland creatures like foxes, squirrels, and swans, it was beautiful but also, eerily quiet.

The entire way I had seen not a single other fae, the loudest sound was my foot falls, it felt like I'd stepped into a vacuum so nothing could be heard. Daphne stopped in front of a door with an autumn leaf, she opened it, motioning inside.

The room was furnished nicely, it had a four-poster bed with entirely too many pillows and a blanket draped over the bottom, it was so so soft. The room did in fact have a window, tinted with red, orange and yellow, giving the evening light that shone through a few extra tones. It was smaller than my room in night, I was actually a little thankful for that, it didn't seem as hollow. There was a desk with an obnoxiously fancy quill in ridiculously expensive ink and a velvet chair lay before it. A little gaudy in my opinion but was certainly better than what I was expecting.

I had honestly forgotten that Daphne was in the room until she cleared her throat softly. "Is there anything you need?"

"No, no everything is perfect, thank you, Daphne." She nodded her head politely and left the room on silent feet, closing the door behind her. Not even the hinges made a noise in this place. As soon as the door had closed, Everest wriggled out of the coat, immediately exploring the room, the thing that interested her the most was the ornate lamp, carved in the shape of a tree with more tinted glass as a covering to act as leaves that sat on the bedside table.

Everest landed on it, her claws making a soft clink as she did. She lay down, absorbing the heat it radiated, her scales slowly shifted colour, melding to the shades of the lamp until she looked like she was part of it. Show off

Everest's only response was a happy, satisfied purr as the lamp warmed her stomach. I looked around some more, opening the cupboards and drawers. Autumn clothes both male and female were there, ready to be worn. The dresser contained a small assortment of jewellery and clips. A brush made of acacia laid neatly on the right side, a comb on the left.

It was not long before a knock landed on the door. "Lady Y/n, I have been sent to tell you that it is an hour before you are expected to be at the dining hall, your servant will show you the way when the time arrives." My servant? Does he mean Daphne? Was she really expected to be my servant? Her hesitant demeanour made sense now.

I don't know about you, but I'm hungry, and I highly doubt I'm invited to dinner, I'll have to catch my own food, again.

You realise you're a dragon, right? You're supposed to catch your own food.

Everest growled at that. You realise you're a fae, right? You're supposed to be my food.

You don't like the taste of fae, you prefer other meats, but you'd rather eat exotic fruits if given the choice. I shot back.

Just shut up and primp, you have a prince to seduce. She teased. I saw the way he looked at you.

So did I, he looked like he wanted me dead. He's a High Lord, not a prince, and I'm not going to be seducing anyone. It didn't matter what retort I gave, she had already dived out the window, blending in with her surroundings and closed her end of the bond.

I didn't have time to question Everest's where she found that particular line of thought, I had to figure out what I was going to wear to dinner. After going in circles for a good five minutes, I knocked on Everests walls.

I need your help to pick out an outfit I heard her long, drawn out, suffering sigh reverberate through our connection.

Fine, go ahead.

I don't know whether I should wear Night court clothes, Autumn court clothes, or my armour.

...Does it matter?

Of course it does! They may have an alliance, but it is strenuous at best, so wearing Night court attire might be disrespectful. If I wear Autumn court clothing, there might be a traditional way to wear certain things, and wearing it wrong could be offensive, or worse, he could think I'm trying to mock them. But if I wear my armour, it could be seen as a threat. Now do you understand my predicament?

No, not in the slightest, you're such an over thinker, making everything so unnecessarily complicated She closed her side of the bond again, more firmly this time. Cassian was right, courtier work sucks.

I was about to start undressing myself when I got the feeling I was being watched. A tingling sensation from my upper back travelled up my neck, down my arms and to the tips of my fingers. I recognised that feeling, a smile broke out on my face as I opened the window. "Night Shade!" My two snakes, Night and Shade, named after the plant their venom was made of, slithered inside. "By the mother, I've missed you guys, my arms don't look like they're mine without you there." I offered both my hands to them, and they climbed up, crossing over each other behind my head, before coiling themselves around my arms, once again merging with my skin to become tattoos.

I'll wear Night court attire, that's what they like best, and they've had to travel a long way to get here. I knew that technically, they're not alive, they don't need food or water, they don't tire, and they don't have minds of their own, they're made entirely out of magic, but I'd made personalities for them in my head, and based on that, they preferred Night court clothes, it matches their scales.

Eris's Pov-when Y/n arrived in Autumn

I stood outside the forest house beside Madoc, the past two days could not have gone by any slower. I had gotten a response from Rhysand a mere hour after my proposal, what in the name of the Mother could she have needed to pack that required two DAYS to do it?

It was early evening now, the sun had just started to set causing soft shadows to be cast across the ground like blankets. Rhysand winnowed in with Feyre on his arm, both dressed like they were going to a sophisticated event instead of a three minute drop off. Had to give it to them, they had style, though it was dulled by the company they kept, the brute followed along slightly behind the witch, looking around like he expected an ambush.

I knew Rhysand made sure there was space to walk up to him as a power move, so that they could take their bloody time strolling up to the doors with bored expressions to grate on my nerves, and any other time, it would have, but right now, I was very thankful for the few moments it afforded me.

The witch wore a fur coat, white and grey with flecks of black, I assumed it was to fight off the Autumn wind, and she looked beautiful, but it didn't suit her, it gave her skin an ashen tone that I did not like. There were much better alternatives for warmth, like me, for example, I could warm her much quicker and much more effectively than that poor attempt at comfort.

What am I thinking? I thought the strange thoughts had ended in Night, this needs to stop, now. I greeted Rhysand and Feyre, ignoring her and the brute, I accepted his demand for updates and barely registered his threat as I noticed the witch shiver in my peripheral vision and chose to be ignorant of the way my hand twitched toward her, convincing myself it meant nothing.

Rhysand and his company left, it was just me, her, and Madoc. I stared at her, wondering if it was too late to send her back, call it off, anything so that she wasn't staying near me, making me act a fool.

"There is a room waiting for you. You are to settle in then join me at dinner so we can discuss a course of action" I tried to keep my voice professional, like how I talked amongst other High Lords, but it came out too curt, too harsh. Anything I said would just fuck things up further, as I had apparently lost all control of my vocal cords, so I left, striding quickly to my bedchambers.

My pace slowed once I reached my door, it was engraved with two baying hounds and a small acorn in each corner. I slipped inside, feeling like an imposter in my own home. I leaned against the door breathing deeply, trying desperately to get my thoughts in order.

Once my heart was beating at regular speeds I got up and started shuffling through my armoire (Fancy French word for a closet). I spent the better part of thirty minutes pulling out different cloaks and shirts, laying them flat against me to see what would look best to Y/n. Not that that mattered of course, I wasn't trying to impress her, merely appealing to my audience.

Madoc knocked on my door, reminding me that I had an hour left to get ready. I had chosen a dark under shirt with gold buttons, but I had yet to choose what should go over it. I considered the one with golden fire embroidery but decided against it, thinking it might make me seem juvenile, flaunting my abilities about, she knows very well what they are. Wearing the celebratory one would be entirely too flashy for a dinner, so I ultimately decided less was more, choosing one of my simpler over coats but no less elegant.

I finished prepping myself, making sure there was not a hair out of place. Madoc greeted me at the door to the dining room, and we walked inside. A smaller table had been moved in, seeing as it would just be the three of us, I didn't want the Lords bombarding her with irrelevant questions, many of them were firmly stuck in their ways and would scoff at the idea that a female could be useful beyond cleaning and child rearing. I took a seat at the head of the table, Madoc to my left, and a seat for the witch was left open on the other end. The room felt very empty without a large table to fill it. Traditional Autumn foods filled the table as she drew near, the massive arched doors swung open slowly.

Once she entered, the torches flared, the distance made her look small, details blurred, but I could still clearly see that her outfit originated from Night, my jaw tightened at the sight. I could see matching snake tattoos coiled around her arms, the rest of their bodies hidden beneath her dress. They reminded me of the snake under the mountain that had seemingly come from nowhere and bitten me, it sent a creeping feeling up my spine to my neck where the serpent had sunk its fangs into.

As she got closer, this dress admittedly suited her much better than that dreadful coat, aided by the firelight, her skin now looked warm instead of ashen. "High Lord, General" We both nodded back to her, and I motioned toward the empty seat. Once she was seated, she folded her hands over her lap, waiting for permission to begin eating. "Please, help yourself"

I tried desperately to ignore it, but I couldn't help but take notice of what she did and did not select. The mashed potatoes and roast beef along with the tangy coleslaw made it to her plate, but not the steamed broccoli or baked gem squash. She prefers savoury food. We eat in silence, it was a little awkward but not terribly tense, once finished I sought more information.

"Exactly what weapons are these people smuggling from Elethairia?" She looked up at me and our eyes locked for the first time tonight, it sent tingles through my traitorous body and my heartbeat picked up.

"They've been smuggling all sorts of weapons for centuries, but what we are concerned about is the newest ones, a type of stone that can store magical energy, problem is, some of them don't have a limit, but the more magic stored inside, the more unstable it is."

"How come you are only concerned about it now?" It seemed suspicious that this was suddenly a problem, why hadn't anything been done about it before?

"Like I said, they've been doing this for centuries, they've gained experience and size, they have more than one base of operations and apparently the guy who runs it is scary enough that they'd rather live a life in prison or die than talk. It feels like fighting a hydra, you stop one and two more show up."

Depending on how many they have, it could be extremely dangerous, people are still recovering from under the mountain and Hybern's war, having explosions everywhere will make this worse, the court can't handle much more, Beron really did a number on these people. If only I'd been stronger, gotten rid of him sooner, stopped the tyranny so fae could hope again, stop fighting each other for the scraps Beron dangled in front of them. This is my fault, and I will fix this.

"I plan to find the shipment, and bring it back to Elethairia where they can be activated in a safe place so that no one can use them"

"What about the fae responsible, what is to happen with them? Are they supposed to go free?"

"They can be dealt with later, the main priority are the explosives" My face hardened. She was planning to leave them here where they could harm Autumn civilians while she ran off and played hero?

"I promise, once we have the opals out of their hands, I can come back and assist with arresting them, but they've already desolated one of our larger towns, almost five thousand died, I think you can see why this takes precedence. You can decide how they are to be punished seeing as this is all taking place in your territory."

Yes, begrudgingly, I could see why obtaining the stones was more important than obtaining the people, and the sooner one happened, the sooner the other could follow. I nodded showing that I understood. "Will you be needing anything else?"

"No, all good, everything is ready, and I'll be out of your way as soon as possible" My heart clenched and tugged at my insides to do or say something to prevent it. I found that I once again had no control over the words coming out of my mouth.

"Perfect, we can start first thing tomorrow" She froze, and even Madoc looked to me in question

"I'm sorry, we?" Too late to turn back now.

"Yes, We"

Chapter 7

Taglist: @imma-too-many-fandoms @rcarbo1

A/n: Did anyone get the game of thrones reference right at the beginning?

[moltensmusings]

I watched a video of someone talking about it a few months ago, so let me add more Epic thoughts while I'm here.

I don't think the simplicity of Epic's lyrics is a bad thing. One thing with Greek stories is they're always very simple in their ideas and morals in ways that anyone will be able to understand. Part of why stories like Eurydice and Orpheus, the Odyssey, and Icarus stick with us is because there's tragedy in ways that the audience doesn't necessarily have to dig through to understand.

Now I want to say: there is nothing wrong with complexity in story telling. We need complexity for people to be able to analyze and deconstruct ideas. But when we're talking Greek myth retellings there isn't anything wrong with using simplicity. Even more than that, I'd argue there's still a fair bit of complexity and layers to the characters themselves. It's enough to push the story and make it enjoyable.

The crew slowly losing faith in Odysseus as he makes questionable decisions and eventually gives into his own selfish desires at the expense of all of them. Odysseus wanting so desperately to reach his home and losing his humanity along the way because there is no way he can make the journey without sacrifice. Various antagonists being given nuance to make them more than simple obstacles Odysseus overcomes and instead having it be that their presence deeply changes him each time.

Another complaint the person had was about the underworld saga not giving us more time with Odysseus' mom when, the whole point of her and Polites appearing was to highlight what Odysseus could never get back. In the underworld no one directly interacts with Odysseus out of the souls of the people he lost. They're in a stasis based on their final thoughts/intentions. A deep conversation with Odysseus' mom would've not only slowed the story in a jarring way, but also negated the point of her appearing.

Everything in the saga just ramps up Odysseus' desperation to return home to his kingdom.

I think you can definitely be critical of the writing in Epic, but should also consider whether the writing choices made benefit the narrative being laid out or not. Sometimes what is more satisfying for the audience would simply weaken the story.

[minne-cerbinna]

I'm playing TW1 again and I have thoughts about this tiny little sequence in the Chapter 2 quest "Memories of a Blade", which amounts to the only mention of Coën in the game.

When undertaking this quest, Geralt is investigating the origin of the silver sword he was given to slay a cockatrice; he mistakenly believes that it might be Berengar's sword since he knows the other witcher to have been in the area. A conversation with Thaler, from whom the sword was confiscated by the guard, will lead him eventually to speak to the Gardener outside St. Lebioda's hospital in Vizima. This man used to be a mercenary under Pretty Kitty, but has since retired and works as a gardener, and had lost the silver sword at dice poker. When interacted with, he will begin any conversation with "Look how they grow!", referring to the plants in his garden. The player can then initiate the quest dialogue with option one, "I'm more interested in silver swords".

GERALT: I'm more interested in silver swords.

GARDENER: I knew one of you would come by eventually.

GERALT: You lost it playing dice?

GARDENER: I was sure I'd win. Beware, the sharp one plays well.

GERALT: Where did you get this sword?

GARDENER: Five years ago, there was a battle near Brenna. When the dust had settled, our men had beaten the Nilfgaardians. We ceased to call ourselves an imperial province that day.

GERALT: You captured the sword during the battle?

GARDENER: Yes, it was witcher Cöen's [sic]. A strapping fellow and a rare breed. Not very talkative, mind you.

GERALT: Like most of us.

GARDENER: I gave my word the sword would find another witcher. As he lay dying, he mumbled about teeth and destiny. Then he laughed -- at his own death.

GERALT: Yet you lost it gambling?

GARDENER: I kept it hidden for five years. I lost hope I'd ever run into another witcher. Miss Shani knew Cöen [sic]. She works at the hospital.

GERALT: Thanks.

GARDENER: Good luck on the path!

The quest will lead you to speak with Shani, then Zoltan, but neither will provide further information on Coën, aside from Shani mentioning that he died on her operating table -- Shani's dialogue is to provide her backstory as a medic at Brenna and to mention Rusty, and Zoltan simply assesses the quality of the blade to ensure that it is a witcher blade of good workmanship. It has no further significance to Geralt, who, without his memory, has no idea who Coën is and has more pressing matters to deal with than to look into the past of a man who died five years ago (according to the somewhat off-kilter game timeline, anyway). But it's the only mention of Coën in the games, and I find that it's a very interesting way to manifest his presence.

I think it is reasonable to tie Coën quite closely to his sword on a symbolic level, if one considers his appearance in the novels where he not only trains with Ciri, but his prowess with a sword is unrivaled even by the other witchers to the point where she believes that he may be the best swordsman in the world. Additionally, the fact that he fought at Brenna at all means that he offered his sword in the service of the Northern Kingdoms, and when he dies, he is identified by his peers as a "master swordsman" rather than as a witcher, despite the fact that they know of his nature. As such, Coën's sword is a very important possession for him to leave behind.

And from there, there is a connection to Lambert, left unsaid. To go beyond the simple fact that Coën was Lambert's friend, someone dearly loved who was close enough with Lambert and his family to get on with the other wolves and stay a winter at Kaer Morhen, the importance lies with the sword. As with any witcher, Coën wouldn't have much in the way of worldly possessions to bequeath onto someone else in the event of his prophecied death. But he does have his swords, which are established as symbolically important to him. A steel sword could be taken up by any warrior capable enough to use it, but a silver sword belongs in the hands of a witcher, and that is what Coën asked for on his deathbed, for his silver sword to be given to another witcher. While it's very possible that this is meant in a general way, that he just wanted any other witcher to take it up, to avoid the sword being wasted, broken, or dismantled for its composite parts, it also strikes me as possible that he could have intended it for a specific witcher.

Lambert is one of the instructors for Ciri when she's first learning the swordplay and acrobatics associated with being a witcher. Lambert is the one in the first game to provide the instructional descriptions of the Fighting Styles for Geralt to regain his swordplay competencies after losing his memories. And there is another bit of dialogue in TW3 that really emphasises both Lambert's connection to Vesemir, the swordmaster of Kaer Morhen, and the idea of swords as inheritance, as a manifestation of closeness:

LAMBERT: Knew the old man couldn't live forever. Huh, even told Eskel that when it came time, I'd get his sword. Fits my hand perfectly, you know.

Which is a heartbreaking notion in and of itself upon which I could expostulate, the symbolism there in the fraught relationship between Lambert and his father figure reduced to something as simple as a hilt that fits two hands perfectly. But if this is the inheritance that Lambert wants, it makes it all the more pertinent that Coën desperately wanted his silver sword to make it into the hands of another witcher. Lambert, the son of a swordmaster, wants to take on a sword as a memento of someone he has lost, and Coën, the master swordsman, left his sword behind. Even if Lambert were not the specific intended target of the sword, he would have possibly or even likely known Coën well enough to fulfill his wishes, whatever they might be.

And yet Coën's sword never makes it home or into the hands of someone who would value it, like Lambert would, this last memory of his dear friend. Geralt makes use of the sword during his time in Vizima, and then it is lost, replaced by the gifted Aerondight. And so Coën is lost with it, never mentioned again.

[south-of-heaven]

Damage Ctrl x fem reader

Reader never speaks like none has ever heard her say anything and she’s really shy and reserved,one of the members of damage Ctrl decide to approach her and doesn’t say anything,just sits next to her then the rest of damage control arrive and they start talking sometimes talking to the reader ,eventually after they are really close damage control goes up to reader asking to be in a relationship they don’t expect reader to answer but she says yes, then as the relationship progressses reader speaks to Bayley Iyo and Dakota more and eventually starts speaking to other people too (if that makes sense I feel like half of it is me waffling on)

Silence || Damage CTRL x Reader

Summary: Nobody has ever heard you speak, Iyo Sky makes it her mission to get close to you.

In the world of wrestling, where vibrant personalities and loud personas dominated, you had carved out your own unique niche – the silent enigma. Not a single word had ever passed your lips in front of your fellow wrestlers, an unintentional choice that shrouded you in an air of mystery. Your shyness and reserved nature became part of your character, captivating the curiosity of your colleagues.

Among them, Iyo Sky was particularly intrigued. Her bright and outgoing personality was a stark contrast to your quiet demeanor, and she saw it as a challenge to unravel the layers that hid your voice from the world. Day by day, she made it her mission to get to know you better, finding small ways to connect.

One day, as you sat alone in the catering area having lunch, Iyo decided to take a seat next to you. A friendly greeting left your lips sealed, but she didn't seem deterred. Minutes turned into moments, and Iyo's animated chatter began to feel like a comfortable backdrop.

Then, the unexpected happened. Bayley and Dakota joined the table, their vibrant presence contrasting against your silence. They exchanged stories and laughter, all the while making you feel welcomed and included, despite your lack of words. This repeated a few times, and slowly, you found yourself smiling along with them, sharing in their camaraderie.

One day, as you all sat together, Iyo, Bayley, and Dakota exchanged glances. They seemed to communicate silently before Dakota leaned forward. "Hey, you know, we've been thinking."

There was a pause, a beat of uncertainty. You tilted your head slightly, curious.

"We're together, as in a relationship," Dakota continued, a note of uncertainty in her voice. "And we've kind of realized that we'd love for you to be a part of it, too. But we totally get if you're not comfortable or if that's not your thing."

The air was heavy with the unspoken question, but what caught them off guard was the unexpected answer that escaped your lips, quiet yet clear. "I'd like that."

It was the first time anyone had heard your voice. The surprise on their faces was palpable – Iyo's eyes widened, Bayley's jaw dropped slightly, and Dakota's lips curved into a delighted smile.

From that point on, your journey began. As your relationship progressed, the three of them became a consistent presence in your life. Gradually, you found yourself growing more comfortable. The conversations started small, whispered words shared between the four of you. And as trust blossomed, your voice began to emerge, gradually gaining strength.

It wasn't just with Iyo, Bayley, and Dakota anymore. Slowly but surely, you extended your conversations to others in the arena, your comfort growing with each interaction. The wrestling world that had seemed so overwhelming and loud at first became a bit more familiar, a bit more your own.

The enigma that you had once embraced started to evolve, revealing a person with thoughts, emotions, and a voice. With Iyo, Bayley, and Dakota by your side, you discovered the power of not just being seen, but also being heard. And as your world expanded, you realized that the quietest voices could carry the most profound impact.

[thesilverlady]

do you have any book!alicent/book!viserys headcanons?

I never thought I'd see the day of anyone asking me 🥺 Buckle up anon, I definitely have some!

book!Alicent & book!Viserys headcanons

1) With Alicent becoming the old King's companion and with Viserys being named heir before Jahaerys death, the two definitely were in each other's presence and that's how they started having interest to one another

2) Viserys and Alicent started interacting waaay before Aemma passed away. Remember that rumor about Daemon, taking Alicent's virginity? or that other rumor about Alicent having affair with Old King when he was ill? Yeah, those affairs were actually her and Viserys.

3) Both of them came up with ways for Alicent to interact with little Rhaneyra befohand, so when the announcement of their engaged would be officially made, she wouldn't be shocked or outrageous.

4) Alicent is the only person Viserys shared his feelings about the loss of his dragon, balerion. Alicent comforted him by reminding being a targaryen is more than having a dragon. His reign as a king would be a proof of his worth. Not his dragon.

5) They definitely bonded over the sense of otherness; Alicent had not a single drop of Valyrian blood and that added pressure - especially when the alternative bride for Viserys was the beautiful Laena Velaryon. Meanwhile, Viserys was nothing like his brother nor his father. He was never a warrior and would never be.

6) During Alicent's first pregnancy Viserys had a big fear of her having a miscarriage. Despite the reassurance from the maesters he appointed one to always be near Alicent in any case. Her and Viserys bonded over their excitement for the babe and Alicent encouraged him with the idea that she'd bear a son. During the final months, Viserys had taken up to telling Alicent and her belly old Valyrian stories and songs.

7) Speaking of Valyrian, somewhere before Aemmas' death when their interactions were made to be very circumspect, Alicent started learning some words and sentences in Valyrian to surprise him. He was very fluttered and eager to help her with learning.

8) While Alicent and Rhaenyra became more antagonistic over the years, Viserys tried to remain neutral and keep the peace. There were many moments however where unintentionally he'd end up leaning more towards one's side. That would usually be Alicent, which as a result would create a gap between him and his daughter.

9) At some point, Alicent was insecure that eventually Viserys' eyes would start to wander to other ladies. After all the court didn't lack beautiful women. And if he couldn't remain completely faithful (even emotionally) to his first wife, what would stop him now? Alicent had given him son and he hadn't made any of the heirs. In her mind that meant her children hardly provided the security she had originally thought to have. Of course all the worries were for nothing. Viserys never looked any other woman the way Alicent had feared and he never wasted a single day to not remind her how beautiful she was.

10) As it was typical, Alicent was raised to be proper and dutiful. She never expected Viserys to not only continue having interest in her after bearing children but to often displays his affection. Alicent loves it when he holds lavish tournaments and celebrations in her and their children's honor.

[bluedalahorse]

Hey! I love your YR analysis posts, thank you so much for sharing your ideas with us! :) I'd love to hear your opinion on what you think happens in August's mind that allows him to look beyond Sara's class background when date her, given his obsession with defining himself by his status social standing. Thank you!

Hi! Thanks for reading my analysis; I’m glad you like it! I’ve been dreaming of answering an ask like yours for a long time, so I’m glad you popped up in my inbox. As it happens, I have a shorter answer and then a much longer answer prepared.

So, the first part of my thesis here is that August’s attraction isn’t rational. Feelings kinda happen however they’re going to happen, and people try to rationalize those feelings and make them make sense and fit into the frames they have for relationships. You are right to notice that August has to get past some mental blocks to get to the place where he sees Sara as a dating prospect at all. But once he gets there, he rationalizes her presence in his life using frames he understands.

Now, August doesn’t necessarily see status as something he has to earn. He sees it as something he already has and is owed more of, and as something with ideals he strives to live up to. Nonetheless, as much as August clings to his status to give himself a sense of stability in the wake of family trauma, his status is constantly in jeopardy throughout both seasons. This is what makes his behavior so erratic, and why he lashes out at others.

My (potentially controversial?) sargust theory is that Sara and August are attracted to one another from the earliest episodes of season 1, even if they don’t understand that as true at first. August’s understanding of his attraction to Sara changes over time, the same way his sense of security in his status changes. How he responds to Sara is tied together with how he responds to his perceived power in any given moment.

We often think of the ruling class as being tied to old, outdated traditions, and to some extent, that is true. But from my experience of working in proximity to people of considerable privilege, one of the ways they express that privilege is in how and when they move goalposts to fulfill their desires. Those who are privileged claim the power to write the rules, but also the power to decide what the few rare exceptions to those rules are. By the time August recognizes that he’s fallen in love with Sara and is willing to commit to her, he’s also decided to rationalize her as one of those exceptions.

It’s a little easier to see the evolution of his thoughts when you break his interactions with Sara down by half-season. Luckily, I had a meta started focused on what I see as the timeline of their relationship, so I was able to take what I’d already written and modify it to answer this ask. I’m putting this behind a cut, because it’s SUPER long. But hopefully it shows the shifts in his thinking and the ways he eventually ties Sara to his philosophy of exceptionalism. Feel free to read on if you’re curious…

(Content warning for most August topics, especially in this case toxic relationship dynamics and class-based sexual harassment.)

Intro: Framing Attraction

Before we start, we have to recognize some things about the nature of attraction. First, it’s important to realize that not everyone feels attraction in the same way or at the same pace. Wilhelm and Simon fall for one another pretty quickly, to the point where Simon makes an unambiguous move on Wilhelm at the end of 1.2. For all that Simon and Wilhelm still have a lot to understand about their feelings, Sara and August are both less in touch with their feelings and what they would want out of a relationship. In Sara’s case, we see her asking a lot of questions to the other girls that shows understanding her own feelings isn’t always easy for her. (I imagine one of the ways her AuDHD manifests is alexithymia, which, haha I relate tho.) August, meanwhile, spends so much time in cycles of self-denial and self-punishment that he’s gotten used to ignoring his own needs, whether that’s emotional needs or even needs around things like food and not over-exercising his body. As a result, what occurs between Sara and August is paced and dealt with in dialogue a little bit differently than the Wilmon stuff, but it’s just as dramatic.

Second, and less comfortably, we have to acknowledge that attraction is not always accompanied by purity of intentions or emotions, and that a person’s understanding of their own attractions can be influenced by outside social structures. As a result of these structures and systems, attraction can also be expressed in ways that are laced with disdain. (Patriarchy, for instance, gives heterosexual men an abundance of sexist language and tropes to draw on when describing or addressing women, even women they’re attracted to.) Hence August calling Sara a “freak” and berating her early on in the study hall scene. This is not to agree with the idea that A Little Boy Pulls On A Little Girl’s Pigtails Because He Secretly Likes Her, because that is a dangerous and harmful idea and I don’t subscribe to it. Rather, I want to examine how societally-influenced biases shape our ability to process and act on our feelings in a healthy way.

Sara and August sit at an intersection of class, gender, and neurotype that influences how they react to one another and initially prevents them from seeing one another as potential partners. Consider that an overwhelming amount of Western history and culture includes men who harass women into relationships, spouses complaining about one another, working class women getting taken advantage of by upper class men, and just general… *waves at all of that.* As much as we want to believe we’re now in the era of the emotionally honest softboy, these sexist, classist, and ableist influences are still very much with us, and we still see the kind of nonsense that’s out there nowadays radicalizing young men into crap behaviors toward women. We don’t have to be resigned to this in our own society, but we do have to acknowledge it and how it influences August. I mean, August can’t even express his attraction to Felice without being gross and offensive about it, and she’s of his class and therefore someone his biases nudge him to see as “marriage material” at first. So how is he supposed to recognize what he’s feeling about Sara and reframe it in a healthy way?

For what it’s worth, we can see how Wilhelm’s societal programming impacts his relationship with Simon, too. It’s not just the sexual orientation stuff, but the class stuff. We can see the little moments where Wilhelm starts to drift into “we can just hook up and have it be a secret forever.” We see how he tries to make things happen with Felice (and that’s additionally nuanced, because he and Felice are also performing Gender as Hillerska defines it.) The part where Wilhelm denies being with Simon in the video on live TV is really the apex of that kind of class-based thinking, that would let him just kind of have Simon be a secret guy on the side. 

Wilhelm however, unlike August, is much more willing to actively question his biases from the beginning of the series. He protests against being at Hillerska in the first place because he doesn’t want to be surrounded by people who parrot the ideas he was raised with and validate him on everything. Wilhelm wants his views challenged, even when he is periodically tempted to slide back into the habits of the upper classes. August wants his views reinforced, because he clings to his class status and social hierarchy as something that makes him feel grounded, and that’s always slipping away from him in a way it isn’t for Wilhelm. August eventually does push past his biases and see his attraction to Sara for what it is, but things go to hell again when he tries to assimilate her into his class-bound cultural norms.

1.1-1.3: August and Sara discover each other’s existence

In the first three episodes, August isn’t trying to assert his status by pursuing Sara. Instead, he’s pursuing Felice, who he insists that he wants to marry. (Marriage is, after all, a way to keep the noble classes going.) Still, there’s little hints about his future with Sara that we should be watching for, it’s just that neither Sara nor August quite knows the vibes they are putting out just yet.

I want to start by pointing out a moment of foreshadowing during the party scene in 1.1. August is giving Wilhelm his “we could murder someone and get away with it” speech which ends in the question of “who wants to be ordinary?” The Eriksson siblings enter the party right then, and the camera cuts over to Simon and Sara together. We’re following Wilhelm’s gaze at this point, and the camera is showing us his attraction to Simon, what with the way the way Simon is surrounded by colored light, all glow sticks and casual clothes and charisma. (I love this moment because it’s an immediate visual rebuke to August’s philosophy of exceptionalism and special-ordinary dichotomy; the special can be found within the ordinary, and there is so much beauty there.) We’re in Wilhelm’s head and being pulled along into his attraction to Simon. At the same time, August is shadowing Wilhelm the same way that Sara shadows Simon. From the start, we are being primed to see these two relationships as parallel. The camera isn’t quite ready to hint at full-fledged attraction yet, but it’s telling you to get ready for that attraction to develop and track it throughout the season.

In 1.2 and 1.3 we have moments of uncomfortable subtext. Consider the moment in 1.2 where August slides up to Sara and casually asks if maybe, could he please try some of her ADHD medication?

(Crap, I saved this but I forgot who made it. If someone tells me, I’ll credit them in an edit.)

I wouldn’t call their vibe consciously flirty or anything; that’s not quite what’s happening here. Sara’s initially buried in her book the way I am when a guy tries to talk to me on the metro. (She can be feeling attraction but still find the attention unwanted, which is important to mention. These things are complicated.) Still… there is a Vibe on August’s part. I say there is a Vibe because of how Simon reacts when he sees the conversation happening. Immediately Simon rolls in and plays the protective brother and is very never talk to my sister again. Which is about the 50 mg of Vyvanse, yes. But I find it hard to believe that this is not also about August potentially hitting on Sara, and Simon being worried about that.

As for 1.3, one place where there might be subtext about Sara’s feelings is the whole to-do over lunch tables. August is gatekeeping the Erikssons’ access to lunch as a way of flexing his power, and each Eriksson reacts in a way that’s quite telling. Simon is incensed, and uses it as the springboard for a (very justified) rant. Linda isn’t bothered; she is so cheerily sure it’s all just a misunderstanding and of course they’re going to be served in a minute. Sara… is quiet and withdrawn in a way that suggests she might be embarrassed by both her brother and her mother. Simon is unwilling to accept the rules while Linda doesn’t understand them. Sara’s worked so hard to learn the social rules and fit in, and here are her family members flagrantly ignoring the rules! In front of people! In front of… a person she might be developing a crush on, but knows she “shouldn’t” be? It’s not quite there until you think about it in retrospect, but that’s why Young Royals has so much rewatch value.

To be fair, both of these scenes are operating very much in the realm of subtext rather than text (and neither of them portrays a healthy sargust power dynamic.) It’s comparatively rare to encounter a heterosexual pairing who can’t quite find the words or social structures to articulate what they are, while the same-sex pairing they’re paralleled to knows very much that they care for one another. Wilhelm may struggle to label himself, but he understands that he desires Simon. Meanwhile, August is quick to claim a label and perform heterosexuality as a political stance, but doesn’t understand how nuanced and unexpected his desires can be.

I will also remind you that August and Rousseau are the same character, and that instead of giving us an overt, literal, absolutely excruciating Sara-August-Felice love triangle, Lisa dives into the horse subtext instead. A lot of what is under-the-surface in the early part of season 1 is expressed through the horse stuff!

1.4-1.6: Realization and Recognition

The second half of season 1 marks more of a transitional period in the sargust relationship. At this point, the subtext from before is rapidly beginning to surface in the text, and Sara and August are learning more about one another and trying to make sense of what they’re feeling about each other. There’s always been a vibe hanging between them, but now is really where they start to get pulled into one another’s orbit. At first, this looks like it’s going to conform to a toxic patriarchal paradigm, but that paradigm gets twisted a bit at the end of season 1.

Naturally the first scene that marks this shift is the one in 1.4 where August looking for Felice in the stables and encounters Sara instead. August’s immediate response to finding Sara alone is to try and sexually harass information out of her, which… is definitely uncomfortable again. We’ve got to acknowledge that in order to unpack this scene.

I’ve seen a lot of people argue that the stables scene is where Sara’s attraction begins, and I’m not sure if I agree with that. Sara’s inexperienced when it comes to relationships, but I don’t think she’s so pure and naive that August’s cocky performance is what sweeps her off her feet and makes her fall for him. We also know she isn’t taking what he says at face value, because one of the questions she asks him is what he really wants. Instead, it makes infinitely more sense to me that Sara’s already been attracted to August for a few weeks and is still kind of wondering what those butterfly feelings are in her stomach, and now here’s this extra bizarre social interaction (with added kissing that Sara doesn’t consent to but may have wanted under different circumstances) for her to hang those feelings on.

On August’s end… man. Why must this boy be such a can of emotional worms? I do wonder how much something is shifting in his head as he begins to hit on Sara. Most of those shifts are happening for him subconsciously. Maybe what he’s settling on in 1.4 is that, it’s fun to flirt with Sara to assert his social dominance that way, but at that point in the narrative he doesn’t think she counts as a long-term relationship/marriage material kinda girl the way Felice does.

Here I think it’s important to remember for that for most of Western history, wealthy upper class men weren’t shamed for pursuing women of lower classes on the side of their married relationships. (Sometimes these side relationships were more or less consensual relationships with mistresses, but other times men were just taking advantage of women who worked for them, and consent was impossible.) I’m not saying that August is thinking consciously about Sara being “available” for temporary amusement because she’s working class, but I am saying that’s the historical tradition of toxic masculinity that he’s been raised in. He does not expect to be caught and dumped for kissing Sara, because unconsciously he’s absorbed the upper class patriarchal programming that doesn’t even identify this behavior as cheating. It’s just a “fun” way to get the information he wants. (Ugh.)

Tl;dr it’s important to view August hitting on Sara in the stables not as August leaning awayfrom his upper class status, but rather as him trying to assert it. Yes, he does try to get Felice into a committed relationship with him to assert his status and masculinity, but now that he’s in a committed relationship with her he doesn’t feel any more secure in his status. So now he’s pulled Sara into his whole social class deal as well. (Ugh. UGH.)

That isn’t, thankfully, where August stays. 1.6 marks another key shift in his mindset toward Sara, because it’s where August sees a genuine connection between them for the first time. When Sara goes to confront August about why he leaked the video of Simon and Wilhelm, he corners her and offers to give her whatever she wants. Sara confesses her secret desire—to be a boarder at Hillerska and become one of its elite students. August’s reaction is fascinating, because there’s almost a quality of relief to it. Part of that, of course, is because he can easily buy her off. But I think it’s also because he’s finally not alone. It’s worth remembering that August has spent most of season 1 worrying about paying his tuition and the possibility that he might get kicked out of school. As Erik tells us before he dies, August made Hillerska his entire personality as a way of dealing with the grief over his father’s suicide. Sara, who is using Hillerska to escape her own family trauma, feels similarly about it as a space where she can feel more agency, and now she’s worried that her mother will pull her out of school.

(On Sara’s part, August’s behavior has become increasingly erratic over the course of the last few episodes, and I think she’s drawn to the idea that he might need help. I covered a little of this when I talked about Sara being the special horse girl who wants to tame the troubled horse, but we also see this come out in her friendship with Felice. She wants to help Felice when they first meet! Not to mention, one of the big things Sara gets in trouble for is revealing people’s secrets. If you think about it, August has revealed the biggest secret of the series by leaking the video about Simon and Wilhelm. As pissed as Sara is on Simon’s behalf—and people forget how pissed she is, in 1.6—she also understands what it’s like to have let a secret out and regretted it. Sara’s doing rationalizing of her own.)

I don’t know how much of that runs through August’s head in an obvious or logical way, but in his gut, he’s feeling this jolt of recognition. Sara feels it too. Sara sees him, and he sees her. The magnetic pull has finally brought them together, and when she kisses him, he kisses back. We’d be rooting for these kids as they found a genuine connection, if they weren’t also covering up a horrendous and harmful crime. Sigh! And know we know we’re in for some drama in season 2…

2.1-2.3: Liminal Companionship

Season 2 begins with both Sara and August in an in-between state, where neither of them quite fits into the world they’ve been placed in. Sara’s gotten her coveted boarder’s scholarship to Hillerska, but is rapidly becoming disillusioned with the amount of wealth her dorm mates take for granted. August, meanwhile, hasn’t had to leave school after all, but is convinced he could lose his status and freedom at any minute if anyone finds out he leaked the video. They don’t really discuss this directly, but it’s clear they feel more comfortable around one another because each of them has seen a side of the other the rest of the world isn’t aware of. Moreover, given the amount of discomfort each of them is feeling at the beginning of the season, it’s understandable that Sara and August would seek out one another’s company more deliberately.

It’s in this in-between space, where August feels like he’s lost so much of his Hillerska identity, that he finally starts to recognize that Sara is someone who can hold emotional space for him. At the same time, he goes back and forth between wanting to be vulnerable with her and keeping her at a distance. He breaks down and panics in front of her, causing her to teach him deep breathing, but then runs away after. He seems to like Sara, but he’s cautious about getting too close.

Sara and August’s physical relationship is also in a liminal state at this point in season 2, somewhere between an unexpected platonic friendship and a blossoming romance. Not that anyone should have to define a relationship if they don’t want to, but it’s almost humorous to me how you have this period between 1.6 and 2.3 where Sara and August keep touching and kissing and even grinding on one another and they just… keep acting like it’s happening for the first time. Like. Do we maybe want to communicate about that? No? Yes? Omg you kids are such teenagers, stop.

Sara takes the physical lead most of the time, which is a change from the aggressive predatory gender roles we see August performing in 1.4. I don’t think August is more passive because he isn’t interested (we see the way he lifts Sara up onto his desk in 1.6, and the way he laughs to himself after Sara leaves his room in 2.2.) I personally think this is more about August’s tendency to punish himself. His establishing shots in 2.1 are all about self-punishment and self-denial—the grueling exercise, the infamous bites of kale. We also see him refusing to fight for himself when Wilhelm starts maneuvering him out of his Hillerska positions. August is starting to give up in a big way, and at first he holds Sara at arms’ length because he isn’t letting himself indulge in anything that could bring him actual joy.

For that reason, we don’t really see a reciprocal ebb and flow develop between Sara and August until 2.3, when they finally more consciously choose to do relationshippy things and decide to have sex for the first time. One thing that really stands out to me in this scene is that August is so sure he’s doomed. He is genuinely convinced at this point that the palace is going to send him to jail and brand him a criminal for life. And now that he’s lower than he’s ever been at any point in the series, he’s weirdly somehow gained the ability to show compassion for himself. This is also the episode where he throws his pills aside and pats Rousseau (his narrative shadow) on the nose. If August is doomed anyway, and he’s about to lose everything, well, why not give in to his developing feelings for the girl who likes him back even if she knows he made a terrible decision? Maybe he thinks it’s his one chance to be with her.

I don’t know if August expects that he’ll fall hard for Sara. The reality is, by the time they’re together, he already has fallen for her. Suddenly, she’s a person he’ll fight to keep in his life. Suddenly, August doesn’t want to give up anymore.

2.4-2.6: Whose Cinderella fantasy?

The first time I watched season two, I wondered if August was going to approach Sara differently after his meeting at the palace. There was always the possibility that his (alleged) new security in life would influence him to cast her aside and go back to pursuing upper class girls. Instead what we see is that August is just as devoted to Sara as before—even more devoted, in fact. He invites her to the dance so they can debut together as a public couple. He sets up his room with candles and champagne and waits for her and there’s almost marriage proposal vibes about the whole thing and we all die of second-hand embarrassment when Sara texts to say she’s changed plans. August and Sara argue at the Valentine’s dance, causing August to backslide and start scheming again, but the minute she shows up and cries at his door about losing Rousseau, he takes her in and comforts her. He buys her the horse. He refuses to snitch on her in the field when Wilhelm has a gun pointed at his chest.

Anyway. We know August has very deep feelings for Sara, and it’d be easy to say his feelings run deep enough that he no longer cares that she isn’t high class. And his feelings do run that deep. But there’s another component too, when you think about how August is envisioning his future, and how Sara is part of that future. He’s happy to have her listen in on his phone call about the ten-year plan because he sees her as part of the ten-year plan.

After August’s meeting at the palace, he no longer sees himself as the heir to Årnäs, but rather as a prince in line for the Swedish throne. A noble is supposed to serve and protect the king by making an advantageous marriage and having sons—August explains this much in 1.4 when he’s talking to Wilhelm about the Society—but the king (in August’s fantasies at least) is ultimately at the top of the hierarchy and can bend the rules to suit his will. So August marrying who he wants is really an expression of kingly power, in August’s mind. Of course he can rewrite the rules for himself and marry Sara and make her his queen. He almost says exactly that out loud, when he promises never to hurt her and frames it as a royal oath. And while August and Sara never discuss having children, I’m sure August assumes it will happen someday. (That weirdo probably has names picked out and everything.) That means he’ll be able to fulfill one of the most important duties of kingship (especially in an era where a king’s powers are mostly symbolic) which is producing an heir and keeping the monarchy going.

Anyway, I actually do think that between Sara and August, it’s not Sara who’s caught up in the Cinderella fantasy—it’s August. He really wants to be the prince who rescues her from her ordinary life of drudgery and makes her dreams come true. Why? Because August loathes himself and can’t sit with his own flaws, and it’s more comfortable to imagine himself as Sara’s princely hero than as the guy who leaked the video. And he and Sara are soulmates, in August’s mind. He sees her ambition, and sees himself in it, and he wants to reward it. I don’t think that’s something he could see himself doing as the heir to Årnäs, but maybe it’s something he can do as heir to the throne.

Implicitly I think there’s an element of competition with Wilhelm, too. Sara and August’s fight at the Valentine’s dance brings that subtext bubbling to the surface. Sara is concerned about being in a public relationship with her a royal when she saw what happened to her brother after being outed. August replies, bitterly, that he isn’t Wilhelm, and accuses Sara of just wanting sex.

It’s worth unpacking this. As viewers, we know exactly how devoted Wilhelm is to Simon. But from August’s point of view, all he sees is Wilhelm disavowing Simon on live TV and not standing by him. Keep in mind, too, that the rumors of Wille and Felice’s hookup are traveling around the school at that time, and yet Felice and Wille are not attending the dance together, probably signaling to August that either a) Wilhelm treated Felice like a conquest and then pushed her aside, or b) Felice is a gold digger who took advantage of Wilhelm for her own gain. From August’s perspective, what he’s thinking is, he’ll be more committed and mature than Wilhelm. He will be a good partner. He’s not afraid of being seen with his Eriksson sibling, who he absolutely intends to take to the dance properly and stand in posed graduation photos with and probably marry someday. August is keeping score, and he also believes in his own hype. He’s infuriated that Sara can’t see how he’s different than Wilhelm. That’s why the moment he and Sara are back in each other’s arms in 2.5, he immediately leans toward rhetoric about making her his queen and staying with her long-term. I do think he genuinely means this, but we also can’t ignore that he sees himself as better than Wilhelm for it. He’ll do an unexpected fairy tale romance of his own and he’ll do it better than Wilhelm ever did, dammit!

Now if you’re very clever (and yes, this is me trying to channel the gravitas of Abigail Thorn) you’ll notice how actively ignorant and irrational August is being. He’s constructing a narrative about his relationship with Sara that ignores their rocky beginnings. To some extent, August doesn’t have a full picture of what’s going on in Wilhelm’s head, and he’s also assuming he’ll have a lot more free will as king than would actually be true. (We see this in another way, when he tells Jan-Olof he has some ideas about how to modify the Jubilee Day speech, and gets stopped from doing so.) But it still doesn’t stop August from dreaming about being able to write the rules for himself.

Well, of course August is actively ignorant. Systems of oppression thrive on the active ignorance of those at the top. That’s exactly what allows people in August’s position to think well of themselves and genuinely see themselves as good people (who occasionally make mistakes) rather than people running a system that perpetuates wealth disparities and patriarchy and inequality.

Conclusion: The Privileges of Inconsistency and Ignorance

To sum up: I genuinely do think that August is attracted to Sara from almost the beginning of the show. At first, his warped worldview causes him to ignore or lash out at or objectify her, and overall fail to treat her with respect. When it looks like he might lose all of his power, he does have a brief window where he can see her as a fellow human being who makes him feel less alone, and discovers his feelings for her in a new light. As soon as he’s spared by the royal court, however, he becomes consumed by the fantasy of being king and rewriting the rules to make Sara his queen. Being able to cast her in that role would go against convention, but it would also be the ultimate expression of his power and agency. Other people would still have to follow the rules, but August would get to break them, because the king gets to make the rules and be the authority on everything. This isn’t, of course, what Sara wants—but part of August’s hamartia is that he assumes he and Sara are on the same page.

Maybe this isn’t a popular opinion, but it’s upsetting to me that Sara and August didn’t get to connect under different circumstances. When they work together, they work. But by god do they need some therapy and a social revolution to boot. I 99% agree with (I believe) missbolt’s post on Sara and August, where she talks about them fulfilling a deep need in one another. The one place I disagree (possibly in a very nitpicky way that isn’t really disagreement) is that I do think August sees real ambition/struggle to survive in Sara, and I do think Sara sees real vulnerability/loneliness in August. These traits are real and not illusions. Because Young Royals emphasizes choices over “innate” moral personality traits, however, what Sara and August don’t foresee in each other is the choices and sacrifices the other is willing to make. Sara is willing to put aside her ambitions to try and make things right with her brother, while August shoves away his vulnerability to try and prove to himself that he’s worthy of power within a system that’s content to just use him and toss him aside when he isn’t useful anymore.

Neither Sara nor August really expects the other to make these decisions, and that’s what drives them apart. Sara’s choice will hopefully save her and allow her to reconnect with community; August’s choice will only further isolate him and drive him toward destruction if he doesn’t check himself and change course. August could stop this cycle of self-harm if he stopped subscribing the aristocratic ideals of masculinity, but he hasn’t yet. How infuriating! The amount of sleep I have lost over this fictional character’s terrible decisions, let me tell you.

(It kills me how gendered Sara and August’s sacrifices are, too. Sometimes I just think about it and I want to scream. But I can also appreciate the well-written tragedy of it all.)

I will also say that this reading of the characters influences my reading of the show at large. It’s part of why I’m not personally in favor of the monarchy sticking around and a Prince Consort Simon future. (I get why it appeals to other people and can read others’ fics based around that, but it’s not my personal preference.) It’s also why I can’t find hotness in the idea of Wilhelm being a sort of sexy masc dom prince who orders people around and pulls strings to make things more convenient for his precious Simon. August already exists in the narrative as a cautionary tale against that kind of power dynamic! There’s more to be said here about the way you can look at August’s choices compared to Wilhelm’s, and how they are foils to one another. Ultimately, there is danger in trying to rewrite an oppressive system in accordance with one’s individual whims, even when a person imagines something as noble as romantic love as being what motivates them.

Once upon a time, I was leaving @heliza24 a comment on the Heart and Homeland draft she sent me, and I said this:

“The road to democracy is letting aristocratic boys embrace their submissive tendencies.”

And… maybe I was being a little bit facetious. But on a symbolic level I think what I meant was, Wilhelm and August both have to envision themselves in new positions, possibly even as part of a new system, if they want to do right by the people they love. Moreover, they need to think beyond the people they love, and consider the impact of their power has on the world at large. They need to learn humility, to listen, and to manage their emotions. So far, it’s Wilhelm who’s succeeding in that kind of growth, and he doesn’t win that victory by trusting in his love for Simon alone. Instead, as I pointed out in my justice meta, Wilhelm needs therapy and community and the willingness to self-examine in order to move forward. He learns to stop focusing on winning Simon’s love like it’s a prize, and focus more on being the kind of person Simon would choose to be in a relationship with, while still acknowledging that ultimately the choice is Simon’s.

Will August eventually be able learn the same lessons? Only season 3 can tell for sure. I kind of hope he can figure it out eventually, against all odds, if only so he can one day heal from his trauma. He also has to radically accept that he caused harm toward Simon, Wilhelm, and others. If August wants to get there, he’s going to have to stop subscribing to the philosophy of exceptionalism, and instead start valuing the special within the ordinary.

[toothpaste-dragon]

🔫 chrysie. thursday. syllk.

(In reference to this post)

It's interesting you picked these three because they're some of my most underdeveloped characters XD And for good reason, in each individual case. But you asked, so you shall receive.

Chrysie There's not too much to say about her, unfortunately. She's a blatant self-insert (which I still get embarrassed about occasionally) and sometimes I draw her in place of myself when applicable. I purposefully didn't create her with much lore because I'd rather focus my efforts on developing my actual characters. So the only real lore I can provide is that she lives in a fairy colony in the mountains and helps gather resources for her village, while also exploring the area and interacting with various animals - and sometimes humans. Mountains are my happy place, so it's obvious why I went with that location :>

Thursday Hoo boy, how to explain this seagull child's history...I don't even know how you found him to begin with, since he's so far back on my art blog XD While Thursday's story has been on the back burner for a long time, he was actually my main focus when I created him back in high school. I was obsessed with birds at that age, especially birds that most people disliked or found annoying, so it all started when I thought to myself "What happens if bird + boy?" I eventually ended up piecing together this shred of a story about a journalist named Melissa who lives in a small coastal town and stumbles upon a so-called seagull boy (AKA a boy who both resembles and has the mannerisms of a seagull). It's revealed that the seagull boy has an injured wing, so Melissa helps nurse him back to health over the course of 2 weeks, while simultaneously nursing some of her own wounds and forming a sweet bond with the quirky son she never had. I was very intentional about making Thursday annoying and loud and messy, which explained why most beach-goers didn't enjoy his presence. Thursday purposefully remained underdeveloped because I wanted the story to be simple and focus on the main character's emotions/reactions more than any sort of backstory they arrived with. I also always imagined the story would best be told as a visual short story or comic, and one of my friends had planned to illustrate the script at some point, but plans changed and it didn't happen (which is totally understandable). Thursday's story still means a lot to me, especially since it was the first time I 'finished' planning out an entire story. I hope one day I might be able to see it come to life...but until then, I'll simply hold onto it.

Syllk Syllk (tiefling sorcerer) was my most recent dungeons and dragons character, before I ultimately left the campaign to prioritize mental health and other important stuff. She was a ton of fun to play! But much like Chrysie, she doesn't have too much lore. Syllk's whole gimmick was that she completely lost her memory and washed up on the shores of Candlekeep, where she met the rest of her companions. The only item on her person was a sealed book, which she believed would help restore her memories and locate her parents. My very first legit D&D character had been easy to play because he acted a lot like me - so this time I wanted to challenge myself to play a character on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Which is exactly why I made Syllk to be sassy, morally gray, quick to anger, and overall just a little gremlin. Near the end of the campaign, Syllk unlocked her book and it led her to a strange laboratory...and there she faced off against a powerful mage, who claimed to have stolen her away from her parents and experimented on her. Syllk was so angry that she aided in killing the mage, but the anger faded once she realized she'd probably never be reunited with her parents. Thankfully, one of her party companions Karliah (tabaxi monk) had been inching closer to Syllk as a surrogate mother, so Syllk decided to stick with her for the time that followed.

I hope these answers are sufficient...I honestly don't know if I described 'lore' rather than just threw random info at you X'D Regardless, enjoy :>

[cloudninetonine]

I'm gonna send this in before I go to bed tonight, but back to my old FFXIV Player shenanigans. This is gonna be a bit of long one.

After finishing the main story of Shadowbringers, it is now plausible that the mc could have become the monarch of the fae kingdom of Il Mheg. This of course is after taking the throne from the last king who had been corrupted beyond saving and using this magic clothing set to become the new king. The only reason mc doesn't canonically is cuz they still have the post story and a whole other expansion to do so becoming the fairy king wouldn't be too wise at the time. So instead of mc becoming the king, the throne was taken by our pixie friend by the name of Feo Ul who's aggressively Scottish and it's great.

But imagine a scenario in which they did choose to take on the mantle of the King of Il Mheg. This Player would become a fairy, since that's kind of how that works. Yet they still retain their desrie to travel the world and experience its many wonders, their human trait that never faded. It is a bit inconvenient to travel in their large fairy form so with the help of magic they simply take the form a normal human, or a human with pointed ears since they're in Hyrule. I'd also like to imagine that their clothing set is also still incorporated into their human form outfit as well since stylistic choices and it's kind of the symbol of their status.

Now, to the LU thought.

Hyrule and Time knew that Player wasn't human not too long after they met. They also knew that they were steeped in some sort of fairy like energy. It didn't take long for then to deduce that Player most likely had fae blood in them, which would explainba lot really. Rulie is happy to have another fae friend to interact with and Time us just a tad bit more relaxed in their presence then usual.

I'm not sure how exactly the Chain finds out that Player is a king, only the reactions.

Wild and Warriors are having internal panic attacks because excuse them, they've been horsing around and acting like a couple of morons in armor with a king. A king of fairies, no less? Just send them to god now please.

Hyrule is almost in the same boat, but more in the sense of how young people respect their elders. In his mind, Player is basically the equivalent of a Great Fairy, and he was raised by fairies, so it's kinda like interacting with a well respected individual or something. I'm not sure how to phrase it.

Time and Twilight appear to be indifferent, though Twilight displays genuine surprise and a bit of embarrassment (totally not because he husky screamed at Player a few times for scritches, no, not at all). They acknowledge their status, but they also know that Player wouldn't want to be treated differently based on it so not much changes.

Sky and Four are calm yet curious about the whole thing. Sky grew up in a time where the previous monarchy had long since fallen and he was a long ways way from truly establishing a new one, so he doesn't entirely get it in his head that Player is kind of pretty very important. In his mind, it's just his friend who he's very fond of. Four understands it more than Sky does, but because of his relationship with Dot (the bestest of besties), he also doesn't really acknowledge the title beyond Player having it.

Legend isn't really sure how to feel. He's got a very specific opinion on the monarchy but he also greatly respects his Zelda and the things that she does. He's at a crossroads, so he'll come of as stiff and standoffish (more so then usual) before eventually bouncing back to the way he used to be after getting it in his head that Player is still just Player.

Wind is asking many questions. He's curious! He has no concept of the signficance of the monarchy and he's too excited to even process that what he's doing would be considered disrespectful. He just thinks it's cool that Player rules a kingdom!

It's all very neat.

- Chill (gonna my anon name a few more times until it's solidified with my new blog)

Also here's a picture of what Feo Ul looked like after they took the throne. So it's safe to assume that Player would bear a similar appearance. They've also been referred to as Titania, which I assume is just the name that they'll receive after becoming king so Player might be referred to as such when they're in Il Mheg.

Pretty fairy!

I don't know much about FFXIV (Tho XV and VII are two different stories) so apologies for not knowing that but this is a cool idea!

Honestly I feel like they'd be a bit calmer to this kind of thing? Magic and fairies is their norm, finding out Player is some sort of fairy monarch from another world is a normal Tuesday for them. Will there be mixed reactions, sure, but in the end it's something they can all deal with!

[soldieryaoi]

ooo, does he have a backstory? what's his class? i'd like to know if possible :>

omg HI TY FOR THE QUESTION I assume this is about Nicholas! I’m not sure what entirely you mean by his class…… I hope you mean just like, his title..? Like ex-soldier, occultist, doctor? But he’s the general.

I actually don't have a very detailed backstory for him, I instead have more scraps of info about him and his personality… like he has burn and shrapnel scars on his hands and neck from getting caught in an explosion. Still working on a nice-looking info sheet about him… and doodling interactions with all participants LOL not just Pav and Levi. But I will try my best rn to collate the ideas I do have for his lore. He was born during the first great war, too young to remember much of what happened. With both his parents left alive and doing everything they could to get him an education, he went on to live an average life, attending school, working, etc. He was a very bright kid for his age and excelled past many other students. Eventually he grew dissatisfied with the life that seemed to have been planned out for him: “get married to a nice man, have his kids, and make sure you keep them all happy!” He didn’t want to be stuck inside cooking and cleaning forever. With military presence still strong in Rondon so soon after the war, he was captivated by the weapons and the uniforms and all attention that officers got and went on to train as a soldier.

Up until and even during the second great war, he rose up through the ranks – he wasn't especially brilliant with a gun or anything, but his morale, eccentricity and passion captivated those around him. He was a very good leader and very useful for keeping other soldiers driven and dedicated. During this time, he also gained a lot of knowledge on the long history of Rondon, including information about the dungeons, the Knights of the Midnight Sun and Le'garde from multiple perspectives and sources (cough cough D'arce). He did his best to spend time on-field among other foot soldiers on the front lines, as he didn’t want to stay cooped up safe in an office. With the peace treaty being signed, he thought it was over until his lieutenant brought him a letter of invitation, supposedly from someone in Prehevil. Nicholas had his suspicions, but was bored of paperwork and so decided to leave, obviously ending up as one of the 15 Termina contestants.

[kerra-and-company]

Gonna send some asks for that gw2 meme 3 for Casca!

3, 6, 11

Gladly!! Tyty! Casca hours :D

3. What person impacted them the most?

There's several people who've impacted her immensely, but for this question? Brook. The two of them bonded incredibly quickly after coming to the fahrar and are best friends to the point of near-codependence as they grow up. They eventually end up mates as well. Brook is--and as far back as she can remember, always has been--pretty much the most important person in Casca's life.

Brook's fascination with human spirituality and religious belief is why Casca doesn't shun or scorn it, even if she doesn't believe in it herself. Brook's constant presence in her life--and the fact that they also use magic, though they're not the only other 'bandmate of hers to do so--is a not-insignificant part of the reason that Casca is so incredibly determined not to hide or be ashamed of her own magic. Brook was captured by the Flame Legion along with her, and the hope of getting out and saving them was her main reason for not giving up.

On the flip side of that, Casca spent a good eight years or so after she finally managed to escape the Flame Legion thinking that she'd been too late and that Brook was dead, and it was incredibly devastating. She managed, eventually, to rebuild something from the pieces of her life and take on mercenary work (for sketchier third parties at first, then later down the line for the Pact). She made some friends. She, interestingly enough, fully avoided dealing with her feelings towards the Flame Legion and didn't try to seek out revenge solo, which might not be what you'd guess if you'd known her before everything went down. She knew Brook wouldn't want her dead (and neither would Ari or Pol, who she was also pretty certain she'd lost), and her anger was so intrinsically tied to her grief that if she did let herself focus on it, she wouldn't have been able to even kind of handle either one. It was this weird kind of limbo where she wasn't okay and she knew it, but also thought this would be as good as it ever got.

Finding Brook with the Olmakhan in the Sandswept Isles was the best thing that could ever have happened to her, as far as she's concerned. She loves them fiercely and entirely. But it also released that hold she had on her anger. She's not big on second or third chances anyways, never has been, and that was the nail in the coffin. Any interaction with Weylon--who had betrayed their warband to Flame in the first place--that she had from that point forward was going to go immediately and violently south.

6. They're now a heart NPC/part of a string of quests. What does that involve?

As a renown heart NPC, I think you'd get baby!Casca and the rest of the Storm Warband running investigative trips into the Flame Legion in the Iron Marches. Ari would be nearby Casca and you could talk to both of them. Casca would complain about being asked to make a more solid map of the territory and Flame presence for the higher-ups, and you'd be able to help either by reading documents and bringing her information or by dealing with some of the nearby Flame Legion yourself. You'd be able to find the rest of their 'bandmates scattered throughout the area doing their own thing, and they'd all come back every once in a while and have ambient conversations with her and Ari.

11. How accurate is their reputation/image compared to how they really are?

Somewhat, I'd say? The most well-known side of Casca is the reputation she gained as a mercenary over the years. The estimation of her capabilities is pretty accurate, but the estimates of both her emotional volatility and tendency towards chaos are Not accurate.

[noblechaton]

on October 16th, 2020, I started playing Persona 5 Royal

on October 16th, 2023, I finished playing Persona 5 Royal

here's some thoughts I have on the game and the inbetween. spoiler warning btw - gonna talk about a lot

I picked up Persona 5 a few Christmases ago for myself while it was on sale at Gamestop because while I'd seen very little from the game I had grown pretty interested - I'd had an interest in Persona 4 and plenty of friends who enjoyed the series in various ways, too, so I figured it'd make for a good like. "in", as it were. but then I never really got around to playing it and eventually found out that a Royal version was coming, one that would have changes and additions and such and decided to just outright wait and get that one since like. it'd be better, presumably

and while I can't really speak to the vanilla experience as I hadn't played it and probably won't I will say that based on what little I know about the game as a whole I'm kinda glad I waited because Royal was an experience

I had few expectations given how unfamiliar with the series I was but I knew it'd be long and that there were sim elements to some degree, though I was surprised by just how engrossing it all was. it really does come across as a life simulator at times, with how much stuff you can do being kind of ridiculous in both good and bad ways imo. I loved the confidants (tho I still think there's one or two too many - Ohya literally never made it past level 1 for me lol) and the minigames like darts, baseball and such. every activity was at least amusing for the most part, though the job elements felt kinda shallow and there were some things I was surprised weren't more involved like the arcades

there's just so much here though, all the same, it's overwhelming but ultimately worth it to try and do at least a little of everything by the time the final credits hit. there's so much going on that it's why I stopped playing at times, because I'd stop for a day or two and then think about all I had going on in the game and all I had to do and just sort of groaned to myself lmao. it borders on a chore at times, but it's always fun. there's a flow to things, where you chat up confidants and play pool and do laundry and go to Mementos to do requests and then go to school the next day and answer questions so you can chat up confidants and play darts and go to the bathhouse. etc. etc. there's a cycle to things that's really addicting when it gets its claws in you, though things are at times kinda mundane and your interest in something can vary pretty heavily depending on the character(s) you interact with

which is to say that I really enjoyed it overall. just about everything up Futaba's palace was some of the most fun, engrossing and immersive stuff I've played in a game, snappy and addictive and so fun. I was having a blast, despite health and personal issues alike, and feel that period of the game is definitely the strongest as far as what I assume the base game was like, and it definitely lived up to whatever hype I'd seen up to that point. I loved the introduction with Ryuji and Ann and the buildup of the concepts and themes, I loved the gameplay and how it genuinely wanted me to think and consider my moves in a way I haven't in most other games, I loved the core cast and how despite some shallow stuff here and there they all got endeared to some level, the music, the style, the story. Yusuke was a great addition, Makoto was even better and Futaba's entire substory felt so impactful and strong, it really resonated with me, and how it connected to the larger narrative was great

and then I hit Okumura's palace and my opinions fucking nosedived lmao. it's not so much that I didn't like the place - the aesthetic was fun, the music and style were still great too. it's more so that Haru had been alluded to or otherwise had a slight presence to that point and then the payoff to her was. Ryuji and Morgana getting into some melodramatic fight over nothing? huh? I genuinely still don't really get it. I don't know why they couldn't do that story earlier on, when it would have made more sense for the characters - nor do I know why it basically assassinated Ryuji's character and likely Morgana's too

it doesn't help that Okumura wasn't at all interesting like the previous palace rulers were - which, granted, was probably intentional given that he wasn't really a natural target in the narrative - and that Haru stayed in the backseat for the duration. she didn't even get that big a moment prior to the boss fight, which was also maybe the single worst boss fight I've ever subjected myself to in a video game, one so bad and frustrating that I almost outright dropped the game as a whole before I took some time and learned how the max difficulty actually makes it easier lmao. the fight sucked, the writing jumped off a cliff, whole place was just nightmare fiction

things rebounded a fair bit with Sae's palace and Akechi taking a more serious role in things and it all kinda smoothed out again through the rest of what I assume was the base game. which I'll say - I loved Akechi. the guy was so much fun, from his social mask that hid the insanity beneath to everything he does in the third semester. easily one of my favorite rival characters in anything at this point, and his relationship with Ren Nobility was a total treat

but yeah. Okumura's palace definitely sucked a lot of fun out of the experience, enough that I took another long break lmao. but a short while back I came back around and knocked out the end of the "vanilla" story, as it were, and found it pretty okay. I think I would have been fine with it had I played that version, but since I unlocked the third semester and got the more Royal portion of the game I will say I don't think I was satisfied with the original ending in comparison

a lot of this stems I think from how much fun I found Maruki I as a character and then as an antagonist. Shido didn't really leave much a mark, the God of Control also didn't do much for me despite the Mementos palace being really neat in design/aesthetic. going from like, realistic, street-level shit people to a girl in desperate need for help to a guy who kinda didn't deserve it to someone who kinda didn't need it to a boring corrupt and shitty politician was kind of lame honestly. I know he technically jump started the game but Shido just left me with very little impact throughout - a guy that needed to go down, but that I wouldn't have flinched at being the third or fourth target lmao. I definitely would have preferred Akechi as the final boss, or something like that

but Maruki was a breath of fresh air honestly. I went into the game with relatively few spoilers or expectations but then it felt kinda obvious that his side of things was both new - an issue with Royal implementation in general imo, it all felt kinda obviously new though I'd say Maruki himself felt the most well fitted - and that whatever he was going on about would impact the end of the game

and boy did it fucking whip

I love antagonists like him. people that you get to know and see and understand as a good person trying to do good for others that's constantly stepped on and shoved around by people with less than good intentions, that finally break and try to take matters into their own hands and become somewhat twisted and corrupted by their own still respectable, upstanding morals and goals. Maruki wanted to help ease pain, to erase it from people and help them, and his intent never shifts wildly nor does he ever come across as some suddenly crazy guy and I really appreciated that. he believes what he's doing is right and, in some way, you could argue that it is - or at least that his goals are in the right place, while his means ultimately aren't

his palace and that entire third semester are sort of highlights for me and I can't really imagine a version of the game without that now. I found it all so strong for the most part that it probably stopped me from ever playing vanilla or at least from playing it for a while

this also brings me around to Sumire - I quite enjoyed her as a character and her story I thought was really solid and given some recent events a fair bit impactful but, as I mentioned, I wish the Royal stuff was better integrated. you go into the endgame and there's a meeting of the Thieves and they basically look at the camera and go "Jeez, sorry, Yoshizawa, you can't come along because you didn't exist when this portion of the game was made :/" and I think that's pretty detrimental. she kind of isn't much of a character throughout the majority of the game, she's rarely acknowledged by the rest of the cast (save Akechi, who I think had his role adjusted in Royal too fwiw) and it really shows, though nothing barring a proper remake of the game could really amend that I imagine and what is there is still good, just sorta nailed into the preexisting structure, as it were

as far as the more general game goes. yeah. this is the one, honestly. I dunno if I can classify it a masterpiece both because I haven't played the others and because there is plenty I didn't like - I found that the romance routes were all pretty hollow for the most part given how most of them end with a sudden turn towards the romantic lol, a good few side characters weren't all that engaging to me and only seemed to exist to give me something to do, Okumura's palace is genuinely that bad, Shido could have felt more important, the twist near the end of the base game was kinda whatever, etc. - but it's definitely really good and has certainly left a mark on me, enough that I keep wanting to play it even now with the game finished. I gave it a 9 when I put it in my media thread and that opinion hasn't really shifted much in the days since. maybe a replay at a faster pace would lower it, or raise it, dunno

above all else though, Persona 5 was an experience, and I feel that word is the best I have to describe it

it reflects a lot of my best and worst days from the last two years, it holds a lot of warmth for me. it's a comfort game, it's fun to play, it's engaging and immersive unlike most any other game I've ever played. there's a lot to it, a lot of gears and a lot of things, it's long as hell even despite my gaps in playing. there's downsides and low points, but there's also some of the rawest shit in a game too. it's got a killer soundtrack, amazing presentation, endearing characters and plenty of stories that gripped me. it ends with an exhausted fist fight against the biggest and yet more understandable antagonist you've faced while one of the coolest tracks in the game plays

it took me three years, to the day, to beat

and I'm glad I saw it through