#and my rule has always been that anyone my brother’s age or younger is too young to date me

[leftmysoulbythesideoftheroad]

okay, i admit it. i’m too old for new internet slang. but i have a burning question: why don’t tone tags go at the beginning of the sentence?

example:

“i am so mad. i hate you /j”

vs

“j/ i am so mad. i hate you.”

i don’t really use tone tags anyway (except for /j (joke) or sometimes /s (sarcasm)), but if we’re concerned about people misunderstanding tone, it feels like it would be most appropriate to use the tag first followed by the statement, right? or am i just too old for this?

side note: i really like /s and /j. i have always hated using sarcasm in text because i struggle so much with understanding when other people are using it. it’s cool that the kids came up with a way to make it clearer. none of this is a complaint about kids or their slang, and i will bite anyone who does whine about that. gen z are my children. i love you.

[simplygojo]

Your Brother's Best Friend ⸺ Gojo

author's note ⸺ Hi all! I apologize for being offline for the holidday season, wanted to spend lots of time iwth my fam and give myself a big mental break from the online world haha..so I hope you guys enjoy this draft I have, someone requested this like bak on october but I can't find the request so if it was you LMK <3 pairing ⸺ Satoru Gojo x reader concept ⸺ You are Nanami's younger sister, because of that, the insufferably annoying and constantly present-Satoru Gojo-has always been a constant in your life. content ⸺ just some coming of age fluff, childhood crush, soulmates fr, don't forget gojo is insufferable, ur a bit insufferable too but ily, lmk if anyone wants a prt2, mt fuji reference bc I'm planning a Japan trip rn, reader uses female pronouns

materlist || request guidelines || commissions

Satoru Gojo had always found himself intrigued by you. Being Nanami’s younger sister—only by a year, but a fact Gojo never let go—meant you were often around during their shared days at Jujutsu High. 

It had been impossible not to notice you, with your sharp wit and the way you matched Nanami’s sternness with a warmth and energy he seemed to lack.

Back then, Gojo’s fascination with you manifested in childish antics: hiding your books just to watch you search for them in exasperation, ruffling your hair as he towered over you with a cocky grin, and smirking when you called him an idiot. 

He relished every moment he could pull your attention from your studies or your brother, craving the fiery glint in your eyes when you were annoyed with him. 

Unlike the rest of the people in Gojo’s life, you weren’t part of Jujutsu society.

You couldn’t see curses, didn’t wield cursed energy, and, for the most part, seemed blissfully unaware of the world that surrounded your brother and his friends as you pursued your studies. 

Nanami had always insisted on keeping you far from it, which was just another thing Gojo couldn’t help but admire. 

You were grounded in a way the rest of them weren’t, so wonderfully normal amidst their chaos.

And you had this way of looking at him—not like the strongest sorcerer, not like the next great hope of Jujutsu society—but just like a guy who annoyed the hell out of you.

At first, it felt harmless. You were Nanami’s younger sister. Off-limits. Untouchable. The unspoken one Nanami had pulled from the very beginning. 

“Don’t even think about it, Gojo,” he’d once joked, though the steel in his voice had been unmistakable. That line, so clearly drawn by your older brother, was one Gojo thought he could respect.

However…Gojo wasn’t exactly known for adhering to rules, and over time, what started as a playful crush transformed into something far more real.

—

Gojo had really noticed the shift in how he saw you one lazy afternoon when you were both a little older, himself a second-year and Nanami now in first year. 

You’d stopped by Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu High to drop off lunch for Nanami, a routine occurrence Gojo had witnessed more times than he could count.

And yet, for reasons he couldn’t quite explain, that day felt… different.

He spotted you from across the courtyard, standing near the steps with a neatly folded paper bag in hand. The sun hit you just right, its golden rays catching in your hair and making it shimmer. 

Gojo found himself frozen mid-step, watching as you leaned toward Nanami, laughing at something he’d said.

He felt his chest tighten, his usual cocky grin faltering as something entirely unfamiliar bubbled up inside him.

He’d seen you countless times before—bickering with Nanami, reading quietly under a tree, rolling your eyes when he teased you. But this was the first time he’d truly seen you, and it shook him more than he cared to admit.

Gojo brushed it off with his usual bravado. It’s nothing, he told himself. Just a fluke. A trick of the light. I’m Satoru freakin’ Gojo. I don’t get fazed by stuff like..like girls.

But the image of you standing there, radiant and laughing, stuck with him.

Later that day, Nanami caught him staring off into space, absently twirling a pen between his fingers.

“You’ve got that dumb look on your face again,” Nanami deadpanned, his voice cutting through the comfortable silence of the common room.

Gojo blinked, jolting out of his thoughts. “Huh? Dumb? I don’t do dumb looks,” he shot back, feigning nonchalance as he leaned back in his chair.

Nanami raised a brow, unimpressed. “Right…” He said, but didn’t press forward.

Gojo leaned back further in his chair, staring at the ceiling like it held the answers to his dilemma. 

He’d never tell Nanami the truth—that he’d been so distracted by you. 

Because even though he’d brushed it off earlier, Satoru Gojo knew better. That moment in the courtyard wasn’t nothing. It was the beginning of a realization he wasn’t sure he was ready to face.

—

By the time you and Gojo were in your late teens you had both become insufferable in your own ways. 

You–who was constantly studying and reading and cramming your head full of anything instead of living your life. And Gojo–whose ego was the size of Mt. Fuji and spoke 100 kilometres an hour. 

This specific night, Nanami had reluctantly invited Gojo over for dinner at your family’s house after the persistent pestering of his taller, louder classmate. 

Gojo, being Gojo, had made himself right at home, lounging on your family’s couch as if he owned the place. Your parents were out for the evening, and Nanami had resigned himself to the kitchen, grumbling about Gojo’s ability to eat an ungodly amount of food.

Dinner wasn’t ready yet, which left you and Gojo alone in the dining room as Nanami busied himself in the kitchen, muttering under his breath about Gojo’s bottomless appetite.

You’d been sitting at the dining table, flipping through a thick textbook, completely ignoring Gojo’s antics. Or at least, you had been, until Gojo sauntered over, leaned against the back of your chair, tipping it slightly, forcing you to glance up.

“You’re gonna get wrinkles if you keep frowning like that,” he teased, his signature smirk firmly in place.

“Do you ever not talk?” You replied, exasperation lacing your tone as you tilted your head to glare up at him.

“Rarely,” he shot back, before letting the chair fall back into place and taking a seat beside you at the table. “You’re really gonna spend the whole evening buried in those books?” He drawled, his voice a mix of amusement and boredom.

You didn’t bother looking up. “Not everyone has the luxury of being naturally insufferable and talented like you, Gojo.”

“Aw, you think I’m talented?” His grin was audible in his voice.

You finally lifted your gaze, levelling him with the flattest look you could muster. “Not what I said.”

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, his chin propped up on one hand. The orange sunlight streaming through the window caught in his hair, making it gleam like spun silver. “Come on, y/n, live a little. You’re always so serious.”

“Not everyone can afford to ‘live a little,’” you muttered, your tone softer than before.

Gojo’s grin faltered, just for a heartbeat, before returning with renewed mischief. “Then it’s my civic duty to help you loosen up.”

Before you could stop him, he reached across the table and flicked the corner of your notebook. It slid a few inches down the table out of your reach, the pages fluttering slightly.

“Gojo,” you snapped, sitting up straighter.

“What?” His innocent tone was as fake as the wide-eyed look he gave you. “I’m just trying to help.”

You leaned over to grab the notebook, but Gojo was quicker. He snatched it up and held it above his head, just out of reach.

“Satoru,” you hissed, standing now, your chair scraping loudly against the floor.

He smirked, leaning back in his chair as he dangled the notebook higher. “What’s the magic word?”

“I’m not playing this game with you.”

You stepped closer, your hand reaching for the notebook, but Gojo shifted at the last second. In one smooth motion, he stood, towering over you with that infuriating smirk still plastered across his face.

“Wow, so short,” he teased, looking down at you with mock pity.

“I hate you,” you said, glaring up at him.

“Liar,” he shot back, his grin widening.

The room felt smaller now, the air warmer. You tried not to notice how close he was, how his presence seemed to fill every corner of the space.

“Just give it back,” you said, your voice quieter this time.

Gojo tilted his head, considering your request, but made no move to comply. 

Instead, he bent down slightly, just enough that your faces were almost level. His free hand braced against the edge of the table beside you, caging you in without even touching you.

“You really want it?” He asked, his tone low, teasing.

The words made your pulse quicken, though you’d never admit it. You reached for the notebook again, but he didn’t budge, his grin softening into something more unreadable.

And then you noticed it—his breath, warm and feather-light against your cheek. You were close enough to feel his breath.

The realization hit you all at once. Your skin burned where his breath lingered, and the heat crawled upward, spreading across your face and down your neck.

“Gojo,” you said, but it came out quieter than you intended, almost a whisper.

“What?” He murmured, his voice matching your softness now.

You didn’t answer, your mind too preoccupied with the way his gaze lingered on you, no longer playful but intense, searching.

His grin returned, but it was softer this time, almost shy. “You’re blushing, y/n,” he said, his voice dropping to a near-whisper.

Your hands curled into fists at your sides, your gaze darting away as if the floor could save you from the warmth blooming across your face. 

“No, I’m not,” you mumbled, despite the obvious pink hue radiating from your cheeks.

Gojo chuckled, a low, quiet sound that only made your blush deepen. “You’re adorable, you know that?”

You felt your heart do a little flip and you spun around, turning your back to him and crossing your arms over your chest.

“No I’m not–You–” You said shortly, trying to make yourself seem more annoyed than flustered.

“What?” He drawled, his tone all lazy amusement. 

“I’m just making an observation.” His grin was practically audible as he tilted his head. “I mean, look at you. Bright red. Are you sure you’re not coming down with something? Or is it just me?”

You spun around so fast you almost knocked into him, your hands flying up to shove at his chest, but he barely budged. “You’re such a—”

“Careful now,” he interrupted, catching your wrists with ease. His grip was light but firm, his thumbs brushing over your skin in a way that sent a shiver down your spine.

“Wouldn’t want you to say something you can’t take back.”

Your glare faltered under his steady gaze, but you refused to give him the satisfaction of looking away. “You’re insufferable.”

“And yet, here you are,” he shot back smoothly, a smirk curling his lips. “It’s almost like you enjoy my company.”

“Well I don’t,” you snapped. “I’m not the one who invited you for dinner Gojo.” 

Gojo’s smirk widened, but he finally released your wrists, stepping back just enough to give you space—though not nearly enough to escape the heat of his presence.

“Hm, ya’know–you’re right,” he spoke slowly, his tone dripping with mock innocence as he turned toward the kitchen, hands sliding casually into his pockets. “I’ll try not to charm ya too much during dinner.”

You stood frozen, your cheeks still blazing and your heart racing as his footsteps faded. With a frustrated huff, you followed, vowing silently not to let him get under your skin again.

—

By the time you were in your early twenties, you had quietly come to terms with your crush on Satoru Gojo.

It wasn’t hard to pinpoint why you liked him. Gojo had been a constant presence in your life since your young teenage years, and despite his insufferable arrogance and larger-than-life personality, there was a charm about him you couldn’t deny. 

He teased you relentlessly, always flashing that blinding smile that made your heart skip a beat.

But it wasn’t just the teasing or the jokes. It was the way he treated you differently, always going out of his way to check on you, lingering just a little longer than necessary whenever you were around.

Still, you convinced yourself it didn’t mean anything. Gojo was like that with everyone—or so you told yourself…It was safer that way.

That afternoon, you sat across from Utahime at your favourite coffee shop in the neighbourhood near the office you worked at, absently stirring your drink as she rattled on about her recent frustrations at work.

You tried to focus—nodding at all the right times, but your mind kept drifting.

“Are you even listening to me?” Utahime asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Of course I am,” you lied, forcing a smile.

“Uh-huh.” She sipped her coffee, then leaned back with a sigh. “You’ve been spacey lately. What’s up?”

“Nothing,” you said too quickly, heat creeping up your neck. “Just tired, I guess.”

She gave you a skeptical look but didn’t press further.

The bell above the café door chimed, and you glanced up instinctively—only to immediately wish you hadn’t.

There he was.

Gojo Satoru strolled in like he owned the place, his sunglasses pushed up into his snow-white hair and his hands stuffed casually into his coat pockets. He scanned the room, and the moment his eyes landed on you, his face lit up with a grin that sent your heart racing.

“Great,” you muttered under your breath, sinking lower in your seat.

Utahime’s gaze flicked between you and Gojo, her lips curling into a smirk. “Oh, this should be fun.”

“Don’t you start,” you warned.

Before she could respond, Gojo was already making his way toward your table, exuding his usual overconfidence.

“Ladies,” he greeted, pulling out the chair next to you without waiting for an invitation. “Fancy running into you here.”

“Gojo,” Utahime said dryly, her tone laced with disdain that only seemed to amuse him.

“Utahime,” he replied, his grin widening.

He turned his attention to you, his expression softening slightly. “And you. Shouldn’t you be working?”

“I could say the same to you,” you shot back, doing your best to sound indifferent despite the way your pulse quickened under his gaze.

“Touché,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “But I’d argue that seeing you is much more important than work.”

Utahime snorted, and you felt your cheeks heat up. “Does that line actually work on people?” Utahime asked, sounding as unimpressed as ever.

Gojo shrugged, clearly unbothered. “Guess it depends on the person.”

The conversation moved on—or rather, Utahime and Gojo bickered while you quietly sipped your drink, pretending not to notice the way Gojo kept stealing glances at you.

Then, out of nowhere, he said it.

“So,” Gojo began, his tone deceptively casual as he put one hand on the back of your chair, causing it to tilt back a bit, “what are you doing tonight?”

You froze, your mind racing as your eyes left their place on your coffee and found his. “Why?”

“Because I want to take you out,” he said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Dinner. Just the two of us.”

Your jaw nearly hit the table. Surely, you’d misheard him.

Utahime, on the other hand, choked on her coffee.

“Excuse me?” You managed, your voice barely above a whisper.

“You heard me,” Gojo said, his grin softening into something almost... hopeful. “What do you say?”

For a moment, you were too stunned to respond. You’d spent years convincing yourself that Gojo didn’t see you that way—that his teasing was just his personality, nothing more. But now, staring into those piercing blue eyes, you couldn’t ignore the sincerity in his expression.

Before you could answer, Utahime broke the silence. “Oh my god,” she muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“What?” You asked, still reeling.

“I can’t do this…this has been obvious to everyone but you,” she said, looking at you like you’d grown a second head. 

“He’s been obsessed with you for years, and you’re just now realizing it?”

Your face turned scarlet as you stammered, “That’s—that’s not true.”

Gojo, to his credit, looked thoroughly amused. “See? I knew I liked you for a reason, Utahime. It is totally 100% true.”

“Don’t drag me into this,” she said, waving him off before standing up and leaving some cash beside her empty mug. “I’m leaving before this gets any worse. Good luck, Gojo—you’ll need it.”

“Thanks,” he called after her, clearly enjoying himself.

Once Utahime was gone, you turned back to Gojo, your mind still spinning. “Is this some kind of joke?”

“Do I look like I’m joking?” he asked, his tone unusually serious.

You searched his face for any sign of mischief, but there was none. Just that same unwavering confidence and something else—something softer, almost vulnerable.

“Okay,” you said finally, your voice barely above a whisper. “One dinner.”

Gojo’s grin returned full force, and for the first time, you allowed yourself to believe that maybe—just maybe—he wasn’t joking.

[two-white-butterflies]

coaxed you into paradise - c. 33

Description: The life of Saera Targaryen told in four acts. She was her father's forgotten daughter, cast aside as she looked nothing like her mother. Her younger days were spent beside her uncle. Years following her marriage with Ser Harwin Strong, she catches him in an affair with her older sister. She returns to seek solace in the arms of Daemon, whose loved her all her life.

masterlist for this series

Chapter Thirty-Three: Born With Sharp Teeth

In his day there was not a man so admired, so beloved, and so feared. To his enemies, he was the blackest of villains. There was not a rebel in the Stepstones that lived after his crusade.

But fatherhood has softened him to some extent.

Having children made him want to become a better person. When a man reaches his age, they only yearn for a warm home filled with healthy sons and daughters.

The old crown has chipped, but fragments of his past remain. He still acted upon impulse, allowing his fury to govern over rational thought, or in this case governing over his ability to do the right thing.

He closes his eyes, 'what would his wife do?'

He licks his lips, taking a sip of his wife's wine that Elinda Massey generously laid out for him.

Saera would return to Harrenhal, gather their losses and remain in the castle until the war is over. She'd do that to protect their other children. Saera would do the good thing.

There was a voice in the back of his ears, preying upon this vulnerability. All these years you tried to be a good person, but this is what fate gives in return. Set this ghost of yours free. Peace can only be achieved through violence.

An iron fist that would rule Westeros.

'I am not my wife' he told himself.

And therefore his actions must hinge upon what he desires to do.

He took mammoth strides towards Rhaenyra's chambers; the Dark Sister twirling around his fingers as he prepares for easy battle. He was not a sentimental person, he didn't feel love for anyone outside of his family. He believed that he loved Rhaenyra, because behind her eyes he sees his brother, Viserys.

But that love has turned into hatred now.

"Daemon," her lips turned into a thin line.

She knows that he knows.

"Rhaenyra," he replied.

A member of the Queensguard stands in front of him. Ser Erryk, a follower of his oaths. "- I apologize, uncle, but it needed to be done." she articulated, the aura of command radiates her figure.

"You have slaughtered your legacy," he responds coldly. "- those bastard sons of yours will not birth trueborn dragons." he added.

She laughs at him.

"Daegon and Alyssa are bastards too, fathered by your very own." she raises her voice, the madness of dragons behind her eyes.

"I'm tired of your whitewashing, uncle - tired of Saera boasting her children's Valyrian features when their claims stand upon lies." she gritted her teeth. "- you are greedy, the both of you have always been." she berated, not a shred of guilt behind her eyes.

"And what would that make you? The court of Dragonstone believes Jacaerys to be your heir - a child fathered by Ser Harwin Strong." he responded, the years have not stolen his wits.

"Those that are born with sharp teeth must use it well." she used his own advice against him.

He feels his vision blur, the feeling of drowsiness invades his being. Rhaenyra takes a step forward, and he remembers that Elinda Massey was Rhaenyra's handmaiden - not Saera's.

'The fucking wine.' he cursed in his head.

"When Saera and I were younger, you told us about a story: The Dragon and the Sheep..." she breathed.

The forest animal run away when they see the Dragon's shadow. The hares swiftly hide under their forms, the monkeys gecker and stay close to the trees. The runaway sheep does not know why the animals cower at the sight of a shadow.

But she knows that she must protect her lamb.

She tries to follow the hare and the monkeys and the bears, but all bend at the shadow of the dragon.

And the dragon feasts on sheep and lamb alike.

To the animals of the forest, the dragon is the blackest of all creatures. But when you are born with sharp teeth, you must use it.

Daemon awakens inside of a cell.

He sees nothing but darkness, smells nothing but shit. He remembers the commotion that happened hours days ago.

Issa ābrazȳrys.

His chest tightens, the room seems to have grown smaller. What if Rhaenyra were to happen upon his wife? He closes his eyes, not a firm believer of the gods, but he prays.

He prays to the gods that his family remains safe.

Daegon. Alyssa. Viserra and Daelon.

He opens his eyes, but is greeted with darkness once more. "I need to get out of here," he mumbles to himself. He will rot in this place if he stays for too long and he cannot stay for too long.

He needs to be in Harrenhal. He needs to protect his family.

"How long do you plan to hold him there, my Queen? Prince Daemon is an asset to the crown, without his military prowess - we'll lose." Ser Erryk speaks as the Queen's conscience.

She takes a sip of her tea.

"We'll leave him there for a few more days, allow the cells to soften his resolve, then I shall strike a proposal." she surmised. She remembers his advice again: give them pain so they're thankful when they're not in pain.

She breathes for a second.

"There was a time, you know, when Daemon adored me the most. He'd tell me stories and let me sleep in his bed. He was more of a father than my own, but things swiftly changed when he was exiled. My sister was whelped into this world soon after. I loved Saera, she was such a demure little thing who barely misbehaved - she listened to everything that I told her to do." she chuckled bitterly.

The ages have changed the sisters.

"When Daemon returned, I was no longer a child. I thought that he'd give me the same attention as before, but then he saw my sister and decided that she was worthy of better love. I was so angry at her, I barely spoke to her - I spent my time around Lady Alicent. It was unfair, our mother loved Saera the most and my father only wanted a son. I thought that Daemon was for me." she continued, feeling the tears pool around her eyes.

She wanted to speak about her sister further, but she prevents herself. She prevents herself from saying the whole truth, that she hated Saera, no matter how kind or obedient she is.

In Rhaenyra's eyes, it was just unfair.

How Saera had the freedom to choose her husband and live a happy life, while she's forever burdened by the weight of the crown.

A crown that she will fight for.

"She has everything, Harwin, Daemon, and she wants to take everything." she finished, but there were still words left unsaid.

(THE RED KEEP. KING VISERYS' REIGN)

Daemon takes a deep breath, the scent of the Red Keep was unique. A mixture of lavender and sandalwood oils that the handmaidens used on linen to ensure that fresh scent. "Uncle," he hears Rhaenyra's voice from behind him. He smiles.

"Rhaenyra, the sight of you is good for sore eyes." he places a hand around her shoulder. Daemon adored his nieces, he often brought gifts from the many kingdoms that he visited. "It's been far too long," she replied as they continued walking down the halls of the castle.

"Where is your sister?" he inquired, finding himself searching for Saera. While Rhaenyra has the same fire inside his veins, he finds peace with the younger niece - he finds tranquility in her.

"She spends time with mother sewing and embroidering. I cannot find myself to enjoy that hobby, no matter how hard I try." she chuckles, eyes suddenly filled with loneliness. She cannot relate to her own mother, and she doesn't know why.

"I came bearing gifts," he informed and Rhaenyra smiles - happiness finally reaching her eyes. "Her nameday is coming soon, and I figured that she deserved to have a lot of gifts." he added implying that all the gifts he bought were only for Saera.

"I'm sure she does," she mumbled.

She sees the way Daemon's eyes light up at the mention of her younger sister. She plays with the rings on her fingers.

Is she losing him?

Is he slipping through her fingers?

next chapter>>

[localcanadiancreature62]

Filbrick and Caryn Headcanons

Thinking about the other Pines Parents,the ones that indirectly caused the Stans' issues. Filbrick Fuckface and Caryn best mom ever.

CARYN

A loving mother of three sons (Shermie Ford and Stan),and a powerhouse that can and will throw hands if anyone ever messes with her family. She may not be as physically strong as her husband and her youngest son,but she knows how to use a gun and has participated in several self defense classes so she knows how to handle herself out there whenever her family is in trouble (now i'm imagining badass Caryn trying to protect Ford from bullies lol). Sassy lady,Shermie and Dipper got their sass from her (i hc that shermie is a sweet but sassy guy,dipper however is just like that). A liar and a cheat,but with a heart of gold. Just like a certain younger son of hers. She scams and outright gaslights people with her phone psychic sessions but she will choose family no matter what in any situation. Also she used to pickpocket and shoplift as a teen during the Great Depression when money was slow with her parents because of the stock market crash (according to the timeline in my head,Stan's craftiness had to come from somewhere. She had to steal food and money for herself while avoiding getting in trouble for being a flapper dancer (type of rebellious woman in the 1920s).

Caryn used to be a dancer at some pub,doing all sorts of dances from general blues to jazz to even exotic,sensual~ dances if the audience paid her enough. Her performances were outstanding and so beautiful as if the music was flowing through her body. One of these performances,lead to her meeting Filbrick who was so amazed by her moves that he ended up taking her to dinner at age 17 in 1939 while he was 18.

She had always been close to Stan,which is why the man became such a mama's boy who always did her every word and helped her with anything he could manage despite being convinced that he can't do anything of use due to Filbrick's treatment of him. She had always protected her youngest son from everything,including his own father,because she knew that with such a bright light,it was bound to go out eventually with the harshness of the world. She learnt that the hard way herself when she had to live out in the difficult 30s era and thus she was trying to preserve her son's innocence for as long as she could. She loved Ford too,but she put her attention on Stan more as she knew that poor insecure boy needed it more than his older twin brother. Although don't be mistaken,she loves her boys equally and she will fight tooth and nail for all three of them. She and Filbrick always loved each other,very amorously. Although having Shermie and then the Stans along with having to deal with a rough financial situation kinda broke them both. Filbrick barely graduated high school with his father opting to send him to two years of military training rather than letting him finish his schooling while Caryn finished college in New Jersey with an art history degree despite her not finishing high school to term in Russia due to the fact that she had to survive the Soviet Union's tyrannical rule and then later leave before she could,plus her art history degree was basically useless as it wasn't viable for any careers at the time. Both of them couldn't land any jobs for the first few years of the Stans' lives,and it ate up at them. The two used to be close,but now that they have three children to deal with and being too financially unstable to support them all plus Filbrick getting snappier as his dormant anger resurfaced due to his father indirectly causing him to be useless while Caryn starts getting stressed from everything was starting to tear their relationship apart. Both Caryn and Filbrick got angry,at themselves,and each other. They started to have a rocky relationship from the problems stacking up on them plus the fact that they're both getting stressed and snappy from said problems. But they eventually got their shit together after finally managing to set up a business via a small pawn shop while Caryn works as a professional liar with her psychic calls in their 20s. They began doing better in their relationship after this happened and they started to love each other again rather than taking their stress out on one another,although Caryn couldn't let Filbrick's treatment of Stan slide..

She used to be into fashion design jewelry making as well as collecting old cassette tapes that weren't hers (she just stole random cassette tapes for fun,she liked the stories and mysteries that came with them),but now as a full time mother and part time liar,she doesn't have the time to do such things anymore. However now as she's getting old and gray and her sons don't need her anymore,she gets to delve into her old interests again as she's able to tell stories to her great grandchildren about her hobbies and her old flapper dancing career. Caryn is Russian to me. Cuz her surname is "Romanoff" which is a different way of spelling "Romanov",a Russian last name. She used to have a slight Russian accent when she was younger. She is currently 90+ years old as she was born in 1922 in the timeline i made up. Her mother Winona Romanoff was the kindest and sweetest woman she ever knew,she was always supportive kind as well as helpful in every way,she was a very accommodating mother that was lenient and let Caryn do whatever she wanted because she wanted to support her daughter and give her room to grow while also always being there for her. However this also made her a pushover as she helped literally anyone and everyone even if it was difficult,people often asked favors of her because of this. Winona's kindness inspired Caryn to love as deeply and as unconditionally as her,even when said kindness lead to her downfall. Winona died in the Great Purge aka one of the horrible genocide events that happened during the Soviet Union which was initially used to pick off any political opponents but it eventually escalated to killing off innocent civilians as they got accused of staging coups and such,it was in her nature to not fight back as she always wanted things to be peaceful and so she didn't deny that she staged a coup against Stalin even when she knew that accusation wasn't true,she later got shot to death in some labor camp a week later even after she told Caryn that she'd be back before she knew it. Caryn knew that something was up but she didn't dare to look into her mother's case as she might be next after the current unstable government thinks that she's doing something suspicious,plus she was only 14 years old when Winona got killed (great purge started in 1936) and so she didn't have the mental energy to do that when she needed to grieve her mother. She got by via selling her homemade jewelry and dresses. Caryn then moved away to America at 16 soon after realizing that it's unsafe to stay in her home country regarding how the Soviet Union has ruined it with their government practices and she ended up in New Jersey where she gave into the flapper lifestyle as well as where she met Filbrick. She always supported Shermie and Ford's interests,no matter how strange they were. With Ford's obsession with the sciences and Shermie's eye for the performing arts,Caryn knew that her sons were going to become extremely successful one day if they put their minds to honing their craft. She gave Shermie advice on how to make his lines sound more natural after reading a guide book on theater for him while pointing out that Ford's equation needed another variable as she tried to keep up with her genius son despite not being nearly as smart as him with her streetwise skills. She also supported Stan's interests in comics and art,but it seems that Filbrick's harsh words about how art is useless and that it won't get people anywhere career wise were stronger than her steadfast support as Stan ended up quitting drawing in his teens. Caryn had Shermie when she was 25,and then the Stans when she was 30. Neither her nor Filbrick were ready to become parents,but they were too into their bedroom activities to consider protection. Caryn had a good chance of being a good mother due to her having a great woman as a role model when it came to parenting,but Filbrick didn't. He had an asshole for a father and that greatly affected how he treated the Stans,which is why Caryn and Filbrick often clashed in their views of how to raise their own sons.

She feels bad for not protecting Stan and Ford enough. She wanted to use herself as a shield for Filbrick's harsh words and outbursts toward Stan,and be Ford's protector whenever he was being bullied by horrible children who ridiculed him for his fingers as well as nerdiness,but the times were difficult as she had to deal with helping Filbrick keep the family business afloat as their financial situation wasn't getting any better plus she decided to leave Shermie to take care of them instead in order to ease the load on herself. Although she regrets not being there for them as she soon realized just how bad her twin boys had it when Stan and Ford explained their lives when they visited Post Weirdmaggedon. Ford felt unwelcome in his own hometown as he went to seek out some place where he felt he belonged in the form of Gravity Falls while also feeling like no one but Stan (and later Bill) understood him,while Stan grappled with self hatred for years all because of Filbrick's shitty parenting. Caryn literally cried after knowing this,knowing that she failed as a mother when her boys suffered this much. However Stan and Ford reassure her that it's okay and that they got over those issues with the help of their family,then the family hug together.

FILBRICK

Terrible father of three,hated by everyone except Mabel.

I was strongly convinced by him being a horrible asshole that didn't care based on how the show implied how bad Stan had it with him,but writing Filbrick differently in aus kinda made me think that it's actually more complicated than that. I believe that he was actually abused himself under the guise of being trained by his own father to be tougher when the man was deadass using him as a punching bag,which is why he ended up extending that treatment to the Stans. Especially Stan,as he knew that Ford could make it. However,he also tried to fix Ford too due to him being pretty scrawny and weak but he soon realized that his brains will be enough.

This man is a heavy smoker,which explains why Stan has such a raspy voice. He made his son smoke with him at times,and he threatened to smack him if he didn't. But Stan got too into it to the point of his voice forming a permanent rasp (filbrick actually regretted this,as he secretly didn't want his kids to take up his bad habits).

Filbrick's anger issues are Terrible. They weren't as bad when he was younger and only had Caryn his beautiful flapper girlfriend to worry about but now that he has three kids his own issues as well as his still wavering financial situation to worry about,his dormant anger started to resurface. In fact,both of the Stans ended up inheriting his irritable personality but in different ways (Stan gets mad whenever people spite him or hurt his family/family hurts him,Ford gets mad due to his ego).

He died from a heart attack at the age of 60 (i was actually thinking about Ford's death here lmao. "you will die of a heart attack at the age of 92"),a month after the moment Ford got sucked into the portal. Good riddance,sort of (i feel bad for him).

Imagine Stan going to both his own funeral and his dad's,complicated feelings~.

His thoughts about Shermie and the Stans,Surface level and Real ones; Surface level - Shermie is a useless weirdo obsessed with theater and one that is too emotional to make it out there as a hollywood big shot like he wants,Stan is a good for nothing dumbass nuisance who may be strong but too reliant on his brother and his skills as a swindler to truly be successful,Ford is the only son that i believe in and the one that i know can be a better man than i am. Real thoughts - Shermie is so unique and bright,he could make it out there if he wasn't so sensitive,if only i had the skills to bring out his creativity and say that he needs to work on getting thicker skin without damaging my relationship with him. Stan is a lot like me,a meathead with a big heart but one that the world keeps bringing down with it's drama and problems and general harshness,i wish i could give him the same treatment that his mother gives him,but i'm too deep into my own issues with MY father to even try. Ford may be weak and scrawny,but his brilliant mind will bring him to the top,i know it,but i wish i could have tried to spend more time with him. With all of my sons,giving them more interactions besides yelling and abuse...

Before his untimely death,Filbrick wrote a letter to the Shermie and the Stans detailing how he was sorry and explaining why he was so hard on Shermie and Stan. Because he knew that he didn't have much time left with his smoking leading to his lungs getting weaker plus his anger issues causing him to develop coronary heart disease,but he wanted to at least give his children closure before he went down to his fiery punishment (yeah i hate him. he's going to hellll). He made Caryn keep it in a box somewhere Post Weirdmaggedon,as it was for the time that their boys visit. (i did this cuz i wanted Filbrick to die a painful death as some sort of karmic punishment for what he did to the Stans,but also i want the man to at least have some closure and let his children know that he did love them,repairing their relationship with him even in his death).

He actually used to work at the pub next to the one where Caryn had her performances as some janitor boy in order to pay the bills to his rickety apartment. He crashed at adult pubs and bars often when he was an 18 year old delinquent rascal in order to drink because he was bored,which is why he ended up working at the Charming Martini pub to drink more conveniently at longer hours without getting kicked out and then he later started to work at the Lustrous Lounge where Caryn danced so that he had an excuse to spend more time with her.

He is only a stone faced and hardly expressive person due to the fact that his father forced him to not show any emotion,as expressing his feelings were considered weak for a hardened man of war like him. This ideology was taught to him in high school,at the ripe age of 13,and it was basically beat into him as the bright chipper as well as mischievous child that he used to be turned into a stoic warrior with hidden anger issues underneath his unemotional gaze.

Filbrick's anger issues stem from his horrible father Franklin Pines,who was a veteran and a very troubled man with a history of getting into fights or beating people into submission for the fun of it. Franklin was sent to military camp at 14 because his own father didn't want anything to do with him as he came to be from a quick fling,which is why he was taught military ideals from a young age and by the time he was old enough to have Filbrick (19),he wasn't able to let go of them anymore. The man was hazed and abused by his own father,making him swallow pills whole without water water boarding him slapping him in the face repeatedly making him do pushups for two days straight without any breaks and so many more atrocious hazing rituals. Franklin did this both as a form of bonding (apparently people do this as bonding in real life military camps) and as punishment,because he didn't know any other way to do such things nor did he ever consider it was wrong as he thought it was normal. Franklin was also quite strict as he didn't let him go out any longer than 5pm because then there wouldn't be any time for training,plus he made him eat vegetable gruel instead of actual meals in order to prepare him for the real military where that's the only thing served. Franklin was doing this because he planned to send his own son to the military in order to make him a real man like his father did (he thought that his dad did that to fix him,but really it was just to abandon him). All of this intense treatment made Filbrick rightfully angry as he was never given a normal childhood and he couldn't even do anything about it as he would just get smacked again if he ever tried to go against his father,which is why he held onto a dormant anger for years until he finally escaped from his crazy father at 18,going from Nebraska to New Jersey on a train as he sneaked out at 3pm before his curfew. He was finally able to have a peace of mind after being able to experience a normal life without the thought of constant training and hazing haunting him,and his anger issues settled for a bit as he got to feel calm in the considerably more peaceful of his shitty but cozy apartment rather than his father's trailer park van/mini military camp. Besides his father shaping him to be such a horrible person with skewed views on things,he can actually be quite loving and caring when he wants to as evident in how gentle as well as amorous he treated Caryn. He has a big heart,but it has been hardened by years of abuse and literal torture. He can't bring himself to be as gentle with the Stans,as he doesn't know how and his father's outdated ideals are all he knows. Filbrick made sure to not make his own children go through the torturous treatment that his father made him experience,although the ideals of strength and being a real man stuck to him which is why he was so hard on Stan and Shermie. Stan is a lot like him,a meathead with a big heart but one that the world keeps bringing down with it's drama and problems and general harshness while Shermie is the exact opposite of him with him being emotional and scrawny and too nice for his own good.

[ouatnextgen]

If Descendants characters were apart of the next gen, what do you think their relationships with the other next gen would be (assuming they were the younger siblings of the next gen).

This is finna be a looong one.

Obviously all the siblings love each other, and all the older siblings are protective of the little ones, so I tried not to be too repetitive with the details.

The Mills:

Henry:

He has so many siblings now, oh god

Bobby is slightly more of a handful than he's used to, so he (and Lucy) keep him on his toes

Henry always asks Regina if he was like that as a kid, and her answer is always a smug "Yes"

Bobby likes spending time with Henry's other families (ie, his own and the Swan-Joneses)

Evie's a lot quieter, so he appreciates that

He's very protective of Evie specifically

She could ask him for the moon and the stars, and you know that Henry would find someway to bring them down for her.

Roland:

He knows damn well that Bobby looks up to him a lot, so he tries to put on his best act when he's around

Unfortunately, he is more susceptible to The Eyes than Henry is, so Bobby ends up getting away with waaaaay more stuff with Big Bro Roland

Like Henry, he is also very protective of Evie, and will be the one who teaches her how to kill a man when she's older

Basically, Evie is their little princess, and you don't wanna fuck with her

While Evie doesn't like camping, she will tolerate it when she goes with her father, brothers, and sister.

Robyn:

Robyn's just glad she's not the baby anymore lol

She's the least busy of her siblings, by default of being younger, so she's the one who gets to babysit Bobby and Evie when the adults are busy

She and Bobby like to practice archery and eat dirt together or whatever it is kids do

She's never been very girly, so she and Evie have trouble bonding at times

The Nolans:

Leo:

Leo likes hanging out with little kids, so he never minds babysitting Chad

He's very bossy, however, and seems to be allergic to fun, so Chad doesn't like it when he babysits

Leo can also be kind of preachy about the rules, so Chad will end up getting more lectures from Leo than their parents sometimes

Despite the minor animosity, Leo always wants to be a role model and someone to look up to for Chad

He likes to teach him sword fighting and archery, even when Chad has zero interest or skill for those things

Beck (I can't pick a name for this kid, for now it's Beck):

He and Chad go together like two peas in a pod

Beck's sarcastic outlook paired with Chad's optimism make a fully rounded duo

Beck encourages Chad to commit Crimes, and Chad is the Voice Of Reason

The Hermans/Boyds:

Alex:

Alex is pretty chill with Chloe

Alex feels like a disappointment to their parents, so she is kind of worried that Chloe might be their "replacement"

Chloe basically hero-worships Alex, and dyes her hair blue like how Alex dyes theirs pink

In the future, Chloe ends up being a jock instead of a girly girl, and she and Alex bond over their mother not knowing what to do with either of them

Charlie:

He and Chloe argue (a lot)

Charlie hates sports, and Chloe hates boring nerd junk, so they don't get along

They are the epitome of "only I'M allowed to make fun of my sibling!" If anyone else makes fun of either of them, they get the wrath of the other one

The Briarwoods (Aurora's Family):

PJ:

PJ gets along fine with both Ariana and Audrey

He and Ariana specifically love to banter back and forth, which is hilarious to witness since Ariana wins 99% of the time

He will have tea parties with Audrey and dress up like a princess, and he will slay whichever princess dress she forces on him

Arabella:

The girls aren't actually triplets (Ariana isn't even their sister), but they're so close in age and act so similar, that they're always called triplets

They all love princess stuff, and adore being actual princesses; they all want to move to the Enchanted Forest and have balls

When they get older, they sing a different tune, but stay close

The Swan-Joneses:

Henry:

He has so many siblings now, oh god

Harriett has given Henry a lot of gray hairs; more than Bobby, almost as much as CJ

He likes playing pirate with all of the kids

He always calls Harry 'Killian Jr.'

He's the one who bought CJ her red leather coat, to be more like Emma

He spoils them so much (The Mills kids too, but Regina already spoils them a lot) and always brings them gifts when he visits

Alice:

She loves having such a big family and so many little siblings

She shares her love of books with Harriett, stargazing with Harry, and painting with CJ

She's the sibling that gets sacked with babysitting duty, but she never minds

Hope:

Hope is the "cool" sibling, aka, she lets them get away with more shit than Henry and Alice do

She's part of the reason CJ is Like That

For whatever reason, she's Harry's favorite sibling, which sucks for her, since she's not a fan of little kids

The Golds:

Gideon:

Ben is very quiet, so he'll tag along with Gideon everywhere and no one will even notice

Gideon and Ben have a book club between the two of them

He feels kind of weird that Ben still has that "my dad is the best" attitude, but doesn't have the heart to tell him the whole truth

They tell each other everything, and despite the age difference, are very close

[lincolnchristie]

Welcome to the Scorched Lands…

...and the dragons and humans who live in it.

About four people expressed an interest in meeting the cast for my fantasy series Mortal Leviathans and I love talking about my stories and characters even when they're not due to even be worked on yet, so here we are! Please note only the first book in the series is outlined and my other novels are much closer to being finished.

Of course that might change if enough people yell at me since I'm too easily enabled.

When humanity was brought to near-extinction by a plague, dragons seized their chance after living in the shadows for thousands of years, and took over the remains of civilization.

But not all humans hate dragons, or vice versa, and not all humans are prepared to accept draconic rule without putting up a fight. And then there's the issue of infertility that has the dragons nervous about the future of their species.

When news spreads about the world's first dragon-human hybrid, she's no longer safe, and this powder-keg world that has been in an uneasy peace is about to explode.

With that in mind, let's see where these battle lines are drawn, shall we?

Juniper Wallace

(Note - I couldn't find a good photo of someone younger in age, the model/actresses here are teenagers in the pictures but Juniper is twelve.)

The world's first dragon-human hybrid (with a human mother), she's spent the first twelve years of her life living under the radar without truly knowing why. Her biggest drama in her life is her aunt showing up after years away - until assassins come for her and her mother dies protecting her. Now with powers emerging she didn't know she had and the entire world trying to find her, Juniper has to grow up quickly and reckon with the pivotal role she plays as she flees across the Scorched Lands to the safety of her paternal aunt.

Petrichor "Petty" Wallace

A drifter, Petty's been roaming around aimlessly from job to job for years, only to always come back to crash at her sister's place when she needs a respite. She's taken the ability to earn her sister's forgiveness for granted for years - until her sister is dying in her arms. Now, she's made a promise she's determined, for once, she won't break: getting her niece across the continent to safety.

Darius of Bloodline Shadowsmoke

Always in the shadow of his nestmates, Darius shocked dragon society when he murdered his brother - and said not a word in his own defense. Exiled from the dragon world, he's been without purpose until he runs into Petty and Juniper. Seeing Juniper as his ticket back into dragon society, he agrees to keep them safe and help them get across the continent, planning to ask Juniper's aunt to advocate on his behalf to the draconic council as payment. Coming to care for Petty and Juniper along the way was… not part of the plan.

Kai of Bloodline Mountainflame

Feisty, irreverent and passionate, Kai doesn't stand on ceremony or tradition - especially given she is one half of the only mated dragon-human couple in the Scorched Lands. The mating ceremony that binds two dragon souls together has long had risks, and no human who chose to endure it has ever survived… until now. Mated to Sol, Kai is understandably sympathetic to Juniper's situation and pledges to help the young hybrid - but the cost it incurs might end up breaking her.

Sol of Bloodline Mountainflame

The other half of the only mated dragon-human pair in the Scorched Lands, Sol is more than happy to let Kai take the reins in their small but powerful territory in the Rocky Mountains. He spent years earning Kai's affection and he's not going to let her go without a fight, no matter what other dragons might do to try and meddle - and when they meet Juniper, he can't help but care about her situation. Happy to let his friendly nature and large size give the wrong impression, Sol's cleverer and more deceptive than anyone gives him credit for - which might save his life or doom him.

Ryder of Bloodline Earthshaker

A dragon without a territory, Ryder has always been ambitious. He wants to mate into a powerful bloodline and have children to secure his place in draconic society - and eventually earn a spot on the draconic council. His schemes have always come before anything else, including his on-again off-again boyfriend Xerxes. When he hears about the young hybrid Juniper and that she's seeking shelter with the very dragon who once turned him down, Ryder sees an opportunity to advance his standing like never before… but it might cost him more than he bargained.

Xerxes of Bloodline Shadowsmoke

Growing up, Xerxes was the golden child - and when one of his beloved brothers slayed the other without explanation or apology, the burden of the family reputation resting on his shoulders increased tenfold… which is a bit of a problem when you can't continue the family bloodline. Unable to give his parents or his secret boyfriend Ryder the children they need, Xerxes needs an alternative, and fast - and then he hears his exiled brother has turned up again, with a hybrid in tow. Now Xerxes has to choose between the life he's always been expected to lead, and the life he actually wants.

Corvan of Bloodline Scalethrone

Ah. There he is. That motherfucker.

What a tool.

Sadistic both in and out of the bedroom, Corvan sees the humans in his territory as inferior beings and rules them accordingly. When he hears of a hybrid and the price on her head, he's determined to destroy her before news can spread. Unfortunately, his territory is the one that Petty, Juniper, and Darius must pass through. Luckily he and Darius have a bit of a past... and Darius will have to use every trick in the book to keep Corvan charmed and unsuspicious.

Obsidian of Bloodline Tidalstorm

The dragon in charge of the Pacific Northwest, the seat of Obsidian's territory is San Francisco, where she rules with her human wives. Stern but fair, Obsidian views humans as people in need of guidance and governance who will make a mess of things if left to their own devices. Her wives are not only her companions but her advisors and warriors, and despite her "oddity" in her fondness for humans, Obsidian and her bloodline are deeply respected in the dragon community. She's Juniper's best hope of safety… if the internal power plays among her wives don't prove a fatal distraction.

Tungsten of Bloodline Tidalstorm

A nestmate of Obsidian's and Juniper's other aunt, Tungsten is the most respected assassin and enforcer in the dragon world. If you want a job done efficiently and brutally, you send Tungsten - so it makes sense that she's tasked with dispatching this young hybrid before the world at large can learn of her. What Tungsten doesn't know, however, is that this hybrid is her niece… and will her allegiance shift when she finds out?

Juniper's Father of Bloodline Tidalstorm

Juniper's father is a mysterious figure, his name never spoken by her mother. All Juniper knows is he was charming, and despite loving a human, he would never have made their relationship public or accepted Juniper's existence. Being a member of arguably the most powerful and respected dragon bloodline, it's only a matter of time until he shows up… and makes his opinion on his daughter known.

Mercury of Bloodline Tidalstorm

The leader of her bloodline and a member of the draconic council, Mercury is elegant, graceful… and utterly ruthless. She'll make sure dragons retain their control over society no matter what the cost, and that includes killing Juniper - and the fact that they're related just makes it all the more embarrassing to her.

Terra of Bloodline Quakebringer

Tungsten's soon-to-be-mate and fellow assassin, Terra is eager for the mating ceremony and to become an official member of Bloodline Tidalstorm - but also nervous knowing that her family's bloodline and social status are not nearly so illustrious. She's aware that Mercury does not necessarily approve of the match and is terrified the elder dragon might persuade Tungsten to change her mind.

Rex of Bloodline Deathwind

"Rex" means "king" - and as head of the draconic council, that's precisely what Rex is. A powerful dragon who has been around for millennia, she's seen what humans did to her kind, hunting them nearly to extinction, and she has little patience for these notions of co-habitation. She wants Juniper executed swiftly - and that's just the start of her plans.

Birch

Mercury's human lover, she has no idea that the dragon sees her as little more than a toy - but this seemingly meek and obedient girl has a hidden fire that not even she realizes she possesses until the chips are down, and Mercury just might regret underestimating her.

Nettle of House Obsidian

The newest wife in Obsidian's household, Nettle is a fearsome warrior and blunt with her words. She also brings something new to the household: her daughter Seraphim. With her daughter and Obsidian bonding in a way nobody expected, Nettle's presence threatens the delicate balance among the other wives and she finds herself a possible target. She joined Obsidian's household for safety, but her mistress might end up being the reason she and her daughter are in danger.

Seraphim of House Obsidian

Nettle's daughter, Seraphim ends up bonding with Obsidian, deeply admiring the dragon's prowess and sophistication. Anxious in her new household, so very fancy compared to the streets they were living on, Seraphim nevertheless trusts easily - which makes her easily manipulated.

Kukri of House Obsidian

The oldest and most established of Obsidian's wives, Kukri has gotten used to being the top dog whether that's at home or in the arena where she takes on all comers. Additionally in charge of security, Kukri ensures that no threats get through their gates. With Nettle's arrival in the household, Kukri feels her position as Obsidian's favorite slipping, and will do anything to retain her place. She's not about to let some upstart replace her, not after her years of loyalty and dedication. And if that involves a little trickery or violence… then so be it.

Ricin of Bloodline Fireheart

The head of the draconic assassins, Ricin is the person in charge of dispensing orders and making sure everyone falls in line. When she gets the assignment to eliminate the hybrid, she has no hesitation in sending her best: Tungsten. But Ricin has a secret - the human woman she's loved for decades who is now dying. Desperate to save her love's life, Ricin is ecstatic when she learns that Kai and Sol have successfully mated. Now she just has to find a way to mate with her wife… without her boss, Rex, finding out.

Naomi Patel

For the last forty years of her life, Naomi has been the housekeeper - and secret wife - of Ricin, the trusted head of the assassins for the draconic council. When she receives her cancer diagnosis, Naomi prepares to convalesce quietly and with dignity, but Ricin refuses to give her up without a fight, and suggests they mate. The ceremony would bind their souls together, saving Naomi… or would kill her slowly and in unimaginable pain. But even if she survives, there's no telling what Ricin's boss will do if she finds out about their relationship and the example she'll make of them.

Shard of Bloodline Windburn

Growing up, Shard and Darius were always at each other's throats in a rivalry lasting so long they can't even remember what started it. Now, Shard is in charge of a territory that spans the former U.S. states of New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas - and he wants even more. If that means capturing Juniper and using her as a bargaining chip? Then bring it on.

Torch of Bloodline Windburn

Shard's nestmate, Torch has always been happy to do anything if it'll drive her brother insane. Maybe that's why she's always held feelings for Darius - feelings she's never shared, well aware he doesn't feel the same. Her territory spans all of Central America, putting her in a powerful position, and now she's in the market for a mate. What the various dragons jockeying for her hand might not realize is the one she'll choose probably isn't the most powerful… but the one who will most annoy her brother.

Rhyme of Bloodline Flamesong

The newest dragon to head a territory, Rhyme has ascended to the role at a younger age than most - and they feel the pressure. In charge of the Northeast including Nova Scotia and New England, they are the dragon ruling the territory in which Juniper grew up, with NYC as the seat of their territory. Eager to prove themselves and refusing to be condescended to, Rhyme has to be twice as tough and twice as clever to make it - but they're not to be overlooked and will happily take advantage of the chaos Juniper's existence brings.

Roman of Bloodline Tidalstorm

Cousin to Mercury, Obsidian, and Tungsten, Roman's territory spans the southern areas of former California, as well as Nevada, Idaho, and Utah. His relaxed attitude often annoys the other dragons. He's looking for any opportunity to screw over Shard, since the last dragon Roman tried to court - the dragon in charge of Australia - cheated on him with Shard.

Ciel of Bloodline Riptide

In charge of everything east of Texas and south from Virginia, Ciel is a firm but fair ruler of the humans who nonetheless believes in the dragon’s right to rule over them. Trying to court other dragons and failing miserably, he's willing to resort to drastic measures to prove his virility as a mate - even if that means breaking draconic taboos.

Cain of Bloodline Fireheart

One of the two dragons in charge of what was formerly Canada, Cain is one of the most powerful dragons with a seat on the draconic council… and she'll lose it all if the others learn that she and her nestmate are lovers. When they give birth to a clutch of eggs, they need to find someone willing to pretend to be the father - and fast - or their secret will be discovered.

Elektra of Bloodline Fireheart

Cain's nestmate and lover, Elektra is in a powerful position as the co-leader of such a large territory as all of Canada… and she'll lose it all if it's discovered she's sleeping with her sister. Determined to protect their children, Elektra will do whatever it takes - after all, she's already broken one draconic taboo. What's one or two more?

Harrison Lee

Handsome, charming, and charismatic, Harrison is as pretty as a poisonous flower and even more dangerous. He's in charge of a cult, one that has foretold a messiah to bring about a new age - and he thinks Juniper is that messiah. He'll stop at nothing to get a hold of her and convince her of his beliefs, and he's not above a little murder along the way.

Captain Aloysius Rhea

The head of Scalebreakers, the human resistance group determined to overthrow the dragons and restore human society, Captain Rhea is pragmatic, stubborn, and evenhanded, commanding intense loyalty from her people. The responsibility of her enormous task weighs heavily on her, and she's terrified of the news of a hybrid, sending an agent out to eliminate Juniper before other humans can learn of her and possibly soften towards dragons.

[meglyfer]

Do you have any info about your Lux variant? :O Her design is literally so gorgeous; I'd love to know more about her!

OKAY, SIT DOWN BECAUSE I HAVE MORE TO SAY ABOUT HER THAN I ORIGINALLY THOUGHT (I've been here for like an hour or more)

Her design was made by both me and my friend @xommed, and more than a variant we think of her as our interpretation of the character, which may or may not be very different from the original Lux because the only thing we have from he is fro when she was a kid, so we kinda made up all about her lol

She lives in the Omega Timeline with her parents Dream and Cross, and her half brother Palette. Her best friends are Shino (one of the afterdeath kids) and Drew/Sasha (Mine and Xomma's horrordust fankid), though she is friend with a whole lot of other characters and fankids (The Death kids, Gradient, Blue Print, PJ, etc)

Lux doesn't have a defined age, as sometimes we may draw her older or younger depending on the situation, but most of the time we draw her as a teen or young adult. If I had to be a bit more specific regarding her age, I'd say she's about a year older than Shino and Drew

She is a calm and kind person who won't hesitate to help people, but she's not afraid to say things just how they are or kick someone's ass for being an asshole. Her world view is similar to Dream's but a bit more realistic; she belives that anyone can be a good person if they try, but she knows that not everyone really wants to try to be good

In her friend group she is the voice of reason, but just because she's usually the smart one it doesn't mean that she doesn't have her stupid moments either. She can be very silly, but knows when to get serious. Lux usually likes going along with whatever dumb thing Sasha and Shino have going on, sometimes even she herself initiating said dumbery, but knows where the line lies for things

Regarding school, Lux is a decent enough student. She is a smart girl, but school is just so boring! She does just the bare minimum to pass, leaving homework undone and projects half baked. She may be the "voice of reason" in most occations, but that doesn't mean she follows her own advice when it comes to responsability

As noted in the previous paragraph, Lux can be a bit "rebelious". She doesn't take certain laws, rules and regulations seriously, either because she thinks they're dumb or can't make any sense of them (Example: doing grafities in the Omega Timeline, eating in class, elbows on the table while eating, etc). There has also been ocations in which she has skipped classess she finds easy (like English class to give an example) out of boredom or gotten out of her house when she wasn't allowed to (She always notifies Palette though, so at least someone knows where she is + she knows her brother is not gonna snitch, because she does the same for him)

Lux has a very good relationship with her family, but her parents can sometimes be a bit too overbearing for her, specially when they talk about responsability. With Palette everything is all good all the time. They constantly tease each other about certain things, but they know there's no intent to hurt behind their words. The siblings are always there for each other when they need them

Some fun facts about her:

· She can change her "hair" however she wants. Most of the time she has it like how you see in my art, but if she wanted to she could change it so it lookes more like canon Lux, or make it longer, make it defy grabity, etc. The only thing she can't change about it is the colour

· She's very intuitive when it comes to figuring out people's feelings and what to do about them. However, she has a bit of a rougher time when it comes to figuring out her own feelings

· She is a self sacrificing type of person. She'd do and give anything, and I mean, ANYTHING for the people she loves

· She's a lesbian (of course she is)

· Her design was subconciously inspired by Hatsune Miku (we didn't realise how similar they were until later on)

Lastly, I'd like to share some sketches me and Xomma did while trying to figure out her design because, WHY NOT?

(All pencil drawings were made by Xomma)

(Thank god we didn't go with this one ↓)

[armins-main-hoe]

Odd socks

Chapter 5

Previous | Next 

“You did what?” Neteyam hissed.  

“Threw a small shell at him.” Y/n mumbled. She had been stood her for a whole 10 minutes being forced to explain what happened with Ao’nung to Neteyam because someone could not keep their mouth shut. That someone being-

“No, it was a big red one! If she had not thrown it at him then we would have won, the competition.” Tuk boasted, expecting her older brother to be jealous or praise her but instead she got a strong glare from her older sister.  

“Tuk you aren’t helping-”  

“Y/n why would you throw- Okay, I can understand you verbally cursing at him but getting physical? We have not even been here for that long and he is the olo’ekytan’s son. Do you not realise the trouble this could get our family in? We are in a vulnerable position right now!” Neteyam held Y/n in her place by the shoulders when she tried to walk away.  

“He is not going to tell anyone! Why would he when if the adults were to ask what happened they would find out what he said? They would find out that he was being a dickhead!”

“They would also find out that you hit him. Even if it turned into a fight where he would hit you back, you hit him first and that is all it would take for this clan to think our family is dangerous, that we react violently to anything. You think they would let us stay here a second longer?”  

“Neteyam, he was getting on my nerves and Tuk was there too!”  

“So, you hit him with a shell? That was the best thing to do?”  

“Yes.”

“No! No Y/n you do not do that. Why can’t you ever understand? You know, sometimes I wonder whether you and Tuk are the real twins because you act like you are her age by acting so reckless and never thinking with your head. If he got on your nerves, then all you had to do was swear at him and then walk away.”  

Y/n rolled her eyes, ever since they were little Neteyam loved playing the third parent and bossing all their younger siblings around including her.  

“I do not understand why you are getting so worked up about this. It really is not that big of a deal!”  

Neteyam’s lips tightened, and his nostrils flared. She never will understand him, and he believes she has never even tried to.  

“Right because Father threw a shell and the Olo’ekytan’s face to make him let us stay here and he even was ready to throw in a few punches for good measure.” Sarcasm spilled out from Neteyam’s voice, thinking if a simple explanation cannot get to the girl’s head, then maybe this can.  

“Ugh, so you are telling me you would have just said ‘go away Ao’nung’ and walked away? Really? Because that would have worked.” Y/n asks him, her ears flickering as her brows furrowed. Why is Neteyam getting so worked up over this? She does not understand.  

“Yes. I would have avoided conflict because I care about this family and not just myself.” The twins were the same height yet somehow with those words it felt like Neteyam was towering over Y/n, as if he were the bigger person.  

To Neteyam, he had always felt that he understood his parents’ worries and warnings, he understood that the rules his parents set in place must be followed to keep everyone safe and maintain peace. Yet Y/n never understood this. He tried his best to explain to her that rules are meant to be followed for a reason, but she never listens. Just like now. She will never listen. Which is why he grew up to be the obvious third parent. The one his younger siblings could lean on when their parents were not around.  

He knew Y/n cares and loves his younger siblings as much as he does but that does not mean she can go around acting like them. She must act her age as the eldest daughter, yet she chooses not to. He knows that she is a skilled hunter, an excellent climber and even better at riding an Ikran but he often wonders when she will be a responsible older sister.  

“You think I do not care? Do you really think I did what I did because of my own selfish reasons?” Y/n spoke softly, her voice conveying the pain she felt from his words. She pushed his hands off her.  

“Your actions proved plenty.” Neteyam looked away. The two stood in silence for a few seconds before Neteyam walked away.  

“I don’t understand him!” Y/n shouted at none but herself as she stood alone in the mauri pod.  

---

Tuk had ran out of the mauri pod when she heard Neteyam raising his voice and Y/n doing the same. She had seen them argue before over small matters which would get resolved within the next hour, but she had never seemed them both this angry at each other and it frightened her. When she told Neteyam about what Y/n did to Ao’nung, she thought he would be proud of Y/n like she was. When Tuk was with her older sister and Ao’nung and his friends approached them, she did not like it at all. Even though they were smiling at her, she did not like them talking to her, they had mean smiles. They even said some mean things about Y/n and her hands.  

Tuk never saw anything wrong with Y/n, Lo’ak and Kiri’s hands. She did not think anything of it. So, when she heard Ao’nung’s friends talking about her sister like that, she did not understand why. When Y/n had pulled Tuk by her arm to make Tuk stand behind Y/n, Tuk felt safe. She felt as if Y/n was her shield from the mean bullies even though they said nothing to Tuk and everything to Y/n.  

She thought Y/n was brave when she threw the shell at Ao’nung. So why was Neteyam so angry? She does not like it at all when they fight.  

It does not matter, she does not like the two of them arguing so she goes to find her other siblings or her parents who can stop them. She did try to stop them, but her voice was not reaching their ears.  

As she ran, she ran past a a conversation she could not help but listen in to. So, she stopped and hid her body behind the mauri wall and peeked over the side of it to see who was talking.  

“OW! Tsreiya be careful!” Ao’nung whined.  

“I’m sorry brother, but I need to apply some at least a little pressure,” Tsireya sighed. She had tried to help her brother with the mysterious bruise on his left cheek, but he was being exceedingly difficult. “Listen, if you don’t stop whining then I will go get mother and tell her to do this for you instead.”

“No! Do not get mother, she will ask too many questions.”  

“Remind me, how did you get hurt again?” Tsireya asked as she continued placing the cold pouch of stones on Ao’nung’s cheek.  

“Was playing with the boys and got hurt.”  

“Yeah, but how?”

“One of them accidently threw a shell at me.”  

Tsireya lifted the pouch and looked at him questionably.  

“A shell? You are telling me a shell did this to you?”  

“That's what I said.”  

Tuk let out a squeak when Ao’nung caught her eyes. He narrowed his eyes into a glare and Tuk felt a cold shiver run down her spine.  

‘He is scary. Too scary.’ She thought as she broke into a sprint back to her mauri.  

“What was that noise?” Tsireya looked behind her and walked around the mauri to see where the noise came from. When she stuck her head outside, she saw Tuk running away. “Why is she running away?”  

“Beats me.” Ao’nung shrugged.  

Tuk had forgotten why she had even run out of the mauri in the first place when she had entered it again and found Lo’ak sitting in the corner, fiddling with something. She walked up to him and sat in the space next to him. His fingers toyed with a little blue shell that sparkled whenever the sunlight fell upon its surface.  

‘A shell.  

Y/n hit Ao���nung with a shell.  

Y/n and Neteyam had a fight because of it.’  

“What’s wrong tuk?” Lo’ak asked when she had been silent for far too long. Tuk leaned her head on his arm.  

“Socks hit Ao’nung with a shell.” She told him.  

“He probably did something to deserve it.” Lo’ak snorted.  

“Neteyam got angry though. Him and socks had a fight. They both were really angry and were shouting at each other really loudly. I did not like it.” Tuk kept her eyes on the little blue shell in Lo’ak’s hands as she spoke, still leaning her head on his arm. Soon Lo’ak stopped fiddling with the shell and pulled his little sister into a hug.  

“It’s fine, they’ll make up soon.” He told her. Though he was a little shocked to hear the twins had a fight. He knew that this is not the first time they ever fought but previous fights had been over ‘I did this last time so now it’s your turn’ and a few were ‘wow, you’re really bad at this.’, though these fights never lasted long and the two would apologise rather quickly and get on their day as normal. So, to hear they were shouting at each other to the point where it scared Tuk must mean that this was an argument that they took rather seriously.  

Either that or Tuk was exaggerating, which she often did.  

“Hey, do you want this? I found it when I went swimming with Tsireya.” Lo’ak offered the little shell to her. Tuk took it from his hands and played around with it. It was smooth in some areas but textured in others. Still, it was a very pretty shell which would go nicely as a hair ornament. She thanked him and got up to carefully place holes in the shell so she could thread her hair through it.  

Lo’ak watched tuk play around with the shell and tried to think whether the fight his older siblings had was really all that bad. He began to think that it was not and when the fight was told from Tuk’s eyes, it seemed worse than it was.  

However, Lo’ak began to question himself later that day when the whole family came back together for dinner. Neteyam and Y/n were not saying a word to either each other or anyone else. They would only speak when spoken too. Lo’ak went up to his brother, who was helping his mother with cutting up pieces of fish. He nudged him and gave him a questioning look. Neteyam just shook his head at him and went back to his work, refusing to give a verbal explanation.  

Lo’ak then went to his older sister, who was with her father, helping him clean the weapons and tools that were used that day. Lo’ak sat down next to her and whispered a ‘hey.’ She looked up from the knife she was cleaning and looked at him.  

“You good?” He asked, raising his voice a little above a whisper.  

“Yeah.” Her reply was dry and quick. She went back to cleaning.  

Lo’ak looked at his father who was sitting close by and any conversation he would try to have with his sister would easily be heard by him. Lo’ak thought that he would not get much out from either older brother or sister with their parents around, so he gave up for now. Choosing to talk to them later that evening when they are alone.  

Though their parents did not notice anything while getting ready for dinner, when the whole family sat down together to eat, they noticed the silence from the twins. Though they never talked all that much during dinner, there always was a small conversation here and there while they ate. Everyone spoke about something, about how their day was. Jake told them about how he was getting better at riding a Tsurak, earning praises from his wife and kids. Well apart from two of his kids who just smiled at him and went back to eating. Neytiri complained to her family about how Ronal kept giving her backhanded compliments and the twins still said nothing. Lo’ak shared his progress with swimming in the sea, that he was now able to hold his breath for a little longer than before. Twins said nothing. Kiri told everyone about the different sea animals she saw today. Twins said nothing. Tuk told everyone about how she had her older siblings had a mini competition on who could find the biggest shell.  

Y/n froze. She was praying to Eywa that Tuk does not tell her parents that Y/n threw a shell at Ao’nung. Y/n knew that her parents would side with Ao’nung and that it would be another long lecture from her parents.  

“Me and socks did not win though but next time we will! Right socks?” Tuk smiled at Y/n.  

Y/n looked up at Tuk and gave her a small smile. “Yeah, we will.” Though her words were half-heartedly spoken. She then went back to eating.

Jake and Neytiri were waiting for Neteyam and Y/n to talk, everyone had said something about their day apart from those two. When the twins showed no signs of talking, the couple shared a concerned look.  

“So, Neteyam, how was your day?” Jake asked.  

“It was fine, Father.”  

“Anything interesting happen today?” He tried to pry further.

“Hmm, I do not know. Did anything interesting happen today Y/n?” Neteyam looked at his sister in the eye for the first time since their argument.  

“Not that I am aware of. No.” Y/n replied with a sarcastic smile that lived short on her face before she glared at him and looked down at her food.  

Kiri nudged Lo’ak to ask what happened between the two, but Lo’ak shook his head, meaning he either did not know or could not explain at the moment.  

“Oh, that weird, I’m sure you must have done something interesting today.” Neteyam returned her sarcastic smile.  

Y/n rolled her eyes. She knew Neteyam was trying to get her to tell everyone that she hit Ao’nung with a shell, but she put up her own fight, she will not tell anyone.  

“What happened?” Neytiri asked, her voice soft and motherly. She looked at her two oldest children expectantly.  

“Nothing mum. Neteyam’s just being weird.” Y/n told her mother, she does not feel all that hungry anymore, so she passes her food to Tuk who happily eats her older sister’s leftovers.  

“You planning to keep it a secret? You know they are going to find out, either from you or from Ao’nung.” Neteyam asked.

“Find out what from Ao’nung?” Jake asked in between the twins’ argument but his voice did not reach their ears.  

“I do not care of he decides to snitch I had a very good reason to do what I did!” Y/n stood up. She had enough of this. She wanted to leave to mauri and be anywhere but near Neteyam.  

“What did you do?” Jake stands up too.

“Go on tell them if you do not care!” Neteyam gets on his feet and the twins went head-to-head. They could not hear their father’s questions, nor did they see their whole family standing up. They only raised their head away from each other when they hear their mother speak.

“Y/n, did you and Ao’nung...”  

“NO! Ew Mum! Why would you even think that!” Y/n cried out in disgust. Her face twisting up when an image of her and Ao’nung alone, doing other things than fighting flashed in her mind. “I just threw a shell at him and now Neteyam is throwing a tantrum over it.”  

Silence filled the room.  

“You did what Y/n?” Jake asked for the second time, the lack of his nickname for her and the slow, calm pace at which he spoke told Y/n that she was in for some deep shit.  

---

Pandora’s sunlight hit the water as it softly hit the shore. Metkayina kids played together, playing games of tag, swimming together and collecting seashells. Damn shells. Y/n despises everyone she sees. Though she kept telling herself that what she did was with good reason, her father had scolded her enough to make her cringe with annoyance every time she saw on either in the seabed or on the sand.  

A day had passed since the whole incident but neither Tsahik or Olo’eyktan knew that their son was hit by a shell, but Y/n’s parents were close to making her walk over to their mauri and apologise. Though they later decided to wait and see if Ao’nung would tell their parents.  

He did not tell anyone, just as Y/n kept telling everyone. Despite that, she was kept supervised by her father and mother for the day. She was told to follow them around so they would make sure she does not go and start throwing shells at boys again.  

Right now, she was with her mother, they both sat near the shore, weaving baskets together with Ronal and a few other Metkayina women.  

“I must say Y/n, your ability to weave baskets this quick is a commendable skill.” Ronal complimented the younger child who joined them that day. Neytiri had just said that her eldest daughter will be joining them until the afternoon and truth be told, Ronal did feel that the child would not keep up and slow her down on her tasks. However, she was proven wrong rather quickly.  

“Thank you.” Y/n smiled at Ronal. She had decided to act as the sweet, well-mannered child with Ronal so if Ao’nung did ever change his mind and tell his parents about the shell incident then Ronal might not believe him since how could an innocent, kind girl ever do such a thing.  

It was not like Y/n was being fake, after all she was kind and well mannered, just not towards certain people, or rather a certain group of boys and one boy in particular. She soon found herself in a pleasant conversation with Ronal and Y/n had forgotten about the reason why she was there in the first place for a while.  

Neytiri watched as the two conversed, only adding to the conversation every now and then. Y/n would even talk with the other women around her who happily talked back to her. She admired her daughter for her social skills at times like these, she knew that Y/n was a social butterfly and would always find a way to get along with anyone, so she was shocked when she first heard of her daughters actions the day before.  

Even back at the forest, she would see her daughter talking happily to every member of the clan, which made her believe that she would have been the first to adjust and get familiar with the people here. Perhaps she had not been paying enough attention to her. Once Y/n and Ronal’s conversation had come to an end, Neytiri smiled at her daughter and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.  

“Perhaps me and your father were too hard on you last night, but I do hope what happened does not happen again.” She softly told her. Y/n looked up at her mother and smiled back.  

“Yeah, okay. I am sorry about how I acted.” Y/n replied.  

The two shared one last smile before getting back to finishing off their baskets.  

The rest of the day for Y/n was spent with her mother and then later with her father. When the family gathered back into to Marui for the night, the twins still did not talk to each other which did not go unnoticed by other members of the family, but they could only hope that the two would talk it out in their own time.  

The next day, Y/n was allowed to join her siblings with training again. She joined them with Tsireya, Ao’nung and his friends. Today they were to learn how ride an Ilu. Ilu were how the metekayina travelled underwater in a much quicker way than swimming. Ilu were not like Ikrans and would bond with any rider rather than just one.  

Ao’nung called out to the ilu by making a particular type of noise with his mouth. The ilu came quickly and swam around him in circles before he turned around to face everyone behind him.

“If you want to live here, you have to ride.” He told them,  

Y/n noticed a small bruise on his cheek where she had hit him with the shell and nearly felt guilty. Nearly.  

Tsireya called some ilu over to her and then beckoned Lo’ak to join her. Lo’ak was the first to attempt to ride an Ilu, he made the bond with ease but when he told the ilu to swim, he lost grip quickly, causing him to tumble around in the water. Everyone had their heads underwater, watching his attempt eagerly.  

Ao’nung and his friends rose from the water laughing and Tsireya tried her best not to laugh. The twins had also tried not to laugh but they both ended up laughing a little.  

It turned out that Kiri had already bonded with an Ilu before and did not need to be taught again. So, then Neteyam went next, compared to Lo’ak, he got the hang on it quicker and was able to ride an Ilu with ease. While the brothers practiced together, Tsireya took Tuk over to where the smaller Ilus are and Ao’nung was left with teaching Y/n.

“Alright Socks, looks like you’re the last one left.” He tilted his head down slightly and smiled at her. She frowned at him back.  

“I thought I told you to not call me that.”  

“Why? I think the name suits you.” His voice sounded so innocent, but Y/n knew better.  

“You do not even know the meaning of the name.”  

Ao’nung called an Ilu over.

“Alright then, tell me the meaning.”  

Tell him the meaning of socks? Over Y/n’s dead body. Why would she give him another reason to make fun of her? So instead, she ignored him and greeted the Ilu instead. She got on the Ilu’s back and pulled her braid from behind forward to make the bond.  

“Do it slowly and gently,” Ao’nung advised her as he watched the bond seal between her and the Ilu, he called over for her. “Wouldn’t want to scare the Ilu away.”  

Once she had made the bond, she could feel the animal’s heartbeat and breathe, as if the two were one. This reminded her of her Ikran and how it would be like when she would ride her Ikran.  

“Now tell the Ilu to swim forward.” Ao’nung’s voice sounded closer than she thought he was and made her jump. This caused the Ilu to get scared too and jerk Y/n forward into the water. Once she had emerged from the water, she heard Ao’nung and his friends laughing. Well, not like she had expected them to do anything less. So, she took a deep breath and tried to get onto the Ilu again.  

Once she had bonded again, she looked back at Ao’nung making sure he was not close enough to do anything again. Once she was satisfied with the distance, she looked forward again and told the Ilu to swim forward. The Ilu moved immediately and swam with speed through the water. Y/n now understood why Lo’ak had lost his grip the first time he had tried.  

So, she tightened her hold and told the Ilu where to swim. She told the Ilu to swim in a large circle, eventually making the way back to where Ao’nung was at.  

“Damn, she learns fast.” One of his friends spoke aloud to himself. Ao’nung dismissed it by saying,  

“It is an Ilu, kids younger than that small forest kid can ride one. Nothing impressive at all.”  

Once Y/n had reached him, her hair wet and sticking to her cheeks, she smirked at him.  

“I bet I could easily win a race.” She challenged him.  

Ao’nung scoffed and looked back at him friends amused before looking back at the girl in front of him. “Aren’t you getting a little ahead of yourself?”  

“Not at all.”  

The two looked at each other a little longer before Y/n tilted her head with a mocking expression and Ao’nung called out to another Ilu. He got on the Ilu and his friend came forward, telling them both where to start and where to finish. The first one to reach the coral area where Y/n’s siblings and Tsireya are wins.  

“Three... Two... One... Go!” The friend counted them down and the two were off.  

The two were neck to neck throughout most of the race, both telling their Ilu to swim faster and faster. They would look at the other besides them, getting frustrated that they could not get rid of them. Ao’nung was surprised a little that Y/n could hold on for this long, but he pushed his astonishment away and focused on winning the race.  

In the end, the two tied and there was no clear winner. They both got annoyed again but before they could race again, Tsireya swam over to congratulate Y/n on riding an Ilu. Y/n got distracted by trying to figure out what she was saying with the finger talk since she forgot some of the basic signs Tsireya had taught her, that she did not notice Ao’nung swimming away. Not that she would have cared too much.  

For the next hour, the kids would play around with their Ilus, swimming around large coral and trying to learn tricks from Tsireya. Though this excitement was short lived for Y/n before she felt a small nip on her leg. She looked down and saw the fish that looked like Ao’nung nipping at her leg again.  

While she did find that fish’s appearance amusing, she did not appreciate the fact that it came to bite her wherever it caught sight of her. Though luckily, this time she had an Ilu so she could quickly swim away from it. Just when she believed she had outswum the fish, she looked behind her to see the fish swimming towards her with a few other fishes behind it.  

Neteyam was playing around with Lo’ak on his Ilu happily, thinking that everything around them is peaceful. He was about to sign to his brother that they should probably head back when he saw Y/n riding her Ilu in the distance behind Lo’ak with a whole school of fish chasing after her.  

He pointed at her and Lo’ak looked behind him to see the sight. By now, Y/n had changed direction and was swimming towards them, bringing the angry school of fish with her. The two brother’s eyes widened, and they quickly got their Ilus to swim away with Y/n followed them close behind.  

I suppose we can say that it was not just Y/n who came back home with a few fish bites that day.

[cienie-isengardu]

No offense but Cyrax always gave off a new recruit vibe compared to the other members. Seriously he seems a lot more...normal than the other Lin Kuei and seems more...open minded compared to the others. I feel like Cyrax was a fair bit older than the regular Lin Kuei enrollment when they found him(probably late teen to young adult) and since Cyrax wasn't as indoctrinated they just shoved him with Sektor to keep him grounded since Sektor was more obedient of the two.

Cyrax and Tomas Vrbada have no confirmed or hinted biological ties to Lin Kuei and as Botswanian (African) and Czech (European) respectively, both came from culturally different backgrounds than the majority of the clan members (Chinese/Asian). We don’t have much details on how each man was recruited and at what age they joined. However with Tomas, we at least know his reasoning for joining the Lin Kuei, as his official BIO stated “it has been Smoke's hope that through the Lin Kuei he will discover his past--and the origin of his power”. About Cyrax we don’t even know the reason behind his choice to pledge his life to Lin Kuei but there was a clear boundary that he did not intend to cross:

“I chose to serve the Lin Kuei. But I will not surrender my free will! [MK9]

Like you, I too assume he joined at much older age than majority of adepts started their training (either like Sektor from birth destined to be Lin Kuei or like Bi-Han & Kuai Liang kidnapped as a young children), however I would argue with the new recruit vibe, as Cyrax presumably was already well-proven top fighter to take part in Mortal Kombat Tournament and he too was steeped in Lin Kuei beliefs - like the disdain for Shirai Ryu clan

“Your inferior clan is dead. Soon you will join them.” [MK9, Scorpion Chapter]

or once considering Lin Kuei as the honorable clan

“[...] He has contemplated leaving the clan, fearing that it is no longer an organization of honorable assassins.” [MK9's Cyrax BIO]

The last one is especially something that Cyrax shared with Kuai Liang, as the younger Sub-Zero for a long time did not realize how deep Lin Kuei’s evilness run even though he worked for the clan as an assassin himself all his life:

“When I finally killed Sektor, I discovered the Lin Kuei had not sacrificed it's honor with the Cyber Initiative. We had abandoned it long before.” [MKX’s story mode, Scorpion Chapter]

So, I’m not sure if Cyrax was that much more normal (mentally healthier) than the rest as he clearly was influenced by Lin Kuei teaching. Though I assume between Sektor and Bi-Han, it is no wonder Cyrax feels like the most normal Lin Kuei to be around because the story mode allowed him to express emotions and fight for his own humanity. In contrast, Sektor is withdrawn and obey-at-any-cost while Bi-Han has this lone wolf vibe due to barely interacting with anyone, even his own comrades. So in that case alone, Cyrax is the most sociable one, no question about that.

Frankly, compared to Sektor, no one of the named Lin Kuei is even on that level of indoctrination, however what is worth to point out, Kuai Liang in original and alternative timelines was brought to Lin Kuei at young age and was trained to be an assassin his whole life yet even with so long-lasted indoctrination he always rejected C.I. Project. Despite his loyalty to Lin Kuei, he would rather abbadon the clan than allow anyone to turn him into a machine, not to mention rejecting the “no friendship rule”, both in the case of Tomas and his own brother. He, Tomas and Cyrax share that trait, no matter the differences of their backgrounds or amount of time spent with Lin Kuei. 

Did Cyrax presumably joining Lin Kuei at an older age influence his stubborn commitment to individuality and humanity?  Definitely. But I think it is also the fact he was not alone in believing that C.I. Project was a wrong decision, as at least Smoke and Tundra supported that belief. Was Sektor paired with Cyrax to keep in check the man’s independence? Yeah, that sounds very likely, especially since original timeline mentioned this

“[...] In the guise of fighting alongside his Lin Kuei comrade, Sektor's orders are to watch and report on Cyrax. Sektor's reports will decide whether this is the last mission for Cyrax." [Mortal Kombat Gold’s Sektor BIO]

As human Cyrax was already questioning Grandmaster’s plans, I would not be surprised if Sektor was tasked with watching and reporting his comrade's behavior to the Grandmaster. 

[starchaseriseverything]

Bellatrix Black was always one to follow the rules. she had never once betrayed her family or bloodline.

She had arrived at Hogwarts for her first year. Her sisters, Andromeda and Narcissa, weren't old enough to come yet. She was nervous and scared.

She was always taught never to be scared, but sometimes she couldn't help it.

***

Everyone from the noble house of Black has always been sorted into Slytherin. If someone was sorted into any other, they would most likely be disowned.

No one from the Black family was ever sorted into Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Gryffindor. Only Slytherin.

Thankfully, she was sorted into Slytherin.

***

"I'm Bellatrix Black. It's nice to meet you."

"Rodolphus Lestrange."

"Rita Skeeter."

***

It's finally her third year and has her younger sister, Andromeda, with her.

She spots Rodolphus with a younger boy who looks to be about Andromeda' age. "Rodolphus!" Bellatrix yells at her friend.

"Bella, who's this?" Rodolphus asks, walking towards them with the younger boy.

The younger boy looks like her friend, just not quite. "This is my younger sister, Andromeda."

"Hi." Andromeda says, hiding behind her older sister.

"Dro, don't be shy."

She comes out from behind her sister and holds out her hand. "Hi, I'm Andromeda Black."

"Rabastan Lestrange." They shake hands.

"Bella! Rod!" Rita comes up beside them. "Who are they?" She gasps. "Oh my god. That's Andromeda. Don't know him, though. He looks like you, Rod."

"He better. He's my younger brother, Rabastan."

Rita leans down. "Nice to meet you, little man." She turns to Andromeda. "I've heard a bunch about you and Narcissa. Your sister brags a lot." She points to Bellatrix.

"I do not."

"You kinda do, Bels." Rodolphus says.

"Whatever."

***

Bellatrix cheers as her sister gets sorted into Slytherin.

***

It's Bellatrix' fourth year. Andromeda' second. And her breath catches every time she sees her best friend.

Now, of course, she didn't know why. But if she had to guess, she'd say she was catching feelings for a girl.

If it was up to her to decide, she would most likely date her. But it's not. It's up to her family, and they would never allow that. So, she decides to bury her feelings for as long as she can.

***

It's Bellatrix' fifth year. Andromeda' third. And Narcissa' first. Now, of course, Narcissa was nervous. Even Andromeda and her were. But she never did show it.

She had always been the bravest out of all three of them. Never once did she show that she was scared. Even when she saw her parents beating Bellatrix to near death.

But that's not the point. The point is that Bellatrix sees Andromeda with a guy. Someone she most likely isn't supposed to be near.

Last year, Bellatrix was too caught up in her own feelings that she never noticed that her sister had caught feelings for a guy. And that guy so happened to be a Tonks. They were never allowed to speak to anyone who wasn't involved with the Death Eaters somehow, so she thought that her sisters weren't going to try to even speak them people.

She was wrong. Oh, was she so very wrong.

But she couldn't very well blame her. She was friends with Rita Skeeter, and she wasn't involved with the Death Eaters. But at least she was a Slytherin and not a Ravenclaw.

I mean, sure, Ravenclaw' are nice and sweet and fun, but she shouldn't be talking or hanging out with them.

Bellatrix marches over to her sister and drags her to the side. "Dro, you can't talk to him."

"Now you notice me? Thank you for caring this year, but I got it covered. You barely even acknowledged me last year."

"I was too busy trying to hide my feelings."

"What? From Rita? Yeah, I don't think you're fooling anyone. You caught feelings for her last year."

"How did you know?"

"Even though you weren't paying attention to me. I was paying attention to you. I knew you caught feelings for her when we walked into the Great Hall. Your breath catches every time you see her. Everyone can see it. Maybe not her. But everyone else can."

"Why do you think Rodolphus hasn't tried to date you? Because he doesn't like you? That's definitely not it. I see him making heart eyes at you. He tried to give you hints all of last year and your so blind sided by fucking Rita Skeeter that you couldn't see what was right in front of you. Rodolphus is in love with you."

"I don't care if you date her. Go for it. But let Rodolphus know before not after. Tell him you're not interested in him. You only see him as a friend. I don't care. Just talk to him. Tell Rita how you feel. In return, you'll let me date Ted. Ok?"

"How are you so wise?" Bellatrix asks, stunned.

Andromeda smiles. "I guess I got it from you. Now, go tell Rita how you feel."

***

"Rodolphus, can I talk to you? In private."

He nods. "What did you want to talk about?" Rodolphus asks after they get into the empty common room.

"Dro opened my eyes. Told me what was right in front of me." Bellatrix takes a pause. "I've always known I've had feelings for someone, and I still don't know if they like me back, but I just need you to know that I only see you as a friend. Nothing more."

"That's...... not what I thought you were going to say."

"Like I said, Dro told me what was right in front of me. I was fighting my feelings and didn't even notice anyone else's last year. So I just wanted you to know, I only see you as a friend. Ok?"

Rodolphus laughs. "Yeah, I got it."

***

Rita and Bellatrix are alone in their dorm for the first time since school started, which was a week ago. "Hey, uh, Rita?"

*Hmm?"

"Can I talk to you?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"I - I." Bellatrix takes a deep breath. In. Out. "Last year, I realized I was in love with someone. A girl. I haven't told my family, and I most likely never will. But I -" She takes another breath. In. Out. "This girl is you, Rita. I realized I'm in love with you."

Rita takes in a sharp breath. "You're... in love with me?"

"Yes. I think I always have been."

"It's about time, you realized. I've been in love with you since second year. I had a crush on you in first."

***

By the time seventh year rolls around, Andromeda is dating Ted, Narcissa is dating Lucius, and Bellatrix and Rita have been dating for three years. In secret, of course.

Now, what would happen if her family found out? No one knows, and no one wants to know, either.

No one knows what happens after they graduate, but they will just have to figure that out when they get there.

[chubby-teddybear]

Rules were meant to be broken… trailer

Pairing: Ivar the Boneless x reader

Summary :  While on the hunt for gold and blood he finds something more rare than any Jewel

Warning: mention of sexual assault, normal Viking behavior (ivar the boneless as a whole)

-_-_-_ -_-_-_ -_-_-_ -_-_-_ -_-_-_ -_-_-_ -_-_-_

Y/n’s point of view

It’s always the same thing. every. single. day. I have sat on this bed thinking the same things wishing for the same things. my mother, to leave, to have a different father, and to no longer be a princess…

Wessex, the place I call home even though it hasn’t been my home for quite sometime. At least not since mother got murdered by a man that I’d soon learn was a pagan. After mother died father turned cold but it only got worse as the men from afar started attacking us or rather the churches and if we’re being honest I also became cold in away. But how was I not to? father told me who I were to marry, a man that was twice my age the day mother passed. He couldn’t wait? He couldn’t find a younger suitor? He couldn’t ask for your approval? Ha who am I kidding a man let alone a king caring about what a women has to say what a jo-

“ your-r grace?” Came from behind your now open door, it was one of the many maids that flowed though this castle. I wanted to be annoyed that she came in without knocking… but at this point I was so tired of this place that I no longer felt the need to correct her or anyone else for that matter.

“ yes?” I ask without taking my eye off what I was currently looking at. “ the king says y-you have be-en up here to l-long… ma’am” she almost … whimpered? Am I truly that scary to be around? I begin to let my mind wander with ideas of to why I scare her so.

“ Do I scare you?” As I turn towards her I ask a little to loudly but try to correct it by offering a smile. This clearly shocks this poor woman. Has no one smiled at her before? As I look at her I was a waiting a response weak and scared but was meet with a rather confident one.

“No ma’am, but I did just began to serve you and the king just merrily yesterday and I need this to support my child your grace, so the last thing I want to to is offend you my grace .” She says while making eye contact and to be quit Frank it was nice to see another’s eyes. And though I hate to agree with the rat bastard I call my father I have been locked away up here for sometime. I take a dramatically deep breath and with a look the screams tiredness “ Too long he says?” And I am meet with not a verbal answer but rather a simple nod. I push my self off the bed I currently was sitting on and walk towards the maid, I didn’t realize just how small she was. She looked almost like a child. “ your name?” I ask and I almost laughed at the sight, this women looking up at me with her neck cranked so far it looked uncomfortable. “ Annie, ma’am” I quite liked her name it fit her now as I look at her, she was small in both height and weight, green eyes and brown hair she was in fact a beautiful girl.

“ Well Annie I think we shall go on a walk”. I didn’t bother waiting for a response and continued on down the mountain of stairs that lies ahead of me.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“What’s wrong cripple don’t feel like eating?” Laughed Sigurd as he looked at his younger brother Ivar who seemed to be uncharacteristically quiet. Hearing this Hushed those around the two brothers, which included ivar, Sigurd, Ubbe, and lastly Hvitserk

“Enough” said Ubbe in that of a weary and warning tone out of fear for his brothers rage and how easy it can become deadly.

“ you know Sigurd you words might just angry me any other day but not today my brother”. Ivar spoke in a almost dream likeness

“ And why is that?” Sigurd asked in a tone that clearly showed he was aggravated that he did not get the response he was looking for.

“ The boats shall be ready for the raids by morning” Ivar spoke now earning the eyes of all the brothers and as for Ivar while he spoke a maniacal grin began to spread across his face from ear to ear as he thoughts of those he will come to destroy… The Christians.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

We were in the thick part of the woods now close to the place my mother once showed me, a river with the clearest water I have ever seen it was amazing. I felt close to my mother when I’d come here it was both a curse and a blessing, I missed her greatly and wanted to think about her but the more I did the anger I got. Why was no one there to help her? Where were her guards? Question like that plagued me for sometime after her death.

“Ma’am? We are going quite far are we not?” Asked Annie she wasn’t asking to see if I wanted to turn back and go back to the castle for my safety. No she asked out of fear for herself, since the men that we have grown to call heathens first attack our lands, everyone in the surrounding kingdoms have begun to become weary of leaving without an ample amount of protection, I don’t blame them for it because I to am scared of those men, but those men have taken enough from me, they took my mother, and now they are trying to take away the only place I can truly breath?…

Sorry it’s short! Should I make this series?

[annabtg]

Greetings! I really like your writing. It is always well thought out and descriptively written. Do you have a specific head-canon for Lily and James that you think shines through in all of your fanfiction stories or does your idea of their character change?

Thank you anon, you're so sweet! I'm glad you enjoy my stories!

I have a few basic things that are usually part of my headcanons:

James being a little shit xD Especially in his younger years, I like to write him teasing Lily, pranking around etc.

Being smart, confident in his abilities, even arrogant, but nevertheless hopeless with regard to Lily - awkward, unsure, self-doubting, especially in his later years when he's already been rejected (at least) once by Lily and grown up enough to know he'd been an idiot. That all changes back when he realizes she likes him. xD I don't write them much after they get together but I feel that, once he knows Lily likes him, his faith in her love is unwavering.

Another thing he's not particularly confident about is being named Head Boy. Lily definitely has more faith in him about it than he does in himself.

My headcanon is also that he has been in love with Lily basically since forever (or at the very least, since he was old enough to be able to notice girls) and is a complete virgin who probably hasn't even kissed another girl. I can get behind different interpretations, and frankly I'd like to have the versatility to write him with someone else for the ~drama~ of it all, lol, but even if I write it at some point, my headcanon is that he's never been interested in anyone else (and never will be). In my head, I call him a Lilysexual. xD

I headcanon his relationship with Sirius being also full of banter and teasing. I see them like a real life brothers dynamic, with James being the younger brother - annoying, perhaps attention-seeking, but ultimately respects, admires and adores Sirius - whereas Sirius is the older brother, who is more serious, matures more quickly, pretends to be annoyed more often than he actually is, and loves James in a literally self-sacrificing way.

As for Lily - I see her as smart, snarky, mischievous in her own way. She's not a Hermione - I'd say she's closer to Ginny. She's diligent, yes - but not that much of a stickler for the rules. She's easier to anger and very likely to tease or snap back.

She's not athletic, but she likes swimming and dancing. Perhaps I'm drawing from myself on this one. xD

I like to write her as more flirty than James. My absolute headcanon is that she fell for James much earlier than she's willing to admit and never did anything with anyone else - but I can see her having flirted or even dated someone I've written her in a fully adult relationship with Sirius too so that should tell you something. And I very often (but not exclusively, now that I think about it) write her as the one to make the first move. She's smoother and can be very aware of her feminine wiles (which she uses on James exclusively). But the degree of her flirtiness varies from story to story.

She's stubborn and doesn't change her mind about people easily. Which tells a lot about her relationship with James - and Snape, too. I love showing her slowly figuring things out.

It's also my headcanon that nah, she didn't - it's more exasperation than actual hate. I think that's the age where you can say to someone "I hate you" and it means nothing the next day when the situation has cleared up. So I imagine James and Lily not being 100% on each other's throats, but more like antagonistic - he likes to tease, she likes to snap back - with the occasional epic fight in-between but some good moments too. Like, it was never the end of the world when they had to share a desk or do an assignment together. (Never mind that it makes for fun fics! ;) )

Overall I'd say that I have a decent grasp on their characters (decent enough that my beta, who's not a Jily fan, after having beta'ed several of my stories, has figured them out enough to call me out on things that feel OOC for them!) and the characteristics that fluctuate are the ones that define the dynamic between them - whether they're more reserved or confident about their feelings and experiences, which is a matter of circumstance too.

Thanks again for the ask! And sorry if you got more than you expected - I just love talking about them!!

[kitakami-zorua-kin]

Hi! My name's Russet, I'm from Kitakami, and I'm currently attending Blueberry Academy! I'm part of Drayton's Elite Trial in the BB League! :D Or. At least... I am for my Drayton...? There seems to be a lot of them floating around. I don't think my Drayton is on Rotomblr, though it does seem like he'd fit in well...

My full team is: Autumn the Shiny Dipplin Hydrapple ♂ Polar the Arctibax ♂ Winter the Alolan Ninetales ♀ Taiga the Abomasnow ♀ Spring the Altaria ♀ Summer the Shiny Larvesta ♀ Tundra the Frosmoth ♂ Superconduct, translator Rotom! (they/them) Sweetheart, emotional support pokemon!! (they/them??) Though I only use Winter and Taiga for any official Elite Trial Battles, the others are still important members of my team! :D I'm selectively mute and with the red-and-black colors, I get a lot of people assuming I'm a Zorua! I'm not, but Zorua are cool so I don't mind too terribly much :3 Oh! I have a younger brother and an older sister, both who are also at Blueberry Academy, but neither of them are interested in Rotomblr (well. my versions, at least, as far as I know...). Pelipper Mail+Unmail+Malice: On Sentient/Sapient Pokemon: Allowed Legendary/Mythical Pokemon: Allowed Musharna Mail+Malice: On Magic Anons: Off OOC Info under the cut

I've made. Another Pokemon IRL blog for another OC because my friends are terrible influences on my poor impulse control. Anyways, hi, I'm Azure, I follow from @/anxiousazure and I also run @/unovan-artist because I have many OCs and I've been spinning Russet around way too much lately. If you didn't pick up on it, Russet is an OC sibling for Carmine and Kieran, specifically, their middle brother who tends to fade into the background. edit: there's another blog. @/kitakami-specter yes it is exactly who you think it is. also now @/sinnohs-eve as well, because i wanted someone on the main bba universe. :3

i mod have really bad social anxiety so if i havent answered or interacted. i am simply scared. russet is extroverted but i am not i am very easily intimidated and my brain will continuously go "but what if there's an unspoken Rule you're breaking" and paralyze me.

Russet is a minor but I haven't specified his age - just that he's between his two siblings - and I, blog runner, am an adult. If this is not chill with you, don't interact! That said, I won't really deal with anything more than flirting with Russet and even then he won't get it half the time (sheltered autistic boy, romance flies right over his head unless you spell it out for him <3).

Russet is somewhere post Teal Mask in the timeline sense - Drayton's back on the E4, after all - but does not know what went down in Kitakami (he was originally supposed to go with his siblings, but came down sick last minute, and ended up staying at school instead. Neither of his siblings informed him of what went down in Kitakami - Kieran assuming Russet already knew about the truth around Ogrepon, and Carmine mainly out of guilt) so please absolutely feel free to use that to your advantage :D Russet has been informed about the true Kitakami legend and time has progressed slowly from there. still pre-indigo disc though. Sweetheart is Pecharunt! Russet simply does not know what Pecharunt is lmao-

also hey!! if you ever want to have a character (canon or not) in russet's universe!! please feel free too i would love that so much. i would love to have more people to have russet consistently interact with. it would be fun and also silly. and hey! you are always, always, always free to include russet or any of my own OCs in drawings or stories or anything else! just. maybe please tag me because i want to see them. <3

if you see a post colored purple that's drayton on the blog. -blue- with those indicators is superconduct, russet's rotom. red is carmine. kieran is green.

MUSE MIXUP MADNESS APRIL SPRITEWORK CREDIT LINK

Full version of the piccrew used for Russet because I haven't gotten around to drawing him yet! and if anyone is interested, the link is here!

[the-rogue-dragon]

@qanedanegros Neera sent;

" can you tell me about your adventures? "

🔥FINGERS IDLY TRACED SHAPELESS patterns over smooth skin, absentmindedly the owner of those fingers stared at the roof of his seat at Bloodstone. A cursed place for an unfit King. Despite what many believed in Westeros, the Rogue Prince had never once desired the weight of a crown, yet here at Stepstones he has been crowned King, by his friend and ally Lord Colrys Velaryon. This decision was not just for the Targaryen Prince to control the Stepstones and prevent the Free Cities to lay claim on them, but also for political purposes. Having control of the Stepstones meant getting rid of the pirates, and allowing trade, which favored the Velaryon Fleet.

But the Prince had no interest in ruling, and each day was duller than the previous one. It was perhaps why - as soon as his wife, the bronze bitch, passed -  the King of the Stepstones and the Narrow Sea, had sent for Neera of Lys. A woman two years younger than him that he had met at the age of twenty when she had first moved to King’s Landing to work on Mysaria’s brothel. Though not a whore, he had spent time with her back in the day, and the two had run into each other ever since. What little remained of his and Mysaria’s partnership had ended after their child died, leaving them to work together - or rather she worked for him as a spy master.

Neera, on the other hand, was a completely different story. Born in Lys, she only knew the tongue of her people when she moved to King’s Landing, which prompted the Prince to always speak to her in High Valyrian, as Lysene tongue was a corrupted version of it, the communication was possible and as fluid as it could be. Curious as the Prince was, he developed an interest for the woman, and invited her to Bloodstone as soon as he became widower. In no time he married her in the tradition of his House, something his brother King Viserys was not informed about, as his relationship with Daemon was still at odds, especially after his exile. Besides he knew that Viserys wouldn’t allow the marriage, given the station of Neera, something the Prince cared very little about.

She was his choice - when he had not been allowed such at the age of sixteen - and he was not going to allow anyone coming in between. Not even his brother, not after the incident with Mysaria. It was a defiant act towards the King of Westeros, but many saw it as a political move, given that Neera was a Lyseni woman. Such union could mean gaining the favor of Lys, but it was unlikely given her family held no power over the Magisters of Lys, so it could be assumed that the Prince had no other interest in her other than genuinely forming a family of his own. Despite this, he did name her his Queen of the Stepstones and the Narrow Sea.

As he traced her smooth skin, filled with the scents of her hair, the King of the Narrow Sea hummed as she asked for a story. It could be anything, given what he has been doing - and has done - but he wanted for her to be more specific on what she wanted to hear. Eyes flickered in her direction as she spoke. “I have far too many stories, my sweetling, which one would you like to hear?” He pondered sharing some of his most recent adventures, the war was - after all - still fresh in his mind as it had happened not too long ago. “Would you like to hear about how I won the Stepstones?”

[vigilskeep]

(1/3) Hi Harker! You know a lot about Dragon Age and its politics, so I'd be grateful if you'd help me out with the following matter: I made a non-Warden Cousland who joins my HoF during DAO events and whose personal quest is to take revenge for Howe's betrayal and crimes. She romances Alistair.

So in the Landsmeet, a visibly elf-blooded (hardened) Alistair is supported by the HoF (not Cousland) and the power-hungry Eamon but that's not enough and Fereldans are also quite racists, so I feel like Alistair is going to need marrying Anora or Cousland in order to get more votes and become the next king.

hmm okay so the breaks from canon here are visibly elf-blooded alistair and non-warden cousland. and the question is which outcome would be best for ferelden?

even as a younger child, cousland is the daughter of a teyrn. if anything happened to her brother she would have been the future second most powerful figure in ferelden, and the people raising and training her would have been aware of this. anora has the exact same background as daughter of a teyrn, and both would have been trained to govern. while anora has experience with actually ruling the whole of ferelden, cousland is from a more established family and has no associations with loghain for those who consider him a traitor. i would say cousland’s actual fitness to rule is up to you; i can’t make that judgement on your character, it depends on who she is and what she’s like! anora is characterised as a capable ruler devoted to her country, a layered character whose dedication, practicality, and skill are equally her ruthlessness, her ambition, and her determination that she alone is the right answer. i would consider looking at your HOF’s background and considering what their idea of a good ruler is, what their perspective is on how ferelden looks under anora’s rule, etc.

considering this rule is a partnership, you may want to think through whether alistair/cousland or alistair/anora would work together best. the epilogue slides claim hardened alistair and anora work well together, a “surprisingly effective pair” who both take an interest in ruling. cousland still being around while that’s happening is a weird and interesting power dynamic; i imagine anora would feel very threatened by her overall especially if they’re still in a relationship. as for alistair/cousland, how they work together and how good cousland is at the job is again up to you, but since they’re in love i’m assuming they’re a good team. as you mention, anora would be imprisoned—i actually didn’t know that, i ran through the landsmeet dialogue for this—but i have no idea how that turns out in the long run and there doesn’t seem to be any canon information on that. anora does point blank refuse to publicly abandon her claim and i think it’s unlikely rebellion would never be raised in her name. her claim is just too good of an opportunity to miss for anyone who wanted to rebel and i don’t think anora could resist the chance if offered. possibly matters could be brought to a compromise, perhaps where she settles for the teyrnir of gwaren, but that’s still a very dangerous and powerful position to leave her in. her claim and experience will always look good whenever alistair/cousland do anything wrong, and that goes doubly if alistair’s visibly elf-blooded. frankly i could see anora being executed, eventually, if compromises didn’t work out. that’s the game of challenging royal claims and it’s what she would have done to alistair; hardened alistair very much doesn’t disregard it as an eventual option in his landsmeet dialogue, either. i think all that’s true of any version of events where she isn’t queen

personally to summarise i think it would be an odd choice in this circumstances not to put alistair/cousland on the throne because the HOF knows and presumably trusts them personally, it’s a good political solution, cousland isn’t even a warden here so those problems (with the question of heirs and with warden neutrality) are removed, and they’re in love so why actively ruin it for them. but if your HOF has a very high opinion of anora, or (accurately or inaccurately) considers your cousland personally inappropriate for the throne in comparison to anora, they might be set on the other choice. the former is more obvious but the latter may be a stronger character decision

[tortoisebore]

originally reblogged the sibling post but then it made me feel itchy so here i am again

im the youngest of 4!! all of them are my half siblings, but saying "half sibling" is more of a family tree thing than an actual relationship thing. two brothers on my moms side, one sister on my dads. ive only met my sister maybe 5 times, her and my dad have never been on good terms. my middle brother and i are best friends despite the age difference and my oldest brother lives across the country but we try to talk often. youngest children get shit for getting the most attention from their parents, and although i think thats true and i could write a 10 page essay on the shitty ways my parents treated my middle brother compared to me, but there are completely unfair expectations for every child, and i think it isnt right to say that all that attention was always good attention. very fortunate to have a good relationship with my brothers, though, its made a lot of days easier! im the only fire sun of my siblings and my middle brother and i are a menace together since hes a scorpio! love him sm

YES YES YES 100% YES

allllll placements within the family are different and as the oldest sibling it sometimes feels like the younger kids have it easier but they DON’T—their experiences are just different!

like, my oldest-younger sister & i grew up with extremely strict conservative christian parents, but thankfully they’ve turned around a lot in the last couple of years and have become more lenient and progressive. but parenting-wise, it’s like night & day between the two oldest siblings in our family and the two youngest

it looks from the outside like my brother has zero rules—he doesn’t have to do chores, he can be on his computer all day unsupervised without anyone constantly checking his browser history, watch whatever he wants, etc. and the parts of me that are still bitter at how my parents raised me is sometimes like ‘that’s not fair.’

BUT, my brother doesn’t have the same structure that gave me an early sense of responsibility that i cherish now as an adult, he doesn’t have multiple siblings in the house with him to keep him company so he spends a lot of time alone, and the attention he does finally get is often negative for grades, behavior, etc. it’s also hard for him to be the only boy, and come after my sister and i, who were both always on our best behavior, had great grades without trying, and ‘respected’ our parents (really we were just too afraid of punishment to argue back), so my brother gets deemed ‘difficult’ just bc he came after two ‘easy’ daughters. it’s hard for me to watch the way he’s treated and spoken about sometimes because i can recognize his experience now, so i’m always his #1 defender in any situation, even when he might be in the wrong. fighting anyone that comes after him also means punching at my own family sometimes lmaooo but u gotta do what u gotta do

it’s such a huge relief to be close with them despite all of these weird & changing dynamics, i’m so glad that you’re close with your brother! at the end of the day our siblings are the people we spent the most time with and the ones that i feel like we see ourselves the most in, good and bad. like, there are pieces of me in each of my siblings and pieces of each of them in me, and even when it doesn’t always manifest in a positive way, those are the parts of myself i’m most fond of