#and she found someone who knows how to create the illusion of life

[kinoshi]

Basically, I bet you'll see

At first, I'm not quite what I seem

Every day is just the same

(Picking names, repeating faces)

Everything is show and tell

And things are played off somewhat well

Holding hands, we're rather bored

Nothing lines up anymore

The Chattering Lack of Common Sense

Это сигнатурка Недотеп в масках, я уверена

Just... accept the mask

Пыталась написать небольшую предысторию, но так как я не писатель то,что вышло мне не понравилось. Как к этому все пришло-история умалчивает.

[wakkass]

Katara's Lightning: waterbending technique

Part 2

By a happy coincidence, one firebender who just knows how to redirect lightning joined the Gaang. You have no idea how excited I was when I realized the potential for Zuko and Katara's interaction in this concept.

Two benders of opposing elements turn to each other's elements to master one phenomenon: lightning. She's a waterbender who creates this lightning, and he's a firebender who repels it. One draws these skills from the other's martial art: lightning redirection is based on the concept of waterbending, while lightning is a firebending technique.

This is not just a combination of elements, it's their unification into something whole. Mix water and fire! It would seem impossible, but Katara and Zuko are people who have always gone beyond human capabilities to achieve their goals. If they can't do it, no one can.

Thus, by blurring the boundaries between fire and water, they destroy the illusion of difference between peoples (if you remember, this topic was raised by Guru Pathik in book 2). People of water and fire can work together, help and even complement each other.

After all, in fact, each of them makes up for the lack of the other. Katara can't control the lightning, and Zuko can't create it to further deflect it. They need each other for the balance of power. Like Yin and Yang, like day and night, like the sun and moon. How beautiful it is, I can’t.

I think the whole idea of Katara personifying anger would have continued with Zuko joining the team. When he appeared, she found nothing better than to center her rage on him. He betrayed her, this is justified anger. He's the prince of the nation that started the war, he is responsible for these horrors. He's the son of the one who ordered her mother killed.

However, Zuko did something that no one expected, especially Katara: he allowed her to let go of the anger of her life. He achieved this by redirecting the power of her rage to the real culprit of all Katara's worries - the murderer of her mother. And the reprisal against him gave her inner peace and a solution to a problem that seemed unsolvable.

Her anger was just like lightning, which was eager to strike at least someone, just to throw out the accumulated energy. Righteous, but throwing itself at everyone. Zuko didn't hide it, didn't calm it down, but redirected it to where it was needed, finding the necessary target.

This is another metaphorical aspect of their joint technique. He learned to channel her lightning not just through training, but through interaction and strengthening their personal connection. And the result was that understanding at a glance, which formed the basis of their fighting style. I don't know about you, but I thought this summed up their relationship perfectly.

Thus, from now on, she can rely on Zuko and trust him not only with the emotional burden, but also with their lives in the midst of a storm, both metaphorical and literal. After all, she knows that he will always deflect lightning from innocent...

Remember this moment? Zuko and Katara fight back to back, showing their shared trust in each other and cooperation as warriors. But imagine if, on top of everything else, they trained a joint technique for generating lightning and then directing it. It looks so cool in my head, it’s a pity I’m not an animator and/or storyboard artist, I don’t know how to stage scenes (((

And then, when lightning seemingly brought Zuko and Katara together, it ended up nearly tearing them apart, taking his life.

Because Zuko will always deflect lightning from Katara…

< Part 1

[tartsinarat]

Pip: “…I know you will never think so, but I have always hoped that in another life, you had ran away with me that night.”

Hunter: “…”

Pip: “We could have actually been finally free from this gilded birdcage.”

So I’ve never actually posted anything deeper into how Hunter and Pip think about each other/ their dynamic other than silly sibling dynamic but it’s actually a lot more interesting than that.

Pip and Hunter actually have a complicated relationship that somewhat is like funhouse mirror on what Philip and Caleb may have been like as they both flip flop between the two roles but ironically Hunter predominantly takes Philip’s role while Pip takes Caleb’s. Which uh caused a lot of disagreements.

In the au canon, they see themselves as actually being siblings rather than cousins because the fake story that Belos made is a lot different from the og canon of the show.

So rather than being Belos’s nephews like how Hunter is in the show, instead they are his actual children that he had with a human when he supposedly visited the human realm. This is what Hunter believes is the reason why he has no magic but pointed ears and why Pip thinks he has magic but round ears.

The story that Belos created in order to explain why their mum mysteriously missing is that a group of wild witches killed her and the rest of their family. It’s also the fake explanation for how both Pip and Belos got cursed.

This also adds credence to why Belos hates wild witches to the public and why the day of unity is so important because they’ve all been told it’s going to properly unite the human realm and the demon realm.

I also find it much more interesting that instead of Hunter just knowing that his “family” died in a mysterious way like in the show canon that instead Belos actually created an extremely detailed false family history so those two wouldn’t go snooping around searching for any missing details

it makes it even more fucked up when these two later learn that everything was a lie because to further solidify the illusion Belos even implanted false memories so uh these definitely two struggle with the consequences of figuring that out.

But yeah properly onto Pip and Hunter, both of them were basically inseparable as little kids but ended up drifting apart because Hunter had started working as the Golden guard and Pip was too young to help out (and also Belos didn’t want to have to go through the long and tedious process of cloning himself again) so Pip was often left behind bored and alone.

This boredom has consequences because when exploring the castle Pip found out about something he really shouldn’t have…He inadvertently ended meeting the collector who was also really bored and wanted to play with someone who’s not old and boring like Belos. Uh safe to say Pip straight up almost died when Belos walked in on him and the collector chatting about titans.

Hunter also ended up eventually getting involved to try and protect Pip but ended up getting that wound across his cheek. They obviously both survived but they were both punished by not being allowed to use healing magic on their wounds and to be locked in their rooms for the foreseeable future.

Pip sneaks out and attempts to convince Hunter to escape the castle and run away because it’s not the first time they’ve been almost killed for a mistake but Hunter believes that they had both deserved it for disobeying authority and refuses to come with Pip.

Pip just ends up escaping by sneaking on to an airship but almost gets caught by Belos but just escapes in the nick of time with just a scratch across his thigh. Luckily the airship was being piloted Lilith who had no idea that there was a stowaway onboard as she was too busy planing on how to finally convince Eda to join the emperor’s coven.

Oh yeah Eda straight up slams the door in Lilith’s face and tells Hooty to eat any intruders, Pip sneaks out of the airship as it’s about to leave and while trying to get a grasp of his surroundings, Hooty sees him and its on sight. Eda saves him and ends up with a new roommate along side King and Hooty and patches him up because she felt bad for the little guy.

I’ll talk about Hunter and Pip’s familial relationship in the modern times in another post as this one got really long TwT

But yeah that’s the origin to this post of small Pip and why him and Hunter have bad blood until they met again like 7 years later.

[grangerhater]

he hit me and it felt like a kiss

tom riddle x fem!reader

(no y/n so it can be any female character)

warnings: violence, implication of abuse, toxic relationships, i am not romanticising such relationships and please seek help if you or someone you know may be in such relationship

hurt no comfort

inspired by

The halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were filled with whispers and rumors, but there was one person who stood out among the rest. Tom Riddle, a charismatic and enigmatic young wizard, had captivated the attention of many, including her. As the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, their paths intertwined, leading to a trusted friendship that would ultimately be tested.

She had always been a kind-hearted and gentle soul, often feeling overlooked and invisible. But when Tom Riddle entered her life, everything changed. He saw her, listened to her, and made her feel seen in a way she had never experienced before. It felt like a dream come true, a love story unfolding before her very eyes.

As their connection deepened, she found herself falling deeper into the illusion that Tom had created. He showered her with attention, whispered sweet promises, and made her believe that she was the center of his universe. She felt an all-consuming love, a love that was both exhilarating and terrifying.

But as the days went by, cracks started to appear in the facade of their relationship. Tom's possessiveness became more apparent, his demands more controlling. Yet, she remained blind to the red flags, convinced that this was the price she had to pay for the love she had always desired.

One fateful night, Tom's darker side emerged, shattering the fragile trust that had been built between them. In a moment of vulnerability, she had confided in him about her fears and doubts, hoping for reassurance and comfort. However, instead of solace, she received scorn and indifference.

Tom shattered her trust by revealing his true nature, the very darkness that had lurked beneath his charming exterior. He had the power to protect her, to shield her from harm, but he chose not to, he shattered it with a slap across the face. She was devastated at first, but ultimately reasoned that it was done out of affection, and that Tom's actions could be overlooked. In a way, her love blinded her from seeing any red flags, and she chose to ignore any wrong-doings from Tom. The pain of betrayal cut deep, but her perception had been clouded by her unwavering belief in his love for her.

But she couldn't bring herself to leave him. She was blinded by the fact that someone could actually love her. She ignored all the bad, cruel things he did, convincing yourself that it was just his way of showing his affection.

She was trapped in a cycle of abuse, unable to break free. Tom had complete control over her, and she couldn't resist his charm.

One day, Tom took things too far. He hurt her in a way that she could never forget. She were left broken and alone, wondering how she could have been so blind.

But even then again, she couldn't bring herself to leave him. She were addicted to the pain, the hurt, the love. She craved it, even though it was slowly destroying her

In her eyes, his actions were simply a testament to the depths of his affection. She saw his neglect as a twisted form of devotion, his indifference as a sign of his overwhelming passion. Each hurtful word and cruel action only reinforced her conviction that this was love, that she was lucky to have found someone who cared for her so deeply.

Friends and loved ones tried to intervene, to open her eyes to the toxic nature of their relationship. But she, blinded by her own yearning for love, turned a deaf ear to their concerns. She believed that they couldn't possibly understand the depths of their connection, that they were simply envious of what she had found.

[dokidokitsuna]

Goldilocks in Grimmland

This is so, so premature...but my muses have been with me from start to finish on this idea and I adore it, so I'm talking about it now! :D

So in the RWBY NeverFell AU, Yang's little mishap during the Vytal Festival actually follows her around for quite a while; with pretty much everyone but her closest friends whispering behind her back about what she did to Mercury. This is very isolating and frustrating for her, especially since she knows from Ruby's eye-witness account that Merc was definitely faking his injury. She's determined to figure out how and why she saw that illusion, and also kinda wants revenge against Mercury for low-key ruining her life. ^^; And her investigation eventually leads her back to him...except, he looks a bit different now. Shocked by his Grimmification and eager to know more, she dives even deeper into the mystery.

Unfortunately, by this time, Salem has arrived at Beacon, parking her giant whale outside the premises similarly to the way she did in Volume 8. ^^ And upon landing, it creates a Grimm-based ecosystem-- a dark forest that gradually spreads outwards the longer it stays there, only adding to the population of Grimm overrunning the area. That's a whole other issue, that the rest of Team RWBY will probably be helping with. For Yang, it's mostly just a giant hindrance to her investigation. She's got suspicions about Mercury (and knowing he's a silver-eyed warrior, suspicions about her deceased mother) and she's sure that the answers are somewhere in that Grimm-whale. But with the death-forest of Grimm surrounding it, it seems impossible for her to get there.

Until, she remembers she knows someone with a semblance that's perfect for the job. ^^

+++

There are several reasons why I love this idea: it gives Yang the spotlight for once in her life; it makes Mercury relevant; it provides an opportunity to get members of the main cast close to Salem.

But the biggest one is: IT GIVES ME AN EXCUSE TO USE REN!!!!! (≧∇≦)ﾉ

I've always loved Lie Ren; like Penny, he's one of those characters who's just impossible to screw up (in basic concept, anyway...). Across RWBY's many adaptations and spinoffs, he's always adorable and always looks cool in combat.

The only problem with him, and the reason I've rarely spoken about him, is that...people don't seem to care about him?? ;_; Specifically, in the source material, he's given so little to do that there just isn't much of a reason to care about him. He barely has any motivations that don't boil down to some variant of "protect Nora". Even Nora herself is given character connections and talking points outside of "her man", but Ren has no one and nothing else. He gets a couple episodes of spotlight in Volume 4, and that's it for the whole series. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I mean, just think about this: Ren is the only member of the main cast who doesn't have a character song. o_o Look it up, it's true. I had to look it up just to make sure, because I found it appalling...this is a character who was originally voiced by the creator of the show; why is he such an afterthought???

So I decided, if I don't like this, I gotta do right by him in NeverFell, somehow. And it was REALLY hard to think of a place to put him, until I suddenly struck gold with this idea. ^^ Yang's little 'detective story arc' had been a thing for a while, and although I wanted her to be separate from Team RWBY, I never really liked the idea of her being alone. A character like her works best with someone to bounce off, and Ren's coolness is a great contrast for her bubbly personality.

Plus, I think putting Ren in a position like this could service him, too: not only does it give me an opportunity to add his semblance, backstory, and maybe even a Nuckelavee fight to the plot in the absence of a V4 timeline; it could give him a chance to "flesh himself out" the way Nora did in V7. Y'know, allow him to really connect with someone besides Nora-- and then, maybe seeing how similar-yet-different Yang is to his childhood friend is what'll get him to realize that he's never done this before. That maybe he's stuck to the familiar dynamic of that early relationship for so long, that there are different sides of his own personality that he's forgotten about. Sides that are coming out now that he's on this new adventure, with a new friend~.

[florawrites-blog]

"Right where you left me"

The quaint little café at the edge of town was a place frozen in time. Its worn wooden tables and mismatched chairs, the soft hum of chatter, and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee created a comforting, familiar atmosphere. It was where you and Heeseung had spent countless afternoons, lost in conversation and each other. It was also where he left you. The memory of that day was as vivid as if it had happened yesterday. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the floor as Heeseung sat across from you, his eyes avoiding yours. There was a heaviness in the air, a sense of impending doom that you couldn't shake. "We need to talk," he had said, his voice barely above a whisper. You had known Heeseung since high school. You had grown from awkward teenagers into adults together, your lives intertwining in ways that felt destined. You shared dreams, secrets, and a bond that you thought was unbreakable. But sitting there, across from him, you felt something shatter inside you. He spoke of his career, the opportunities that awaited him far from your small town, and the need to find himself. "I need to do this alone," he said, his eyes finally meeting yours, filled with a mix of sorrow and determination. You had pleaded, argued, and cried, but nothing you said could change his mind. "You'll move on," he had said, his hand squeezing yours one last time. "You'll be okay." And then he was gone, leaving you sitting alone in that café, surrounded by the echoes of your past. The days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months, but you remained right where he left you. You threw yourself into your work, hoping to numb the pain with busyness. But every time you walked past the café, you couldn't help but glance inside, half-expecting to see Heeseung sitting at your usual table, waiting for you. The café became a shrine to your memories, a place where you could still feel connected to him, even if it was just an illusion. Friends and family urged you to move on, to let go of the past and embrace the future. But how could you, when every corner of this town held a piece of him? The park where you had your first kiss, the bookstore where you spent lazy Sundays browsing for new reads, the bench by the river where you talked about your dreams—all of it was a constant reminder of what you had lost. One rainy afternoon, a year after Heeseung had left, you found yourself back at the café. The same waitress who had served you so many times smiled warmly as she handed you a cup of coffee. "He's not coming back, you know," she said gently, her eyes filled with sympathy. You nodded, unable to find the words to respond. You knew she was right. Heeseung had moved on, and it was time for you to do the same. But how do you let go of someone who was a part of your very soul? As you sat there, staring at the empty seat across from you, you realized that moving on didn't mean forgetting. It meant finding a way to live with the memories, to carry them with you as you forged a new path. You took a deep breath, feeling a sense of resolve wash over you. You stood up, leaving the past behind, and walked out of the café into the pouring rain. It was time to write a new chapter, one where you were the protagonist of your own story, not just a character in someone else's. But no matter where life took you, a part of you would always be right where he left you, in that little café at the edge of town, holding on to the echoes of a love that once was.

Please don't steal or copy , thank you

[archer-kacey]

Joey Drew is Gay and there's no way around it (Pt 2)

In Illusion of Living, Joey claims that he was the one who created Bendy. In reality, Henry was the one who ultimately put pen to paper and created Bendy, Boris and Alice. Again, there's possessiveness over Bendy here, but that isn't all. Remember when I said in the previous part that Joey viewed Bendy as his literal son? So, the funny thing about that is...Henry created Bendy...and from Joey's perspective, his son.

Henry created his son.

And even if that's still a reach, Henry created the entity that was one of the most important things in Joey's life-his muse, messenger, and avenue through which he communicated his stories and ideas to the world. (Basically, his favorite OC.)

Things start off pretty swimmingly in terms of their friendship.

Joey was the one who got Henry set up working at the bookstore. (Apparently he also found him more complex than he initially thought.)

Things only pick up steam from here. When Joey finally does see Henry's art, he seems to have a strong reaction.

Joey has a "lightbulb moment" at the sight of Henry's cartoony style. He doesn't stop at the art, though.

(Joey, did he tackle what was right in front of him, or did you just want him to tackle what was in front of him? Be honest, now.)

Notice Abby's reaction. She sees how quickly he gravitates towards Henry's art, and the man himself.

Henry also seems stunned to silence by the high praise Joey gives him, which is a fair reaction to being told he might chart the course of the rest of someone's life.

Notice how Joey can't explain why he had such a sudden fascination with cartoons, he just "felt" it.

Pardon my french, but Abby seems to either be worried that he’s thinking with his dick, or not thinking at all. (Probably both.) Despite Abby's reservations, when Joey keeps his insistence that he wants to get into cartoons, she knows Henry is the man for the job.

And her intuition about bringing them together as business partners paid off.

Henry co-founded the studio with Joey, and by all surrounding context we're given, Joey seemed to be perfectly content with this setup. That is, until their eventual falling out.

We don't know the nitty gritty specifics of their falling out, but we know a few things. For one, it was brutal, which Nathan helps confirm via footnote.

Secondly, we know Henry moved to California. That's all the way across the US. Thirdly, we know Henry had a wife, Linda.

So the guy that helped him actualize his dream, created his SON/favorite OC, and was probably his best friend at the time, fell out with him and moved all the way across the country with his wife (and assumedly didn't talk to him again.)

I would find it hard to believe that Joey was solely using Henry similar to what he did with Susie, because there are very curt admissions throughout Illusion of Living that he can't entirely erase Henry from the narrative, as badly as he wants to. Joey couldn't get Henry out of his mind. Of course he didn't treat Henry fairly, and of course Henry had every right to leave. But he had a strong connection to Henry whether he wanted to admit it or not.

There's no proof that he felt romantically about Henry. There is, however, proof that Joey wanted a family, viewed Bendy as his son, admits he still admired Henry after the fallout, and seemed perfectly content living out his wildest dreams with the man who, from his perspective, created HIS SON.

But we're not done yet. See, Henry is FAR from the only man who had a great deal of relevance in Joey's life.

PART 3>>

[kisilinramblings]

How I personally recall each episode name this S5 even if the name theme isn't helping.

----

Evolution : Time travel! Also, we see past Gabriel compared to who he has now become (Monarch).

Multiplication : Alliance production and distribution.

Destruction : Chat cataclysms (accidentaly) Monarch. Also, we witness Gabriel destroy the Miraculous in that episode.

Jubilation : Power of the Pig. Ladynoir Happy Ending Dream Sequence.

Illusion : Birth of La Résistance + Monarch creates an illusion to divert suspicions again like he did as the Collector.

Determination : Musée Grévin.

Passion : Nathalie's episode.

Reunion : Meeting up with a past Holder.

Elation : Marichat.

Transmission : Marinette and Adrien both renounce to their Miraculous. New Holders are found.

Deflagration : Huge explosion caused by Plagg destroying his Miraculous so Monarch cannot have the absolute power.

Perfection : Cloud Kagami. She doesn't want to fight in this one. Communication issues.

Derision : Flashback. A very bad prank messed Marinette up about love.

Migration : Luka has to leave because he knows Ladybug and Chat Noir's secret identity.

Intuition : Gabriel as Monarch abuses of the Snake Miraculous

Protection : Kagami is gaslighted by Lila to attack Marinette. Sword and Shield.

Adoration : Love is love!

Emotion : Félix infiltrate the Diamond Bal and goes full Anarchy mode.

Pretension : Tomoe vs Félix.

Revelation : Lila gets all of Gabriel little secrets, revealing some of his past life.

Confrontation : Marinette finally gets a Gotcha at Lila with the help of Sabrina.

Collusion : The lobbies unhappy gets rid of current mayor to put someone else who will be more of use to them.

Revolution : Fight against dictatorship and other authoritarian regime!

Representation : The Play.

[turvi]

To Love Sirius Black

CREDIT TO GIF OWNERS GIF NOT MINE

Warning: Angst, kissing, mention of sex, pregnancy, canon death

If you asked his ex-lovers, it was so easy. Not just because he was beautiful, charming, and sarcastic but there was something about Sirius Black that attracted everyone regardless of their gender.

But if you asked Y/n L/n. For her, it was a curse. On days she wished she was just one of his flings he would forget about the next day. While some days she wished she never should have looked at him the second time. She wished he forgot about her, she wished it was someone else. But for Sirius, it was always her and for her, it was always Sirius.

How she looked back at the time he confessed his love for her in front of everyone just because he could. They were so young and naive. She hates how easy it was to love Sirius Black. She hates how easy it is and always will be to love Sirius Black.

She was bitter at her younger self for letting him in, for making him so comfortable with her that he stripped all of his defenses and became vulnerable with her. She cursed herself for taking that leap of faith and falling for him. She wanted to back in time and stop herself from moaning his name letting him know she was his as he rutted himself into her. She hated how easily her name came out of his lips as he finally let himself go.

Then it all happened. He was arrested. Years had passed she could have moved on to have a life. But her heart was loyal to her lover. She actually tried to find someone else but she knew that no one will know her like Sirius Black did. How she lived through the years surprised her too.

12 years. He came back 12 years later. Remus was kind enough to let her know he was out. She didn't have to go looking after him but she craved to look at him even if it was for a short while. He looked so different. He was still her Sirius but he looked so different. Her mind told her to run away and never look back but as if her body had a mind of its own as soon as Sirius spread his arms she immediately found her place in them.

They talked till midnight until they couldn't take it anymore and gave into each other like they did 12 years ago and for them, it never felt that long. For them, it felt like it was just yesterday they were sneaking through the Hogwarts corridors just to kiss before they part ways. That night was filled with promises like the last one. The promise to stay, the promise to love each other, the promise to have a family of their own.

But Bellatrix Lestrange took those promises away. She didn't know who she hated more right now. As she caressed her now swollen belly Y/n is reminded suddenly that she doesn't even have a body to bury. It was like Sirius Black didn't even exist. He was a part of an illusion she created to fight her loneliness. Her swollen belly was the only evidence that he was real, it was him. She touched him and promised him the life they had always dreamed of.

She couldn't even shed tears this time as she had shed them all when they took him away from her for the first time. She wondered how will she tell her child that her father was so excited to meet her but as always was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Y/n finds comfort in these words. Yeah, this is exactly what happened.

She remembers how Sirius once told her she is not even his type yet he loves her immensely. How before their relationship started for her Sirius being in love with her was just a fantasy and how she wished they would get to be together in their next lifetime.

How she was glad that she is the one who shares this fate of being Sirius Black's lover as it is filled with pain and longing. She can't imagine how someone else would have coped with so much pain she wouldn't wish this pain even upon her greatest enemy.

And to love Sirius Black will always be Y/n's curse.

A/N: Damn I hope you like this one. REBLOG AND FEEDBACK ARE APPRECIATED

@sunnylands-world

[shiraishi--kanade]

hi jay! as resident kanade expert, i was wondering. if you have insights into the mizukana dynamic. i’ve always found them interesting because they have the least personal connection of any niigo pairing. i think the interactions they do have show more of kanade’s sweet side without the overwhelmingness of her savior complex.

i would guess that it’s because mizuki is less susceptible to having someone “save” her. mafuyu has no idea what she wants— her entire life has been dictated by others. so when someone steps in to make everything better, it’s easy to let that happen. and with ena, we know she’s sensitive to attention, positive or negative. kanade praising her art is all it really takes to give the illusion of saving.

with mizuki, since she’s so closed off, kanade doesn’t have a clue what her problems are. ena and mafuyu have a more general idea, but kanade… doesn’t really have anything to work off of because of their lack of closeness. it creates a paradox where she can’t really do anything to help, so instead she’s just a good friend to her for the most part.

but that’s basically all i have! so, what are your thoughts?

Hi! Sorry I left you in the askbox for so long - I have exams right now and I also kind of... Thought about it too much and then forgot. (⁠〒⁠﹏⁠〒⁠)

In general, I think you're right about that. Mizuki is definitely in an interesting position in a group; while openly acknowledging that they're not okay, they refuse to tell the group why. For Kanade, I think, it's a little confusing. She's by no means emotionally unintelligent, and she's stubborn about saving someone once she sets her mind on it, however, with Mizuki, I think there's three factors why she isn't as proactive:

1) what you said;

2) this particular conversation in Carnation Recollection event.

I think this could have easily led Kanade into a sense of comfort that she has already done her "duty" with Mizuki, so to speak. I'm not saying she's ignorant to the fact that Mizuki is not okay, but that she might think she has already done all she could (and in a way, that kind of is true: n25 can't do much more than to just be their support network/stable friendship group at the moment, and actually communicating their issues is currently on Mizuki themselves). Combined with Mafuyu's situation being as dire as it is, and Mizuki seemingly being the only group member to have their shit together from an outsider's perspective, Kanade's focus is just on other issues right now.

3) To a certain extent, Mizuki parallels Kanade in the ways they help other people. You know the whole thing with Mizuki always offering an umbrella to other people (but never holding one to shelter themselves)? Basically, that.

Despite Kanade's "savior" role, Mizuki is the one who actually much more actively takes on the helper role.

(and like, many more examples, but those two come to mind more easily, with how much of those events is focused on Mizuki helping other people, one of them Kanade, and feeling inadequate to do so)

Despite claiming to "not be the one" who should be giving out advice, Mizuki is actually one of the more thoughtful and determined members when it comes to that. They're steadfast in savings Mafuyu, but also recognise the suffering of Kanade and Ena, too, through their own worldview.

I think while they're not entirely without issues in respect to the whole "saving each other" thing (it would be pretty boring otherwise), their motivation and oftentimes methods are much healthier and come from a more considerate place than Kanade's do. In-universe, Kanade might be leaning onto Mizuki so much in helping her on her mission that she doesn't fully realise they need help to, and if they do, how to help them; narratively, I think this is set up at least partially intentionally, and the confrontation and true connection between Kanade and Mizuki is yet to come.

[ashes-writing-corner]

I know, I know, I said I wasn't gonna write fanfiction in the month of November. I kinda lied.

Look season 2 of Moon Knight has been announced and I am a sucker for any and all things Oscar Isaac and the moon boys. That all being said, please enjoy this Jake Lockley and Steven Grant angst fest! If it gets enough likes/reblogs/comments, I'll do a part 2 with Marc. He was supposed to be in it but I ran out if time to write more.

TW: mention of the thought of self harm, somewhat accidental self harm, possible oocness, and probably very badly translated Spanish (yes, I used Google translate sue me....seriously don't I have nothing XD)

Perfect Little Punching Bag

Love.

Hate. 

There was always such a fine line between them. Was love always so fickle? Was hate always so non linear? Not helping matters was that all too often, the two emotions blended in a painful mix for him. 

It used to hurt. It used to hurt a lot…

At least Steven had been sold some kind of illusion that someone gave a rat's ass about him. Happiness based on a lie was no way to live, sure, but he had it. He believed someone cared about him, the person who was supposed to care for them the most. 

The same person he was created to protect their body from: their own mother. 

The two had their roles, and while they were close, they never actually met. Steven protected Marc Spector's heart, as in the center of the innermost feeling. Jake was created with no such blissful delusion. No. There was no comfort, no care for Jake Lockley. He was created to protect the physical body from all means of harm. 

When Wendy screamed, he would hear without truly listening. When she whipped or beat him, he'd feel it without reacting. No. He could not, and would not, let her win. Although his young throat would burn with the urge to roar and fight back, at the time he knew he stood no chance. He would lay there in the aftermath, wide eyed, his back and everywhere else burning and welted. But she did not win. 

She never won when it came to Jake. She did not see his tears. She wouldn't ever see them. And if she didn't, no one else surely would.

Where had he found his first blade again? Oh yes, he had taken it out of one of Marc's old pencil sharpeners. Jake had snagged the smallest screwdriver he could find so he could take it out. After every beating, every screaming session, when Jake felt strong enough again, he'd lift the rug in his alter's bedroom and carve another tally into the floor. Jake didn't know why he had kept track, there wasn't a point, but even now, he kept track of the many times he won, the times he cracked but never shattered. He had thought of using the blade several times on himself, but knew that would go against his purpose. Why cause more damage to a body he was supposed to defend? No, no…the floor was covered under that rug with evidence of his wrath.

Hate was an easy emotion. He was born in and from it, molded by it. If he felt it most of the time could he really call it hate? Hate at his abusive mother and enabling father. Hate at his alters for their closeness from which he was excluded. Hate at the world for molding him into this…this monster. He understood this was his lot in life, to be this hated and hateful monster, and for the longest time Jake never objected. It was his job in life and in the system. He knew his place. 

But overtime, it began to slowly take its toll. 

Jake was all too aware of the hole in his heart, if he could even call it that anymore. It was more than that now. A gaping, bloody maw that roared to be fed or else it would consume him. It was why he did what he did as brutally as he did it. Feed the maw, kill the pain inside. That was the deal. But no matter how much he did, or what he tried, it would come back with a vengeance eventually, angry at its suppression and hungry all over again. Longing consumed him, and icy loneliness gripped at his heart. It was bearable, but only to a certain extent. Again, it was his lot in life. 

But then Marc met Layla, falling in love. Oh Jake hated him for that. Marc had the nerve, the gall, the AUDACITY to attempt to be happy while Jake rotted in the excess of HIS despair?! He could stand it when one of his alters was happy. He was okay with either Steven or Marc being happy but not both of them at the same time! How was that fair?!  Even if Steven's happiness was built on illusion, he still HAD it. He felt a semblance of it, a taste of it. 

But there was no such thing as that for Jake Lockley. Never. He wasn't created to be loved. He was never meant to BE happy. He was the monster Marc created for his own darker tendencies, a way for him to subdue his conscience to do his mercenary work. 

Sometimes, Jake would think about trying to approach one of or maybe both of them. Jake would imagine it, talking himself up a bit, trying to think of what he would tell them, and hope that the two alters would find something in him worth accepting.  But oh no Khonshu couldn't let that happen. The moon god poured poison in Jake's ear, which dripped slowly to the maw in his heart…

“Do you really think those two idiots care about you? If they did, wouldn't they have freed you in the Duat? Wouldn't they have added your heart to the scales to be weighed? Wouldn't they have gone back for you? You know exactly how they would react” Khonshu pointed out and would fill Jake's head with horrid illusions of their reactions. 

Steven was always afraid of him, no matter what he tried. Marc was disgusted most of the time, and unsympathetic, like a cold and uncaring master kicking his dog. Well, a kicked dog could only take so much before lashing out, seeing enemies everywhere. The moon god had succeeded in turning Jake against the other two…

Or so he thought. 

It was in a deep state of meditation that he was found. In the darkest corner of Marc Spector's mind was Jake Lockley's own personal hell, his domain. No longer in that damn sarcophagus, it was replaced with a dark room, a small closet more like, with tally marks all over the walls. Countless numbers of them. Jake couldn't keep track of them anymore. 

Some ‘victories’ they were indeed.

Of the alters, it was Steven who found him first. Sweet Steven Grant with his damn heart of gold…why did it have to be him?! Sitting in that corner, wallowing in his despair, with the maw begging to be fed again. It was always so damn hungry now…

Steven looked at the wretched place, concern etched into his features. But he knew they both needed answers. Who the hell was this and what did they want? There was blood all over the floor and tally marks carved in all four walls from floor to ceiling. A shadow sat facing a corner, uncaring about the horror around him. A single light bulb on a string was the only light in that room and it was dull, fading. It looked like something out of a horror movie. Steven trembled as he approached the shadow in the corner. 

“Hey…hey there, you okay?” He managed to speak out despite what he was looking at. 

Jake let out something that sounded like a growl. “Salir…”. (Go away)

“I'm sorry wha-”. 

“Get out…¡ahora!”. (Now!)

“Whoa! Whoa…whoa….okay! Someone is very protective of their space-”. 

“Salir! No volveré a preguntar!” Jake found the small pencil sharpeners blade close by. (Get out, I won't ask again!)

Steven squinted trying to figure out what it was he was holding. “Okay first of all, English please, and second, I have no idea what that is but I'd appreciate it if you put it back. I didn't come here looking for a fight” he said, trying to keep his voice stable and somewhat gentle. 

“Go away, Steven. This isn't where you belong…”. 

“If I dare say it, you don't belong here either”. 

Jake scoffed. “I'm a part of this too”. 

“What do you-no! I meant you don't belong in here you big doofus!”. 

He hardly gave any mind as he walked along the bloody floor to approach Jake, still facing the corner with the small blade in his hand. Steven felt this oddly familiar feeling with this shadow, this thing. He looked at all the tally marks, and gently brushed his hand against them. 

“What are these?” Steven asked. 

“Victories…” Jake answered, though he didn't dare look at him, not directly. 

From his peripheral vision, however, he could see the man with a softer version of his own hardened face frown, his eyes soft with sadness, not fear. Why wasn't he afraid? Khonshu said he'd be afraid! 

“Victories over what?” He asked, “cause from where I'm standing this doesn't look like victory”. 

“Would you prefer if I said they were kills?” He asked  in kind, keeping his tone dark, even if inside he was trembling. 

The maw was quiet. Deathly so. 

“No…no i think we can stick with victories for now” Steven answered and looked around nervously, unsure of what to say. He decided that skipping the limbo would probably be the best way to go. 

“Are you a third one? Are you like me?” He asked. 

“Podrías decirlo…” Jake replied bitterly, his hand clenching around the blade, not caring about its sharp sting. (You could say that)

Steven frowned. “I don't like the sound of that but I'm assuming that's a yes…and a very angry one. Hey…you don't have to stay here, you know that right?”. 

Jake scoffed, attempting to ignore the pain in his palm. He wanted to turn the blade on Steven, to at least give him a taste of his pain. Maybe it would even piss Marc off enough to get his attention! Oh…wouldn't that be fun? Because as much as he despised and envied Steven, he absolutely hated Marc for his wretched existence. And hurting them both would feel amazing in the moment... 

“This is where I belong” he answered simply. 

“Who says?” Steven asked, “you don't deserve this. What's your name?”. 

“It doesn't matter”. 

“It matters to me, and it definitely matters to Marc-”. 

Jake scoffed louder at that. “He doesn't care about me. He doesn't give a damn about me. Nadie hace…”. (No one does) 

“That's not true! He just doesn't know about you! Look, if I can get us all here at the same time-”. 

“Not on our life! It's bad enough you're here!”. 

Steven frowned deeply at that, looking quite hurt. “You didn't want us to find you, didn't you? Why?”. 

The look on the alter's face was bitter and angry. His eyes, one brown and the other a deep red, were sharp and could cut deeper than any knife. He looked so much like them and yet was so distinctively different. Something in him looked…tired. Tired and sad. Like all he wanted to do was rest. 

Despite everything, deep down Jake didn't want to hurt either of them. Looking at Steven now, it made that long suppressed longing come back in small waves at first. Years of telling himself he didn't care about their approval, their “love”, came back to bite Jake in the face in the most vicious way. 

He didn't hate his alters.

No, in fact, something in him loved them, which was why he still did what he was meant to do. 

So no, hate wasn't what he felt. 

To his surprise, Jake realized that he didn't hate them. What he felt was envy, a deep seated, rooted jealousy aimed at them. Sure there was some resentment there as well, but envy was definitely the stronger of the two. Since their excursion to the Duat, this envy had only grown, the roots taking a stronger deeper hold of Jake's heart. He was jealous of the bond they shared, even if it seemed out of whack in the beginning. When they all took down Harrow together, despite having done most of the work, he wasn't included in that victory. Since then, Jake had been a shadow on the outskirts of their peaceful life…

“A stress ball…”. 

Steven looked confused. “What?”. 

“You asked Marc if you were some kind of stress ball or something not too long ago…”. 

Steven looked at him and squinted. “Wait…the Duat? You were there? Hold on a minute! Was that you in the other sarcophagus?! The one trying to get out?!”. 

His nod hit Steven like a freight train. They had left him there. They abandoned him. 

“I'm so sorry. If I'd known-”. 

“Be lucky you were that. An emotional fucking stress ball. At least you were fed an illusion she cared about you”. 

Steven's hurt turned right away to offense. “Excuse me?! You think I liked learning about that?! I feel like the truth-”. 

“If you knew the truth you would've never survived-”. 

“I survived just fine thanks! If there's something you wanna say then say-”. 

With the utmost viciousness he could muster, Jake hissed back: “Te odio!”. (I hate you!)

Steven almost flinched back. He barely understood a lick of Spanish, but judging from the harshness of his tone and the anger on his face, it didn't take a genius to know what he meant. Not helping matters was the sadness in Jake's eyes. More than anger, more than bitterness or envy, he was just sad.

“I don't hate you” Steven told him, “even if you hate me” he put a gentle hand on Jake's shoulder. 

Jake brushed it off, trying to keep his angry and hateful glare. Steven wasn't falling for it, as he again put a hand on his shoulder.

“I don't hate you” Steven repeated, “a little wigged out but…no, I don't hate you. I want to help you, and I know Marc does too-”. 

“He. Doesn't. Care. He used me as his shield! I'm nothing to him! I'm just a…a punching bag. That's all I've ever been!” his voice broke, as his sadness took a hold, “just a perfect little stoic punching bag!”

It wasn't fair. It wasn't! He deserved to be loved, at least just a little. He deserved to have a life outside this hell his alter condemned him to. He'd do anything for it, to be more than just…well…this! He dropped the blade from his hand, hissing in pain as the cut was deeper than he thought it would be. It fell to the bloody floor with a soft clink and Steven was quick to kick it away before Jake could grab for it again. The softer alter hugged him tightly, the same one the moon god told Jake would be afraid of him, catching him entirely off guard.

“No more…none of that. It's gonna be okay. I'm here for you…I'm here” Steven hugged him tightly, a hand going through the others hair. 

Jake clung to him like a man drowning, like Steven was his only support. Then it got worse: the tears came. Tears of anger, sadness, envy, and frustration, it was a horrid mess of emotions. Ones he didn't like feeling, ones the maw threatened to swallow him in. His body wracked with sobs as Steven hugged and comforted him. 

“I'm so sorry…we never should've left you. We didn't-”. 

“You didn't know, I know. I was…I was s-scared”. 

Steven looked confused. “Scared? You?”. 

“Something-something like that” he managed to say, “I just wanted…something. I-I don't know-”. 

“It's alright. You don't need to tell us yet if you don't want to. I'm glad I found you” Steven parted from him briefly, “never did tell me your name”. 

“Jake…my name's Jake”. 

“Jake” Steven smiled warmly, “well…we gotta see about getting you and Marc in the same close headspace”. 

Jake shook his head. “I can't. He won't…he'd never accept-”. 

“None of that now. Look at me. I'm not a stress ball. You're not a punching bag. It's gonna be okay. We're a part of each other”. 

The softness of his tone and his reassuring words tore down what was left of the wall around Jake Lockley's heart. A wall he'd been building since he formed in Marc Spector's mind, many were the times he wished he could take it down without fear of rejection. 

“Don't be afraid. We'll talk to him” Steven assured him, “he's gotten a lot better at listening”. 

His nerves were a bit fried but Jake nodded. “Alright…I trust you”. 

He could only dare hope his trust wasn't misplaced…

[pin-acolada]

CHAPTER SIX (TQOHH)

Aemond Targaryen x Targaryen OC

Description: Her warmth and love caress his soul making him hum with bliss. Having her presence near makes all of the dark thoughts perish, as she was the flowers that grew in the darkest part of him. She is the keeper of his soul. Holder of his heart. Without her, he is nothing.

The Queen of His Heart Series

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Chaos erupted the entire Kingdom.

Commanded by the King, the City Watch were order to scavenge the entire region in search of the Princess. Nine hours has passed by and the search for Eudora Targaryen continued leaving  House Targaryen in complete distress. The sun began rising from its slumber where its bright light greeted the region. The sun illuminated through the castle windows, and the warmth of its kiss planted on the dark circles of the family.

King Viserys eyes never adverted away from the doors, and he stood sitting on his throne never moving. When the King was informed of his niece missing, it was as if someone had a strong hold of his wind pipe preventing him to breath. His heart plummeted to his stomach, his hands began to be clammy and all that swirled in his mind was if she was still alive. He was so delve into his thoughts that the shouting of his second son and his Queen wife was reduced – the King had put a wall between himself and his family where he cannot hear a word that was being said. All the King could ponder was how he failed his little brother as well as his daughter. The promise he gave to them both now broken, and began to accept the blame of not protecting his little niece like he said he would.

The thought of possibly seeing his niece coming back home in the arms of a guard, dead, was pictured in his mind that it made the King cry where he sat. The quiet cry of the King caught both Alicent and Aemond's ears, and their attention span to the man who was scrunch over the edge of the bed, hands covering his rotting face. Alicent who moved her way to her husband, wrapped her arms around his shoulders to comfort him even though it was she who needed all the comforting. The worry of the princess not being yet found, her son screaming her ear off, and now her husband was stressing the Queen to the point where she was now on edge – that anything that is to be said will have her snap at an instant.

Aemond watched his mother holding his father, listening how soft her voice was speaking to him that it made him think of Eudora of how she was to him. The soft-spoken tone that sound like smooth velvet, and an embrace that felt as a shield was what he needed at that moment.  The sight of his parents was change to him and her, his brain creating an illusion where he pictures them holding one another.

That could've been them nine hours ago.

When Aemond finally expressed his feelings to his mother about Eudora, of how the past four years she has become the person who captured his heart, he begged for her support of convincing his father to agree for him to take Eudora's hand in marriage. He expressed wholeheartedly how she was the one. She is the person who was there for him since day one, she is only person who could read him like an open book, she is the person who knows the waves of his emotions where besides distancing herself away, she moves closer and consider his way of expression as symbol of who he is.

She is the person who captured his heart.

She is the love of his life and without her, without the holder of his heart Aemond Targaryen is completely and utterly inhumane.

When Alicent saw the compassion radiated off her sons eye, she broke. She couldn't say no to the only child she could put up with; never has Aemond been the spoil type nor a headache like Aegon. Aemond has been nothing but a calm and understanding child – never the one to cause trouble nor ask for anything until now. With a sigh, Alicent accepted her son's proposal and gave her word that she will try convincing his father how well of an idea it to be for the two to marry as their forge blood will continue the Targaryen dynasty.

It's unfortunate how he wasn't there to tell her the good news. He bet that the two of them would've been happy cuddling in her chambers already discussing their future. He could already imagine Eudora body between his leg where she rest her head against his chest, while he look down running his fingers through her silk hair as he would listen to her. That could've happened, but it didn't.

When Aemond entered her chambers his eye search for her, but when he didn't see her anywhere in sight did he finally take notice  of the disheveled bed, cups on the floor, and an open window that look upon the garden; the first thing that came to mind was that she was kidnapped.

Never did it cross his mind that she left without telling anyone, especially him since it is unlike Eudora. Aemond was confident that she will never leave him – never abandon alone in this (now) depressing palace. If Eudora had plans to run away she would've told him, and he wouldn't hesitate on going with her.

Aemond shouting was what woke the family who came out of their chambers still deprived with sleep. When they saw the panic in Aemond's and the desperation admitting from his voice, it was like a bucket of ice water woke them up when it registered in their minds that the princess has been taken.  

Aemond didn't wait for his mother to call the Master of Law and Lord Commander, rather he sprinted his way out where he met with Vhagar and mounted her to fly. The Queen Dragon felt what her rider was going through that besides taking her time lifting herself off, the dragon rose quick and flew. Aemond was met with Aegon who flew beside him, and the two convulse a plan where one went west and the other east. For the first time in ever, the two brothers ally with one another as they presented the same goal and that was to find their dear cousin, the anchor and peacemaker of House Targaryen.

They've been up in the air for hours that during the remainds, not a trace of her was found as if she vanished in thin air. Aegon who for once took the role of big brother convinced his little brother that they both fly back to Kings Landing where they might hear news of their cousin. Aemond did not listen and order his brother to go back if he wanted, that he wasn't going to stop until she was in his arms where he promised was the only place where she felt safe. Aegon who was oblivious of his brothers feelings for his cousin, commanded him to return with him by noting how Vhagar may be the biggest dragon, but due to her age she can't be flying all night. With that, the two Targaryen sons went back to the castle where everyone resided in the throne room, and since then that's where they continue to stand until the doors open with news.  

Since the past hours, no one has spoken a word to another as they were all in their own corners. Aemond stood the close by the doors so when the doors open revealing herself, he would be the one she would see at first sight. While the prince stick to his placement, his mind was swirling with searches of where she could be. But then a thought came to mind peaking him to realization: Where was Jyrot?  How come he hasn't appeared with his rider on his back?

The bond between Jyrot and Eudora is like no other dragon and rider. They are telepathically connected that with one word Jyrot will be at her feet. If she was to have another episode he will immediately come to her aid without her calling out to him, he feels what she feels. Two souls molded into one; that is how strong their bond is and Aemond now began to question everything making his theory to change.  

What if she wasn't kidnapped? What if she left with telling anyone a word? He thought, but he shook that away. That didn't make sense – it is unlikely in fact because she wouldn't abandon him, Eudora will never leave him alone; those were the words of influence he convinced himself to believe.

"I best to send a raven to Rhaenyra," Viserys spoke for the first time since. "She would want to know the whereabouts of her goddaughter, maybe Eudora could be at Dragonst–" before he was able to finish, the doors open causing everyone to snap their heads with hope in their eyes that it could be Eudora, instead they were all met with the fury eyes of Rhaenyra Targaryen and behind her with the same expression was her husband, Daemon Targaryen. "Rhaenyra, daughter I was abou–"

"Where is Eudora, where is my daughter! You all knew she has been missing for who knows how long, and none of you gain the thought of sending me a letter she had been gone since last night. I had to retrieve news from an anonymous informing me that Eudora has not yet been found!–" Daemon who tried to ease his pregnant wife, but Rhaenyra slapped him away as she didn't want to be touched. The heiress was in complete anguish that in addition to her woe, before she arrived to Kings Landing she left Dragonstone without answering her sons worries of what'd happen. The only thing that cross her mind was to search for Eudora, and so her and Daemon flew across half of Westeros in search for her, but similarly to the family that reside in the capital they found nothing – not a clue nor trail.

"We apologize for our incentives princess, but like yourself our minds were warp solely on the princess disappearance," Alicent reasoned tiredly which had Rhaenyra look at her former friend that held mixture of distress and tiredness all over her face, the bags under her eyes presents it visibly as well. "You did not come to our mind, but you are hear now and whoever this anonymous is they must come front to express how they knew Eudora missing. They could give us an idea where to go from–"

"You're telling us that after hours of her disappearance, none of you found anything? Niche?" Daemon questioned and when he saw that none said a word confirmed everything. "The anonymous is loyal commoner that we trust, it was them who heard the chaos that erupted throughout the Kingdom and it was them who told us of Eudora disappearance. What has me spiraled is that the region that rules the Seven Kingdoms who has the utmost military in all of Westeros had not found a single fucking clue where the princess could be. What has happened to the organization of our system? Have the Hightower's truly corrupted everything that our blood had work their fucking ass off?–"

"Daemon please, don't start – not at the time like this?" Viserys tiredly sighed at his brother outburst that cause the anger to simmer between the Hightower-Targaryen family.

"What? Tis not the truth brother?" the rogue prince coughed out a chuckle of disbelief, if only Eudora was to stay with them none of this would've happened, he believed.

"I should've taken Eudora when I had the chance," Rhaenyra gritted. "But no instead I allowed you to take her and I trusted your word – all of you!" she shouted, eyes scheming to the entire family. "Now my daughter is out there alone and possibly harmed. I, as heir of the throne, took the step of sending ravens all of Westeros to report if they had sighted her, and most reports proved useless, and none gave the desired results. We must discuss with the master of coins where he missions of finding Eudora" she said, directing her conclusion to her father who was processing the part where she mentioned that the princess was no where in Westeros. Viserys wasn't the only person stood shock, Aemond was in the same state at his father. He swore he could hear his heart cracking and a part of him is slowly depleting.

"Not a single Lord caught sight of my betrothed?" Aemond mumbled quietly, or so he thought.

Daemon felt like he had whiplash for a moment as he scrutinize Aemond with fanciful stare. "Y-your what? I'm sorry did my ears stop working or did I just hear this one-eye impure boy say his betrothed, hence that he and my niece are betrothed?" Daemond laughed out loud causing everyone in the throne room to look at Aemond with confusion, all but his mother who blinked slowly as she came to realize how unknown her son began to appear.

"We were going to tell you father–" Aemond look at his King father who himself as well was confuse of the affirmation that his brother echoed from his son. Before Aemond was to allow himself to explain, he was cut off again by his annoying uncle who laughed even louder but there was no humor hinted, more of hinge mockery.

"You and the realm jewel together? That is absurd–"

"You better watch what your next words Daemon, you're talking to the King's second son" Alicent warned, stepping herself close to her Aemond's side.

"And that's what he will always be little Queen," he jibed "The second son, what could this boy give to my niece who deserve nothing, but the finest. The daughter of Maegor the Mighty  who holds the biggest dragon in the world and could end being the most advance swordsman. What could Aemond the one-eye prince give to her beside his cock." Daemon remarked facetiously.

"Daemon that is enough!" Viserys stood from his throne, cane beating on the ground twice to make his authority known. "I have enough of this back-forth argument that leads us nowhere. We must focus on the main problem and that is to follow through what Rhaenyra had suggested, we will conjure a meeting with the Master of Coin where we send our best men to travel to Essos to find the princess. Otto, announce this to the council where I and my daughter await for their presence; everyone else is dismiss." As the King descended down the steps of his throne, both of the second sons stared each other with pure hatred. Aemond masked his distaste to his uncle, not allowing his words to burn him easily.

"Husband I believe it would in good intentions for Aemond and I to be apart of the mission–"

"Not now Aemma," Viserys waved off causing everyone to pause. Alicent halted at her steps looking at her husband with glistening discomfort.

"Father I think you mean to say Alicent, as that is the name of your wife now" Rhaenyra hesitantly stepped forward causing the King to dawn with realization. He stutter the next words he was going to say, but said nothing as he close his mouth shut only giving a hum. He didn't look at his wife who looked at him with heartbreak, instead he continue to make his way to the door passing Aemond who glare at his father. It became nostalgic for the young prince as if he felt he was back in Driftmark where his father, yet again, did not entirely defend him.

As the family began to make their way out, the two people left were Daemon and Aemond. Daemon went up to his nephew making him look down at his uncle. The two height difference only two feet apart, nevertheless the humor Aemond felt how it was now he looking down upon his uncle was amusing to him. Aemond watched the way Daemon analyzing him from his feet all the way back to his eyes, a smirk morphing on the rogue prince lips as he made a tsk sound. "Everything I've said is the mere truth nephew. The betrothal between you and Eudora would never happen, not when Rhaenyra is in the girls life. Once she is found best believe Eudora would be coming back with us to Dragonstone where she is to be the future Queen's ward. From there it would be her to choose the Lord who is fitted to take her hand."

"I won't allow you to take her from me. If Eudora was here she would tell you herself the truth of us. She is mine as much as I am hers, if you separate us both she will be against you" Aemond stated.

"'Us," how frivolous" he chuckled. "There will be none of that little prince, her feelings for you will pass I will make sure of it. In fact, we were to announce this to my King-brother who I guarantee would've approve of this proposition which is to have Cregan Stark take Eudora as his betrothed." Aemond neutral mask was peeled off and was now switch with fury. Daemon saw the slip making him vibrate with satisfaction. What Daemon said wasn't a lie, but in fact the truth. Rhaenyra and Daemon came to see that though Cregan and Eudora were cousins, the two match each other quite well making them the perfect palette. Similar to the Targaryens, the Stark all have incestuous relationships in their family tree.

That was one of Aemond's fear: his Eudora being wedded to her cousin who had an inheritance unlike himself. House Stark of Winterfell is one of the Great Houses of Westeros and the principal noble house of the north. Their seat, Winterfell , is an ancient castle renowned for its strength and they are one of House Targaryens favored allegiance, that it made sense for the two houses to continue have a very close relationship.

However, a dragon and wolf stump one another – their compatibility at very low percentage range according to Aemond. Eudora holds the biggest dragon in the world and has fiery heart, her being place in the north where her flame can die is something that will never happen. Both dragons who emit the same fire are the ones meant for each other, and if Aemond had to fight his uncle and his half-sister to show them they are the fitted pair, that is what he would do. Besides, he knew Eudora will choose him without question.

"Then I would make sure that will never come to fruition, uncle" Aemond said keeping his stare at Daemon. Aemond began walking away, not before slamming his shoulder against his uncle who chuckled darkly at the nerve his nephew. Daemon watch his body disappear as he took a corner, and came too thought how much he saw younger him in Aemond that it became unfathomable.

Aemond was back at his apartment wing about to head to his chambers, however he stood at a stop when it came over him that being in his room would only depress him further so instead he walk to her chambers that wasn't to far away from his own. Once coming to face with the familiar doors where there no longer stood Arron Petrovy, now former knight of Eudora's who was executed for failing his duties of protecting the princess. Aemond wished it was he to take that action, and he could've finished it off when he was holding onto the knights throat as he shouted at him for failing the princess.

Aemond shook away that time of moment seeing how it didn't make him feel any better. Tonight, Aemond decided he would sleep in her chambers where the aroma of perfume was still aired in her room. He knew being there would keep his mind sane, and would probably help activate for him to continue looking for her on the morrow.

When he entered her room, the tension were let off his shoulders – his body coming to a complete rest as it was familiarize with her energy that still stick on the walls of her room. Aemond look at her bed that was now freshly made making him want to frustratedly scream at the servants maids. The pillows that she once rested her head upon no longer hold the smell of her honey vanilla comb hair, nor the blankets which he planned to tightly wrap himself around so he can believe that she was holding him.

Aemond look over her vanity table to see the gown he remembered she wore last night was effortlessly displayed on her seat. A relief was shown over his face and he went up to the clothing where he picked off from the chair and pressing it up his nose. He leaned further close to the clothing that a note slipped from the pockets of it catching his attention when he felt brush pants.

Curious, Aemond picked up the parchment and began to unravel the folded paper, and in writing he saw it was from her. It was Eudora's handwriting and on the top in neat cursive was his name she wrote which he gently glide with his fingers.

My dear Aemond,

By the time you read this letter I'm far away from home. I can't explain everything on this one piece of parchment since I have limited time. I just want to tell you my love that I have not abandon you, nor would I ever. I will come back to you, that is my promise to you and you know I always keep my word as that is a fatal flaw of mine. Unfortunately I cannot tell you where I am going, I kept a promise to someone very dear to me that I wouldn't. It was them who woke me from my slumber where I must do as it is my birth right and destiny to forge what must be reveal to me to further understand. You mustn't tell anyone that you found this letter, keep it to yourself.

My Aemond, I don't know how long would I be away but just know that I am always with you. You the other half of my soul and without you by my side I am incomplete, but I am driven to get back to you. Whenever you come to a circumstance where I am not there to console you my love, read the letters I've sent you when I was spending my weeks in Dragonstone.

My Aemond, my handsome strong knight, my heart.

Yours Truly,

ET

"My heart," he whispered. A tear rolling off from his eye as he wince at the squeeze of his heart. "You have no idea that you as well have taken a part of me with you. Eudora, I am inhumane without my half."

Next: CHAPTER SEVEN

——————————-

TQOHH taglist:

@jugheadisaweirdo​, @caspianobsessed,

@xcharlottemikaelsonx, @zgzgzh​,

@sawendel​, @mariaelizabeth21-blog1​,

@stargaryenx​

[shannonsketches]

I also have noticed the similarities between Nabooru and the Gerudo Sage of Lightning. And my goodness, it would make the story so much more FIERY if it really were her. The DRAMA between those two seasoned warriors, those two mature lovers who still have so much passion, who found themselves on opposing sides of the conflict. LIKE COME ON.

This is essentially my vibe with the ship in OoT! But, god, yeah, between the sages participating in actual combat and Gan's physical transformation in TotK, it is such a solid and painful (good) version of the story.

Almost called it an AU. Is it an AU? I guess it is, depending on how you look at the games, haha.

But yeah I am not gonna lie I've had backburner brainrot about it for the last couple weeks.

My current vibe on TotK NabsGan Conflict/Fallout (especially with the thought of the mohawk Gerudo woman also being Nabooru, just at an earlier part of her life) is Nabs does not agree with the Zonai or want to participate in or enable their work -- but after witnessing what the secret stones could do to a herd of Molduga? That's not something she's willing to risk happening to her people, and they simply don't have the kind of power to defend against it. And logically, Rauru is only really asking for a centralized alliance with some egotistical semantics, right? They can negotiate terms, he seems reasonable enough with the other countries.

Gan, however, thinks that's bullshit. He's been at war for so long, he's watched these people waste their shoddy technology in the desert over and over again, and the earlier ones were't subtle about what they wanted from the land. He's also killed a ton of them, enough to be considered a hero to his people, and he knows Rauru wants revenge for it. The egotistical semantics are personal, the invitation is a sleight. They're being held hostage under the illusion of free will, and Gan knows there is only one of two things standing between his people and oblivion: Either complete compliance, or getting one of those stones.

So he lies, and publicly goes with option A while privately pursuing option B. Like my OoT headcanons, Nabs realizes something's Wrong when he's spending so much time in Hyrule. Sonia's death becomes the trigger for her to start working against him, and his radical transformation (both physical and mental) pushes her onto the other team out of necessity, and she convinces other Gerudo to do the same. Rauru's magics were terrifying, and Ganon's are worse. But Rauru was at least pretending to be, if he was not genuinely, willing to negotiate. Ganon is not. The anger and power have combined to create a creature of extremes.

They both just wanted their people to survive and be okay. But Ganondorf as a King was already an intense and dedicated warrior, and now he can't be calmed or reasoned with. He will not stop until he's destroyed his enemy, and now his loyalty seems to lie with the ruined and the damned, so she might as well accept a boon and defend what's left of her world.

Because, look, from her perspective, even if Gan IS only attacking Gerudo colonies that are working with (or even just favorable toward) Hyrule, it's horrific that he would destroy his people at all. And as much as she might have loved to trust him otherwise, he got this way by lying to everyone. So what's to say his favor is authentic, or permanent? There's no way of knowing what this stone will do to him in the long run.

There's also the possibility that he might not even be able to control it well at this point! His destruction, while conscious and intentional, could be a hyper-reactive emotional breach from someone who is usually highly disciplined. He might be overwhelmed by this sudden and unrelenting flow of power. But she can't risk betting that a god-king who is currently setting the entire country on fire will level out at some point.

And even if she wanted to, even if she wanted to believe this wasn't really him or what he wanted, she and the other Gerudo might not be alive to find out. She can't afford to wait and see! None of them can!

So even if it means mines and waste and clunky invasive technology, at least if she agrees to join Rauru, her people might survive this. They might maintain some control over their home. If absolutely nothing else, it's literally all she can do to try and keep them alive.

But Ganon doesn't see it that way. It's betrayal, and she's wrong. But, if it is truly her wish to die fighting for what she believes, then it is his sacred obligation to ensure that she does.

[aloneinthehellfire]

Chapter 7: Part 1: Two's Company, Six Is A Crowd

Raining Hellfire: Season One | Season Two

Raining Hellfire: Season Two

Word Count: 3291 words

Warnings: swearing, mentions of trauma, illusions to ptsd, demodogs

[A/N: I'm sorry that even with all of the mentions of eddie, the story has drifted far from an eddie x reader storyline. I wanted to create something that would make sense and season two didn't offer many opportunities for eddie to be included so I hope that you all like the story regardless but pls feel free to let me know your thoughts]

Two's Company, Six Is A Crowd

“This isn’t what I should be doing with my life.”

Steve was muttering, unloading buckets of meat from the trunk of his car. Your new-made plan to take care of Dart was to lead it to the abandoned junkyard. That way, you had lots of open space to deal with the creature without anyone getting hurt. That was what you were hoping for, anyway.

You continue your silent streak, grabbing a pair of marigold gloves.

After Steve and Dustin had found you standing alone in the darkness yesterday, you barely uttered five words to the boys. Another hallucination, another living nightmare that no one but you could see. Another terror that no one else could feel.

“Dustin! This is Lucas. Do you copy? Dustin?”

You could hear Lucas’ voice blare through Dustin’s radio, Dustin taking his chance to reply by stepping away from the car.

“Hey.” Steve softly bumps your shoulder, grabbing your attention. “You’ve been quiet for a while.”

You risk a glance at your hands, as if the burns were still there. But it had all been a dream. You hastily pull on the gloves.

“Just tired.” You finally respond, swinging the bat over your shoulder and grabbing the gasoline.

You walked away before you let it all out and made him think you were crazy.

“Alright, let’s go.” Steve called to Dustin, grabbing a bucket and following you.

You led them onto the old rail track, calculating your pace so you could walk in front of them as they spread the chunks of meat along the trail. You’d rather not step in whatever meat Dustin had managed to get his hands on.

“All right, so let me get this straight.” Steve breaks the silence, talking to Dustin while you continued walking ahead of them. “You kept something you knew was probably dangerous in order to impress a girl who… who you just met?”

You discretely shook your head. Dustin liked Max. Normally, you’d be happy to hear that and root for him. But you knew Max. And you haven’t missed how much time she’s been spending with Lucas lately. Sadly, you knew Dustin didn’t have a chance.

“All right, that’s grossly oversimplifying things.” Dustin responded, continuing with the trail.

“I mean, why would a girl like some nasty slug anyway?” Steve pondered.

Weirdly enough, you would find it fascinating. If the slug was just a scientific discovery and not another blood thirsty monster wanting to eat you.

“An interdimensional slug? Because it’s awesome.” Dustin said, smiling.

“Well, even if she thought it was cool, which she didn’t, I- I just… I don’t know. I feel like you’re trying way too hard.”

“Well, not everyone can have your perfect hair, all right?”

You held in your laugh.

“It’s not about the hair, man.” Steve sighed, “The key with girls is just… just acting like you don’t care.”

This time, you couldn’t hold in your laugh.

“What’s wrong with my advice, huh?” Steve asked you with an irritated look.

“We like guys who don’t care? Yeah right.” You scoff. You’d been with someone who didn’t care when you were younger and look how that worked out.

“What is Eddie like?” Dustin chimed in, looking to you as if you’d have every answer to his girl problems through your ‘successful’ relationship with Eddie.

“He… uh…” You stumble over your words. “He was himself, I guess. He… he cared.”

You look away from the boy, staring ahead while your eyes fogged. You truly had lost a good one. Wanting nothing else to do with the conversation, you swung your bat down to your side and trudged on, quickening your pace to gain some distance once again. But you weren’t far enough that you couldn’t hear them.

“What’s up with her?” You hear Dustin question and you hold your breath.

“Look, acting like you don’t care…” Steve changes the subject and you sigh with relief.

Maybe if Eddie acted like he didn’t care, you wouldn’t feel this broken. He was always there for you while making sure you had your space. He was perfect. And you had broken his trust all because of the Upside Down. You just had to admit to yourself that having Eddie further from you and this mess would be the only way to keep him safe.

“It’s like before it’s gonna storm, you know?” You tuned back into their conversation, Steve still relaying his advice, “You can’t see it, but you can feel it, like this, uh… electricity, you know?”

The more he explained, the easier it was for you to agree with his words. Maybe Steve was onto something after all.

“Oh, like in the electromagnetic field when the clouds in the atmosphere-”

“No, no, no, no, no.” Steve cuts off the misunderstanding Dustin, “Like a… like a sexual electricity.”

“Oh.” Dustin sounded.

“You feel that and then you make your move.”

For advice about girls… Steve wasn’t too bad at it. Sure, you couldn’t agree that treating someone as lesser would guarantee a date but the electricity… that was something you’ve definitely felt. It just didn’t work out for you.

“Nancy’s different.” You hear Steve say and you drop your head, focusing on your footsteps.

You just wanted to snap him out of whatever trance he was in. You knew he loved her, that much was clear, but it felt like he was still holding onto a relationship that burned out months ago. You just didn’t want to see your friend get hurt.

“Was Nancy the first girl you felt electricity with?” Dustin queried.

“Uh… no, I guess. Not really.” Steve’s voice became quieter which was unusual to hear.

“So you feel it with all the girls?” Dustin’s little questions kept bringing a smile to your face. Not because they were humorous; he and Steve were forming a little bond of their own. It was good to see him looking up to a male figure, especially after everything that happened in his family. You knew it was something you couldn’t help with.

Steve was silent from a moment and you wondered if he was genuinely putting thought into the question or if he just didn’t want to answer.

“No.” Steve finally spoke. You could almost hear the frown in his voice, “There was only this other time. But, uh, that ended before it could even start.”

“What happened?”

“We… we drifted apart, I guess.”

You lower your head again, swinging the gasoline can along to the beat of your footsteps.

“Hey,” Steve coughed, “You’re not falling in love with this girl, are you?”

“Uh, no. No.” Dustin stammered. You knew he was lying. He just wanted to impress Steve.

“Okay good. Don’t. She’s only gonna break your heart and you’re way too young for that shit.”

A long moment of silence hung in the air. You didn’t have to turn around to know Dustin was upset, feeling like the way he felt was wrong. You would have ran to him and cheered him up if you didn’t also know that Steve would easily feel guilt for his words.

“Fabergé.” Steve finally spoke and you smiled. You knew he wouldn’t be able to resist trying to cheer up his new found friend.

“What?”

“It’s Fabergé Organics.” Steve sighed. “Use the shampoo and conditioner, and when your hair’s damp… It’s not wet, okay? When it’s damp...”

“Damp.” Dustin repeated.

“You do four puffs of the Farrah Fawcett spray.”

Another smile crept onto your face, your mind drifting to the exact spray currently residing in your bathroom.

“Farrah Fawcett spray?” Dustin’s smile was easily heard through his comment.

“Yeah. Farrah Fawcett.” Steve paused for a moment. “You tell anyone I just told you that and your ass is grass. You’re dead, Henderson. Do you understand?”

“Yup.” Dustin replied.

“Secret’s safe with me, hair-head.” You call out, looking over your shoulder.

They both stare at you in shock, Dustin’s eyes glancing to Steve.

“What?” You continue, laughing, “You seriously think because I’m a couple steps ahead of you I can’t hear you?”

Steve clears his throat and you send a wink, turning back around and leading the way once again.

Once you all arrived at the junkyard, you stop just at the top of the hill, scanning the landscape.

“Oh, yeah. Yeah, this will do.” Steve shares, causing you to look his direction.

“Jesus.” You whisper, rolling your eyes at the sunglasses he had managed to sneak on for no reason.

“What?” Steve glances at you.

“Nothing.” You dismiss as Steve walks away.

“Good call dude.” He says to Dustin, making his way down the hill.

You see Dustin smile at his comment and nudge his shoulder in support. His smile only got brighter.

You find an open space, gesturing to where they should dump out the buckets and you survey the area.

“We could easily turn that bus into a fortress, border it with some of the metal sheets laying around.” You suggest, Dustin nodding along to your idea.

“I said medium-well!”

Lucas’ voice echoed, and you instinctively laugh at his joke. Your smile faded just as quick as it came when you saw Max stood next to him.

“Who’s that?” Steve asked, frowning when he sees both yours and Dustin’s expressions.

Neither of you reply, both staring at the duo coming closer.

Once Lucas got closer, Dustin grabbed him by the shirt and dragged him down behind an old car. His head briefly popped back up to motion you to join them.

“What-” Max started but you just shrugged, walking over to where the boys crouched together.

“For the love of God, why did you bring my sister?” You whispered harshly.

“Because she’s a part of the Party now. You guys brought Steve!” Lucas argued, gesturing to the tall boy currently grabbing scrap pieces of metal.

“He had a car.” You said simply, Dustin nodding in agreement.

“How is that fair?” Lucas complained. You hear a grunt and see that the other two are struggling.

“If she gets hurt, I will murder you.” You glared at Lucas, standing back up and walking over to Steve who was struggling to lift a large sheet of metal.

“Hey,” Steve speaks up after you both dump the metal against the bus, “You alright?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” You give a brief smile, grabbing any boards you could find.

“When Dustin mentioned Eddie back there-”

“I’m fine.” You lift something heavy and grunt under the weight. This was not as easy as you planned.

“Hold on.” Steve quickly walks over to where Dustin and Lucas were still crouched, lowering his fist onto the top of the car to get their attention. “Hey, dickheads. How come the only ones helping me are Y/n and this random girl?”

The boys quickly jump up, moving towards Max to actually participate. When Steve joins you again, he is met with a bitter laugh.

“What?” He raises his brow at your reaction.

“Not a random girl, Steve.” You say, Max turning her head as she overhears.

“What does that mean?” He asks before he sees you and Max both simultaneously purse your lips from irritation.

Steve’s eyes widen with realisation, but you’re already walking away.

Your hands restlessly twiddled around the bat as you leant back in your seat. Everyone was inside the bus now, the night darkening the sky outside as you waited in silence.

Lifting your head, you notice how uncomfortable Dustin is. He was glancing at Max and Lucas every now and then, cringing at how close they sat beside eachother. You decided to give him a break.

“Wanna put those binoculars to use?” You ask Lucas, pointing to the roof. He nods happily, jumping up in excitement to have an important role.

Once he disappears up the ladder, you shift your glance to Steve who was focused on the flame in front of him. He kept flicking the lighter, just for something to do. You made the mistake of looking directly at the flickering flame.

You saw Jonathan run towards the creature, flicking open the lighter in his hand and throwing it to the ground. You watched as the flame met the gasoline, travelling toward the creature in a fiery blaze.

Suddenly the creature was in flames, screeches of pain filling the room.

You must have flinched at the memory because Steve stopped his actions, looking to you with guilty eyes.

“So you both really fought one of these things before?” Max’s voice fills the silence, raising an eyebrow as if she didn’t really believe there was some supernatural creature lurking out there. You didn’t blame her, it wasn’t exactly an easy thing to wrap your head around. In fact, you were still trying to figure it all out.

Steve just nods at your sister, noticing that your gaze has drifted to your leg. The scar felt hot beneath the material of your jeans.

“And you’re, like, totally 100% sure it wasn’t a bear?” She questions, arms crossed as she slumped into her seat.

“Shit. Don’t be an idiot. Okay? It wasn’t a bear.” Dustin retorts. Max raises her eyebrows at him.

“Bears don’t open their faces.” You mutter under your breath, not realising that Steve was close enough to hear.

“Why are you even here if you don’t believe us?” Dustin continued, angrier than you’d expect him to be. “Just go home.”

As much as you wanted Max to be anywhere else, you knew home for her was just as dangerous as sitting in this bus. At least if she was here, you could protect her.

“Hey, dickhead.” You tear your eyes from your leg, looking to Dustin, “Don’t talk to her like that.”

Max sends you a quick smile before walking past Dustin and heading to the roof. “Geesh. Someone’s cranky. Past your bedtime?”

“Definitely sisters.” You hear Steve mumble as Max disappears, joining Lucas.

“That’s good. Just show her you don’t care.” Steve comments and you scoff.

“I don’t.” Dustin says with a small voice. He looked heartbroken.

“It’s terrible advice.” You share, twisting the bat in your hand again.

“What’s your problem with my advice?” Steve sighs, cocking his head at you.

You were too tired to be nice.

“Are you asking me if making a girl feel like she’s nothing to you after you clearly showed interest in her for months is a good way of getting her to like you?” You stare him down and Steve starts to shift uncomfortably.

Dustin looks between the two of you before shaking his head.

“It does sound bad when you say it like that.” Dustin ponders, pursing his lips.

“That’s because it’s shit advice.” You knew you were digging into the past, bringing up issues you had buried long ago. But you were tired, confused and mostly angry. You didn’t mean to take it out on Steve.

“What would you suggest?” Dustin shuffles into the space next to you, sitting down and looking up at you, innocence in his eyes.

“I’m… I’m not really the person to ask.” You try to smile, ruffling his hat.

“Right,” He chuckled, setting his hat back into place, “‘Cause you have Eddie.”

You sigh, face dropping at the mention. No more hiding it. “Actually-”

A loud roar suddenly echoes through the junk yard, your flight or fight instincts kicking in immediately as you jump to your feet, bat held at the ready.

“You see him?” Steve asks you both as you all peer out of the window.

“No.” You and Dustin reply. You just kept staring at the bait. Dustin calls out to Lucas for eyes.

Take the bait. Take the bait, you think repetitively, knuckles white as you gripped the bat.

“I’ve got eyes! Ten o’clock! Ten o’clock!” Lucas yells out and you see Dart enter through the fog.

“What is he doing?”

“I don’t know.”

Dart creeps around, completely avoiding the pile of meat and as you stare out of the window, you swore you could almost sense it. It already had plans for dinner. And it just so happened to be sat in the bus.

“He’s not taking the bait. Why’s he not taking the bait?” Steve asks quietly to no one in particular.

“Maybe he’s not hungry?” Dustin suggests. Your throat tightens. It was most definitely hungry.

“Maybe he’s sick of cow.” Steve says and a breathy laugh leaves your lips, causing him to glance back at you for a moment, completely oblivious to the plan circulating in your head.

With Steve and Dustin still staring out the window, you swing the bat down into your hand and head to the door. One push of a barely functioning button opens the door with a creak.

“Y/n?” Steve questions, looking to the door. But you were already jumping off the bus and pulling the door shut behind you. He scrambles to his feet immediately.

You had to admit that the fog truly added to the eerie tension in the air. You were almost scared to move, having to force one foot in front of the other, trying to make as little noise as you could.

The door creaks once again behind you but you keep your focus on dart, creeping forward.

“Really, Harrington?” You whisper, not risking the glance over your shoulder.

“You’re the one with a death wish.” He replies, just as quiet.

“You have no idea.” You mumble just as Steve falls in line next to you, matching your stance.

Any care that you had for your own well-being was already lost. You didn’t really have anything left.

Nancy wasn’t your friend anymore, Steve easily takes care of himself, Eddie hates you and the Party will always have eachother. Max… you saw how Lucas looked at her. She was in safe hands. You had no doubt that if things became too hard to handle at home, she would find your uncle and he would gladly accept her into his home.

You might be wanted, but you certainly weren’t needed.

The sound of chittering became louder as you both crept toward the fog.

“Come on, buddy.” Steve calls out with a whistle, trying to get its attention.

“You realise it can’t understand you, right?” You shake your head, holding your breath.

“How would you know?”

“Fair point.”

With Steve next to you, the fear subdued; surely both of you could easily take on Dart.

“Guys! Watch out!” Lucas shouted from afar. You turn at the warning, your breath leaving your body.

“Steve…” You gasp, turning around so you were back to back with him.

He finally peels his eyes off Dart and glances behind him. You almost feel his heartbeat stop.

More shadows emerged from the fog, slowly approaching, ready to pounce. Dart wasn’t alone.

“Abort mission!” Dustin screams from the bus, doors open and ready for your escape.

And that was when they decided to attack.

Steve immediately rolls put of the way as one pounces at him, stepping back up to swing his bat straight into its head. The creature landed heavily on a scrapped car. Another attacks, leaping onto the grass. But its sights were on you.

Snapping into action, you hit it with enough force to throw it across the yard and you stumble slightly from the impact.

“Y/n, move it!” Steve yells as he kicks another monster, heading to the bus.

He makes it to the doors, one foot lifting him onto the step as he turns to pull you in with him. But you’re not there.

In his break for freedom, he hadn’t seen that you couldn’t do anything. He didn’t realise that the creatures worked as a pack, picking off its prey.

Because they had decided to surround you instead.

Chapter 7: Part 2: The Call ->

taglist: @gnnnne / @beepisbeep / @paintballkid711/ @eddiesbirdie/ @livasaurasrex/ @darktimelegends / @jackierose902109 / @mvrylee

[backyardmons]

All our Ambassadors!

At Backyard 'Mons we've taken care of hundreds, maybe even thousands of pokemon throughout the Unova metro with the goal of being reintroduced into the wild healthy again. However, there are a few pokemon we have that wouldn't be able to survive in the wild for various reasons. Fortunately for them, we're able to provide them with a great life here!

Moon, the male zorua kit, has a genetic mutation that prevents him from being able to create illusions! He was found in a friend's yard as a newborn abandoned by his mother who took all the other kits into the woods with her. We couldn't find anything wrong with Moon until we did a blood panel and found out he had this rare mutation!

Avalanche, the female absol, was one of the many victims of when Team Plasma froze Unova. She was running across Route 10 trying to warn the people, but the shock of the weather change caused many things to collapse, including the cliff edge she was jumping across. She survived with major wounds and ended up needing to get her leg amputated. Now she's elderly and lives a comfortable life here!

Hero, the female emolga, was part of a litter born in a dangerous area. My plan was to release all the babies and their mother once they were weaned, but Hero was different. She was nearly constantly suffering from electric fever and couldn't keep up with her littermates. When I took her to the pokemon center, I found out that her electric sacs were underdeveloped! Now that I know how to care for her, she lives a largely fever-free life.

Ladle, the female pelipper, was found as a wingull in Undella Town. A beachgoer noticed that she'd only hop rather than fly and got concerned about her, so he took her to a pokemon center. It was there the doctors found out her wings were stunted and small - not a rare deformity in birds. This beachgoer was a friend of mine so they knew where to go! Ladle wasn't meant to evolve in my care, but she's an absolute glutton. I looked away for 5 seconds and she got into the candy stash!

Beau, the male turtwig, was the first pokemon we ever took in! He's a captive-bred turtwig with gigantism, bone problems, and a slight head tilt. Unfortunately, "giant" turtwig are not rare to breed, and what would normally be a very rare disease is not uncommon in captive-bred turtwig. This is because, despite being dangerous to evolve, many people want giant torterra for their cool looks. Beau has severe health issues and we put a lot of work into making him thrive, but there are so many others like him who aren't thriving.

Malachite, the male aron, was found by my friend in a cave. He was being bullied by other aron, and when the trainer scared them off, he was startled to find out he had paralyzed hindlimbs. He was rushed to a pokemon center where they found out he'd been paralyzed for a while, having been seemingly caught in a rockfall. However, he'd be able to thrive in captivity...and that's where I step in! Malachite is one of our most difficult pokemon to care for due to his expensive diet and voracious appetite.

Pango, the female sandslash, was found being a "terror" and digging really close to human settlements. She didn't have the same fear for humans other sandslash did and definitely acted like she was once owned by a trainer - however, she didn't seem to fully understand her surroundings either. It took many tries to catch her, but someone eventually did and took her to the pokemon center, where they found out she had diabetes that caused her to go blind. There was no way she could've survived this long without trainer intervention, but she was dumped. There is a happy ending to this tragedy, however, as she's living an amazing life here!

[bookishfeylin]

Hello! I hope you are doing well :)

(I needed help from a translator to write this, I apologize for the errors that this text will probably have)

Firstly, I would like to express my admiration for you. I cultivated it through reading the criticisms so well placed by you about the universe of ACOTAR.

I, having had a very intense relationship with reading over the years, was starting to despair after reading the first three ACOTAR books because I felt very alone when I realized that apparently there were almost no real critical analyzes (that I had found) about this book saga. It was then that I found Tumblr and, along with it, some very interesting profiles that talked about what I wanted to talk about. Yours was one of them.

My experience with ACOTAR is quite complex. When I first heard about it (given its growing fame), I loved the plot, as I love reading fantasy. I cultivated expectations on my own, but I also place this on fame and people's enthusiasm (and hatred) for some characters that I will later mention. So I read it… and damn, I was so disappointed after the second book. I fell off the horse completely, as some would say here where I live. I couldn't believe how SJM started to fail so much with the entire initial proposal of the books and how she managed to fail in developing characters and plots with so much potential. Furthermore, the romanticization of abuses, retcons, plot holes, catchphrases to deceive readers, narratives conflicting with actions, failure to make clear the biased narrative... among many other things. But one of the things that shocked me the most was how, to this day, many people fail to see certain FACTS and the FAULTS in all of this, their only reactions when these are pointed out are irrational responses in defense of this created illusion. Rhysand is the most disappointing character I've ever read in my life, perhaps because I see the potential that could be used in him, Sarah's true protagonist (this is just one of the things that completely annoy me about the author and, consequently, the character).

I could cite MANY examples of the flaws I mentioned, as you mentioned throughout your posts, but one thing that really bothers me is the way the characters and the fandom itself treat Nesta, trapped in the blind illusion that everything that IC does is the right thing, since that's what they think and say. It's really disgusting. I don't know why in the world I deluded myself into thinking that Nesta being the protagonist of Silver Flames would improve anything by knowing her critical perspective on the IC and things in general, since she is not very influential and very observant. I honestly don't know why I did this to myself, knowing what SJM did with the previous books.

Tamlin and Nesta are sensitive points for me, being the main characters that led me to, in fact, have an increasingly critical view of these books (they were my critical awakening). I realized that one of the main common points that makes me upset is the way Rhysand deals with them, just like he deals with anyone: the way he wants, without reprimands (sometimes it's even encouraged). As if it were his right.

I understand that Rhysand's relationship with each of them has different complex layers, especially with Tamlin as it is a story that has been developing for much longer and is something personal to Rhysand AND Tamlin (in contrast to Nesta, who had never done anything for him), although there are very superficial mentions of it in proportion to how much Rhys gets involved and returns to it throughout the books (some would say that he simply needs to have Tamlin in his life constantly because of the way he always finds a way to mention it him or go see him, he can't let go). I have A LOT of things to say about this, but I'm summarizing.

About Nesta, someone very young in comparison and who was hated by Rhys before he even met her. He didn't even give her a chance to observe her a little or ask her anything. I would think he should be intelligent and more mature because of his age and how he likes to show that he knows how to handle things, but that's not what his actions show in most of the books.

Sometimes I think he picks on Nesta and Tamlin so much because they are the only ones who actually stand up to him, question him and throw his actions in his face. They don't accept his stance easily and they have the courage to respond accordingly. They are the big stones in his expensive and nocturne shoes.

I'm not going to start talking too much about Feyre per se, but I would like to point out that I hate with all my mental strength the daemati shipp feysand and I hope in a childish way that they fictionally read this in my mind. In my view, they have absolutely nothing good or remotely interesting to add and develop from each other. Rhysand calls them equals in every way, but he always knows things and chooses what to say to her as is convenient for him. He tells her she has a choice, but he is the only one who provides the options he wants her to choose. Feyre stopped questioning, she believes anything he says from the start. She even stopped analyzing her own actions. He gives her a false appearance of power and she pretends that she knows how to use it. On the first opportunity to introduce her to the CoN, he undermines any kind of respect they could develop for her, whether through fear (as stupid and lame as that may be) or what. Her personality was an ocean and since she started dating Rhys, the ocean had become a shallow puddle of mud. It seems that the trend is getting worse, seeing as how SJM has been showing us who her main character is. Feyre was a means to the end, nothing about her position in this saga was constructed in a decent way, unfortunately. Rhys does what he wants and doesn't have the limits he should have, bringing this to Feyre when in Summer he tells Tarquin that she does whatever she wants, without thinking about the consequences, just because she carries a title that Rhys gave to her. She can do what she wants because HE is saying so. It's not about Feyre, as the catchphrase makes it seem. This is not a moment taken to glorify her in front of others. At this moment Rhysand wants to show and prove his power to another male who should have the same authority as him, Tarquin. This guy's ego, seriously.

Anyway, amidst so many opinions about the things I'm curious to know, I'd like to ask what you think is the REAL reason for Rhys' growing dislike towards Nesta (and Tamlin too, if you want. I I don't buy the superficiality with which the whole thing about the murder of their families was told, but that's just me pondering). And the possibilities surrounding Nesta and Rhysand's complex relationship, expectations and even what you would have changed. If you want to respond, of course.

Today I found myself reflecting on this specifically and I'm still putting things together in my head, so I decided to share this question with you.

This “message” was much longer than I expected, I ended up getting carried away and had to stop myself from saying more. At this point, I don't even judge if you haven't read it, hehe. I appreciate it anyway if you read any part of this.

Anyway, thank you very much for sharing your analysis. I feel so represented with them! I will continue to follow you here, XD

Xx, Tess

Awwww I got teary reading this message! Thank you so much, Tess! And I agree with so much of what you’ve said here! This book series crumbles under the slightest bit of analysis, and I’m glad so many of us have started to realize that. I’m glad you feel represented here and ill definitely continue to be here :)