#and the war they've been fighting and lost loved ones to was started with blood on *their* hands?

[tovaicas]

also hate that the game potrays ishgardians pathologically denying what they're being told is somehow irredeemable.

my guys they're literally in the middle of a civil war, everyone's terrified for their lives bc the horde is still very much a threat, and the vault (which is the biggest social structure around) has peaced the fuck out by now. have some empathy, they're latching onto the one thing from their perspective they think is true.

[viviennevermillion]

ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ

❝ always there to warm you in the winter.... always there with shelter from the rain... always there to catch you when you're falling... always there to stand you up again... family...❞ — Lady & the Tramp 2

notes: i see chapter 7 part 4 did things to our puny little minds. part of @briarvalleyarchives "anthems of old" event. a short story about lilia, malleus and whom they've lost.

warnings: character death, major chapter 7 spoilers

The winter after the beloved princess had passed was a cruel and solemn one. The snowflakes would travel through the cold air of Briar Valley as they had done so many times in the years prior and hit the ground, melting into the ones that had come before; a fate that was all too familiar to the residents of the small nation. The war had left its scars upon the lands. Beasts had run rampant in the villages; destroying homes that had been carefully built with love and dedication. The caves in the mountains were stripped of their glamour, the crystals that had reflected the sunlight that would, despite all odds, break through the cracks, were stolen by beasts unfamiliar to the once peaceful home of the fae.

Because some beasts were not as easy to handle as the demon beasts that came from the mountains to wreak havoc in the settlements. No one knew that better than the fearsome General Vanrouge. From the moment Lady Mallenoa had entered her eternal slumber; with no amount of love able to wake her once more, it was as though winter never ended. Memories of times gone by would flash through his mind; the way they had played in the snow as children and the young princess would never go easy on him; using her magic to turn the previously innocent game into a battlefield of snowballs that left Lilia no room to fight back. It took centuries for him to be able to hold a candle to her power.

Now the snow was stained with the blood of his enemies. At the time, the general had never taken a moment to think about whether the Silver Owls he had slain had a family waiting for them at home as well. They had taken his, so they were undeserving of theirs. General Vanrouge had been consumed by the rage and bitterness in his heart, destroying all who dared stand in his path, for his heart now belonged to battle. This way, he wouldn't have to mourn the past.

He remembered vividly, always, the day they laid her to rest. It seemed as though the whole kingdom was present to say their goodbyes to her. Each citizen who attended the burial was dressed in black for this day, illuminated in the dead of night only by the candles they held as the princess was carried in a casket to her final resting place. The queen had placed a single rose on the ground that to Lilia seemed as though it had swallowed her. Lilia had walked up to the grave later when everyone had left. He thought of the egg still rested and protected within the chambers of the castle. "I promise, for as long as I live, no harm shall come to it. And not a day will go by....that I don't miss your smile", his voice cracked as the tears started streaming down his face. The seasons would go by and yet the cold never passed. Not when the sun would rise on the next day, not when it had risen a hundred years later.

General Vanrouge remembered how she had taught him to play stringed instruments, something he found boring and pointless as a child. Princess Mallenoa always had such a soothing voice. He remembered how she'd sit next to her egg with Prince Levan and sing a soft song to the unborn child. Now Lilia's heart sang without a sound; a quiet melody of grief and unrest. Her funeral was the last time he had allowed himself to cry. The numbness in his heart when he'd open his eyes in the morning didn't fade for decades, centuries even. These were lifespans in the eyes of a child of man; and they seemed to have forgotten all about the devastation they had brought to Briar Valley just a few hundred years later. But a soldier's heart never forgets. It never forgives. That was what Lilia thought at the time. Pain had made him heartless and his heart had been locked away for he feared the pain it held more than any foe on the battlefield. He only hoped, wherever she was now, that she had found peace.

How many times had he wished to feel again? To wake up in the morning and hear her pounding on his door, angry about something. It had annoyed him at the time. But she had been alive.

Yes, the seasons had gone by, yet eternal winter resided in the hearts of the people. But nothing stopped another day. Nothing stopped the inevitable; that the general's heart would thaw one day and spring would arrive in Briar Valley.

It was a miracle. At this point, the egg was more of a reminder of a future that would never be. A memory. Something to make one realize that the royal family would die with Queen Maleficia; the future of the kingdom as uncertain as it had been since the day the war ended. And who would blame anyone? It had been centuries.

But Malleus was spring.

He was the reason General Vanrouge shed a tear once more. One of relief and of love he thought he no longer had inside him. He had smiled when he first saw the little dragon fae with his eggshell on his small face. A smile he was sure the princess would have teased him for. After all, wasn't it him who had always said that he hated children? Who had refused to hold her egg when she had offered it to him? Yet in that moment, he couldn't help to do so. He had picked the little prince up and looked at the queen with the brightest smile she had seen on him in centuries. Tears were streaming down his face as the small fae was just looking up at him with awe and curiosity in his eyes. People say that when someone passes, in a way they are still with you. Lilia had always thought that this was bullshit, he had been far too bitter to notice. But in that moment, he realized that Mallenoa was all around him. He held her legacy in his arms. "She saved us once again, didn't she?", he had whispered quietly, wiping the tears from his face.

The little prince grew up healthy and not one bit less of a fire hazard than his mother had been. He grew up unaware of the bloodshed that had stained his beloved homeland when his egg had come into existence. Unaware of what his parents had sacrificed, of what Lilia had sacrificed, so that he could live and grow. But he had often wondered what it would be like if his parents were still around. Sometimes Malleus would sneak out of the castle, quietly observing the people in the village at the foot of the mountain in awe. He saw little children, not much older than him, protesting under tears because they didn't want to go clothes shopping for their uncle's 900th birthday as they were dragged by their parents' hand and promised their favorite candy if they would go along without making a fuss. He witnessed a mother explaining to her toddler what a bird was. He watched and listened as a father read his son a story on a bench by the fountain. Lilia had read him lots of stories before. But Malleus had always wondered what his father's voice would have sounded like doing this.

The prince spent most of his days alone in the castle. Lilia still had work to do and his grandmother was busy ruling an entire country as he would come to do one day as well. So as soon as Malleus had learnt to read, he would spend his time in the library, curiously exploring stories from a world beyond the castle walls; hoping that he would one day spread his wings to set off and see it for himself. Lots of the stories contained themes of family but few of the families looked quite like his. There was always a mother, a father and at least one child. Malleus would take the books and show it to his guardian, asking Lilia what his father was like and whether he would have taken him fishing like the farmer did with his son in the picture book. There was a flash of pain on Lilia's expression that Malleus had never noticed back then. "I'm sure he would have", the older fae had answered. The stories Malleus heard about his own parents were always short and vague. But Lilia had told him that they were exceptional people who would be proud of him if they could see him now.

Malleus had always wondered what having a father was like. He would get his answer when Lilia took a small human into his custody. Malleus was curious about the baby, always sneaking out to visit the cottage in the forest to see what his guardian was up to. At first he was pouting because Lilia was now giving most of his attention to someone else. But with time he had grown to care for the little child of man. Lilia seemed much happier now. Time had healed his wounds despite the scars of battle and loss never truly fading. He would arrive at the castle to do a task the queen had assigned to him and the prince would greet him to ask about how Silver was doing. Malleus was happy that Silver got to grew up with a father. He never fathomed that both of them could lose him.

The world was simple back then. It was just the castle, Malleus, his grandmother, Lilia and the little human he was raising and that Malleus would often play with or read to when Lilia had work to do at the palace. He couldn't ever have imagined going to Night Raven College and finding the world had changed so much from the one he read about in books. Or that his third year would mark his last with Lilia. That he would see Silver cry and grieve like this.

The world outside of Briar Valley was one he had always longed to see and that brought him many curious, but happy memories. He had learnt about the Halloween traditions of other nations and celebrated the holiday together with them. He had cooked a meal for the first time and the person he had served it to had enjoyed it. He had seen other countries and took part in their culture.

Even Lilia still found the school to be a place for new experiences. He had met a friend on this strange invention called the "Internet" and treasured that friendship despite never having met this friend in person. This online friend would often talk to Lilia in the chat, casually mentioning how he had obtained the newest addition of his favorite manga or played a game with his brother. Lilia would hesitate for a moment, recalling memories that seemed so long ago to him now.

"I had a sister... once."

He deleted the words before he had sent them. No need to bother Gloomurai with a sob story from his life that happened centuries ago. Little did he know that the stranger on the other side of the screen understood all about the struggle of losing a sibling.

Yes, Night Raven College was full of new beginnings for Malleus and his family. But it was the way of the world that nothing could truly last forever, tragic and unfair as it was. Nothing stops another day. Not even a sleeping curse or an overblot dragon. The spell laid waste to Sage's Island, and although the damage was way less than it could have been, the aftermath of it could still be seen everywhere one looked. Malleus felt ashamed of what he had done and Lilia was reminded of scenes from the war long ago.

But everyone joined together to help and rebuild what had been destroyed. Night Raven College and Royal Sword Academy. Fairies and Humans.

"Seems as though we avoided the worst case, huh?", Lilia mused as he noticed Queen Maleficia, the dragon fairy who had raised him since he was a baby, standing next to him. The queen nodded and noted what a bureaucratical nightmare this whole ordeal would be despite all.

Lilia looked at the scene that was unfolding before his eyes. The fae who had come to the island to break through the spell and fight against Malleus's overblot were now helping the locals rebuild their houses with magic. The students would hand out meals to everyone who helped. The citizens were already planting new seeds in place of the trees and fields that had been destroyed. They would one day grow into an idyllic image of a peaceful home. Just as Malleus and Silver had grown into formidable people. The young prince had fallen further than he ever did before, but now the old general was certain that he could stand on his own feet at last. Both of his sons could. And the bat fae was glad that he could depart knowing this much.

"It seems the children of man truly know no rest when it comes to progress", the queen remarked, looking at the humans who fixed the fields beside the village and the fae soldiers who were assisting them.

"It appears so"

"What are they planting?"

Lilia looked at the rising sun, remembering the faith that Princess Mallenoa once had; that mankind and fae would one day live in peace and help each other grow. He had called it foolish at the time, mocking his sister's words by calling them a fever dream. Yet this was just another way in which she had changed his world, just as the little prince he raised had been. There was a smile on his face as he thought about how this day might just mark the beginning of the future the princess had envisioned.

"Hope."

[theamazingmaddyas]

Riordanverse characters who never interact in canon, yet I'm convinced they'd be best friends: A compiled list with explanations because I think about this way to often.

1) Georgina (Trials of Apollo) & Harley (Heroes of Olympus & Trials of Apollo)

There are four works in the Georgina & Harley tag on ao3, and all four have been written by me, that's how series I am about this friendship.

Firstly, I headcanon that the reason there's no year rounders during The Sun and The Star is because most of them decided to go to Waystation to attend school. Harley's eight in The Hidden Oracle and has already been at camp for at least a year and a half, minimum (as he's in the Hephaestus Cabin in The Lost Hero, and it's stated that no Hephaestus kid as come to camp in months before Leo), so why else would he all of a sudden not be a year rounder? He's certainly not staying to fight in the wars like some other demigods.

Now, back to Georgie and Harley. They're only a year apart, if that, and the other is probably the first person they've ever met close to their age, which would definitely spark friendship. Secondly, both of them have a sibling-like relationship with Leo (I almost started sobbing when Leo told Harley about how he was the one who helped him find his way back home in The Hidden Oracle, Leo and Harley are such an underrated sibling pair), which will bond them. And three, both are incredibly artistic and love building things. Just imagine Georgie and Harley drawing plans for the Waystation together? Adorable.

2) Kayla Knowles (Percy Jackson & Trials of Apollo) & Sadie Kane (Kane Chronicles)

They'd dye their hair together, chew bubblegum and eat lollypops, complain about their nerdy older brothers, and show off their skills to each other. They'd be an unstoppable duo.

3) Alex Fierro (Magnus Chase) & Lavinia Asimov (Trials of Apollo)

Queer kid with a designated color pallet, a non-common weapon, whom is incredibly artistic? You can't tell whether I'm talking about Alex or Lavinia (hint, it's both)

Match made in Elysium (or Valhalla in Alex's case). Lavinia would show Alex some simple tap steps, and Alex would show off her pottery skills, and teach some to Lavinia. Lavinia thinks Alex's garrote is the coolest thing ever, and Alex keeps petitioning for a manuballista fight in Valhalla. (Odin has not agreed yet, but Alex is not deterred in the slightest).

4) Kayla Knowles, Sadie Kane, Alex Fierro, & Lavinia Asimov

You're not surprised in the slightest, are you? These four make a deadly quartet of died hair, weapons, and bubblegum, and I adore them for it. As for why I did Kayla & Sadie and Lavinia & Alex seperately, it's because I think they'd be closest with their respectively friend pairing, but also they'd make a great friend group. I'm already in love.

5) Hazel Levesque (Heroes of Olympus & Trials of Apollo) & Butch Walker (Heroes of Olympus)

Intimidating son of a non-intimidating goddess and a non-intimidating daughter of an intimidating god. Also, they both adore horses, and I could totally see them hanging out in the Pegasus stables when Hazel's visiting Camp Half-Blood.

6) Nico di Angelo (Percy Jackson, Heroes of Olympus, Trials of Apollo, & The Sun and the Star) & Blanche (Chalice of the Gods)

The second Child of Hades/Pluto & Child of Iris friendship??? But seriously, these two would be besties. Both only ever dress in monochromatic clothing, and Blanche is literally known for her ghost stories at camp and Nico is the Ghost King? Blanche would beg Nico to help her out with her photography—the Hades Cabin is literally her aesthetic to the tee, and she loves photographing dead things. Nico would summon a skeleton so she could photograph it on dead grass Nico accidently killed.

And if they did joint ghost stories? All I'm saying is they could charge an admission fee and the amphitheatre would still be full. (The effects they can do with Blanche's, well blanching, power, and Nico's shadow manipulating would go insane)

7) Piper McLean (Heroes of Olympus & Trials of Apollo) and Silena Beauregard (Percy Jackson)

They would be that sibling pair at camp, and it's such a horror that we never got to experience it.

Silena would help Piper tap into her more feminine side, and show her that not all femininity is bad—which Piper has a lot of trauma revolving—and I think would help Piper come to terms with her feelings for Jason and her queerness a lot faster than it actually happened, because Silena would help her talk through it instead of bottling it up. (Besides, Silena knows all about crushing on boys and girls *cough* Beckendorf and Clarisse *cough*).

In turn, I think Piper would help Silena with her fighting skills and strength. Yes, Silena has Clarisse, but Clarisse is a hit hard and don't back down fighter, while Piper would be more patient, which is what Silena would need. Also, they both know what it's like to be manipulated and have to make choices about whether or not their friends and family will live or die, and that's a common ground for them both.

8) Nico di Angelo & Mitchell (Heroes of Olympus)

This is solely because of the fic, Gurrlfriend by Erikthonius on ao3. Honestly, if you've read that, you'd understand where I'm coming from. I don't have any other evidence besides that.

There will probably be more where this came from!

[dryococelas01]

I've been thinking lately about a particular character archetype that's been really emotionally resonating with me for a while. I've had trouble pinning down exactly why and thought if I rambled on a bit maybe that would help get my thoughts in order.

I'm gonna dub the archetype the Quixote, for reasons that will soon be obvious. Both of my examples are, funnily enough, created by games workshop.

Content warning for, I guess, severely altered states of mind, alzheimers/dementia, insanity, cannibalism and I'm not sure what else. This is a bit of a weird one to tag. I'll put mental illness as a tag even if its a fantasy mental illness rather than anything real.

So I'm gonna introduce the 2 examples first, so everyone's on the same page. They are Nemesor Zandrekh of warhammer 40k and the Flesh-Eater Courts of Age of Sigmar.

So quick Zandrekh crash course. He was part of a race called the necrontyr, they got forcibly uploaded into robot skeleton bodies by soul eating gods called the c'tan and got their souls eaten in the process, becoming the necron. In the process most of them lost all personality, with the nobility being allowed to keep between aspects and the whole of theirs. They then managed to turn on and kill the ctan, and went into a several millenia long sleep. Many of the ones who still had their personalities have odd quirks as a result of their uploads, the long sleep, too early wake ups etc.

Zandrekhs condition is that he does not see the world as it is. To him, his body is flesh and blood. The many aliens and armies he fights are necron rebels and separatists, the mindless robot armies he commands loyal troops.

He has a bodyguard, Oberyn. Oberyn takes care of him. He stands by as his Lord holds feasts of rotten food for prisoners of war he regards as enemy ambassadors, watches his lord attempt to shove food into the flat metal grin where his mouth was. If one of these PoWs or a noble under zandrekh, sick of his nonsense, tried to deal with Zandrekh, Oberyn deals with them.

He stands by him until the end. He knew and loved his lord before they were machines, and he does so now.

(Quick note: some people interpret this as romantic love. I don't but I can see why. To me I have strong recent memories of my dad and me taking care of my grandma whos mind has aged, and that's how I see it. We do explicitly as of the novel Severed have obyron describing it as love). (Second quick note: these 2 are explicitly based on Don quixote and Sancho, one of Zandrekhs old abilities was called something like tilting at solar mills)

That's your crash course on Z. Now the Flesh Eater Courts.

The FSC ars a faction of flesh eating undead ghouls. They are withered and rotten, riding giant bats and undead dragons into battle, devouring the flesh of soldier and citizen alike.

But much like Zandrekh, that's not how they see things. They have a form of infectious delusion.

They are Noble knights. The giant bats are magnificent pegasi, the zombie dragon is alive and majestic, their barren wastelands beautiful and fertile, the hordes of ravenous ghouls the loyal citizenry at their command.

When they invade a civilian village, tearing at their flesh, devouring young and old alike, that's not how they see it. They see a goblin warcamp, a chaos cult hideout, a Necromancers castle. They ride in on their noble steeds, their loyal armies at their back, and save the day. And after? They have a grand feast, peasant and knight feasting side by side on rich and expensive meats.

You get the idea

This archetype so interests me for so many reasons.

Lets start with them as a moral question.

Is The Ghoul Evil? The ghouls have taken part in the butchery of innocents, the slaughter of villages and destruction of homes. They've eaten people and serve the whims of a far less deluded master.

But they don't see it that way. Not only that but they are incapable of seeing it any other way, their senses and minds completely in thrall.

There are plenty of people who do horrible things and see their actions as good, but they have the capability to be different. A violent white nationalist will no doubt say everything they are doing is for some greater good, but they have the capacity to change, they can be something that isn't a voilent white nationalist and there is evidence in the world around them that their views are wrong and abominable.

The ghouls cannot not be ghouls, they can't see the evidence in the world around them.

They can't see their rotten fraying flesh, their sharp teeth. They can't see the farmer they killed, they taste delicious chicken instead of human flesh, drink wine not blood.

They are Noble heroes to their eyes. And there's no way for them to know otherwise. They are doing good, to their eyes.

So is the ghoul evil? I don't think so. Their acts are evil acts, but there is no evil intent to them.

It's a very interesting moral question to me. I'm curious on your thoughts, if anyone sees this.

When the veil lifts.

Nate crowley recently wrote a novella about zandrekh called Severed, from the perspective of obyron. In it he based zandrekh on his experience of a relative with, and I can't remember which, alzheimers or dementia (hence the / in the content warnings).

There is an amazing moment, at one point, that I'm just gonna quote.

So obligatory, spoiler for the novella Severed.

__________________

‘Well fought, old friend,’ said Zahndrekh, with companionable warmth. ‘You really ought to have rested more, but we need to leave. I must commend your rather… straightforward method of dealing with the sorcerer’s engine, and it very much appears to have done the trick. Doahht has gone off like a light, and its legions with it. But without the engine, I fear the stability of the planet itself won’t last, so we’d be much better off in orbit. Are you ready for a short jaunt up to the Horaktys?’

Obyron nearly said yes, but then he remembered the engine’s true purpose. Or what it might have been – it was so hard to recall now.

‘But… our souls, Zahndrekh. The machine… it could give us our souls back. It could give us our bodies. Please, lord, let’s at least take part of it with us, so we can know for sure.’

‘Oh, dear vargard, why do you hold on to such things? You must let the thought of this awful contraption go.’ Zahndrekh put an arm round him in consolation, and continued.

‘Let me pose you this thought, Obyron, in the hope it will bring you ease. What do you think caused you to hold true to me for all this time despite all the power you might have enjoyed through betrayal if it were not a soul? What can love, but a being with a soul?

‘Even if we all ceased to be flesh and blood millions of years ago, which of course I don’t be-lieve for a moment,’ – Zahndrekh actually winked – ‘wouldn’t it have suited us better to live in denial of that, as some fools might say I had done? Wouldn’t it be better, Obyron, just to accept our fate, and enjoy immortality for the everlasting life of merry campaigning it has proved to be?’

Obyron stared hard at Zahndrekh, unsure of what he was hearing.

‘You old bastard. You knew all along.’

‘I knew nothing of the sort, old friend. But since you seem to be labouring under some delusion that you’re a soulless machine, I thought I should at least make some attempt to set you straight.’ Zahndrekh stood up then, and patted his thigh for Obyron to join him. ‘Come now, soldier. Up on your feet, and let’s return to the flagship. If we’re quick about it, we can have this all cleared up in time for a truly astonishing feast.’

Obyron, ever loyal, obeyed his lord. He would have wept, but he had no tears.

__________________

With the authors statement I'd say this is a moment of clarity, not zandrekh having known all along as Obyron imagines. I've seen grandma having many similar ones.

Zandrekh sometimes sees the horrifying reality he lives in, sometimes the fog lifts. And he prefers the fog. There's a lot more to pick apart from that quote but that's what I want to focus on.

Age of Sigmar has a trpg called soulbound, in which you can play a ghoul. If I ever find a play group I will.

Imagine a scenario, out adventuring team has just butchered a village. The ghoul is huddled on the ground, lifting the arm of a murdered young man who tried to defend his home, ready to eat it.

For a moment, the veil lifts. The noble Knight, defender of his people looks around him.

His good freind, the hedge mage, is raising an undead abomination out of murdered civilians. The noble Knight he rode besides has lined up survivors and is draining them of their blood. The beautiful noble lady he traveled with and hoped to court has no flesh, she's a vengeful spirit.

He sees his claws, and sees what he's eating.

Imagine the horror that sets in in that moment.

He doesn't know if he's seeing the truth, or if he's gone mad. If it's the truth then he knows he's a monster, his friends terrors, the people he saved flesh eating ghouls and the people he killed innocent civilians. If its not the truth, then he's gone mad, he's being tormented by some daemon or spirit, he's cursed.

Now, the veil would likely fall shortly after and he'd forget that moment of horror, but let's say it doesn't.

Let's say our noble Knight has a choice. He knows the truth of the matter, and can choose between the veil falling again or staying lifted.

Does he choose to keep it lifted?

I like to imagine I would, that I'd accept the guilt and horror of my existence and past actions and try to be a force for good.

I know that I wouldn't. I would accept the delusion, because fundamentally the horror of what I am and have done would be too much. Reality would break me, so I would retreat and allow the delusion to take me.

I'd like to imagine my noble knight would stand up and become a force for good, redeem himself. He is a noble knight, after all.

Zandrekh sometimes sees past the veil, but keeps acting like he doesn't because the veil is preferable to reality.

It makes a wonderful character moment, something beautiful and tragic beyond my words.

Whenever I think of these moments the veil lifts something in me cries. There's something so tragic about, in the case of the ghouls, someone that is noble, is trying to do good, but is incapable of. Something sad but strangely beautiful about zandrekh choosing to retreat into joy and fantasy rather than face reality.

I don't know how to put it, it just touches something in me.

I don't know, there's a lot more I want to say but I can't figure out how to say it. Hope my rambles were at least interesting.

[theoceanoasis]

Dratchrod aboard the lost light

Drift and Ratchet notice Rodimus’s frame changes shape often every month.

His thighs get thicker, his hips get wider and his aft gets plumper. They also notice his chassis seems tighter and his tanks pudge but only his lower tanks.

They can’t help it. He looks so attractive like this and they always want to ruin his valve when he’s like this but he doesn’t let them.

He blushes, looks hurt but covers it pretty well ( they can still tell ) & he says later but that later is only after he goes back to “normal.”

One day they wake up earlier than Rodimus when his frame changes and see energon blood in berth coming from his modesty panels and have a mild panic waking him.

He is so embarrassed and devastated they see him like this, he wants to leave and hide but they stop him.

Its then he explains he’s not a regular bot. That bots like him were mostly wiped out because their kind hates them. He fears they’ll hate him too but they don’t.

They stared at Rodimus. Unable to keep their optics away or their hands when he looked like this. Every month for about a week his frame would change shape and he was suddenly irresistible.

He looked so good. They often times found themselves getting distracted. Their spikes were always hard behind their panels and they'd have to jerk off multiple times to even attempt to get rid of all the extra charge.

They've asked him before. Practically begged him to come to their room. Both of them were desperate to frag him. Their spikes pressed painfully against their panels. Usually Rodimus would say yes. Always eager to frag. Except around this time and they couldn't understand why.

When they asked. He looked startled and then extremely embarrassed. Of course he'd try to hide it and claim he wasn't interested.

He'd always say later but it always meant afterwards. Don't get them wrong they loved Roddy no matter what he looked like. They just wished they could frag him when he looked so good.

One day they'd been cuddling in bed. Rodimus had been exhausted the night before and a little drunk. Not wanting him to be alone they invited him back to their room.

At first he resisted the idea until he almost fell over. Ratchet looked him over and decided it was best they watch over him.

Now the three of them were curled together happily asleep. Until Drift smelled something he'd never forget. Immediately he opened his optics scanning both Ratchet and Rodimus. His mind flashed to the war and he shivered. Even though they were safe on the Lost Light. His life before the war and the war itself had left a toll on him. There were some things he'd never forget and this was one of them.

Which is why when he shifted and felt something sticky by his side. He panicked because it felt like a lot of energon.

He threw the blankets to the side and looked down in horror to see Rodimus bleeding. A pool of energon had formed under him in the middle of the night.

He didn't know how it happened. But he assumed it happened before they met up with him. They should have noticed. He should have known that something was wrong.

Ratchet was woken when his blankets were pulled off. He turned to give him a grumpy look until he noticed the look on his face.

Sitting up he looked down to see energon underneath where Rodimus was laying.

Immediately he scanned him and manually looked him over. With Drifts help he flipped him onto his back and checked him over.

Rodimus was awoken with a start. Where he struggled to get away from them. Confused and disoriented.

"Rodimus stop! You're bleeding!"

Drift grabbed him and he only panicked more when he saw the energon.

"Let go of me!"

He struggled. Tears falling as he seemed to panic. He looked at Ratchet who looked just as panicked as he did, having never seen Rodimus like this.

He thrashed around like a wild animal. Screaming and fighting in a way they'd never seen before. He was forced to let him go and Rodimus rushed to the bathroom, where he slammed the door. They could hear crying from within. Which worried them both.

Ratchet immediately rushed forward. Medic instincts taking over. Telling him to care for his patient. He knocked on the door nearly busting it down as he tried to speak with Rodimus.

"Can you hear me? I know you're injured please let us help you."

When they received no response they both gave each other a worried look. He came over and knocked on the door as well.

"Roddy please we just want to help you. If you don't open the door Ratchet will just knock it down. You're clearly injured."

The door opened and Rodimus stepped out looking embarrassed as he stared at the ground, refusing to meet their gaze.

"I'm not injured."

He looked ashamed as he pressed himself against the wall tears falling.

"I never wanted to tell you."

"Tell us what?"

"We're here for you."

Rodimus sobbed and tried to hide it by covering his mouth.

"I'm a carrier."

"We know, there's nothing to be ashamed of."

"You don't understand."

"Then help us."

Both Drift and Ratchet took his hand when he shook his head looking panicked.

"You'll hate me."

"I promise we won't. We'll love you no matter what."

"Do you promise?"

Hot Rod gave them a shy look and they both nodded promising to always be there for him.

"I'm a tank carrier. My kind has gone mostly extinct. We are seen as abominations because of our ability. I never wanted you to know because I've seen what happens to my kind. I don't remember my carrier but I remember the feeling of being ripped out of his arms and taken to Nyon."

Ratchet gave him a sad look. Remembering tank carriers he tried to help in the Dead End clinics. Only for them to be killed later along with their sparklings.

"I was lucky, because they chained me to the middle of town. Wanting the elements to kill me instead of doing it themselves. As a message to the others."

Drift felt enraged but he tried to hold it back and focus on Roddy who needed him.

"The people of Nyon had pity on me and let me go."

Hot Rod wrapped his arms around himself in comfort.

"I lived my life in fear. Watching as others were killed right in front of me. I remember one who was always nice to me and would sometimes bring me food. She told her partner after getting sparked. The two were bonded and she thought she loved her. Only for her partner to betray her. I remember how she screamed begging them not to hurt her sparkling. Her partner just looked at her in disgust while she and their sparkling were killed."

He gave them both a sad look. His spoiler lowered as his whole body shook.

"I have spent my whole life living in fear. I promised myself I'd never tell anyone. I've always been careful. I don't understand how this could have happened."

He looked sad and was surprised when both Ratchet and Drift held him.

"You're safe with us."

"We will never let anyone hurt you again."

"We love you and this doesn't change anything."

Rodimus nodded clinging to them as they held him close. Promising to always love him.

When he noticed the sheets he looked embarrassed and pulled away to clean up.

"I'll get it."

Ratchet went over and began cleaning up while Drift cuddled with him on the couch asking if he needed anything and going to grab it. He watched the two in awe and found himself wanting to bond with them. Something he never thought possible until now.

[hardcore-direwolf]

I made this time-line for Eva Nelson with Gwen Tennyson's face claim!

Quest/Teen Titans/Origins (S0): Eva Nelson (10-11) is taken under the claws of her godmother Selina Kyle since her parents and family members lived in Bellwood. She starts as Mouse, Robin's main romantic interest and the very first female sidekick in history with pure magic energy. Eva was graduating from Evermore College as honorable valedictorian and has the highest scores due to her skilled talents. She meets her godfather Bruce Wayne and her crush Dick Grayson through Gotham City's Red Carpet Gala with her godmother, who's a famous entrepreneur of expensive jewelry and fashion trends. Eva goes platinum and gold with music, dancing, acting, videos, movies, and more. She was the Lucky Girl of Gotham City and she begins her journey in Tokyo, Japan...as Mouse...with trouble right down her path. Will she become the White Kitten Thief or will this "kitty" lose her claws?

Retaliation/Next Generation/Infinity (S1): Eva Nelson (12-13) is currently in Friedkin University for her doctorate degrees and has the best elite awards. She founded the Team with Robin I, Aqualad II, Kid Flash I, Superboy I, Miss Martian, Wonder Girl I (OFC: Ophelia Trevor), and Artemis I. Eva lost her paternal grandfather Kent Nelson and her maternal grandmother Inza Cramer to her two major enemies as Catgirl, who then awakens her hybrid form and fuse her pure mana with her inner phoenix out of mixed emotions when all of her loved ones got hurt at the Tower of Fate. The Forever Knights and Genomorphs join alongside Zephyr Incorporated after the head manager of the company turns out to be Dubbilex. The battle between henchmen and sidekicks has begun, a powerful watch is upgraded and its wielder is her best friend Lumus (OMC: Matt Ferris). The Young Justice League have fully merged with the Teen Titans, and the fight against Onslaught and Incursion is on. Who will win this epic battle?

Legacy/Invasion/Aftermath (S2): Eva Nelson (17-18) earns all of her degrees and start her mana training during the whole five-year gap at Legerdomain, Zoraster, Soulland, Anodyne, and Earth. She resurrects all the loved ones of her close friends at the Forge of Creation, saved Kid Flash I within her Anodite form, and ended a ginormous alien invasion by fusing with Solstice...the life-force phoenix within her soul to scare them off and absorb all of the zero-point energy from all 21 Magnetic Field Disruptors in order to save Planet Earth against the quantum forces of evil. Eva becomes Black Cat during that time with Nightwing (Robin I) as her boyfriend, she currently has three adopted god-sisters and was their big sister figure. It's the war between the Team against the Light, Hive, Reach, and Naga for the safety of Planet Earth...and one shocking plot twist is...uncovered. What secrets are hidden in this saga?

Darkside/Outsiders/Enlightenment (S3): Eva Nelson (20-21) was pregnant and expecting a magical pair of baby twins with Nightwing during the two-year gap, they've been engaged and to be married at a private ceremony. They secretly tied the knot without any villains knowing their location at Anodyne, though they have to save meta-humans and protect mutants from more villains on Earth. Eva were being aligned with the Genomorphs and Forever Knights, but are defending them against the Lucabras and Flame Keepers who were trying to make her a living sacrifice to their inner circle by doing a blood ritual in order to summon Dagon. The birth of the next generation has arrived and this one will be the most extraordinary one...yet. Can the Team protect her and her family from Dagon?

Phantoms/Ultimate Team/Targets (S4): Eva Nelson (23-24) saves Steel Scion (Superboy I) and Rocket I from the Zod War. She brought Changeling (Beast Boy I), White Raven, Cyborg I, Starfire, Lumus (OMC), Zatanna, Aquaman II (Aqualad II), Wonder Woman II (Wonder Girl I/OFC), Breach (OMC), Tigress (Artemis I), Nightwing, Miss Martian, and Flash III (Kid Flash I) with her to save the Son of Steel and revive Rocket I. It's the Team against General Zod's family, the final battle that destroys the House of Zod with the El Family's remaining members, and the Lucky Girl faces off against her grandmother's greatest enemy with Tashmetum by using the Mask of Destiny to become Mistress Destiny. It's about to be a swarm of nanochips and the Team is prepared to take down the Decoy Queen of the Hive...once and for all. Will they dethrone this monarch and end the general?

Armageddon/Missing Years/Enhanced (S5): Eva Nelson (29-30) is back and is ready to take down some bad guys with her loved ones. The Lucky Girl joined forces with the rest of the Team to defeat Darkseid after he destroys the Map of Infinity to cause the dimensional paradox, she revives it and restores everlasting peace by balancing an internal vortex of portals to revert everything back in place. Eva becomes the main entrepreneur and head president of Zephyr Incorporated, wedded spouse of Dick Grayson, mother of two children, and future member of the new Justice League of America. Time must be restored and every paradox must stay...infinite. Will the Team be able to fix the time-lines?

She's voiced by the late Meagan Smith at Origins and in her childhood memories. Her permanent voice will be Hayley Williams of Paramore for Retaliation to Phantoms, and it fits her well. Her future voice will come from Erica Lindbeck, who voiced Felicia Hardy aka "Black Cat" from "Spider-Man".

[aajjks]

TC!JK She quickly goes down the stairs as carefully as she could with Yerim's help.

A large smile on her face as she looks around to find her husband.

She quickly senses that there's something wrong. They've won the war but their faces don't show that joy of victory.

They look so dejected and their heads are turned down.

Just then a tall, handsome man gets off his horse.

She hasn't seen him before but she knows that he's a Knight.

She has a questioning look on her face.

He bows in front of her and she asks him the question that has been plaguing her mind.

“Where is he?” she asks him.

He looks up and pulls out a scabbard and presents it in front of her. It's Jungkook's.

“This pains me to inform you that His Highness is no more. He lost his life while fighting with the remaining few enemy troops.”

She gasps so loud it's as if the air has left her lungs. Her breathing is unstable and her chest burns.

“NO! THIS CAN'T BE TRUE YOU'RE LYING!! MY JUNGKOOK CAN'T LEAVE ME LIKE THIS!! HE'S NOT DEAD!! YOU'RE LYING!!” She screams in horror and disbelief. Her face drained of all colors as she tried to run outside the Palace gates.

“I'LL GO FIND HIM MYSELF!” she couldn't really run in that state and Haein was faster as he gripped her arms to stop her from running outside.

He motions for the guards to close the gates. And she thrashes in his arms screaming and crying for a long time.

Her body is weak and all that stress is getting to her now as she feels light headed.

Her world spins and she stops thrashing as it all goes black.

She passes out in his arms.

She didn't know how long she was out for but when her eyes open she finds herself in the bath.

Her naked body submerged in water.

It can't be it right? He was supposed to be back in her arms. Her Jungkook.

She suddenly feels a sharp pain in her stomach. It was unbearable as she screamed in pain.

When she looks down the water has changed it's colour. It's red.

But it's nit the water, it's blood.

“No! Please no! Not my baby! Please!”

It's over now. All over.

“NO!”

She wakes up gasping for air and quickly looks down to at her stomach. She touches her belly to makes sure it's there.

It was just a dream.

Her baby is fine. She is fine. She's in her bed.

She clutches her stomach and starts sobbing.

It's been days since she got the news.

She doesn't talk to anyone not even when anyone tries to make conversation with her she doesn't respond.

She refused to eat for 2 days straight and as a result, fainted.

The Royal physician had advised her to take care of herself otherwise she could lose the baby.

So for only the baby's sake she started eating.

She can't lose this baby. It is way too precious to her. The only connection to Jungkook she has left. The byproduct of her and Jungkook's love. She can't afford to lose another piece of her heart. So she takes care of herself for only the baby's sake.

However, she has turned into a corpse. A living corpse.

He took her life with him when he left.

Jeon Yn died with him.

“Eunwoo look he’s moving- oh my goodness!!” Alina exclaims.

It’s been days.

Eunwoo runs over nearly tumbling over as he joins his side to see his king, their emperors body finally making a move.

“Miracle.. miracle…” he exclaims, in utter disbelief and wonder. They never really thought that hed wake up- or even be alive.

He and Alina quickly take him to their home, tending to his wounds with the utmost care.

For days, Jungkook drifts in and out of consciousness, his fever high and his body weak. Alina gently cares for him, her warm demeanor a stark contrast to the violence he’s endured.

“You’ll be fine,” Eunwoo assures him during one of his conscious moments. “Your wife would never forgive me if I let anything happen to you.”

“U-Ugh m-my yn.” He winces.

The mention of you brings tears to his eyes. He clutches the handkerchief tightly, using the thought of you and your unborn child to fight through the pain.

Meanwhile, back at the palace, Haein returns with the King’s sword, claiming that Jungkook fell in battle.

The court erupts into chaos, and the news shatters you. You retreat to your chambers, clutching your belly as tears stream down your face.

Your grief is unbearable, but you hold on for the sake of the child growing inside you.

Weeks pass, and Jungkook begins to heal. His strength returns, though the scars—both physical and emotional—remain.

He vows to return to you, his queen, and reclaim his throne. He thanks Eunwoo and Alina, promising to honor their kindness once he’s back in Goryeo.

•••

When he finally arrives at the palace, weeks before your due date, chaos turns to silence.

Everyone is stunned. The King has returned—not as the bloodthirsty warrior they feared, but as a man who’s fought through hell to return to the love of his life.

“YN!!!”

[megaphonegirlk]

give me rheagard (001) for the ask game!

when I started shipping it if I did: It's a little complicated! Probably...oh geeze. 2020? I kind of always did like it, in it's way, since the game came out...but personal exotrauma reasons kept me from admitting it out loud until we came to terms with it >_> my thoughts: They are...PERFECT, your honor! They have so much in common , but are each convinced the other's the representation of everything they hate despite them being in the exact same boat. They've got the torrid enemies to lovers angle going...two women who waged world-shattering war against one another out of a presumed hate finding out that they're far more similar than either would have ever admitted. The Flame Emperor and the War Saint Seiros clashing together, and falling in love...not to mention, the synchronicity with Edelgard's ancestor, implied to have been Seiros' lover. What makes me happy about them: They can find what they thought forever lost in one another **SOBS** , they're such perfect mirrors, and when they finally open up they're so cute together!!!. Those moments before Rhea knows Edelgard's the Flame Emperor, too...the attempts to be gentle and almost motherly, they're fantastic. What makes me sad about them: They've each lost so many people, and are only going to lose more as long as the war rages. They both fight desperately so it'll never happen again, while not understanding that it will as long as they remain locked in combat. things done in fanfic that annoys me: When they demonize Hubert or members of the holy family just to get a convenient enemy for the fic, honestly. things I look for in fanfic: Pining from opposite sides of the war, finally having to fucking talk, swordfights/battle, and i am attached to the 'dragon/Nabatean Edelgard' idea i've seen a few times. I think it'd be cute Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Edelgard: Byleth, Hubert, Jeritza, Any of the Black Eagles, Claude Rhea: Byleth, Manuela...a few other smaller ships. My happily ever after for them: The war is resolved, be it through Byleth's use of time loops or simply intervention at the right moment. The two women finally have to look one another in the eyes and see beyond the masks they'd put up. After years of reform and work fixing Fodlan's many problems, the two retire to the woods together to a cottage known to all their friends and loved ones, where they spend their days together. Rhea teaches Edelgard to properly handle the mutagenic power of the blood in her veins, and perhaps even helps her to fly. who is the big spoon/little spoon: Rhea is the big spoon on account of how tall she is, but Edelgard keeps trying to reassert herself as Big Spoon because she may love her but hell if she's going to _Yield_ what is their favorite non-sexual activity: Growing their own tea, and gossiping over teatime, I'd say!. Or... flying together

[crimsonblackrose]

.

The pit is full of so many different types of snakes. Like it's not just 'cobras'. Which makes you wonder why he named his dojo cobra kai. (Also half of these snakes look like pet snakes) One even falls off the edge and lands on the others.

Johnny's turn to kick open a door. And his second time finding someone whose being a dick to him training his son.

Kreese "what took you so long" assuming Johnny's coming back. Not pissed because he's probably not aware that his students broke in and attacked people at the LaRusso home.

Three generations of Cobra Kai. Kreese literally thinks he's a grandpa.

Kreese's second: This is your last chance Johnny, really.

Robby saying: Listen to him dad not knowing what's going on

This is literally what Kreese tried on Miguel. To tell him that Johnny was just a little lost and together they'd help him.

Robby: Why are my dad's always fighting?

Also to Robby it totally looks like Johnny just came in here and starting beating up an old war veteran. Robby has 0 context and this is the only guy who has ever said anything positive about Johnny, so he's probably so lost and confused and upset. I mean sometimes Daniel would say something but he nearly always changed his tune.

Confirmation that Kreese has nunchucks on the walls. Johnny grabs a single Sai.

Because of Robby's don't do it, Johnny drops the sai.

I feel like Johnny should've tried to warn Robby, after Kreese started mentioning how messed up it was that Robby was studying under Daniel. Like Robby knew about Daniel but nothing about Kreese.

This is pretty much what William Zabka's character Scott McCall says to his father in the Equalizer, which has got to be weird being on the receiving end of similar lines.

Sensei Kreese is right. I can't be my own worst enemy. But you can be.

Robby literally decides to fight Johnny and Johnny is pretty much just block and telling him to stop it. But Robby's had it so rough and is so confused and doesn't know the context other than every time he finds a home and a new father figure his old father figure shows up and tries to fight his adopted one.

Johnny's making this look easy. Literally just lifting up his foot and stepping out of the way. "I won't fight you"

Robby calls Johnny weak and Johnny looks so tired.

Who put those metal lockers there? It's as bad as the damn rock. That was a total accident. Adding it to the list of accidents that caused the absolute worst results. Robby even makes a soft little cry/sob when he hits it.

Johnny immediately rushes to his side trying to get his attention and apologizing.

I think Johnny's internal count down of "I didn't fuck up" had been growing and he'd been so proud because of what Ali said and it literally just restarted at 0.

The captain says Kreese couldn't shed his humanity and it distracted him from the war. I feel like what they're trying to do with this is Kreese accidentally killed a fellow soldier, had to kill his captain and he's been trying to make up for it ever since by trying to instill that cold the world is war mindset of his captain because he failed once. And he'll never do that again.

He grabs a piece of bamboo from the bridge he's on and stabs his captain in the leg with it. His captain ends up holding onto the edge of the bridge after a few punches and kicks.

Kreese in present day grabs a sai, pulls Johnny away from Robby who has a bit of blood on his forehead but for a headwound not much blood and just seems to be unconscious.

Kreese stomps on his captains feet after they've been saved, dropping him into the snake bit to be killed by the fall and the snakes.

Johnny kicks the sai out of Kreese's hand but Kreese gets Johnny in a headlock again.

Daniel kicks Kreese off of Johnny. "You sent them to my house? You came after my daughter?"

I hate to say this but I don't know if Kreese actually sent them to Daniel's house, or how they would've known they were all there. As much as I love Daniel kicking Kreese's ass and saving Johnny.

Daniel spotting Robby knocked out in the corner.

You can't keep up this defense only shit forever. | Good thing I don't have to.

YESSSSSSS

LOL Kreese just picking Daniel up and running through the frosted front glass windows.

Like Kreese why would you destroy your own windows?

Also this means Kreese is barefoot on the cement surrounded by glass.

It's raining again, it rained when they went to try and pick up Robby from juvie.

Daniel kicking Kreese's ass, seeing Johnny, looking surprised and Johnny nodding to him. Like yes, go ahead and take him out.

Cockblocked from murder by their kids take 2 this time Miguel and Sam.

Daniel in white, Johnny in black. Keep your cobra kai's away from our kids.

Miguel checking in on Johnny and asking if he's okay. 🥺

Even though I'm pretty sure Johnny's covered in the least amount of blood.

Robby directs his get out of her initially at Daniel even though Daniel wasn't there when he got knocked out. and the all of you at literally everyone else.

Really Robby's got some thick skin, his forehead gash should be much worse, that's like a scratch. And he was just knocked out a little longer than his father.

Kreese literally saying Son to Robby while staring Johnny down.

Kreese releases all the prisoners and they all run for freedom except for Silver who stops and hugs him.

You think Kreese has ever hugged anyone other than Silver since Betsy died?

I owe you man. You saved my ass. Anything you need...I'm there for you. Your whole life. You hear me Johnny? Your whole life! I owe you (unbeknownst the messy bff break up coming up in a few seasons 🤣)

Side note, do you think Silver grew out his hair and kept it in a ponytail out of guilt for their other friend who died?

Another hug after that declaration

He's smiling when he says this, which makes it sound like Silver answered but when we see Silver he's ignoring his calls and dramatically playing piano in a fancy robe.

oh i forgot they ended the season with the merge

Also this is Daniel's first time wearing his hachimaki from Mr. Miyagi in the series.

Wait a second

Aren't the two tall guys in the shade Cobra Kai's? Where's your other fighters? Though I see the shorter red is back. There he is

He was hiding behind Sm, the kid who took a vase to the head and tried to save her from Tory or slow Tory down.

Literally all the students are happy and smiling as the Eagle Fangs join them in the worst dojo yard ever, finding their ways next to their friends.

Mitch eventually re-betraying Chris kinda makes this hurt.

This season finale was so satisfying. Because Johnny and Daniel working together, realizing they needed to work together, that they had more in common then differences, and merging their dojo's was like what it'd been building up towards.

I still love it. Even though I know they become dumbasses again as soon as the next season starts.

[a-lucha-brother]

Fantasy Booking the road to Swerve vs Page 2: Part 1 (up to All In)

This idea is the child of @satanstruemistress, I'm just taking their idea, putting a spin on it, and giving it a booking masterclass, like only the Rainmaker can - let's go on a ride.

*For context, this booking is being made under the impressions that The Elite have lost Blood & Guts, they've lost because Adam Page isolated Swerve Strickland, Adam Page DOES NOT side with The Elite (only used them to get to Swerve) and that Swerve's next program after B&G is with Christian Cage*

It's July 31st, the Dynamite after Blood & Guts, exactly 3 weeks and 4 days to All In after this fallout episode, meaning we have 3 Dynamites between now and then; the current card is as follows:

Swerve Strickland (c) vs Bryan Danielson for the AEW World Heavyweight Championship

Adam Page has no match......well. Let me walk you through what I would like to see.

Dynamite 17th July (mostly unconfirmed card as of writing): On this episode, Renee tries to get more answers out of Adam Page after he randomly decided to join The Elite, which he patches her questions, to which she reacts angrily again after his antics the week before. He gets in her face and starts to advance aggressively when.....JEFF JARRETT comes for the save telling him to leave her alone, calling him a "big man pushing up to a woman all alone". Adam then decks Jeff to the floor when he turns his back and screams at him to stay out of his business and walks away. Matthew and Nicholas show up to shoo the camerman away.

Swerve Strickland and myself, I mean, Kazuchika Okada have their singles match in which Swerve wins because no Elite members come out to help Kaz because Team AEW (revealing the remaining of their members in the process) have taken out The Elite backstage, distracting Kaz to which Swerve does a running top rope House Call kick straight to the Swerve Stomp for the win......but then on the big screen, Swerve then gets to see Adam Page taking out Team AEW with a chair to which he angrily looks at the camera at Swerve as the episode ends.

Dynamite Blood & Guts 24th July: Blood & Guts happens. Adam Page and Swerve Strickland just can't ignore each other and completely go to war that spills into one of the two rings. Everyone else fights each other, and everytime anyone tries to enter the other ring (from both teams) or gets thrown in (tactically or otherwise), immediately gets double-teamed by Page and Swerve, who look at each other longingly cause they both understand

THEY LOVE EACH OTHER THROUGH DESIRE FOR MURDER

Anyhoo, this pisses everyone off, but they can't get past the duo, so we essentially have 2 matches going on here. TL:DR someone on the other side manages to break open the cage and it spills out onto the floor and on top, this whole process basically eliminates everyone out of the match for the finish (including the ref). Page starts to essentially torture Swerve instead of just pinning him, and it gets perverse at a point. Then JEFF JARRETT comes running out, guitar in hand, sneaks up on Adam Page, SMASHES it over his head and as Page is collapsing, he turns to see who it was as he tries to fight against passing out, pissed as all hell, as Jeff then low blows Page. As he's on his knees, Swerve manages to House Call kick him, cover him, JJ pulls his shirt up to reveal another ref shirt like with the Owen that Page also lost, counts the 3 and Team AEW "kind of" wins.

Why this road, why, I'm so glad you asked, because AEW has been setting something up with Page and Jarrett. Blood & Guts is happening in Tennessee. Jeff Jarrett is also from Tennessee. Do you see!!

Dynamite 31st July: No Adam Page or Jeff Jarrett in this episode, we'll deal with them next week. This week, we're dealing with Swerve.

The Elite open the show. They proclaim that nobody technically won Blood & Guts because Swerve and Page went into business for themselves, which means that The Elite never technically lost, so, technically, The Elite actually won. They then invite The Patriarchy to the ring because, "Christian has a very important message for our 'Champion' ". CC comes out, does the talking, threatens Swerves daughter, makes mention of knowing where they live and going to get her now, "since Swerve spends more time at the hospital then he does at home being a GOOD FATHER that I, myself might as well take pity and show her what a REAL FATHER is like" to which Swerve comes out, all banged up and clearly in no condition to be fighting anyone, comes out anyways, gets annihilated because of course he does. Matthew and Nicholas then come back on the screen and spout some garbage along the lines of, "Swerve, you're being so reckless and creating an unsafe working environment, I mean, I fear for my life right now, do you fear for your life right now, we're all scared back here! So Swerve, I think it's best that you be SUSPENDED from Dynamite for the next 3 weeks to think about what you've done. Oh, and as further punishment, as this isn't the first time you've done this. After All In, if you're still the champ, your first opponent will be CHRISTIAN CAGE and HE will get to name the time and place AND stipulation!!" *Swerve starts making appearances on Collision because "he's only banned from Dynamite right?" and raising some hell for The Elite and The Patriarchy*

Dynamite 7th August: Now we start setting up more Adam Page and JJ stuff. Page gets more aggressive with Renee, this leads to a match with Wheeler Yuta, who he basically murders.

Dynamite 14th August: Now Page has a match with Claudio, destroys him too.

Dynamite 21st August: This week, Adam Page gets on the mic and gives the traditional "Why, Adam, why" heel promo. Talking about AEW, MJF, The Elite, Kenny Omega, Swerve, Joe, Mox, the fans, talking about how each and every one of them has done him wrong gotten in his way, stopped him from regaining the belt, telling them that they made him this way. "Swerve lit the fire, but YOU poured the gas on top of the fire!!" And now because he's a raging inferno that can't be put out, he's going to burn AEW to the ground, so that there's NOTHING left to stop him from getting to Swerve 1-on-1 because as you saw at Blood & Guts, Swerve can't handle Adam Page 1-on-1.

This is when Jeff Jarrett's music hits, and he hits the, "spoiled little crybaby" face promo on Page from the ramp and slowly gets into the ring. They trade backs and forths, Jeff gets real personal and real emotional with some of his references (I personally would like some TNA references). It all results in Jeff saying, "If the Cowboy thinks he's a good enough gunslinger, he's going to have to outgun the Last Outlaw" and Jeff basically says to him that if he wants to cross that final line that it'll take to get him to Swerve, "cause there's still lines to cross, that Swerve crossed long ago, that you've never had to cross as of yet" he'll need to beat Jeff in an Ironman match.

AEW All In 2024 25th August: Page has his match with JJ and wins, JUST. And surprisingly, they share a handshake, Page thanks Jeff, then Page starts to maul Jarrett, with Lethal and the rest coming for the save. Swerve and Danielson have a 5 star classic, which Swerve JUST also manages to win. Him and Bryan share a nice embrace, say their goodbyes to the crowd. Then Adam Pages music hits and he bulldozes to the ring and demolishes both of them, beating Swerve within an inch of his life as the cameras fade with Page holding the title screaming to Swerve, "I TOLD YOU I WILL MAKE THIS MINE AND YOU WILL NEVER HAVE IT OVER MY DEAD BODY OR YOURS" and just keeps on repeating himself like a nutcase.

And that's your lot, for now. If I remember to write the second part (detailing Swerve's program with Christian leading into a SwervexPage tag team) then I'll do it, but for now, I'm exhausted and you've outstayed your welcome.

NOW GET THE HELL OUT OF MY RING

[sezja]

Febuwhump Day 12: "Can You Hear Me?" Fandom: Final Fantasy XIV Characters/Ship: Sanson Smyth/Guydelot Thildonnet, Original Character Triggers/Content warnings: n/a

Part One, Part Two, Part Three

His walk home that night feels longer than usual, his thoughts chasing themselves wildly around his head.

He should report this to someone - but report what? Guydelot's absence? He's known for running off; he's infamous for vanishing whenever he deems his presence unnecessary. His own suspicions don't seem to hold up under scrutiny.How is he meant to convince his superiors that Guydelot would have told him if he meant to simply disappear for days; that he is different from all of his previous commanders? The Gods' Quiver would laugh at his naivete, and remind him - patronizingly - that Guydelot Thildonnet is known for wandering off when the mood strikes him...

How is Sanson meant to explain that, no, Guydelot loves him; he would never-

"Psst!"

Sanson pauses, looking around, wary.

"You- you there! Can you hear me?"

It's a young voice, very young. Sanson looks around more urgently, fearing a child may have been injured or lost - or perhaps both. "I hear you," he says, gently. "Where are you?"

"Don't... don't come any closer," the voice instructs, and Sanson realizes the speaker is in a nearby tree, perched on a high branch. A young wildwood girl, he realizes - surely no older than fifteen, in ill-fitting boy's clothes. Her dark hair is pulled back from her befreckled face, revealing watery green eyes.

He peers up at her. "Are you stuck, miss? I can-"

"No! No, I'm not-" She flushes to the tips of her ears. "You- I'll do the talking, thank you very much! You... you know my brother," she says, her voice wobbling. "You arrested my brother!"

All thoughts of Guydelot temporarily gone from his mind, Sanson frowns up at the girl. "Who is your-"

"Nourval," she says, and abruptly, Sanson understands her distress. "Nourval Lhorulgois! He... he's in prison-"

"Nourval," Sanson repeats, softly. Ah. This is complicated. "Miss, I apologize, but your brother-"

"I know," she interrupts, her hands twisting tighter around the branch she perches on. "I know! I know what he did, I do, but he's my brother, and my family..." She swallows. "My parents have disowned him, you know, and they... they won't let me see him..."

And you suppose I can help with that? Sanson fights the urge to sigh - truly, he sympathizes with her; the idea of being told he couldn't see either of his sisters again... but Nourval's crimes were fairly judged, and his sentence light. In but a few more years, he will be free, and then his sister may see him as she pleases.

But when he opens his mouth to say as much, she instead shatters his mind entirely by saying, "I know where they've taken your bard."

His breath stops, his heart pounding.

"Guydelot," he whispers. Then: "You say he has been taken by someone."

"By my uncle," she replies, slithering slowly down from the tree. Her clothes - Nourval's, perhaps, from when he was younger? - hinder her movement more than they aid it, but she makes her way down regardless, landing neatly on her feet. "And there isn't much time left before they..." She draws her finger across her throat, leaving little question as to what she means.

"Where? What do they have planned? Why have they taken him?" He fights the urge to shout; whatever else is going on here, she is his only hope of finding Guydelot. Before it's too late.

"They want to frame the Ala Mhigans for his murder," she replies, brushing bark from her clothes. "They want to start a war-"

"Where is he?"

But the girl merely tips her chin up defiantly, eyes blazing. "First," she says, firmly, "you find a way to let me see my brother. Then-"

"Guydelot's life is on the line!"

"Nourval can help you!"

"Help me how?"

"He's the only person who's ever beaten Uncle Astarnaix in a fight," she replies, folding her arms. " And you'll need to beat my uncle to save your bard."

Sanson feels the blood drain from his face. "You-" No. "Are you asking me to break Nourval out of prison?"

[astracora]

10 Moments - Three (Wounds)

Characters: Taxionna x Kieran

Warnings: Injuries, Blood

Word Count: 1181

Written: 3rd April 2021

They rest their head against the wall and bite their lip. Fighting another war for their mother never gets easier. They're tired of being her weapon, cocked and loaded, set on whatever thing needed killing or quelling.

Their frustration and anger makes them sloppy, they think they're getting stronger, think they're getting smarter... but they're reckless.

"T..." A voice calls them from their thoughts, and it soothes their hackles and softens the anger in their eyes. They look up to see Kieran approaching them. He was sent to assist them. A rarity... and what Taxionna believes is a threat.

Look at how I can command the man you love, my child. Remember that for the next time you decide to argue.

They bite on their tongue, bringing gold blood to their mouth and he leans forwards to take their jaw, easing the strain out of it. His thumb brushes over their cheekbones, and they lean their face into his touch.

"You were reckless." He sighs, and for that moment, he sounds just like their brother.

'You're being reckless, watch your movements, track your opponent better. Stop relying on your powers, you need skill and instinct too.'

He's right though, they'd gotten reckless, stupid. Shot with a damn gun through their shoulder, cuts on their hands.

"When you're immortal, there's no reason to worry..."

They try not to notice the annoyance that goes through his eyes, because they know it's well deserved. Instead of answering, he drops the medkit he's holding in one hand.

They want to say it's unnecessary, but the powers they've used today have made the healing slow, made them sluggish. It's been too much for them, so the slightly gold blood seeping through their shirt is hard to stem. It's bleeding into red as they get more tired.

At least the bandages will stem the blood and save them ruining another shirt.

He sits down next to them, peeling their shirt off to start cleaning up the wound. "You didn't follow her orders." He muses, his familiar smirk back in place.

Taxionna bites back the smile, a small act of rebellion, they suppose.

Destroy all of this, and rebuild it.

They refused, some lives could still be saved. They would save them. Even as a monster, they wouldn't be a mindless weapon.

"I never do, it quite aggravates her."

Affection warms his deep purple eyes, laugh lines appearing. They try not to think about how beautiful he looks as he gets older. They've stopped ageing now, suspended in time for all of eternity... and they cannot help but thank whatever force (they try not to think of their mother) gave them their powers, that he stopped when the grey had come into his temples.

"It's one of the best parts of you." He speaks, voice appreciative, warm... gods so full of love.

They never feel as lost at sea when he's here, they know that against all odds he'll anchor them. They hope they offer the same to him. That their hand can bring him back from the brink.

That their touch can light up the worlds again.

He finishes cleaning them up, and begins to wrap a bandage, his warm fingers dancing over their cold skin, and they shiver. He takes it for pain, for a moment, before he sees the way their eyes close and their wings flutter.

His shit-eating grin returns, and he leans in to whisper in their ear, "I didn't realise pain was a preference?"

They forget about their injury for a moment, and swat at his shoulder, laughing before the jolt of pain reminds them that they're bleeding out.

"Idiot." They manage, biting back the hiss, before he soothes the pain with warm hands. Rubbing circles into their sore arm. "She doesn't care about them..."

He sighs, finishing up their bandage, and resting his forehead against theirs, hands moving up to hold their face.

"She just thinks of them like pawns. How... how can she have created them, and be so willing to let them die? She doesn't even try."

They bite down on their lip again, not as hard, but he still pulls it away so they don't break the skin. When he speaks his voice is hard, and they can read the fury in his eyes clear as day, "I'm sorry T, your mother..." For a minute they think he's fighting to be diplomatic, before he simply gives up and when he speaks again it's full of disgust, "She's a monster."

They huff, agreeing but drained. It's an age old battle, they've fought it for so long, tried so hard to break away from it. There's nothing to be done.

How do you fight against an all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful God?

They'll always have a leash around their neck...

The thought is halted when they feel warm, soft lips pressed to their forehead, and his beard is soft against their skin.

The thoughts are driven out of their mind, and they reach up to tangle their fingers in his hair, ignoring the pull in their shoulder, and pulling him down to rest their forehead against his again.

Eyes slipping shut, and relieved at the feeling of his warmth. Their skin is so much colder than his, that every time he touches them its like fire.

"You're doing the right thing." He whispers, and they open their eyes to read the love in his. He's so smug, so proud. He's always sure of himself, and they know a lot of it is faked. A persona to keep him standing. He's silver-tongued but he's not a liar.

Secretive but he'd never lie to them.

"How can you be sure?" They whisper, and their voice breaks... and they hate it. If it were anyone but him, they'd be furious at themselves for letting the mask slip so easily.

He tilts their head, to kiss their temple, "You've always been driven to help people, to prevent suffering where you see it. You're a good person."

They move his face so they can kiss him, grateful and on the verge of tears.

When they pull away, there's even more wavering to their voice, "I love you, Key." They choke out, and he freezes, hesitating on edge.

They realise they've never said it, never told him, and they bite back a sob, leaning back. Pulling their face out of his hands.

He looks stunned, starstruck, and they know they've made a mistake they can't take back. Before he can say anything, before he can reject them, over something they should never have said, they make to leave. Willing the darkness at their feet to swallow them.

A hand around their wrist stops them moving, and before they can fight back or prepare, they're pulled into his arms. Wrapped in a hug so tight, they can feel their bones protest.

"I love you too, T. I always will."

The words settle in their chest, wrap around their heart, and latch on. They know the quiet whisper, pressed into their hair will warm them for years to come.

[bloodgulchblog]

I feel like Pandora opening the fucking box here but I have to ask- What the fuck is Red vs. Blue. What is it? I've seen the first season twice I think but have never been able to watch past that. It's funny, sure. The first episode is iconic. But I still don't understand it, you feel? Do things happen in the later seasons? What is the appeal?

Shit, fuck, okay, so...

(This is a long post, and nobody concerned is at all surprised.)

You've seen the first season so I don't have to go over the very basic starting premise, at least. I'll try and avoid glaring spoilers.

ANYWAY.

Red vs Blue was only supposed to last for a couple of episodes, but it got away from them and the first arc (seasons 1-5) ran from '03-'07 and it's like 9.5 hours of content all together. Part way in, it found its legs and started telling a funny story about how this pile of color coded idiots in Blood Gulch got tangled up loosely in some stuff pointing vaguely in the direction of the alien war and saved the day. They go through some portals. They get wildly lost. They think they've traveled in time. There are a lot of stupid jokes that become plot points. They fight a guy who is a lot better at fighting than them. There's a big explosion. It's stupid, extremely 2000s in both good ways and terrible ways, and incredibly dear to my heart, all in equal measure.

After it ended and had been silent for a while, RT decided to continue Red vs Blue but this time it was going to have an actual plot on purpose! From the beginning! For real this time!

The way they did this was by retconning and adding onto the only backstory anyone in the Blood Gulch Chronicles had: Agent Texas was from a top secret military project (Project Freelancer) where she got paired with an aggressive artificial intelligence for space war reasons.

Seasons 6-8 (about 6 hours of content) form an arc that is called The Recollection. It starts a while after Season 5 ends, and introduces the character of Agent Washington (from the same project as Tex, naturally.) Wash is trying to investigate what happened back in Blood Gulch (and specifically where the character Church has ended up) while also contending with a mysterious, aggressive, mute man called the Meta who's been hunting down and killing agents for their AIs.

A lot of shit happens, there's A Twist that idk if you've already heard but it's fun if you haven't. It ends with some strong forgiveness and power of friendship vibes.

After that, seasons 9 and 10 are the Project Freelancer Saga (about 5 hours, can you tell episodes were getting longer) which has big flashbacks to what actually went down during the project. Season 9 is plagued (for me) by having the "current" events mostly be a bunch of stuff that happens as a dream sequence (more or less) for one character and nobody else in it is real. (It's interesting if you care about him, but otherwise it's a lot of sitting through things that don't matter.) 10 gets back to things happening in the present and it has problems from being ten pounds of plot in a five pound bag, but also I love Agent Carolina a lot and much of the plot is about her dragging the gang into a revenge quest to try to get closure so... *raises and lowers one shoulder.* (I have a lot of unpopular opinions because the flashback characters are some of the most popular in this fandom, but I think the flashbacks are one of the weakest parts of the whole show.)

The show ended there for a while, having resolved the Project Freelancer plot and given the characters a theoretical sendoff. Then, seasons 11-13 (The Chorus Trilogy, about 8 hours) were produced by a new showrunner and, quite frankly, it was better than RvB ever deserved. After heroically bringing down what remained of the super shady Project Freelancer, the gang is finally richly rewarded with being able to go home to Earth! Unfortunately, they get stranded on a colony world called Chorus instead and dragged into the civil war currently plaguing the planet. It is the best-handled arc in the whole show, really nicely done, and I very honestly think that Season 11 is the best place to start RvB if you aren't sure whether you want to or not. It stands alone really well, it came at a point where the show had matured a lot, and Season 11 actually does the work of re-introducing the characters and gives you enough information that you don't have to see anything prior in order to understand about them. If you like 11-13, then you can decide if you care enough to go back for the rest of it. If not, you can safely say you saw the best of the show.

The characters have responsibility and have to deal with what it means to have people depending on and looking up to you (especially when you're still mostly the same pile of idiots you've always been.) There's a lot of great shit in here about friendship and being flawed people trying their best. It's still dumb, RvB is always dumb, but it has a good heart.

15 and 16 were by a new guy, and were such badly-received seasons they took the guy who wrote them off the show. 16 is, hands down, the worst. 17 felt like an apology. It was really good, but oh god at what cost?

I figure if you end up caring enough about RvB you'll find out about this period on your own, otherwise summarizing it beyond "there's a lot of bad characterization and unfunny humor and there's a time travel plot, then the apology season was actually great" is wasting your time.

We don't speak of RvB Zero. It was so poorly received that neither does RT, now.

OKAY BUT WHAT IS THE APPEAL OF RED VS BLUE?

Full disclosure: While RvB matured some over time and got less bad about some of its jokes, the humor has aged badly in a lot of places and wasn't okay in the first place (looking @ u, homophobic jokes and the only black character is a guy who sleeps around and probably has a bunch of kids he doesn't support jokes, I cannot blame anyone for being put off especially by the early material) but when it's good it's witty, the breakneck pacing of jokes is great. When RvB is funny, it's really funny.

The characters are all very flawed and remain flawed, but most of them grow and you get to see them as people struggling with situations that are so much bigger and scarier and more important than the world at large has told them they're ever going to be allowed to be. The Blood Gulch crew are not just losers, but a specifically selected pack of losers. But the thing that matters about them is they can, despite their flaws and their frequently shitty personalities and their petty squabbling, band together when it matters. And when some very damaged characters who are supposedly "better" and more important than they are crash and burn and are at their lowest? The Blood Gulch gang goes "hey, you can sit with us" and offers some pretty unconditional acceptance and friendship that is pretty much lifesaving.

RvB isn't deep, the Freelancer plot is full of holes so big you can drive a tank through them, the first showrunner couldn't write female characters, I've mentioned how much of it was in poor taste, and I could go on...

But I bonded with RvB when I was young and a lot of the things in it have meaning to me, it's quotable as hell, and I owe RvB for a lot of enjoyment I had over the years messing around with ideas and characters in it and talking for hours to my friends about it.

[greyskyflowers]

I just have so many feelings about feral, loyal, protective Zoro.

The kind of feral that comes from wanting to see blood and the way it hits his skin like rain on cracked, dry earth.

The kind of feral that comes with someone threatening something that you love, that wild and wrathful feeling that makes it easy to understand why some wars have been started over a handful of people.

The agony of loyalty that keeps him on an unknown shore when everything in him is desperate for his captain, eyes searching the horizon for a silhouette that he knows he won't see.

The same thing that makes every ache and burn in his body, every night he jerks awake with gasping breathes, every time he lays on the ground and thinks of death all worth it.

And it's both terrifying and wonderful.

It's love and fear and all the other scary things that don't go away.

He had his dream, a clear goal that would have been a lonely road but it would have been his.

Now he has theirs too.

It feels like holding small flames in his hand and shielding them from the wind or having multiple heart beats in his chest at once.

He feels powerful with their trust, scared of what the comes with that.

Because there is danger in that kind of love.

He thinks of Nami tearing into her skin to get out the ink of her sins.

Robin screaming into the wind that she wants to live.

Sanji forced back to a family that was never anything more than a cold and lonely cage.

Luffy on his knees in the middle of a battle field with his brother dying in his arms.

He think of the pain they've all gone through and he burns. He smolders with it and although the situations have been resolved, he carries those feelings with him.

Zoro would rip into the world with teeth and steel for them. He never really thought that love could be desperate or that loyalty laid through his body like it's own nervous system. He knows now though that he would fight the earth and crack the ground for them. Fight until there is no place for him to stand. He'd face the sea and draw his blades through each wave until his swords have rusted and his lungs burn with salt.

He'd take their pain like breathing in cursed air and stand in the rubble with his skin painted in his own blood. Relief in knowing that they wouldn't hurt even if it meant he would.

He'd do it all if it meant them being safe.

He knows how quickly the body is destroyed. He knows there's something bloodthirsty in him, something old and hidden. That the cursed swords hanging at his hips and whispering for blood aren't needed for him to want to spill it.

They have nothing on him though. Not cursed swords or warlords or admirals. Not distance or time or anything divine. Nothing compares to the devotion for his captain and crew.

He lays on the deck of the Sunny one night and burns low with love. The sky turning pink to orange to purple to black. Everyone's full of amazing food and half listening to Usopp tell stories and make shadow figures on the wood. They twist on the walls and flicker in the edge of his eye as he points out constellations with Luffy and Sanji. He's arguing with Luffy over what the constellations are and smiling because he loves the happiness in Luffy as he insists that Ace taught him it's actually this. Zoro, you're wrong! Sanji, tell him!

The smell of the tea that Robin and Nami are drinking drifts over on a warm breeze. Something soothing that Sanji recommends before bed, the glass clinks softly when they take a drink and it's hardly audible as they talk lowely to each other.

Franky is working on something small, the details lost in the shadows and night but the movement is steady. Relaxing and confident.

Chopper a warm weight curled into his side and watching Usopp. Occasionally wiggling in happiness and poking at Zoro who pretends to have been paying attention.

Brook plays a soft, low song that settles in his bones like home.

The earth is miles below his feet, past warm waters that bleed into cold and the heavy darkness that only comes from the sea. He can hear the waves against the ship and smell them in the air.

But laying there with his crew and drifting on the sea is the steadiest he's ever felt.

[yandere-sins]

this isn't from the alphabet thingy (so if youre only doing requests for that rn feel free to ignore this!!) but could u maybe write something for a reader who spends the entire academy phase pining for dimitri and then after the timeskip when they've maybe already buried their feelings, dimitri goes yandere for them maybe?

Thanks for requesting! :3 Let’s go!

»»———————— ♡ ————————««      

This much should be okay, right?

Even though you had this nagging feeling in the back of your mind, it wasn’t like you two were doing anything especially strange. Dimitri just... held you. A little too awkward and a little too tight, sure, but after all, he went through, could you blame him? Five years ago, this would have been a dream for you, and even though the world around you turned into rubble and dust, you couldn’t ignore the soft flutters in your stomach now that your wish was fulfilled.

You, too, needed comfort after all that happened.

Back at your time in the monastery, you had only ever dared to glance at the prince. Admired his diligent and firm way of thinking and talking, but also the soft smile and tender laugh falling off his lips. Every day you swore it would be the day you’d approach him, reach out to him. Yet, every day you hesitate, watching the chances you had, dwindle away and so did Dimitri. More and more did he start to distance himself from you and everyone else, for that matter. He may had his struggles - and you, for one, would have loved to be his confidant back then - but he never let them on, even if they were written on his face in pain. Only as things started to become more and more convoluted did something inside him break, vanishing all the light from his eyes and cladding him in somberness and hatred. 

Dimitri was nothing like his former self anymore. If he spoke - and he did so rarely - it was hard listening to him, painful even. Before you stood a broken man, someone whose heart had been ripped out and trampled on before reviving him. You didn’t want to be the one pointing out his flaws, not when he was so important in the upcoming battles, and you were thankful for his presence. But he also wasn’t the man you fell in love with anymore, that much you had to realize for yourself. 

And yet, who’d have thought that of all people, you were the one he’d let close. Dimitri had stopped talking to so many of your comrades. Stopped eating and moving, spending hours inside the cathedral, and not rarely did you wonder what his mind did in times he stood dead still. 

Perhaps, something about the lost reality Dimitri embodied at this time was what made you take extra care of him. You, who got back so much strength from seeing the Blue Lions reunite, have both the prince and Byleth back from the presumed dead, just couldn’t abandon the boy- or rather, man you once loved. Even when he hissed and screamed about you at first whenever you approached him, it soon made space for more silence, and you calmed down, knowing you weren’t one of his victims-to-be.

All you did was bring him food and told him about the news around the monastery. When you took heart and approached him more closely to get his cloak, carefully pulling it off his shoulders with only an exasperate sigh falling off his lips, you almost jumped for joy, even though the garment was stinking abominably and washing it was more challenging than fighting in battle. But it was all worth it for the moment when you returned it, Dimitri adjusting it with daggers shooting from his eyes at you, only for him to mutter a quiet ‘Thanks’ as you left again. To you, this was the highest praise you could have received all your life.

So now that he decided to hold you, you couldn’t refuse. In the end, you didn’t know what happened to him or what he truly was thinking. But in these uncertain times, everyone could need someone to hold and rest their head on. Even a presumed monster like Dimitri, or maybe, especially Dimitri, needed it. You didn’t want to assume anything or think too highly of yourself, but perhaps your dedication of not letting him decay like he did before was the reason he chose you for a change of mind. 

Nothing would ever be the same as it was, and you weren’t the naive teenager anymore you had been before. The teenager who still believed that nothing bad could happen in this world and Dimitri was a literal saint sent from the goddess. But your body wasn’t lying either, hands shaking as you returned his embrace, putting them on his back carefully, scared you’d make him disappear if you touched him. 

Of course, nothing like that would happen just from your touch, and you took a deep breath to calm yourself. The happenings of the days... they still weighed heavily on your mind too. But how hard must it have been for Dimitri if you were already suffering? Another fight, another important soul perishing from the world. The head of house Fraldarius may not have died in vain, as his last breath was used to put some soul back into the empty, murderous shell Dimitri had been. So how much must the former prince be suffering right now that he’d chose to trust in your company instead of anyone else?

“Thank you,” he whispered quietly. It was only you and him and the wind howling around you two on the balcony you two had retreated to, but he still spoke as if his words were only meant for your ears and no one else. 

At first, it had surprised you greatly when he approached you himself, smiling nonetheless. You were almost convinced you died; otherwise, how could you explain the change of heart he had gone through? 

“For not giving up on me. I am thankful that you were there,” his voice sighed into your ear, and you felt the heat rise into your face. Luckily, the armor you two wore for protection also protected your heartbeat from giving away how fast your pulse was racing right now. “N-No problem,” you managed to croak out, scolding yourself for the ordinary answer you gave. It could have been your moment to say something epic! Something groundbreaking! But no, it was humble at best. 

“I’m glad Your Highness is finally looking up again, even if what happened had been a tragedy too.”

Biting your lip, you thought to have overstepped with your words as Dimitri pulled back. But in the moonlight shining down on you two, you felt it rather than saw, as his hand cupped your cheek, the leather of his glove warm and soft. “Yes, I can finally see clearly again. I know now what’s important and where my priorities are. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for showing me.”

The kiss that followed was timid at first but changed into unreserved and unstoppable quickly. Part of your brain knew that leaning in and accommodating Dimitri was a mistake, something a teenager might have done, but it had been five years since you felt this way for him. The war wasn’t over, and a love story like this was only true in books, so there was always a chance for it to end in tragedy rather than joy. 

But right at this moment, it felt like the world was restored to normality. As if his kiss could defeat all the evils and banish them away. Even if your love had laid dormant for so long, Dimitri was poking at the embers, stoking the fire inside of you. Perhaps, you hadn’t been over him as much as you thought five years ago when he was captured and vanished not long after. Maybe you had just ignored your heart, hoping that one day it would stop aching, but never abandoned your love for him. 

“Please don’t leave me.” Opening your eyes faintly, you could see the reflection of the moonlight shining from his. His gaze was wide and adoring, but in it laid so much more than what you could hope for. In fact, you weren’t sure if those feelings you noticed in Dimitri’s eyes were feelings you wanted him to experience when he looked at you. “Not tonight,” he continued, “Never.”

Fear, desperation, desire. It all flicked through his gaze, his lips continuing to play with yours roughly. He sucked and pulled, his tongue slipping in the first moment your lips opened in a gasp for air. It was an amazing experience, yet, a part of you felt like he was devouring you. All these things began to make your head spin uncontrollably, his words being questioned over and over. What did he mean? What did he want? You didn’t want to confront him with wrong assumptions, but you also didn’t want to let him down. It was all so much - too much - to bear, and yet you simply didn’t want him to stop and go away.

“Of course!” you sighed into the kiss. “Anything you wish for, Your Highness.”

“Ah,” he whispered back, pulling you into an even deeper kiss. “The Goddess is merciful with me today. I’m so happy! I am so--” 

Your body noticed it before your mind could register what happened, a harsh flinch jerking through every muscle. It shook you awake, slapped away the clouds that had fogged your brain, as you felt the pain coming from your lip. The taste of iron spread over your tongue, and you cocked your head away, reaching up at your lip only to find something hot and wet coating your fingers. Too thick to be saliva. Too red in the moonlight to not be blood. 

As you went to question what happened, Dimitri’s lips crashed back down onto yours. An assortment of stings made you close your eyes tightly, drumming your free hands against his breastplate. You wanted to like his kisses, but not if you were bleeding and put in a tight spot with his harsh movements. 

But you didn’t need to voice your uncomfortableness nor fight him as he quickly pulled away again. With a sense of horror, you noticed your blood on his lips, his tongue flicking out without ever looking away from you, to lick off the red color decorating him. “--happy! We’ll be together forever, right?”

You had no answer for him as he waited for your reply. This much, it should have been fine. It should have been fine to follow him into battle, to fight for him, and to celebrate his success. Even after all these years and the heartache you experienced before, it should have been fine to fall in love all over again, to care for him and accept him closer, right? Right?

Then why did it feel so dangerous to be in his arms, your lips trembling as they tried to heal the wound he just marked you with?

[xerith-42]

Cinn i love you but what the fuck why would you do this to me?

Laurance who just almost gave into his blood lust still fighting that off, and then it flares up again because someone hurt Garroth. The same person he was just trying to kill. He knows that Zane isn't really back, but for a minute he was, and for a minute Laurance wants him to be. Just so he can personally destroy his very essence of living. Zane took it too far like 100 episodes ago, but this is truly the last straw for Laurance.

If he sees Zane it's on sight.

And then there's Garroth. One of the few people ever able to keep him stable. Garroth who is now unstable in a permanent way. And when he looks at Laurance, he can see the pain in his eyes. The pain of this injury. Of all he's lost. Of all he might lose if Laurance can't control himself. And Laurance realized that Garroth missed him. Garroth came back to the world and he was gone. He wasn't there for him like he promised he would be.

He can't bring himself to look Garroth in the eye but it's all he can do. Every part of Laurance is at war with himself when he realizes that he could answer his calling with Garroth. It's not who it's directly attached to, but he loves Garroth enough for it to count. For a split second Laurance's mind considers killing him.

That's when he finally backs away, throws his sword aside out of fear of what he might do with it. When he tries to close himself off because the guilt is starting to kill him. And it's then that Garroth crosses a line he was too afraid to cross before. He drops his weapon and reaches out for Laurance, pulls him closer. Garroth, who always turned away at even a hint of contact or vulnerability, pulls Laurance into the most tender embrace they've ever experienced. Even if Laurance just tried to kill him.

Because he knows that isn't Laurance. He knows that whatever the calling does to him isn't the man he fell in love with. And he can tell that as much pain as he's been through in the last few days is nothing compared to the months of suffering Laurance went through without him. He knows that whatever reservations he had doesn't matter. What matters is that against all odds he and Laurance are alive. And he can be around Laurance again.

He missed that more than anything else he lost.

People often are stuck between killing Garroth off after mcd season 1 or not doing that.

What if, instead of a death, a permanent injury he got in the irene dimension. I'm not talking a cool scar. I genuinely mean something making him incapable of being a guard anymore due to the pain it causes. A severe physical disability caused by injury.

I've never seen someone kill him off, but I absolutely love this idea. He gets out of the Irene Dimension, but it's almost too little too late because Zane just ripped his arm off or something.

Oh man now I'm gonna be thinking about amputee Garroth... The way that he doesn't want to hate himself because he truly doesn't believe anyone is lesser for their disabilities but... But he's lesser. He's a guard who can't even use his sword because he lost the hand that carries it. His left hand bears the weight of his shield and his right his sword. What can he do when he loses the ability to bear one? How can he be a guard with just a shield? How can he be one with just a sword in the wrong hand?

You've given me much to think about, anon. Thank you for the angst.