#and third means both parents were born in the us but at least one of their parents weren't

[hoperays-song]

Immigrant Generations

First Generation Immigrants

Johnny: moved to the US at age 10; was born in London, England.

Stan: moved to the US at age 38; was born in Liverpool, England.

Barry: moved to the US at age 35; was born in Chester, England.

Marcus: moved to the US at age 40; was born in Birmingham, England.

Gunter: moved to the US at age 29; was born in Tampere, Finland.

Ruby: moved to the US at age 27; was born in Chatham Island, New Zealand.

Second Generation Immigrants

Rosita: both parents were born in Mexico, in Oaxaca and Mèrida respectively.

Ash: both parents were born in Guatemala, both in Villa Nueva.

Buster: father was born in Sydney, Australia, mother was from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Ryan: mother was born in Hong Kong, biological father was born in Phoenix, Arizonia, USA.

Mizuki: mother was born in Kyoto, Japan, father was born in Fresno, California, USA.

Third Generation Immigrants

Meena: maternal grandparents were both born in Nablus, Palestine; moved to the USA 40 years before she was born.

Nooshy: one set of grandparents were born in Newport, Wales, the other were born in Calgary, Canada; moved to the USA 27 and 35 years before they were born.

Mike: both sets of grandparents were born in Florence, Italy; moved to the USA 23 years before he was born.

The Piglets: grandparents were born in Oaxaca and Mèrida, Mexico; moved to the USA 45 years before they were born.

Suki: one set of grandparents were born in Nagoya, Japan, the other were born in Tokyo, Japan; moved to the USA 47 years before she was born.

[meazalykov]

gold or silver

laura freigang x reader

summary: you say words you don't mean.

warnings: reader's mentality is.. harsh in the beginning. jealousy. bits of angst.

it's the 40th minute and you were frustrated.

as an attacking midfielder, it seemed like you were doing everything.

you were helping the offense with your creative chances, you were clearing goals to help with the defense, picking up any pieces that horan or coffey failed to receive.

your body was tired and your mindset started shift into playing aggressively, anyway that will help you win against the germans.

by now, you'd start your aggressiveness with any other team-- but the germans had something special with you.

having two german parents made you eligible to play for the german national team. you were born in the United States and were raised in the US for your entire life-- the decision to pick a national team was hard.

back in 2018 when the united states promised to put you on the 2019 World Cup roster, you accepted.

it didn't help that they were the best team in the world at that point.

it made it special that you played for bayern munich, a bavarian club. most of the german girls on the gerwnt were your bestest friends, you've considered them to be your non-biological sisters.

one of those non-biological sisters, sydney, introduced you to laura back in 2021.

the both of you hit it off, the chemistry was undeniable and you've been with the older girl for 3 years now.

mallory swanson shoots the ball towards the goal in the 44th minute but it deflects off of the goalpost, the ball lands on your foot and you shoot the ball-- only for it to launch into the crowd.

you yelled in frustration as sam reassures you that you'll get it next time-- again. this was your third huge opportunity of the night and you didn't make a single goal yet.

nobody did. its nil-nil.

when the referee blows the whistle for halftime, you groaned out in frustration. hearing this, trinity jogs by your side as you both head back to the dressing room.

sitting down by your locker in the dressing room, you cling onto the bottom of your red shorts and take a sip of water out of your gatorade bottle.

the entire dressing room was frustrated-- the many missed chances wasn't acceptable.

after emma came in the dressing room, surprisingly calm while talking about the switches in play, you look up to the ceiling in silence.

"hey y/n." sophia places her hand on your right knee. you look towards her and raised your eyebrow, signaling for her to talk to you.

"are you okay?" sophia asks with a light smile.

"not really, are you okay?" you ask back.

sophia shrugs her shoulders, "I've been better."

that response breaks a smile from you.

"I just want to help you guys score, or at least score myself, I hate this deadlock we are in." you speak, going to take another sip of your water bottle after.

"I'll score for you and the team in the second half, I promise." sophia says.

"but honestly, I thought that your bad mood might've been about playing against laura and your german friends." sophia continues.

"no-- not really." you place your water bottle down and bend down to fix your cleat laces.

"huh?" sophia says, surprised.

"I mean, I am determined to help us get a medal. I'm not letting a relationship get in the way of our dreams." you say.

"and I know laura thinks the same way. yes, I am a little scared that she will resent me if we win and she doesn't-- but if that is a huge problem for her, maybe we aren't meant to be." you continue.

sophia knits her eyebrows together as you finish tying your cleats.

"she wouldn't resent you. are you saying that you would have resent for her if germany wins tonight?" Sophia asks.

"no, because I'll make sure they wouldn't win." you say, standing up and jogging out of the dressing room.

in the 61st minute, you push down and block a huge chance coming from nicole-- your girlfriend's frankfurt teammate.

seeing her fall after her failed chance, you walk up to her and help her when you realize that she had a cramp in her leg.

laura is subbed on her nicole afterwards, which made you feel nervous.

seeing her come onto the field, your tough façade faded away at the sight of her. you couldn't play mean when it came to her-- she made you feel loved and soft.

you didn't think it, but subconsciously, you make a note to be aggressive towards every other player except for her-- unless you absolutely had to.

in the 72nd minute, laura gets the ball and nearly gets the goal against the united states. noticing the position between her and crystal dunn, you reached your hand up because she was offside.

when the ref called for it offside, laura walks closer to you frustrated.

something inside of you feels heartbroken when she walks by you without bothering to look at you-- or gives you a signal that she notices you.

did she hear your conversation with sophia? no way, the American locker rooms aren't near the german ones.

was it because you were the first to urge the referee to call off-side? maybe.

in the 94th minute, you ran the ball up the field and passed it to mallory.

mallory, seeing no free space thanks to feli and kathy, passes the ball back to you. as you get the ball and dribble around feli, you pass the ball over to sophia.

berger fails to grab the ball from sophia's feet as she shoots the ball into the undefended goal.

1-0.

you feel the adrenaline coursing through your veins as you dart towards sophia, who’s grinning like she’s just won the entire tournament. 

she practically tackles you in the celebration as you both crash to the ground, your teammates piling on top of you. 

the scoreboard flashes 1-0, and the realization hits you—you’re just minutes away from securing a spot in the gold medal match.

you finally stand up, breathless and exhilarated, giving sophia another congratulatory hug. you gave the assist and she got the goal.

she smiles at that thought, her eyes twinkling with mischief as she points at you and says, "i told you i’d score a goal for you."

"and it was perfect, soph!" you laugh, your heart swelling with pride and affection.

your voice carries your excitement, and for a moment, the world seems to pause around you, focusing only on the joy of the moment.

but then, out of the corner of your eye, as you’re jogging back into position, you catch sight of laura. 

she’s not far, standing near the center circle, her posture stiff, eyes fixed on you with a mix of confusion and something else—something you can’t quite place. 

her brows are knitted together, and she’s biting the inside of her cheek, a habit you know all too well. 

you feel a pang of guilt but push it down, focusing on the game at hand.

laura’s mind races as she replays your words in her head. "scoring a goal for you?" the phrase echoes, unsettling her. 

of course, she trusts you—she has to. but seeing you so close to sophia, hearing the way you cheered for her, stirs a gnawing insecurity within her.

she shakes her head, trying to rid herself of the thoughts. now’s not the time. there’s a game to win, and the germans are still in it—barely.

the game restarts, and you see laura moving with renewed determination. she’s pushing forward, trying to lead her team to an equalizer. every touch she makes on the ball is sharp, decisive, but there’s an edge to her play now, something almost desperate. 

you can’t help but feel a twist in your gut every time she gets close to the goal. she has to be stopped, even if she doesn’t want to be. 

in the 96th minute, laura receives the ball just outside the box. she fakes a shot, sending emily off balance before cutting inside. 

your heart skips a beat as you watch, silently praying she doesn’t score. it’s a terrible thought, but you can’t help it. the idea of seeing her disappointment if she misses, or the tension if she scores, is almost too much to bear.

laura shoots, the ball curling towards the far post, but it’s just inches wide. the ball goes into the crowd and you exhale a breath you didn’t know you were holding. the sight of laura with her hands on her head, staring at the missed opportunity, brings a lump to your throat.

when the final whistle blows, the stadium erupts in cheers for the USWNT, but your gaze is locked on laura. she’s sitting on the grass, staring at the ground. your feet move before you can think, crossing the pitch to her.

you should be celebrating with your team, but that's not your main concern. as much as you said it did in the locker room. 

“laura,” you whisper as you reach her, crouching down. 

laura looks up at you, her eyes tired and exhausted, and for a moment, the world falls away. it’s just you and her, and the weight of the game feels inconsequential compared to the heaviness between you.

“i’m sorry,” you say, knowing it’s not enough, but it’s all you have at the moment.

“it’s okay. you deserved the win.” laura shakes her head, managing a small, sad smile. her voice is soft, but there’s a crack in it that makes your chest tighten.

“it’s just a game, laur. we’re still us. and i believe that you guys will go and win bronze.” you reach out, gently brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. 

she nods, but her eyes tell a different story—a story of doubt, of worry, of wondering if the game really is just a game, or if it’s something more. something that could wedge itself between the both of you.

“i saw how you looked at sophia,” she admits, her voice barely audible. 

“what did she mean by ‘scoring for you’?”

you open your mouth to respond, but the words catch in your throat. how can you explain that it was just a friendly promise, a moment of celebration? that it means nothing compared to what you have with laura? you can see the doubt in her eyes, and it scares you.

“it was nothing, i swear,” you say, squeezing her hand. 

“sophia’s just… sophia. she’s engaged to michael and i do not have feelings for her outside of platonic ones. you’re the one i’m with, the one i love.”

laura takes a deep breath, nodding again, but you can tell the seed of doubt has been planted. 

the victory feels hollow now, and as you pull her into a hug, you can’t shake the feeling that this game has cost you something far more important than a spot in the gold medal match.

so much for what you said in the locker room at halftime. you’re terrified that you might’ve manifested something. 

you hold laura close, feeling the tension in her body as she tries to keep her emotions in check. 

the cheers and celebrations around you fade into the back of your mind, replaced by the sound of her uneven-- and tired--breathing. 

you hate this—the way the game has twisted something as pure as your love for each other into a source of tension.

“laur,” you murmur against her hair, trying to comfort her as you sit on the grass, 

“you’re the one i’m going to go home with after this all ends. none of this changes that.”

she pulls back slightly, her eyes searching yours, trying to find reassurance in your words. 

“but it does, doesn’t it? we’re always on different sides out here, and it feels like… i don’t know, like we’re not on the same team anymore– i mean we aren’t physically– but i mean with us.”

the vulnerability in her voice breaks your heart. you never wanted this—never wanted to be the reason she felt insecure or doubted what you have together. 

you cup her face gently, your thumb brushing away a tear that threatens to spill over.

“we’re always on the same team in this relationship,” you say firmly, hoping your conviction can bridge the gap that’s opened between you. 

“what happened on this field stays here. it’s just a game, but you and me? it exists everywhere else.”

laura looks down, her lips pressed into a thin line. “it’s hard to separate it sometimes, you know? watching you celebrate with her, hearing what you said echoing outside of the locker room at halftime… it hurt, y/n.”

the honesty in her words cuts deep, your heart drops and you feel a huge wave of guilt hit you. she heard what you said. 

you wish you could go back, change how you reacted, change what you said to sophia, change how you celebrated. but you can’t. all you can do is try to make it right now.

“i didn’t mean to say that.. or to hurt you,” you whisper, your voice thick with emotion. 

“sophia and i—we’re just friends. she was just trying to cheer me up, that’s all. i don’t think that you’ll hate me like I said in the locker– the emotions of this game were just–” you cut yourself off, finding no excuses. 

“you’re the one i care about, the one who matters to me.” you say with full sincerity. 

“I know that, but it’s hard when we’re out here, competing like this. i don’t want to feel like i’m fighting for you.” laura’s eyes soften, but there’s still a shadow of doubt lingering. 

the feeling of playing against you all of the time is starting to catch up to the german girl.

she's never been your teammate on the pitch, just an opponent or rival.

“you’re not,” you insist, your grip on her tightening as if you could physically hold her fears at bay. 

“you have all of me, laura. there’s no one else, and never will be.” you stare into her eyes. 

she nods slowly, taking in your words, and you can see the conflict in her eyes begin to ease, if only slightly. 

“i want to believe that,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “but this… it’s just hard.”

you pull her into another hug, wanting to shield her from the pain, to show her that nothing has changed between you. 

“i love you, laur,” you say, the words a promise as much as a declaration. 

“we’ll get through this, together. when you win that bronze medal, i promise i’ll be there to celebrate with you.”

laura lets out a shaky breath, her arms wrapping around you tightly. “i love you too,” she murmurs against your shoulder. 

“i just… i don’t want to lose you and three years of us to this– to a football match if anything.”

“you won’t,” you assure her, pulling back just enough to look her in the eyes. 

“we’ll figure it out. we always do.” you say. this is true, you guys have solved small disagreements before and have made compromises. 

a small, fragile smile forms on her lips. not caring about any cameras or teammates that could see it– you lean in, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. 

the sound of your teammate, sam, calling your name pulls you back to the present. you know you have to go, to join them in celebrating the victory, but you’re reluctant to leave laura’s side. 

you’d stay by her side forever if you could. ninety minutes of rivalry exhausted you. 

laura notices your look at sam and gives you a small nod.

“go,” she says, her voice steadier now. “you deserve to celebrate. i’ll be okay.”

“are you sure?” you hesitate, searching her face for any lingering doubts. 

“i’m sure. we will talk more later back home, okay?” she smiles, a bit more convincingly this time.

you nod, pressing one last kiss to her lips before standing up.

the joy of the journey towards gold feels muted, but as you jog back to your team, you glance over your shoulder at laura. 

she’s watching you, and there’s a small smile on her face, one that tells you she’s trying to be okay..

as you rejoin your teammates, the cheers and laughter envelop you, but your mind is still on laura. 

the victory with your national teammates is bittersweet, a reminder of the delicate balance you have to maintain between your love and your rivalry when playing on the national level– even club level since you play for bayern and she plays for frankfurt.

but you’re determined to make it work, to ensure that no game, no matter how important, comes between you and the woman you love.

you’re determined to show laura that she’s the most important part of your life—on and off the field.

well, after you win that gold medal for your team. 

my master list is here if you want to read more fics <3

[laramcelino]

My head is wrapped on Nalu baby's soo...

Headcanons about the children of the canon couples in Fairy Tail ✨✨

or at least the ones closer to canon, I'm watching your teasing Mashima

Nalu

Get angry with me all you can, but they don't have a lot of children, oddly enough Nasha is one of the few in the guild who were planned.

Natsu is totally a girls daddy, it's the vibe.

They have Nasha after getting married, she is the spitting personality of Natsu, but learned to like books like Lucy.

They had some false alarms and when it really happened the pregnancy was hard for Lucy and the baby.

They got scared to try again, and Lucy was brokenhearted because she knew Natsu would want more despite him constantly saying that Nasha would be more than enough.

After at least two years they end up adopting a baby boy they rescued on a mission.

The boy is almost as chaotic as Nasha, but is more calculating than his impulsive sister.

The two fight a lot, Lucy is the rigid parent who makes them stop, Natsu is the one wrapped around their fingers, and gets scolded together.

Despite fighting, the kids are very close, play together all the time and protect each other a lot.

When the kids are sad and wanna talk about it they go to Lucy, when they just wanna be held they go to Natsu.

Both times when the kids arrived the spirits were very eager to meet then but waited, except for Aquarius, she used her own energy, and brought gifts, but she also said they were very ugly.

Even though Natsu and Lucy don't have other kids, they would be parental figures to any lonely children who come across their life, and are the favorite uncle and aunt for most of the guild kids.

Gruvia

They have three at max, none planned as Gray was insecure about being a parent.

Gray cried at every single birth.

Juvia is a boys mother and is very jealous of all her kids.

Gray is the parent who puts then on tracks, and so he receives all the hate.

Greige was born months before Nasha, and has the shy nature of his mother .

The middle child is a girl, and if they have a third one would be a boy.

The girl is the princess of the house and is very spoiled, she has Gray infinite devotion.

Gajevy

Those two have at least five. None was planned.

As in the twin trouble novel Asuka seems to be at her mid/late teens, and the twins look six at most, I believe they are not the firsts but the second to born (I couldn't read the full novel to know more).

The first one is a girl, definitely born to defy Gajeel in every possible way, going further enough to ask Natsu some Dragon slayer tricks.

The twins are much more level headed than the firstborn, but Yajee is more impulsive than Jutla.

The fourth and fifth kids are the mischief ones, doing mess and troubling Levy, they also have different magic from their parents.

The fourth and fifth are closer to Natsu and Lucy's boy due to age closeness. When the three are quiet for too long it means they are making some trouble.

Both Gajeel and Levy are good at controlling their kids, but Gajeel does it by being strict and Levy does by tricking the kids, it works better with the more hot-headed ones.

All their kids know that Gajeel is soft-hearted about them getting hurt, so if they do trouble they come crying for him first, because if Levy learns she will be angry, and an angry Levy is a scary one.

Jerza

They only have one child

They are both scared of having children, cus of their bad childhood, Jellal never interacted much with kids and Erza tends to scare them.

Both are very protective.

Their son was an accident that happened on their honey moon.

Was a happy accident though.

He is very smart and takes after Jellal more, being closer to Erza on the aspect of being a good leader.

He is closer to age to the oldest of Gajeel and Levy, so the duo control the kids brawls in the guild hall.

The boy is also very independent from a young age, and Jellal is always scared of not being present enough for him.

Erza tries to be subtle but she loves to say how proud she is of her boy.

As Erza gets older she takes after Makarov when she becomes the master and develops a kind of motherly feeling to the younger generations of the guild, so subtlety she gets a lot of kids.

CobraxKinana

Have only one boy, who very fiercely loves Fairy Tail.

They have him some years after their wedding, the kid would be closer to the twins age.

Cobra didn't want kids, as they make much noise, but accepts because of Kinana, so he would be one of few planned ones.

She is a very dedicated mother, and the type who only stopped working when was due to labor, and returned very early on too.

Kinana would come to work with the baby wrapped in cloth like a kangaroo and it was the sweetest sight at the guild.

Elfgreen

They have two, I don't care gender.

In a very cartoonist way one is the spitting image and personality of Elfman, and the other of Evergreen.

Evergreen loves to brag about how awesome and handsome her kids are.

She also likes to dress up then, uncle Bixlow likes too.

Elfman engages in any stupid ideas the kids have.

Both kids are scared of Laxus, and he got offended by it.

Mira spoils her nephews/nices a lot, but none the parents have the guts to ask her to stop, so anytime the kids wants something and the parents don't give, they run to aunty Mira.

As the kids grew Elfman and Ever become the type of parents that the kids ask them to grow up.

Bonus:

Characters I believe would be a single parent, either by adoption, having a child without contacting or knowing the father, or the child simply appears years later (like Cana to Gildarts).

Cana: adopted.

Bixlow: simply appeared, no one questions who the mom is, just how the kid will survive .

Laki: def don't know the father.

Lyon: appeared.

Kagura: adopted two girls from Mermaid Heel.

Hibiki: adopted, but everyone suspects the blood relation.

[frozenartscapes]

Everyone’s talking about that P.O.W. line from the most recent chapter so I’m going to throw in my own (maybe crazy) theory:

It’s not about Anya’s parents. It’s about Yor’s.

Ok, hear me out: based on everyone’s ages, I would guess this takes place either just before the adults in the main story were born, or were very little. This flashback storyline seems to be taking place near the start of the war, however we shouldn’t assume that the rumoured experimentation wasn’t happening before the war started, either. So what if this experimentation wasn’t about getting a telepath, but rather a super soldier?

We know Yor lived in East Neilsberg but I don’t believe it’s been explicitly stated that her family is from there. Her mother was likely “from the South” due to her using a customary ingredient from that area in a recipe but that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s from Southern Ostania. She could have come from the southern border region in Ostania/Westalis. On top of that, if either one or both parents weren’t from Ostania, it may explain why she has (supposedly) no other extended family within Ostania who could have helped her raise Yuri. No aunts or uncles, grandparents, cousins… Not even family friends or third cousins once removed. Have they all died due to the war/sickness/etc. or do they just not live in the country?

So, what if either both parents or at least just her mother were taken in as prisoners of war (either from being soldiers for Westalis or maybe even civilians from a border town swept away in the chaos). The experiments were to try and gain a Winter Soldier-esque weapon of war, and then preferably more of them to create an army. The experiments were extreme and killed most of the test subjects but Yor’s mother survived. And what if it was because she was pregnant?

She gave birth to a beautiful little girl, and then thanks to what the bastards had done to her and her motherly instincts being turned up to eleven, she breaks out with her child before they could determine if the experiments had any effect on the baby. Yor’s parents then escape to a quiet corner in the southeast of Ostania, believing it to be too risky to try to get back to Westalis. They raise their little girl with kindness and love, trying as hard as they could to give her a life free from the horrors they faced themselves. Eventually, they have a second child and all seems well. Both of their children are bright and happy and strong… Perhaps a little too strong in the case of the daughter. Even their son is more resilient than most kids. But their abilities aren’t the things that would make them the weapons those researchers wanted: it was who they were as people. And Yor is such a compassionate, innocent little girl despite her ability to bend inch-thick metal at the age of seven. And Yuri is so passionate and loving despite his ability to bounce back so quickly from broken bones.

But then they’re discovered. The parents do what they must to protect their children, and it works…but they don’t come home that night. Or the next night. Or the next.

Yor realizes what must have happened - that her parents had died while they were out running errands - and it left her in charge of the household. (And to go deeper: because their parents were trying to hide from the Ostanian government, they didn’t carry accurate identification so in the event something like this happened, officials wouldn’t be led back to their children. This is why no one discovered that there were two now-orphaned young children living alone and either forced them into a relative’s custody or an orphanage.)

And from there, we get to what we do know: Yor struggled to take care of Yuri until she was discovered by Garden. Her natural strength came in handy (but I also maintain that Shopkeeper also looks for specific personalities as well, so Yor’s unwavering bravery and her deep capacity for empathy and kindness also were key) and she was trained up to be on of the best assassins in Ostania. Garden would have done a great job in ensuring her super strength remained hidden by training her to control it better. It also would have provided the necessary cover and support to keep her and Yuri from falling into suspicion from the government.

Due to their desire to protect their children, Yor’s parents never talked about what happened to them. As far as she and Yuri are concerned, they were born in Ostania and are citizens of Ostania. (And technically that is the case for them both, although Yor’s birth certificate was forged since the scientists in the lab didn’t care enough about a baby that may not even live for very long to create one.) How they find any of this out, I’m not sure, but it opens up some interesting plot beats.

Yor would find out her strength really is unnatural, and that she’s technically a human test subject (but that would also further deepen her connection with Anya, and maybe would mean Anya would be more willing to open up to Yor if she hasn’t already). Yuri would discover that the country he’s been sacrificing so much for has not only tortured and experimented on his parents (and sister) but also is the reason they were orphaned (and all the hardships that came with that). Maybe there’s a chance then that one or both parents actually survived, and are just waiting for another conflict to be trotted out as the weapons that they are. Or there are relatives in Westalis who are more than thrilled to be reunited with their lost family.

(And this would work logically for the type of experiments these shady labs were doing: during wartime and the build up to it they would focus on things that would put them ahead of their enemy from a weapons standpoint. Focusing on boosting their armies’ capacities would be the priority at the start of the war. But toward the end, and then going into the Cold War, they would shift to intelligence-based research. Anya’s telepathy and Bond’s future sight would be more beneficial in a war of intelligence than an actual war, hence the shift toward that around the time that Anya was born. And I know Code: White isn’t technically canon but there’s a particular character in that movie that further suggests that Ostania was trying very hard to turn people into weapons.)

So yeah, that’s my theory (this became a much longer post than I first thought it would be).

[veryintricaterituals]

I am Jewish, what does that mean?

I was born in Colombia on the 49th anniversary of Hitler's suicide, I was raised here but I lived in Israel for about four years. I am not white, I don't look white, and my first language is Spanish. I came back to Colombia three years ago because of the pandemic.

I grew up Jewish and swallowed all the pro-Israel propaganda, I moved there looking for better opportunities and somewhere safe where I could come out of the closet. It took me less than a month to understand where I really had ended up in. It wasn't so different from my own colonized third world country filled with violence.

I did my best, I voted against the current Israeli government four separate times, I worked with and was great friends with many Palestinians and Arab Israelis (there unfortunately is a difference), I went to protests, I donated blood, I donated food and money. I fucking hate Netanyahu with all my heart.

For two years I taught English at a low income school in Jerusalem where all my students were mizrahi jews (from Arab countries) whose families had been kicked out of various surrounding countries in the 20th century. When I spoke to their parents and grandparents they talked about Iran, Morroco, Egypt, Yemen, with such longing and they brought me the most delicious foods. (Two of my students were killed two weeks ago, kids, barely 18 now, much younger when I taught them, I remember them).

My great grandmother on my mom's side was born in Jerusalem and raised in Egypt until all Jews were expelled and she had to flee with my newborn grandfather. They ended up in Colombia because she spoke ladino (Jewish dialect that is close to Spanish) they were undocumented, without a nationality because Egypt had rejected them, they had to lie and pay for falsified documents in order to get a passport, I still have a Red Cross passport in my house with my grandfather's name that determines he has no home country.

My great grandparents on my dad's side were born and raised in Bielorrusia and had to escape with my newborn paternal grandfather from the progroms after they destroyed their shtetl, they tried to make it to the US but they wouldn't take any more Jews so they ended up in Colombia.

My great grandmother on my paternal side was born in Romania, at the age of 12 she got on a boat with her 15 year old cousin, not knowing where it would take them. Her parents had both died and antisemitism was on the rise. She was so afraid that they were going to send her back that she threw her passport (that said JEW in capital letters) into the sea when they arrived at the port of a country she had never heard of, to this day we don't know when her birthday was.

My maternal grandmother is Colombian, she was born and raised here, Catholic until she converted to marry my grandfather, and yet when I went looking up our family tree I found we came from Sephardic Jews that had been expelled from Spain almost 500 years ago by the inquisition.

There are less than 400 Jews in my city that homes over 4 million people. My synagogue has been closed since October 12th, our president has equated all of Israel with Nazism on multiple occasions in the last few weeks. The kids that go to our tiny Jewish school have stopped wearing the uniform so that they cannot be identified. Ours is one of the countries with the least amount of antisemitism in the world. Someone in my university saw my Magen David necklace and screamed at me to go back where I came from. I went online and saw countless posts telling Israelis to do the same.

I am Jewish, I am latina, I am gay. My story is complicated, my relationship with my community is complicated, my relationship with my country is complicated. My relationship with G-d is complicated, my relationship with Israel is incredibly complicated. My history is complicated.

I am Jewish. What does that mean?

[merrycrisis-if]

Not to nitpick the Realism (TM) of this story, but I just wanted to ask the full names of the ROs (if you have any idea)? I'm new and I just heard of Qiu, and was a bit "huh" because I thought Qiu is usually a surname, lol!

Ah! Hmm, a few points here!

First off, I take your point! Both Qiu (丘) and Ling (凌) are common surnames, and in my head (author headcanon?) it does happen that folks who see the name are unsure which one is the first name and which one is the surname, especially because two-character first names are more common in Singapore compared to single-character first names. And I love that you're thinking about it!

Really long geeky answer about Qiu's name & its meanings / subtext below the cut, but tldr; I like thinking of names, and I actually really like coming up with names for my characters, so this definitely was an interesting ask to answer :)

Ling Qiu's parents are canonically from mainland China (immigrated to Singapore after 1989) and one-character first names are a lot more common there. I actually specifically chose it (having a one-character first name) it to be something that sort of makes Qiu stand out, with that palpable difference between being Chinese-Singaporean (like MC, with a two-character first name) and being obviously born to immigrant parents from mainland China.

I'd also add that actually, the character used in Qiu's name (秋) is quite a popular first name, at least here in Singapore, though as mentioned previously, it's usually paired with another character (meaning, in a two-character first name).

So in summary, agree that Ling Qiu immediately reads as odd to most Chinese-Singaporeans, but a note that the Qiu that you're thinking of (surname) is a different character from the Qiu in Qiu's name (popular first name).

And finally, I think I mentioned this before but Qiu means autumn, and is a nod to the fact that their parents actually see moving to Singapore as... almost like a 'third act' to their lives, right before the curtain falls (they never saw themselves in a different country, and were very respected, influential people in China before immigrating. So yeah. A symbol of... disappointment, close-to-death/winter, regret, in some ways. But also I think something that speaks to Qiu's temperament (they're certainly not summer, nor fully winter), but the quiet brilliance and crackling, dryness of Autumn I think suits them very well.

[horizon-verizon]

I have a theory that I like to entertain, though I don't have full faith that it's canon. Obvious disclaimer that I got a lot of this from already famous theories that exist in the fandom.

Theory goes; That the Valyrians are descendants of the Great Empire of the Dawn, or more specifically, the Amethyst Empress. After the blood betrayal where the Bloodstone Emperors vile act caused the Long Night and unleashed the Others into the world, the Valyrians, descending from the usurped Empress, got the gift of dragons and being able to bond with them from the Gods, in order for there to be an equilibrium between ice and fire (since GRRM confirmed that ice is the Others and fire is Dany with dragons) in the world, a weapon against the Others should they ever return. Fast forward, to the doom and Daenys receiving her prophetic vision, I believe that that was something she got from the Gods as well, since there needed to be dragons surviving in the world (though I don't believe that they caused the doom). Here's where the main theory begins: Rhaenyra was the second chance. She was the opportunity to make things right. House Targaryen allowing itself to become influenced by the misogyny and patriarchy existing in Westeros had already begun to lay the grounds for the downfall for the House (not saying that Valyria was some ultra progressive utopia, but from what we know it's certainly better than what we know of Westeros). With Rhaenyra's ascension to the throne, there would have been a great opportunity for change (not only for the House but for all of the country) that most certainly would have occurred if there had been the chance, perhaps not immediately, but the seeds would definitely have been sown. She would have brought a new age of magic to the world, because as we know women are very connected to magic in ASOIAF. Her dragon was very fertile and there were many new hatchlings brought forth during her life. This abundance of dragons and new surge of magic would eventually have brought what was needed to finally fight and destroy the Others once and for all.

However, that chance was wasted by her usurpation and death. As a consequence, or more accurately maybe, a punishment to the world for allowing this to happen twice, the Gods made the dragons die out (More specifically the Maiden Made of Light turned her back on the world a second time), Rhaenyra's magic getting snuffed out with her. We all know that the Amethyst Empress story mirrors the Dance. The Greens can bitch and moan about it all they want but they'll never not be the villains of this story. The winters became longer and harsher after the last dragon died, which means that the Others are gaining dominion again.

Now, in the main story, Daenerys, Azor Ahai, has brought the dragons and magic back into the world. Daenerys is the Child of Three. She is the third and final chance to set things right once and for all. There is a lot of debate about who the three heads of the dragon are, but I both firmly believe that Daenerys is all three heads herself, being the third born of her parents and embodying all three Conquerors, amongst other things, but also that it stands for the Amethyst Empress, Rhaenyra and Daenerys. After the world is in shambles after the Long Night and the societal structures have been brought down, I believe that Daenerys, and the other characters in the story who defy the status quo, will all rebuild everything, but this time in a new order that is unlike the oppressive one of before. I also believe that the Faith (something that many people believe is against magic in the world) will be brought down as well or at least knocked down a peg, but all of this remains to be seen.

Valyrai seemed "better" for noble women, esp dragonlord women; this doesn't make the society as a whole better...at the same time, it certainly is an important thing of note that could have been used/studied for how it was helpful for the Valyrians to have women in those positions of power. And I don't know if Daenerys will totally upend the feudal system of Westeros even after the Others' attack bc slavery in Essos still has to be abolished/destroyed and she's made that, seemingly, her life's mission--the Others are going to be some sort of "interruption" for that.

Other than that, it's been established I like this thought.

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

Personality through quotes

Thanks @mysticstarlightduck here!

Rules: a quote from your OCs given a prompt!

A quote about their favorite memory.

Lexi: "My favorite memory? How could I choose? I guess any where I'm spending time with my friends. The sixth-grade social dance was a lot of fun! Ooh, and the fifth-grade DC trip! That was so much fun. My birthday party last year at the rollerskating rink was awesome, though I did bruise my knee. But I was with my friends, so who cares, right? Ooh the first time I beat Maddie at Mario Kart. Oh my gosh, there was--"

Maddie: "Hm. I dunno what my favorite memory is. Weird to pick one. Maybe in third grade when Kelsey and I presented our research poster. We had the best one there. I ended up doing most of the talking though. It was about tigers, anyway. Kelsey didn't mind. Everyone was listening though. Felt cool to be the center of attention for a bit, I guess."

Ash: "Don't really have a favorite. But I did like it when Lexi, Maddie, Hannah, Mikey, and I were playing Minecraft together in my living room once. It was, like, fourth grade? Pretty awesome. We built a house inside a mountain."

Gwen: "There was this time my family and I were walking one of the trails near my house. Before Christian was born. Cory was really young, so he was with my parents. My sister Mallory and I were alone for a bit, so we got talking. I really like our talks when we get to do them. We ended up noticing strange pawprints and broken branches off to the side, so we started talking about a horror story where some kids like us were in the woods, being hunted by a monster. It was a lot of fun, if a little dark."

Robbie: "Bro, there's literally no way I can pick. Binging the Barbie movies with Sam and Akash was mega fun. We had a great time, both ironically and unironically. Um, the Halloween party in Alium? Those are great. Man this is hard. Uh, there was this time where Akash and I played this game where we'd go to a bookstore and read random sentences out of random books just to see what would happen. Dang, this is hard. In eighth grade there was a theater/choir team-up for a winter concert, so Akash and I got to be on stage together for once. Ugh, can I at least get a top twenty? This will take a while."

Akash: "Not to sound weird and gushy, but I genuinely mean it when I say growing up with Robbie makes it impossible to pick a favorite memory. There are too many good ones."

Jedi: "This is quite an interesting question. I simply am unsure of what to choose. However, I would say graduating college was a wonderful time. Carmen and Atsila were both there, which meant the world to me. They created a lovely celebration for me."

Carmen: "I'm not answering this question." [Redacted for spoilers, but it has to do with Atsila]

Tagging @avrablake @space-writes @dyrewrites @sam-glade @buffythevampirelover

Your sentence is: "A quote about a topic they could write a book about."

TSP intro

TSP tag list (ask to be +/-): @thepeculiarbird @illarian-rambling @televisionjester @finchwrites

@nebula--nix @literarynecromancy

[ohsayit]

Raphael and his possibly first sex toy

I have this little thought in my head for a few days now just couldn't get it out. Expectantly, it's some thing to do with Raphael and Haarlep, again.

It starts with the fact that Haarlep was given to Raphael by Papa Meph.

Despite being the symbol of all sorts of sinful pleasure, lower rank devils are actually forbidden to partake in them. They are restricted to say the least. High rank devils control all that pleasure and use it as a ruling tool. Of course, being able/allowed to freely indulge in them would be a status symbol in itself.

Raphael was born a cambion, sired by Papa Meph doesn't warrant him a high rank in the hierarchy automatically. At least I don't expect he would be in a particularly high rank, though he probably is a lot more powerful than regular cambion and receive special treatments from his heritage.

So, here is the thing, it is possible that Haarlep was the first Raphael slept with. And this is half of a good reason why Haarlep was papa's choice. A devil of sexual desire of course is a good tool to keep Raphael distracted, if/given Raphael can't get access to pleasure in the flesh at will. [insert dirty laugh]

The other half of a good reason would be, Haarlep can be much more useful than a distracting sex toy. He's a full devil, just like Papa. So Haarlep knows what to keep and eye on, and what to report back to Papa.

Papa is actually quite generous in a sense. He gave Raphael a luxury toy that you can't buy with money. I think Raphael liked Haarlep. That's why he tells Haarlep things. (I take Harrlep's "He tell me everything" with a fucking ton of salt, knowing our devils.) He likes, or liked, Haarlep. He was possibly very addicted to what Haarlep could provide as well, at one point.

I think, maybe, just maybe, what Raphael knows or prefers in bed, is all mentored by Haarlep. In the bed papa doesn't see, Haarlep probably taught Raphael a lot of things.

Alright that's enough brain rot for today. I am going to scream internally.

This is what says on Forgotten Realms wiki. I think this says why Raphael is a cambion rather than a full devil lollll

Reproduction The majority of devils started their life as dead mortals turned into lemures. Reproduction by sexual means was almost impossible for devils because female ones were not capable of becoming pregnant, with the exceptions being brachinas and erinyes. Still, male ones could father half-fiends with mortals. Other exceptions to this rule of female infertility were the unique devils. Among them, both male and female ones were fertile and a child between them was also a unique devil. However, this rarely happened, for a child as powerful as an unique devil was a dangerous asset if it turned on its parents and infernal society did not create stable relationships of loyalty between parents and children. A third group of devils came spontaneously into being from the plane or part of Baator. A fourth category, that of erinyes, were fallen angels.[35] In general, sexuality was enjoyed more like a hobby by devils and among them far more often by the powerful than the weak.[5]

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Devil

[zachariah-frost]

[cis man he/him] Welcome to Aurora Bay, [ZACHARIAH FROST]! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like [JHARREL JEROME]. You must be the [TWENTY SEVEN] year old [BARTENDER AT FIRE AND ICE/FREELANCE GRAPHIC ARTIST]. Word is you’re [DILIGENT] but can also be a bit [HOT HEADED] and your favorite song is [FLOAT ON BY MODEST MOUSE]. I also heard you’ll be staying in [FISHERS COVE]. I’m sure you’ll love it!

@aurorabayaesthetic

Full Name: Zachariah André Frost Nickname(s): Z, Zach, Frost, Frosty Age: 27 Birthday: April 18th, 1997 Astrological Sign: Aries/Taurus Cusp Place of Birth: Aurora Bay, California Parents: Charles and Eleanor Frost (47 & 45) (deceased) Siblings: Ingrid Frost (16), Ezekiel “Zeke” Frost (12), Aliana Frost (6), Amelia Frost (6) Children: N/A Pets: Watson (8 year old mixed breed cat) *Relationships: see wanted connections

Scars: One across the back of his neck from a fight Tattoos: His parents and sibling’s birth dates over his heart Other Physical Distinctions: Slight dimples on his cheeks Sexual Orientation & Gender: Heterosexual and Heteroromantic ;; Cisman Occupation: Bartender at Fire and Ice/ Freelance Graphic Artist/Day Laborer out of town *subject to change as roles are taken

tw: death, grief, cancer mention, drug use, abuse of alcohol, car accident

○ on an april afternoon in 1997 at the aurora bay hospital, zachariah andré frost was born to two parents who hadn't expected to become parents so soon. charles frost and eleanor dupreé were two promising architecture students, in their fourth and third year of undergrad respectfully. however, when the speedbump that was zach came, they vowed to not let it get in the way of their goals. they somehow made it work while raising their young son.

○ for over ten years, it was only zach and his parents. they went on to both finish their degrees and go on to open their own architecture firm, one that propelled them into a household name around aurora bay. zach felt a little left behind as they continued their ascent into success, but he at least had his maternal grandparents to watch over him and take the majority of child-rearing duties.

○ being raised mainly by his maternal grandparents (who had immigrated from haiti years ago), zach is both fluent in french and english. he's also known to make a mean griot every christmas.

○ from a young age, zach could be found scribbling and drawing on everything (much to his parent's chagrin). he would always be trying to copy either characters from the endless cartoons his grandmother would let him watch when he spent the day or the faces of the men he would see on coffee runs with his grandfather. art has always been the subject he excelled at, no matter the age.

○ his parents got married when he was seven, having him as their ring bearer. like most seven-year-olds, zach didn't give a singular shit.

○ at eight, zach's grandfather passed away after a short six-month battle with pancreatic cancer. the young boy took it very hard, even going mute for a few months afterward. this event would mark the beginning of his downward spiral.

○ a few months shy of his eleventh birthday, his parents welcomed his first little sister ingrid into their family. zach wasn't pleased with being an older sibling (especially since he resented his parents for not being there during his formative years). but, he did have a developed sense of emotional intelligence enough to not resent ingrid. he just never perceived her.

○ in the years following, the frost family welcomed ezekiel (better known as zeke) and then the twins aliana and amelia after. zach continued to feel nothing towards his siblings as they came: he was just too old once they came along.

○ the true catalyst of his mental downfall was the summer of his fourteenth year: his grandmother (the woman that, for all intents and purposes, raised him) passed away. he was distraught, in disbelief, and pissed at losing the one person who he thought even gave a shit about him. she was the one to show up to his PTA meetings. she was the one to take him to the museum to see local black artists succeeding in an industry he longed to be in. she was the one who comforted him but also gave him all the tough love. and now she was just gone. the afternoon of her funeral was the first time he ran away.

○ his teen years were filled with him rebelling: drinking, smoking, running away, hanging out with the 'wrong crowd' (according to his parents), the whole nine yards. alcohol, in particular, became his crutch. he was drinking to excess almost every day. he's not proud of how he acted or treated people during this time. he is still apologizing to this day.

○ he still somehow managed to get his BA in graphic design. yes, graphic design is his passion.

○ this behavior went on for years and only got more extreme as he aged. zach has dabbled in the world of drugs and gotten in trouble with the law. he even spent a few nights in jail. he hates to talk about it, especially considering what happened two years ago.

○ the night of august 24th, 2022: zach was high, per usual. when a police officer tracked him down at his parent's house (a place he didn't find himself often but hey, they paid well for 'babysitting' (and hadn't caught on to him using while on the job)), he was fully expecting to be busted on more drug charges. but no, the officer didn't seem to notice. how could he when he had the news he did: zach's parents had been killed in a limo accident. he felt numb. what was he supposed to feel? his head was swimming with thoughts. but there was no time to unpack his emotions when he realized that there was no other family to turn to. and there were four other siblings he had to break the news to.

○ under threat of foster home separation, zach agreed to take custody of all four of his siblings. he not only had to bond with them as a brother, but now as their pseudo father.

○ the night of his parent's death was the last night he used any harder drugs. he forced himself to quit cold turkey (something he couldn't have gotten through without his friends). he will still drink (tries his hardest not to over do it) and smokes weed quite often.

○ now, though he can still be impulsive and can slip every so often, he is trying to be a better person. key word being trying. he has surprised himself by being quite a competent caretaker (though he is still worried he's going to fundamentally fuck up these kids) and is working his ass off to continue to support them and make sure their lives are safe and secure.

Wanted Connections

the best friends ;; his partner in crime, the ying to his yang. the pair or more that are typically attached by the hip, consult each other, and couldn’t live without one another.

the bromance ;; platonic male love at its best. they might as well be attached by a bro hug.

the ex partier ;; the sound of too loud music and the taste of warm, cheap beer are the defining characteristics of this friendship. these two may have given each other recognition out on the street, but as soon as the word ‘party’ was involved, these two were together. the best of friendships always start smashed. has it survived past the beer bottles?

the one? ;; these two flirt so much, they might as well just get it over with and date. however, many steps have to be taken to get there. are they willing to make those steps?

the big ex ;; these two seemed to be so in love. …or not. maybe they ended on a good note, maybe it went down in flames. all that’s known for certain is that they went from the cutest couple to barely speaking.

the ex drunken love ;; bar hopping was the playing ground of drunken hookups and these two are no different. every party or even just a friday night, these two tended to find each other. could this develop into more now that zach is out of that scene?

[jomiddlemarch]

We are never ever getting back together

“Listen, ‘Mione, I’m just going to say it. We don’t work, love,” Ron announced, sitting on the armchair he’d dragged over to face the sofa in what was generally referred to as Hermione’s reading room at Grimmauld Place, in that it was the old library which she’d spent roughly a week scouring, sorting, and reshelving the books that hadn’t tried to bite or burn her Muggle-born hands. She’d Transfigured some of the uglier pieces of furniture from other rooms and made an approximated mash-up of her favorite parts of the Hogwarts Library and the Bodleian. She’d reached a détente with the only portrait that remained, some wizard ancestor of Sirius’s who could at least tolerate a witch with an appreciation for old runes who hadn’t tried to chuck the moldy lot of Hagalaz into the fireplace and who arranged a reading pedestal with an open book to alleviate the boredom of the past two hundred years. She had a bedroom on the third floor, down the hall from the bath, but she was most often found tucked up in a corner of the reading room, so it hadn’t taken any genius on Ron’s part to beard her in her den, so to speak.

The rest of the house was empty, which was either a wise precaution or the stupidest decision he’d ever made in his life.

“What do you mean?” Hermione said, trying to keep her voice even. “I don’t understand—”

“Yes, you do,” he said, looking up at her. He’d picked the chair with the low, squashy seat, that hadn’t taken the Transfiguration especially well, so that she’d focused on the nap of the dark velvet and let the springs go hang. It made him a supplicant, now, which she supposed was a canny decision, one she might expect from someone who was a grandmaster at Wizard chess. “You know and you and I both know you’d never say a word if it was left to you. We’d be married seventy years with a dozen curly-haired ginger grandchildren, and you’d sacrifice everything rather than say it.”

“You don’t want me,” Hermione said. He’d taken Padma to the Yule Ball and he’d left her with Harry when they were hunting Horcruxes—why was she surprised? It still felt like a Bludger to the chest or what she imagined one would be, having had no interest in playing Quidditch for the duration of her Hogwarts education and then having been forbidden (ha!) by Madame Pomfrey after Dolohov’s near-fatal curse in the Department of Mysteries. She tried to focus on Ron’s blue eyes, the furrow in his broad forehead. 

“You don’t want me, love,” Ron said. “I don’t want you to start calling me Ronald in that carefully not-exasperated-yet-totally-exasperated tone, bossing me about like you’re Molly Weasley Junior. I don’t want to squabble and fight and then be those people who are contemptuous or bored with each other. You’ll never walk away, you’re too loyal, not just to me but to the idea of us, and you can’t bear that it was a mistake. Your ideas got us through the War, saved everyone’s bloody lives, but this one’s wrong.”

“A mistake,” Hermione repeated. 

“Well, not a mistake. It made sense to try but it was only meant to be a date or two for us, don’t you think?” Ron said, giving her a wry smile. He needed a shave and a haircut and he’d put on a stone of pure muscle once they’d won the final battle. He was a man looking up at her and she was bedraggled and thin, a streak of white in her chestnut curls like a virgin priestess’s filet. The sleeves of her jersey flopped over her wrists to her knuckles. “Don’t take it so hard, it’s not your fault.”

“Seems like it is,” she muttered. “If you’re breaking up with me.”

“You know better than that,” Ron said. “Think about it—if we hadn’t been dealing with the possible end of the Wizarding world as we know if and the annihilation of the entire Muggle-born and Muggle population—”

“It’s called genocide, Ron,” she put in. He rolled his eyes.

“Fine, if we hadn’t been dealing with all that and the genocide and you having to hide your parents, et cetera, if it had been normal, we would have gone out a few times. A Hogsmeade weekend, a dance, a walk around the lake. We would have snogged without having to break it off to face down a melagomaniac—”

“Megalomaniac,” she corrected.

“Bloody Riddle. Anyway, we could have tried it out and seen that all there was was a flicker of attraction but mostly friendship,” Ron said. “I like you, ‘Mione, and I think you like me. That’s enough. We don’t have to be this perfect love story and you know we won’t be.”

“You have to work at relationships,” Hermione said.

“Not this bloody hard, love,” Ron said. The kindness in his voice was too close to pity and it hurt. 

“There’s no need to be rude,” she snapped.

“I don’t mean you’re difficult and I’m a saint, far from it,” Ron laughed. “I mean, we’re alike in all the ways that make it hard and not alike in the ways we need. You don’t have to work this bloody hard, ‘Mione, to be happy with someone and I truly think that if you weren’t with me, you’d be able to find the person you want.”

“I suppose you have someone you want to be with instead of me,” she said.

“Nope,” he said. “I just want to a chance to figure it out. To play, to not have everything be so bloody serious. Everyone pairing off and repopulating the entire Wizarding world before we turn twenty-one, for sweet Circe’s sake.”

“Your mother won’t like that,” Hermione said.

“She can stuff it,” Ron declared. “Besides, Fleur’s up the duff again and this time it’s twins, so that’s her sorted for a bit. Bill has his work cut out arguing that Shell Cottage can hold all of them and they don’t need to move closer to the Burrow. Plus, I think Ginny’s going to sign with the Harpies and Mum is up in arms about the first Weasley witch not to sit her NEWTs in like a thousand years, which is bosh because there weren’t NEWTs a thousand years ago.”

Hermione smiled. He was right, she did like him an awful lot, when the other parts weren’t clamoring for her attention or generally getting in the way.

“I’m right about that last bit, aren’t I?” Ron said. “The NEWTs bit?���

“Yes, they’re more recent than a thousand years,” Hermione said. She squared her shoulders and pressed her lips together. She had to like it or lump it and it seemed like lump it was the easier option at the moment.

“I don’t want you thinking it’s because I don’t find you attractive,” Ron said. He laid one big hand on her denim covered knee where her robes had fallen apart and she felt how warm he was. “Thinking about shagging you and then getting to do it were quite honestly the only things getting me through the worst of it these past few years. It’s why I left, innit, when the Horcrux was messing with me, being jealous, thinking you were with Harry when I wanted you all for myself. But that’s not going to be enough for us, for you or for me—”

“I’m to believe you’re being sincere?” Hermione asked. Ron grinned, squeezed her knee and the bit of her thigh that was right above it.

“I got there on my own about not being enough for you. George caught me moping, gave me some older brother advice and general whatfor, telling me I was a twit for thinking getting to shag the brightest witch of our time would be enough for me, that I wasn’t as shallow as that and to buck up,” Ron admitted.

“I would have thought Bill,” Hermione said.

“Nah, I wouldn’t have taken him seriously,” Ron said. “He married a half-Veela, what does he know about being with a regular witch? For the record and before you get your knickers in a twist, I’d say the same about Hagrid, it’s not anti-creature bias.”

“Seems to me you shouldn’t be mentioning my knickers,” Hermione retorted.

“That’s my girl,” Ron replied. “Though, my entire point was that I am quite enticed by your knickers and what’s in them. It’s just not enough for a long-term relationship and you and I, we aren’t made for a fling.”

“If we were, I think we must have flung it by now anyway,” Hermione said.

“We do have the house to ourselves if you’re interested in a last hurrah, love,” Ron said, waggling his eyebrows and smiling. It was the look in his eyes, an appreciative lust, that told her he wasn’t joking.

“And what would you do if I called your bluff and took you up on the offer?” Hermione asked.

“This,” he said, both hands suddenly at her waist, lifting her off the couch and onto his lap. “I’d have my way with you and give you something to remember me by while that git Draco works through a whatchamacallit redemption arc and gets up the gumption to make a move—”

“Draco Malfoy?” Hermione exclaimed. She ended up wrapping her arms around Ron’s neck to keep her balance. His were steady at her hips.

“He fancies you, that’s obvious,” Ron said. “But it is a two-way street. Maybe you’d prefer our snakeslayer Neville? He’s got a whole striding the windswept moors thing these days that’s rather dashing, like that Heath Ledger bloke you told me about in the Muggle book, but without the creepy parts. Or Zabini? Never took the Mark and he’s nearly as clever as you and mad fit.”

“You mean Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights, who’s frankly not much like Neville in a good way. This is a very odd conversation to be having with my ex-boyfriend-and-undeclared-fiancé,” Hermione said. She left out how it was even odder than they appeared to be on the verge of shagging, as if that was something one could be on the verge of. 

“That’s why it’s best we’re about to be best friends,” Ron said, though the word friends was lost a little as he nuzzled the side of her neck. “I’ll have to cede all the filthy details to Ginny though. You can just give me the broad strokes, hm-mm, like that…”

It was all rather a blur after that, hands and lips and Ron muttering about how her skin felt like silk and a grand tussle over denims being pulled off and not Vanished, not this pair which he agreed made her arse look amazing, and she probably would have blushed to recall it afterward anyway, but Harry walking in, stopping dead in his tracks like he’d been hit with Petrificus Totalus, then choking out “You were breaking up—” before he fled the room made her almost wish she had not taken an iron-clad vow against ever using an Obliviate again. 

“He’ll get over it,” Ron said calmly enough after they’d finished, laughing madly like they were drunk on Firewhisky and not multiple orgasms. 

“And if he doesn’t?” Hermione said.

“You leave that to me, love. That’s what friends are for,” Ron said.

[nocompromise-noregrets]

Empty Vessel-'verse headcanons: Thranduil

So, approximately a million years ago (as in, LAST MAY OH MY GOD) I did a poll asking who I should do headcanons for in My Heart Is An Empty Vessel-'verse. Thranduil won by a long way, and I sat down to write them down...and then completely forgot to post them. Then @tildabardsdotter11 commented on the poll post the other day to ask for Tilda, and I remembered again. So here is Thranduil, and Tilda is coming up next!

Westron is his third language, and although he’s fairly fluent, probably from the Last Alliance, he hasn’t had occasion to speak it in a very long time, hence how formally he speaks: he does not use contractions, he has a distinct accent, he speaks quite slowly, and sometimes he has to ask for a word, or make one up.

He gives absolutely everyone he cares about Sindarin nicknames. Bard and Auriel (his wife) are both ‘meleth-nín’ (my love) and Auriel is also ‘calan-nín’ (my light-of-day), while Maudie (Bard’s wife) is ‘galad-nín’ (my sunlight/sunshine); Sigrid is ‘melinettë-nín’ (my dear girl), Bain is ‘maethor-nín’ (my warrior), Tilda is ‘pen-neth’ (little one, literally young one), Lotta (Bain’s wife) is ‘dess-muin-nín’ (my dear young maiden, although Lotta says it never really suited her and it really doesn’t once she’s properly grown up, but she loves it anyway), Brand is ‘brôg-tithen-nín’ (my little bear), and his sister Astrid is ’fileg-nín’ (my little bird). I don’t know what he calls Brand’s other sister Ingrid, it hasn’t come up yet. And of course Legolas is ‘lass-nín’ (my leaf). Tauriel is ’hanariel-nín’ (my niece, literally ‘brother-daughter’) because he and Auriel adopted her when she was very small, and she called them ‘adarhanar’ and ‘adarmuinthel’ (uncle and aunt, literally father-brother and father-sister).

He did not want or mean to close himself away from his children after Auriel died, but he found he couldn’t help himself; he was so devastated by her death that he could do nothing else. He has regretted this ever since, and he is determined to do better this time around.

He is terrified of what will happen when Bard dies (with good reason, as it turns out), but he is determined to at least try and take the family’s advice and try to deal with his grief as the humans do, by remembering the lost loved ones, talking about them, sharing stories and eventually learning to smile at the thought of them.

He rules entirely alone, without councillors or advisers. Feren is his lieutenant, but only in military matters (although he does end up acting as regent while Thranduil spends all the time he can in Dale).

He is not an alcoholic or a party animal. He likes his wine, that’s all. There’s a difference.

He is very wise, and very powerful; how else has he managed to hold off the creeping evil from Dol Guldur for so long? He learned magic from Melian and uses it to maintain the wards and enchantments on the Woodland Realm.

He was born and spent his earliest years in Doriath, where his father was high up in the court of Thingol and Melian. Auriel was the King and Queen’s adopted daughter (her birth parents were one of the court ladies and Celegorm, don’t ask, she doesn’t like it), and the pair of them were betrothed by their fathers, despite not having very much time for each other; they decided to make a go of it and ended up very deeply in love.

Dior was a friend of his, and for a short while rather more than that - but only for a short while. Nobody knows about this except Auriel and, much much later, also Bard.

After the fall of Doriath, they went East with Thranduil’s parents and eventually settled in the Greenwood, assimilating into the Silvan population there.

Legolas was born in roughly TA1900, and was only a child when his mother died in battle at the gates of Gundabad. Thranduil could not reach her body to bring her home and bury her; all he could salvage was her white knives (which she had forged herself in Doriath) which he took from the body of an Orc who had thought to steal them. Later, Legolas carries them as a blessing and protection from his mother.

Thranduil received his dragonfire injuries in battle some time in the Second Age but before the Last Alliance. Elrond was also there, and treated him on the battlefield, then he and Auriel spent several years in Imladris while Thranduil healed and learned the glamour that hides his wounds from Elrond and Gandalf. This is why he doesn’t particularly like either of them; he feels indebted to them and his pride finds that very difficult to take.

He was not expecting what happened in Dale; he was not being altruistic when he turned up with his army and his wagons full of supplies for the Lake-town refugees, all he cared about was getting back his wife’s gems (she had taken them to the Dwarves to commission something like the necklace she had made herself, to be made from the remaining gems, but then she fell in battle and Thranduil didn’t go back for a long time, by which point the Dwarves, several generations later, had forgotten the arrangement that had been made). But there was something about the Dragonslayer and his simple, straightforward honour and his determination to do right by his people, that broke through the walls of ice that Thranduil had built around himself over the centuries. After that they went pretty much head over heels for each other in five minutes flat, as Sigrid likes to put it.

There are probably more, but I can't remember them off the top of my head - I'll come back and reblog this with additions if I think of them!

[anchanted-one]

SWTOR Ask Meme: Vajra Devarath (Jedi Knight)

What is their alignment? Light Side. About 70%.

Empire or Republic? Republic.

Do they fit in with their faction or were they sort of born into it? He was on a newly discovered world, but entered the Republic at a young age.

What is their homeworld? It's called Raudraksha. It's an original planet, and his species Raudra is also an original.

What planet do they now call home? Either where their stronghold is or where you headcanon they live at. Early Childhood: Raudraksha Between 4-14 years: Uphrades Chapter 1-3: Tython Between Chapter 3 and Rakata Prime: the Jedi Knight ship, which he called the Garuda.

What race are they? Raudra. Like I said, and original. Four arms and a third eye in the middle of their forehead. They have a weak connection to the Force which gets amplified if they choose the Dark. But generations of religious teachings have kept them on the Light.

Are they loyal to their faction?  Yes.

How do they feel about the opposite faction? He wants peace with the Empire. He wants peace with the Sith, too. And he does find many Sith to his liking, chief among them Lana Beniko and Kairegane Rooks (Sith Warrior) He does not favor total victory.

How do they feel about the Force and the Orders that use it? He loves it, but appreciates the many dangerous and unnatural abilities it grants its users.

What is their specialization class? Was there a reason they picked that discipline? In-game, he's a Guardian primarily, one that favors mobility. His secondary class is a Sentinel, though the story version would wield four Lightsabers instead of two. He fell in love with the songs Lightsaber crystals sing, and realized early his path was through them, and Lightsabers. He often uses his Lightsabers to commune with the Force.

Do they have a favorite color crystal they like to use? What color? He uses 3 crystals in his primary which make it a silvery turquoise. He loves it. Also, his Lightsabers all have flat blades.

Be honest, how many outfit tabs do they have? I dunno. Eight?

Let’s see those outfits!

Who is/are their favorite companion(s)? T7, Kira, Scourge, and Lana (Order of appearance)

Who is/are their least favorite companion(s)? Doc. He finds his flirtatious ways disgusting, and realizes that he often points his touchers where they're not wanted.

What do they do in their spare time? Lightsaber training/exercise, drawing, tinkering, hanging out with his friends.

Do they have family? Silbings, parents, children? His family were killed by Sith, as was his whole tribe. His father had three wives (polygamous species due to gender ratio disparity). He had three older sisters and a younger one. He was informally adopted by Jasme Shan (Theron's twin sister). They see each other as siblings, and share most of their secrets with each other freely. As a result of this closeness, Satele and Theron also awkwardly treat him like family. Satele is the less awkward of the two, believe it or not. He marries Lana after Yavin, and they have two children together. I'm still figuring out their names, but I'm thinking Raphael and Harini.

Who is their BFF?  Jasme Shan. They met on his first day on Tython, where his heroism landed him in the psych ward (all those deaths). Jasme came to spend time with him every day, which he deeply appreciated. And he was a real sweetheart with a heart of tortured gold, so Jasme quickly decided he was her brother. Their friendship has been a source of comfort for them both, over the years. In case you're wondering, neither has ever harbored romantic feelings for the other.

Who is their rival?  Kairegane Rooks, Sith Warrior. I say rival, but I really mean 'rival.' They're close friends who like to spar and motivate each other. Also, Kairegane marries Jasme, so sort of like in-Laws xD

Do they have a love interest? Who? Lana Beniko.

Would they continue their legacy by having children? Adopt? Get an apprentice? Two children and an apprentice. They both (he and Lana) share the apprentice, giving her the sum of their teachings. They also raise Lana's younger brother Ivan Beniko together after their father passes away. Ivan was born a year after KotFE Chapter 1. He also had Kira as his Padawan.

What is their sexual orientation? Honestly haven't decided. Sometimes I think it's pan, though I've never written him having a romantic relationship with a man.

Do they like their role in their current situation? i.e.: if they are a Sith do they like being in the Sith order? Yeah, but he thinks he's a poor Jedi. And for most of his life, he is. He is far too tormented, and Masters often say that he's a poor Jedi, but a really good person. He overcomes his demons with Lana's help and emerges with bearing worthy of a Jedi Master, which earns him that title. But he quits the Order right after in order to settle the matter of Vitiate. The Order promises to welcome him back, should he ever decide to return to the fold.

If they could be part of another group, what would it be? You can choice from Old Republic, Expanded Universe, or Cinematic Universe. I don't think he'd be anything but a ronin.

Do they have any deep dark secrets? His time as the Emperor's plaything. It's different from the game. He doesn't become a slave, he becomes a raging beast eager for carnage, and barely under anyone's control. The Emperor sent him on dozens of murderous rampages, and he only broke free thanks to Jasme. Few know about it. He also attempted to end his own life once, not long after the battle with Angral. He was haunted by his failure to save Uphrades.

Do they have any vices? Never thought about it.

Do they have any regrets? Not saving Uphrades. Going to Marr's ship in KotFE chapter 1. Not being there for Kairegane when she died, or Jasme in the months afterwards.

Have they done anything embarrassing? When sedated after his suicide attempt, he mumbled something something about Satele being cute (and Jasme). He wasn't trying to flirt. In another similar instance, he asked her if he was a good boy, and if she was proud of him. She laughed and said yes to both.

What’s their favorite food?  Pizzas, I guess.

Do they like to boogie? Do they dance to that good old cantina band? He is canonically one of the best dancers out there. He even has a 'dancer's gait' that makes people stare at him when he passes.

Describe their personality. Are they snarky, noble, insane, etc? Somewhat naive and open. Eager to please. I think he has golden retriever energy.

Do they have any special skills? He can see Shatterpoints, like Mace Windu. This allows him to evaluate situations. And sometimes, opponents and armies, finding out surprising weak spots. He also created his own version of Juyo called Rath that cuts through the Dark Side and traps it on his blade for him to later release.

In KotFE which companion(s) from another class are you most looking forward to them recruiting? Vette. Since he was close to the Warrior, he was also very good friends with Vette. And when he is released from Carbonite, she and her hubby have had a kid, so there's more excited chatter incoming.

Any major flaws? Mental health is the biggest one for about ten years. Pride is another one. He rarely asks for help in combat. It nearly gets him killed. And he refuses to use cybernetic implants.

In KotFE what is their relationship with Valkorion? He tries to stay civil, unwilling to waste energy on pointless fights. Also hoping he'll slip up and reveal something.

[crowlex23]

To Us (a GO3 idea)

Here is my idea of what should/could happen in the third season of Good Omens, since Amazon is not going to give us what we truly deserve. Enjoy!

Ao3 link if you want to read it there.

(please, remember that it was written in the heat of the moment so it was simplified and it doesn't have a lot of details)

Crowley lives in some random apartment (not the one from s1). One day, there's a knock on his door and when he opens it he sees a little girl who casually walks in and calls him 'uncle'. Crowley gets confused and tries to find out who the girl is and why she calls him uncle. Her name is Charlie and after some talking Crowley can see her eyes turning violet for a split second and then eventually he realises that Charlie is Gabriel's (ergo also Beelzebub's) daughter which the girl confirms. Charlie tells Crowley that her parents were telling her stories about him and uncle Aziraphale which surprises Crowley because he thought that the two of them hated both him and Aziraphale — also the mention of the angel really hurts him but he doesn't show it to the girl. 

He knows that he needs to bring either Gabriel or Beelzebub to his flat so that they take their daughter. The only way to do it — which Crowley does reluctantly — is to pray to Gabriel. 

He eventually shows up — you can immediately see that he's really alert and worried — and Charlie runs up to him and hugs his legs. Crowley raises his eyebrow in a Crowlish way but Gabriel only looks at his with disbelief.

Context: Crowley now has dark brown hair, brown eyes (basically casual David Tennant) because when Aziraphale left him he decided to give up his demonic powers and he became a human. Meaning no magic, no miracles, nothing.

Crowley quickly explains everything to Gabriel who's really shocked but in a way understands the demon's decision. They both talk for a bit — from time to time being interrupted by Charlie — and in the end Gabriel takes his kid and they both leave (Crowley tells Charlie that she can visit him whenever she wants — he kinda likes her). A day later, Shax comes to Crowley and tells him that Hell has a big problem to which Crowley replies that it's not his problem anymore since he's not a demon. Shax doesn't care and keeps talking revealing that the second Antichrist was born 7 years  ago (yk 7 a divine number) and they're about to get all their powers which might be very dangerous if the Antichrist will be led by the wrong person (aka the Metatron). Crowley at first doesn't really care about that but soon after that realises that when he asked Charlie how old she was she said 7. The same day he warns Gabriel about it.

Meanwhile, in Heaven, Aziraphale is overworking because of the amount of work. From time to time, he still thinks about Crowley — he tried visiting him a few times but failed each time — and worried because for some reason he's not anymore able to sense him (it's because Crowley's not a demon anymore, Aziraphale doesn't know about it) so he's trying to move on. The Metatron also tells him about the Antichrist and that his mission is to find them.

Fast forward (because I don't have that many things in my head yet) Crowley alongside with Gabriel and Beelzebub do their best to protect Charlie and keep her away from Hell. Eventually, Aziraphale finds them and we have a big confrontation between Crowley and Aziraphale. The angel is shocked when he sees his lover friend, he can't believe that he decided to become a human (he knew how much Crowley liked humans but he'd never expected that). Suddenly, the Metatron joins and mocks Crowley — this is the moment you can see how much influence he has on Aziraphale because he almost blindly follows his orders and attacks Gabriel in order to get to Charlie. Fortunately, he loses and goes back to Heaven.

Crowley is not dealing the best with the whole encounter and talks about it to Beelzebub (aka brother and the older sibling moment) who offers at least some comfort and promises that if he ever needs help he can come to them. They also share that they all tried to find Crowley but couldn't because (just like Azirpahale) they couldn't sense him that's why Gabriel could only came because Crowley prayed — only Shax can easily get to Crowley because she was the one who took away Crowley's powers under the condition that she could know his whereabouts. 

Back in Heaven, Muriel is called to Aziraphale's office in order to tell him all they knew about Crowley's new life and whether they knew anything about Charlie. They say that Crowley used to visit them and the Bookshop from time to time but the he left and that they knew nothing about Charlie.

A sad scene is when Crowley drives back from Gabriel and Beez's apartment back to his — not only Crowley's powers disappeared but also the Bentley's, she's just an ordinary car now.

Fast forward, during the final battle (idk where) between the angels (Michael, Uriel, the Metatron etc.) and demons (Shax, Dagon etc.) Crowley stays away from all of them because obvs he doesn't have his powers anymore and sneaks to Aziraphale to talk to him once more. He tries to convince Aziraphale that they can't sacrifice a child for their own selfish needs. He tells him everything that Charlie told him — how her parents told him about how great uncle Aziraphale was and that it would be foolish to let the girl down.

"Don't do any of this for me, do it for her." Aziraphale, however, leaves.

Suddenly, Michael gets to Crowley and is very close to killing him and when Crowley can see the blade right on his skin, somebody else kills Michael quicker. That someone was Aziraphale. "I'm doing it for her."

They stand side by side — Aziraphale protecting Crowley with his wings. 

In the heat of the battle, the Metatron captures Aziraphale, grabbing his my his wings and drags him on the top of the hill. "I always knew you were a useless and brainless creature." He hurts Aziraphale's wings really badly and then holds him above the abyss. Crowley notices it right when the Metatron drops Aziraphale. He runs as fast as he can, in the meantime stabbing the Metatron with a Hellish dagger (or smth that can kill angels) and jumps after Aziraphale. He knows that this is a suicidal thing to do but those years spent alone just proved to him that he'd rather die with Aziraphale than live for another even if a couple of years without him (because he was a demon one and he disavowed his demonic nature he would just disappears, he wouldn't become a demon or an angel again).

As they fall you can see a glow around them and then they hit the ground.

When Crowley opens his eyes and realizes that he survived but has Aziraphale as well? He shakes him a little bit — holding him in his arms — and finally the angel opens his eyes and weakly smiles at Crowley.

"My Crowley." He caresses Crowley's cheek gently and when he looks to the side he sees his reflection in a puddle and notices his hair being back to its natural colour just like his eyes that he'd hated for so long yet missed when they were gone. Both Crowley and Aziraphale realizes that their wings also changed (yes, Crowley got his wings back that's why he was able to minimize the impact when they fell) — they're neither white nor black — they're silver meaning that they both because something in between demons and angels — something that only the God herself knew about. 

Fast forward, the Metatron is dead, Gabriel and Beelzebub made their speeches expressing their disappointments of their soldiers (aka angels and demons. If you watched the Lion King 2 there's a scene where two main characters talk to their families and saying that it's pointless to fight with one another when they can co-exist. Kinda Romeo and Juliet vibes) and decided to rule Heaven and Hell again in order to keep everything under control. Charlie is safe, Crowley and Aziraphale make up and they move in the Southdown Cottage and the last scene is Charlie visiting them, having fun with their uncles.

[howlingday]

My idea for a potential DEATH BATTLE! #4

2023, October 11, 12, 13, 15

Link to the third post:

Master list:

https://www.tumblr.com/donotmindme1/731003687600881664/mind-what-you-do?source=share

Achilles vs. Cú Chulainn (Greek Mythology vs Irish/ Mythology)

Let their anger be known and all warriors shall fear them!

Fighter 1: Achilles, the legendary warrior of the Trojan War.

Fighter 2: Cú Chulainn, the guard dog demigod of the Ulster Cycle.

Wiz: Mythology has given us heroes, monsters, and gods with amazing power.

*insert clips of Marvel's Thor on a Warrior's Madness, Clash of the Titans, God of War's Kratos, Asura's Wrath's Asura, and Troy 2004,*

Boomstick: Yet no one seems to get the memo: do NOT anger them, even if they're human! Chances are, they are NOT just human! He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick.

Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win... a Death Battle.

PREFACE: I am really, REALLY sorry for the late post. I tried to make PCBs for a project but for some reason or another, my attempts failed. I got super obsessed and stressed over it and because of it, I lost a night's worth of sleep. Add to it the fact that I've been struggling with my other STEM classes, and I haven't given myself the time to flesh this out. Not only that but starting next week, I'll be taking tests for two weeks. Safe to say that I'll be busy for a long time, so sorry again...

WHY:

Connections:

1. Cú Chulainn's association as "the Irish Achilles".

2. Both were born to a divine-like parent and/or royalty. Achilles was mothered by the sea nymph Thetis and fathered by Peleus, king of the Myrmidons. Cú Chulainn is the son of the god Lug (Lugh).

3. Both have done great deeds but at the cost of their very short lives. This tends to be one of the greater points of comparison between the two.

4. Both are known for their anger and fury. Achilles' most famous bout of anger stemmed from finding out that Patroclus died and Cú Chulainn is known for his battle frenzy (ríastrad, sometimes called a "warp spasm") in which his body becomes contorted and attacks anyone indiscriminately.

5. Both are super strong and are so skilled that they are deemed to be one of the greats of their respective myths. Achilles was said to be necessary for the conquest of Troy and Cú Chulainn was said to be the greatest of the Knights of the Red Branch.

Personal reasons: I can say with little if any hesitation that Season 9 giving us Heracles vs Sun Wukong was a shock to the system. No longer was DB! limited to pop culture's versions of ancient myths as they focused on the original texts and accounts, giving us what could honestly be one of the show's greatest analysis sections. Inspired by this, I thought up a matchup: a three-way battle between Achilles, Cú Chulainn, and Sigurd/Siegfried (I thank Persona 5 Strikers for introducing me to the last two, especially Cú Chulainn) because of how similar they at least appeared to be. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that Cú Chulainn was sometimes called "the Irish Achilles", but I couldn't find any solid connections between Achilles and Sigurd other than the fact they obtained their invincibility from a divine source only to leave a single spot uncovered (Thetis dipped Achilles as a child in the waters of the River Styx, by which means he became invulnerable, except for the part of his heel by which she held him and when Sigurd bathed himself in Fafnir's blood, a leaf had fallen and stuck itself on his shoulder). However, I encourage others to idea up MUs using Sigurd, Gilgamesh, Beowulf, Rama, and figures from Aztec, Mayan, and Native American mythos. We need more myth matchups that aren't just Greek figures. I have at least one more matchup for the Greek itch. I had a different matchup that could likely be Halloween-themed, but it's unique, to say the least, and would require a very different analytical lens due to the source material. Not only that, but the source material could be to the disinterest of some, even if unlikely.

THE FIGHT:

Art and animation: This one will likely be a 2D sprite fight like Heracles vs Wukong. It would have an aesthetic like that of a storybook or tapestry to separate it from HeraKong's scroll and brush aesthetic. It would be best to not have a narrator again, or at least to not have the ending spoiled by the narrator if there is one.

Possible setup:

Both heroes are on their paths to glory, having emerged from battles with nary a scratch. Cú Chulainn is riding on his chariot, thinking of his lovely Emer, but Achilles is still mourning his dear Patroclus. They see each other and prepare for battle. Warriors need no reasons to fight other than glory and survival. On their chariots, they charge into battle.

FIGHT! :

1. Both warriors used their spears to slay the charioteers and horses and were successful. They leave the chariots and start using their spears, resulting in parries and attempts to use their swords as well.

2. Both warriors slowly pick up their paces, but Achilles is able to successfully parry and even disarm Cú Chulainn. Cú Chulainn then attempts to strike from afar using his slingshot. Achilles uses his shield, but Cú Chulainn is able to get some shots in, including near his heel. Achilles slightly staggers, and Cú Chulainn takes notice, but Achilles only lets out an angry war cry and lunges forward like a bull.

3. Achilles closes the gap by throwing his spear and impales his enemy. However, Cú Chulainn lets out his own war cry and becomes horrid and deformed. Achilles is not taken slightly aback by the monster, and attempting to hurt the warp-spasming warrior is hit very hard and launched backward. Achilles could've sworn he heard his armor slightly crack. The deformed destroyer grabs boulders and hurls them at Achilles who is able to dodge all but one and is knocked down.

4. Cú Chulainn calms down, remembering his beloved Emer. He removes the spear with which he was impaled and notices something: his opponent does not seem to be too injured. His armor and his skin do not seem to be scratched. "Could it be a magical set of armor? Is he invincible?" No. His new nemesis faltered when hit in the heel, so he should try to use the Gae Bolg where his enemy seemed to be weak.

5. Achilles recollects himself and draws his sword again. His enemy can seem to mutate into a monster and become vicious, but becomes violent, almost to a mindless degree, putting a lot of force in his strikes. He should strike afar from with his spear and evade his opponent's spear and slingshot. "He's strong, but it looks like he can still be hurt with my weapons. He struck my weakness, but does he know of it?" With his plan in mind, Achilles raises his shield and charges, evading Cú Chulainn's projectiles. Cú Chulainn even throws Achilles' spear back at him which Achilles catches.

6. They start to clash swords, spears, and shields again, striking any exposed skin they can. Cú Chulainn cannot seem to injure his opponent and his armor is very sturdy. However, he is able to graze Achilles' weak point, and Achilles pushes him away. "Aha! So he IS weak there!". Using his shield, Cú Chulainn parries his attack and attempts to get another strike in, but Achilles, using his spear, keeps his adversary away. "He seems to know. I must keep him at bay." Achilles, using his own defensive techniques, is able to momentarily fend off his rival.

7. Cú Chulainn now knows what needs to do. He needs to end the fight soon, or else he'll never see his dear Emer again. "For Emer." With his dear love in mind, Cú Chulainn warp spasms again, and assaults Achilles, trying to hit his heel. Achilles attempts to rush his foe, and he is able to injure him, but Cú Chulainn flat-out launches Achilles away, leaving his weak point exposed.

8. Achilles knows his enemy is weak and desperate. Why else would he mutate like he did? However, Achilles still feels a bit of pain in his heel; his opponent has hit his weak spot and he knows of his heel's vulnerability. He grabs his weapons and prepares for one final clash. "For Patroclus." He meets his foe's eyes again and both let out one final war cry and charge.

9. Achilles wins by tiring out Cú Chulainn. The monster gets angrier and angrier, but Achilles dodges, and taking advantage of his foe's seeming mindlessness, slashes off one of his arms. The monster staggers, and in a short time, Cú Chulainn returns to normal, panting and bleeding. He ties himself to a stone using his own entrails and meets Achilles' eyes once again. Achilles throws his spear and successfully impales the now-normalized foe who lets out a shout of anger, seemingly not one of anger.

10. Cú Chulainn wins by keeping Achilles at a distance. Still in his ríastrad, Cú Chulainn is able to smash Achilles' armor so hard it starts to crack and break. The adversary attempts to rush him, but Sétanta knocks him away. He starts to calm down, knowing he only has one attempt to win. Seeing that Achilles' heel is exposed, he readies his weapon and throws the Gae Bolg with his foot. It successfully lands on Achilles' weak heel. The weapon then opens up into thirty barbs, causing Achilles to shout in agony and fall.

11. Both retrieve their weapons only after a raven lands on the corpse's shoulder. They pay their respects to their adversary for a great battle, entomb the other as a sign of respect, and depart the battlefield. Home is a long journey away, and without the horses, even longer.

12. KO!

RESULT:

Strengths and weaknesses:

Achilles:

+ Has divine armor from the god Hephaestus as well as his invulnerability from bathing in the Styx and/or the ambrosia he was fed as a baby.

+ Arguably the more experienced warrior due to his time in the Trojan War and his training under the centaur Chiron.

+ Is capable of killing powerful and skilled warriors like Hector, Penthesilea (Queen of the Amazons), and Memnon.

- The only weak point is his heel, but it was only exploited because of the god Apollo.

Cú Chulainn:

+ Actually favored by the gods of his pantheon.

+ Is likely the greater warrior as he defeated Fer Díad and Aífe. Fer Díad and Cú Chulainn were trained under the legendary Scottish warrior Scthach, and Aífe is said to be Scathach's rival and stated to be equal to Cú Chulainn in skill. Cú Chulainn also single-handedly fought Queen Mab's army and even harmed Morrigan, said to be a goddess of battle and war, though not in direct combat.

+ His anger is more dangerous due to the ríastrad.

+ Has a ranged option in a slingshot.

+ Likely has a healing option as when he met his father in a dream, his father healed him.

+ The Gae Bulg allows for an instant kill...

- ...assuming that Cú Chulainn can pull it off in time and Achilles doesn't avoid it.

- Can still be killed like a normal warrior, but that was because he broke his oaths which weakened him, and was killed by a magic king-killing spear.

- His healing was done in a dream, and Achilles doesn't tend to leave opponents in just a sleeping state. Even then, the healing doesn't seem to be instant.

Ending puns:

"Setanta just couldn't exploit his opponent's Achilles' heel."

"Achilles should've said 'Cú-dbye'." (Cú + goodbye)

MUSIC:

Name: "Face My Fury"

The title makes reference to both combatant's anger.

Art: The art would depict Achilles' shield being pierced by the Gae Bolg, but the spear would be chopped by Achilles' sword.

Sound: Grand and orchestral again, but it would be faster and even have some metal elements in it. The orchestra is for the mythological aspect and the metal is for when the two get angry.

THANK YOU AND I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS!

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First and foremost, amazing work.

This would be an amazing fight to see. However, I might be a little rusty in my folkloric knowledge, because I must have missed the "warp-shift" (and to be honest, I'm not as familiar with Cú Chulainn as I, a huge myth fan, should be).

I also find the references to their bonds pretty interesting, since I don't think we get a lot of internal dialogue in either references.

"Face My Fury" is pretty good for a track, so...

FACE MY FURY

[herrling]

#6. Carnival  |  Haunted.

Warnings: spooky abandoned park shenanigans

The setting was uncanny for sure - abandoned amusement park, lost of it vibrant colors, rusty, empty... forgotten. It wasn't created on purpose - the park was really forgotten by its owners decades ago, and no one ever tried to reincarnate it or build something else in this area.

But it was perfect for my and Gregory's spooky adventures. I personally always wanted to explore some abandoned buildings once, and Gregory just loved walking alone in places like these in general. For him, it was sharing his little hobby with his beloved.

- Spooky, - I say, mimicking a cartoony voice. and chuckling. - Can you tell me about this place?

- Well... It's an old amusement park, I wasn't even born when it still worked. Basically articles say that they just stopped being financed and eventually closed. Boring.

I nod in agreement to his own remark at the end. We walked pass the old carousel, once colorful horses turned lifeless, some of the metal parts missing and the remains covered in rust.

- But it's what the official news say, - Violet spoke once again, turning to me with a mischievous grin on his face. My interest was piqued, and I got ready to hear more.

- If we're being completely honest, there were several reports about accidents on some attractions - you know, like a perfectly finely working carousel picking a pace on its own, new parts of a swing breaking suddenly while being in use, brake pedals on carts going put of order - things like that. Of course there were lots of reports from parents whose children were either just terrified or even injured, and it affected park's reputation. But when workers checked the attractions, everything seemed to be in order - no engine errors, no visible breakings, not even a single hint of safety precautions being broken.

I listened to him, completely diving in the story, imagining every accident he'd describe. Once he's finished, I thought for a moment - sounds like mystery for sure, but it could be much simpler.

- Maybe cheap equipment? Big companies tend to be hella economic with maximum outcome, even if it means breaking some safety.

Gregory gives me a thoughtful look.

- Maybe this. Maybe they were lying when told that everything was in order to publicity.

I nodded in agreement. Thinking it was some mystery when something horrific happened was the first many people did, and I couldn't deny it's sometimes fun, but usually it was much simpler - especially when it's a story about companies suddenly losing everything they had. Usually a result of their greed.

- You're sure it wasn't the ghoOoOosts? - Gregory teased, making a gesture with both of his hands raised and wiggling his fingers.

I chuckled at his playfulness, which he usually didn't show to others besides me.

- That would be much funnier, but sadly I'm sure it's way more simple and frustrating. Usually it's simpler to put it out as mystery than just be honest with everyone and say "Yes, we fucked up. Forgive us.".

Violet chuckled at my strong-languaged but plain explanation.

- You're probably right. But at least look at how uncanny this place is. Isn't it inspiring?

I nod in agreement once more.

- Yeah, looks like a Silent Hill location. You know, from first and third game - the amusement park, boss fight on the carousel.

Now it was Gregory's turn to chuckle at my geeky comments. He knew exactly what I was talking about, yet it was kind of funny to him in a light-hearted way.

- Yeah, I see it too. Some more decades and this place will take the exact appearance of the alternate world from Silent Hill.

Our fun was interrupted by the metallic sound of something falling. We both froze in place, listening cautiously to our surroundings and looking at the direction of sound source.

- You heard that? - I asked in a whisper and Gregory nodded. If not ghosts or other entities, meeting a person with god knows what intentions was more than possible.

But instead, a tabby cat showed up with some cans rolling out of the place where the sound was - the little feline friend probably just bumped into those on its way.

We both sighed. I put my hand on my chest, steadying my heart beat.

- Phew... just a cliché comic situation, - I said, chuckling in relief. Gregory slowly approached the cat with his hand reached out, letting the furry thing sniff him before letting him pet itself.

- I saw that cat earlier. There's a bakery nearby and a lady working there lets it sleep and eat there. Look, they gave it a collar, - Violet says, pointing at the red collar and a metal sign with a name "Misty" on it. - Her name is Misty, apparently.

- Hi Mistyyy~, - I say, approaching the cat as well. It nuzzles against my legs a few times, growing a little more affectionate to me than Gregory. He chuckled, adoring the sweet view.

- I guess she likes you more.

I pat the kitty, proud of being to her liking.

- I guess cats love me. It's not the first time cats are so affectionate to me after just meeting me.

Gregory smiles.

- I think it's only natural - you're a good person that would never hurt an animal and they feel it.

I blush at his comment.

- Well... maybe... or maybe because I smell like cat food.

Gregory chuckles into my shoulder, looking at the cat nuzzling against my legs.