#and we just stood there smiling
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Henlo fren.
Meet mi fren
OG Axel :D
Yo axel! Waddup my choom?
C’mere and take a selfie with me-
(@thebekashow has successfully stolen my pie)
(Photo evidence be damned)
#my art#digital art#astra#all hallows eve#axel mcsm#lunaglitchercc#postingwasteland#thebekashow#SELFIE#my pie is gone#big thief#right there#and we just stood there smiling#god dammit
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congrats on your recovery n all yuuji but unfortunately for you I thought the scars were cool >:/
#my art#jujutsu kaisen#jjk#yuji itadori#jjk fanart#jujutsu kaisen fanart#jjk art#jjk spoilers#jjk manga spoilers#jjk leaks#these took so long i kept getting distracted cries#but they r done and this is yuuji's post canon scar map to me. argue with a wall we should have had this#looks at canon this sign won't stop me bc i cant read >:(#smh robbed!!!!!! the potential!!!!! the aesthetic!!!!! th angst the symbolism!!!!!!#gege i respect u i do not want beef after u let my boys live#but u rly couldnt have scuffed him up a LITTLE more.....there were so many to choose from didnt u have a favourite.....#all he has to show fr all that r two little scratches. rly.#((not counting the ear n fingers thank god i get That much))#anyway i made a whole post abt why i think yuuji should have kept the scars n what it would have stood for symbolically#its along th same lines as the yuuji Big Face Scar agenda hh i just care a lot abt character design n visual storytelling ok#anyway fine he can keep the eye but in this house it grew back wrong it's lighter and foggy and now his prescription is stronger#as fr the rest#megumi has dibs on the upper right eye apparently so yuuji can have the bottom half#i would have doubled down on the scars on his left but a. the right side is the symbolic one#b. he healed an entire eye so it makes sense tht he'd heal other more minor injuries as well#c. tbh it's mostly based on what looked good i think this arrangement guides the eye across his face nicely#gave him a lil nose nick bc smth smth sukuna idk it's just there to balance things out#also as i said. the jaw and neck scar are there for kissing purposes i make the rules im salty and i do what i want smile#in other news thank u past hina fr doing those hair render studies im very happy with my yuuji hair as of late
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Matching Sonadow Prime pfps, you cannot change my mind
#shadow the hedgehog#sonic the hedgehog#sonic prime#Sonadow prime#Sonadow#Shadow looks like he hit the zaza#I ain’t never seen bro smile like that in my entire life#can we talk about how easy it was to actually catch that frame#like bro just stood like that for a whole second#and then#moonwalked#his way out#Shadow legit went#cha cha real smooth
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i had an almost meet cute with a cute guy at our local bookstore
#i was in line w my best friend to buy my sister’s fave book (mistborn)#and i looked to my left and there he was hovering with a book in hand not really in line but also kinda in line?#so i said oh sorry and gestured for him to go ahead#and then he smiled at me and said to go on#we just stood next to each other during the few minutes of me paying then him paying#bc i had to wait for a receipt#anw bestie and i beelined out of there without a second glance bc im too much of whimp to ask for his num#*wimp#i don’t even remember his face anymore atp tbh i just remember he was cute tall fair and had a deep voice lmao#see how dry my love life is tho this is action for me alr LMAOOOO#zee.chats
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ten caps per episode - Law and Order Criminal Intent - s01e11 - The Third Horseman
Eames: "From locks to lock n load." Deakins: "Next step for Mr. Griscom is lockup."
#my stuff#goren/eames#goren and eames#law and order criminal intent#ten caps: loci#ten caps per episode#loci s01e11#love this ep#we get alex broaching some tough topics with bobby#everyone's done a gifset or whatever of the scene where she asks him his thoughts on abortion#so i won't beat a dead horse#but here's what i love about that scene#it's important to alex#she wants to know what bobby thinks bc it's a big deal to her#like she was so bothered by the stuff he said to the bad guy when trying to win his trust#like alex KNOWS he's playing the suspects. intellectually. she knows that.#but once in a while there are these times where she gets this feeling like#wait is he just playing them? or..? and she just has to know what he thinks#and when he gives kind of a non committal answer she's like nuh uh#you will answer me#and bobby answers because alex doesn't demand a lot of him directly and personally#as we see throughout the series#alex has a really strong sense of morality and ethics#and i think that's what she loves about bobby too that brings her around to like being partners with him#in the wee small hours in her testimony she specifically said she changed her mind bc she found him to be an ethical person#i think that's one of her biggest things about her opinions on others#so it was really important to her to know where her partner stood#topic change but also the quote i used makes me smile#i think deakins had a sense of frivolity about him and liked to be playful with alex'
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I missed you | Next
#ts4#indya#black simblr#listen.....#jayce had me on the FLOOR this entire time#he just stood there and smiled#he was clownin our girl but we love that#lmfao#ts4 story#sims 4 story#ch21
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Something that's forever endearing to me is when people making no commentary runs of games like. Act and use the camera to nod or respond to situations at hand. Doing a little stationary panic with the POV it makes me giggle and smile so big
#I'm watching this guy that's 'playing half life every day until HL3 is announced' and they're making me like. Cry laugh#A guard (as far as I can tell) just fucking like. Tripped and spontaneously exploded and they just stood still looking at him for 30 second#ITS KILLING ME. THEIR PLAYSTYLE HAS ME ON THE FLOOR .#WE'RE STILL HUMAN WE STILL LIKE TO REACT TO SITUATIONS. performing for nobody . Etc etc etc#It makes me smile so big#Leo yells
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#LOOK AT HIMMMM#i feel like im the only person going rabid over this guy#look at him hes so cute#hes so cute but also really hot too#look at that lip. THAT SMILE. HES CUTEE#the most normal guy on the vestige lineup bc everyone who wields ofa is crazy somewhere in them#meanwhile bruce could actually have been collateral damage with kudos OFA time#figuring out how it works? bruce come here. pass it back and forth. oops. you got your factor absorbed into this one#tho bruce did pass it on so really. even tho hes collateral he did end up holding it at the end#everyone with ofa can have some screws loose but bruce is just a normal guy#[my common sense] vs [Leader's rabid willpower and ideas] became [the last thing Leader left and entrusted to me before his death]#and its the embodiment of yoichis will. now its yoichi and kudos combined will#spoilers#bnha#boku no hero academia#my hero academia#mha#bruce#meme#bruce is normal but also crazy in some places too. he just acts and looks normal and we didnt get to see him enough to have it visible#bc bruce had immovable will himself and acted suicidal whenever kudo got involved#[Oh im gonna fight AFO in this closed sewer when i know i have no chance bc Leader is shocked and too close]#mister [Leader and the rest of the resistance is dead. i must fight AFO myself]#sir im pretty sure there was some suicidal feelings involved in that decision#man kills your friends so you pass on what Leader left you so you can go find that guy and try fighting him too?#SHINOMORI ADMITTED HE KNEW THE MOMENT HE GOT THE FACTOR HE STOOD NO CHANCE. IMAGINE BRUCE WITH HIS WEAKER VERSION OF OFA#AND HE STILL RAN OUT TO FIGHT THE STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD WITH MAYBE 2 FRIENDS#HE WAS CRYING THEN. BRUCE HAD TO HAVE BEEN SOME BROKEN MAN OR SOMETHING#he was the probably the last one to survive in the resistance. imagine being him. id feel suicidal too#maybe bruce was just out with the last members and AFO found them in search of the Factor. or while erasing everything kudo left behind
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enemies to lovers isn't "he's generally an unpleasant person to be around, he constantly puts other people down and disrespects/condescends/ostracizes them, he's cruel and a bully... but his one redeeming quality is that he looks attractive" like. bestie that's not a redemption arc!! or a redeeming quality!!! a person can and should control their behaviors, but how they look literally has no bearing on their worth as a person!
like... this trope is about an initial misunderstanding and miscommunication that leads to mild conflict and resentment of each other,but eventually they move past this rocky start by revealing to each other their humanity and good qualities, and communicating what happened the first time they met so that they can clear up that situation, and slowly becoming good friends who enjoy spending time with each other and eventually become really close, and the realization that one accidental mishap/slip in behavior/aashole mistake isn't what defines a person and sometimes your first interpretation of them is sometimes wrong!! an entire opinion of someone should be formed based on their behaviors, values, actions, and morals, and quality time spent with this person, not because they have nice cheekbones.
#and i can speak to this from experience#because i didn't outright hate this guy we just had very contradicting personalities and were polar opposites which is why we didn't#get along well when we first met#but then i realized how charming and sweet and kind and intelligent he was and i liked him so much for the same things#that I initially found as off putting and negative traits at first#and he had a similar experience with me and we found that our opposing personalities complemented each other#and THEN i noticed that he was literally so fine and had an amazing back and really nice eyes and a charming smile and good hair#he became one of my best friends first and the person i wanted to spend time with the most LONG BEFORE i ever found him physically appealin#or attractive at all#also this post is calling out middle school me because i read tlc and i wanted iko to have a love interest#and it was very heteronormative at the time too#and then the author literally didn't develop her or her love interest character AT ALL and designed them so poorly#and i didn't realize that this wasn't the correct way to do enemies to lovers#or that iko stood on her own as a character and kinney was completely unnecessary and so boring and bland aldjfkfkf#wait i might have to tag this#anti kiko#anti iko x kinney#the way I haven't thought about this book series in years akdjfkdmdl#enemies to lovers#tropes#anna speaks
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SKADJKAJFKSFSAA content warning: embarrassing moment during my dinner out... /lh
#so - my dinner party right? while eating - i couldnt help but notice the waiters that attend to our tables were... young and nice looking#SAGFHHJAHJGSDSAGAS LISTEN JUST LISTEN#one of them stood out to me - he just looked.. really good looking#i promise you i dont fall easily irl -- but this guy just caught my attention#he had the whole waiter outfit though it was more casual - i frowned noticing that he didnt have a nametag on like the other workers ASDDJA#everytime i passed by - i would glance at him and just.. idk appreciate him adjsahsjfksfs im so sorry if this sounds weird HELPLASDAWHA#he just kept visiting our table since there were many of us and i would just smile when he pops up#now when everyones done eating - he would pick up their plates and bro. he took one plate in front of me and i was not ready for it SDFGSHF#picked up the dish next to my sister and i was like ASDAHFJSDAGSD (BREATHE)#BUT YOU KNOW WHAT GOT WORST? (OR BEST?)#IT WAS GETTING LATE. THE RESTARAUNT WAS CLOSING UP AND THE WAITERS KINDA SLOWED DOWN WITH THEIR PACE#they were moving the chairs back in order. the guy i like decides to sit down. and hes there. just breathing#SUDDENLY HE STARTS TO REMOVE HIS BOWTIE AND I WAS LIKE.OH OKAY OKAY. OH#i thought that was it BUT THEN NOOOO HE UNDOES TWO OF HIS BUTTONS AND I SAW HIS COLLAR BROOO I WANTED TO GO HOME SO BAD#AND THEN WE WOULD ACCIDENTALLY MAKE EYE CONTACT WHAT KINDA FUCKIN WATTPAD STORY IS THISSSSSSSS#I WAS SO . EMBARRASSED BUT ALSO LIKE AKSJDAKJFS WHY IS HE SO FINE HHHRRR#i was legit praying to just think back to steven like i dont know how to handle this genuinely ahjdfksafhsfsa#what a day that was......#~ rambling#man i hope this never happens to me again /lh
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Okay but I love Gwen's OST so much <3
Also wanted to give a shout out to the guy who sat two rows in front of me at the cinema back at my second viewing of the movie- he was straight up vibing when this song played
#am I several months late about the guy at the cinema?#maybe. but I just remebered him again and it always brings a smile to my face#cause the guy was clearly having a good time and I wanted to share it cause it made my experience better too#it's the little things sometimes#but in my country people usually just sit still and watch the movie#we don't clap or cheer or anything like that#so this guy kinda stood out and I loved it cause it was clear he was just enjoying himself#also I wanted to make this into a GIF but that kinda defeats the purpose of the soundtrack being highlighted lol#Gwen stacy#spider gwen#across the spider verse#atsv#my post#I wonder if this post will show up in the tags cause tumblr ususally eats any of the videos I post here for some reason...#my video
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the hosts dohifu + ichiro event from arb was on the brain again and it’s one i think about so frequently i wonder if it’s like top arb events for me which made me wonder what my top arb events are so after scrolling thru the list, i decided in no particular order, my top five are:
bat halloween (lol)
dohifu/samajuto mall date event (i’m a stupid shipper lmao but also the beginning of samatoki just forcefully inserting himself in juto’s free time, taking him out, flirting with him to coerce juto into buying samatoki’s favourite kind of clothing, samatoki pouting because juto left him to say hello to doppo—)
dohifu➕ichiro christmas hosts event (saburo: you can’t kick me out!!!! i have money!!!!!)
jakurai➕kuukou➕rei on the run from an angry ghost/doppo➕jyushi➕gentaro on the run from an alien event (MAYBE REI AND KUUKOUS DYNAMIC SHOULDNT HAVE BEEN SO FUNNY AND ADORABLE THEY ARE ON MY MIND ALL THE TIME NOW)
2gumi fantasy vrmmorpg event (the drbs wishes it could be as catty as that event lmao)
#this is vee speaking#the arb chronicles#i actually miss the 2gumi vrmmorpg event lol and forgot i did until i saw it again#like the way sparks flew the INSTANT juto and gentaro locked eyes???? juto gentaro strategic leaders?????#jutohifu literally bombing their competition and them being on the same wavelength???? jyushi terrified of juto’s smile lmao?????#god i can go on what a peak event lmao#like even the endings were cracked samatoki breaking into juto’s house and kuukou ‘punishing’ jyushi for running away from him 😭😭😭#i hope we get a 3gumi vrmmorpg event after a 2gumi soul swap like we did last year lol#lol i want rei to just declare himself as kuukou’s second father actually kuukou’s feelings on the matter be damned lol#kuukou: *immediately hostile towards rei* rei: oh i like this one 😎#kuukou: *disappointed in himself* rei: nah but you’re a super monk i stood no chance against that ghost 😎#LIKE REI TREATS KUUKOU BETTER THAN HIS OWN SONS THATS SO FUNNY AND AWFUL AT THE SAME TIME LMAO#lol and remember how saburo told hifumi’s coworkers that jiro was a stranger so he’d get kicked out for not having money lmao?????#whoever in the arb staff keeps my samajuto heart fed since the VERY beginning and thru the mall date event: thank you 😌#bat halloween lol. lmao
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hope my coworker doesnt get offended tht i dont flirt back anymore. i just cant do the post gay allegations awkwardness again this year
#i feel a lil bad today she left so many openings for me to finish her sentences cos thts how we usually talk but i rlly wasnt feeling it#trynna rmr the two things she said today tht made me -_-#i dont want a meeting w u bc i miss having zainab as my mentee i love talking to her and spending time w her ….her current mentee laughed#nd said can i call hr but ik she felt awk bc i felt awk bc they were expecting me to add to the joke but i just stood there eating a pancake#ohhhh just rmred the other one ‘my line manager said sorry for stealing zainab from u but i told her ure not mine to steal’ nd her just#staring at me waiting to say nothing#but i just smiled @ her
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Kingdom of Ash Chapter 54
Chapter; Highlights
Before battle tomorrow-before they might stand a chance of actually saving Anielle.
He was still working through all that had transpired these months he'd been gone. The battles and losses. Where Dorian had gone with Manon and the Thirteen. Chaol could only pray his friend was successful-and that he didn't take it upon himself to forge the Lock.
Needing to unravel all he'd learned, he'd left Aelin and the others near the Great Hall to find whatever food they could, immediately.
Part of him half wondered if the mare knew that his back ached, that he needed his cane, but that he chose to be here.
He ran a hand down her ebony mane, then patted her strong neck. "Ready to trample some Valg grunts tomorrow, my friend?"
Farasha huffed, angling a dark eye at him as if to say, Are you?
Chaol smiled, and Yrene laughed softly. "I should head back to the hall," his wife said.
"See who needs help." But she lingered. Their eyes met over Farasha's powerful back.
He came around the horse, still mindful of her biting. "I know," he said quietly. Yrene angled her head. "Know what?"
Chaol interlaced their fingers. And then laid their hands atop her still-flat abdomen.
"Oh," was all Yrene said, her mouth popping open. "I- How?"
Chaol's heart thundered. "It's true, then." Her golden eyes scanned his. "Do you want it to be?"
Chaol slid a hand against her cheek. "More than I ever realized."
Yrene's smile was wide and lovely enough to fracture his heart. "It's true," she breathed.
"How far along?"
"Almost two months."
He studied her stomach, the place that would soon swell with the child growing inside her. Their child. "You didn't tell me, I'm assuming, because you didn't want me to worry."
Yrene bit her lip. "Something like that."
He snorted. "And when you were waddling around, belly near bursting?"
Yrene whacked his arm. "I'm not going to waddle."
Chaol laughed, and tugged her into his arms. "You'll waddle beautifully, was what I meant to say." Yrene's laughter reverberated into him, and Chaol kissed the top of her head, her temple. "We're having a child," he murmured onto her hair.
Her arms came around him. "We are," she whispered. "But how did you know?"
"My father," Chaol grumbled, "apparently possesses better observational skills than I do." He felt, more than saw, her cringe. "You're not angry I didn't tell you?"
"No. I would have appreciated hearing it from your lips first, but I understand why you didn't want to say anything yet. Stupid as it might be," he added, nipping at her ear. Yrene jabbed him in the ribs, and he laughed again.
Laughed, even though every day they'd fought in this battle, every opponent he'd faced, he'd dreaded making a fatal mistake. Had been unable to forget that should he fall, he'd be taking them both with him.
Her arms tightened around him, and Yrene nestled her head against his chest. "You'll be a brilliant father," she said softly. "The most brilliant one to ever exist."
"High praise indeed, coming from a woman who wanted to toss me from the highest window of the Torre a few months ago."
"A healer would never be SO unprofessional."
Chaol grinned, and breathed in her scent before he pulled back and brushed his mouth against hers. "I am happier than I can ever express, Yrene, to share this with you. Anything you need, I am yours to command."
Her lips twitched upward. "Dangerous words."
But Chaol ran his thumb over her wedding band. "I'll have to win this war quickly, then, so I can have our house built by the summer."
She rolled her eyes. "A noble reason to defeat Erawan."
Chaol stole another kiss from her. "As much as I would like to show you just how much I am at your command," he said against her mouth,
"I have another matter to deal with before bed." Yrene's brows rose.
He grimaced. "I need to introduce Aelin to my father. Before they run into each other." The man hadn't been near the hall when they'd arrived, and Chaol had been too worried for Farasha's well-being to bother hunting him down.
Yrene cringed, though amusement sparked in her eyes. "Is it bad if I want to join you? And bring snacks?"
Chaol slung an arm around her shoulders, giving Farasha a farewell stroke before they left. Despite the cane, each step was limping, and the pain in his back lanced down his legs, but it was secondary. All of it, even the damned war, was secondary to the woman at his side.
To the future they'd build together.
As well as Yrene's conversation with Chaol had gone, that's how badly things went between Aelin Galathynius and his father.
Yrene didn't bring snacks, but that was only because by the time they reached the Great Hall, they had intercepted his father. Storming toward the room where Aelin and her companions had gone for a reprieve.
"Father," Chaol said, falling into step beside him. Yrene said nothing, monitoring Chaol's movements. The pain in his back had to be great, if he was limping this deeply, even while her magic refilled. She had no idea where he'd left his chair—if it had been crushed under falling debris. She prayed it had not.
His father snapped, "You fail to wake me when the Queen of Terrasen arrives at my castle?"
"It wasn't a priority." Chaol halted before the door that opened into the small chamber that had been vacated for the queen and knocked.
A grunt was the only confirmation before Yrene’s husband shouldered open the door enough to poke his head inside. "My father," Chaol said to whoever was inside, presumably the queen, "would like to see you."
Silence, then the rustling of clothes and steps.
Yrene kept back as Aelin Galathynius appeared, her face and hands clean, but clothes still dirty. At her side stood that towering, silver-haired Fae warrior-Rowan Whitethorn.
Whom the royals had spoken of with such fear and respect months ago. In the room, Lady Elide sat against the far wall, a tray of food beside her, and the giant white wolf lay sprawled on the ground, monitoring with half-lidded eyes.
A shock to see the shift, to realize these Fae might be powerful and ancient, but they still had one foot in the forest. The queen, it seemed, preferred the form as well, her delicately pointed ears half-hidden by her unbound hair.
Behind her, there was no sign of the golden-haired, melancholy warrior, Gavriel, or the utterly terrifying Lorcan. Thank Silba for that, at least.
Aelin left the door open, though their two court members remained seated. Bored, almost. "Well, now," was all the queen said as she stepped into the hall.
Chaol's father looked over the warrior-prince at her side. Then he turned his head toward Chaol and said, "I assume they met in Wendlyn. After you sent her there."
Yrene tensed at the taunting in the man's voice. Bastard. Horrible bastard.
Aelin clicked her tongue. "Yes, yes, let's get all that out of the way. Though I don't think your son really regrets it, does he?" Aelin's eyes shifted to Yrene, and Yrene tried not to flinch under that turquoise-and-gold stare. Different from the fire she'd beheld that night in Innish, but still full of that razor-sharp awareness.
Different-they were both different from the girls they'd been. A smile curved the queen's mouth. "I think he made out rather well for himself." She frowned up at her consort. "Yrene, at least, doesn't seem like the sort to hog the blankets and snore in one's ear all night."
Yrene coughed as Prince Rowan only smiled at the queen. "I don't mind your snoring," he said mildly.
Aelin's mouth twitched when she turned to Chaol's father. Yrene's own laughter died at the lack of light on the man's face. Chaol was tense as a drawn bowstring as the queen said to his father, "Don't waste your breath on taunts. I'm tired, and hungry, and it won't end well for you."
"This is my keep."
Aelin made a good show of gaping at the ceiling, the walls, the floors. "Is it really?"
Yrene had to duck her head to hide her grin. So did Chaol.
But Aelin said to the Lord of Anielle, "I trust you're not going to get in our way."
A line in the sand. Yrene's breath caught in her throat.
Chaol's father said simply, "Last I looked you were not Queen of Adarlan."
"No, but your son is Hand to the King, which means he outranks you." Aelin smiled with horrific sweetness at Chaol. "Haven't you told him that?"
Yrene and Aelin were no longer the girls they'd been in Innish, yes, but that wildfire still remained in the queen's spirit. Wildfire touched with insanity.
Chaol shrugged. "I figured I'd tell him when the time arose." His father glowered.
Prince Rowan, however, said to the man, "You've defended and prepared your people admirably. We have no plans to take that from you."
"I don't need the approval of Fae brutes," the lord sneered Aelin clapped Rowan on the shoulder.
"Brute. I like that. Better than 'buzzard,' right?"
Yrene had no idea what the queen was talking about, but she held in her laugh anyway.
Aelin sketched a mocking bow to the Lord of Anielle. "On that lovely parting note, we're going to finish up our dinners. Enjoy your evening, we'll see you on the battlements tomorrow, and please do rot in hell." Then Aelin was turning away, a hand guiding her husband inside. But not before the queen threw a grin over her shoulder to Yrene and Chaol and said, eyes bright—with joy and warmth this time, "Congratulations."
How she knew, Yrene had no idea. But the Fae possessed a preternatural sense of smell. Yrene smiled all the same as she bowed her head-just before Aelin slammed the door in the Lord of Anielle's face.
Chaol turned to his father, any hint of amusement expertly hidden. "Well, you saw her."
Chaol's father shook with what Yrene supposed was a combination of rage and humiliation, and stalked away. It was one of the finest sights Yrene had ever seen.
From Chaol's smile, she knew her husband felt the same.
"What a horrible man." Elide finished off her chicken leg before handing the other to Fenrys, who had shifted back into his Fae form. He tore into it with a growl of appreciation. "Poor Lord Chaol."
Aelin, her aching legs stretched out before her as she leaned against the wall, finished off her own portion of chicken, then dug into a hunk of dark bread. "Poor Chaol, poor his mother, poor his brother. Poor everyone who has to deal with him."
At the lone, narrow window of the room, monitoring the dark army hundreds of feet below, Rowan snorted. "You were in rare form tonight."
Aelin saluted him with her hunk of hearty oaten bread. "Anyone who interrupts my dinner risks paying the price."
Rowan rolled his eyes, but smiled. Just as Aelin had seen him smile when they'd both scented what was on Yrene. The child in her.
She was happy for Yrene-for them both.
Chaol deserved that joy, perhaps more than anyone. As much as her own mate.
Aelin didn't let the thoughts travel further.
Not as she finished her bread and came to the window, leaning against Rowan's side. He slid an arm around her shoulders, casual and easy.
None of them mentioned Maeve.
Elide and Fenrys continued eating in silence, giving them what privacy they could in the small, bare room they'd be sharing, sleeping on bedrolls. The Lord of Anielle, it seemed, did not share her appreciation for luxury. Or basic comforts for his guests. Like hot baths. Or beds.
"The men are terrified," Rowan said, gazing out at the levels of the keep below. "You can smell it."
"They've held this keep for days now. They know what's waiting for them at dawn."
"Their fear," Rowan said, his jaw tightening, "is proof they do not trust our allies.
Proof they don't trust the khagan's army to actually save them. It will make for sloppy fighters. Could create a weakness where there shouldn't be one."
"Perhaps you should have told Chaol," Aelin said.
"He could give them some motivational speech."
"I have a feeling Chaol has given them plenty. This sort of fear rots the soul."
"What's to be done for it, then?" Rowan shook his head. "I don't know." But she sensed he did know. Sensed that he wanted to say something else, and either their current company or some sort of hesitation barred him.
So Aelin didn't push, and surveyed the battlements with their patrolling soldiers, the sprawling, dark army beyond. Baying cries and howls rent the night, the sounds unearthly enough that they dragged a shudder down her spine.
"Is a land battle easier or worse than one at sea?" Aelin asked her husband, her mate, peering at his tattooed face.
She'd only faced the ships in Skull's Bay, and even that had been over relatively quickly.
And against the ilken who'd swarmed them in the Stone Marshes, it had been more an extermination than anything. Not what awaited them tomorrow. Not what her friends had fought on the Narrow Sea while she and Manon had been in the mirror, then with Maeve on the beach.
Rowan considered. "They're just as messy, but in different ways."
"I'd rather fight on land," Fenrys grumbled.
"Because no one likes the smell of wet dog?" Aelin asked over her shoulder.
Fenrys laughed. "Exactly because of that."
At least he was smiling again.
Rowan's mouth twitched, but his eyes were hard as he surveyed the enemy army.
"Tomorrow's battle will be just as brutal," he said. "But the plan is sound."
They'd be on the battlements with Chaol, readying for any desperate maneuvers Morath might attempt when they found themselves being herded and crushed by the khagan's army.
Elide would be with Yrene and the other healers in the Great Hall, helping the injured.
Where Lorcan and Gavriel would be, Aelin could only assume. Both had peeled off upon arriving, the latter taking watch somewhere, and the former likely brooding. But they'd probably be fighting right alongside them.
As if her thoughts had summoned him, Gavriel slipped into the room. "The army looks quiet enough," he said by way of greeting, then unceremoniously dropped to the floor beside Fenrys and hauled the platter of chicken toward him. "The men are rife with fear, though. Days of defending these walls have worn on them." Rowan nodded, not bothering to tell the Lion they'd just discussed this as Gavriel ripped into the food. "We'll have to make sure they don't balk tomorrow, then."
Indeed.
"I was wondering," Elide said to none of them in particular after a moment. "Since Maeve is an imposter, who would rule Doranelle if she was banished with all the other Valg?"
"Or burned to a crisp," Fenrys muttered.
Aelin might have smiled grimly, but Elide's question settled into her. Gavriel slowly set down the chicken. Rowan's arm dropped from Aelin's shoulders. His pine-green eyes were wide. "You."
Aelin blinked. "There are others from Mab's line. Galan, or Aedion—"
"The throne passes through the maternal line-to a female only. Or it should have, Rowan said. "You're the sole female with a direct, undiluted claim to Mab's bloodline."
"And your household, Rowan," Gavriel said. "Someone in your household would have a claim on Mora's half of the throne."
"Sellene. It would go to her." Even as a prince, Rowan's own heritage connecting him to Mora's bloodline had thinned to the point of being in name only. Aelin was more closely related to Elide, probably to Chaol, too, than she was to Rowan, despite their distant ancestry.
"Well, Sellene can have it," Aelin said, wiping her hands of dust that was not there. "Doranelle's hers." She wouldn't set foot in that city again, Maeve or no. She wasn't sure if that made her a coward. She didn't dare reach for her magic's comforting rumble.
"The Little Folk truly knew," Fenrys mused, rubbing his jaw. "What you were."
They had always known her, the Little Folk. Had saved her life ten years ago, and saved their lives these past few weeks. They had known her, and left gifts for her. Tribute, she'd thought, to Brannon's Heir. Not to... Gavriel murmured, "The Faerie Queen of the West."
Silence.
Aelin blurted, "Is that an actual title?"
"It is now," Fenrys muttered. Aelin shot him a look.
"With Sellene as the Fae Queen of the East," Rowan mused.
No one spoke for a good minute.
Aelin sighed up at the ceiling. "What's another fancy title, I suppose?"
They didn't answer, and Aelin tried not to let the weight of that title settle too heavily. All it implied. That she might not only look after the Little Folk on this continent, but with the cadre, begin a new homeland for any Fae who might wish to join them. For any of the Fae who had survived the slaughter in Terrasen ten years ago and might wish to return.
A fool's dream. One that she would likely not come to see. To create.
"The Faerie Queen of the West," Aelin said, tasting the words on her tongue.
Wondering how long she'd get to call herself such.
From the heavy quiet, she knew her companions were contemplating the same. And from the pain in Rowan's eyes, the rage and determination, she knew he was already calculating if it might somehow spare her from the sacrificial altar.
But that would come later. After tomorrow. If they survived.
There was a gate, and eternity lay beyond its black archway.
But not for her. No, there would be no Afterworld for her.
The gods had built another coffin, this time crafting it of that dark, glimmering stone.
Stone her fire could never melt. Never pierce. The only way to escape was to become it—dissolve into it like sea-foam on a beach.
Every breath was thinner than the previous one. They had not put any holes in this coffin.
Beyond her confines, she knew a second coffin sat beside hers. Knew, because the muffled screams within still reached her here.
Two princesses, one golden and one silver.
One young and one ancient. Both the cost of sealing that gate to eternity.
The air would run out soon. She'd already lost too much of it in her frantic clawing at the stone. Her fingertips pulsed where she'd broken nails and skin.
Those female screams became quieter.
She should accept it, embrace it. Only when she did would the lid open.
The air was so hot, so precious. She could not get out, could not get out—
Aelin hauled herself into waking. The room remained dark, her companions' deep breathing holding steady.
Open, fresh air. The stars just visible through the narrow window.
No Wyrdstone coffin. No gate poised to devour her whole. But she knew they were watching, somehow. Those wretched gods. Even here, they were watching. Waiting.
A sacrifice. That's all she was to them.
Nausea churned in her gut, but Aelin ignored it, ignored the tremors rippling through her. The heat under her skin.
Aelin turned onto her side, nestling closer into Rowan's solid warmth, Elena's muffled screams still ringing in her ears.
No, she would not be helpless again.
#Chapter 54#Kingdom of Ash#Sarah J. Maas#Chaol Westfall#Yrene Westfall#Lord Westfall#Fenrys Moonbeam#Aelin Galathynius#Elena Galathynius#Aelin Ashryver Galathynius#Rowan Whitethorn#no spoilers please#first read#read with me#read along#First Read along with me NO SPOILERS PLEASE though warning for post & tags up to KoA 54 & more reacts/notes/quotes in tags below#Hellas Horse aka Butterfly-Never again-A chance-let’s go babies!-waddlebeautifully lol-he wants to build her a house😭-maybe a nursery#when it’s all gone-together-prettier with you-they scared her from the flame-worse marks were left-she’s tired but she will#she fought she’s fighting-what’s real what is what was-whatever was left-the weeping always eases in the end-it’s lovely fracturing joy#dam Sarah not future you quote again ITS ALREADY BURNED ME ONCE-one foot in the forest-they share meals-don’t ask-line in the sand#wildfire touched with insanity-I mean how would she not be a little insane-admirable-and please do rot in hell lol-the meeting we needed#congrats they meant-they loved it about her-and Rowan-the casual easy lean on him QoS how far we’ve come *good for once*#it’s either laughing or crying so-the sort of fear that rots the soul-what then they didn’t know-he knew-lol the wet dog-watch and brooding#It’ll save her-not a coward-Mab again-the dearie queen of the west-HER-a fools dream but a dream nonetheless-he will do whatever he has to#the world didn’t know-never helpless again-he let her steal the warmth-finally their all having those talks-hi cousins again-2places at onc#Him taking care of the horse was kind-shes always helping-Farasha congrats ur the other1st2be told-happy moment cuz their having a bb#At least he was smiling again-all the names-faerie queen-couldve been worse noone got stabbed shes shad worse dinners-@her side#stood that towering Fae warrior-spokeWsuch fear&respect-Aelin shifted fae again-AGREED YRENE-i knew she’s a blanket hog lol41wfire powers#A line in the sand the titleOnly sweetness when its horrific Fae BastardLaughed anywaysBuzzard she said w love-tru joy&warmth#its bad if Elide hates you-l luv her feist-as her own implying Yrene is-wanting joy4them-No Maeve-no bed-the truth-just a name-stars
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So sad to see my room so empty 😭😭😭 This is the last night I have in it, no more late night bowls or Taco Bell and Howard Stern nights. No more walks in the park, I have to find a new route. It breaks my heart but at the same time I'm excited to start a new life with my punk. 🥺❤️❤️❤️
#Will never forget him showing me around and the way we just kinda stood still and looked at each other while it sunk in#He pulled me in super tight and now we'll just be hangin or talking and we'll both start smiling and giggling about moving in. 👉👈
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Forever and Ever and Always by Ryan Mack making me cry because holy shit
#i think im over him and then something like this pops up#i seriously thought i would be with him for the rest of my life#i loved him#i really did#and i know he loved me back#but it just. wasnt it#it felt like he loved work more than me#and my mom told me when we broke up that she could see how broken my smile was when he stood me up or resceduled again or had to leave early#bc he didn’t make arrangements#she saw how much i loved him and hiw much he hurt me#ugh#relationships#relationships are hard#im sad now#i miss him sometimes :(#ryan mack
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