#becca is part of that mythology

[thefallennightmare]

Mercy-Four

*gif created by me. feel free to use, simply give credit*

Pairings: Noah Sebastian x Fallen Angel!OC

Warnings: swearing, angst, fluff, smut, mythological talk, violence.

Summary: "Blinded by a fear of feeling, these are the kings we chose. Lost and looking for the meaning, I've been searching high and low" It came crashing down on him. This is the story of the highest banished angel from where she came only to find home in the arms of a mortal man. This mortal realizing he'd face Lucifer himself to keep her.

Lethia: Archangelus Oneironaut also known as Archangel of Dream Walking. Across worlds and dimensions, she walks within. Uncovering dangerous secrets, leaving her cast out, isolated- that is until she begins to learn what it means to feel.

Authors Notes: So I pulled a lot of ideas from my favorite fallen angel romance series, Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick! I hope you all enjoy!

Tags[OPEN]: @thescarlettvvitch @blackveilomens @crimson-calligraphyx @cookiesupplier @lyschko666 @shilohrosechicken @thebadchic @iknownothingpeople @sammyjoeee @malice-ov-mercy @collapsedglasshouses @klutzy-kay24 @iamamatus @lma1986 @bngurngheart @happi-goth

LETHIA

I sat in the middle of Noah’s bed with my knees pulled to my chest and rested my chin on top of them. My mind continued to replay the conversation with Maraxa and her parting words had been etched deep within my soul. I feared that maybe I brought darkness and death to not only Noah but all of his friends' lives. They were innocent bystanders in the battle for my alliance. Stay on this Earth with mortals or fall into the depths of Hell with the light bringer. 

Lucifer. He wanted me alongside him to lead his army of darkness. Against what? I wasn’t sure. But the love we shared wasn’t what it used to be and my heart didn't covet for him any longer. Not when there was someone else who seemed to have filtered into this newfound life without warning. 

Those almond eyes captivated me from the moment I had Noah pinned against the door. His scent was different from most mortals and for the longest time, I couldn’t figure out why. The way we always seemed to run into each other or that anytime I dream walked, it was his dream.  

Why was it Noah’s face I saw moments before my fall? 

Why did we have the same tattoo? His on his neck, mine on my ribs? 

None of this made any sense and it only angered me more as to why I was stuck here. 

As I was staring at the length of my black nails, there was a gentle knock on the door of the bedroom; me humming in response to it. When it opened slightly, Noah poked his head in, the long strands of his hair falling into his face. 

“Hey,” his voice was gentle. “I’m just checking to see if you’re settling in fine.” 

“Yes,” I nodded. “I’m sorry for having Maraxa show up here. I assure you, it won’t happen again.”

You don’t know that. 

Noah leaned against the wall next to the door, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s alright. Is she an old friend?” 

I scoffed while laying my legs straight on the bed to lean my back against the wall. 

“She is far from a friend. More like an acquaintance that always wanted my position.” 

If he could hear the venom in my voice, Noah said nothing and simply nodded. 

“Are you hungry?” He asked instead. 

“I’m fine, thank you,” I ran a hand over the black comforter. “I must say, I do feel terrible making you sleep on the couch when your bed is quite comfortable.” 

“Seriously?” Noah chuckled while walking farther into the room to sit on the bed next to me. “I’ve had this mattress for years and it's anything but comfortable.” 

An eerie silence fell between us, something that made me shift in my spot next to him when the warmth from him radiated around me in flames. I could feel his essence all over my skin while not feeling his actual touch. Bumps rose at the back of my neck when I felt his gaze linger there, lighting me a blaze. 

My eyes caught sight of something hanging from above his window so I pointed to it. 

“Are you religious? The rosary?”

Noah peered up at the wooden necklace hanging from his curtain rod. “Oh, that. It’s kind of a long story.” 

Crossing my legs, I rested my elbow on my thigh to rest my chin in my hand. “And I have time. I’d love to know your view on it.” 

With a tender laugh, he nodded before turning toward me so we sat facing each other. “Well, I was raised in a very Christian Baptist household with my grandparents; when I wasn’t staying with my mom. That's another story but it’s not important.” 

Immediately I picked up on the way his eyes cast down at his hands at the mention of his mother but made no effort to acknowledge it. Instead, I urged him to continue with a nod. 

“I’d go to service with my grandparents and help out in the church any way I could. Painting, setting up for service, things like that. I was exposed to a lot of religion growing even though when I was younger I didn’t buy into it as much. Despite having a lot of questions and doubts about it now, I still think there’s a lot to learn about it through religion, spirituality, and faith. Which is why I write about it metaphorically.” 

He ran a hand over his chin for a moment. “I never try to push my own beliefs or agendas on people. I want people to think and believe in things on their own, without having my choice influence them in any way.” 

“I think that’s marvelous,” I hummed. 

Noah smiled. “The whole lore and stories in religion really interest me. I’m currently reading a book about The Fall.”

My mouth ran dry when my body went rigid. “Th-the Fall?” 

“Yeah, fallen angels. It’s actually quite interesting.” 

I ran my hands over my thigh and cleared my throat. “Do you believe in them?” 

“Angels?” Noah asked with furrowed brows. 

All I could do was nod, afraid that my voice would give way to how nervous I was for his answer. 

He ran a hand over his mouth, almost deep in thought. “It’s hard to give a definitive answer because I haven’t seen proof of angels. I thought that angels didn’t exist at first but something changed my view on it. My grandma told me a story about fallen angels when I was younger. What about you? Do you believe it?” 

“You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve seen,” the tone of my voice dropped drastically as my fingers brushed along the softness of the comforter beneath me. 

Flash images of what I’d done under the King’s command plagued me. Death by my sword was ordered to anyone who disobeyed him. Which rarely happened but when it did, I was the one that dealt with the end of the traitor's life. The familiar feeling of ripping out their wings weighed heavy on my hands as I stared down at them with sheer disgust. 

How could the creator who was supposed to love all of us equally order me to do such vile, horrendous, things to his creations? 

“Lethia,” the softness of his large hands rested on my shoulder, fresh off a kill. “You’ve done well my child. Your allegiance is greatly thought of.”  

My jaw clenched at how foolish I’d been. Following a King who cared so little for us in the end. The amount of wings I ripped out was too much to count. The amount of angels I dragged my blade into cut deep into my gut, causing me to revolt in disgust. 

At myself. 

Since I fell weeks ago, I questioned so deeply why my appearance changed and I always thought it was because of my love for Lucifer. But it could be to pay for all of my heinous crimes up in the Kingdom. Crimes ordered by Him. 

“Hey,” Noah’s tattooed knuckle lifted my chin. “Are you alright?” 

I nearly sobbed when yet again I couldn’t feel his touch; another repercussion. 

“No,” I choked out. “I did horrible things back home and how could I ever be allowed back? Why would he want me back?” 

The screams of my victims were loud in my mind, their bloody wings lying at my feet, and I squeezed my eyes shut at the vision. 

“You don’t have to go back there. You can stay here with me. Whatever you did can’t be that terrible,” his voice cooed in the silence of his bedroom. 

The words died on my tongue, it not being worth it to explain myself to him because Noah wouldn’t understand. 

My heart's racing faltered for the briefest of moments, only for it to double in pace when Noah’s eyes studied me, assessing every inch of my face. I tracked every movement of his tongue when it darted out to wet his pink lips. 

“Lethia.” 

My name was all but a hushed whisper that hung on his bottom lip and when our eyes met, some kind of light danced behind his. I raised my fingers to his mouth to drag the nail of my pointer finger along that bottom lip. Noah’s breath hitched in his throat but remained still as I glanced up at him, dying to know what it would feel like. Facial hair peppered his chin and above his mouth, and I couldn’t help but smile at how good he looked. 

There was no way he wasn't like me. Noah was too eternal, the aura that radiated around him shone bright and pulled me in every time he was around. 

The long locks of his hair fell into his face when he tilted his head towards me, closing the distance slightly. The divine scent of him filled my senses and I let my eyes flutter shut to pick apart each of the different smells. Noah smelled woodsy with a hint of Bergamot and Nutmeg. It smelled like his bedroom. It smelled like him. 

“Noah,” I breathed, now dragging my nails over the tattoo on his neck. 

I couldn't feel his touch but I did notice my hair being brushed away from my face. 

“I can’t explain it,” Noah swallowed. “But I feel this strong connection to you.” 

All of my actions were unknown to me, along with this feeling in my chest that burned with such a good ache. Noah silenced all of the voices in my mind, easing away the guilt and hurt that weighed heavily on my heart for my actions in the Kingdom. I was resistant at first with him but I think it was only because this feeling deep inside of me scared me to the ends of the earth. 

“Me as well,” I admitted quietly. 

My hands rested in my lap now, shaking with nerves, wondering what Noah was going to do. We were so close now, with almost no space between our lips, and before my brain could catch up on what was happening a sudden surge of warmth exploded inside of me before seeping into my veins. My skin pricked with electricity when Noah’s hand glided through my hair and it was then that I noticed his eyes were closed but his lips were on mine. 

He was kissing me? 

Fuck. 

I nearly cried and cursed the King for bestowing me with this curse of not being able to feel human touch. All I wanted was to feel Noah’s lips on mine, taste him, devour him. Although I couldn’t feel him, the feeling that was coming alive inside of me was almost too much to handle and I let a quiet moan be swallowed by Noah, who hummed in delight. 

It felt like fireworks being shot off inside of me. It felt like that first flight I took when I realized my wings kept me upright. It felt like the wind blew through my hair and the softness of the clouds encased me just as Noah’s arm did. 

Something spread my lips apart and now all I could feel was the sudden wetness in my mouth and between my legs. I clenched them together while grasping at Noah’s shirt, trying to feel anything. 

He pulled away to glance down at me, briefly searching my eyes for any emotion I couldn’t give off in the kiss we just shared. 

“I mean this with genuine curiosity but have you never been kissed before?” Noah wondered while his hand cupped my cheek. 

I shifted on his bed and kept my gaze cast down on my lap. While I lay with other angels up in the Kingdom, we’d never kissed; Noah was my first kiss, ever. 

“Lethia?” 

“I-,” my shoulders slumped. “No. Was I that bad?” 

Now while I couldn’t feel his touch, that didn’t stop me from meeting his kiss with the same amount of gentle caress that he led with. 

A low noise rumbled in Noah’s chest. “Not at all. I’d actually like to kiss you again if that’s alright?” 

Unbridled heat expanded deep within me as I nodded quickly and then his lips were on mine again. I let the passion in my heart guide my lips, doing my best to mimic Noah’s actions, and he let out a moan when I climbed into his lap to run my hands through the waves of his tawny hair. Even if I couldn’t feel any part of this physically, I could feel it in my heart, and to me, that’s all that mattered. 

“Lethia,” Noah groaned when I pressed my hips into his. 

Something in my heart told me that he was brushing his tongue along the side of my neck before his teeth grazed over in its path. That same feeling told me that Noah’s hands were sprawled over my lower back before slipping underneath my shirt to claw at my skin, digging his nails in. 

My spine tingled with fire, starting from the base and shooting straight up into my neck before spreading through my entire angel essence. My head fell back as my jaw went slack when the familiar feeling of ecstasy crept its way into me.

Only this wasn’t the kind of ecstasy brought on by a man's kiss or touch.

No. 

The skin on my shoulder blades began to peel away an opening for my wings to protrude from and with a gasp of fear, I scrambled away from Noah and nearly stumbled over my feet as I stood in front of him. He lay back on his elbows, hair a mess from my fingers running through it, and lips were swollen from our kiss. The rise and fall of his chest was uneven as he tried to catch his breath. I dared a glance lower and sucked in a breath when I noticed how hard his cock was in his gray sweats. 

“Hey, are you alright? Did I do something?” Noah asked while rising to his feet and taking a step towards me. 

I took a step back. “No, you didn’t do anything. I-I can’t explain it but-.” 

How could I explain it? 

Oh hey, Noah. I was getting so turned on by our kiss that my wings almost came out.

Yeah right. 

I dragged my hands through my hair and let out an aggravated groan to which Noah gently grasped my wrists and held them against his chest. My gaze bounced back and forth between his eyes, my erratic heartbeat calming. 

“If I went too far, I apologize,” he said. 

“No,” I hastily shook my head. “You didn’t do anything. I just needed a moment to clear my head, that's all.”  

He hummed. “I know the perfect thing to help with that.” 

Before dropping my hands, he left a gentle kiss on them, and I couldn’t stop the smile that spread to my lips as I watched him gather the extra clothes on his desk and towels.

“A shower always helps me clear my head,” Noah said while leading me out of his bedroom. 

“A shower?” I asked, slowly treading behind him. 

“Yeah,” he nodded as we stepped inside the bathroom. “Hot Water. Soap. Shampoo.”

“Naked. I know the drill,” I crossed my arms over my chest with a raised brow. “Are you trying to get me naked, Noah?” 

Nervously he rubbed the back of his neck and a red tint painted over his cheeks. “N-no. I just want to help you.” 

I took the things in his hands with a nod of thanks. “You’ve already done enough for me. Giving me a place to stay.” 

The space between us was small in his bathroom due to his tall stature and he gazed down at me with a slight up curl of his lips as he stuffed his hands in his pocket. 

“I help the people I care about.” 

I cocked my head at him. “You care about me?” 

This word, care, was foreign to me; unheard of in the Kingdom. So to hear Noah utter it made a weird feeling stir inside of me. 

“I wouldn’t have kissed you if I didn’t,” Noah’s voice was low as he took a small step towards me. 

However, when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I nearly dropped the clothes and towels. I always tried to avoid looking at myself because of how evil I looked. My red eyes matched the red lights from under Noah’s bed and my short onyx hair barely reached my shoulders. Thankfully my jacket and jeans covered the tattoos that were drawn on my skin; etched in deep with my transgressions. 

I despised how I looked now. Revolted in the darkness that I become. 

“I never used to look like this,” I admitted with a long sigh, letting the things in my hands fall to the bathroom counter. 

Noah stepped behind me to stare at my reflection in the mirror. “Really?” 

“This look?” I pointed to my reflection. “It’s a telling of everything wrong I’ve done. I can’t even look at myself without disgust.” 

His face fell at my words and he rested his hands on my shoulders. “Lethia, that’s the farthest thing from the truth. You look beautiful.” 

That was another word I hadn’t heard before. 

“Beautiful?” I raised a brow, staring at his reflection still. 

Noah rested his chin on top of my head and I couldn’t help but giggle at the size difference between us. I wasn’t exactly short but with Noah’s length, he easily towered over me so to rest his chin on my head he had to bend down a bit, encasing his arms on either side of me to grip the bathroom counter. 

My eyes raked over the tattoos that covered the entirety of his arms, various designs and colors. 

“Well for starters, the length of your hair suits your face structure and the color compliments your olive skin tone,” he left a kiss on the side of my head. 

“I used to have long, almost white hair,” I said. 

“Oh,” his face scrunched up. 

“You don’t like it?” I teased with a chuckle. 

Noah shrugged. “You look beautiful either way but like I said this look suits you better.” 

His hands grabbed the collar of my jacket to slowly pull it down my arms, letting it fall to the floor at our feet. I now stood in front of him in my jeans and white shirt, arms exposed to show the darkness of the tattoos that covered them. 

“Your tattoos are made for you,” he breathed in my ear, fingers trailing up the skin of my arms. 

Our eyes locked in the mirror, the deep crimson of mine paled in contrast to his bright almond ones; however this time when I looked into them, they weren’t cold and vacant. Not like I’d see in my dreams. 

“Your eyes,” Noah breathed. “I think your eyes are one of my favorite things about you.” 

He brushed away the hair from my neck so he could press kisses along the skin there. I watched in the mirror as his teeth grazed over the shell of my ear before sinking deep into the crook of my neck. Straight heat shot through me again and I let myself fall into his embrace with a sigh that sounded more like a moan. 

“I’m afraid,” my bottom lip trembled as I cast my eyes down from his. 

Noah turned me in his arms so I had no choice but to look up at him. His eyes were filled with worry as they searched every inch of my face. I grasped at the front of his shirt, fingers trying desperately to feel the material. 

“Afraid of what? This?” He pointed between us. 

“No,” I shook my head and then let out a shaky breath. “I am terrified by this dark thing that sleeps in me.” 

Noah’s hands were on both sides of my face because he held me firm. Then when the light sparked inside of me, I knew that he crashed his lips on mine, tongue slipping inside of my mouth. Although I couldn’t feel his touch, the feeling I had deep inside of me was telling me everything he was doing. 

One hand cupped my cheek while the other slipped inside my shirt, grasping at the skin of my lower back. His lips and tongue explored every inch of my mouth, dragging his teeth along my jawline and neck as he went back to leaving small marks along my collarbone. 

His name came out just below a whisper when he lifted me onto the bathroom counter, digging his nails into the thick material of my jeans to spread my legs open for him. Noah stepped between them as I brought our lips together again in another fiery kiss, needing to bring Noah even closer to me by any means. 

“Lethia,” he murmured against my mouth. “I need-.” 

Just as the skin on my shoulders began peeling away, someone walked into the bathroom, causing Noah to jump away from me slightly. Glancing at the now open door, I noticed his roommate Jesse’s eyes bouncing between Noah and me. 

“Shit, I should have knocked,” he muttered while rubbing his face. “I just saw the door was cracked open and didn’t think.” 

I wiped away the saliva from my lips and turned my head away from the two men, feeling this unusual burn on my cheeks. 

“It’s alright,” Noah ran a hand through his hair, still keeping a wide distance between us. “I was just letting Lethia take a shower.” 

Jesse nodded. “Yeah sure, no problem. I’ll just use the bathroom downstairs.” 

When it was just Noah and me yet again, I peered over to him who was leaning against the wall with a wicked smirk. 

“What?” I asked with a slight up curl on my lips. 

He said nothing, only adjusting himself. I dared a glance downward and sucked in a breath when I noticed his cock pressing hard against the front of his sweats. All the warmth in my body shot down to my core and I squeezed my thighs together, hoping it would curb the itch.

How did this mortal seem to set all of my senses ablaze like this? 

“I’ll give you some privacy,” Noah motioned to the shower. 

As he began walking out of the bathroom, I dared a glance at the shower but tilted my head in confusion. 

“Wait,” I spoke while reaching for his wrist, my black nails grazing his skin. 

Both of us reacted with such a shock, nearly making me rear back in surprise. Noah’s eyes bounced from my hold on him to my face; a spark of something behind them. 

“How do I turn it on?” 

“The shower?” His brows creased. 

All I did was nod, some things on this planet still confused me but I didn’t want to tell him that. 

With a chuckle, Noah walked over to the shower, sliding the door open then turned the dial left. 

“Left is hot. The right is cold. Adjust how you need to. There’s already some shampoo and body wash in there for you,” he said when he stepped in front of me. 

Steam began to fill the bathroom, dancing above our heads like the clouds in the Kingdom. Reaching up on the tips of my toes, I laid a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth. 

“Thank you, Noah.” 

NOAH

I stifled a yawn behind my hand as I poured myself yet another cup of coffee, stirring the dark liquid as I leaned against the kitchen island. Craning my neck far to the left, I groaned when it popped in a few different places. Sleeping on the couch did a number on my back and neck but I didn’t want to verbalize my discomfort knowing that Lethia was comfortable upstairs in bed. 

Possibly naked, lying in my sheets. 

Shaking the thoughts from my head, I took a large gulp of my coffee, it slightly burning on the way down, when Jesse walked into the kitchen. His eyes raked over my disheveled hair and skewed clothes with a smirk. 

“Rough night?” 

I grumbled in response. 

“I’m sorry about interrupting you and Lethia last night,” Jesse apologized while reaching for a cup in the far right cupboard. 

“It’s alright,” I set my cup on the counter next to me. 

It seemed as if there was something on the tip of his tongue so I urged him to ask his question with a nod. 

“Are you sure you aren’t moving fast with her?” Jesse was hesitant to ask. “You don’t know a lot about Lethia?” 

Even though I was growing tired of the same conversation with my friends, I took a deep breath to ease away the annoyance. I knew they were only coming from a place of love. 

“It’s hard to explain,” I rubbed a hand up and down my arm. “We feel this strong connection between us and no matter how hard I tried to stay away, it seemed as if something kept pulling us together.” 

Jesse nodded with a faint smile. “She seems like a great girl, Noah. We just don’t want you to fall too deep and end up getting hurt.” 

I reassured him with a pat on his shoulder just as Jolly, Michael, and Orie came bounding into the kitchen, all of them going about to start their typical morning routine. It was a rare Saturday that we all had off so earlier in the week we talked about going for a hike today. 

“Still on for today?” Orie wondered. 

“Yeah,” I answered. 

Jolly took a sip of his coffee. “Did you ask if Lethia wanted to come?” 

My lips parted to speak but there was this tingle at the back of my neck, making the hairs there stand to attention, and when I turned slightly, my heart shuddered in my chest. 

Lethia stood in the middle of the kitchen, rubbing a hand on her elbow. Her hair was a mess from a night of sleep and I could make out the faintest of a few purple marks across her neck. My cock twitched in my sweats when I remembered our kisses from last night. But that’s not what made my heart stop. It was what she was wearing. 

My blue and white star shorts and my Jesus playing basketball with the devil t-shirt. It drowned on her, barely covering the shorts. Not only were her arms covered in tattoos but so were both of her legs, the black designs standing out amongst the sunlight that brushed in through the patio door next to her. Lethia looked absolutely breathtaking. 

Like an angel. 

“Hilarious,” she pulled at the picture of the shirt. 

I smiled. “Did you sleep alright?” 

“You guys were going to ask me something?” 

She averted my question with one of her own and Orie spoke up. 

“We were going for a hike today. Would you like to join?” 

“A hike,” Lethia repeated the words slowly. 

Michael rolled his eyes. “You know, walking up a mountain. Fresh air. Scenery. Exercise.” 

Crimson eyes sliced into him. “I know what a hike is.” 

“Cool, so are you coming with or not?” He crossed his arms. 

“I’m touched you want me to tag along, Michael. I knew you secretly had feelings for me,” Lethia teased with a playful smirk. 

Peering over to Michael, I noticed a red tint covering his cheeks before he hid his face in the fridge, rummaging around for something. 

“So,” I began while closing the distance between Lethia and me. “Do you want to come with us?” 

She peered up at me through dark lashes. “You want to spend time with me?” 

“I think after last night that it’s pretty clear,” I said while taming her sleep-tousled hair. 

Lethia leaned into my touch, her eyes fluttering shut with a peaceful sigh. 

“Okay,” she agreed after a beat of silence. “Give me a few minutes to get dressed.” 

“Take all the time you need,” I said, trailing my fingers down the side of her neck. 

Lethia slipped away from me and trotted back upstairs to get ready and when I turned around, I ignored the looks from Michael, Orie, and Jolly. Instead, I walked into the living room while hearing Jesse fill them in on what happened last night. 

“You kissed her?” Michael asked as he followed me into the living room. 

Slipping my black jacket over my hoodie, I shrugged. “It sort of happened. We were in my room talking and I asked if I could.” 

He hesitated and I knew, like Jesse, he had some reservations. 

“Look, I appreciate you guys looking out for me, I do. But if I didn’t trust Lethia, she wouldn’t be here. So can we please make her feel welcome?” 

I directed the question towards Michael, who raised his hands. “I didn’t start it.” 

“I think the reason why you two seem to butt heads is because she doesn't take your shit,” Jolly chuckled while tying up his hair. 

Michael grumbled under his breath as Lethia came bounding down the steps, yet again taking my breath away. She was dressed in biker shorts, showcasing her long and toned legs, and a black fitted crop top. Her white tennis shoes stood out as she came to a stop when all eyes fell on her. 

“Do I have something stuck to me or something?” She asked, doing a full 360 turn, and I briefly saw a tattoo peaking on her shoulder through the straps of her shirt. 

Some kind of bird. A crow?

“No, you look great,” I smiled. “Ready?” 

“Shit, my jacket. Let me-.” 

Before she could run back upstairs, I handed her an extra sweater of mine I grabbed from the front closet. 

“Your leather jacket is looking a bit worn so here, you can have my sweater for the day,” I said. 

She hesitantly took it, fingering the material of my yellow sweater. “Thank you, Noah.” 

The drive to our usual hiking spot seemed to go by faster than normal as we all piled in Orie’s SUV; he and his dog, Harper, up front; something Michael gave him shit for when he tried to call shotgun. 

Jolly and Michael were in the middle. 

Me, Lethia, and Jesse were in the back seat. 

My knees were brushing with hers, heat spreading throughout my nerve endings and I suddenly wanted to feel all of her all over me. Memories of our kiss last night flashed in my mind when I found myself staring at her lips while she talked with Jesse. 

I remembered how they tasted; like every dark thought I’d ever had. There was something about her that kept calling to me, to a side that I forever repressed. I needed to know more about her and to know who she was running from so I could protect her from them. 

Once we all stumbled out of the car, Lethia bent low to Harper so the dog could sniff her fingers. With a faint smile, she scratched Harper being the ears, something the dog appreciated with a wag of her tail. 

“You’re a beautiful creature,” Lethia mused before rising to her feet. 

With Orie taking the lead, we all followed up the usual path, Lethia slowly trailing behind. I let her take her time alone, figured something was bothering her, but when we made it about halfway up the trail, I finally turned to face her. Her hand was moving in an orbit as she studied the long black nails; sharp as a blade. 

“Come on slowpoke!” I called out to her with a smile after pulling my hood up.

Her eyes barely lifted to mine, something still clouding her mind. 

“What’s going on?” I asked, coming to a stop. 

“Hm?” 

When Lethia finally looked up at me, it was a few seconds too late as she crashed into me, not realizing I stopped walking. My arms wrapped around her to keep us upright while her hands sprawled over my chest. I was still so nervous to have her this close to me that I knew she would be able to tell when she’d feel my heart beating rapidly in my chest. 

“What’s going on in here?” I asked again, tapping her forehead. 

She didn’t even flinch. 

“Nothing,” Lethia said. 

I knew she couldn’t see the look I was giving her through my sunglasses so instead, I squeezed her hips; once again not reacting to my touch. 

“I’m fine, Noah,” she reassured me with a gentle caress to my face. “We should move along before the others wonder where we drifted off to.” 

I glanced over my shoulder, noticing that Jolly was at the top of the hill about ten feet ahead of us; stopped and waiting. 

“The first one to Jolly wins,” I said. 

This made her raise a brow. “A race?” 

“Yeah,” I dropped my hands from her waist. “If I win, I get to sleep in my bed with you. The couch isn’t the best place to sleep on my back. If it makes you feel better, we can put a wall of pillows between us.”

“What do I get when I win?” Her hands replaced mine on her hips. 

I snorted. “Someone’s confident.” 

It was her turn to snort. “There’s no way you can beat me. Now, what do I get when I win?” 

“Whatever you want,” I shrugged. 

She tapped a finger to her lip as if she was really thinking about her decision. 

“If I win, I’d like for you to kiss me again.” 

My cock twitched in my joggers while my heart hammered loudly in my ears. 

“Lethia,” my voice dropped. “You don’t have to make a bet for me to kiss you again.” 

Cocking her head to the side, she stood taller to close the distance. I felt the warm breath fan over my bottom lip and I almost captured her tongue with mine when it darted out to wet her lips. 

Suddenly, her laughter erupted through the trees as she took off in a sprint toward Jolly. Chuckling under my breath, I whipped around to begin running after her, amazed at how fast she’d already closed the distance to Jolly. She was less than five feet from him as he watched the two of us with a smile. 

Suddenly, her steps faltered briefly, just enough for me to pass her in such haste that I didn’t see that she stopped running completely. When I reached Jolly, I tapped his shoulder before raising my hands. 

“I win!” 

Lethia slowly caught up to us with a smile painting the features of her face, not even working hard to catch her breath from the race. It was as if she wasn’t even winded. 

“You did, fair and square,” she agreed while tying half of her hair up into a bun. 

Jolly looked from me to Lethia, a knowing look on his face. “Really?” 

My shoulders fell when I saw the look the two of them shared. 

“Wait,” I pointed to her. “Did you let me win?” 

“No,” Lethia dragged out the word and shrugged. “Why would I do that?” 

When she slipped between Jolly and me, she patted my chest and winked. “You better not be a blanket hog, Noah.” 

I watched her walk up to Jesse, the two of them picking up the conversation they had in the car. 

“You know Lethia let you win, right?” 

Jolly’s voice made me snap my gaze over to him. “No, she didn’t.” 

Now it was me that gave that knowing look and I shifted on my feet. 

“Why would she let me win?” I asked. 

“She wanted you to share your bed with her,” Jolly said as if it was obvious. 

I stood there for a long moment after he left to catch up with everyone else, letting his words settle within me. Lethia let me win because she wanted to share my bed. A fire burned in my gut with that knowledge as excitement filled my veins with the thought of going to sleep tonight. 

When I reached the group, they all were standing on a cliff edge staring down at the city of Los Angeles. This was one of my favorite spots because you could see everything up here but hear nothing of the hustle and bustle of the city, only your thoughts. 

I took note of Lethia who was a few feet away from all of us, in her own little bubble, letting the wind blow through her hair and my sweater that was tied around her waist. Her eyes were closed, a look of peaceful bliss on her face almost as if she belonged in the breeze. Her arms were outstretched as she tilted her head back.  “Lethia.” 

One eye cracked open as she looked at me when I snapped a quick picture of her with a smile. 

“I’m glad you invited me with you guys,” she breathed while dropping her arms. 

“Yeah, you’ve been alright company,” Michael admitted with a grumble. 

She came over and ruffled his hair. “You’re not so bad yourself.” 

Hooking an arm around her back, I pulled her into my chest, breathing my question over her lips. “You let me win the race?” 

“Now why would I do that?” Lethia hummed, playing with the strings of my hoodie. 

“That would mean I secretly want to sleep in the same bed with you.” 

Something mischievous sparkled in her crimson eyes as I lowered my head to her, capturing her lips in a soft kiss. Her body relaxed in my embrace, lips molding against my own, while my hands roamed up her back. 

Pulling away, Lethia dragged a finger over my bottom lip. 

“Looks like we both won in the end,” she respired. 

“How sweet.” 

Lethia’s body went stiff in my embrace when she peered over my shoulder toward the unfamiliar voice. Following her gaze, my brows creased when I noticed a man standing a few feet away from our group, hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his dark Levis. The top two buttons of his white shirt were undone, showcasing a golden chain. For someone walking outside on a dirt-filled mountain, he looked clean; pristine. Not a single strand of his blonde hair was out of place on top of his head. 

“Uriel,” Lethia forced out through gritted teeth.

“Do you know him?” I asked when I looked back at her.

“Unfortunately,” her jaw ticked, never removing her eyes from the stranger. “He’s an old friend. Give me a few minutes?” 

I swallowed the jealousy burning deep in my gut at the way she said old friend but nodded, letting her slip from my embrace. With the guys flanking in a line a few feet behind her, we watched with careful eyes as she moved out of earshot from us. 

LETHIA  

“How did you find me?” I questioned, the soles of my shoes scraping along the rocks beneath my feet. 

Uriel smiled with his lips but not his eyes. “I must admit, your scent was a bit harder to find now that you mingle among these mortals.” 

“What do you want, Uriel?” My hands shook at my side so I rolled them into fists. 

Bright gold eyes flicked over my shoulder towards the guys before they fell on me. 

“I come with a message from the King.” 

I swallowed thickly, nearly faltering my stone face at the mention of the King, but remained calm. 

“I’m surprised he let you leave his side; you were always the one to be up his ass any chance you could get.” 

Uriel’s eyes sliced into me. “The vulgarity of your speech, Lethia. A few weeks here and you’ve changed; in more ways than one.” 

“What’s this message?” I asked with a sigh, ready to end this surprise meeting. 

“The King is welcoming you back into the Kingdom.” 

My heart stopped in my chest as my jaw dropped. I couldn’t ignore the way relief flooded me for the briefest of moments. 

A way back home? I was allowed to go back home. 

“That seems too good to be true. How can I believe your word?” I asked while crossing my arms over my chest. 

Uriel held out his hands. “I am an archangel, Lethia. We’re known for our word.” 

“When the fuck has your word ever been good enough? I sneered, countless memories of how wrong his word had been in the Kingdom. 

“Do you want to be granted a way back or not?” Uriel clicked his tongue against his teeth. 

“Surely the King has a catch,” I reminded him. “He always did.” 

Uriel pointed to Noah. “Erase that mortal’s memory of you, renounce him and everything you’ve done together. Never look his way again and you have your way back home.” 

My heart fell to the depths of my stomach at this demand. Even though there was a tiny sliver of hope of being granted access back into my home, there was no way I could erase Noah’s memory of me. These feelings we shared were still unknown to me but that didn’t mean I didn’t understand that we were important to each other; the feelings were real. 

“I’m not interested,” I spat while spinning on my heels, ready to walk back over to Noah. 

“He will allow you time to think about it, but not for long,” Uriel spoke. “I suggest you accept because the stench of humans is beginning to rub off on you; especially that mortal.”

Both of us glanced over at Noah who was watching us intently while talking with Jesse. They were still a good distance from us so I knew none of them could hear mine and Uriel's conversation. 

“Hm, he fancies you, Lethia. Tell me, how often do you walk in his dream? Quite often I suppose since he has those vulgar thoughts of you,” Uriel breathed against the back of my neck, fingers grazing over mine. 

My head snapped up to Uriel, creating distance between us by snatching my hand away from him. It was clear that I still was able to feel the touch of fellow angels, just not mortals.  

“You don’t know anything! He’s a good man offering me a place to stay away from Maraxa and Lucifer,” I seethed. 

His eyes darkened, almost as black as my wings. “You must not heed to their demands. If you even think about joining Lucifer's army, any chance of you getting back into the Kingdom will be long forgotten. The King is only allowing you one chance. Erase that mortal mind or stay on this putrid planet and walk among these disgusting creatures.” 

“Trust me, I have zero intention of joining Lucifer. It’s because of him I fell into what I am now. But the thought of joining a Kingdom that banished me also isn’t quite appealing,” I scoffed and walked a few steps away from him when his next words gave me great pause. 

“What if I sweeten the deal?” 

Turning slowly on my feet, I held out a hand. “I doubt it but go ahead.” 

Uriel pursed his lips before running a hand through his already perfect long, golden hair. “It is known that Lucifer is looking to revolt and he’s trying to find other fallen to join his army; for example, you.” 

I shook my head. “I already told you, I have no interest in joining him.” 

“The King can be quite lax with this upcoming war. He thinks he has enough soldiers for it but if I’m being frank, without Oblivion, we have no chance.” 

Every part of my body chilled to the bone as all the breath was snatched from my lungs at hearing that name; I hadn’t heard it in so long. 

“I’m not that person anymore,” I stated. “I haven’t been for a very long time.” 

“If you come back to the Kingdom, you can bring him with you. But still would need to erase his memories of you.” Uriel nodded behind me. 

To Noah. 

“What?” I stood tall. “How would that work? He’s mortal, he wouldn’t survive in the Kingdom. Not to mention, the King would never allow it.” 

That’s when something sparkled in Uriel’s eyes. 

“You two will dethrone the King.” 

I laughed out loud at his words. “Dethrone the King? Show up to the pearly gates so we can spit in his face?” 

“Think about it,” Uriel stepped closer to me, running a hand through my short locks. 

“If you accept to dethrone the King, lead the army in victory against Lucifer, you can bring the mortal with you and rule the Kingdom. However, he would have to be a mere peasant there. He cannot remember who you are. Think of him as a mere pawn for you to play with.” 

I stood frozen under his touch as he twirled a strand of hair around his finger. “I’ll even return you to your old physical state. Which you should be thankful for because this one doesn’t suit you.” 

The promise of not only going back home in my old form but being able to bring Noah with me made something inside of me light with the life I’d been searching for since I fell. But it wouldn’t be easy to bring a mortal into the Kingdom; there was only one way to enter. 

Being an eternal being. 

“I’ll think about it,” I muttered under my breath. 

Uriel smiled as he removed his hand from my hair. “I suggest you do because the longer you try to hide your true form, well I don’t need to remind you of what will happen.” 

No, he didn’t. 

My wings will deteriorate. My powers will weaken. Slowly over time, I will lose myself in my mind. 

With a scowl, I turned my back to him and finally sauntered back over towards Noah, who met me halfway, quick to pull me into his embrace. 

“Everything alright?” He brushed away some stray hairs from my face. 

“I need to get far away from that man,” I begged, parts of me that I didn’t want to remember coming back with force. 

“Did he hurt you?” Noah’s hands were on both sides of my face, almost mute against my skin. “Are you alright?

“Please,” I grasped at his arms, digging into the material of his jacket. “Can we leave? Seeing him brought up far too many memories I’d like to forget”. 

Noah nodded while wrapping an arm around my shoulder to begin leading me back down the hill, Uriel’s voice calling after us. 

“I’ll be seeing you soon, Lethia!”

JOLLY

“This place is called what?” 

Noah chuckled at Lethia’s upturned head at him with furrowed brows. “In-N-Out. They’ve got great burgers here.” 

“Burgers?” She said slowly. 

I watched as Noah explained the menu to her, what’s good and what to stay away from. Revealing that she wasn’t particular to any kind of food, he took it upon himself to order her a cheeseburger, fries, and a large chocolate milkshake. 

“Oh, that milkshake sounds delicious,” Lethia mused with a bright smile.

There was a faint smile on my face as I continued to watch the two of them, Noah sliding his hand on the lower back of Lethia as they waited for their food. She had slipped on his sweater on the way down from the mountain, the sudden change in the wind causing all of us to feel a frigid chill.

After Lethia spoke to that old friend of hers, something shifted with her. Noah could tell instantly because he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, not wanting to let her more than a few inches out of her sight. 

“Something doesn’t feel right about this guy,” Noah muttered to me as we watched Lethia and her friend converse. 

I held him back with a grip on his elbow when he nearly stomped over there seeing Uriel run his hands through Lethia’s hair. 

“Jolly,” he warned through gritted teeth. 

“Just give her some time alone, like she asked. If she’s uncomfortable, she’ll let you know,” I said. 

I could practically see all the worry leave Lethia’s body when Noah’s arms wrapped around her not even a minute later. 

I couldn’t explain it, and frankly, I don’t think Noah could explain either how Lethia entranced him since he found her in our driveway all those weeks ago. He claimed there was this undeniable pull between them and almost as if it was fate that they kept running into each other.

There’d been this light in Noah’s eyes every time he looked at Lethia, shining brighter now knowing and witnessing they kissed. He’d become transfixed ever since that first meeting even when she had her hand wrapped around his throat. We all should have been terrified of the strength she possessed when she tackled Folio to the floor or with how tight her grip was around Noah. But if he didn’t feel harm when he was around her, the least we could do was trust her. 

“What do you think?” Noah asked. 

She nodded with a mouth full of food then once she swallowed, Lethia took a large gulp of her milkshake. “Delicious.” 

While I ate my food, I continued to carefully watch them as the others around me had their own conversations. I didn’t miss the way when Noah muttered something in her ear, Lethia’s cheeks turned a deep crimson, like her eyes. 

She had her milkshake halfway to her lips when her body stilled, a painful grimace crossing her features. Those eyes scanned the entirety of the restaurant, almost looking for someone. 

“Are you alright?” Jesse questioned. 

“Uh,” Lethia winced, nearly doubling over in pain when she grasped at the ends of the table. 

A small gust of wind bristled by our table, tickling the back of my neck, and as I rubbed there Lethia quickly rushed to her feet. 

“I need a moment,” she grumbled before rushing out of the restaurant. 

Noah wanted to go after her but decided against it, knowing she needed time to herself. 

“Anyone else think she does that a lot?” Michael questioned. 

Noah sighed while running a hand through the long strands of his hair. “Lethia has a lot going on right now. She needs help.” 

“What do you mean?” I asked while tossing my garbage on the tray in front of me. 

There was slight hesitation from Noah for a long moment until he eventually divulged to us that he believes Lethia is running from an ex who wanted her back, even though he kicked her out of their house. 

“Oh, right. Lucifer,” Michael snorted. “Are we sure she doesn’t have this obsession with the occult or some shit? The only Lucifer I’d heard of is the supposed devil. 

Orie smacked him upside the head. “Dude, Lethia is not dating the devil.” 

“She’s not dating anyone,” Noah’s eyes sliced over to him but they softened when he realized his words. “Lethia’s not dating anyone.” 

“Then what do you call what’s going on between the two of you?” Jesse wondered. 

“I don’t know,” Noah shrugged. “I like her but I don’t want to rush her into anything she doesn’t want.” 

“From what I’ve seen, you’re not. Whatever you’re giving her, she’s reciprocating it back. Lethia feels the same, Noah. You don’t have to worry about that,” I assured him. 

All he did was nod as he kept his gaze on the door of the restaurant where Lethia stormed through minutes before. 

LETHIA

“Come to me, Lethia. My queen. I need you by my side to rule.” 

I clawed at my ears, digging out Lucifer's voice, and continued to run into the woods behind the restaurant. My body ached with the pain of my wings nearly forcing their way out of my back. It’s been a few days since I let them out and it was beginning to crush me. 

“I miss you, Lethia. I need you again.” 

“Stop!” I cried while falling to my knees in the leaves and dirt, hands covering my ears. 

“I’ll never stop until I have you in my presence. You are mine, Lethia. Not his.” 

All but ripping Noah’s sweater off of me, I tossed it to the side just as I let out a sheer groan of agony mixed with ecstasy when my large wings exploded from my back. The force of them caused the branches of the trees around me to falter, some falling to the ground around me like drops of rain. 

My jaw was slack as I peered up to the gloomy grays of the sky, an upcoming storm about to ravage through the city. All the pain I felt inside the restaurant was long forgotten, replaced with the intoxication of my angelic being. My powers began to slowly fester low inside of me and with an open palm, I watched the bright light slowly begin to grow into a baseball-sized orb then with a flick of my wrist, I sent it to a tree far off into the distance, incinerating it completely. 

My body vibrated with all of my senses. I could hear the chatter of people miles away, feeling the slight creep of chills against the skin of my back when my name came out from the chatter. 

“Lethia.” 

Before, it was Lucifer speaking in my mind. But now, that voice that uttered my name was the same that spoke when he was kissing me last night. 

My left wing came around to the front of me, blocking me from anyone who dared to venture into the woods and a broken sob fell from my chattering lips. They were deteriorating at such a rapid pace. While they were still large, dark, and caused fear to any mortal who saw them, my wings were a pathetic excuse to any other angel. A few feathers drifted into the wind, the weakness from hiding who I was taunting me. 

“There she is. I knew you couldn’t hide who you were. The darkness lies inside of you, begging to awaken.” 

I sucked in a gulp of air when Maraxa’s voice crept into my mind now; the cold and monotone bringing a chill to my bones. 

My eyes rolled to the back of my head when a vision slammed into me. 

Noah and the guys sitting in the booth of the restaurant, smiling and laughing with a group of girls that sauntered up to the table. One of the girls was standing a bit too close to Noah, as he signed something for her. When he handed it back, their fingers grazed over the girl’s. His almond eyes snapped from her hand to her face, gazing at all of her features.

“No!” I screamed while rising to my feet. “Stop. I know what you’re doing!” 

“Oh, sweet Oblivion. I’m doing nothing that your mind is already thinking.” 

The way Maraxa uttered my other name made me whirl around, thinking she was here with me. 

“I’m not Oblivion anymore. I haven’t been for a very long time,” I spat, eyes scanning my surroundings. 

“You should see yourself. Looking like a mad angel who lost her mind.” 

Uriel’s warnings were right. My wings were deteriorating and now, I was losing myself in my mind. Were these voices even in my head? Or had I been imagining them since my fall? 

“Lethia?!” 

My head snapped up to just outside the clearing of the woods, Noah’s faint outline slowly closing the distance. 

“Oh, you’re thinking of letting him see you in your true form. Surely, he will think you’re even more of a freak than how you look. He wouldn’t understand.” 

Meraxa. 

The voices wouldn’t stop, no matter how hard I smacked my ears to drown them out. 

“This mortal will never understand you. You’re mine, Lethia. Mine and no one else's. I will have you in my arms once again.” 

Lucifer. 

“Stop,” I cried while falling to my knees again, my wings wrapping around me in a protective barrier. 

“Dethrone the King and all of his kingdom will be yours.” 

Uriel. 

“Lethia? Are you okay?” 

Noah. 

Snapping my eyes open, they landed on Noah who was now a few feet away from me. With a roll of my shoulders, I stood to my feet, appearing just as I had moments before leaving his presence. 

NOAH

“Lethia, are you alright?” I questioned as she appeared through the clearing of the woods. 

I felt Lethia brush past me as she walked back toward the car, not uttering a word at me. My heart sank slightly but I did my best not to dwell on it because of our moments together in my bedroom and the bathroom last night. The unbridled passion between us was burning over into undeniable attraction. 

With a sigh, I tied my hair into a low bun, ready to go back home after this long day, but a flutter of movement at my feet caught my attention. It was a lone black feather, just like the one I'd found that first night Lethia appeared in my life. 

Bending at the knees, I reached for the feather, and then with a gasp of breath, I felt my vision being yanked away from me at the edges, darkness encompassing every part of me. I felt my soul being dragged away into another dimension, tumbling into a brighter vision of pure peace and eternal life. 

A woman with white golden hair stood in front of me, even brighter wings protruding from her back, as she held onto less fragile wings from the man who kneeled at her feet. 

"Oblivion," he cried. "Don't fall into the true meaning of your name, please." 

The woman; no angel cocked her head to the side with a slight wicked smile. 

"The King bestowed this name to me for a reason," was all she said before the man's cries of death and pain erupted but were overshadowed by the sounds of his wings being ripped from his back. 

With a gasp of breath, I was dragged back into the present, nearly stumbling onto my ass. Looking around my surroundings, I noticed I was back in Los Angeles, Jolly and Jesse slowly walking towards me. 

"You alright?" Jolly wondered. 

Ignoring him, I twirled the feather in my fingers and locked eyes with Lethia, who gave nothing away from her face except the slight flicker of light in her red eyes.

This vision didn’t feel like it was one of my own memories. It was as if I was dragged into someone else subconscious as I watched from the outside looking in. Something about watching the angel get his wings ripped away from him felt wrong, especially with the wicked smirk the female angel had on her face when she did it. 

I couldn’t ignore the way my mind vibrated with the familiarity of her. I knew who she was but she didn’t look familiar. Her presence was the only familiar thing about her and with a flick of my gaze to Lethia, there was a small part of me that knew who it was. 

With a sigh, I carefully pocketed the feather in my coat pocket and nodded over to Jesse who asked if I was ready to head back to the house. When I climbed into the car, I noticed that Michael and Jolly sat in the back with Lethia, so I retreated into the front seat of the car, while Jesse lounged in the middle with Harper. 

“Everything alright?” Orie asked as he pulled the car out onto the main road. 

Glancing over my shoulder, I watched Lethia for a few beats as she stared straight out of her window, not bothering to meet my gaze. I knew she could feel it burning into her but whatever happened to her outside in those woods rendered her speechless. 

“I don’t know,” I answered truthfully before turning back to face forward with a sigh. 

As soon as we arrived back at the house, Lethia nearly jumped out of the car to run inside once Jolly opened the door for her. She locked herself away in my bedroom for the rest of the afternoon well into the evening. Part of me wanted to check on her if she was alright but it was clear she wanted to be left alone. If she needed me, she would let me know. 

Would she? 

With a shake of my head at the thought, I bid a goodnight to Jesse and Michael as we watched a movie together in the living room and slowly retreated up the steps to my room. The door opened a crack but before I pushed my way through, I noticed Lethia standing in the middle of my room in front of my mirror. She was only wearing a pair of black panties and a matching bra. I knew I should have averted my gaze to anything else but I was mesmerized by her. 

Lethia showed me her back, hands slinking up her spine towards the hook of her bra, the material falling to the floor at her feet. My breath caught in my throat when I noticed the large crow tattoo on her right shoulder blade. But it wasn’t just the sight of it that gave me great pause; it was the large upside-down V scar on her back. It wasn’t an old scar. It looked new; fresh. 

“What the?” I muttered, slowly pushing away from the door to stand in the middle of the landing above the stairs. 

With a glance over the landing, I noticed that Jesse and Michael were still sitting on the couch, and knowing Jolly and Orie retreated to bed earlier, the computer in the studio was free. As I came back downstairs to head into the studio that was off the den, Jesse raised a brow at me. 

“I thought you went to bed?” 

I motioned to the room in front of me. “Late-night inspiration.” 

Shutting the door behind me, I dropped down into the chair in front of the computer with my fingers hovering over the keyboard. My mind was full of different words, I wasn’t sure where to start. 

Black feathers. 

Vivid dreams. 

Crows in dreams. 

Upside-down V scars on a person's back. 

Angels. 

Fallen Angels. 

The last one made me freeze ever so still, a memory of my own past creeping into the front recesses of my mind. 

“Noah, dear! Come on. It’s time for your bedtime story!” 

Eight-year-old me ran down the long hallway of my grandparent's house into my bedroom there and hopped into my bed, where my grandma sat on the edge with a fond smile. 

“Lord of the Rings?” I asked while climbing under the blankets. 

She chuckled while tucking me in. “Now, what did I say about those books? Aren’t you a little too young for them?” 

I rolled my eyes. “Ok grandma, what’s the story tonight?” 

“Fallen angels.” 

“Like from heaven?” I asked with furrowed brows. 

“Now I won't bore you with all the details but there’s something special about them,” my grandma began while patting my thigh over the blanket. “When an angel falls from heaven, people think they’re automatically stripped of all their powers but sometimes that's not the case.” 

She continued. “There’s this story of a great angel that fell, her feathers scattered all over the world. Whenever a human touched them, they would be sucked into memories of the angel.” 

I gave my grandma a “you can’t be serious” look but she only cupped my cheek in response.  

“No one believed that angels walked among us until someone saw the scars on the back of one.” 

“Scars?” I said, sitting up straighter in bed. 

“Large ones on their back. In an upside-down V.” 

I choked on a breath nearly falling out of the computer chair but gripped the handrests to keep myself steady. When I was eight years old, I figured my grandma was blowing smoke out of her ass, telling another one of her many stories. But now, everything seemed to have a bit of truth. 

Biting my bottom lip, I clicked on Google and quickly typed the words into the search bar before I doubted myself a second longer. 

Fallen Angel.

I clicked on the first website. 

“Fallen Angels are angels who have been exiled or banished from Heaven. Often such banishment is a punishment for disobeying or rebelling against their King,” I read the words out loud. 

I scrolled down the page a bit farther, still muttering the words out loud as I read them. 

“If a fallen angel is impaled or struck in the scars created when his or her wings were ripped out usually spanning from shoulder blades to kidney area, he or she will be temporarily immobilized. Some angels still have scars even if they haven’t lost their wings. It’s easier for the skin to peel away for the wings to slip from.” 

I shivered at the phantom feeling but then froze when I read the next section. 

“A fallen angel is unable to feel physical pain or sensations.” 

Scrolling down a bit farther, it was then that I realized how right I’d been about this feeling festering within me; almost begging to be let out. 

“A fallen angel's feather holds a lot of power. It holds the memories of the angel and whoever touches them can find themselves in those memories. A fallen angel's biggest weakness is one of their feathers. If a feather is burned, the original owner of the feather will be chained in Hell for eternity. Otherwise, fallen angels are nearly as indestructible as Angels and Archangels.” 

I fell back into the chair and rubbed a hand over my mouth, letting everything I read process in my mind. Everything correlated to what I’ve noticed with Lethia especially the part of her not being able to feel anything. 

There’d been a few times when it seemed like my touch meant nothing to her. But when we kissed, it seemed as if she could feel that. 

The feathers. 

Even though I tried to deny what I’d seen when I picked up the feather today, I knew that it was true what I’d seen. 

But how come I hadn’t seen anything when I picked up the first feather? 

Hunching back over towards the computer screen, I read more into the section about fallen angel feathers. 

“The more fallen angel feathers you touch, the stronger your connection to their memories is.” 

With a purse of my lips, I rummaged around the desk looking for my lyric book where I had stashed the first feather, using it as a bookmark. The other feather was still in my pocket, weighing heavily with the fear of what I would see next. My heart was pounding so loud I could hear it in my ears and feel it in my throat. It was suffocating, this feeling clawing its way inside of me, threatening to pull me under. 

Did I want to do this? 

Was I ready for what I could potentially see? 

Granted, I had to take everything I read online with a grain of salt because it could have been a bunch of made-up bullshit. But with it correlating to not only my grandma’s story but things I’ve noticed about Lethia, there had to be some truth to it all. 

“Fuck it,” I muttered while grabbing the feather in my lyric notebook at the same time I grabbed the one in my pocket. 

Darkness lingered at the corners of not only my vision but my mind as well. It dragged me under with no warning to the dark depths of what I could only assume was Lethia’s mind. 

My body landed with a thud to the cool wetness of the grass below me and quickly scrambling to my knees, I took in the vast empty field that went on for miles. Brightly colored trees lined the edge of the field and it was so quiet here that I could hear my blood running through my veins. 

“My love. I've been waiting for you.” 

Whirling around on my heels, I took in the sight of a tall man with skinny but large white wings extended from his back. His black hair was a mess of curls in front of his eyes and the dark levis hung low on his hips. The sheer brightness of his green eyes was almost eerie and I felt as if he could see straight into my soul. 

But he didn’t. It was as if he didn’t see me when he walked past me, over towards a lone figure lying in the grass a few meters away from me. 

Long golden, almost white, strands of hair fell around her shoulders as she sat up, bright eyes staring back at the man who was slowly closing the distance. I swallowed thickly when I recognized that face. 

It wasn’t the way I knew her but it was still her. 

Lethia. 

“Lucifer. You know you’re not supposed to be here,” she quickly rose to her feet, taking a step back from him. 

He stood in front of her shirtless, the defining muscles of his chest and stomach tightening as he stuffed his hands deep into his pockets. 

So her ex actually was Lucifer. 

What the fuck did you just step into, Noah?

“I snuck away from the King for a moment. I needed to see you,” Lucifer tried to reach for her. 

Lethia smacked his hands away before running a shaking one of hers through her long hair. I then noticed she also had her wings exposed; large and as white as her hair. 

“We cannot be seen together! If the King finds out we’ve been together, he will banish us; or worse.” 

Lucifer chuckled darkly then pulled Lethia into his arms; her going willingly. 

I gritted my teeth at the jealousy that coursed through me, trying to tell myself that it was a very long time ago and it didn’t mean anything; not anymore. 

“My sweet Oblivion. The King wouldn’t banish his number one soldier. If he lost you, who would tear out the wings of the ones who went against him?” 

My blood ran cold at Lucifer's words. I knew that the first memory I saw had something to do with Lethia but I never put two and two together. She was the one who ripped out the angel's wings.

“I did horrible things back home and how could I ever be allowed back?

Her words from the last night made more sense now than they did when she first uttered them. 

“I cannot,” Lethia tried to fight against his grasp but ultimately gave in. 

“One more night. After tonight, I’ll let you be,” Lucifer’s fingers linked behind her neck, tilting her lips up towards him. 

“We both know we cannot stay away from each other,” she uttered before pulling him down to the grass with him. 

My eyes snapped open with a gulp of air and I gazed around the room of my studio, making sure that I was still alone. It took me some time to get my breath back to normal and my heart back to a steady pace. 

I slammed both of the feathers in my lyric book and hid it in the far back of the closet in the room, hoping no one else would find it. Those feathers held too much power and if I lost them, the looming fear of what could happen taunted me. 

“If an angel's feather is burned, they become changed to Hell for all eternity,” I reiterated the words I read earlier. 

Whether or not that part was true, I couldn’t risk it. 

Letting out a long breath, I shut down the computer and slowly slipped out of the studio, going upstairs to my bedroom unnoticed by Jesse and Michael who were still watching the movie. This time when I stopped in front of my room, I noticed the door was shut so I was quiet as I stepped inside, finding a sleeping Lethia cuddled under the mounds of blankets on my bed. 

I stood there for a long moment, staring at her back as it faced me, wondering what the scars looked like again underneath her shirt. 

My shirt. 

I had offered her to wear anything of mine and it seemed like she took me up on that offer. 

It was clear who she was running from. Lucifer. He wanted her back for reasons unknown to me but it was clear she didn’t want to go with him. 

I moved around my room quietly to change into a pair of sweats, opting not to sleep in a shirt only because it got extremely hot in my room during these summer nights, even with the air conditioner on. 

Softly, I got into bed behind Lethia as the faint breaths coming from her filled the air. For the first while, I laid on my back and stared up at my ceiling but when I noticed she didn’t move away, I turned to my side but still kept space between us. The heat from her body radiated around me, pulling me into her aura and I found myself never wanting to leave. 

Even though I knew what she was now, I wouldn’t tell Lethia I knew. This was something she needed to tell me when she was ready. 

Instead, I wrapped my arm around her midsection and pulled her into my chest. Although she might not be able to feel my touch, that didn’t stop me from running my nose along the crook of her neck, breathing in the scent of her. She must have showered because she smelled of peaches and a hint of something familiar. 

Me. 

I faintly smelled my shampoo in her skin and I hummed in pleasure. 

“What happened to the wall of pillows?” Lethia’s tired voice broke through the silence. 

I knew she was teasing when I heard her smile with her words. 

“This is much better than a wall of pillows,” I mused while I caressed her neck with my lips.

Lethia relaxed in my arms as she gave herself over to me and linked my fingers that rested on her stomach with hers and I wrapped my leg over hers, locking her in place. 

“Goodnight, Noah,” she murmured into the pillow. 

“Sweet dreams, Lethia,” I pressed a kiss to her head, finally letting the long day falter away with the darkness that swallowed us whole. 

[flashbackshutters]

#Vacation reads (10th grade)

I got pretty bored sitting at home. Considering some of the books in my e-reader which could most probably be my old all time favorites. Note: I am also a little bit into fantasy.

1. BECCA MCKENZIE SERIES by Emma Doherty

Going for high school drama. I kinda love this book It may be the best book I have read. The only annoying thing in it is that the main protagonist being stupidly oblivious of the signals given by the male protagonist. After reading the first part I was dying to read the second part of Becca Mckenzie#1 that is four years later. I loved both the books soo much.

2. THE PLANET URTH SERIES by Jennifer Martucci and Cristopher Martucci

It's a sci fi series. The book is a mix of adventure, experiment-gone-wrong and a bit of romance . Some of the expression laid by the authors just touched my heart. The strong sibling bond between the main character and her sister is just....awesome. I like how great Avery can take hold of situations and how brave her sister is.

3. GLITTER AND SPARKLE( The glitter and sparkle series book 1) by Shari L. Tapscott

It's kinda a good book.  The girl hates the boy. the boy hates the girl (well during childhood days) then eventually then fall in love with each other. It's a bit irritating about the girl's obsession with glitter and all. Glitters are soo itchy. It's a bit boring at times, but anyhow the book is interesting to read. I am currently reading the second book so I don't know much about it.

4.CINDER AND ELLA by Kelly Oram

It's a really great book. It's actually the remake of Cinderella, a modern- day- Cinderella story. It's really thrilling from beginning to end. About overcoming difficulties and all. it's about how Ella gets together with Brian Oliver, a famous actor. the most comical part is how they see each other face-to-face for the first time.

5.PROPHECY (Calypso#1) by Julie Anne Lindsey

This book is mainly based on Norse mythology. It's a fantasy book. About Callie Ingram Discovering who she really is. it's kind of a good book, of course not soo boring. Just like Percy Jackson, it has Vikings which is basically Demigods.

Well these books kept me survive the boring days of my 9th grade vacation.😍😀

[hedaswarrior]

∞ make life better // seek higher things // powering a better tomorrow ∞

It’s all connected. My brain has been buzzing ever since season 3 and realizing that the “The 100 logo”, all along, has been an infinity symbol and this symbol is SO important to the show. I keep on getting more and more invested, interested, and mind-blown when thinking about all the connections to each storyline. The Grounders, Nightbloods, Commanders, the Flame, the Ark, ALIE, hythylodium, and Eligius are all connected. What is the connection? Becca. She is Polaris. She is the northernmost point at which everything revolves around. Under everything….’The 100′  is about Becca’s legacy.

We all should be stanning and be giving Becca more praising and love. She is an absolute genius! She created incredibly advanced technology and not to mention owned a space station all at the age of 27! Legit. Owned. However, I don’t think that is the only company she ‘owned/founded’ or was highly involved in... I think Becca owned/founded or was highly involved in the Eligius Mining Company beyond just supplying nightblood and tech.

The Eligius Corporation’s mission was to mine and find energy sources to: power a better tomorrow.  Part of that, powering a better tomorrow, is finding and mining hythylodium -- an incredibly efficient energy source that allowed for long distance space travel. However, with most powerful energy sources, it emits extremely high levels of radiation which is why the miners were getting sick. What also emits mass amounts of radiation and is deadly?? The Flame. It emits so much radiation that in order to be implanted with it, the person must have a blood alteration -- nightblood -- that allows the person to withstand and metabolize incredibly high levels of radiation. Therefore, this leads me to believe that the Flame’s power source is from hythylodium, which ties the seasons and storylines all together even more.

One of the biggest revelations in the show was the connection of the Ark’s history with that of the Grounders. Nightblood, Commanders, the Flame, even the naming of Polis all originated from Becca. To recap: In season 1, we found out that there was a 13 station that was shot out of the sky and made an example of to unite the Ark. That 13th station we found out in season 3 was called Polaris. This station, Polaris, was owned by Becca and was the space hub for her AI company (also I’m pretty sure is also called ‘Polaris’). She used this station to also make nightblood for the Eligius corporation -- due to needing a zero-g environment to make the serum. In addition, she was working on a second version of her Artificial Intelligence that she called “ALIE”. The first version’s code suffered from perverse instantiation.  Perverse instantiation: the implementation of a benign, final goal through deleterious methods unforeseen by a human programmer. ALIE’s core command was to make life better. Her solution to the world’s issues of pollution, starvation, etc. was to kill 6.5 billion people instead of finding humane alternatives. Unfortunately, ALIE 1 got out and released nuclear bombs that killed off the majority of the human race. Two years after ALIE detonated all of the bombs, Becca came down to Earth in a pod as Polaris was shot out of the sky. However, before her descent to Earth, she injected herself with nightblood and implanted ALIE 2 (aka: The Flame), with plans to save humanity and atone for what her creation did. 

Between the time Becca landed, it was 95 years had passed before the hundred were sent to the ground, in that time the grounders had created a culture and religion that revolved around all of Becca’s creations unbeknownst to them. One of those things was the naming of their capital -- Polis. The name comes from Becca’s pod that had the ‘a&r’ burned off during her reentry to earth, which is in the Temple as a shrine to Bekka Pramheda. However, the biggest contribution to grounder culture/religion due from Becca is The Flame and subsequently Commanders. 

Much like how the cross is the sacred religious symbol of Christians, the infinity symbol is that of grounders. Side note: which makes the church imagery and the crosses on the back of McCreary and other inmates an interesting parallel. The infinity symbol comes from Becca’s AI Company logo. The symbol can be found on The Flame, ALIE’s tech, Becca’s pod, the parachute to Becca's pod, etc. This symbol became a sacred symbol to the grounders as the Flame became part of their religion and leadership succession of Commanders. In order to become a Commander, a person must be a nightblood, win the conclave, and be implanted with the Flame through an ascension ceremony. Ascension: the act of rising to an important position or a higher level. The Flame, in order to be implanted, is activated with the phrase ascende superius; latin for ‘’seek higher things’’. As you know, or could have guessed, it has something do do with Becca’s AI company... “Seek higher things” is Becca’s AI company slogan.

As mentioned, Polaris was the name of the space station (and company) that Becca owned that orbited the earth. Polaris is latin for “the north star”.... Becca has a thing for latin, apparently. The Eligius Corporation’s slogan, power a better tomorrow, in connection with Becca’s AI program’s mission to make life better isn’t the only thing that connects these two corporations. Eligius’s own logo has the symbol of the north star in it.  Now, it would be likely that a space company would choose some sort of astrological symbol for its logo; however, that isn’t the only logo seen on an Eligius vessel. This infinity logo can be seen on the underside of the Eligius 4 transport ship -- this means,  Becca’s tech company has something to do with it. It was previously mentioned that Becca first developed nightblood for the Eligius Mining Company; but, her role seems to extend beyond just that. Therefore, taking into account the transport ship having the infinity logo on it….I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Eligius Corporation logo and Polaris station both involve “the north star”. Now, it is mentioned that Becca’s tech company designed most of the tech that made up the Ark stations as well. It’s possible that she was only a contractor Eligius, but Becca being as brilliant as she was, I think she had a larger role in Eligius than just “tech support” in making ships and nightblood. 

In conclusion, Becca’s life work was to help humanity. The ALIE program’s core command was to “make life better” and the Eligius Corporation was finding the power sources to fuel that better tomorrow. The goal was to seek a higher way of living. The show is called “The 100” because of the hundred being sent to the ground and the fight for survival for survival. However, underneath it all, the core of the show’s plot, revolves around Becca and the things she has created and done. ∞ 

[duckybarnes1917]

🎉 Natbarnes1917's 2021 Fic Rec List! 🎉

This year has been--a lot. But the one thing that got me through it was writing. I have found a new passion, new friends, and an excellent coping mechanism. Now I want to take a moment to celebrate just a few of the amazing MCU fanfic writers that I have come to love this year. Your fics have inspired, distracted, and amused.

Please do yourself a favor and read these amazing stories--if you do be sure to leave a comment or reblog to let the author know you liked it!

*All fics are 18+ only. Minors DNI*

Happy New Year!!

Pleasures Remain, So Does The Pain by @cherryblossomtease

Summary: Helmut Zemo was only supposed to be your weekend escape, but your heart just can’t play by the rules especially When Zemo’s past inevitably catches up with you both in the shape of James Bucky Barnes. Instead of running, your worlds collide and you find love in the arms of not one, but two very, different men. A story of submission, dominance, discovery and love.

The Legend from a Golden Castle by @fivepointedstar

Summary: In mythology, Loki often turned into a woman and was described as a shapeshifter and is the most complicated character of the Norse gods. Often left to deal with the mess the other gods caused. In this story Loki tries a different approach of life after what happened at the end of Thor the dark world. Steve tries to build a new life for himself in the future. Our Super Soldier is in for some changes. Thor takes the role as the big brother; he always should have been.

The Empress (part 1 & 2) by @rosemaremembrance

Summary: So You’re Babysitting Your Ex’s Pet Villain: How to Demoralize Yourself in 8 Easy Steps

Don't Talk With Your Mouth Full @becca-e-barnes

Summary: You rile Bucky up during a briefing and after everyone leaves, you make it up to him in the conference room, whether Steve is there or not

2:22 AM by @sweetdreamsbuck

Summary: Bucky comes over to your apartment for the first time since letting you into his guarded heart.

A Little Help by @captainsimagines

Summary: Bucky’s been having difficulties in a certain… department. He’s at a loss, completely ready to give up until he starts theorizing. If you have the ability to heal people, maybe you can help him out. Maybe you’ll be able to fix him.

Almost Had Me Believing It by @tuiccim

Summary: An undercover operation playing Bucky Barnes’ wife is a dream come true. Playing house in the suburbs while trying to take down a drug ring brings you and Bucky closer but a nosy neighbor causes trouble in paradise.

Mine by @sweetdreamsbuck

Summary: Mafia!Bucky X f!Reader

Looks Like Your Husband Has No Objections by @becca-e-barnes

Summary: The reader is Zemo’s wife but she catches Bucky’s eye. After years in prison, Zemo decides to be a little adventurous and thinks sharing his wife with Bucky Barnes for the night sounds like fun. No jealousy or weird relationship dynamics that might come with a threesome, just loads of smut!

Came for the Low by @cherryblossomtease

Summary: Christine Vargas was one vial away from becoming a Flag Smasher until Baron Zemo crushed her chances, only to offer her the world instead…his world. True love comes at a dangerous price, but it’s one she’s willing to pay if it means another day with the Baron. Flash backs and forwards of love, sex and violence tell this globe trotting story of a woman smitten with the villain whose good heart is no match for her tenacity. They’ll fix the world together or die trying. This is a love story.

My masterlist

[thesoftdumbass]

“You will have me as long as the stars still burn in the sky. You will have me as long as man roams the Mortal World. You will have me as long as Olympus stands. You will have me as long as we both shall live.”

I’m not crying, you’re crying...

Doll. I have no words (or very few, at least) to truly tell you just how much I have loved this entire series, and the ending and epilogue is actually perfect??? I’m in awe of you, and so thankful that you’ve shared this story with us here on good old dumblr

Pragma(tic) Epilogue: The Gods Live On

Pairing: Persephone!Bucky Barnes x Hades!Reader

Summary: In a world where the old gods never truly died, you must learn to navigate your way through the ups and downs of immortality. And if living forever wasn’t hard enough, an ancient evil is now threatening to break free after centuries of silence. And as if that still wasn’t hard enough for you, now a pesky and infuriatingly handsome god is trying to wedge his way into your life. Gods, work, love, and conflict—what more could a goddess need? [Hades & Persephone AU]

Word Count: 3724

Warnings: Language

Pragma(tic) Masterlist

Previous 25: She Almost Murders Someone (Again)

The Winter Solstice Gala, held to celebrate the gods’ reign and usher in a new year, was upon you. It was only months after Bucky had moved in with you—the happiest months of your life. 

Bucky was almost immediately integrated into the Underworld as fall set in just days after his promise after he ate those seeds and bound himself to the Underworld for half a year. This almost made it better. Having him with you always made it easier to get him acquainted with everything there was in the Underworld and train him in his new role.

You hardly had to do anything; he was a natural god of death. 

Keep reading

[saiyanprincessswanie]

Chrome & Leather - Chapter 8

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC, Brother Bucky x OFC, Eventual Billy Russo x OFC

Chapter Warnings: Mention of Smut, Cussing, Angst, Violence, Minor Death

Word Count: 4189

Chapter Summary: The engagement is celebrated amongst family and friends the same night of the proposal but not everyone is happy about the news. Winnie finds out the next day about the tension between the sisters and makes Becca promise to talk things out that evening with Jessie. Secrets are revealed about the family debt and why Becca what to the extent she did. The debt always comes with a price to pay but what’s the cost?

A/N: This is my first fic with an original female character,  Jessie Barnes. Face claim for Jessie Barnes is model Jessy Hartel, Images of her are slightly altered to give her blue eyes for my OFC by @happygowriting​

A/N 2: Please read the warnings. DNI if under 18 years old. I’ve been so nervous to release this chapter because it is now going to be more towards drama for a little bit.

Picture below of Steve with his Jessie tattoo is by the talented @nix-akimbo​

To read more of my work here is my Masterlist

Thank you to my beta @music-culture-mythology​​​​​ for looking this over for me.

Page-break by @whimsicalrogers​​​​​​​

I will only be doing mini tag-lists for mutuals that interact with me. To stay up to date with my writing follow my side-blog and turn on the notifications for @saiyanprincessswanie-sideblog​​​​

Reblogs & Comments on Tumblr are welcomed and encouraged. 😊💜

I do NOT give my consent to have my work translated or reposted on any social media platform, apps or third party sites. If you see my work anywhere else besides my personal Tumblr & AO3 accounts then it has been stolen. I will NEVER give written or verbal permission to repost or translate any of my fanfics as they’re MY intellectual property. 🚫🚫

Before heading to the bar, Jessie and Steve made their way to Winnie's house to share the good news with her. She deserved to hear about the engagement from them instead of the town gossip. As Steve’s bike pulled into the driveway they saw Winnie on her porch taking in the cool breeze that the evening brought. Together they walked hand in hand up to the porch to greet her.

“Well if I knew you kids were going to stop by I would have made a pie.” Winnie got up from her chair and hugged them both. 

“Oh mom, we don’t need anything. Actually, we need to tell you something,” Jessie admitted as she looked between Steve and her mom.

“My god, are you having a baby?” Winnie asked as her hand went to her chest. 

“No!” Both Steve and Jessie exclaimed in unison. 

Winnie was concerned now as she watched them both. “Well, what is it? Is everything okay?”

Jessie flashed her left hand at her mom. “We’re engaged,” she excitedly said.

Winnie looked at Jessie’s hand and then Steve. Tears started to fall from her eyes as Winnie wrapped her arms around them both, hugging them tightly. “I can’t believe my baby is getting married. I mean it’s about damn time you asked her Steven.”

Steve let out a chuckle as Winnie winked at him. “I wanted to make sure I could provide for your daughter. Jessie deserves the world and now that I have the means, I can give it to her.”

“Money isn’t everything Steven, but I have no doubt you will take care of my little girl.” Winnie smiled as Jessie wrapped her arms around Steve. “You know, your ma would’ve been so proud of the man you’ve become. Sarah and I knew that you both would end up together. A love like yours, well it’s what we call true love. Just know Steve, you've already been a part of this family for a long time and this makes my heart happy to call you my son-in-law.” 

Jessie watched as Steve wiped his eyes at what her mom said. She knew just hearing that his mom and Winnie were both proud of him meant the world to him. Even though Steve had been considered a part of the Barnes clan, getting married would officially mean he had a family for life. 

“Not to drop this news and run ma, but we're meeting Bucky and everyone at the tavern,” Jessie mentioned.

Winnie nodded as she pulled them both into a hug one more time. “I would like to throw a luncheon this weekend to celebrate the engagement. Nothing too big so don’t worry. We can talk about it tomorrow morning. Now go have some fun.” 

They waved goodbye as they got back onto the Harley and headed off to see their friends.

Finally arriving at the tavern Steve and Jessie saw their friends at a table in the back corner. Bucky sat with his arm draped around Nat, Laura leaned against Clint, while Wanda, Tony, John, and Thor all talked amongst themselves. As they passed Sam at the bar Steve asked him to join everyone at the table. 

Approaching everyone Steve held Jessie’s hand as he spoke, “I’m glad you all showed up on short notice we have news to share. Tonight I asked Jessie to marry me and she said yes.” Everyone gasped as Jessie lifted her hand to show their friends. Nat and Wanda quickly got up to congratulate Jessie and stare at her ring. The men all stood to congratulate Steve and tease him.

Bucky was the first to pull Steve into a hug. “About time you asked her punk. Just don’t fuck this up cause I swear if you break her heart I’m gonna hurt you.” Bucky let him go and smiled at his friend.

“I don’t plan on it jerk. So you don’t have to worry about that.”

Bucky nodded at his friend and turned to Jessie, pulling her in for a hug. “I know you have been dreaming of this since you were little. You both deserve all the happiness in the world.” He pulled her back just enough to look Jessie in her teary blue eyes. “I can’t believe my little sister is marrying my best friend.” 

“At least I’m marrying a good guy. Could be worse.” Jessie chuckled as she wiped the tears from her eyes. She searched the small crowd for her sister but didn’t see her amongst everyone.

Bucky let her go and could sense the disappointment from her. “I’m sorry Becca didn’t come. I wouldn’t worry about it though as I might have told ma what happened in the market with Brock.” Jessie looked at him in shock. If their ma was involved then Becca would stand no chance of being angry for long. 

Sam had offered up a round of free drinks for his friends as they discussed when the wedding might take place and where they were thinking. It was revealed that Steve had gone to Bucky to ask for his blessing to marry Jessie since her father was not around. That alone meant a lot to Jessie. 

As they continued to talk amongst themselves they didn’t see the anger rolling off of Billy who was sitting on the other side of the bar. Throwing down some bills on the table Billy left discreetly. By 11 pm everyone decided to call it a night as work would be waiting for them in the morning. 

Steve and Jessie waved goodbye to everyone as they pulled out of the bar parking lot. Lost in thought Jessie paid no attention to where Steve was heading until he pulled up to a tattoo parlor. 

“What are we doing here?” Jessie asked curiously as she got off the bike.

Steve hopped off the bike and grabbed her hand as he pulled her inside. “I figured since you’ve been my best girl for as long as I can remember and now that we’re engaged I wanted to get a little ink.”

“Okay, but of what?” Jessie tilted her head as Steve grinned at her.

“I want your name tattooed above my heart. Since you already own it I might as well make it official.” Steve kissed her lips gently but pulled away when the tattoo artist approached them.. Steve told the man that he wanted “Jessie” above his heart. 

An hour later they were at home and crawling into bed. Jessie’s fingers danced around the tattoo on his chest. This gesture on top of being engaged really meant he was hers. Steve gently rolled Jessie onto her back and softly kissed her lips as his hand made its way in between her legs. His fingers found she was already dripping with her arousal. Spreading her legs more he pumped his hard cock a few times and pushed into her with ease. They made love to one another, taking each other apart slowly and building each other up to an intense orgasm. Tonight was all about celebrating the start of their future together and their love for one another. As they lay in bed in each other’s arms, tangled in their sheets they both fell asleep unaware of what the day would bring.

Becca woke to a banging on her front door at 7 am. A groan left her lips as she crawled out of bed and padded to the door. Opening it up to yell at the person she inwardly cursed as Winnie pushed past her and walked towards the living room.

“Rebecca Barnes, we need to talk right now,” Winnie spoke as she sat down in a chair.

Becca followed her into the living and dropped onto the couch.“Ma, do you even know what time it is?”

“I don’t care what time it is. What I want to know is why you were seen talking to your ex at the market? Is this why you aren’t talking to your sister?” Winnie asked.

Dropping her head in her hands Becca cursed. “Did Jessie tell you that?” 

“As a matter of fact no she didn’t. Your brother did and he is worried about you.”

“Ma, there is nothing to be worried about.”

“Don’t pull that with me. Did you forget how that monster beat you? Why are you letting him come between you and your sister who stood by your side? What did you get yourself into?” Winnie furiously questioned her daughter knowing that there was something more to it that would make her talk with Brock.

Becca could feel both anger and sadness wash over her. “I know what he did to me. You don’t need to remind me of that. You don’t need to know what is going on. I'm an adult. All you need to know is that I have it under control.”

“Then start acting like an adult. If you don’t want to talk to me about this then fine. At least talk to your sister and work things out. Jessie doesn’t deserve your anger especially since she is now engaged.” 

Becca looked at her mother in shock, taking in what she said. “What? When?”

Winnie stood from her seat. “Last night Steve proposed. They went to the tavern to celebrate. I take it you weren’t there. See what you miss out on when you get mixed up with Brock.” At that comment, Becca started to tear up. Winnie walked the short distance to her daughter, sat down, and hugged her. “I love you, Rebecca. Please work things out with your sister tonight.”

Becca hugged her mom closely. “I will. I promise. I’m sorry ma.”

Winnie pulled back and warmly smiled at her. “Nothing to be sorry for my dear.” Winnie got off the couch and left. 

Her ma was right. Becca needed to confide in someone about what she got herself into. Tonight she planned to talk to Jessie after they closed the diner.

The day was flying by due to it being the end of the work week for most folks in town. Jessie and Becca arrived for their shift at 1 pm, swiftly joining both Wanda and Sharon who were busy serving people during the lunch shift while Pietro was taking over the kitchen service. Their crew worked perfectly in sync with one another as they made sure everyone that was in their dining room was always checked on and taken care of. By 1:30 pm Wanda and Sharon were clocking out for the day leaving the two sisters to do what they do best.

Jessie tried to give her sister distance and only spoke to her when it was necessary. The last thing she wanted to do was make Becca angry again before they had the chance to work things out. Throughout the shift, she was congratulated on the engagement with Steve. She couldn’t help but smile the more the day rolled along. The thought of finally being engaged to the man she loved made her feel like she was on cloud nine. 

By the time 10 pm rolled around it was finally closing time for the women. They had cleaned after the last customer left at 9:40 pm so now Jessie was tidying up as Becca counted the money in the office. 

“The kitchen is all cleaned for the evening,“ Pietro spoke as he walked into the dining room.

Jessie looked up and smiled at her friend. “That’s great. Why don’t you go ahead and head home for the night.”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Yeah, plus Becca and I have some talking to do. We might be here for a little while.” Pietro gave her a hug goodbye and left, leaving Jessie to continue to work. Finally finishing up in the dining room Jessie took a seat at the counter and texted Steve.

Jessie: Hey babe, everything is done cleaning-wise.  I’m waiting to talk to Becca. I’m a little nervous so wish me luck.

Steve: You got this sweetheart. Once you are done I’ll come to get you. Bucky, Thor, Tony, Clint, John, and I are hanging at the shop down the road. Message me when you are done.

Jessie: I will, love you.

Steve: Love you too

As Jessie tucked her phone in her pocket Becca came out from the office. Becca walked over to the counter and sat a couple of seats away from her sister. They sat in silence for a moment before Becca spoke. “I want to apologize for the way I treated you a couple of days ago. I shouldn’t have lashed out at you.”

“I appreciate that Becca,” Jessie said as she studied her sister’s face. She could see the hurt in Becca’s eyes. “What is going on with you and Brock?”

“It’s complicated Jessie.” Becca looked down at her hands in her lap trying to avoid Jessie’s eyes. 

Jessie blew out a sigh as she tried to keep her composure. “Look, Becca whatever it is, just know I have your back. Obviously, you have a good reason for talking to him and I’m just trying to find out why. You might be my big sister but I worry about you. I want you to be safe. So please, just tell me what it is so I can help.”

Tears fell from Becca’s eyes as she looked up at Jessie. “I didn’t want to borrow money from him, I swear. I got a letter in the mail around the time the guys opened their garage. The letter had stated that pa’s bad debts were being called in full by someone named Jigsaw. Apparently, pa borrowed money from Alexander Pierce to bet on the horses at the track in the next county over. The diner was in need of new kitchen appliances and upgrades. The hope was the winnings at the track would cover the expenses but pa lost. Pierce then offered to help with the diner but in return, pa would have to pay Pierce back with interest. If the debt wasn’t paid Pierce would take over the diner and sell it. Then Pierce died and pa had his heart attack a few years later. I thought the debt was settled until I was contacted by someone named Jigsaw. Apparently, they took over the debt and said it had to be paid in full. Even though Steve, Bucky, you, and I were paying on what we thought were all of ma’s debts there was still this larger debt. I’m not sure if ma knew or not how bad it was. The letter went on to say that the diner was expected to be sold to settle everything out. I knew that couldn’t happen. Ma would be devastated if this happened. I mean hell, pa and her started that business together. I knew that the four of us couldn’t afford this debt so I decided to borrow from Brock. I figured he has loaned out money to people before and I was hoping that maybe he could help.”

Jessie sat in disbelief at what her sister was telling her. How did she not know how bad these debts really were. If Jessie only knew that ma and Becca were facing this she would have sold her own house to help ease the burden. 

Becca sighed as she continued on. “Once I had the money from Brock I asked him about Jigsaw. Brock was able to make contact with him and get me an account to wire the money to. After that I thought I was in the clear, all I had to do was pay Brock back. But a few months of paying him back Brock approached me and told me he wanted to get back together again. That if I did he would forgive my debts to him. Of course, I denied him and he got mad. Said he was giving me a month to pay him back. When you walked in on us talking he was threatening to hurt you. Brock said he would make an example of you and if I still didn’t pay up he would hurt mom. I should have told you, I’m sorry Jessie.” Becca was now sobbing as the weight of the world was finally off her shoulders. 

Jessie got out of her seat, walked over to Becca, and wrapped her arms around her. Jessie could feel the anger radiate through her at the thought of Brock pulling this. She held Becca close as she tried to soothe her. “We’ll figure this out, Becca. I promise you that we will get Brock paid off and out of our lives for good.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, kitten.” Brock’s deep voice cut in, making both women turn around and look at him as he strolled into the diner. 

Jessie stood in front of Becca as she stared down Brock who stopped a few feet from them. “It’s after hours Brock. If I were you I would turn around and leave before I call the cops.” Her fists clenched and unclenched several times as she tried to keep her anger from boiling over.

A dark chuckle escaped his lips. “I’ve always loved that spitfire attitude of yours. It’s a shame someone else made you off-limits or else I would’ve had my fingers in your pie long ago.”

Jessie pulled her phone out of her pocket and was about to dial 9-1-1 when a gun clicked. Her eyes snapped up to see the barrel of the gun aimed at them. 

“Put the phone on the counter and slide it to me now or someone is going to be hurt.” Brock’s dark expression made Jessie’s stomach drop. Complying with him she slid the phone towards him. “Now since I’m here I want to make a withdrawal.”

“Last I checked we weren’t a bank and the diner doesn’t hold a lot of money.” Jessie sassed back at him. 

Brock took a few steps towards the women and stood toe-to-toe with Jessie. His hand quickly slapped her hard across the face, sending her into the counter. Jessie felt as if her cheek exploded as her hand lightly touched the hot skin. As Becca stood to come to her sister’s defense Brock pointed the gun in her face.

“I know for a fact you have that money you raised with your pie sales in that safe. So we are going to grab that with no further problems.” Becca started to back up slowly towards the hallway that led to the office. Brock grabbed Jessie by her long hair hard causing her to scream in pain as he dragged her down the hall with them. 

Jessie’s hands flew to where his hand was fisted in her hair as she tried to alleviate the hold on her. She stumbled, trying to keep up with Brock as she heard Becca plead with him to not hurt them. As they reached the office Becca went inside and started to open the safe. Jessie tried to get Brock to release her again but his grip never relented. 

He pulled Jessie close so they were eye to eye. “Stop struggling, you are only going to make this worse for you and your sister.” The barrel of the gun moved from her temple down her jawline. Jessie started to shake with fear. Would he be dumb enough to kill her?

“Stop it, Brock.” Becca pleaded as she took all the money out of the safe and placed it in a bag for him. “Look here is everything that you asked for. Please just let my sister go.”

Brock looked from Jessie to Becca. “Bring the bag to the dining room.” He stepped back with Jessie, allowing for Becca to walk by and towards the dining room. The gun now hung by his side and Jessie started forming a plan in her head.

Jessie wasn’t sure what Brock had planned for them but whatever it was there was no way she wasn’t going to fight back. As soon as Becca exited the hallway Jessie pushed her body weight into Brock, sending them both into the wall. Jessie threw her arm between his legs hard, hitting him square in the nuts. 

“Bitch!” Brock howled as his grip loosened and he let her go, his hands flying to where she hit him.

Quickly she ran out of the hallway and was just making her way around the counter. “Run Becca!” Jessie screamed at her sister as she was tackled to the ground by Brock. He straddled her waist as he hit Jessie with the butt of the gun. Her head instantly felt like it was going to explode as she continued to struggle with him. 

Becca ran over to them, trying to pull Brock off Jessie but he reeled back and punched Becca, sending her to the floor a few feet away. Jessie was mad and screaming curse words at him when her eyes locked onto the hand holding the gun. She dove for it and tried to pull it from him. There was no way she would let him get away with this abuse. Jessie leaned up high enough to bite Brock’s hand so hard that she drew blood and he dropped the gun to the floor.

“You stupid bitch! I don’t care what he says I will fucking kill you.” Brock yelled as both his hands wrapped around Jessie’s throat and squeezed. Jessie's feet kicked underneath him, trying to get him off of her so she could breathe but his weight held her body down. Her hands tried to pull his larger ones off her neck but Jessie was no match for him. 

Jessie could feel herself become lightheaded as his grip seemed to dig harder into her neck. Her eyes looked to her right side and she caught the gleam of the gun. Her right hand let go of his hands as she started to reach for it. The world was slowly growing darker by the second. This was how she was going to die. At the hands of this insane man. Would Steve ever find out? Was Brock going to murder them both? Her hand continued to reach for the gun and when Brock’s eyes followed her gaze he briefly let up just enough for her to reach it. Now it was the struggle for the gun as his hands let go of her neck and he tried to pry the weapon from her.

Becca was back off the ground and pulling at Brock once again. Jessie was trying to push the gun left towards his body as he tried to push it away. Brock’s fingers were getting tangled with Jessie’s as they all screamed for control of the situation. Jessie closed her eyes as she tried to put the last of her energy into fighting him. 

Then the gun went off… 

There was nothing but silence at first. It was as if time stood still. Then there was a choked gasp.

Jessie’s eyes flew open and locked onto Becca’s as she stumbled backward away clutching her stomach. Brock quickly got off of Jessie and looked down at a bleeding Becca. He grabbed the money that was on the floor and ran out of the diner as Jessie crawled over to her sister.

“Oh my god, Becca. What have I done?” She looked down on Becca who was bleeding heavily from her wound. Jessie saw her phone on the ground and quickly dialed 9-1-1. Jessie knelt next to her sister and placed her hands over the wound. She was shouting at the emergency dispatcher telling them what happened and their location. As soon as the dispatcher said help was on the way Jessie cradled Becca close to her. “We just have to keep pressure on this wound. The ambulance will be here soon. I just need you to hold on.”

Becca reached a bloodied hand up to Jessie’s face making Jessie look down at her. “It’s okay Jessie. It’s not your fault.”

Jessie began sobbing as she felt Becca cough a few times. She watched as her sister struggled to keep her eyes open. “I shouldn’t have fought him. Please just hang on. Just fight this for me.”

“Jessie, this isn’t your fault. It will be okay.” Becca took a stuttered breath again. Becca’s eyes fluttered as she fought to stay awake. The sound of sirens was growing louder by the second. 

“Don’t talk like that. Help is almost here. Please hang on for me,” Jessie pleaded.

Becca’s eyes start to glaze over. “I’m so proud of you.” Becca gasped, tears falling down her cheeks. “I’m sorry.” Becca took her final breath, dying in her sister’s arms.

Jessie screams echoed in the diner as she tried to wake her sister. “No! Please, wake up for me. Don’t leave me. Please, Becca!” Jessie cried out in anguish, begging for her sister to breathe. She begged God to let her sister survive this. Jessie pulled Becca’s body close to her chest, slowly rocking them back and forth. This was not real. This was a nightmare that she couldn’t wake from.

Chapter 9

[denaerystargaryen]

Omg tell us about your favourite literature podcasts, I’m interested

I'm so excited to answer this sdfghsdfgh Here's a list of how I found them chronologically, not from my favourite to least favourite. I love all of them tho and I'm constantly looking for new ones, so if a mutual has literature themed podcasts recs (that are on Spotify), I'll be more than happy to check them out 💖

Potterless ("Join Mike Schubert, a grown man reading the Harry Potter seriesfor the first time, as he sits down with HP fanatics to poke fun at plot holes, make painfully incorrect predictions, and bask in the sassiness of the characters").

Goblet of Wine ("The British lifelong Harry Potter fans Hannah and Charlie re-read their favourite childhood book chapter by chapter with added alcohol and cynicism in fortnightly episodes!").

Obsidian Nights Podcast ("ASOIAF Re-Read Podcast. We will go thru every chapter of the A Song of Ice and Fire series unraveling the mysteries and secrets of this massive story").

The Newest Olympian ("Is Percy Jackson the book series we should've been reading all along?Join Mike Schubert as he reads through the books for the first time with the help of longtime PJO fans to cover the plot, take stabs at what happens next, and nerd out over the Greek mythology throughout").

Seaweed Brain: A Percy Jackson Podcast ("Discuss, overanalyze, and generally fangirl about each Percy Jackson book in three parts, with the ultimate goal of de-glorifying Western Civilization and answering the question, is Percabeth the greatest love story ever told?").

Camp Half-Pod: A Percy Jackson Podcast ("Just two demigods who love Percy Jackson. Join Erin and Manasa as we dive into the canon of the Percy Jackson universe, a few chapters at a time").

Pod and Prejudice ("Becca has read all of Jane Austen's work. Molly literally does not know who Mrs. Bennet is. Together, they venture into Austen's world of romance, biting satire, and class struggles").

That's What I'm Tolkien About ("Join Mary Clay Watt on her first journey through Lord of the Rings. Each episode is a chapter discussion of the books with fans, featuring mispronounced names, outlandish theories, and praise (or criticism!) of JRR Tolkien"). I'm gonna be honest and say that I haven't listened to this one yet but I want to as soon as I (finally!) get into reading LOTR and The Hobbit.

+ Mythology podcasts:

Let's Talk About Myths, Baby! Greek & Roman Mythology Retold ("The most entertaining and enraging stories from mythology told casually, contemporarily, and (let's be honest) sarcastically").

Spirits ("A boozy weekly podcast about mythology, legends and folklore. Hear fresh takes on classic myths and learn new stories from around the world, served up over ice by two tipsy history geeks").

[brightbeautifulthings]

The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Walters

"When you're twelve, it's different. You can believe in something so strongly you make it real, and then you can't tell any difference between the truth and the story."

Year Read: 2022

Rating: 2/5

About: As a child, Heather and her friends formed the Dead Girls Club, a group of girls obsessed with serial killers and urban legends like the Red Lady, a vengeful ghost who was buried alive as a witch. Heather doesn't know what to do when Becca starts insisting the Red Lady is real, and that belief ultimately gets her best friend killed. Heather is the one who killed her. Thirty years later, Heather gets Becca's half of their heart-shaped friendship necklace in the mail, the necklace she was wearing when she died. Someone else knows what happened that night, and they're determined to make Heather pay. Trigger warnings: death/child death (on-page), child abuse/abusive households, alcoholism, fire, stalking, threats, mental illness, depression, bullying.

Thoughts: This is how you take a really cool urban legend and turn it into the most boring adult thriller ever. I was drawn in by the premise of the Red Lady and a group of girls who may or may not be messing with the occult. I never had the fascination with serial killers when I was younger, but my friends and I did spend a lot of time telling scary stories and playing morbid games at our sleepovers. The mythology of the Red Lady is easily my favorite part of the book, and we would have scared ourselves silly with a story like that back in grade school.

Unfortunately, there's little I like about the way this story is told. For one thing, telling the Red Lady's stories in Becca's voice takes them down several notches from frightening urban legend that could have happened to your friend's cousin's cousin in Canada to, well, a made-up story that children tell to scare their friends. I'm not the biggest fan of excerpt chapters, but this is one instance where I feel like they would have worked really well. The Red Lady's story would be far scarier if it was told like something that actually happened.

Then there's Heather. I don't have any particular feelings about her character one way or the other. We don't really see what she's like before the weirdness starts, and she grows increasingly paranoid and illogical over the course of the novel. That's probably a reasonable reaction to being stalked and threatened, but there were moments I found myself wondering how this person ever became a mental health professional. Mostly, though, my problem with Heather is that, young or old, she never once believes that the Red Lady might be real, which means I could never believe it either. If the narrator is constantly insisting that things aren't happening, then why would I be frightened by them? Some books expertly walk the line between supernatural and human horrors, but this one has zero ambivalence. It's kids trying to scare each other, and that's exactly how it comes across.

I suppose we can call that ending a twist. If we're being less charitable, we can call it a descent into total absurdity. The villain of the story is out of left field, and I doubt even more attentive or invested readers could see it coming. It’s less a shock or a logical conclusion than a poorly executed attempt to insert some thrills into a story that fell flat over a hundred pages ago. The final reveal with Heather is less shocking but at least makes sense, and I was more satisfied with her character arc than I was with the plot as a whole. Still, it’s far from enough to save a book that commits basically the greatest sin a thriller can commit in being entirely unthrilling.

[ofthehearths]

the mortal sun has risen and set a thousand thousand times, and 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐥𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐠𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚 is yet bound to the earthly realm, the reincarnation loop continues. this time their mortal coil has taken the shape of alyson hannigan, a human born on the 4th of may, 1973, a taurus and named 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐜𝐚 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝.

Rebecca Brand……………………7.99

Name: Rebecca Brand

Nickname: Becca

Gender: Female

Age: 48

Date of Birth: May 4, 1973

Zodiac: Taurus

MBTI: ISFJ

Enneagram: 9w1

Alignment: neutral good

Sexuality: Asexual

Romantic Orientation: Aromantic

Occupation: Self employed Baker

Arrived to the Island: Twenty years

Pet: Teacup pig named Honey Bee

Hestia……………………10.99

Name: Hestia

Mythological type: Olympian Deity

Title: Goddess of the home and hearth

Domain: Hearth, Home, Hospitality

Symbols: fire, the hearth, kettle, pig, chaste tree

Power Trait: manifesting in any food they make for themselves that is consumed will ease the anxieties of the person

Backstory……………………15.99

Childhood

Rebecca does not know her birth parents. She was put up for adoption soon after her birth, and was adopted before her first birthday.

She was adopted by Alice and Henry Brand. She grew up in a happy home, and over the next 10 years her parents adopted a total of 7 more children, all younger than her. Rebecca loved her childhood, and enjoyed nothing more than spending time with her siblings.

She was a good student in school, studied, never went out and broke any rules, she was for all intents and purposes the golden child.

She always had a passion for baking, and as she got closer to graduating highschool, she decided that that was what she wanted to do

Young Adulthood

Rebecca ran her baking business primarily out of her own home, as she believed that it gave her baked goods more of that home baked fresh taste that was imperative.

Rebecca never had an interest in dating, and instead preferred to keep to herself, which did earn her some gossip from ladies her grandmother played bingo with, as well as some attempts to hook her up with their sons, but for the most part she was able to dodge those and continue on her way.

When she was in her late 20s one of her younger sisters ran off, all she left was a note saying she was going to Australia. Now Rebecca was a major homebody, the only travel she wanted was her afternoon walks around the local park. But when she saw that her sister had run off she knew she had to try to find her.

Eventually this led her to Australia. She found herself almost drawn to Magnetic Island, and eventually, after Rebecca found her sister and made sure she was alright, she decided it was time to check it out.

Magnetic Island

Once she found herself on the island she began working on making it her home.

She began baking again as a form of income and began to notice that those who ate her baked goods seemed to be eased and comforted by the treat. She doesn't know if it is a special gift, or if it’s just her good old southern cooking.

She eventually found herself her current home there, and adopted her teacup pig Honey Bee

Now she makes sure anyone new who moves in feels comforted and at home as well.

[heaux-burrow]

For the fanfiction writers ask: 16, 21, 34

16. Any guilty pleasure trope(s)?

• Smol x Tol is a requirement not a request

• Arranged marriage AU queen 👑

• No one else challenges me mentally or physically but you

• Bodyguard AU’s (bonus points if her parents are never around and she’s a Poor Little Rich Girl™️)

• We meet in our dreams AU

• Somehow I keep falling into another plane or realm and you only exist there and “we” only exist there and slowly I start to spend all my time and energy on being with you and completely losing my whole life in the “real world”

• Captive/Captor AU’s (think Briseis and Achilles but I’m not above a good old fashioned bank robbery gone tits up I’m an equal opportunity slut for Stockholm Syndrome)

• We had a past life together and we only remember flashes but the energy is still there between us and it’s undeniable - however, being together would completely dismantle our present day lives

• This can’t last and it’s not meant to, but I’ve been through a lot and you’re a very nice resting place for now

• I’m a brat, but vulnerable only with you. You’re an asshole, but soft only with me. I don’t hate anyone else but you. But I don’t love anyone else either.

• We’ve both been through trauma no one else understands so we don’t really know how to trust or love anyone else, but no one would ever be accepting of us being together (yes I meant to google Lucrezia and Cesare Borgia)

• Honestly, anything where the shtick is ‘we’re really not supposed to be doing this’ bonus points for sneaking around and loads of pining angst about it

21. Favorite pairing to write for? (platonic or romantic!)

I’m about to lose so many followers 🙈

#1 always - AEGON THE CONQUERER X RHAENYS TARGARYEN (ASOIAF)

Max x Audrey (Gossip Girl)

Sarah Cameron & Rafe Cameron (OBX) (yes I know they’re related no I don’t care)

Ciri x Geralt (The Witcher, more the video games and the books than the tv show)

Javier Peña (Narcos) x Helena (Narcos) x Santiago Garcia (Triple Frontier)

Robb x Sansa or Jon x Sansa or Robb x Jon x Sansa (ASOIAF) (who is GoT don’t know her)

Sookie Stackhouse x Jason Stackhouse (True Blood) (watch the first episode again and tell me I’m wrong lol)

Eric x Four (Divergent) (books not the movieverse)

Becca x Lucas (Banshee)

Cassie x Nate (Euphoria) (yes I know it wouldn’t work leave me alone) (all I’m saying is, Nate spent a lot of fucking energy trying to get McKay to NOT date Cassie and Nate would never have made Cassie get an abortion)

Mal x Evie (Descendants)

Elsa x Kristoff (Frozen)

Tink x Hook (Peter Pan universe - more the books than any of the movies) (in the second Peter Pan book she is literally lost to the group and found locked up in the captain’s quarters among Hook’s treasure on his ship don’t come for me Barrie shipped it too)

Freya x Freyr or Freya x Fenrir (Norse mythology)

Morgan x Arthur (Arthurian legend)

Lucifer x Eve or Lucifer x Lilith (biblical mythology NO I’m not talking about Lucifer the show lol I’ve never even watched it and I won’t)

34. Copy and paste an excerpt you’re particularly fond of.

From “Through the Lake”, a Grishaverse fic I wrote 5 years ago but never posted (Darkling x OFC)

They’ve begun travelling now. He likes to stay diplomatically relevant. Likes to be known to the kings and queens of lands beyond Ravka. Because the otkazat’sya Lantsov king is weak and stupid. She knows. She’s met him many times. And she met his father before him. She’s dined with their ambassadors and danced with their advisors (Shadow likes to show her off as his little relic. His little stolen child, kept as a pet the same way fairies of old would keep children from her world. It is also a very clear piece on the chess board. Look what I have. Look what she can do. Know your place).

“Lantsov is lucky anyone even continues to acknowledge him as king. If I were a queen, the only diplomat I would sit down with is you.” She’s known her Shadow a hundred years now. She cannot fathom why anyone still bows to the Lantsov king.

“Do I not treat you with all the adoration and reverence due a queen?” He asks in response, ignoring her statement for the moment. Though it strokes something warm and needy inside him to hear her say it.

They’re in Kerch. A disgustingly wealthy merchant’s villa is their home for the night. At his table they dined on sweet-buttered grouse and roasted kale and salted caramel cake.

The back of his ungloved finger traces her neck as she takes her jewelry off and lets her hair down. The touch flares her power with a shivering thrill of electricity. Unable to help herself, Jo flexes her abilities enough to let him know not to push her. The air in the room compresses for a moment until all sound is narrowed down, resting on the pin of a needle and ringing in his ears. Thirty seconds go by. Finally, she lets up and he has to grip the window sill as his lungs drag desperately for oxygen.

“What?” He half snarls, half chokes. Jo is shown more favor than anyone else at his court by far. He’s never lavished another with the same attention and devotion he pours over her. He’s never trusted anyone enough to allow them so close. But he’s careful to keep her loyalties where they belong. Uses her power to keep the other Grisha in check. To keep their eyes fixed with jealousy so they’ll never look upon her with love. So she has no other confessional but him. So she can never hold anything she knows to his throat. Even if she thought to overthrow him and seize power for herself, they would never follow her. They’d wear her bones first.

“You know what. Do not dare to play the victim with me.” They argue as if they’re married. And maybe in a way they are. Promises forever unbroken. Loyalty carried to the grave. Secrets pressed between them for centuries, that no one else could ever unfold.

Swallowing, he swipes away the blood dripping from his nose with the handkerchief in his pocket. Glances out the window, partly guilty and partly annoyed that the girl can even make him feel guilt.

“You know why I can’t let you stay.” They’ve been over this a hundred thousand times. He won’t have her for one lifetime when he needs her power for much longer than that. And perhaps, a part of him needs her to be hungry for him. To know she’s in Duluth salivating at the mouth to get back here. Perhaps he’s scared that if he gives her all she wants of him, of Ravka, she’ll have her fill and go back for good.

[elriell]

Book Rec’s

Going to try and add a lot of less known books that are amazing and not enough people talk about, this would be too long if I talked about each one in depth, so I am going to leave my fav quotes as that tends to give me a feel for books and whether I will like them and I will link the GR page for more info! Happy reading:)

Fantasy Vibes

From Blood And Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout    (CLICK THIS TOO)

“Death is like an old friend who pays a visit, sometimes when it’s least expected and other times when you’re waiting for her. It’s neither the first nor the last time she’ll pay a visit, but that doesn’t make any death less harsh or unforgiving.”

“Fear and bravery are often one and the same. It either makes you a warrior or a coward. The only difference is the person it resides inside.”

 “You're an absolutely stunning, murderous little creature.”

Storm And Fury by Jennifer L Armentrout

“What are you going to do if it does get worse?” he asked. “Maybe I’ll get myself a seeing-eye gargoyle.”

(HONESTLY BADASS GARGOYLES. SO UNIQUE AND AWESOME)

Demons At Deadnight by A&E Kirk   

“I launched into a graceful ninja-like front roll, then stood my ground to face the monstrous heathen, fearless in my determination to vanquish the deadly foe.

Nah, just kidding. I bolted, discretion being the better part of not getting dead.”

“We are killers,” Matthias said. Bad news. 

“Not girls. We don’t kill girls.” Good news. 

“She’s no girl.” Insulting news? 

“What? Of course she’s a girl.”

 “Want me to check?” 

“Shut up, Blake,” the rest of them chorused.”

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black   

“If I cannot be better than them, I will become so much worse.”

“If you hurt me, I wouldn't cry. I would hurt you back.”

“I am going to keep on defying you. I am going to shame you with my defiance. You remind me that I am a mere mortal and you are a prince of Faerie. Well, let me remind you that means you have much to lose and I have nothing. You may win in the end, you may ensorcell me and hurt me and humiliate me, but I will make sure you lose everything I can take from you on the way down. I promise you this is the least of what I can do.”

MM Romance

Him by Sabrina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

“Our mouths fit together so perfectly. Every time we kiss, I fall even more in love with him, and it has nothing to do with sex or lust. It's him. His closeness and his scent and the way he soothes me.”

“I…” He clears his throat. “I’d let you do it, though.” My hand freezes in his hair. “You would?” Wes nods. “I’d let you do anything to me, Canning.”

Misfits by Garrett Leigh (Poly romance, its just so perfect ala herongraystairs!)

“Learn something. Read a book. Explore someone. Anger is just a hole where your life could be.”

In The Absence Of Light by Adrienne Wilder

“The light is a funny thing, Grant. We think it shows us what we need to see, but in reality, it blinds us. That’s why I brought you here. I wanted you to see me.”

“Morgan may be autistic, but he is a normal man with a mental condition, not a mental condition who is a man.”

HOneStly JUST READ IT

The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic

“It’s not the world that’s cruel. It’s the people in it.”

“I'm not a math problem." "But I'll still solve you."

“Is your learning curve a horizontal line?”

“Who said 'please' that made you hate the word so much?"  Andrew gazed at him in silence for a minute. "I did.”

“I didn't think I was a personal problem. You hate me, remember?" "Every inch of you," Andrew said. "That doesn't mean I wouldn't blow you." 

EVERY QOUTE IS ICONIC TBH 

Vampires, Angels & Greek Mythology

Bloodlines by Michelle Read

“The greatest changes in history have come when people were able to shake off what others told them to do.”

“Takes a lot of tries before you hit perfection." He paused to reconsider that. "Well, except for my parents. They got it on the first try."

“No, thank you," said Adrian. "These hands don't sully themselves with fighting.”

“Everything's about my personal entertainment. The world is my stage. Keep it up- you're becoming a star performer in the show.”

Angels Blood by Nalini Singh

“Some things were worth the dance with danger.”

“You do realize this makes your wings even more unique." "Are you saying you shot me as a cosmetic procedure?”

“You ask a lot of questions for a dead woman.” “What can I say? I prefer to die well-informed.”

“You don't fear me," he said now. She wasn't stupid enough to lie. "I'm petrified. But I figure you didn't make me come all this way just so you could push me off the roof.”

Dark Lover by J.R Ward (warning OTT vamps if thats not your jazz either skip)

“Some bridges you crossed on your own, no matter who drove you to the edge”

“Vengeance was one hell of a roommate.”

Half-Blood by Jennifer L Armentrout

“Two people see each other across a room or their skin brushes. Their souls recognize the person as their own. It doesn’t need time to figure it. The soul always knows… whether it’s right or wrong.”

“It’s just words and words mean nothing. Only action does.”

“People do the damndest things when they’re in love.”

“There is a difference between love and need. Sometimes, what you feel is immediate and without rhyme or reason.”

Assasin-y Goodness

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

“When one consorts with assassins, one must expect to dance along the edge of a knife once or twice.”

“I comfort myself with the knowledge that if Duval ever feels smothered by me, it will be because I am holding a pillow over his face.”

“Surely He does not give us hearts so we may spend our lives ignoring them.”

“There is no shame in scars, Ismae.”

Daughter Of The Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

“I am me because I choose to be me. I am what I want. Some people say you have to find yourself. Not I. I believe we create ourselves to be what we want.”

“Lass, you've the face of an angel but the tongue of a snake.”

“Everyone has something dark in their past. I suppose it's our job to overcome it. And if we can’t overcome it, then all we can do is make the most of it.”

“Waiting. Not waiting. One lover. A hundred lovers. There should be no judgement either way. A woman is not defined by what she does or doesn‘t do in the bedroom.”

“Even a man who’s spent his whole life at sea has reason to fear her when she’s angry. But not I. I sleep soundly. Listening to her music. The sea watches over me. She protects her own.”

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

“No mourners. No funerals. Among them, it passed for 'good luck.”

“It's not natural for women to fight." "It's not natural for someone to be as stupid as he is tall, and yet there you stand.”

“I will have you without armor, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all.

“The heart is an arrow. It demands aim to land true.”

“Kaz leaned back. "What's the easiest way to steal a man's wallet?" "Knife to the throat?" asked Inej. "Gun to the back?" said Jesper. "Poison in his cup?" suggested Nina. "You're all horrible," said Matthias.”

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

“It can take years to mold a dream. It takes only a fraction of a second for it to be shattered.”

“Taking another life, she had whispered, even a guilty one, should never be easy. If it were, we'd be little more than animals.”

“Maybe there was no one way to define it. Maybe there were as many shades of love as the blues of the sky,”

“We all have our different skills. You’re patient to a fault, which sometimes doesn’t work to your advantage. I, on the other hand, have the patience of a wet cat. Only on rare occasions does that come in handy.”

“Maybe there were a hundred different ways to fall in love.”

Circus Vibes

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

“Every person has the power to change their fate if they are brave enough to fight for what they desire more than anything.”

“She imagined loving him would feel like falling in love with darkness, frightening and consuming yet utterly beautiful when the stars came out.”

“Some things are worth pursuit regardless of the cost.”

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

“You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone's soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows that they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift.”

“Secrets have power. And that power diminishes when they are shared, so they are best kept and kept well. Sharing secrets, real secrets, important ones, with even one other person, will change them. Writing them down is worse, because who can tell how many eyes might see them inscribed on paper, no matter how careful you might be with it. So it's really best to keep your secrets when you have them, for their own good, as well as yours.”

Six of Hearts by L.H Cosway

“Note to self: Never try to out-trick a trickster.”

“So why not live with the magic? Be a kid again and believe in the fantastical. Life is more fun with a little smoke and mirrors.”

“We all have thoughts that we would never, ever vocalise. And people who say they don’t are liars.”

“I once read that people who have imaginary friends never reach out to touch them. There’s some part of their brain that subconsciously knows it will break the spell. That’s what it feels like with Jay.”

Amour Amour by Krista & Becca Richie

“We all traverse in and out of people’s worlds, leaving footprints. Some larger, some smaller, but there is always a mark. We can’t sweep it away.”

“Life is a rollercoaster with no volunteers. We’re all forced to take a seat and ride it out.

“I’m average. I’ve been average most of my life, but there are moments where I feel extraordinary. Invincible. Able to conquer any fear and step outside any box. There is no illusion, no fantasy. I can climb a forty-foot pole. I can fly eighty-feet in the air. I can be taller than tall. It’s a dream that I’m living. Every day. With him.”

More M/M Romance

The Song Of Achilles by Madeline Miller

“I could recognize him by touch alone, by smell; I would know him blind, by the way his breaths came and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world.”

“And perhaps it is the greater grief, after all, to be left on earth when another is gone.”

“He is a weapon, a killer. Do not forget it. You can use a spear as a walking stick, but that will not change its nature.”

“He is half of my soul, as the poets say.”

Axel’s Pup by Kim Dare  (Shifter Romance & BDSM FYI if thats not your jazz)

"I want to screw you, and tie you up, and make you writhe from-you know all that. But I want so much more. I want the whole thing, not just a quick scene. I want twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. I want you to be mine. I won't take anything less."

Aristotle And Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

“In your dream. You were looking for me.""I'm always looking for you," 

“He was funny and focused and fierce. I mean the guy could be fierce. And there wasn’t anything mean about him. I didn’t understand how you could live in a mean world and not have any of that meanness rub off on you.”

“He looked like an angel. And all I wanted to do was put my fist through his jaw. I couldn't stand my own cruelty.”

“One of the secrets of the universe was that our instincts were sometimes stronger than our minds. Another secret of the universe: Sometimes pain was like a storm that came out of nowhere.”

Shattered Glass by Dani Alexander

"Tell me something good about your life," I whispered, needing to hear that he wasn't as broken as I thought him to be.[...]"You." It was so quiet I almost didn't hear it.”

“Is he my competition?” I asked. “Everyone is your competition.” Peter lifted his hand to his eyes and began lowering it incrementally. “It goes normal human beings, crazies, republicans, my hand, imaginary characters, corpses and then, in a moment of lustful psychosis, you.” By the time he was done, his hand was below the table.

Romance 

Kiss The Sky by Krista & Becca Richie

“You’re not a pit stop. You’re my finish line. There’s no one after you.”

“People hope to touch the sky. I dream of kissing it.”

“I love the way he’s staring at me. It makes me feel more than just beautiful. I feel like I’m his. Like no one else could possibly compare to me. He doesn’t even have to say the words. I see it in his eyes. I can practically read it in his mind.”

“I’ve wanted so many things in life,” he says softly, “but you’re the one that has meant the most to me.”

Translation: I love you.”

Wallbanger by Alice Clayton

“You know those moments when everything is exactly the way it was meant to be? When you find yourself and your entire universe aligning in perfect synchronization, and you know you couldn’t possibly be more content? I was inside that very moment, and fully conscious of it.”

“The right woman for you wouldn't want you to change anything about your life. She wouldn't rock your boat, she'd jump right in and sail it with you.”

“It breaks my heart the way young girls pick themselves over, never thinking they're good enough. You make sure you always remember, you're exactly the way you're supposed to be. Exactly. And anyone who says otherwise, well, poppycock.”

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

“Ugly love becomes you. Consumes you. Makes you hate it all. Makes you realize that all the beautiful parts aren't even worth it. Without the beautiful, you'll never risk feeling the ugly. So you give it all up. You give it all up. You never want love again, no matter what kind it is, because no type of love will ever be worth living through the ugly love again.”

“Some people they grow wiser as they grow older. Unfortunately, most people just grow older.”

“Sometimes the spirit of a man isn't strong enough to survive the ghosts of his past”

“My grandfather used to say the placement of a birthmark was the story of how a person lost the battle in their past life. I guess you got stabbed in the neck. Bet it was a quick death, though.”

On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

“Gentlemen are gentlemen in bed. They make sure you're having a good time." "I'll make sure you're having a good time, and that you're okay with everything. I just won't be well mannered about it.”

“In truth it’s difficult to describe a broken heart.”

“Sometimes words aren’t needed for you to know a change has come upon you.”

Romance Series

Paper Princess by Erin Watt

“My skill, if I have one, isn’t dancing. It’s my ability to believe that tomorrow can be a better day.”

“My life is mine. I live it. I control it.”

“but a clean knife still makes a painful wound.”

“Fate is for the weak--those people who don't have enough power or will to shape life into what they need it to be.”

Foreplay by Sophie Jordan

“I’m not going to lie to you and convince you that I’m someone good and shiny like your guy that’s going to be a doctor.”

“You can’t even see it. I’m the safest thing you’ll ever find”

“That's what I wanted. Something to enrich me, to make me feel better about the things in my life that I could never change."

Wait for You by J.Lynn.  (AKA Jennifer L Armentrout) 

“You are really…” “Amazing? Awesome?” He paused, brows raised. “Astonishing?” “I was going to go with bizarre.” “Well, hell, if I had feelings that might actually hurt.”

“As long as the sun’s shining, shit can’t be that bad.”

The Deal by Elle Kennedy

“Sometimes people sneak up on you and suddenly you don’t know how you ever lived without them.”

“I want to murder him in his sleep, A. No, I want to murder him when he’s awake so he can see the joy on my face when I do it.”

“And the most important lesson I learned is that I’m not a victim—I’m a survivor.”

Romance w/ Epic Plots

The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

“This was the boy I loved. A little bit messy. A little bit ruined. A beautiful disaster. Just like me.”

“You could start a fire with the heat between you two.""You're mistaking bitter animosity for heartfelt affection.”

“You're supposed to say, 'All I want is your happiness. I'll do whatever it takes, even if it means being without you.'""Sorry," Noah said. "I'm just not that big of a person.”

“I’ll walk forever with stories inside me that the people I love the most can never hear.”

“We are far too screwed up for a goddamned love triangle.”

“You will love him to ruins.”

The Winners Curse by Marie Rutkoski

“He knew the law of such things: people in brightly lit places cannot see into the dark.”

“Isn’t that what stories do, make real things fake, and fake things real?”

“The Winner’s Curse is when you come out on top of the bid, but only by paying a steep price.”

“The god of lies must love you, you see things so clearly.”

Obsidian by Jennifer L Armentrout (are you getting the idea I love everything she writes? because I do!)

“I've always found that the most beautiful people, truly beautiful inside and out, are the ones who are quietly unaware of their effect."

“More books." His eyes went wide. "You have, like, them books you just said you haven't read." "Doesn't mean I won't get more books."

Angelfall by Susan Ee

“I never thought about it before, but I'm proud to be human. We're ever so flawed. We're frail, confused, violent, and we struggle with so many issues. But all in all, I'm proud to be a Daughter of Man.”

“Sometimes, as we're stumbling along in the dark, we hit something good.”

“I knew from the start that your loyalty would get you killed. I just never thought it would be your loyalty to me that would do it.”

Unique Reads

Dont Look Back by Jennifer L Armentrout

“I was stuck in a life I didn't remember, squeezed into the shell of this girl - this Samantha Joe Franco - and the more I learned about her, the more I was starting to hate her.”

“Things aren’t perfect. They are far, far from it,but they are getting there, and I wasn’t looking back. Not when there were so many good things in the future.”

Verity by Colleen Hoover

“I wasn’t heroic. I wasn’t simple. I was difficult. An emotionally challenging puzzle he wasn’t up for solving.”

“A writer should never have the audacity to write about themselves unless they’re willing to separate every layer of protection between the author’s soul and their book. The words should come directly from the center of the gut, tearing through flesh and bone as they break free. Ugly and honest and bloody and a little bit terrifying, but completely exposed.”

“No one is likable from the inside out.”

“Find what you love and let it kill you.”

Painted Faces by L.H Cosway

“We all paint on a face to show the world," Nicholas replies philosophically. "For some of us, that's quite literal.”

“I love him because he makes me laugh when I don't feel like laughing. I love him because he challenges my view of what a man is. I love him because I know I shouldn't love him and that he'll break my heart. I love him because he's a complete and total anomaly. I love him because I want to kill the sadness inside him more than I want anything else in the world.”

“You saw me, changed my life, made it better, and I’m completely fucking in love with you.”

Sorcery of Thorns by Margret Rogerson

“It was always wise to be polite to books, whether or not they could hear you.”

“Knowledge always has the potential to be dangerous. It is a more powerful weapon than any sword or spell.”

“When terrible things have happened to you, sometimes the promise of something good can be just as frightening.”

“You belonged in the library, as much as any book.”

“You unmanageable, contrary creature. You have made me believe in something at last. It feels as wretched as I imagined.”

Obviously not every book is going to suit everyone, everyone has pet peeves, and things that they won’t enjoy but hopefully this gives you some variety and I personally loved them all at some point! Pls feel free to come to my ask/chats to discuss any of them  that would make me so happy <3 this took 4 hours damn

[sometimesrosy]

What things in 7x02 do you think were the most significant in terms of the direction the show is taking toward its end? And how do you think it may lead back to Bellarke, as well, since they’re the center of the story?

Hmm. I’m not totally sure because this is the beginning of the end, see, so I’m starting to collect details and information and references and symbolism... bread crumbs. Sometimes I’m still running on a FEELING of it being connected without being able to pin point how it is? So I’m going to have to put things together as I go.

But like, first of all, this episode was about Octavia and growth from “monster” to hero again. One of the things that was vital to her was that she learned to understand her brother and his relationship to her, and while it wasn’t as blatant, also clarke’s relationship with Madi. It was also an affirmation that she believes her family is Bellamy, Clarke and Madi... which was not really there in season 5 and 6. But if you’ll notice that after she came back from the anomaly, Clarke WAS suddenly her people again and she was NOT going to let anything happen to her. This is where she learned that. This is what led to her hearing Clarke was in trouble on that radio and then taking off to save her. ALSO what led to her faith in Clarke at the gate. And what led to her refusing to sacrifice the sancumites or the COG because she wanted to be better and do better, what led to Bellamy embracing her again as his sister.

And no matter WHAT you think of Octavia as a character, whether you think she’s irredeemable or god’s gift to “I love her and she’s never done anything wrong ever,” Octavia Blake is a SUPREMELY important character in this show.

If this story is an allegory about humanity’s self destruction and rebirth, then Octavia’s role in it is... humanity itself. Clarke is the Head, Bellamy is the Heart, and Octavia is the SOUL. Father, son, holy spirit is Octavia as the “son.” How Octavia suffers, falls, and is redeemed is how it goes with humanity. They are the trinity (in whatever myth you choose I think it fits) and Octavia is the child symbol in that trinity. So, what happens with Octavia finding redemption goes back to Bellarke as mother and father or head and heart.

ALSO we have a replay of Aurora, Octavia and Bellamy with Diyoza, Bellamy and Hope. And it’s quite possible that Bellamy can’t find true love with Clarke until he makes up with Octavia. AND Clarke and Bellamy have ALWAYS used Octavia as a bridge between them. Instead of talking about their feelings for each other they always talk about Octavia. If Octavia is separated or evil or antagonistic, their bridge to each other is gone. 

Another consideration is the set up of the backstory and narrative this season, which is WAY complicated with multiple planets, new technology, old influences and timey wimey stuff. SHOWING us how the time stuff is working with new mysteries, prisons, families, a kid growing up before our eyes who was actually conceived before the first praimfaya I think, minddrive readers so we could see Becca, a focus on Bellamy in a kind of mythology for Octavia, Diyoza, Hope, Echo etc, I mean, it’s not TECHNICALLY about Bellarke, but it’s setting up a story that will be getting there.

That’s the part I can’t know yet. I don’t know what is being laid out yet. Some people have mentioned the CB letters carved into the cave. I said it didn’t matter, but it might very well have been an easter egg. That won’t make sense until we know the whole story. We’ll get a bit more when we see how Clarke responds to this all. 

Oh also, Echo brought up the Together thing. That’s a bellarke phrase. And it’s being used for a part of their family that is NOT together. Because TOGETHER is important to the story. Bellarke are the SYMBOL of the togetherness that they need for all their people. Also the Trust Bellamy... “I trust you,” was a big thing for Clarke and Bellamy. There were a couple of other places where the Bellarke dialogue was repeated in this episode, and I don’t want to necessarily say that is ABOUT Bellarke, but I think we SHOULD be paying attention to Bellarke as the central relationship AND the metaphor IN the story for the unity and understanding and coming together that is needed for ALL the characters and humanity itself. 

So like these stories about the secondary characters are leading back to Bellarke because they are now telling the same stories Bellarke struggled with but for the other characters. Bellamy’s near raising of Octavia and Octavia near raises Hope. Echo’s isolation/solitary confinement for 5-6 years like Clarke’s isolation. And actually we’re getting in coming up to. Raven and Murphy having to make life or death decisions and keeping the communities from infighting. 

CRIMINY!

Octavia resented Bellamy for being parental. Now she’s parental. Echo took Clarke’s place on the ring while Clarke was isolated, now ECHO is isolates. Raven accused Clarke of deciding who lives and dies while forcing her to decide who lives or dies, now SHE’s causing people to die with her decisions. Murphy killed their own people and brought plague and blew a hole in their dropship and wanted to be the new king and NOW he’s in charge of keeping random peoples together and is playing GOD-King.

I mean. 

LOL.

If you only watch when Clarke and Bellamy and Bellarke (but no b/e) is there you will miss all that. You lose out on the comparisons. You won’t be able to see the similarities or links because you’ll be missing the data points.

You know that saying “once is chance, twice is a coincidence, three times a pattern?”

You’ll never get that pattern if you don’t watch the parts that you think are irrelevant. You’ll miss #3 and maybe #2. The details will continue to be irrelevant and you won’t get the reinforcing or breadcrumbs or narrative links that make the story deeper. All you’ll get is a love story with a lot of irrelevant nonsense around it that makes it frustrating for you. And then you’ll say that the story is too slow, or subplots are macguffins, or important episodes are filler, or it doesn’t make sense, or it’s bad writing, or a character is being minimized or vilified, or the writers didn’t give you enough information to understand so it’s their fault you were off in lala land with some other plot and endgame. (season 3 is a BIG example of this. Lxa was NEVER the hero. Bellamy was NEVER the villain. And Clarke was NEVER the love interest. That WIDESPREAD interpretation in both bc and cl fandoms was a misinterpretation because people didn’t follow the narrative and only watched what they liked. It’s backwards. L was villain/love interest. Bellamy was hero/love interest, and Clarke was hero/villain. HA!)

I mean you can continue to only watch for Bellarke, you might still get the love story you want, (better bet than s3 CLs since they shipped the non endgame pair,) but everything around it is treated as an obstacle or an offense, rather than part of the structure of a much better love story.

[immortalpramheda]

The 100 7x08 ‘Anaconda’

Clarke, Raven and Miller are still reeling from the news that Bellamy is dead. There’s no time to mourn because Anders brings the Shepherd in to see them. Clarke vaguely recognises him - Bill Cadogan, founder of the Second Dawn cult who owned the bunker that Wonkru spent six years in.

The key they keep referring to is the Flame. From only seeing a selected bunch of Octavia’s memories they believe Clarke still has it in her head. Gabriel gives her hints to play along and pretend it’s still in there.

Bill understands Trig because it was his daughter who created the language when she was a child. If the language is still around it means she must have survived to pass it on. And that transitions us into the prequel.

Pre-apocalypse Earth - right before the bombs hit. We meet Bill’s daughter, Callie, and her best friend, Lucy. They’ve just come back from protesting as part of an environmentalist group called ‘Tree Crew’. A news report says a protest against the Wallace Administration (presumably run by Dante’s father) went wrong when the riot police got violent - Callie got bruises and Lucy got a cut that required stitches.

Callie’s mother, Grace, and Bill are separated. Callie is now eighteen and has decided to drop out of MIT college and spend her time fighting for what is right. Her brother, Reese, is allied with their father and his doomsday cult.

Anaconda. The code word that means the missiles are in the air. Grace knows this isn’t a drill and they need to leave now. As Lucy isn’t a Level 12, she can’t come with them. Before Callie knows what’s happening, her mother knocks Lucy out and they head to the bunker in a helicopter as the bombs begin to hit.

Reese is leading people in and checking that they are actually Level 12. A young man named August desperately tries to get back up to his girlfriend, who isn’t a Level 12. Tristin, a young man also loyal to the cult, knocks him out.

Bill is working on the Anomaly Stone in his office. He stole it from underneath a temple in Machu Picchu and they call it the ‘space ball’. On the temple were seven symbols, and as it takes seven points to travel through space, he believes putting the correct code in will open up a portal to another world. But… nothing happens when he puts it in.

Only 92 percent of the Level 12’s Made it to the bunker in time meaning there is still room for more people. Callie wants to go and bring more people in but her father forbids it because they’re not Level 12.

She goes off anyway and finds August, who wants to get out too to get to his girlfriend. It turns out he’s a member of Tree Crew too.

Reese refuses to let anyone open the hatch. He’s trying so hard make his father proud that he’s willing to go along with these things that surely he knows are wrong. But he sticks by his father and doesn’t allow Callie to go out.

Two years later. They’re now allowed above ground with radiation suits on. Callie, Reese, Tristan and a few others are out on a mission. Just as they’re about to head back, they see a ship fall from the sky. BECCA!!! She lands and takes her mask off and says she’s here to help. Callie immediately recognises who she is.

They take her into the bunker. Tristan begins convulsing, he was exposed to radiation. Becca injects him with the nightblood serum to save him.

As they get close to Bill’s office, Becca begins hearing a high pitched sound and her nose starts bleeding. When the Stone is uncovered, she realises it’s coming from there. Harmonic mathematics, she describes it as. It tells her which symbols to press with the final one being infinity symbol. And then the bridge opens.

Becca won’t allow them to go through. They don’t know the science yet, for all they know they’ll die on the journey. She offers to give them all the blood treatment so they can all live above ground while she continues studying it, but Bill won’t allow it.

Callie gets along with Becca very well. She’s always idolised her since she was young. She asks about the scar on her neck and Becca tells her about ALIE 2.0 which she calls the ‘Flame’.

Becca discovers seven of the symbols on the Stone have no sounds. She tries pressing them and the space ball spins and then turns white and she’s sucked into it. When Bill walks in she returns and she’s frightened. She says she saw ‘Judgement Day’ and they’re not ready for that. She’s extremely traumatised by whatever she saw in there and wants to shut it down.

Bill locks Becca up because he doesn’t trust her to not to destroy what could be their salvation. Callie believes she was sent here to help them rebuild the Earth, not help them jump to another. But Bill with his god complex believes he’ll be the one to save them all, not her.

Reese has found Becca’s diary and knows about the Flame. Before she is to be executed, Callie visits her and informs her she’s given the nightblood, as August has named it, to all the kids in the bunker.

Becca refuses to give up the AI and allow Bill to get the code. ‘Goodbye for now’ in latin is the phrase to take the Flame out. The AI can only be merged with someone with the blood alteration and she wholeheartedly believes that in the right mind, it can save the world.

Becca is burned at the stake and Reese takes the Flame. Callie and her army of nightbloods confront him. She challenges her brother to a one on one duel. She has a gun and shoots him, grabs the Flame and injects him with nightblood.

Callie tells her mother they’re heading up to the ground and she helps slam the door of the airlock shut allowing her daughter and her army get to the ground.

Bill tosses his ex-wife, who doesn’t have the blood alteration, into the air lock. She’ll die of radiation soon enough. He orders Reese to find the Flame no matter what it takes.

As Callie leads her people, the first Grounders, to their new home, Bill leads his people, the Disciples, through the bridge where they end up on Bardo at some point. Callie is determined to keep the Flame safe. She is the first Flamekeeper.

Back in the present, Clarke lies and says his daughter is inside the key. But she’s not willing to just hand it over, he killed her best friend and she orders for her other friends to be brought in.

As requested, in come Octavia, Diyoza and Echo, who now look like Disciple soldiers. The final war is coming.

Soon enough they’ll find out she doesn’t have it in her head anymore so I don’t know how long she’ll be able to bluff her way along. And she only had it very briefly and didn’t retain that any of that knowledge as far as we know, but there is someone who is drawing memories that are not her own. Madi may actually be the key.

I really loved this episode! I’ve always loved the history and mythology of this world so this was everything I could have hoped for! And I always love seeing more Becca! Callie is a great lead character, and I really liked the other characters too. I don’t feel like it took away from the season at all, this is information we needed to know going into the final episodes anyway. I do hope it gets picked up for series because I’d love to see more!

[i-dont-read]

my top 10 books i read in 2019

#1 The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Adult Fantasy

Magical Underground Library

#2 Kiss the Sky (Calloway Sisters #1) by Krista & Becca Ritchie

New Adult Romance

Rivals-to-Lovers

#3 The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Adult Fantasy

Magical Circus/Carnival

#4 Vicious (Villains #1) by V.E. Schwab

Adult Sci-fi

Superhumans

#5 Headstrong Like Us (Like Us #6) by Krista & Becca Ritchie

New Adult MM Romance

Bodyguard/Client

#6 Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Adult Fantasy

Eastern European (Russian, etc.) Mythology

#7 Defy Me (Shatter Me #5) by Tahereh Mafi

Young Adult Sci-fi

Dystopia

#8 The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves #1) by Roshani Chokshi

Young Adult Fantasy

Paris 1889

#9 Ruthless People (Ruthless People #1) by J.J. McAvoy

New Adult Romantic Suspense

Chicago Mafia (Irish/Italian)

#10 Vicious Minds: Part 1 (Children of Vice #4) by J.J. McAvoy

New Adult Romantic Suspense

Chicago Mafia (Irish/Italian)

[watchyourpackrp]

ISAAC LAHEY IS TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OLD. HE IS AN OMEGA WHO IS CURRENTLY WORKING AS AN ARMS DEALER. HE LOOKS JUST LIKE DANIEL SHARMAN AND  IS PLAYED BY BECCA.

TW Death, Abuse

Isaac Lahey grew up in Beacon Hills, California. As a very young child his life seemed idyllic. However, when he was six years old things began to fall apart. He had gotten sick at school, and his  mother had been called to pick him up. They never made it home. The accident left little Isaac badly injured, but his mother didn’t survive. His father blamed the young boy, and things were never the same. His only protector was his older brother. Camden was eight years older than him and he was Isaac’s hero, the cool older brother, popular, captain of the swim team, and their father’s pride and joy. Camden was everything Isaac wanted to be, and he would still risk their father’s ire to step in and defend Isaac when their father began his drunken tirades against the boy. 

Isaac was only ten when Camden joined the army, fresh out of high school. Even with the things Isaac had seen, he never really expected that to end the way it did. Two years later brought another crushing blow. Camden was dead, killed in action. The loss left Isaac reeling. His older brother was gone. The only person he felt loved him was never going to come back. Their father only spiraled more in his grief. His anger at Isaac increased and life at home became a place of constant danger. Lonely and isolated, Isaac was desperate for affection, asking out girls he barely spoke to because he couldn’t afford to let anyone get close. His father was violent and cruel, screaming, throwing things, beating him, and worst of all for Isaac, dragging him through the house to lock in the basement freezer. Isaac was certain that the memories of those nights would echo through his nightmares for the rest of his life. 

His introduction to the supernatural felt like a miracle. When you have nothing left to live for, someone showing up and telling you that they can do something that will either kill you or give you superpowers is too tempting an offer to refuse. The idea of healing as quickly as Derek showed him, of having the strength to break out of the freezer, and having a family again… it was worth any of the drawbacks the man listed. Even death seemed better than the life he had so he took the chance, he became a werewolf. Even with the death of his father, the discovery of the dark side of the supernatural, and living on the run he still didn’t think he had made a mistake. It wasn’t until his friends started dying around him, until his Alpha kicked him out and he was left homeless, begging for a roof over his head as he slipped through the cracks of the foster system that he began to question his choice. 

Just as it seemed like there might be a bright side, like he finally had a home where he was safe, an Alpha who really cared for him, and a girl who might actually love him, it all fell apart again. His packmate was possessed, his Alpha was angry at him for dating his ex, and then just when it looked like they might win… Allison was dead. Killed saving his life. Even defeating the Nogitsune felt like a hollow victory when all he saw when he closed his eyes was Allison dying, dying in Scott’s arms, telling Scott he was the one she loved.  In his pain and grief, he was moving on autopilot as Chris took him to France to hide the container housing the Nogitsune with a trusted ally. He didn’t realize until the end of the Summer that Chris also planned to leave him with said trusted ally. He had argued at first, but Chris had insisted Allison had died for him and he was not going to throw his life away by running back into the danger of the literal Beacon that was his hometown. 

In France, Isaac slowly learned to feel safe. The friend that Chris had left him with was a kind man, a wise man, and as Isaac would soon learn, an extremely powerful Druid. With him, Isaac was able to return to school, to graduate high school, and even move on to university where he studied classics with a focus on mythology, to learn as much as he could about the world he was now a part of. His guardian offered to help the boy find a pack, but after all he had lost Isaac chose to remain an Omega, even in his pain he held too much loyalty for Scott McCall to join someone else. The more Isaac heard about what was happening in Beacon Hills, the more he pushed to go home, but Chris gave him a new mission in France. With help from the Druid, Isaac was to work undercover as an arms dealer in Chris’s employment, making nice with the local hunters in order to spy on their activities for the benevolent supernatural community in France. He was to continue Allison’s code of ‘We Protect Those Who Cannot Protect Themselves’. 

As an extension of his mission, he was soon made aware of a child being raised by the local branch of the Argent family. The child, he was told, was half-werewolf, though they were not aware of that fact. If they turned in the care of Argents following the old code, they would be killed. It was up to Isaac to watch, to wait, and to be ready to intervene and run with the child if it ever came to it. As the years went on, Isaac felt a purpose in life come from those he had helped and old wounds began to slowly heal, though when he closed his eyes he could still see the faces of those he had lost - his mother, his brother, his father, Erica, Boyd, Allison. It was still too many. He worked his way into the trust of the French Argents, offering himself as a tutor for their children,  enabling him to keep a closer eye on the child while subtly planting ideas in their heads that the ‘creatures’ their parents hunted might still be people, might still be good. It took years, but his work paid off. When the child came into their abilities as a werewolf, Isaac saw the signs and was ready to protect them and run after they shifted for the first time. 

They barely got out alive, and as the Druid hid them the truth finally came out when Chris dove into his father’s records. The child Isaac had been protecting all these years was the child of Derek Hale, taken from him to be raised by hunters and if they remained human, to be used against him. The child’s power was inherited from the Alpha who had turned Isaac so long ago. They were pack. In a way, they were family, and Isaac was not going to let anything happen to this child. He would be the big brother that Camden had been for him, but he would do what Camden hadn’t been able to. He would get them to safety, he would protect them, and he would give them a family back.  With the Druid’s help, the pair were smuggled out of the country and Isaac was ready to finally take the both of them home.

PERSONALITY

+ Loyal, Determined, Reliable 

- Blunt, Guarded, Sarcastic

[floralgothpersephone]

Top Fave Fandoms

@akai-vampire tagged me in one of these fun little tag games. Thanks darlin! <3 <3 <3 I appreciate the thought! 

Rules:  Name your top 10 fav character from 10 different fandoms (and tag 10 people).  

Most people are putting in .gifs for each fandom... but I wrote a ... well a paragraph about my experience in each fandom instead because I am feeling some deep sort of nostalgia these days and felt like reflecting... so its all under a read more tag if you are interested in my ramblings. 

In order of my own discovery, and not importance! 

Twilight: Team Edward. don’t @ me, it was my first fandom experience and I wrote SO MUCH fanfiction before I knew it was even a thing. I published it on DeviantART thinking I was so clever, and finding fanfic dot net was WILD. My interest in that fandom was immediately crushed dead the day after Breaking Dawn was officially released and I realized I had read better fanfiction then what cannon gave me. I never even saw the movies because my interest was just gone. *shrugs* But the re-emergence of Twilight recently is giving me life. 

Teen Titans: BBRae... Then RobRae.... then RaeX.... then StarRae... then CyRae... listen.... Raven deserves all the love and attention??? Also, I was in this fandom back when the original series was being released and was in complete denial when it got canceled. And for years I was just reading fanfiction that had been completely abandoned as fanfiction authors just kinda disappeared one by one? It was like, interacting of pieces of history left behind in a void. I was still deep in the Teen Titan fandom when Teen Titans GO! Got released. So during that very very long time of zero new content, I got to re-evaluate all of my fanfiction standards and completely read most every single Teen Titan fic ever written in my thirst for more. Suddenly ships didn’t matter as much to me, I’d take anything and everything. So when Teen Titans GO! Came out, I LIKED IT AND STILL DO. I still think the years and years and years of being in the Teen Titans fandom and being pretty damn isolated from social interaction kinda ruined me for fandoms that are still alive. Social fandom interaction??? hahahahaha, whats that??? 

Akagami no Shirayukihime: Obiyuki... this was a complete accident and I only fell into this fandom because my fave Teen Titans fandom author was writing for it, and I was reading the fanfiction without ever seeing the show, and like, kinda loved these characters a TON??? Oh no??? Real talk, I read most of the fanfiction published by the fandom before ever actually watching the actual tv show or reading the actual manga. But the fanfiction was so good and so engaging and I was learning all about these characters through this mystery game of putting all the parts together by all the different authors??? I loved learning about these characters through the people who love them the most, and it was magical. But then that became my dirty dark secret as I was suddenly welcomed into one of the most kindest and generous online communities I have ever met??? I have nothing but absolute love for the Obiyuki fandom and family. I had never experienced that kind of community before and looking back on it I still don’t think it was real, stuff like that you can only dream of sometimes. I sat down and actually read that manga and Fiona sat with me so that I watched the tv series so that I could properly engage with them because I liked the people so much. And when life hit me square in the face and I had a complete mental breakdown in grad school, and socializing with people online would give me complete anxiety attacks... and I had to step away from it. But I still mourn loosing that, and I keep trying every so often to see if I can interact again but I fear some chapters just close, and I hold the time I had with it, and the memories from then very lovingly. I will finish those fanfictions though. Even though I have no idea what has happen in the manga anymore I want to at least finish those stories like what they deserve. 

Miraculous Ladybug: Love Square. Sooo much love square. All the love square. Only the softest, gentlest, most innocent fluff to cope with the world and all my anxieties, and this stupid show gave me all of that. Plus, there was so much fanfiction to choose from that I was actually able to use tags and warnings to be able to navigate finding things that were safe and not feeling like my options were limited? It was so good to me. I also had never actually watched this show, and was only reading fanfiction of it for... honestly a full year. And when I did actually watch the first 2 seasons... I still didn’t watch the new episodes when they got released, because I much prefer watching the fandom loose their collective mind and getting to play the mystery game of what the hell happened in the show according to the little spoilers and the things people were screaming about. It was fun spectating, and putting it all together. Then reading the fix-it fanfiction and being like “whoa wait, hold up CANON DID WHAT???” ... Honestly I am pretty certain I still haven’t seen at least 10 episodes. But I know everything that happened now! Have I mentioned that I have an insane amount of anxiety of actually watching tv shows on my own? I must have company or else it will never happen. Shout out to Fiona for sitting down and watching Ladybug episodes with me while I screamed into a pillow. And for the record, I did start writing a fanfiction for this one. But I learned my lesson and decided not to post anything until it was finished so I didn’t have to live with the guilt of yet another unfinished story to my name. It was a little mermaid AU, and Adrien is the mermaid princess obviously, while Marinette is a badass pirate. It was fun to outline and write like, 3 chapters but i doubt I will ever actually finish it. 

Greek Mythology: Hades/Persephone. Yoooo this is my current thing. I am living for the walking contradiction of the powerful stern Lord of the Underworld falling for a little tiny goddess of Spring... and then finding out the little tiny ray of sunshine is really a complete force of nature to be reckoned with and he just crowned her Queen of the Dead. Beautiful. Poetry. *chefs kiss*  Also. I DON”T HAVE TO WATCH ANYTHING. AND ALSO. ITS AN ANCIENT STORY SO LIKE, NO SPOILERS TO NAVIGATE. lol. But honestly this is just a re-awakening of little middle school Becca who was obsessed with the Odyssey and was learning how to throw pottery so that she could actually date her pots, to help out the archaeologists in the future. (honest to god, that one of my main motivations as a little 6th grader making her first pots on wheel) And she was making these super shitty small greek pots and giving them to her English teacher because her English teacher loved the Odessey too. And then Greece had a complete economic collapse and crushed all of baby-Becca’s dreams to get to travel to Greece and see the greek pottery. And she delt with that heartbreak by pretending it didn’t matter and went and found other cool pottery to fall in love with instead. But now its back with a vengeance and once again Becca’s plans to go to Greece got destroyed by yet another economic collapse but this one is just Pandemic style. I am going to get to Greece so help me gods.  And yes, I have written fanficiton for this one too, and its honestly like, pretty fleshed out and written down heavily in my notes. I just have to like, type it all out and polish it. But, we will see. I am not allowed to have nice things until I finish the stories that are already posted. :[ 

Hadestown: Hades and Persephone, love that made the world go round. This gets its own bullet because its a different category because its a Musical even if its also a Greek Myth. And talk about reading all the fanfiction before seeing the source material. But isn’t that the case with most Broadway musicals? LOL. But its okay, I actually went and SAW the musical for this one, and once again, Fiona joined me. I’m starting to wonder if my Fiona is just my fandom anxiety buddy. Also shout out to the Rona for canceling my plans to see it again, not once, but twice now. (I have to go back because I didn’t get to see Amber Gray perform the first time, and hello I am obsessed with Persephone she is my favorite and I really really really just need to hear Amber growl in person okay???) I do have nightmares that she has left the show for good and I will never see her perform Persephone. Like legitimately have had that nightmare multiple times this week. I am just recently trying to navigate the Hadestown fandom on tumblr and still fumbling around with that. No fanfiction for this one yet, but I am making fan-pottery so like. That counts. 

Aaaaand you only get 6 fandoms because these are the only 6 that truly matter. Anything else I have been interested in has only been a passing fancy and never one of the true hyperfixations. Also if you got this far and actually read everything, well done, I am impressed. Thanks for taking interest in my ramblings.  <3 

If I am tagging you its cause I want to play the game, don’t feel pressured if you don’t want to play. <3

@bookloverfio @ruleofexception @wingsofgossamer @claudeng80 @puns-are-funs65 @ourladyoftheundcrground @peachdoxie