#becoming fond of my yearly big adventures

[domesticatedmeatpig]

miku expo tommoro.... i am scared. i havent been to an event this entire year. Nor have i hung out with friend (1).t his entire year. My outings have beenStore and Therapy... tomorow is my yearly big adventure... shakes...

[classic80sand90smovieloves2]

Meeting and Dating Tom Hagen

(Not my gif)(Requested by anonymous)

-  Everyone in town knew about the Corleone's, you yourself had heard the occasional rumor or story from friends and coworkers but never in your life would you have imagined you’d meet one of them. 

- When your parents told you they were going to meet with the Godfather you didn’t believe them, or at least you didn’t believe that they were serious. You would soon come to realize that they were when you arrived home from running errands, only to find the families Consigliere sitting at your kitchen table. 

- Your parents enthusiastically introduced the two of you as the man stood to greet you. You had the overwhelming urge to pinch yourself as you shook his hand but instead you excused yourself, trying your best not to look as stunned as you felt. 

- It took him about a month or so to work things out with your parents. In that time, the two of you began to make occasional small talk, mainly when you walked him to the door or while your parents did something in the other room. You were also able to have a few conversations over dinner as your parents would invite him to stay and eat with you. 

- You were more than grateful for his help, finding him to be quite sweet and easy on the eyes; if you did say so yourself. He himself grew to be quite infatuated with you but out of respect for your parents and his usual favor towards not mixing personal life with business, he waited until he was finished with helping your parents before he finally asked you out on a date. 

- For your first date, he took you to a restaurant you’d never been before, some upscale, beautiful place that you could only assume was the usual for him and his family. He, of course, paid for everything, telling you to get anything you desired. 

- All delicious food aside, you really fell for him that night. Without your parents around, you could get a real good look at his true personality and boy did you like what you saw. He was intellectual, poised, polite; refined in a way you weren’t quite used to but particularly enjoyed. You felt like the luckiest girl alive when your night ended and he asked to schedule another date. Unbeknownst to you, he felt like the luckiest guy in the world when you immediately agreed. 

- The two of you shared your first kiss on your fourth date. It was the middle of October and the two of you were taking a long walk through the park together. He stopped to fix your scarf for you but instead of doing so right away, he paused for a moment, looking into your eyes before pulling you closer and pressing his lips to yours. 

- There was no way you could turn back now, and your certainly didn't want to.  

- Tom tries his best to be professional whenever he’s out in public so he tends to limit how much he kisses or touches you. He prefers to save his affection for when you’re behind closed doors. 

- Kisses on the cheek. 

- Candlelit dinners. 

- Occasionally being walked out on when important business comes up. You don’t hold it against him, you knew what you were getting into when you started dating him, but you do wish business could pick a more convenient time to show it’s face.

- Growing close with his sister and sister in laws. You ladies have to stick together, especially when your husbands/boyfriends ditch you to do whatever it is they do when they’re with one another. 

- He loves going clothes shopping with you. He likes to sit back and watch you try things on or get fitted, it gives him the chance to admire you and wonder how he got so lucky. 

- Having a hand on the small of your back whenever you're standing beside him. He does it so much that you feel a little uncomfortable without the familiar warmth there. 

- Trips to the cinema. He’s quite fond of movies, they let him analyze things just for fun which is much less high-stakes than what he usually uses his skills for. 

- Museum dates. 

- Theater dates. You always get the most amazing seats.

- Deep discussions. He likes intellectual conversations, subjects that make him think, not just mindless small talk. He gets talked at most of the time or is busy dealing with things he can do blindfolded so being able to come home and have a genuine conversation is borderline therapeutic. 

- Fixing his hair and adjusting his clothes for him. He thinks its sweet when you fuss over him. 

- He’s an absolute gentleman, if there’s a chivalrous thing he can do then he’s going to do it; its just in his nature. 

- You’ll have whatever you want, whenever you want. Pretty much anything you ask for can be yours, within reason, of course. 

- He calls you things like “darling” and “honey”. He prefers more old school, sort of matrimonial pet names. 

- Waking up to soft kisses. 

- Tom is shrewd; he notices everything. He sees the way you look at certain things, what’s important to you, etc. He takes whatever he sees and stores it away for when he needs it; you may forget about it but he never does. 

- Having little notes left for you when he has to go off on business in the middle of the night or when you're out of the house. Even though you hate not being able to say goodbye, you do think it’s cute that he takes the time to let you know where he is. 

- Forming little routines and holiday traditions with one another. His particular favorite tradition is your yearly carriage ride through central park during the winter season. 

- He prefers quiet nights in over anything else. He’s never been one for thrills or adventure; a cup of tea, good book, and you snuggled into his side is more than enough for him. 

- A very nervous first meeting with his parents. Despite the fact that you’re scared shitless, they seem very fond of you. Vito in particular has a soft spot for you, he’s very happy that you’ll be joining the family one day. 

- Big family affairs; you certainly have to grow accustomed to Corleone parties, they’re a bit more extravagant than you’re used to.

- Family dinners. You find it touching that they want to include you in their more intimate get-togethers.

- He’s basically your shadow whenever you’re together, always sticking close and keeping an eye out for you.

- Pretty much all of the Corleone boys; which, at least to me, includes Tom, are very protective of their girls. No ones going to touch, threaten or even look at you the the wrong way if they have any say in it. And who would dare to cross a Corleone in the first place?

- He’s usually the silent kind of jealous, watching the scene with growing irritation but, for the most part, allowing you to do whatever you please. He doesn’t feel the need to be jealous all that often though. He knows that pretty much anyone in your general vicinity would intervene if the person was trying something with you. 

- He’s good at keeping his polite composure so you often don’t have any idea how he was/is feelings. All you know is his warm smile as he greets you, winding an arm around your waist. 

- Like previously stated: he’s good at keeping his composure which either helps to calm you down when you’re going through something or only makes things worse. Either way, his unfazed nature does, at some point, reassure you that things are alright even if it initially didn’t. 

- He always wants you to come to him when you have a problem or want to make a decision. He wants to be able to support you and help you through things; he hates the idea of you mulling over something stressful all by yourself. 

- You’re definitely treated a lot nicer by people; strangers watch out for you, shop owners become friendly with you, etc. It’s like the whole world’s suddenly accepted you. 

- Your parents are very happy with your choice of boyfriend/potential (well, almost guaranteed) husband. Your mother probably brags to her friends about how her daughters involved with the Corleone's Consigliere. 

- He loves coming home, pulling you close, and being enveloped by your familiar perfume. Its the perfect way for him to wind down after a long day. 

- Occasionally accompanying him on his trips. You obviously stay at the hotel while he goes off and negotiates but you don’t mind having a little bit of alone time in a lavish room. 

- You cuddle in the sweethearts cradle: your face on his chest and his arm wrapped around your shoulders.

- He seems like the type of guy who would enjoy being in the company of dogs so the two of you probably adopt one together. He takes great pleasure in calling you their mother. 

- Getting to hear all the stories from his childhood. He always gets this adorably fond look on his face whenever he’s speaking. 

- Comforting him after deaths in the family and other awful news. 

- He tries to keep you away from his business as much as possible, not wanting to upset you or potentially get you in the crossfire of something. 

- He uses a lot of flattery. Oftentimes he’ll say something sweet when he knows he’s upset or disappointed you, it slightly lessens the blow but never fixes things completely. 

- Toms a lawyer, he’s a good arguer and he’s particularly good at getting what he wants so when you're arguing its almost a sure thing that he’ll win. Not that arguments happen often. 

- He's surprisingly sensitive; certain things cut him deep, especially when they come from the people he cares about. Be kind to him; he deserves it. 

- He says “I love you” sparingly but he shows his love through his actions more than his words. 

- Obviously there’s a marriage in store for you. He’s hoping for a couple kids as well so be prepared for that. 

- You may have a bit of a chaotic life in store for you but I’m sure you wouldn’t change it for the world and neither would he. 

[semi-imaginary-place]

I went on my yearly kubera binge over the last couple days reading approximately chapters 3-100 to 3-178, so here’s some thoughts.

Is still can’t tell what Currygom is doing by portraying so many unhealthy relationships. Is it criticism by showing all the angst they cause? Is is fetishism and indulgence? Does she think they’re neat??

Agwen and Kasak’s relationship is so broken oh wow. A big part of the problem is that Kasak never explains things and like you know... communicates. He just leaves things unsaid and implied but implied in front of everyone except Agwen.

Agni and Brilith love each other, but love isn’t enough for a relationship, you also need things like mutual goodwill, trust, regular effort, and communications. The two of them might love each other but they are missing some of the other fundamental aspects of a working relationship. Agni didn’t believe Brilith when she truthfully said that Ran attacked her. This shows the lack of trust they have for each other but also one of Agni’s biggest character flaws, that he always thinks he’s right. Agni is decently intelligent and has good judgement. He also trust absolutely in the truth of his insight. And Chandra notes of this, that while his insight is usually right, it isn’t always right. And the same goes for his judgements, he’s usually right but that isn’t the same thing as always being right. But Agni always puts his evaluation of the situation above that of anyone else’s.

Speaking of character flaws, one that Maruna has repeatedly demonstrated is how he underestimates his opponents or perhaps it is better to say he always believes he can win. Instances that I can think of off the top of my head are his various fight with Ran first in the Kubera illusion tunnel thing on Konchez, Ran again while they’re on they’re time traveling adventure, the first meeting with Asha in the timeless space, and his recent fight with Raltara.

I’m happy that we are getting a Maruna focused arc now haha awww the chicken is finally learning empathy. His denial is so funny like when he thinks of Ran. Given how he hadn’t figured out how to return to human form in the current N23 time, my guess is that he doesn’t reach 5th stage until the very end of this little adventure. And given how Agni could still use insight on him, he must not have taken the slow way to get back to the current time (ie. wait ?? billions of years). I’m still not used to his 5th stage human form, the round ears keep throwing me off.

Ok I also got to say that garuda clan 5th stage sura forms are just my aesthetic. where its like mostly human but some parts aren’t, and there’s a mask with long flowing hair and wings?? YES.

I’m not so fond of some of the side stories, there’s too much of like oh yeah and these people totally had romantic feelings. boo romance, give me more universe wide chess games. I will admit finding out that having a catgirl fetish is hereditary was pretty funny. those sexy sexy cat yaksha ears...

I think I finally understand the Teo-Menaka situation. (also that Gandharva’s original and truest form is a baby makes so much sense given how he acts like a baby). Baby Gandharva took the name “Gandharva” from Menaka who was suppose to have it and Menaka risked herself to save him. Menaka then made a deal with Kali to take on Gandharva’s sins and when she died Kali took her soul and made it into Taraka to act as a mother to Yuta. Teo and Taraka are killed at similar times and original Teo soul is used to form a new Taraka free of their role as mother. When Teo is revived, it is with Menaka’s soul. And thus they live like this for 7 years. Until again new Taraka and new Teo are again killed at about the same time. Menaka’s soul then takes on the sins accrued by Teo’s original soul while living as Taraka and is eliminated by Gandharva. oh and Leny has original Airavata’s soul and Chandra planned to get her killed using the knowledge he gained from his insight of what current Airavata-Kinnara told Leny. And Ann has Saha’s soul.

The universe in Kubera is highly ordered and structured and I think its enforced morality systems are flat out wrong. Various things a being does during its life can incur “sin” and at death a human may be punished in hell, go to paradise, or reenter the reincarnation cycle. It is a sin to kill a human, but not a sin to kill a sura despite both being living sentient and sapient beings. And at the beginning of the universe, It was only sura, whose souls would not return after death with ancient humans being reincarnated and gods reforming after a while. For that matter, sura were designed to lose from the start. A species that only gets weaker each generation and to whom death is final, the system was design against them from the start.

The series is honestly really cishet-normative. There as a couple being with nonbinary sexes/genders like Pingara and Hura, but the fact that nastika who can all change their sex at will all identify as either male or female in gender binary brainrot. And then to these being with fluid existences, they only form romantic relationships when one partner’s sex is male and the other’s is female???? and its considered highly deviant if both are in male form???? bullshit. (this is from the old version of the Finite when people comment on Vasuki living together with Taksaka before Vasuki took on female form to avoid succession of the Anata clan). Oh and then male forms are on average stronger than female forms? Why would you hardcode in misogyny into your universe???? ... So Currygom’s a conservative... truly a shame.

god Kubera’s lance can steal names as Kinara used it to steal original Airavata’s name. Kubera then used it to take Ananta’s name, but he could not hold two names and the name “Kubera” shattered and its power split between all the various humans named Kubera. The name “Ananta” somehow got attached to “Kubera” and so shattered with it, leaving the god kinda nameless. Sagara and Asha as well as others then worked on gathering the fragments of “Kubera”/”Ananta”

I really like Laila... when she finally stabbed Chandra I was cheering.

And shess was totally going to kidnap one of Ran’s kids to exchange for Leny.

From what Currygom has shown so far, Personality is determined by the interplay of soul of memories/experiences. When Teo’s soul changed her personality also changed, not a lot but with Menaka’s soul she was more of a worrier, trying very hard to excel at everything from swordplay to managing the city, while with Teo’s original soul back she’s a bit more laidback. Siera’s soul did not change but his knowledge of the universe radically did in a short period of time and with it his world view and this drastically changed his personality. This is just my speculation here but perhaps each soul determines the the possibilities for personality and experience determines which one it will be?

Ran is becoming closer to a sura. We do not know how long Ran spent in the white space with Maruna not that time has any meaning there but with their short lives, it certainly wasn’t something a human was designed to experience and we can see this in the difference in how Maruna and Ran deal with the experience. Yet, experiencing that and living through it, Ran approximated what life is like for a sura. We can see the results of his experience journeying through time in him attacking Brilith. Ran by then has gained more... oneness with his sura powers and his personality has changed. But because modern human bodies are not suited for holding large amounts of experiences, the sudden injection of many experiences destabilizes the person and we see this with both Brilith and Ran. A lot of the confusion and sudden shifts in demeanor is probably from this. Him lying about using the eye of punishment was probably his mind trying to reconcile what pre-time travel Ran knew about the Eye and the fact that Maruna is now 5th stage

[edgydepressedchoicesthot]

24: my love was stronger than your pride (any ES pairing)

Summary: Neither of them knew that this was the last time they’d see each other before Andromeda’s sacrifice made time reassert itself.

Something else they didn’t know is that the same force that tore them apart would bring them back to each other. Seraxa/Yvonne

ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23248093

A/N: Well, this one took a while. Apologies to @brightpinkpeppercorn for taking my sweet time with this. I originally asked for prompts to get myself out of my writing funk, and I decided to take the quarantine as a chance to use some new free time to start writing again. I hope you’re all doing okay and staying safe.

After getting the prompt, I thought a bit on what ship do to this for; Estela/MC, Quinn/Michelle, Craig/Aleister (idk lol). But seeing a post saying that Serafine in Bloodbound is Yvonne from the Vaanu!Ending (who she OBVIOUSLY IS DAMMIT), that got me thinking. When I was fresh in the fandom, I heard someone suggest Seraxa/Yvonne, and I kinda liked the ship. And after seeing the “Serafine is Yvonne” Theory Fact, I wondered: what has she been up to? Is she keeping in touch with the Catalysts? Has she been back to La Huerta? HAS SHE SEEN HER GREEN GIRLFRIEND AGAIN? And thus, this fic was born! I made a few alterations to the canon (Yvonne stuck around during the Cetus battle and helped out), but nothing so that it’ll be too unrecognizable. Enjoy!

BTW I am not responsible in any fashion if you injure yourself whilst trying to lick your elbow.

————————

The pirate was probably trying to be stealthy, but Seraxa still heard her coming.

Night blanketed Elyys’tel, and lanterns hung all over the Great Tree, made to look like their own star-filled sky.

Andromeda, just Handfasted, was off enjoying the night with their beloved. The rest of the Catalysts joined the Vaanti in the festivities. People danced by bonfires and played as many games to rival the ones from the last Valinorim. All the laughter, singing, and happy shouts melded together into one joyous roar.

The last Seraxa saw of Taari was he and Zahra running off to play what she had called “dodgeball”, leaving Seraxa with her thoughts.

“Not one for parties?”

That was the second time she and Yvonne had spoken. The first was just before Varyyn’s coronation, when she bid the Catalysts a fond farewell.

Seraxa had thanked, or at least acknowledged, Yvonne for helping to protect the Vaanti during Cetus’s attack. The pirate tipped her hat with a flourish and a wink, and called her “milday”.

Taari promptly asked if the pirate was her new girlfriend, and Seraxa assigned him a long list of chores after the Valinorim.

“I’m here for one, am I not?” Seraxa replied, not turning around.

“With the way you scowl like the sun’s in your eyes, you could have fooled me,” Yvonne was right next to her now, joining Seraxa in standing off to the side instead celebrating. It looked unfamiliar to Seraxa, since Yvonne seemed the type to waste no time in celebrating.

Seraxa also remembered the way the pirate arrived in the midst of Cetus’s attack to help, and how she led a crowd of Vaanti to safety deeper into the jungle.

“Truly though,” the pirate broke the warrior out of her thoughts. “Do you ever rest?”

“I am not fighting or preparing for a fight, so you can say I rest now,” Seraxa retorted.

“You’ve not touched a single drink the whole day, and watching everyone like a hawk does not help your case. In all the time I’ve known you, I’ve never seen you relax.”

“I wasn’t aware you were so keen on watching me.”

To Seraxa’s surprise, Yvonne blushed. She didn’t take that long to recover though.

“Still, with you being a military leader, that warrants a day off, no? Two, at the least?”

All the more reason I can’t let my guard down, Seraxa thought to herself. Everything seemed safe before Cetus attacked, and attacked he did.

Seraxa’s pride refused to acknowledge what might have happened if the Catalysts hadn’t come when they did.

“And I told you, I am resting. If we are to talk in circles like this the whole night, you’ll grow weary.”

“That I doubt,” Yvonne said quietly with a mischievous smirk that Seraxa didn’t quite understand. “You seem to have missed quite a show earlier,” the pirate continued. “The big one, Craig? He challenged one of your soldiers to a match.”

“Then Ursa is a dead man for sure-”

“He won.”

“Hm?”

“You heard correct,” Yvonne smirked. “Against several, actually.”

“He…he, an outsider, bested my warriors in a spar?”

Seraxa’s mind went through all the grueling exercise regimes she would put those warriors through to compensate for such a defeat (she will get names), before Yvonne spoke again.

“No no, they did not fight.”

“…Then what did they do?”

“Craig licked his elbow, and challenged one of your soldiers to do the same.”

“Whaa…” Seraxa’s jaw dropped.

“And several of your troops tried to succeed where the first had failed. None of them could.”

Seraxa…had no words. Elbow licking? She expected warriors under her command to be above making a fuss over something so ridiculous…

Her eyes darted down for a second to her left elbow; only for a second, but long enough for the pirate to catch.

“Try it.”

“Don’t be absurd.”

“We both know you’re thinking about it,” Yvonne waggled her eyebrows. “Someone did manage to accomplish the feat, at last.”

“One person out of nearly everyone in Elyys’tel?”

“Yes. It was Grace. And naturally, she won the prize.”

“There was a prize as well?”

“Indeed. She had the privilege to watch as all who tried and failed form something they called a ‘human pyramid’. It was quite the disaster.”

A smile played on Seraxa’s lips, one that she couldn’t quite smother. Not overly large, but big enough to be visible.

The pirate leaned closer, eyes squinting as they inspected Seraxa’s face. The warrior’s cheeks heated up.

“What are you-”

“Checking to see if your face has cracked,” she said earnestly. “It appears intact, and lovely as ever.”

Lovely…lovely…

Lovely…????

Seraxa’s mind went blank, as if her mind was thrown into a time loop, focused on that one word.

The two of them stand in silence for a minute. Seraxa’s eyes glanced once at Yvonne, feeling an uncomfortable rising of anxiety at the awkward quiet.

She turned to Yvonne to speak. Later, when Seraxa thought back on that moment, she could never remember what she had wanted to say, because what happened next took over her full attention.

Yvonne leaned in and kissed Seraxa.

The kiss was like lightning; quick and intense. Yvonne’s lips were warm and searching, and pulled away.

Once again, Seraxa’s entire mind went blank.

When the warrior was silent for a few seconds, vulnerability flashed on the pirate’s face.

“I’m sorry, was that not-” Seraxa swapped their places with a kiss of her own.

“Don’t be sorry,” Seraxa said when they broke apart. “Unless it’s because you didn’t do that sooner.”

A laugh escaped Yvonne’s lips as they met Seraxa’s again.

Neither of them knew that this was the last time they’d see each other before Andromeda’s sacrifice made time reassert itself.

Something else they didn’t know is that the same force that tore them apart would bring them back to each other.

————————

Something Seraxa was used to waking up to was the sun’s rays shining through the windows of her home, or her cats’ morning playfulness dragging her from sleep.

This morning, she woke up to Yvonne, behind her in bed, tightening her arms around her lover in a secure hold.

Speaking of the sun, all of Seraxa’s windows had now been boarded up to keep it from shining through, accommodating Yvonne’s now-nocturnal nature.

It had been almost two years since the first time she had seen Yvonne after Andromeda’s sacrifice. The Catalysts when they made their yearly visits was always a welcome sight. But seeing with them, someone she had thought she’d never see again, was a surprise to say the least.

When everything had settled, and it was established that there wasn’t any trickery afoot, Yvonne had quite a tale to tell.

After being taken back to her own time, she said that she came into contact with creatures from the world outside of Vaanu. Creatures that made her into one of them, an immortal.

An immortal, with a regular need for blood.

Yvonne couldn’t stay on the island any longer than a month before the need for blood would become unbearable. Neither of them knew how Yvonne would take to Vaanti blood, if it would nourish or poison her, and Seraxa wasn’t willing to risk it. Pavos volunteered to run tests on Vaanti blood, and only ended up confirming what they feared.

Thus, Yvonne could not stay for any longer than three weeks at a time. And affairs on the outside world kept her from visiting as regularly as she would have liked.

It was probably for the best, Seraxa thought. Adventure was in Yvonne’s blood, and she was not meant to pick one place to live out the rest of her days.

Yvonne had told her all of this on the first few days she had come back; that she did not want marriage even if her nature wasn’t a factor, and said that she understood if a relationship with her was too much for Seraxa to handle.

Thoughts back to the present moment, she turned around, and joined Yvonne in a mutual embrace.

“Did I wake you?” Yvonne asked sleepily.

“Yes,” Seraxa smirked. “But I’ll have to get up soon anyway.”

“Can’t you order someone else to take care of your duties for the day?” Yvonne asked. “You need your sleep. And what good is authority if you can’t flaunt it every once in a while?”

Yvonne’s nature altered Seraxa’s sleep schedule quite a bit, but it was a worthy sacrifice.

“I’ll be back by nightfall,” Seraxa shifted and pulled Yvonne closer.

“That’s still too long.”

“You’ll survive without my embrace for a few hours,” the warrior resisted the urge to laugh.

“You’re so cruel,” Yvonne whined, snuggling closer.

“We’re here now,” Seraxa buried her face in Yvonne’s hair. “So until I hear a knock on the door, I’m yours.”

They’re not sure how long they stayed like that, wrapped around each other, until Yvonne poked Seraxa’s nose.

“You look too thoughtful for someone who just woke up,” Yvonne commented, and Seraxa finally noticed she was frowning.

“I was just wondering…” Seraxa began. “Before I met you, I was resolved to live a life without a partner. There would be no guarantee of a long life, so I did not want anyone to need me, a wife or a child, should I leave them behind.”

Yvonne stroked her face.

“That’s a lonely way to live, my dear.”

“For a while, I thought it was the only way I could live.”

Yvonne said nothing, and Seraxa continued.

“Both my parents died in battle when I was a child. It was a reality I had to face when I followed in their stead as a warrior, and more so when I was named War Chief. I’ve have so long to get used to the idea, that my pride wouldn’t allow me to indulge anything else.”

“Well it’s a good thing I plan to keep you around,” Yvonne said before giving Seraxa a deep kiss. “What we have might not be normal, but-”

“It is not normal, and I want it no other way,” Seraxa kissed Yvonne this time.

“Thank you,” Yvonne breathed. “For letting me in, and for having a place for me with you.”

“Thank your ability to break past a War Chief’s defenses, my love.”

“I’m afraid it was rather simple,” Yvonne curled up closer to Seraxa, nuzzling her head into her neck. “My love was stronger than your pride.”

Seraxa pressed a kiss to Yvonne’s head.

“And I thank the stars for that.”

 A/N: Seraxa is a little spoon, Yvonne is Serafine Dupont from Bloodbound, and both Craig and Grace can lick their elbows. I don’t make the rules I just think them up and write them into a story.

Also, Yvonne and Seraxa might not have the “living together” relationship I thought of when I started writing this, but in my mind this is the most realistic scenario for these two to be together. Yvonne’s too adventurous to stay in one place for the rest of her life, and Seraxa has a big sense of duty regarding her responsibilities to the Vaanti that I can’t imagine her giving up (even more so if she becomes Elyyshar when Varyyn leaves with Diego). So, in the end, these two have a long distance and open relationship (I strongly headcanon Yvonne/Serafine as polyamorous), but they love each other very much and fill their time together with as much lovey-doviness as possible.

Another thing, this is my first time writing a bilingual character while not writing up scenes directly from ES, so I apologize for any mistakes. Since I figured Yvonne is either in her late twenties or early thirties, and since being multilingual would almost be a necessity in sailing and adventuring, she would be a fairly decent English speaker. And I learned some of the biggest reasons for bilingual people slipping back to their native language is when they’re either really tired or go back and forth from speaking their native language to the other one. And since Yvonne is spending a lot of time lately around primarily English-speaking people, she probably wouldn’t have spoken much French at all. I hope I did it justice. I heard from other members of the fandom that PB butchered the way Yvonne and Tio Nicholas, both bilingual, would have spoke, so I wanted to do better and tread lightly. 

Finally, I have no idea what alien forces enable a select few to lick their fucking elbows and I don’t care to know.

[joyfullynervouscreator]

Silver Secret pt4

The answer to the question ‘What happened five years ago?’

art by Bob Kehl on DA

“Jo-Jofur?” you asked, staring at the stranger who was standing by the baker’s cart, flirting with Geilie. You hadn’t seen him in more than 60 years, but the pure white hair you shared with your late amad – Jofur said so anyway, you remembered – was unmistakable when paired with the pale jade green eyes of your late adad. The dwarf whirled, mid-reply, to stare at you.

“Mjoll!” Dwalin called, making you turn your head. “There you are, lass, what’s with the dawdling today?” he exclaimed, wrapping his big arm around you. “We’ve ter be getting on if we’s to be done by supper.” You had an appointment with Master Dori, who was going to make you a new frock for the Yule Ball in a few months; you were hoping Fíli would ask you to dance, the thought making you blush.

“Jofur…” you repeated, interrupting Dwalin’s admonishments, pointing at the dwarf by the baker’s who was still staring at you.

“…Mjoll,” he breathed, and then he was running towards you, wrapping his arms around you as he laughed.

“This is your Jofur then, lassie?” Dwalin rumbled behind you. Turning around, you nodded, beaming at him. Dwalin smiled; he knew how much it meant to you to know that your brother was alive. “Dwalin Fundinul,” Dwalin continued, holding out his hand. Jofur shook it warily, darting glances between Dwalin’s obviously good-quality clothing and the Line of Durin bead in your hair. He frowned.

“You are married?!” he cried, staring wildly between the two of you. For a moment, neither of you spoke. Then Dwalin’s loud guffaws rung across the cobbles. Your own laugh joined him.

“No, nadad,” you smiled. “This is my Adad, Dwalin. He found me after you’d been taken away by those Men…” Dwalin’s large arm wrapped around your shoulder, tugging on your Durin-bead. Thorin had made it many years ago, when Dwalin decided to ask you to be his kin officially. Jofur looked a little stunned.

“Why don’t you come along,” Dwalin offered, “Princess here has a meeting with the tailor to get through, but I’m sure we can find a way to pass the time until supper. You’re welcome to come along.”

“Adad,” you chided, but it was fond mocking, “you’re just trying to wiggle out of Master Dori holding up fabric samples against your face.”

“I don’t see why I hafta suffer twice,” Dwalin bickered good-naturedly, “Dís is just going to do it all over again in a few months for the yearly fittings!” The Yearly Fittings – in Both Thorin and Dwalin’s minds deserving of capitalization – was the day during early winter when Dís forced both Dwalin and Thorin through ‘Excruciating Humiliation’ – Dwalin’s words – in order to ensure that they both looked the part of royals during official appearances. Fíli had luckily inherited his amad’s sense of style – and you actually enjoyed talking about clothes with Master Dori – and Kíli usually managed to show up at the tailoring shop along with his older brother to go over fabrics and designs without needing Dís’ input. Thorin – and Dwalin – however, were decidedly not fashionable, and the Yearly Fittings had been a Thing ever since you could remember living with Dwalin. Secretly, you thought Dwalin enjoyed being fussed at, but the one time you’d aired that opinion, you’d been sworn to secrecy with such vehemence that you didn’t dare repeat the thought aloud.

“Maybe you’d learn!” you returned, opening the door to Dori’s shop with a tinkle of bells that always made you smile; the bells were some of the first things you had made on your own, even if your Craft was armour-smithing like your late adad.

 Jofur joined you for supper at Balin’s that night, slowly relaxing among your new family. He’d been in the Iron Hills for years, learning the warrior’s trade, and it was simple chance that he’d decided to take a job guarding a caravan heading to Ered Luin.

 “I’d believed you dead years ago,” he murmured later, as you sat side by side on Balin’s front stoop, sharing one of the pastries he’d all but forgotten he’d bought that afternoon. “I went back to look for you when I was released, but it had been several years since I was carted off, and no one remembered anything about you…” he swallowed heavily, “But here you are; kinsman to Royals no less… I’m glad for you, little sister.”

“Dwalin and Uncle Balin have been good to me,” you nodded. “I’ve learned so much from both of them.”

 You spent a few weeks running around with each other; Jofur’s return overshadowed even your excitement that Fíli would soon be home from his summer of guarding Glóin’s traders. Even Kíli liked him, and Kíli rarely liked people until he’d known them for years.

Fíli returned just in time for your Name-Day, though he only had time to drop off your present and steal a kiss before he had to leave again, going to the northern end of the range for diplomatic meetings with Thorin.

 “I’ve got a job, sister!” Jofur exclaimed happily, running up to where you were beating one of the carpets.

“Oh?” you asked, hoping he would stay; at least until Fíli returned. You hadn’t told anyone about your present – or your kiss – wanting to introduce Fíli to the only other family you had left before doing anything that could be considered official.

“I’m going to Harad!” Jofur was excited, but your stomach dropped. Harad was across the world; a dangerous journey by any criterium.

“I thought you wanted to look for work here?” you said, frowning. Dwalin had spoken of offering Jofur a place in the Guard, giving him a chance to spend more time with you.

“The Guard would still be here when I returned,” Jofur smiled, “and this job pays really well. Promise you’re not mad?” You just shook your head in disbelief; you’d only just gotten him back, and already he wanted to leave?!

“I’m not mad,” you croaked, “but promise me you’ll come back.”

  “I’ll be back for you, raklûna[1],” Jofur whispered against your hair on the day of his departure, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you in for a firm hug. You put your arms around his shoulders, squeezing him tight in return.

“I’ll miss you every day,” you swore. Staring up at him, you didn’t want to be the reason for the light of adventure to leave his eyes, but you couldn’t help one final admonishment. “Be safe, please. I love you.”

Jofur kissed your forehead. “I love you, too, Mjoll.” He whistled as he walked down the street, turning just before he went round the corner to give you a wave and a rakish smile. You smiled your best as you returned the gesture, but you did not feel as serene as Jofur about his upcoming journey.

When you returned to your home and the tasks of the day, you felt a little cheered at the thought that Fíli would be home tomorrow. Perhaps he would kiss you again, you thought, blushing as your hand went to the small pendant he had made for you; it was already becoming an unconscious habit.

[1] Precious one

@filisleftmustachebraid : for the break Fili’s heart prompt :P

@life-is-righteous  @pandepirateprincess @littlemergirl4779 @aidanturnersass @childoftheshire

[thelittleredheadedmusician]

A long winded reflection on Harry and Co.

Story time, when I was little I was obsessed with magic. Watched all the old Sabrina the Teenaged Witch and the animated version, Winx Club, Halloweentown, Twitches, etc. If it had magic or the supernatural/paranormal I was all for it. A couple times my mom tried to get me into Harry Potter because she knew it was popular and about magic but Disney Channel would only ever show Chamber of Secrets and the basilisk would freak me out all the time because naturally that was the only part I ever found playing. Fast forward a few years and I've pretty much exhausted the fantasy books at my elementary school library and was being pressed even more to read Potter by my mom. I've always been a big reader and it seemed the next logical step. However, I kept coming back to my memories of hiding behind the chair in our living room while Harry fought with the basilisk on tv and so I would ardently refuse. Now the summer before fourth grade I attended Girl Scout camp for the very first time. Another program running that week was Harry Potter themed and as one of the all camps we went on a scavenger hunt for councilors dressed as the different characters. Good characters earned you points while bad characters lost them, the more important the character (Hermione, Ron, and most importantly Harry) the more points. There were also dementors who would catch you and impede your progress. Seven year old me had an absolute blast with this and suddenly wanted to learn so much more. I got home from camp and as fate would have it ABC Family was (of course) running Harry Potter Weekend. I watched the first three movies and fell in love, wanting desperately to know what happened next. As soon as school started I marched to the library and checked out Goblet of Fire. That book (and later others) earned me a long held reputation as that girl who lugged around giant books for fun. I read as much as I could in the time I had it checked out, skipping a whole chapter (the one in which Hermione has Skeeter confess) just so I could know how it ended and return it by the due date. If it wasn't already obvious I read the books all out of order, but I knew to wait on the seventh. As soon as I had read the other six we called a family friend who had been very into Harry Potter when I was younger, as she was a few years older, and asked if she had the seventh book and if I could borrow it because the school library didn't have it. I still remember jumping out of the car to run to their front door and take it from her with a smile on my face and a promise to take good care of it. Deathly Hallows is my favorite of the seven but it took me longer to get through it than any other book. This was because I got to the Malfoy Manor chapter and just stopped, too afraid for the fate of the characters to continue. It sat untouched in a corner of my room for a month and a half. Eventually I plucked up the courage and finished it. That Christmas my Grammy bought me the entire series through a book order, inadvertently ruining the surprise because my fifth grade teacher had to tell me that an entire box was for me and it was too heavy to take on the bus home. To this day they're one of my most cherished possessions and a fond reminder of my Grammy. Since reading Potter and acquiring my own set I've gained Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them, Quidditch Through the Ages, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a pop up book, a book about the making of the movies, all eight films, Luna's wand, and a Gryffindor scarf. Plus my pride and joy, a movie poster for Deathly Hallows Part 1 I bought from the local theater and my mom had framed for me. Suffice to say all this and my various other posters and t-shirts easily made Harry Potter my first fandom. More than that though, it's shaped who I am. I went back to summer camp that next year just to go to the Harry Potter program, having so much fun that Girl Scout camp became a yearly thing for me and the friendships and experiences I gained there still effect me today. Including a girl who I became friends with and was really into Teen Titans and Young Justice. Her talking about the shows reminded me how much I loved Teen Titans as a kid and got me into comics. For a while as a kid I didn't want to read anything that wasn't remotely like Harry Potter and was ridiculously adamant about it. A friend who also liked Potter suggested the Percy Jackson books, saying they were like the American Harry and co, and allowed me to borrow them. Obviously I fell in love. From there I became engrossed in fantasy, and particularly urban fantasy, books. You can see much of their influence on my blog and all that reading certainly influenced the way I write, making writing a career I hope to have because of it. My love of the series and passion for it has caused friends to read it, just to know what I was talking about, and caused more than one of my friendships to become even better thanks to a shared love of it. While I may be a year younger than eleven year old Harry's first adventure it still has an effect on me. I've literally never lived in a world without Harry Potter and hopefully never will. It's so much more than just a book, as all true stories are. For me it was a gateway to a larger world of adventures and heroes. So thanks JK Rowling, for giving that to me and all the other wonderful stories and adventures I've discovered and had along the way.