#but her personality is MUCH stronger than aurora's

[thatlesbiancrow]

A little doodle of my other OC! I'm still trying to feel out how I want her to look, but I think her personality is coming together... You can't see it too well in this, but she has an undercut and I feel like that is important to note 0_0

What's her name? Idk I'm thinking on one, but I know her last name will be shorted to "Ben" and she mainly goes by that!

[lordofthestrix]

Lucien: Uh, just a tick. Aurora has Rebekah, hmm?

Aurora: No reason why I shouldn't be trusted with my sire's safety. Lucien: [scoffs] Of course... unless you were to have one of your episodes.

Tristan: Easy, Lucien. My sister sought leverage to protect herself. Who among us would do otherwise?

[danika-redgrave124]

Winx Yuu and First Years

Grim and Yuu

Grim's favorite transformation of Yuu is Dreamweaver form. He thinks they smell nicer in this form and also fond of the calming aura they exudes.

Grim is actually really careful with Yuu's wings because he likes the fact that the wings change with Yuu's mood. He prefers the happy mood of the wings because they glimmer and shine with different constellations.

Grim occasionally snaps Yuu out of their mediation state especially if they mediate for longer periods of time. He knows they need to train the Lunar Eclipse Form, but he gets lonely whenever Yuu's not sleeping beside him, okay?!

Ace and Yuu

Ace often snaps Yuu out of their own world, reminding them that they can still train with their powers, but to not forget about him and Deuce. He does teased them by poking their forehead which results in a protest from Yuu and a scolding from Riddle if Ace pokes Yuu in front of Riddle.

Ace actually keeps Yuu away from people that can cause them to feel extreme emotions and nightmares. He doesn't let them know that he does it for their own safety, he often leads them away, teasing them for wandering around and getting lost so easily or spending too much time in the library.

Yuu often uses their Stellar Aurora form often, Ace often forgets that they have much stronger forms than just that one. He occasionally examined their wings in awe, watching them shift and change.

If anyone tries to mess with Yuu, Ace is always quick to step in, defending them with his sharp tongue and wit. He might called then "annoying" sometimes, but no one else gets to mess with his friend. Likewise, Yuu stands up for Ace when needed, especially if he's caught in trouble that he didn't deserve.

Deuce and Yuu

Deuce often watches in awe whenever Yuu transforms, he's extra careful with their wings. His hands are extra careful when touching them and tracing the constellations on their wings.

His favorite ability of Yuu's power is Celestial Spark because he and Yuu can combo Caludron with it to blind and stun enemies. It was also used on Ace by accident which made the rest of the first years laugh.

Deuce definitely acts as Yuu's protector whenever there's bright sunlight due to their powers being weaken in day light, so he tries his best to cover their weak spots.

Deuce often talks about Yuu to his mom in his letters, telling her how much Yuu has helped him grow as a person. His mom has become a huge fan of Yuu.

Jack and Yuu

Yuu's number one supporter because he admires Yuu's dedication and determination to learn their new magical powers.

Jack often accompanies Yuu on their stargazing outings, drawn by the serene atmosphere they creates. He secretly enjoys how they narrate the myths behind constellations.

They train together frequently, combining Jack’s physical strength with Yuu’s magical prowess. Jack pushes Yuu to strengthen their endurance, while Yuu teaches him precision techniques involving light-based attacks.

Despite his tough demeanor, Jack is very gentle with Yuu, especially if they're feeling down or overworked. He offers his quiet support by staying by their side.

Epel and Yuu

Epel admires Yuu’s determination to master her cosmic powers, often comparing it to his own struggles to be seen as strong and capable. They hype each other up when facing challenges.

Their playful competition sometimes leads to hilarious mishaps, like when Epel tries to use magic for an orchard task, and Yuu counters with their starlight, resulting in glowing apples.

Yuu often encourages Epel to embrace his versatility, showing him how his delicate artistry and strength are not mutually exclusive. This earns her his deep respect.

The two team up for harmless pranks, like charming objects to float or painting Sebek’s shoes glittery pink. Their pranks often end with Yuu laughing at Epel’s mischievous grin.

Ortho and Yuu

Ortho loves analyzing Yuu’s magic, often asking questions about the mechanics of starlight and dream energy. They enjoyed explaining it in simple yet poetic terms, marveling at his intellectual curiosity.

Yuu admires Ortho’s inventiveness and often asks him to design gadgets inspired by constellations or dreamcatchers. Their collaborative projects strengthen their bond.

Ortho occasionally creates holographic simulations of the cosmos to surprise Yuu, earning their delighted laughter and a heartfelt “thank you, genius.”

He helps Yuu understand the science behind dreams, combining his advanced knowledge with their magic. They bond over their shared curiosity about the universe.

Sebek and Yuu

Sebek initially struggles to understand Yuu’s serene and soft-spoken nature, often mistaking it for weakness. However, he quickly learns to respect her after witnessing their unwavering resolve and the power of their magic.

Yuu finds Sebek’s loud and brash personality amusing, often teasing him lightly in ways that leave him flustered. Over time, they form a strong bond rooted in mutual growth; Sebek learns to temper his volume and pride through Yuu’s influence, while Yuu gains a greater appreciation for his steadfast loyalty and determination.

One day, Yuu conjured an aurora in the night sky just for Sebek, honoring his devotion to Malleus and showing him that their magic could reflect his fiery passion in its own way.

Their shared determination to protect those they care about leads to a begrudging respect. Sebek occasionally softens around them, revealing a surprising gentleness.

Group Dynamics

Despite their contrasting personalities, Yuu and the First Years form a close-knit team. They balance each other’s strengths and weaknesses, making them an unstoppable force.

Late-night hangouts often revolve around Yuu’s magic, where she creates constellations or dreamscapes for her friends. Each of them secretly cherishes these serene moments.

Ace, Grim and Epel constantly bug Yuu about her wings, while Ortho offers to design gadgets to enhance them. Sebek lectures them on respecting “sacred magic.”

[ayrtonswnna]

ʚïɞ "next door" LN4

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀↳ masterlist ↳ drop a request! ↳ more papaya!

✧₊⁺ lando norris x aurora jones (female!oc)

✧₊⁺ wc: 2,1k. ⠀⠀✧₊⁺ genre: hurt/confort, angst.

summary: when aurora hears something breaking in the apartment next door and just can't think of letting lando get hurt.

warnings: soft!lando, mclaren strategy trigger, description of an anxiety attack, pretty much platonic, author with no ability to end oneshots, small injury description.

Aurora heard the elevator open. The British accent talking on the phone, the angsty conversation, and the door beside hers taking too long to swing open but never closing.

She took a few minutes. Had some tea, washed her dishes, and then… she was standing by her own door, wondering if she should knock and check on her neighbor.

Lando Norris. Of course, she knew the man; a Formula One athlete, probably the best news for the sport in years.

And she knew the pressure that came with the glory. They had spent some time together during the few years she had been living in the building. Quick talks in the elevator, in the parking lot while he helped her with groceries —every now and then, they met, and Aurora had grown affectionate towards the guy.

So it's no doubt she's worried. She’s on the internet, of course she saw everything around his name, and of course, it feels weird.

Someone can be a top athlete in a sport that only twenty people in the whole world get to compete in, and there's still a way to be put down.

Then she hears something breaking —something like glass against her own wall, the one they share. It's instinctual; one second she's wondering, and the next she's outside her apartment, finding his door half open and hesitating.

Maybe she shouldn't get involved. It could have been anything.

"YOU'RE TOO DUMB!"

Alright, she's in.

"Hey, Lando? I heard something and thought I should..."

"Leave." It's heartbreaking — the voice full of agony and the obvious crying, trying to stay low. She still can't see him.

"Yeah- Sure. Sure. Can I... Can I just make sure you're okay? I heard something breaking. Are you alright?"

"No."

Lando closes his eyes as the back of his head hits the wall, a little stronger than he intended. Lately, too many things are hitting harder than they should, and now he sounds like an angry child.

He just can't lie. No, he's not okay, not fine. His hands are bleeding from the broken glass, and his whole body burns — it feels like too much.

Oscar has to work towards his points. There was a whole two-hour meeting about how the Formula One championship might work for the year ahead, and it felt like a knife twisting inside his muscles.

How come he can't manage to do things by himself? How does his whole team need to set everything up for him? Isn't he capable?

And everyone talks. His own friend and rival is around, saying that Lando is not the first driver. Everything is simply working against him, and the pressure is up. It shouldn't be that way.

"Where are you? I'm coming in, okay? I'm sorry, I can't help it."

He recalls the talk they had once in the elevator, a late-night conversation when he just went to the lobby to grab his food delivery and she was coming home from work. The girl is a doctor, or on her way to becoming one — he can't remember everything right now.

So for once, he feels like giving in. Maybe he could use some help, and Aurora is kind of a proper person to do it. Professionally, of course, and then... she's not so close to him. Just enough to understand what's happening but not enough to judge him or treat him differently after he lets his guard down.

"Hey... Hey, Lando." She has the sweetest voice, the sweetest approach. Doesn't fully walk towards him, doesn't get too defensive. God, he needed this. "Do you need anything? Do you want me to call someone, or... do something? You're hurt. I can see blood."

"No, don't call anyone. I'm gonna be okay."

In a hurried need to show everything is fine, he tries drying his bloody hands on his pants, but it only hurts more and he can't keep the pained expression or the small whimper from escaping his lips. Great thing Aurora also can't keep herself.

She takes a towel from the counter, kneeling in front of him as he tries to hide his hands.

There's something about letting people see you're hurt. Lando hates that. In every way possible.

"It's okay, it's fine. Let me just clean that for you, alright? Let me take care of that."

Nothing that will ever come out of his mouth, but yeah. How that boy wanted to be taken care of. It feels like life has only been hitting and bruising him, and no one even wipes it clean.

He really wants to let his guard down, even if it's just for a moment.

"It's just... just a cut," he mouths, hands out and fingers pressed, like it would hurt to move. "What are you doing here?"

"Heard something and got worried."

Aurora's soft hands touch his calloused ones, ready to wrap the towel around them, right before she sees a small piece of something that looks like porcelain.

"You have something stuck in your skin; we gotta take it out. " she warns. "It will hurt a bit, okay? But I need to take it out to stop the bleeding."

"It's... it's okay. You don't need to do anything for me. I can do it by myself."

"Yeah, of course you can. I just want to help. Can you take a deep breath for me?"

Aurora doesn't wait much, just as if she's in a professional procedure. It’s not in much need of a hurry, but usually, she just narrates what she's doing next and does it. It's more about the patient's headspace than the hurt itself. Not much explanation, no time to let the patient think.

So the blue piece of porcelain is out of Lando's skin in seconds, thrown into the sink before she actually wraps the towel around the hand that bleeds the most.

"That was fast." It comes out with a soft moan from the boy's lips, eyes closed with the tears stuck and everything.

His hands looked ugly, but his face... there was something going on, and Aurora really wanted to know, to do whatever about it.

"It was a small piece," she says, instinctively touching his face and cleaning the tears now rolling down. "You're sure you don't want me to call anyone? You don't seem like you should be alone right now."

"No, it's okay."

In fact, there isn't much that is "okay." The apartment is a mess, broken glass, many things out of place, dark and in disarray. Aurora is good with the signs; she is great at taking care of people and could do it with her eyes closed.

Lando just needed to be taken care of.

"Would you let me... help you out? You don't need to stay on the floor." Naturally, her fingers lace around his face, a soft touch that almost made him lean into it. "Hm? What do you think?"

His brain can't fight much anymore; so when he nods and she helps him up, when she guides him through the apartment to make sure he's not stepping on glass, when she puts him on the couch and stands in front of him, it does feel a little better.

Lando has to be in control most of the time. He is the first driver for one of the most traditional teams in motorsports, drives a Formula One car. There are a whole lot of people working towards it, but at the end of the day, he's driving solo. It depends on him. No matter what Zak says on the radio, or what the team puts together in the meetings.

Once he's behind the wheel, it's on him. To make the right decision, to keep up.

Having someone else just step up and be there is pretty new.

"I... hm... thank you, Aurora. Thank you, truly. You don't need to stay here if you don't want to." At this point, the tone in his voice almost says otherwise.

"I want to." Aurora lets out.

Lando would laugh in any other situation. She is straightforward; he noticed that from their previous few talks, and she's like that with everything in life. No shame, no worry. He even thought about how she'd get along well in a conversation with his old coworker and friend, Daniel Ricciardo.

"I really won't be able to settle down if I leave you here by yourself, so... Yes. If you tell me I can stay..." Lando notices her tone, low and calm.

She's cautious, her posture so relaxed yet so serious. She does this for a living, and he knows that, but right now, it feels like she's doing it just for him. It's comforting to think of it that way.

"Yeah, yeah. It's fine. I didn't eat very well today and my head is spinning a bit. I fucked up."

Coming back to his senses, Lando tries to make things better. She came into his apartment because he was cursing himself, finding him curled up and bleeding in the kitchen. So, yes, things do need to get better.

"It's completely fine, it happens. You need to eat something and drink some water. I can grab some painkillers for you. Oh, and you need to stretch your legs, tilt your head up a bit, and... regulate your breathing. Can you do that for me? You're still a bit off."

He didn't think he'd be able to keep up with all these words, but he did. Of course, he's still a bit off — his heart is still racing and his hands can't stay still.

And even with all of that, he's a lot calmer now. Despite the terrible day at work, the comments he read on social media at lunchtime, with everyone talking down on him and all the jokes about him.

Oh, it is hard to breathe.

"Hey, Lando. You're okay, huh? You just need to take a big breath for me."

His response is a soft, low whimper when she gently touches his chin and raises his head just enough, following procedure as if she's at work but being extra gentle. Her thumb caresses his skin.

"C'mon, in through your nose, out through your mouth. We're not in a rush; you can take your time," she reassures, now close enough so both her hands can touch him, now caressing his hair. "I know you're used to the speed and everything... Oh! I heard you coming in last week at full speed! I was scared!"

She studied for this. Most people can manage a better way out of a crisis when being distracted.

"I had to stream." he says, not planning for it to come out as a whisper, but it did.

"I forget you do it all." Aurora chuckles, taking her hands away from him as soon as it feels comfortable enough.

Lando moans in dislike, although he won't say it. He was enjoying it way too much.

"My brother showed me a clip of yours last weekend... Can't believe you're actually funny." she keeps the conversation up, hands on her waist as she analyzes the man, his chest moving up and down, now way more controlled. "I thought you rich boys were all annoying and snobbish."

"We are. Don't let the gameplay fool you."

And there he is—the dark-humored Brit she met in the elevator. It brings a smile to her face.

"Yeah," she softens up. "Did anyone tell you that you are the standard? That Senna of yours parked downstairs... A baby, a very, very expensive baby."

"It's propaganda. I work for them. Did you know?"

She rolls her eyes lightly, the boy acting more and more natural as she stands in front of him.

"You get free luxury cars in the name of propaganda? Besides the billion-dollar one you drive every other weekend? Wow. How can I submit my resume?"

"I do think you could. You are a great doctor," he compliments, subtly, making it clear she wasn't expecting that. "Thank you for coming over, though. I didn't know I could have that control over myself."

"It's all up here," she points to her own head. "Whenever you need, I'm right next door. No... no more hurting yourself."

"That was an accident," he's quick to say. "But it's okay. If you're coming over every time I get hurt... I do have some spare plates."

"Lando, stop that!" Aurora tries to keep from laughing, hitting the Brit with a pillow. "I'm going now, okay? Since everything is fine and you're already joking your way around."

"Oh—no, no. It's fine. If you want to stay a bit more... In case I... trip or anything. It's really good to have professional help on hand."

Aurora has a smile on her face now.

There is something growing in the room.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ʚïɞ ayrtonswnna, 2024.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀check my masterlist or drop a request (:

[foundtherightwords]

Fallen Empires - Chapter 7

Pairing: Geta x OFC

Summary: Having done the unthinkable to secure his throne, Emperor Geta rules with ruthlessness and paranoia. Now, after escaping an assassination attempt, a badly injured Geta is saved by Daphne, a young widow, who takes him back to her remote village without knowing his true identity. As Daphne nurses the former emperor back to health, attraction blooms between them, and Geta discovers a soft side he didn't know he possessed. But can their love survive his thirst for revenge and his desire to reclaim power?

Chapter warnings: non-explicit smut, Geta being an oblivious jerk

Chapter word count: 2.7k

Prologue + Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Daphne didn't come back for a long time. Geta finished bathing and put on the clean tunic she had set aside for him, and still she hadn't returned to the hut. Feeling slightly worried and wondering if he had offended her somehow, he made his way outside to look for her.

A full moon was casting its light over the hills. Every stone, every leaf was painted in silver, and the lingering heat of the day felt less intense in such a cool, tranquil world. Even the insects were quiet. The only sound that broke the silence was Geta's own wheezing breath—the bath had tired him out more than he realized—and a splashing sound coming from the cistern. He turned toward it.

Daphne was sitting on a rock by the cistern, with her back to him. She was bathing, just as he had, by pouring water over herself using a dipper.

Looking at her, Geta suddenly understood why poor Actaeon had risked the wrath of Diana and death by his own hounds to spy on the goddess. He'd thought that Daphne looked like Aurora in the light of the rising sun, and now, under the moon, she had transformed yet again into Luna. In that silvery light, her body glowed with its own radiance, and drops of water on her skin sparkled like diamonds, so he couldn't tell where her flesh ended and moonlight began.

His arousal came back with a vengeance, a stiffening fire coursing through him, throbbing, aching, and he stood stock still on the hillside overlooking the garden, too mesmerized to even turn away. Had he been stronger, had it been any woman other than Daphne, he would not have hesitated to storm down to the cistern and take her right there and then, but a little voice in his mind told him that Daphne would not take kindly to that. He reminded himself that she was the only person standing between him and certain death, and it would make things rather awkward for him if he were to force himself on her. But it was more than that. Even now, sitting naked as she was, something about her struck him with awe, something stern and imposing, not physically but spiritually, something he dared not touch, lest he sullied it.

Just as he'd decided to return to the hut and take matters into his own hands, Daphne called to him, her voice ringing loud and clear in the stillness of the night. "Romulus? That you?"

Hades. How did she know? Had he made that much noise coming into the garden, or had she eyes on the back of her head? Now would be the time to apologize for spying on her, or even to sneak away as silently as he could, but he only mumbled, "Yes."

"Are you going to stay there?"

"Why?"

He couldn't see her face, but from the sudden turn of her neck, he could guess at the flush creeping up her face. "Because I like to get up, and I've forgotten my towel," she said quietly.

Her confession sent a lightning stroke through him. She was in his power now. He could do what he wanted with her.

But what did he want with her, exactly?

"I can fetch it for you," he said. His voice came out breathier than he'd expected, probably because the walk down to the garden had tired him. If not, why was his heart beating so heavily in his chest?

"Please."

But he didn't. Instead, he sidled down the garden path to the cistern. This close, the scent of soapwort was stronger than ever, making him lightheaded. He could just see the slope of her shoulders, the curves of her waist and hips, a hint of the soft swells of her breasts behind the washcloth she was clutching close to her chest. Her skin looked so smooth and white, but he imagined it would be cold and hard as marble upon touch.

"Are you still there?" she asked, after a moment.

"... Yes."

"My towel?" she prompted.

He balled his hands into fists. What was the matter with him? He had never been cowed by a woman before, and he'd be damned to the pits of Tartarus if he was to be cowed by this peasant woman now. A new but familiar fire—the fire of rage—rose within him and momentarily blotted out the fire of lust. Who did she think she was to order him about so? Did she think she could reduce him to a blushing, blubbering mess just because she was sitting before him naked? Or was this a clumsy attempt to seduce him? By Jupiter, he had seen thousands of naked women. In his bed at the palace and at the camps, in the baths, at orgies, even in the Colosseum, as female gladiators or criminals facing punishment. Only rarely did they move him. He would show her that just because he'd taught her to read and held her hand and comforted her, it didn't mean he was some village boy for her to toy with as she pleased.

The cistern was dug into the side of the hill, and with Daphne's position, right on its edge, facing the slope, the only way he could face her was running down the slope himself. He refused to go to the trouble.

"Turn around," he said.

She stiffened. "Why?"

"I want to look at you."

"...Why?" There was no anger or fear in her voice, only genuine curiosity.

"You've seen me naked, but you won't let me see you?"

It took a while for her to answer. "That's different," she said. "You were ill and I had to wash you. I took no pleasure from it."

"Who says I'm taking pleasure from this?" he said, unable to stop a smirk.

Daphne twisted her head around. Just as with her voice, there was no anger in her eyes, but the look in them wiped the smirk off his face. It was a searching, probing, penetrating look, seeking something only she knew.

"You didn't fetch the towel," she said.

"I told you, I want to look at you." Now he knew what he wanted with her. He wanted to see her squirm in front of him. He wanted to see those sharp eyes veiled by her dark lashes. He wanted to see those strong lips quivering in fear and more. He wanted to tame her. He wanted—Hades, he just wanted her.

"Turn around," he said again.

Without realizing it, he had used his imperial voice, the voice that once sent senators and soldiers scrambling to do his bidding, the tone that once sent concubines and prostitutes to their knees. Yet Daphne barely even blinked. Still keeping her eyes on him, she got to her feet and stood facing him. Before Geta could take a good look at her, or indeed even feel the thrill of having won, she raised her hand, removed the pins holding her hair, and, with one shake of her head, covered herself with its dark mass. Then she picked up her things and stalked away, her head held high, her hair streaming behind her like a cape.

Alone on the hillside, Geta watched her disappear into the hut. He didn't quite understand what had just happened. Somehow Daphne had bested him, though at what, he couldn't tell.

***

She shouldn't have talked about Galen, Daphne reflected, as she sat by the kitchen table in her chiton, combing out her damp hair. It had brought back so many memories, both sweet and painful, and they, in turn, had stirred up her feelings so much that her mind became muddled. Why else had she—had she—why, she'd practically exposed herself to a man, a stranger!

Her cheeks flushed when she remembered the moment by the cistern again. So he'd wanted to look at her, hadn't he? Well, she hoped he'd had his fill.

Once she'd gotten her clothes on, Romulus had slunk in after her and gone to bed without a word. At least he'd had the grace to look embarrassed. Daphne wanted to feel embarrassed as well, but the heat burning her up from the inside was quite different from shame.

She had been feeling that heat for a while now, ever since that morning they watered the garden together, perhaps even before that, ever since that disastrous day her father came looking for her and Romulus had pulled her into his arms. But it was definitely after the morning in the garden, when she started to notice how his eyes followed her with an unmistakable look, how his hands lingered on her, how he found every excuse to touch her or brush up against her. The fool probably didn't even know he was doing it.

Daphne knew she ought to feel offended, but somehow, she couldn't muster up the outrage. It certainly wasn't the first time she received such looks of lust from men, and certainly wasn't the first time she felt some stirrings within her either—after all, she was a healthy woman, past her prime perhaps, but not so old as to be completely devoid of want and urges. Only she'd had so few chances to pursue those urges. She wouldn't pretend that she had been celibate since Galen's death, but her love life in the past eight years had consisted mostly of quick, largely anonymous encounters with travelers who passed through the village or whom she met on her own travels, never with anyone so close to home. It was bad enough that her father was the village's drunk; she didn't need to gain a reputation as a trollop as well.

Sometimes, she wished she could remarry and not worry about her reputation, but she couldn't give up her independence, no matter how precarious it was, for such flimsy security. Most men looked at her and only saw a widow, an easy mark for their lust, nothing more. The Adala scribe was the only man whose intentions had been serious and honorable, but he had wanted her to move to town with him after they married, and she couldn't leave her hut and her work to become a housewife. And of course, there were the potential husbands that her father kept throwing at her, but most of them were his drinking and gambling cronies, and that would simply be trading one kind of prison for another.

But with Romulus, it was different. Since Galen, she had never spent so much time, close, intimate time, with a man who was not family. True, she didn't know anything about where he came from or who his people were, and he was exasperating and suspicious and possibly dangerous. Yet there was something in his eyes, something infinitely sad that sent stirrings to her heart, quite different from the stirrings that his touches and his looks sent to her loins. He tried to hide it beneath his usual scowl, but she could see it, perhaps because she often felt that sadness herself. It made her want to reach out to him, hold him, comfort him, and have him comfort her.

And then tonight... She had never talked about Galen with anyone, only her grandmother, who had been a widow herself and understood not just the grief but also the fear of finding oneself without a place, without a purpose, the disappointment of having to return to one's parents and going from being a wife to being a daughter again. Romulus probably didn't understand it, but he'd tried, by Hera, he'd tried. When he put his hand over hers, she'd almost burst into tears. It had been so long since anyone held her hand. Such a simple gesture, but it had endeared him to her forever. It didn't help that his back was there, so broad and sturdy, and the hollow between his shoulder blades was just the right shape for her to place her cheek. The moment their skins touched, a sudden wave of desire had crashed over her and settled everywhere—in her chest, her veins, and between her legs—burning with such a fire that it frightened her.

That was why she'd gone to the cistern. She'd thought that a cold bath would quench that fire.

It hadn't.

She'd heard him shuffling down the garden path, of course. She'd known he was standing there, watching her. And so she'd called out to him, just to see what he would do. Only when he hadn't done anything, she'd let her fear win and covered herself up again.

Daphne glanced at the closed door to the bedroom. What was he doing behind it? Asleep, or thinking of her as well? Back at the cistern, what would she have done if Romulus hadn't simply stood there and watched her with those dark, dark eyes? If he had pulled her into his arms, if he had kissed her, if he had done more than that, would she have welcomed it?

She asked herself all these questions, and the answer was "yes" to all of them. She liked him, for all his moods and mysteries. And—for Daphne was honest and pragmatic—there was the reason of convenience as well. Nobody knew Romulus was staying with her, and he would soon be gone, so a tryst with him would pose no threat to her way of life or her reputation as a respectable widow.

The fire continued to rise within her. She pushed the tip of her hairpin into her palm and pressed her knees together, trying to find some pressure for relief, but there was none. There was only the fire, pooling, pulsing in her lower belly.

Well, who would judge her? Not the dead. Not Galen, who had kissed her so tenderly before he left for Caledonia and told her not to wait for him. Not her grandmother, who Daphne believed had taken plenty of lovers herself after her own husband passed away from swamp fever, making her a widow at twenty-five with two young children. As for the living... they couldn't judge what they did not know.

She dropped the hairpin onto the table, letting her hair flow free. Then she got up, strode across the room in a few decisive steps, and opened the door to the bedroom.

The moon was dipping low now, leaving the lamp in the front room as the only source of illumination. Romulus was in bed but not asleep. She could tell he wasn't asleep, because even in the dim glow of the lamp, she saw his shoulders tense up the moment the door creaked open. But he didn't move, didn't turn around. He lay still as a statue, his face to the wall, breathing slowly, expectantly.

She took another step into the room. "Romulus?" she called. Her throat was dry. She swallowed, and swallowed again. "Could you help me unfasten my chiton, please?" she said. "The pin is stuck."

He turned around and sat up. He looked at her then, really looked at her, fixing his eyes on her instead of just stealing glances over his shoulder and behind tree branches. She doubted he could see much with the light of the lamp behind her, but she could see him, and the look in those dark, unfathomable eyes took her breath away and pinned her to the spot.

He got up and came over to her side. He didn't ask why she was taking her chiton off after she had just bathed. He didn't say a word. Silently, he fumbled with the pin on her shoulder. There was a tiny ping of the pin coming free, and the linen drape fell down, baring her breast. She heard him suck in a breath.

"The other side too," she told him. The other pin came off, and her chiton fell to the floor with a soft swish. They were standing close now, so close, close enough that she could feel the heat coming off him. She wondered if he could hear her heartbeats, which were so fast that she couldn't breathe.

His own breath felt hot against her neck. One of his hands closed about her waist, steering her to the bed, while with his other hand, he shut the door, plunging the room into darkness. She could no longer see anything, only feel his fingers stroking her, scorching on the cool skin of her belly and her thighs, feel the coarse linen sheets under her back and the softer linen of his tunic against her taut breasts, making her long for his hand, or better yet, his mouth there, and then feel the heat and weight of his body as he pulled the tunic up and pushed into her.

A small cry escaped her, more from surprise than pain. It didn't stop him, and she was glad, for she did not want him to stop.

Memories of her wedding night came to her mind then, unbidden—she a girl of seventeen, her poor Galen only a year older, the two of them giggling together, nervous and giddy. They'd planned to get married, but not for another year or two, until they had saved up enough money to properly start a life together. They'd thought they would have all the time in the world. What fools! That spring, Galen had been conscripted, and when they learned the ban on marriage for soldiers had been lifted, they had hastened to get married, not wanting to wait until Galen came back gods knew when. Even then, it hadn't occurred to either of them that he might not come back. They had been too young, too full of hope. It was a quick ceremony, witnessed by her grandmother and Master Kavos, who no doubt had been dragged there by the old woman on threats of death. Then Galen had carried Daphne over the threshold of his hut as traditions dictated, while her grandmother chastised them both for laughing.

Three days later he'd left, and six months later came the news he had been killed somewhere in the cold and faraway hills of Caledonia. Galen had been an orphan and left no will, and when some distant cousin turned up and kicked Daphne out of the hut, she'd had no choice but to go back to her parents. If it hadn't been for her grandmother, she would have been living with her parents still, with a heart full of grief and a barren belly, for they had not been together long enough for Galen to give her a child.

Three days. Only three days they'd had, just long enough for her to know what it was like to share her bed with someone else, but not long enough for her to memorize his shape or his touch.

None of her other lovers had reminded her of Galen. So why did Romulus? Why was her body rising to him as if it had always known him? Why did his touch, clumsy yet so confident, stir in her such a familiar fire? Why did her legs fit around his waist and her heels dig into the back of his thighs as if they were made to be there, why did her arms wrap around his back, pressing him to her as hard as he was pushing into her? And why, when he finished, leaving her with only a shimmering sweetness that hovered just beyond the edge of her skin, did she cling to him, wanting more?

But he was already retreating from her, body and mind. She held on to him, running her hand through his hair, damp with sweat, searching for his mouth, wanting to plant a kiss there, to seal this connection, this intimacy they'd just shared, but he turned away, and the kiss landed on the side of his neck instead. He pushed her off, as though her kiss was a bee's sting, and sat away from her, pulling his tunic down.

She lay there for a moment, sweat cooling on her skin, chilling her despite the warmth of a summer night, while he sat at the edge of the bed, a dark shape in the dark room, a stranger once more.

So he wasn't any different from her previous lovers then. Just another man.

When the silence became unbearable, she got up with a sigh, collected her chiton from the floor, and went into the front room.

The fire was reduced to embers, so she stoked it up and put the kettle on. While the water was heating, she cleaned herself up, put on a fresh tunic, and dug around the shelves until she found the jar of wild carrot seeds. It was running low—she must remember to gather more this autumn—but there should be enough, as long as none of her patients needed to get rid of an unwanted pregnancy. She ground up a handful of seeds in her mortar and added it to a cup of boiling water. Then, sipping the drink, she retreated to her cot, watching the garden outside the window under the murky half-light of the setting moon. A part of her hoped he would come and join her, but another part of her was relieved that he didn't. He was a stranger, she reminded herself. He would be gone soon. It would not do to get attached to him. What had just happened between them was an act of impulsion and empty passion, born out of loneliness, nothing more.

Chapter 8

The Romans did use wild carrot seeds as a sort of "morning after" pill. I chose it instead of the more commonly known herbal remedy of pennyroyal because apparently wild carrot seeds are safer. Don't quote me on that though!

I'm taking a break from Christmas through to the New Year, but I will be back in a couple of weeks. Thank you for all your support so far, and see you guys soon!

Taglist: @sheneedsrocknroll92, @justnobodynothingmore, @barcelonaloverf1life, @myotakureprieve, @flawssy-227, @itsrainingbisexualfrogs (if you want to be tagged or removed, let me know!)

[pablitogavii]

Pablo finally succeeding at pranking reader with something and she’s really hurt so he has to tell her it was a prank and they have a fluffy ending :)

Well this one went too far Pablito..:)

You were done cleaning the kitchen while your boyfriend of two years was taking his post-training shower. You made some dinner for the both of you smiling at the bouquet of roses he surprised you with when he came home.

You always adored how thoughtful Pablo is and how he would always make random surprises for you even after two years of being together.

While you were smelling one of the roses, you noticed his phone keeps ringing on the dining room table. You two have no problem going into each other's phone, knowing each other's passwords, so you went to see who it was expecting it to be Aurora or his mom.

New Text from Bombon;))

You almost choked seeing your own nickname on his phone but knowing it wasn't you who texted him..Pablo was cheating on you!? And he didn't have the decency to give her another nickname! Hijo de puta!

What you didn't know is that Pablo only turned the shower on and was spying on you from the bedroom while Pedri sent the texts you were currently reading.

bombon;)): you left me craving last night papito

bombon;)): come give me more of that monster cock tonight :*

bombon;)): i miss you so much!

Texts kept coming and you kept reading them while being frozen in place not knowing what to do with yourself. Do you tell him you've seen them? Or do you just leave right now while he is showering??

How could he cheat on you?? He was the last person you've expected to hurt you like this..he knew about your past experience..and he promised to show you how a real man treats a woman he loves..why did he have to hurt you too??

"Amor?" Pablo walked in since you weren't doing anything wanting to see your face expecting you to be angry and yell at him but when he saw tears flooding your face, he was the one who froze in place. What did he do!? Mireda!

"She's texting you..said she misses you after last night. Just..go to her" you said giving him the phone and walking away into the bedroom with tears flooding your face and he cursed himself walking in after you.

"Amor listen to me.." Pablo knew he took this too far, he felt horrible when he saw that you were starting to pack your suitcase. He never wanted to see you do this again..he didn't want you to ever leave your shared home..this wasn't a home without you here!

"Stop calling me that! Just stop! And go to her..I'll be out of here when you get back" you said trying to walk towards the closet but he stops you grabbing your shoulders and making you look up at him with tears falling faster down your cheeks.

"Please don't cry amorcito..it's not real..it was a prank but it's not funny and I'm sorry.." he said and you felt weary not knowing weather you should believe him or not.

"I don't believe you..just let me go!" you said trying to push past him but he pulled you into a tight hug you couldn't get out of since he was much stronger than you.

"Do you really think I would ever do that to you? I love you so much amorcito..you're my whole world and I made you that promise, remember?" he spoke kissing the top of your head but you still didn't fully believe him. You were scared that you've really lost him..that it was over and that broke you.

"So why did you hurt me too?" you cried and he pulled back a little but still holding you tightly so you couldn't leave him. It broke him seeing you like this, he was such an idiot!

"I promise I didn't..here, call the number and see for yourself" he said giving you the phone and you gulped dialing the number shocked to hear Pedri's voice on the other line. Cabróns!

"I hate you! I hate you both!" you hung up crying louder while he hugged you to his chest letting you cry for as long as you needed but making sure you knew he was right there besides you and wasn't going anywhere.

"And you gave her my nickname too.." you sniffled and he raised your chin up to look at your adorable face drying your face with his hand.

"Amor, she doesn't exist..you are my only bombon princesa!" he said and you smiled weakly nodding your head with a pout on your lips that he kissed smiling slowly.

"Really, the nickname hurt you the most??" Pablo said chuckling a little when he saw that you've calmed down and you nodded your head making him laugh and carrying you bridal style onto the couch sitting besides you and letting you cuddle up to him.

"I want to be your only bombon..para siempre" you say kissing his neck to his jaw and he smiled nodding his head moving to the side and kissing your lips passionately.

"And you are bombon..para siempre!?" he said deciding this was the last prank he will ever pull on you.

Hope you like it :) <33

[andreal831]

Can you make a post talking about Tristian and Aurora’s relationship?

TW: Mental Health/Mental Illness, bipolar disorder

Tristan and Aurora have a very similar relationship to Klaus and Rebekah. I talk about Klaus and Rebekah's dynamic here.

We don't know much about their childhood. But when we meet them they already have a toxic, co-dependent relationship. Their dad is a creep and a terrible person which Tristan seems to take after. Aurora is already suffering from poor mental health, likely Bipolar Disorder, as well as depression and low self-esteem tied to her mother dying in child birth. I always took this to mean that it was something being used against her, either by her father or brother, but likely both. Tristan was taught from a young age to weaponize Aurora's insecurities to control her.

Tristan was incredibly controlling over Aurora, dictating who she could be with. Even having Lucien killed when he thought they were together. This toxic relationship only got worse after they were turned. The show says they spent a 100 years thinking they were the Mikaelsons and that made Lucien, Aurora, and Tristan close, but we know it was never the three of them. It was always Aurora and Tristan with them manipulating/using Lucien.

We don't know about much of their lives either, but that Tristan would often force Aurora through excruciating "medical practices" in order to "cure" her episodes. When we first meet them in the present day, Aurora is being kept in a monastery while Tristan enacts their plan in New Orleans with the help of Lucien. This seems to be normal for her given her response to his letter that he has been delayed. She is used to being kept on the sidelines and forced away from her brother.

Tristan tends to underestimate Aurora. I think largely due to his misogyny, and then he uses her mental health as a means to keep her under his thumb. Aurora turned before Tristan, so she should theoretically be stronger than him. We also never see Tristan really training, rather leaving it to the soldiers surrounding him, both as a human and as a vampire. But Aurora, we do see her learn to fight. It's not her inability to escape from Tristan that keeps here there, but her devotion to him.

Tristan weaponizes her mental health to make her feel reliant on him. We see that in 3x09 when Tristan sedates Aurora saying she was having an "episode." In reality, she just went of script from his plan and he needed her out of the way. He was often condescending to Aurora as a means to make her feel incapable. But his devotion to his sister seems more on what she can do for him rather than love. I do think he loved her in his own way, but he also had no problem discarding her for his true love, power. The only time we really see him prioritize Aurora is when he trades Hayley for her life. I don't even think he would have traded the Serratura for her though. He came there ready to fight if the Mikaelsons demanded it. Willing to risk Aurora's life.

Aurora on the other hand would risk everything for her brother. She is willing to take on the Mikaelsons to rescue Tristan, even if it just means putting him out of his misery. It was never about power for her. Aurora's desire was to be loved and she mistook Tristan's possessiveness and control as love. He convinced her that if he wasn't around, she would be alone and unloved. So she tolerated his abuse in order to have that love. That's why Tristan was so fearful of her connection with Klaus or even Lucien. If she had a "safe love," she would be able to leave his toxic love. Not saying any of her options were truly safe.

They loved each other, but would have been better off going their separate ways early on.

Thanks for the ask!

[anthropologyruinseverything]

Updating the fanfic time!

“Got You” part 2 - 4k words

Jey Uso x mixed race FMC

Minors DNI 🚨 Mature content ahead! 🚨

See here for part 1

Chapter 3

Aurora POV -

I didn’t mind biking the thirty minutes from the trailer park where I lived to the nice suburb. Being alone with my music and a direction was meditative. This morning however it wasn’t as nice as usual. Unable to stand for leverage I was moving slower than usual, my injured right side making the whole process more difficult.

Janine’s latest catch, ‘Paul’, was becoming increasingly violent. I did my best to stay out of his way but the two bedroom single wide trailer was tiny, cramped and rundown. Most of my time at home was spent locked up in my bedroom, venturing out only to fix everyone dinner or use the restroom.

Not long now and I would be able to afford a deposit for a room somewhere. I let daydreams of the day I left that place forever fuel me through the pain in my ribs and ankle. I’d gotten distracted, inadvertently letting the dinner pot boil over. Paul took offense and sent me to the floor with a nasty shove before a swift kick to the ribs. I’d scrambled to my feet and limped to my room, slamming the door shut and locking it behind me. A fresh wave of anxiety shuddered through me.

I planned to ask Josh today if he would show me a few things I could do to be stronger and defend myself better. It might rouse his suspicions but I was just going to tell him a half truth, I wanted to be safe when I returned to campus someday. That was a safe and believable excuse in my mind.

Taking a deep breath I tried to force myself to walk normally in spite of the sharp pain that came with each step. Maybe I was naive to think I could disguise my injuries but I was going to try.

Answering the door rather quickly he welcomed me in and our day progressed as usual. Fortunately for me Josh had to tend to those cancelled meetings and would be busy until lunch time. I thought I had it under control with some Tylenol but was proven wrong.

Jason wanted a specific shark cup and plate set that was stored on a high shelf. Normally pulling out the little step stool and grabbing those things wouldn’t have been an issue.

Normally.

When I tried to put weight on that right ankle it gave and I yelped, falling backwards fully expecting to land hard on the kitchen tile.

Instead a strong pair of arms encircled my middle and I made contact with a hard, warm chest instead of cold, unforgiving floor. The pressure on my ribs hurt and I gasped, clutching at Josh’s forearms.

“Rori!” Jason’s alarmed voice hit my ears and I immediately tried to right myself and go to him but struggling against the hold hurt too much.

“It’s okay kiddo, I got her. Where are you hurt? Other than your foot?”

“Ribs.” It hurt to take in a breath to speak.

Nodding he maneuvered one arm under my knees and one under my shoulders, easily hefting me up into his arms. “I got you.”

I wanted to curl into a ball and never look at him again, this was too embarrassing. Settling me in a chair at the kitchen table he took a very clinical approach to examining my ankle and ribs. If I hadn’t been so upset the feeling of his fingers dancing on my rib cage would have made me dizzy. He let me catch my breath before asking the dreaded question.

“What happened Rori?” Josh sounded calm and collected as he went to retrieve an ice pack. Passing it to me he set about fixing lunch while waiting patiently for an answer.

“I tripped walking up my steps last night and fell. Nothing major, just some bruises.”

“You’re lucky they’re not broken.” My stomach dropped. It sounded like he was scolding me.

“Rori okay?”

“Yeah little man, I’m all good! Just an accident, no big deal!” I raised my hands in the air and smiled at Jason who looked relieved before going back to playing with his toys.

Josh set lunch on the table, ravioli, before collecting the little boy and depositing him in his booster seat next to me. Sitting down on my other side all of his moments were stiff. “You wouldn’t lie to me would you?”

My palms went sweaty and my heart pounded. I hoped my panic didn’t show on my face. Not trusting my voice I shook my head no and stuffed a piece of pasta in my mouth, making a pleased sound. I swallowed the food and the emotion all in one go. “No. I’m so sorry. It shouldn’t stop me from what I need to do again.”

“It’s fine. You rode your bike here yeah?”

I nodded and shoveled another bite in my mouth to avoid talking.

“Me and Jason are gonna drive you home this afternoon, once my meetings are done.”

A fresh wave of panic rolled through me. “No-no, please you don’t have to do that.”

“You’re in no shape to be riding your bike anywhere.” His voice was so cold. It made me want to cry.

“I don’t want to be a pain. I can ride the bus-“

Jason and I both jumped when Josh slapped the table. He seemed to catch himself before slamming it with full force but still made a loud noise. Quickly he looked at his son with a grin to ease any fear the little boy had.

But when he turned to me I could see it didn’t reach his eyes. His expression flattened out and it was like he was reigning himself back in.

I squeezed my thighs together as a confusing rush of emotions hit me. Fear of the consequences since I’d angered him and a strange flash of arousal that felt out of place but there it was all the same.

“Don’t argue with me.”

“Yes sir.”

—

Jey POV

Sitting through these afternoon meetings around the new Bloodline merchandise was torture. I’d never been a fan of this side of the job anyway and whatever was going on with Aurora was eating at me. Had I been a little bit of a bully and let my anger win for a minute? Absolutely but it will get me what I want which is some more information.

I was pretty sure someone was hurting her at home or she had a boyfriend. Thinking through my options I texted my twin who was also on the zoom call looking like he’d rather eat a shoe than look at yet another piece of concept art.

‘**Can yall take little man this weekend?**

I watched him respond on the call.

**’Yeah, you got something to do?’**

**Yeah**

It wasn’t often that I hid things from Jon but he didn’t need to know I was planning on essentially stalking my barely legal nanny for a couple of days. I sure as hell didn’t want to see Trinity’s face if she found out. But I had to know what was going on and figure out how to help her.

As of right now my plan was little more than to storm in, beat the ever living shit out of whoever I needed to, sweep her up and move her into my home and bed permanently. Far from foolproof but it was a work progress.

Finally the meeting came to a close. Heading downstairs I took a few deep breaths to make sure I had my temper fully back under control. It had been hard not to shake her by the shoulders and demand she tell me the truth so I’d settled on slapping the table for emphasis. I’d instantly felt like a jerk when both Jason and Aurora jumped in fear but we’d recovered.

The sounds of their laughter came from the kitchen, she was letting Jason ‘help’ her make pizza for dinner. Looked more to me like she was chasing the veggies he threw every which direction except at the dough in front of him but I enjoyed watching them together all the same. She genuinely seemed to enjoy spending time with him and he loved her already, taking to calling her “my Rori”. Clearing my throat to announce my presence I felt a stab of regret when anxiety fell over her face and she quieted instantly. Jason on the other hand clambered down from the step stool and rushed over, arms outstretched.

“Daddy! Look, making pizzas!” He waved excitedly towards where Rori leaned against the counter next to the bowls of ingredients. I tried to smile reassuringly at her but she just ducked her head, hiding her face with her hair.

“Nice, want some extra help Rori?” Jason was already trying to get down and back into the mix so I let him. It wasn’t the nicest thing, forcing her to talk to me, but she’ll learn to speak up for herself in time.

She would have to as my woman. I don’t know exactly when I decided that was going to happen but here we are.

Finally glancing up at me she bit her lip nervously. “Yes sir.”

An image of her doing that while on her knees in front of me flashed through my mind. I liked that a little too much, liked this oddly submissive behavior. It told me a lot to, her response to my anger. Fawning is what they call it, if I recalled the therapist correctly.

I stepped into her space deliberately, causing her to shy away from my hand. Persisting I gently caught her chin with my thumb and forefinger making her eyes go wide. Tempting as it was to push further and run my thumb over her abused lip I settled for making her look at me.

“M’sorry I scared you earlier.”

She blinked, her eyebrows drawing together in confusion. “You’re what?”

I snorted. “Girl I’m tryin to apologize to you. Pay attention.”

To her credit she recovered quickly. “I’m sorry, I am. I - it’s okay. Let’s get these pizzas in the oven.”

She pulled away but before I saw her pulse pounding in her neck and her eyes dilate. It was obvious she was into what I was doing. Perfect.

A little over an hour later found us loading up her bike into the back of my truck and heading down the highway. It never ceased to amaze me what being on either side of the highway could look like. Some trailer parks were nice with well kept homes, flowers and friendly neighbors. Some were like ‘Martin’s Cove’ complete with meth trailers, cars on blocks and folks toting guns in the waist bands of their jeans. I bristled at the thought of leaving her here but dutifully got out to retrieve her bike once we’d pulled up to #37.

An ugly white man stood on the porch with a stupid look on his face. I hated him. Rori’s face showed a flicker of fear when her eyes landed on him and I wanted to kill him. I had a feeling I knew who was leaving the bruises. I held onto her bike when she went to take it from me.

“Uh, Josh? I got it. Thank you so much again.” I could feel my blood pounding in my ears. The man hadn’t spoken but hadn’t looked away from Aurora either.

“Promise to call if you ever need help.” She tilted her head but must have remembered earlier today.

“Okay, I promise.”

I nodded. “I’ll pull up at eight.”

It made me physically sick to let her walk away but I did it. Once they’d both gone inside I pulled away. Jason fell asleep before we made it home so I got him tucked into bed and set about putting a bag together for his stay at his aunt and uncles this weekend.

I was too worried to sleep well, knowing full well she could be in trouble. Instead I found myself praying whatever gods or ancestors might be listening. The morning couldn’t come soon enough.

Chapter 4

Aurora POV

I stood on the embarrassingly cluttered porch the following morning at 7:30 A.M. Janine and Paul were still in bed. Much to my surprise they hadn’t questioned me in depth, instead disappearing into her room after I made their dinner. I checked the calendar, it was the third.

Ah, her disability check had come in. They’d be flush with drugs for a couple days.

Great, that usually meant they’d leave me alone. And they had. Looking back at the front door yet again, it felt as if it were going to open and swallow me. That’s how it felt to walk into this house, like I was being eaten by a beast snd may never claw my way out.

Turning back I settled on the steps, flipping through my music. “Dirty Thoughts” started playing and I felt a flush start up my neck remembering what I’d done listening to this song last night. After securing my door that lacked a proper lock I’d lain in bed playing my interactions with Josh over in my head. Mostly the feeling of his thick arms and hard chest and calloused hands.

Only a few times, mostly due to lack of privacy, did I indulge the growing heat between my legs. Thinking about Josh had made the throbbing ache there unbearable and when I slid my fingers below the elastic waistband of my underwear I found myself soaked. While still very much a virgin I’d read enough romance novels to know what my body wanted from him. My heart and mind did too but they were a lot harder to make happy.

Carefully I’d started to feel myself, fingers dipping into my wet slit to awkwardly circle my clit while my other hand cupped a breast, lightly playing over a sensitive nipple. My inexperience was a pain though and after a few moments of awkward strokes I was worse off than before I started. Annoyed at myself for struggling I switched tactics to what I knew would provide at least a little relief.

Grabbing my ancient pillow I shoved it between my legs, balled up and pressed tightly to the small bud I was struggling to figure out. Closing my eyes I’d imagined sitting on his lap, straddling one of his big thighs while his hands cupped my bottom and his voice, deep and husky with want, encouraged me to move.

“C’mon girl, that’s it. Move for Daddy.”

It shamed me to think of him that way but I was so lost to the feeling it didn’t stick. Doing as imaginary Josh instructed I ground against the pillow, desperately seeking the short but intense flashes of pleasure it brought. If I did it long and hard enough I’d get a sharp spike that would somewhat ease the tension filling my body. It was nothing like “rolling waves” I read about but it did the trick and wore me out enough to sleep.

The sound of his truck rumbling up pulled me out of my memory and I stood, checking the time. 7:40 A.M., he was early. I needed to get myself under control, this crush was a distraction I didn’t need. What I needed was to get the hell out of this place before things escalated further and finish my degree.

And yeah I wanted kids and a husband and all that lovely stuff but I wasn’t naive enough to believe that Josh was the guy. He smiled at me, opening the passenger door and ushering me in. My heart did a cartwheel in my chest.

He had his choice of anyone. It would never be me and I was alright with that.

It didn’t stop me from wishing it were though.

“My Rori!” Jason’s voice was music to my ears. It wasn’t just Josh I’d fallen hard for after all. The toddler waving happily from his car seat in the back lit up my world and motivated me to get out of bed some mornings when I was depressed.

“Hey little man!” I smiled at him before turning to Josh as he pulled out of our driveway. This felt so normal and nice it was almost enough to make me forget where we were driving away from.

“Mornin. How was your night?” I noticed the dark circles under his eyes.

I blushed in spite of myself. “It was good. How about you?”

Josh raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment on the red in my cheeks. “S’fine.”

I mulled over my idea about asking for his help while chattering along with Jason. I’d couched the idea when he was so stern yesterday but he didn’t seem angry any longer and had apologized after all. By the time we pulled into the driveway I’d made up my mind. I spoke before he could open the door.

“Hey, Josh?”

“Hmm?” He tilted his head my way.

“Could-is it okay to ask- because if not I understand-“

“It’s fine just ask your question baby.”

My brain shorted out for a split second. He’s tired, don’t overthink it.

“Can you show me how to like, get stronger? And maybe how to, ya know, throw a punch? For when I go back to campus.” I bit my lip nervously, his expression was so neutral it was impossible to know what he was thinking.

Josh reached over to give my knee a squeeze and my warmth flooded through me. It was so quick I wondered if I’d imagined it but the genuinely warm half smile said otherwise.

“Hell yeah I’ll show you some stuff.”

My heart pounded as I followed the boys inside. I have to get a grip, he’s just being nice. A single quick squeeze doesn’t mean he’s into me.

I noticed the bag of Jason’s things on the couch and my heart dropped. If he was going somewhere else I may not have work for a while.

“Is little man going somewhere?”

“Yeah, my brother’s coming by to get him later, just for the weekend. I’m gonna get some sleep but we can workout some this afternoon, if you’re up for starting now. Just have to work around what’s hurtin.”

My heart soared. “Great, thank you so much.”

——

Jey POV

It was easy to sleep knowing she was safe downstairs with Jason and I made up for what I lost the night before. In my dreams Rori was beneath me, writhing in

pleasure while her fingernails dug into my shoulders and her lips whispered my name over and over like a prayer. Her voice got louder the closer she came to orgasm and I ground into her harder and harder.

“Josh…Josh…Hey Josh?”

Her voice went from thick with pleasure to confusingly loud. Slowly I became aware of someone shaking my shoulder.

“Huh?”

There was a soft giggle from next to me as the bed dipped a little. I realized the object of my dreams was sitting next to me nudging my shoulder. At the same time I realized I had a raging hard on.

“Jon’s here, figured you’d want to say bye to Jason before they took off.”

Shit was it after five already?

I had to get rid of her so I could get this under control. “Yeah. Be right there.”

When I didn’t move immediately she jumped up and ran like she’d been scalded. Maybe she realized she may have crossed a line coming in here, even if it was to get me up for something important.

I couldn’t wait to cross a hell of a lot more lines with her in this room.

But right this minute I needed to get myself presentable, something easy enough to achieve, at least temporarily, with a few deep breaths and splashing some ice cold water on my face.

Loading Jason into the car didn’t take long, he always loved staying with his cousins. Hugging him one last time I stepped back. My brother looked at me from the drivers seat, clearly wanting an explanation. Clapping his shoulder I smiled. “Thanks, got a leak and it’ll just be a lot easier to have guys out to fix it without him under my feet.”

The suspicion in his face melted away and we said our goodbyes. I’d miss Jason but I was excited about “working out” with Aurora, all alone. Not to mention I’d finally have a good chance to question her some. She stood in the kitchen tying up her hair when I walked back in.

“You ready?”

Aurora swallowed but nodded and I noticed her eyes flicker over me. My cock twitched, it was hot thinking she wanted me too. I still needed to clarify whether or not she had a boyfriend and while I couldn’t be certain it was that weird guy at her house who was hurting her I was pretty confident that was the case.

“Good, c’mon.” Leading her into the gym I flicked the lights on.

About 45 minutes later and she flopped on the floor, panting but smiling. Turns out she could throw a decent punch already. Settling behind her on my knees I let my hands fall on her shoulders and waited to see what she would do. Aurora stiffened but didn’t pull away so I slowly began to knead the muscles.

“You did good.” I don’t know if it was my fingers or my words that did it but she moaned softly, her cheeks blushing.

“Thank you.” Her voice was soft and shy.

Continuing up her neck I was gentle as I worked the tension there, surprised at just how tight she was. I decided to get down to what I wanted to know. “Got a boyfriend Rori?”

She blinked her pretty hazel eyes before huffing out a nervous laugh. “A boyfriend? No.”

Relieved, I let that concern go. “Aight. I didn’t think that guy in the porch yesterday was him but ya know, wanted to make sure.” I dug my fingers in a little harder and she drew in a breath with a gasp. My thumbs worked their way down her shoulder blades and her eyes drifted closed. Her muscles quivered under the threadbare tshirt she wore but my eyes were trained on the wet skin of her jaw and neck. I imagined what it would taste like to run my tongue along them in a long stroke.

“Nah, that’s just my mom’s latest boyfriend.”

“Latest?” I didn’t like the sound of that and based on where they lived I doubted these were high quality men drifting in and out of their lives. Already I hated this woman for putting Aurora in danger.

“Yeah, she’s just…I don’t know. She’s got some issues.” Aurora trailed off and I debated how hard to push. This was more than I’d gotten out of her before but I didn’t want her to shut down if I asked the wrong thing. I kept massaging her neck, working my way a little lower to her collar bone and she didn’t resist.

“How’s that feel?”

“Mmm, good.” Just when I thought she was really going to relax into me her phone buzzed. I hated the way she looked panicked when she opened the message. “Oh no, it’s getting really late, I should go.”

Reluctantly I let her stand and got to my feet as well. “C’mon, I’ll take you home.”

Her nerves seemed to get worse and worse during the car ride. Every instinct in me screamed to make her stay, to not drop her off at that trailer. Something bad was going to happen and I knew it.

This time, I reached over her to stop her from opening the door with one hand and grabbed her knee with the other. “Aurora look at me.”

She was startled but did as I asked.

“You don’t have to get out of this truck. But if you do, just promise to call me if you’re in trouble.” For a second I thought she was going to stay or maybe burst into tears. Instead she took a deep breath and smiled at me but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“I promise. Again.”

I squeezed her leg one more time before sitting back and letting her go. Something screamed at me to stop her but I didn’t.

I’d regret that sooner than later.

[terzosbignaturals]

may i offer some ghoulette comfort hcs in these trying times?

i got no explanation for this really i failed a midterm and i'm sad so take these -- CUMULUS.

this woman is the cuddling expert

you barely have to even say anything to her-- her arms are already wide open for you to sink into

she's one of the more emotionally conscious of the ghouls, and even if she didn't pick up on that particular scent humans have when they're holding back tears, she'd be able to tell from your glassy eyes and stiff posture

she has an arm draped over your shoulders as she leads you to her nest to wrap you up in her fluffiest blanket and hold you close. accompanying you in The Nest(tm) are countless very-well-loved stuffed animals which she might pile on top of you to make you smile eventually, but for now...

has you rest your head on her chest and cards her fingers through your hair soothingly, whispering gentle words of comfort.

if you want to talk about it she's the most amazing listener, if not, she's content to just lie there and hold you until you're feeling a bit better!

eventually she'll start humming to you and it's pretty much impossible to not fall asleep wrapped in her arms (and you bet she's gonna be there when you wake up as well, getting up while you sleep is the equivalent of moving a cat sleeping on your lap to her.)

-- CIRRUS.

not as good at picking up on it as cumulus is at first, but if you know her well you bet she's memorized all of your mannerisms.

PROTECTIVE MF

like as soon as she notices you're feeling down, she's scooping you up and taking you to the ghoulettes' wing.

doesn't care if you're in the middle of ministry duties-- gives an absolutely withering glare to anyone who tries to stop y'all or tell you you can't leave.

once you're alone, urges you to tell her what's going on, she wants nothing more than to understand so she can help you properly

if you're sad because someone did or said something to you, lord help them

you can see the way her eyes darken as soon as the name leaves your lips, although her expression remains soft

"don't you worry about them, hun, I'll take care of it from here."

they might go missing in the next couple of days, maybe the next week, but don't you worry your pretty little head about it :)

plays her keyboard for you!!! has you sit on the bench nestled between her legs, leaning back against her as she plays a little concert of your favorite songs just for you

if you're a musician, she'll walk you through some of the chords so you can learn to play them yourself! places her hands over yours and moves your fingers so you can memorize their placement and satan her touch is so soothing

-- AURORA.

THE friend to rant to

even if you're mostly sad about whatever happened, as she listens to you speak, she'll get absolutely pissed on your behalf

"are you-- oh my satan are you SERIOUS?! that's fucking bullshit!"

you will most definitely have to talk her out of yelling at someone on your behalf, whether that's a shitty boss who assigned you way too much work for one person or a professor that gave you too little time for an exam.

even in her human glamour she can be intimidating as fuck, after all--

-- and that's just on her own. when there's something she particularly finds unjust, she'll rope cirrus into it as well

and oh boy you do NOT want to be on the receiving end of those two's wrath.

not so experienced with the whole comforting aspect of things, but gives excellent hugs-- tight, secure, and will lift you off the ground no matter if you're taller than her or not, she's stronger than she looks.

-- SUNSHINE.

this calls for an emergency intervention.

no sooner does she see your face, she's aggressively speed-dialing

"dew? swiss? get over here, we've got an emergency. bring the switch."

at first, you're a tad concerned that you'll have to keep the Terrible Trio from stabbing someone with a switchblade on your behalf

but your concern is swiftly and thoroughly alleviated as you're treated to the most intensely chaotic game of Mario Kart you've ever experienced.

the stakes are astronomical. you've gotten three noise complaints from three different siblings. you're all crowded so close to the TV that you're pretty sure you'll end up with eye damage, throwing your arms up in triumph as your green shell smacks Dew's kart head-on, prompting a rainbow of hissed-out curses

swiss has fallen off rainbow road seven times-- you've kept count-- and is somehow still tailing you and Sunshine, giggling maniacally

it's the third lap. the finish line is IN SIGHT, and Sunshine is whooping in pre-victory, just barely keeping her grasp on first place by the inch or so between your karts.

"OH MY SATAN COME ON PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE--"

you catch a glimpse of the blue shell before Sunny does

and you'll never forget the sheer art of her expression as her victorious euphoria melts into absolute and utter horror

someone's screaming at the top of their lungs

dew falls to his knees, overcome with emotion

swiss is somehow driving backwards now

and the moment the pixelated 1st symbol appears on your screen, you're leaping to your feet in triumph, nearly losing your grip on your controller as you thank the hells below for your hard-won victory

"SHUT UP!" yells someone who is probably Rain from the room over

and you find you can't even remember what you were sad about in the first place

[trizy0]

Descendants- Entry #2: The Villains

I'm going to make a quick analysis of the Villains as parents and of their character in Descendants

The Villains

Maleficent

Maleficent's character is quite solid during D1, her being based off in her counterpart of the animated movie, even when we see her in Merlin Prep we can see that counterpart of hers.

What I don't understand is why they didn't use her counterpart's past from the Maleficent movie (2014) that would've been even more gut wrenching since it would've added depth for both her versions. But, utilizing her version of the Maleficent movie wouldn't make sense for her to be a bad mother (given that we see her being like a mother to Aurora).

Evil Queen

For me, the best interpretation of the Evil Queen was Regina from UOAT, she was misunderstood and had a stronger affinity with magic (and better character development).

We don't see that much of her during D1, but the little we see about her, I interpreted her as a mother that tried to do her best, who tried to get past that 'fairest of them all' thing to be a better mother to Evie, even tho we later learn that Evie was scared of her mother.

For me, the Evil Queen was the best parent between all the villains, who was proud of her daughter because of everything she could do and become, but thought that her daughter would only gain success if she married someone with royal lineage, which made her the kind of mother who a daughter would think that she'd never make proud.

Jafar

The biggest mistake that D1 made was making him have a kid (even tho I love Jay and his fantastic) and that he could live in a house with two teenager girls (I think that everyone was weirded out by the scene where Jafar kissed Jasmine).

But other than that he would just ignore the existence of a son and would just use him to make his dirty bid.

Cruella De Vil

Cruella being one of the big bads in D1 didn't make any sense, she isn't considered a fairy tail nor had magic to make others so afraid of her (but the , só having her as one of the 'absolute rulers' of the Isle of the Lost didn't make sense.

Hades

Hades being the CEO of daddy issues is so funny to me (since his dad literally ate him), and he didn't even apologize to Mal for draining her magic.

Other than that he was a fantastic character and was really coherent with his animated version (plus the way he was portrayed in D3 was super good, because that was exactly how I would imagine Hercules' Hades in a modern setting)

Ursula

With what we know about Ursula (basing in her tentacle appearance in D2 and Uliana whole personality and actions) is that she's someone that both her daughter and her sister looked up to her, wanting to be her (Uma wanting her mother's influence and Uliana wanting her sister's power).

We cannot determine if she was a good mother to Uma, but we can determine that she had that sisterly relationship with Uliana where both of you are a pain in the other ass.

Captain Hook

Same goes with Hook, we don't know if he was a good father, but we can speculate that Harry looked up to him (since he tries to act like his father) and that he was a rather ambitious man (D4 Hook).

As a character, younger Hook having already lost his has was like "where TF is this kids parents", my man already had beef with Peter Pan (and the probability of Peter being a goddamn baby is too funny for me).

Dr. Facilier

Facilier being a good dad to Celia is cool as fuck, I, personally, can't think of him as a girl dad, but is rather good his relationship with Celia.

And his character is not consistent when we compare him with his animated version. I just hoped we saw more about him.

Drizella and Lady Tremaine

Drizella not appearing was a crime and Lady Tremaine trying to be a good grandma (D3) did make sense, but them trying to redeem her in D3 didn't make sense.

Lady Tremaine character was consistent in ROR, but in D3, it wasn't that much.

Mr. Smee

Him being a good dad made sense, we know shit about his version in Descendants

[crimsonlyinglilly]

No. 16: NECROSIS No, I can't feel anything.

Swamp | Wound Cleaning | "No, I can't feel anything."

Here's Day 16 of @whumptober 2024 sorry running late

Back with Nobody noticed, nobody cared? a few weeks after part one.

TW- mentions of self harm.

Aurora learn what it's like to be on the other side of one of her self destructive episodes.

----

Aurora relaxes the moment she locks the door to her loft, for all it was in Elijah’s name it was the first place that was completely her own, none of Tristan’s work put into it. It’s a shame she couldn’t decorate it as she wished but she was aware her and Elijah’s tastes led down different paths.

It’s a relief to shed the layers of suits to collapse onto her bed. As much as she hated to admit Elijah had great taste in his suits and they were an excellent constant reminder to keep the mask up of ‘Elijah’ the noble brother, the ruthless beast. Stripping off until she was left in the undershirt and boxers, leaving the closest in scattered heaps she knew would irritate both her brother and Elijah, she pulled out her second phone from under her pillow and started the call the moment she passed the lock screen.

Left here, behind lock and key and with the best security a phone could have, a gift from Tristan that arrived a week after she had returned for the wolves wedding. A safe way to contact him and as she had found herself using it for most Elijah.

It had become a regular thing, started for the sake of maintaining all she needed to know and to taunt Elijah to get a chance to see-hear his suffering. The oddity of it being her voice was something she adapted to quickly but the sympathy she found herself growing was annoying.

It was strange to see it from the outside, her illness, her body yet her most hated person trapped within it.

Finally she had someone who understood her completely.

Living Elijah’s life had also taught her that being the lodestone and anchor to the Mikaelson was a curse in itself and Elijah had to have something wrong within his own mind to dedicate himself to them for centuries, despite all it had cost him. 

She liked this body, while she missed her pretty clothes and jewellery she rarely got a chance to wear them wherever her brother locked her up for her safety and in this one she was free. She could enjoy the height and powers that she didn’t have in her own body, stronger and faster than all but Niklaus, but most of all she loved the clear headedness she had grown used to.

It had taken her weeks to realise the highs she was expecting were never going to appear, multiple broken mirrors and sudden acts of destruction she had blamed on Elijah recent time with his mother, to cover her slip ups.

Besides most of the time it was useful to check which actions Elijah would take in their current situations, how he’d react to whatever mess Niklaus had started. Aurora had learned Niklaus was far more annoying when she wasn’t sleeping with him and while she’s certain Niklaus would be interested if she came onto him as she was now, she knows very well the short lived fun would lead to her being discovered.

Plus she had no interest in learning if Niklaus was different when he thought he was with Elijah, the brother he held on a pedestal, than her.

So she had kept her regular calls out of kindness so not to leave him suffering but also to keep an eye on her body. Especially since her brother had decided to use Elijah's desperation for any respite from the episodes to repeat the various cures and treatments they had tried before.

She had expected him to take advantage, had given her blessing for it but not in this way.

She knows she’ll get no useful information or help with how to pass as him, that night when he answers the call with a soft sigh.

“He’s got you on something new, hasn’t he?” she asked, it was a good thing she hadn’t really needed his help much since she had been able to move out from Niklaus’s eye with the excuse of making space for the new happy couple and avoiding them it seemed everyone knew of Elijah’s thing for Niklaus’ one night fling. 

Honestly it had only been half to help her hide any changes and half because Elijah’s body still reacted to Hayley and surprisingly her new husband, even when he was no longer in it.

She was thankful those reactions were dying away the longer she was in control, the speeding up of his heart at the very sight of Hayley and the odd warm feeling Jackson Kenner cause him was distracting for her and in the very early days it had taken everything in her not to just kiss either of them to relieve the tension. It wouldn’t have given her the high she wanted anyway even if they were both very pretty.

Elijah had good taste she hated to admit but she would give him that, he had fallen for Tristan once, even if neither would admit to it.

Her attempts to bring up his feelings for the new Mr. and Mrs. Marshall-Kenner had never gained her much however as news of Kol’s death had sent Elijah into a deep set of low episodes following his stress over being unable to trust his own thoughts and actions because of her mind set off the highs.

Though Aurora had been impressed by the way he forced himself to still be of use to her, to protect his family, but it had led to his willingness to be Tristan’s test subject for all the ‘cures’ he had gathered or thought of since Aurora had refused years ago.

I’m sorry your hairpins have gotten a little bloody. Elijah hummed instead of an answer, something off with his-her voice. She stained her hearing to catch what was happening on his end, she caught the sound of something dripping, something she was familiar with.

“Where’s the blood coming from Elijah?” she asked softly, before trying again sharper “What are you doing to my body, Elijah?” 

A small amount of dissection he told her tonelessly, almost bored as he continued, but it would be easier if your healing wasn’t so quick.

“You're hurting yourself to feel something.” she said knowing the feeling but suddenly being aware she had no idea how to talk him out of it, for all it couldn’t truly damage her body.

No, I can't feel anything. He replied, his voice fading slightly as he moved the phone away and set it down.

“That’s the new cocktail,” she told him firmly not raising her voice but making sure it carried if he hadn’t placed it on speaker, “it’s not true-”

I’m dead I shouldn’t be feeling anything anymore, yet -” Elijah tailed off

“Elijah!” she called after several moments of silence and the slow drip of blood that was hers, from half the world away.

Do you survive having your heart removed? He asked softly a hint of emotion but not enough for her to work out what.

“No. Nobody d-” she snaps, before the meaning hits her, “Wait. you do?”

He hummed in agreement, 

White oak stake only, unless- but that opening is closed now.

She pulled her phone away for a minute to send a warning to Tristan.

“How did you learn that?” she asked to distract him, she may not know exactly what he was feeling with this new mix of drugs but she knew enough.

The sound of the blade, knife? Sharpened thing was set onto a surface and the phone was lifted as Elijah’s voice returned slightly louder and the flat tone in his voice vanished as he started a story of his siblings discovering that their hearts could be torn out and would regrow. 

As she listened to him explain, the airy empty tone disrupted solely by the breathless giggles she realised she never would have called Tristan before the swap. She would have let him continue as she would have wanted it to, if it was her.

But she had called Tristan because it was wrong to leave him, even with her hatred of him, even knowing there was little damage Elijah could do to leave permanent damage. Leaving him to hurt and tear himself apart was unacceptable.

Morals. Had they always been there swallowed by the demons in her head, her illness or had she picked them up in Elijah’s body.

Help arrived before Elijah could return to the blade, as she heard the door slam open and a displacement of air close enough to the phone to hear it, evidenting vampire speed.

Elijah’s story ended with a sharp hiss of breath, and Aurora left a sympathetic twinge of pain in her neck knowing what had happened.

Tris- Elijah breathed, sounding indistinct from her memories of herself in that place

Hush, sleep Elijah. her brother’s voice was soft, and she caught the sound of him pressing a kiss to her hair.

The sharp spike of longing hit her, her freedom, in life and from her demons, playing right under Niklaus’ view, her friendship with Cami, little Hope, the budding thing she was growing with Gia, she loved them but they had a price and it was the distance from her brother.

She was well aware she came out of this plot better but in that moment she was jealous of Elijah.

Combination 872, unsuccessful. Tristan sighed to himself.

“Back to experimenting, brother.” she called.

Aurora! he exclaimed as the call changed to a video call, his face into view, just the glimpse of the top of her red hair to show he still had Elijah leaning against him. I hadn’t thought you would have stayed on the line once you warned me.

She changed her end of the call to match and smiled as he grinned at the sight of her.

“I couldn’t let him do anymore damage to my body, could I?” she told him “did you know our dear Originals can’t be killed but their hearts removed.”

Not for sure, but we had theories of it. Did something happen? He asked, likely concerned she had experienced it herself, she ignored the sudden idea to test it with surprising ease when the stray thought would have once consumed her until it was all she could think before she did it.

“Elijah had asked if I would survive it, he was telling me how they found out when you arrived.” she explained, watching as Tristan fiddled with something out her view the sound of metal being pulled from flesh greeted her ears before she added “have you moved locations of your office to arrive so quickly?”

When she had messaged him she expected an underling to be sent to stop Elijah, not him himself, now with the camera on and the decor behind her brother it was clear Elijah had been moved from her mountain prison to the Strix headquarters. 

I had Elijah moved to be closer to me. Tristan told her, looking up and frowning as he noticed her expression 

“Why?” she asked, unable to hide her hurt, why had he moved Elijah to be closer to him yet had left her, only able to visit.

Elijah’s dealing with your illness far worse and doesn’t have any experience to help him, I'm the only one who he trusts in this. Tristan said w cool and uncaring, as if she didn’t know the pleasure and pride he felt at the last words.

“And you didn't do that for me because?” she questioned.

I feared it would lead to resentment, with Elijah resentment is to be expected. He answered, a flicker of pain and longing that only she would have noticed as he glanced down to Elijah. She would have to get her brother to deal with his feelings soon; she had laid the final shattered remains of her love for Niklaus to rest after seeing him from the outside of their love. Tristan had watched and studied ELijah for centuries and had never faltered in his obsession.

It was respect worthy, if it didn’t make Elijah Mikaelson the only person beside her that Tristan’s heart worked for.

“Tristan.” she sighed, “brother, nothing will tear us apart.” She promised, putting aside her longing to be the one with her brother, she was in the perfect place to protect them both of them here and Lucien too, sacrifices had to be paid.

She just had to protect little Hope first and maybe she could find a way to keep the things she liked about this life while returning to her own body eventually. 

Maybe she could help her brother and Elijah at the same time.

[adarkrainbow]

Do you think the way people talk and discuss Walt's "Classic Three" (Snow White, Cinderella and Aurora) is accurate or close to what happens in the movies? I mean, they are always referred as excessively passive, weak, only interested on their looks (vain? superficial?), useless, beauty being their only good quality... And I ask myself, when was the last time these people watched the movies? Snow White negotiated her stay in the house, Cinderella survived a life of pure abuse & orchestrated her own escape from the tower, and, while not very much is shown about Aurora, she was about to sacrifice her personal happiness for the kingdom's sake (something Philip didn't have in mind)that takes courage! They don't wield swords but they are much stronger that they appear, and while I get some of the critique, I hate the "strong only means kicking butt" idea, like, it's incomplete, and superficial, and it can be reductive & dangerous (for the girls, and for the boys too!)

I have talked about this before in many posts, and others have talked about this way better than me, so I'll try to break down my opinion in a quite short and concise way. And as usual, you probably won't be surprised to find me again, neutral on those topic.

On one side: people are unfairly criticizing and judging too harshly the "original trio" of Disney movies. This has been explained by many people on this website, so I won't expand on this too much, but indeed, there is a mixture of superficial viewing of these movies, of not-contextualizing them, of projecting modern-day values and expectations over nearly century old pieces, and of a general need to criticize and rant about everything (especially big corporations and the "classics" of culture - whenever something becomes a classic, a backlash awaits). Cinderella is a much more surprising and strong character than you'd expect. These movies do teach the idea that being strong doesn't mean simply kicking everybody and proving yourself to be a lone wolf (especially since there's a strong focus on friendship in those stories). The whole "the prince kissing Sleeping Beauty in her sleep is rape culture" is ridiculous ; especially since in the Disney version it was made to be a true love kiss, between people who were in love, and the whole context was the breaking of a curse ; AND the actual rapist-origins of the story are from a 16th century Italian fairytale nobody knew about until the Internet dug it up in the 2010s. Even today many people who invoke the rapist-story are unable to tell you who wrote it or where it comes from, because they just latch onto the idea "Oh yes there's a rape story." and that's it, no more research for them.

Heck, Sleeping Beauty is even surprising for its time AND for the Disney criteria by having elderly, non-attractive female leads who do more than the actual male hero and ultimately are the true focus of the tale - the fairy godmothers. Same things with Snow-White - to make the dwarfs the equal of the titular Snow-White, even more to focus more character development and screen time on them rather than the princess, and to give them unique characterisation and treat them as people rather than plot-props... This was BIG, this was not something usual, and this was a game-changer. Overall - I say the same thing for fantasy literature - a lot of the "new" or "modern" twists people expect from today's fictions are awaiting you in the past. Everybody complains about traditional fantasy not having POC main characters or not having strong female lead that is not sexualized - Earthsea had all those by the 60s and 70s, and it was just as influential on fantasy as Lord of the Rings or Elric.

However... Recognizing that a lot of the criticism is unfair and overblown, and that the backlash is ignorant and caricatural does NOT mean we should just blindly worship and naively accept those movies as untouchable, sacred relics that cannot be criticize. If there is a backlash, it means there is a reason for such criticism to arise in the first place, and we must identify why - to give back the problem in its proper proportions, and not in the exaggerated state we are offered today.

So... The other side - why is this Disney trio not fitting our modern world?

And the answer is very simple. They are heroines of 17th and 19th centuries tales, that were adapted for an early 20th century American mindset. They are bound to age or be unfit for the 21st century. Placing them back into context allows us to understand how great, good or groundbreaking they were in their time - but it does not mean they hold up to modern-day characters. Some elements of the Disney movies aged better than ever, some are still resonating today, and this is what gives them an "out-of-time" feeling. Yet... yet there is a reason why the "Disney princess" had to evolve and had to change herself to fit a new audience. Why did the characters of Rapunzel and Elsa of Disney had such huge success and were beloved by the masses? Because they were answering early 21st century needs, society and expectations, the same way the original trio did for their time.

A character like Aurora of Sleeping Beauty couldn't work today because she literaly is a paper-thin character that does nothing throughout the story and is truly more of a MacGuffin than anything. Oh yes she speaks, has a song, has feelings and emotions - and there is this very progressive idea of having Aurora be unhappy and traumatized by discovering her princess heritage, which aged very well! But the rest? She is a baby ; then she sings about being in love ; then she cries about not wanting to be a princess ; then she sleeps ; then she is married. The story is done and moved by the interesting characters about her, but not by her - Maleficent wants to destroy Aurora, Philip wants to save Aurora, the fairy godmothers wants to protect Aurora... I do not recall which feminist created this theory, but there is the test of the lamp. If you can replace a female character by a beautiful lamp, this is bad for you. And unfortunately Disney's Sleeping Beauty "succeeeds" at the test of the lamp, since Aurora's massively passive involvment in the story makes her a perfect fit. The king and queen create the most beautiful lamp you ever saw ; Maleficent angry curses the lamp to be destroyed ; the fairy godmothers are tasked with keeping the lamp safe ; later the prince discovers the lamp in the woods and wants to have it for his living room, so he plans to return later ; meanwhile the fairy godmothers return the lamp to their rightful owners the king and queen, while Maleficent captures the prince who returned in hope of taking the lamp ; etc etc... It does not change the story one bit.

Another, even more obvious example, of the "age" of those characters - Snow-White. Disney's Snow-White is the very embodiment of the "50s housewife" cliche, and thus was a perfect fit for this first-half-of-the-20th-century American society. In the Grimm story, the little girl enters the house, takes the food, goes to sleep, and upon meeting the dwarfs they make a bargain of chores in exchange of protection. In the Disney movie? She cleans the house all by herself, without asking anybody, just in hope it will please people. Which is a very "fairytale" move... But still is perceived badly as just the typical idea that "A good girl cleans up the house, that we ask her or not". The fact Snow-White also acts as a mother figure for the dwarfs despite being a teenage girl is... yeah it is questionable and there's a whole baggage of the girl existing as solely a future mother and a housekeeper-in-training. Let's not even talk of the infantilization of the dwarfs just because of their small size despite being clearly much older than her...

So yeah, I always take a neutral stance on things (except for a few stuff), and this is no exception. There is an unfair treatment of the original Disney princesses, definitively, and people are misreading the original movies... But when we take a critical look we also have to recognize that these characters were designed for a given society and a given time, and that now they made their time, we do not need them anymore and we can move on to other characters while fondly remembering them or taking inspiration from them. Erasing these characters would be stupid and absurd - but it is just as stupid and absurd to try to cling onto them constantly and to try to make them fit everywhere and anywhere (yes I am taking a jab at Disney and their perpetual recycling and their favoritism of remakes over new movies...).

.

[usernamesuggestionsarefunny]

Wish spoilers ahead.

The start of Wish is exactly like that of Encanto but without all the heart. It is literally the meme of "Can I copy your homework?" "Yeah but change a few things so it is not too obvious."

Also Asha deserved a pretty dress in the end like wth are you going to sell to little girls Disney you are all about money and you failed miserably even at that.

And it is for real soooo unfair how the queen did get a pretty dress the whole movie and Asha only got some lazy ass sparkles added to her boring ass dress.

Asha... not bad, ok, but she is copy paste Anna, Mirabel, and Rapunzel. Youtuber ModernGurlz is right about Disney's "adorkable" problem. All their main girls since Rapunzel have the same "quirky" personality save a few details. I have liked them all but it is getting boring. Give me a princess with a monotone, sad personality, give me a shy princess who only smiles and talks around close friends, give me back the classic super girly personality Aurora and Snow White style, give me an angry girl with a brutal sense of humor like Merida. Be creative, please!!!

I love the queen's design, super gorgeous. Too bad her character added nothing. Her help was barely needed since Asha's friend had already sneaked them into the castle and it was her who deciphered the king's magic. A super villain couple would have been way more fun.

Oh, yeah, Asha's friends. There were so-damn-many of them and only like 3 were rememberable or needed for the story.

The villain is a complicated issue. I appreciated Disney's attempt at another fully evil character, I liked how he wasn't yet another badly set up "twist villain" revealed only at the end. But I didn't like the end result that much.

His backstory was super underdeveloped and to "get" his motives better, if they really wanted to make him evil-yet-complex, they should have shown us a flashback of him losing his family Encanto style (They copy pasted the start might as well do the same with the antagonist backstory.

What the hell was the missing piece of tapestry for if it wasn't going to have any significance later on? Did the writers just forget or what even?

Worst part for me: The stakes were low as fuck. Disney doesn't respect its target audience, nowadays it thinks that children can't handle anything worse than a main character getting disappointed. The worst this "super evil" villain does is make people sad temporarily, for like two minutes (Kid you not), like one character stays sad for longer but MOST people in the kingdom seem happy and normal after giving up their wishes, he legit just makes people sad a few minutes (Again, I kid you not, no one dies, the wishes he "eats" to make himself stronger come back, nothing he does has a permanent, devastating effect, he is not even revealed to have killed Asha's father in a dramatic way or something). Yeah he makes people forget their wishes which is pretty sketchy but up to that point he seemed to have complex reasons for that, reasons that seem to disappear or have never even been there the second half of the movie when he magically becomes more evil due to a forbidden green spooky magic he uses, and then suddenly he becomes Maleficent (The cool, perfect villain version, not the woobie one) style evil in a very, very rushed and over the top way. I feel like he should have started up as fully evil with no backstory (Just a simple, Gaston or original Maleficent style, self centered guy, who wants more and more power and adoration), and simply gotten worse and stronger OR given more complexity as to why he became that way, but instead we got this weird thing in between where it is clear he just wants power and love from the people for the sake of it and yet he has this half-made sob story on how his family died.

There was a great lack of originality in this movie at the climax as well. Anyone watched "The little mermaid II"? That was pretty much it. Villain gets power boner, says he will enslave everyone (Worst thing he does in whole movie and yet no one trying to defy him dies at least off screen or gets hurt in any meaningful way). Then heroine saves the day.

The funniest part of this movie is that the villain's fate is worse than anything he ever did in the movie I swear. He gets trapped in a freaking mirror and then locked up in a cell (Similar to the Little mermaid II villain's end too lol). That is straight up torture till death, it is so fucked up. And his wife who literally sees how the green spooky magic is the main thing responsible for his bad day (If we are being honest that is all it was, other than the taking wishes part he seemed to be a good king) leaves him to rot and becomes queen Catherine II style, it is hilarious. Like girl, you turned against your husband like five minutes ago because apparently through decades of seemingly loving marriage, you never knew he was evil but now somehow you are ok with him rotting in solitary confinement till the end of time? So dorky and silly. So bad, so bad.

Lastly, that goat was annoying as hell.

[hollowwhisperings]

Heart Stations (KH spec)

after realising how much Foreshadowing and Sneaky Plot Points were lurking about in KH3's "demo" section, i finally remembered that a LOT of KH3 is done in parallel with KH1: which means that ITS "demo" is ALSO subtly plotty!

The first thing I remembered about Sora's heart station in KH1 is it being able to connect DIRECTLY to the heart stations of Princesses.

despite Sora never having met these princesses before.

except... VENTUS has!

the heart stations that Sora visits in the first Heart Dive belong to Snow White, Cinderella & Aurora: the order of their stations is in the same order as Ven's meeting them in BBS. Ventus befriended Cinderella personally, becoming friendly enough with Snow White & Aurora to have [link] attacks based on them (mostly through his friendship to the dwarves & Aurora's non-evil fairy godmothers).

There is also, in KH1's tutorial, a heart station depicting the three "free" princesses: Alice, Jasmine & Kairi. I had forgotten about this one. It's... interesting that, despite SORA being best friends with Kairi, Sora's heart instead connects to the "idea" of these three princesses altogether rather than individually (if only in the background, given the lack of need for a player to have 7 stages in a tutorial rather than 5). Sora knows Kairi personally but only Ventus could have known Alice or Jasmine, even THEN, his meeting them would have been during KHUX (a time he does not remember in BBS but treasures enough to enable his reunion with Chirithy in KH3).

The last heart station Sora visits in KH1's tutorial heart dive is Belle's: Belle is the princess who Sora ultimately ends up reasonating with most, in his heart at least, and she notably takes on the role of "Riku" to Beast's "Sora" in CoM.

it is EXTREMELY odd that Sora, well before Riku's heart gave him Kingdom Key, was able to directly walk from his heart station to those of the Princesses of Heart: Ventus did not have this ability nor any personal connection with Kairi. There are two plausible explanations as to why Sora's heart was ALREADY connected to that of the Princesses, prior to personally meeting them: Ventus might have joined their hearts by his being an 'artificial' Princess of Light courtesy of Xehanort & Vanitas; RIKU was connected to the princesses and, when Riku gave his crown necklace to Sora, Sora inherited that connection.

Ventus: Artificial Princess of Heart?

this theory is technically canon, working with the definition of princesses as "beings whose hearts are made entirely of light". it seems unlikely that this technicality would result in a metaphysical stairway between Sora's heart station and those of the Prinxesses': if it was THAT easy, Xehanort would have noticed the connection while he had Ven all comatose. Ven's heart being sheltered in Sora's MIGHT, however, explain why the heart stations of Snow White & Cinderella & Aurora were so much closer than the other stations (though the Sleeper/Dreaming connection is a stronger factor shared by Sora & these three).

Riku as Kingmaker?

Sora's first keyblade, Kingdom Key, gets him specifically scouted as Special by Donald & Goofy: Kingdom Key has narrative significance to it, tying it to Kingdom Hearts. Kingdom Key was also, originally, an existence dormant in RIKU'S heart: when Riku['s heart] was consumed by darkness in KH1, Sora was able to reach the light within Riku and receive its protection.

the ease with which Sora inherited Riku's keyblade betrays A Lot about Riku's Heart but it ALSO hints that this is not the ONLY example of Riku's Heart being considered interchangeable with Sora's. in later games, Riku and Sora are able to wield each other's keyblades without hesitation and are even capable of merging: other than SoRiku & Sora's Heart Roommates, Aqua is the only instance of someone summoning & wielding another's keyblade.

The keyblade of a deceased Eraqus came to Aqua in her time of need: this makes sense, the keyblade of a teacher coming to protect its student. Eraqus taught Aqua how to call and use a keyblade; Eraqus [knighted] Aqua with this keyblade; Eraqus died with this keyblade, died realising that he had failed his students and that original duty of protecting them.

Sora, meanwhile, began wielding a keyblade because Riku's Heart knew Sora could use it when Riku could not.

So what makes Riku so special, to keyblades and Princesses of Heart specifically?

It seems increasingly likely that Riku is the "Child of Destiny" that Xehanort believed himself to be: Riku's resemblance to Ephemer makes it likely that, just like Xehanort, Riku is his descendant; additionally, the light of Riku's heart was strong enough to catch the attention of both Terra AND Aqua in BBS. Both Terra & Aqua had, by then, met three Princesses of Heart AND lived alongside the artificially-light Ventus: nevertheless, Terra and Aqua only note that Riku's light is "strong" but not in the same way as any heart they'd encountered before.

Riku also, just "incidentally", happens to have had a Crown since infancy (if we quote Sora in CoM but correctly attribute to Riku what he says of Naminé's charm)... that Riku GAVE to SORA, who now wears it as a necklace. A crown necklace that Sora subconsciously gestures to when speaking from "the heart". *insert Necklace Theory here*

so, even before receiving Kingdom Key, Sora had been given a kind of "kingdom's key" through Riku, in symbol & oath.

this leads me to conclude that the CROWN must have connected Sora's heart (which, in DDD, appears a hop skip & a jump away from Riku's) to the Seven Princesses of Heart, the Seven Lights.

which, in turn, leads me to believe that Riku's gift & oath to Sora was significant enough to be recognised as a form of "Coronation": Riku CROWNED Sora, even without knowing it, and did so while meaning it with "all his heart". Riku's Heart recognising & accepting Sora as its "[king?]" (partner? equivalent?) seems to have continued from that Fateful Meteor Shower, throughout Riku's Entire Villain Arc & Redemption, continuing past Sora's failing to exist: Riku has pulled at LEAST two True Love's Sacrifices for Sora, not counting repeats across timelines, just within DDD & KH3. Riku's sacrificing himself has never lasted long enough to learn any repurcussions beyond Sora.exe going offline. SORA'S nonexistence has not significantly affected the integrity of his universe at large, beyond Riku.exe presumably shortcircuiting, which leads me to believe that so long as ONE of the two has a heart where it should be, the potentially disaatrous ramifications of "oh, btw, this one kid's heart has direct access to our universe's suns? should we be worried about that" has been prevented.

(Riku launching himself OUT of said universe to follow Sora? UH. let's just hope Kairi's still in touch with the other Original 7 and can lead the New Lights when it potentially/inevitably becomes necessary?)

Speaking of Kairi...

interestingly, Kairi never really indicates feeling "connected" to Riku.

Kairi feels connected to SORA and HIS heart, something many characters share in common (often very literally). Another product of Riku (& thus Destiny) sharing his role with Sora, when not designating him [his] King absolutely?

Speaking of Kings...

Riku ends up manifesting ANOTHER keyblade, just casually, despite Sora's having Kingdom Key being a Big Deal.

we could dismiss Riku's having Soul Eater in KH1 as "that's Xehanort/Terra/Ansem SoD's heart at work"... but we can't dismiss Riku's STILL having a keyblade post-KH2, Sora wielding the original Kingdom Key while Riku so happens to summon a second keyblade from his heart without any fuss at all??

it is... interesting, that Donald & Goofy never ended up explaining [to the audience] why Kingdom Key SPECIFICALLY was something King Mickey was looking for in the first place.

if it was due to Mickey's searching for the Wayfinder Trio, Donald & Goofy would have been searching for multiple "keyblade WIELDERS" instead of one "KEYBLADE": we can only assume that Xehanort's repeated efforts at starting another ragnarok have sufficiently distracted everyone from Kingdom Key's origins.

I personally find it very heartwarming/plot-foreshadow-y that Kingdom Key has STAYED with Sora, even upon reuniting with a Riku whose heart is at peace again: consciously or otherwise, Riku's heart continues to choose "Sora".

(which, given how likely it is that Riku is the foretold Child of Destiny... means that RIKU'S choosing Sora makes DESTINY choose Sora... for better of for worse, right? plz just let them be married already, Disney: Nomura & Utada have Riku's vows all written and everything)

[refriedrambles]

I have a new character who makes Krysa a stronger character. Her name is Roara and she's probably the most feminine character I've ever had and I love her

She's breaking off and absorbing some of Krysa's traits (it's very necessary, Krysa was a mess of a character) and adding them onto a beauty appreciating disney princess/villain. That appreciation can toe the line with vanity but it's also such a genuine deep seeded appreciation that doesn't end at just a pretty face that it's a bit contagious. It applies to nature and interiors and personalities and so much to ideas and art. She's just so full of passion about it too. My notes describe her as a nymph mother goddess and like probably not the best way to describe her but I like it a lot. She is socially adept, a natural leader and very protective of "her" people

Also I have her design in my head but it is getting muddled and I should be asleep so, inspired by Aurora and Megara. Light strawberry blonde, possibly a more typical blonde fading into a light strawberry blonde idk. Head band, but likely often change outfits. Slightly older than Krysa, but probably shorter, this likely makes Krysa taller rather than Roara being an especially short idk figure later

There are significant changes to Krysa from this, but also they're kinda minor at the same time? Roara heavily influences who Krysa grows into by rubbing off on her and taking the time to teach her not to a miserable little shit and handle people. Also learn the importance of taking care of oneself, feeling pretty and though this one doesn't sink in all that much appreciate others. Roara being there really helps me solidify Krysa's character. I can remove the maternal aspects from her, solidify her feelings on having to be a leader herself (she loathes it) matching it with her hatred of authority, and detangles a lot of the confusion between her brutality/hatred of humanity and her strong protective instincts/detest of the cruel and unfair. She's a lot more focused on her curiosity now. Also herself hatred changed from oh I know I'm a bad person and can never be good cause I'm just that smart enough to see it to oh I've seen something so powerful and moving in all of the shit and I could never be that. That's not it like I explained that so badly lol it's not like envy at all. Maybe a bit of su's love like you, but Idk how to get the rest of it across right lol

Krysa's got two big things now self hate while fuels her trust issues and a zealous passion to learn

Roara's got two or three a feverish passion for all types of beauty, a nurturing and protective nature (selective tho it may be), and a knack for knowing how people work

[kkangkkangie]

Professor Headcanons

Albus Dumbledore

he’s very accomplished in terms of wizarding academics, having won nearly every accolade there is. but—but, he’s also not averse in using like “muggle” techniques. the reason he even matched up against Voldemort is (cause I guarantee you) this person pulled out some muggle warfare tactic that caught him off-guard.

✨weaponized ignorance✨ (like seriously everyone knows he’s a genius, but like gets away with saying stuff like “nitwit” and “blubber”) he feels like a Luna kinnie at times

he switched out the smart three piece suit when (1) he no longer needed to impress Grindewald & (2) realized wizard robes were like blanket hoodies

“to be a wizen is a right, but to use magic is a privilege” 

Minerva McGonagall

this lady has the wizen equivalent of a physics PhD & she did it all with grace and sophistication. do not mess with her—there’s a reason she was chosen to wrangle a bunch of kids who think rules are like glowsticks (i.e. meant to be broken).

this is that one professor who grades your exams in one day & posts grades immediately. Alternatively, she somehow never misses a question. either she has the world’s greatest spell for grading or she’s just that good. 

she’s the de-facto leader of the faculty (other than Dumbledore, but even he defers to her at times) + the stern parent that makes sure that the emo child (snape) gets social interactions or botany hyperfixater (sprout) doesn’t create a breed of plants that eats the students, etc. 

“words are meaningless if there is no willpower driving it—conversely, one should not speak unless one wants to will something to reality”

Severus Snape

that asocial genius trope. he hated eating at the faculty table in front of students so he didn’t. until came Celaena and Harry Co., then for the sake of keeping his sanity intact, he did (he even does a little headcount of his students & panics if one of them is missing)

he wears the same robes for a reason. they keep him cool in the heat of summer & somehow provides insulation for the cold dungeon winters. it works. he wears.

he learned that simply not requiring textbooks in his class (or at least one pertaining to brewing) was better than losing his shit everytime he saw the terrible instructions. in his first few years of teaching, he set 4 textbooks on fire. 

“there is nothing worse than incompetency masquerading as confidence” 

Pomona Sprout

acts like she’s on five coffees a day even though she doesn’t drink any. this lady has the strength and energy of a whole farm—she could plant all day & be the happiest person on the planet. she’s the strongest faculty member (stronger than Hooch, which allows for some fun challenges when inebriated) 

she experiments a lot! like she has several notebooks dedicated to recording the minute changes in the properties of plants—with the aid of Snape’s potion skills. the two singlehandedly came up with a new set of ingredients for seasonal potions for the Hospital Wing.

loves to talk with students outside of classes (oftentimes, dragging them to the greenhouses) & it really didn’t matter what house you were in. most students found her the easiest to approach from all houses and years.

“plants are like miniature humans! but I do think they listen much better than you lot”

Aurora Sinistra

she’s that one teacher that’s super hard at the beginning, but as you get used to her teaching methods—best teacher ever. the reason that students in arithmancy usually get a minimum of an A? it’s her. she taught them well.

best tea brewer ever. periodt. Snape’s a close close second, but there’s something about the infusion of moonlight that makes hers legendary. the two often share recipes together—a habit from their years at Hogwarts (although, back then, it was mostly recipes for their friends b/c wow were they bad at taking care of themselves)

she tries to keep homework as small as possible b/c it’s not possible to wait until the stars are out to do them sometimes, but it means that classes are more often. she’s the first teacher to adjust the schedule based on the seasons—less classes, more hw in winter & vice versa in summer season)

“every myths and legends can be ascribed to the beauty of outer universe—we must not forget”

Filius Flitwick

just to start, big aristotle kinnie. he has the aristotelian physics PhD equivalent in the wizarding world (definite big brain). he’s the only other person who can really get technical with McGonagall—both of them are menaces at faculty gatherings.

he has the best manners—not just like table manners, but like how to engage in socialite behavior expertise in multiple customs. he’s practically eligible to be a proper diplomat, but he chose to teach charms because he practically becomes like a little child again, wide-eyed and excited.

he has a very structured manner of teaching b/c he realized how often he’d go on tangents. his older students have the privilege to listen to his rabbit holes before descending down into their own rabbit holes too. 

“brilliance is subjective! every idea is brilliant if you are so enamored by it”

Cuthbert Binns

ghosty man who continued to teach even after death. he became a true icon of living history cause not only did he teach Riddle, McGonagall, Moriarty, and even Harry Potter—he lived through them & he did it all half-asleep. respect.

has no respect for wizen legend and myths—he’s much more rather interested in wizen fact that align with Muggle mythology and legends. there’s an element that he is able to prove and extrapolate—it gets too much with wizen technicalities. 

this man has two office hours. you can either go ask for help and gain a whole lecture on your topic or you can join a group sleepfest. some students with insomnia noticed being able to sleep with his voice as white noise. truly a cure for them.

“we [historians] are not seers; wizen merely have an unfortunate habit of making mistakes and forgetting about them”