#but the three of them together in general just!! intrigue the fuck out of me!!!!!

[dragon-spaghetti]

Y'know what I need to draw more of. Husk, niffty, and alastor dynamic. They are SUCH a trio

Yes this is a call for requests w these three if yous have any ✨

[girlfromflor]

56 DAYS (sjy) | PREQUEL

pairing: enemie!jake x fem!reader | part one and part two

summary: after your best friend jay made you share an apartment with jake – “the guy you don’t like” –, you have to decide whether you should or not give into the feelings he makes you experience, something possibly pleasant and definitely memorable.

genre: "enemies" (reader is in denial) to lovers, accidental roommates, summer love, also has a bit of angst

warnings: none except tension, a bit of angst and bestfriend!jay (yes, he's a warning himself), its mentioned that reader likes to be alone

wc: 1532 | playlist: 56 days.

a/n: this works like a prequel, i guess. also english is not my first language, let me know if there are any mistakes, please? tell me if you wanna be tagged in the sequel♡

sharing an apartment with a man is quite an experience. with your best friend jay it’s not at all simple and with his best friend jake it’s even less so. jay can be both an angel and a demon when he wishes and you can bet he really wanted to this time. a couple of weeks after you two started living together, he decided he would travel to his hometown. and you wonder how he could run away at the first opportunity he got. well, it’s not like he’s moving out. however, spending your summer break in another country when your best friend needs help and support is not exactly the best way to prove yourself as a nice roommate – or an exemplary best friend, for that matter. jay always been a present and honest friend with you, you could always rely on him for all the things you needed. although, it was constantly obvious he didn’t support how you lived your love life, according to him you “don’t know how to enjoy what life has to offer”.

ever since you graduated high school and started college he keeps bugging you to go on a date with one of his closest friends, jake. you, on the other hand, had an impenetrable reluctance when it came to this certain topic. you had met jake through jay, who met him at college. you didn’t know much about jake’s life, except the fact that he shared majors with jay. you did have a strong opinion about his personality though and you could describe it in three main ways: he is incorrigible, absolutely cocky and totally enchanted by you – apparently, at least. that’s what he demonstrated every time you both met and maybe it was for that exact same reason that you made it so explicitly clear you didn’t like him. which is a total and complete lie. you have nothing against him, if anything you think he is considerably funny and somewhat intriguing. handsome for sure and even a bit attractive, on a day you were feeling generous. the problem is that he:

doesn’t know when to shut the fuck up;

is exhaustively insistent;

wants you really, really, really bad.

and jay knows the latter very well. so much so that he would always say a thing or two just to test the waters and see if your opinion of jake had changed. to see if there was any remote chance you would admit that, deep down, you liked jake’s mischievous and flirtatious ways even just a little bit. which you did, but it wasn’t like you were ever letting them know, especially when you were so used to being alone – being so used to wanting to be alone made it hard to think of him anything other than a nuisance. although, with the way jay talked about how jake thought you were just so cute you couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to have him for yourself. jay knew you weren’t going to let jake any close to you, since he felt how hesitant you were about people in general. he felt like he had to do his magic and, for both his friends' happiness, he took matters into his own hands.

the first time you’ve realized that jay tried, in a not-so-subtle way, to throw you at jake was at one of the first parties you attended after you entered college. after a few – many – cups, jay was very happy and more than ready to put his cupid abilities into action. with everyone gathered in a circle that looked more like a square and five rounds after an unorganized “truth or dare” had begun, jay knew it was time to test your patience – real hard. 

“dearest best friend, truth or dare?” his drunken voice, a bit more high-pitched than usual, could be heard and you, without really thinking where this would lead to, answered, “dare, jay.”

it was too late to back away and it took you a while to take in everything that unraveled next. when you came to your senses, you were already being locked in with a disoriented looking jake, who had just been dragged from the makeshift dance floor to the bathroom you would share for the following seven minutes. jake released a laugh that was a mix of disbelief and pure amusement. although he had talked jay’s ear off about how pretty he thought you were and that he would never deny a kiss of yours, he didn’t really expect something to happen. he didn’t expect jay to make you two meet at the party, let alone in such a specific way. but he wouldn’t waste this opportunity in a thousand years. it had been weeks since he accidentally ran into you in the college hallways while looking for jay, who was conveniently walking next to you. that was when jay introduced you two and since then, jake hadn’t been able to get you out of his head. “hey there, pretty,” he said, still smiling.

“why are you laughing, huh?” you asked, clearly uncomfortable at having to share such a small space with someone you barely knew, but deep down grateful that that someone was jake – because despite it being an embarrassing situation, you trusted that he would never hurt you.

“it’s nothing…” he answered you, but that wasn’t going to do it. so he felt obligated to add up an almost inaudible “i’m just happy… that you’re here.” 

and you sighed, pissed off by how easily that simple phrase managed to get to you. “shut up, jake.” sounding low-key aggressive and rolling your eyes, you pressed your back against the door and carried on, “don’t treat me like that, i won't fall for your charms.”

he faked being completely offended, his eyes comically widened and his hand exaggeratedly splaying over his chest, right over his heart. “do you think i'm trying to charm you? me of all people?” though after his little act of innocence he went back to having that smug look on his face and added, “i think you’re too conceited, pretty.” his feet moved to slowly approach you and you immediately regretted the position you chose to stay in, because now you were cornered. his hands moved up to support themselves against the door, one on each side of your head and since you had no way out, you tried your best not to look at his inviting mouth – the one that looked way too kissable for his own good and that was getting closer and closer. 

“and just how well do you know me to state that? nearly nothing, right?” you spoke, but your voice was nothing more than a whisper. a small pout formed on your lips, out of pure spite for not wanting to stay there with him much longer, because you knew you wouldn’t be able to contain yourself. you wanted to kiss him, you needed that.

jake, on the other hand, seemed like he was having the time of his life. your body was contradicting every word you ever said and he wanted so badly to tease you, just a little bit more. just enough to make you give in to your obvious wishes. “oh princess, don’t talk to me like that. if you haven’t noticed, that’s exactly what i'm trying to do here…” one of his hands left the door to play with a loose strand of your hair and your whole body tensed. “you know? trying to get to know you better… but you won’t help me.” and you could feel his warm breath on your cheek. that was it, you were going to kiss jake at that very moment and not an inch in your body seemed to be against it.

only, you didn’t kiss. much to the boy’s dismay – and, secretly, yours too – you were interrupted. the sound of the key unlocking the door was deafening in the deep silence that had hung between you both. jake felt pure anger bubble up inside him at the missed opportunity. you looked around the room, flustered, trying to compose yourself as if you were guilty of something that didn’t even happen and jake backed away from you, even though his whole body begged otherwise. jay’s voice was a very needed welcome and you managed to release a breath you hadn’t even realized you were holding. as you turned your back on jake and left the room in a hurry, you lightly caressed your heart over your shirt, in a failed attempt to try and soothe it’s uncontrollable rhythm. jake was left speechless and slightly out of breath, trying really hard not to run after you as he glared jay.

but jay was too curious to notice, eagerly asking “dude, what happened? you look like you ran a marathon…”

jake only sighed, then he spoke, “nothing happened. like, literally nothing…” and as he softly pushed past jay, he tried to ignore the annoying ache in his heart, forcing himself to think that there was nothing to worry about, this wasn’t the end yet – ‘i will have another chance’, that’s all that went through his mind.

[emilykaldwen]

The Maiden and the Drowning Boy | Aegon x OC | Chapter Seventeen

Rating: Explicit

Ships: Aegon II Targaryen x Abrogail Strong (Lyonel Strong's Daughter), Jacaerys Velaryon x Helaena Targaryen

Summary: As the kingdom teeters on the edge of chaos, Alicent Hightower swaps the pieces on the board: Aegon will marry Abrogail Strong, Larys’ younger sister and heir to Harrenhal. Caught in the web of intrigue and political machinations, the pair must figure out where their loyalties lie, and what they mean to one another.

Tropes: Childhood Sweethearts/Friends to Lovers, Generational Trauma and Cycles of Abuse, It's All About the Character Development, Unreliable Narrators, Multi-POV, Canon Divergent, Bisexual Aegon II Targaryen, Book/Show Mash Up, Fix-It Of Sorts, Stopping the Cycle of Abuse before it gets us all killed, Team Neutral, fairy tale vibes meets victorian medievalism meets grrm

No tag list. please follow @emkald-fic and turn on post notifications for updates or subscribe on AO3

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Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six | Chapter Seven | Chapter Eight | Chapter Nine | Chapter Ten | Chapter Eleven | Chapter Twelve | Chapter Thirteen | Chapter Fourteen | Chapter Fifteen | Chapter Sixteen

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Author's Note: We've got Rhaenyra POV! We've got Aemond POV! We've got a surprise in the end! Thank you for all the support and patience. You're all getting this chapter early since I'm out of town for the weekend! Enjoy!

PLEASE PLEASE subscribe to the series page or my author page so you get updates when we start the next story! You're not going to want to miss it. (And follow @emkald-fic on tumblr if you read here!)

All my love to @vampire-exgirlfriend for her love and support and holding my hand through this chapter that just kept kicking my fucking ass. If you need more Aemond content, you must read, They Say I killed You (Haunt Me Then)! Now complete! (epilogue going up soon!)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - Parrying the Daggers Thrown At Us

Rhaenyra receives a letter. Aemond cannot find peace until he gets a taste of it.

Grandfather is still ill, much like we saw him last but he prefers his wheel chaired more oft than not…

Things have been tense, understandably so, but Queen Alicent has been cordial and has made sure we are comfortable and have what we need… 

Aegon and Aemond keep their distance, perhaps so they can glare all the better…

I do not know how to make amends for what happened… 

…and they say Aemond is taken by his pains at times, darkening his room as his head aches from his wound… 

I should make amends, it is right… 

What do you think I should do?...

Heleana has been the warmest… 

…we danced together at the feast and she was quite happy to do so. It is nice spending time with her…

Aegon is happy around Lady Abrogail and she laughs freely with him. He is not like how he used to be as much with her… 

I think Lord Lyonel and Ser Harwin would be pleased to see how well she is treated…

Many houses were represented at Aegon’s nameday… 

Most seemed to wonder if Aegon would have been named heir and displace you but none came to pass… 

…they will inherit Harrenhal. I can see the wisdom in it as Luke will have Driftmark one day, but I think of Joffrey and Aegitsos and my uncles who do not have lands and holds to occupy them…

I love you much, Muñus, I hope you are well and that I will see you soon…

Rhaenyra ran her fingers over her son’s careful script, her mouth twitching in fondness amidst her worry of her zēapos. His letter was long, too much for a raven’s wings and she started from the beginning once she had read it through once. Twice. Her ribs ached as if Jace had been carved out of her to go on this journey and she shook her head, trying to let the feeling flit away on the breeze. Her eldest had a temper, much as she did in her youth, much as his father had, in the ways that drew her in. Time stole away much, and her own bouts of temper had cooled with each broken toy, each yelling fight, each ‘he pulled my hair!’ and ‘He pushed me and won’t share!’

The sounds of swords clanged in the yard and her gaze flitted from her son’s letter - pages crinkled in her grasp - to the courtyard below where Daemon was testing the new recruits to the Dragonstone guard. His silver hair was twisted back from his face in braids as he preferred, something about war and mindset and always be prepared.

He called something towards Joff and Aegitsos as the knight before him panted, having been bested against her husband.

Baela had not written, that much she knew, though Jace had said that she had found a friend in Helaena after a tense standoff. Rhaenyra had found the mention of it surprising, for her little sister, in the times she’d been around her, had been a quiet thing, eyes large in her face, gaze flitting to everyone and no one.

Helaena has been the warmest…

Helaena was not yet married. The match with Aegon had never come to pass.

The invitation lay on the table before her next to the plate of lemon cake she liked for her morning meal on days such as this.

The wedding of Prince Aegon of House Targaryen and Lady Abrogail Strong of Harrenhal…

In five moons, the spectacle would be held in the Riverlands. In five moons, the realm would look upon her brother once more, peacocked and pulled out, as Daemon sneered, by Otto Hightower to show him off as a contender, to put pressure on her father to change his mind. Her father had nearly twenty years to change his mind and still, he had not. Not even in her absence, cowardly as it sometimes felt to retreat and lick her wounds, had her father’s support of the claim and her family seemed to waver. Try as the Hightowers might to scream and spread slanders that would call for bloodshed, her father still would not be swayed. It was the sense of satisfaction that she had felt when he came to her defense in that shadowed hall those years ago, the heated of curl in it that no matter what, there could be no question as to his choice.

He had chosen her.

Even as the feeling waned over time to give over to those moments where she doubted, all the times he had failed to reign his wife in with her abuses and vitriol, the words her son had sent her bolstered her.

I think Lord Lyonel and Ser Harwin would be pleased…

Harwin’s little sister, big blue eyes and red curls bound in braids, peeking curiously over the edge of Lucerys’ cradle next to Jace because ‘She asked if she could see the baby and give him this,’ Harwin had said, as the little girl presented her attempts at embroidering a little dragon on a pillow. Little Abrogail, half Harwin’s, half Alicent’s. She had tried to bring the girl to Dragonstone with them. Would she not be happier away from the court politics with her brother and the quiet? Lord Lyonel had given her a surprised, then hard look, and Rhaenyra had felt chastened in a way her own father had never been able to evoke within her.

“I will keep my daughter with me, and should I send her away, it will be back to her home, at Harrenhal, with her brother.”

Grief washed through her like the crashing of the waves on the rocky shore below and she felt her own jagged edges inside of her. Lyonel Strong had been the best of them, putting the realm first, always by her side at every council meeting she attended, encouraging her, even as his face grew graver with each brunette curled boy she bore.

Violet eyes swept across the parchment again. A servant in the camp had tried to attack the girl, Jace said. Crept into her tent, assuming she would have been alone. Inquiries were being made, but as far as anyone could see, the man had just been a baseborn servant - blending in like no other. Rhaenyra pursed her lips and looked down at the training yard once more, fingers drumming along the stone ledge of the terrace.

She wondered how wrapped around Lady Abrogail’s finger her half-brother might be… and how opportune this moment was.

Alicent’s eldest was marrying and taking a seat in the Riverlands. It was not the bold choice that Rhaenyra had thought would happen. Surely one of the many Lannister girls, or one of the Baratheons - a great house who would be invested in their own daughter becoming queen would have made more sense.

Harrenhal, for the wealth and lands that it had, did not command armies the way the Stormlands did. It did not have endless coffers the way Casterly Rock boasted of. It was a moody fortress on the edge of the God’s Eye, surrounded by lush farmland and woods that were dark and deep and felt that you were somewhere fanciful, somewhere that didn’t hold dragons nor thrones, nothing except for a warm hand wrapped around her own.

The clashing and screaming of steel in the yard below pulled Rhaenyra from her thoughts, and away from the path of her sorrows and regrets. Turning her back to the sight below, she reached for her own parchment and quill, pushing aside the letter from Lord Celtigar.

Lady Abrogail… Good tidings on news of your approaching nuptials…

Aemond pursed his lips, his gaze rising from the book before him, a study on the Conqueror’s approach to the first Dornish war,to squint across the barrel room near the top of the tower that held the library in the Holdfast. He drummed his fingers upon the scarred wooden table, a fingertip running along the crescent burn from the time Abby had accidentally knocked over a candle while they were reading about Harren the Black.

He exhaled slowly, the way the Braavosi manuals advised and looked back at his book.

It had been weeks since his brother’s festivities, and the chill of the end of the growing season had crept in. It was not cold by northern standards, but the air cooled, the rains rolled in for the next several months, and angry storms fell over them  from the Narrow Sea, their winds piercing and frightening, as if they were dragons themselves in the winds that the Storm God rode, threatening to tear apart the Red Keep brick by brick.

Helaena’s nameday had passed with quiet fanfare, the lingering lords of the realm who had not left parading their sons in front of his maiden sister. As if any of them were worthy of a dragonrider, someone as clever and kind as Helaena.

It had been complicated over the past weeks since the talk in the garden, and Aemond still wasn’t entirely sure how he felt. What had been most surprising had been the strange sense of release when his sister let him go, leaving him to sit in the rain before Visenya’s statue, her words ringing in his ears. 

‘I would burn Dorne for you… but I do not want to leave behind a world of ash and bone.’

How desperate Helaena had looked, angry and frightened and full of hope as she begged not to have a husband, but a brother back. ‘How else am I supposed to protect her?' he had wondered. How else could he offer his sister protection and security if it wasn’t to marry her, to tie her to him so that she would never have to fear, never have to doubt her acceptance and those who loved her?

Aegon had not wanted to marry her. She was weird, he’d sneered. How miserable Helaena would be, how miserable they both would have been. Aemond had done the right thing. He’d stepped up, he had gotten Mother and The Tower to break the betrothal. Even if they had not promised him and Helaena to one another, that was alright, it would simply be a matter of time.

He had Vhagar. There could be no further doubt that he was truly a Valyrian. There could be no more doubt as to his place in the world. All that was left was his sister.

Guilt gnawed deep in his stomach, shame twisting around his throat when the thought filtered through. Helaena was not a bauble he needed to collect to prove something. Collecting her was not protecting her. Collecting her was not about her, but for him, and it was this knowledge that he had thought about constantly.

His sister deserved more than being a broodmare, to be a pawn in the games. The forced distance the last few weeks had given him, after Helaena pushed him from the proverbial nest, had left him unsettled and snappish.

The loud thud of a book hitting the stone floor reverberated through the room. A heavy tome, judging from the heft of the sound, followed by a soft giggling, a deeper snickering sound chasing after it before they muffled and fell quiet.

He knew, with the utmost certainty, why it had fallen quiet.

Ever since the betrothal, the grip on his best friend had been slipping. Oh, him and Abrogail were an unlikely pair, but few appreciated books and history as his cousin did. While digging in the dirt and helping Helaena catalog her collection had been fulfilling, there was something joyous in being able to have someone who understood the quiet and sanctity of the library, and who loved books and reading and learning as he did. Lyonel Strong had always indulged his questions when was young - far more enthralling than Mellos and Orwyle were, and he had fostered that curiosity in his daughter.

‘All she’s going to care about is making babies with Aegon!’ Helaena had cried, frustrated and angry when they’d been alone after the fight in the brothel. 

There was a soft cry, and Aemond scowled at his book before his chair scraped across the stone floor and he strode purposefully towards the source of the sound. The histories of the Riverlands were there - not just observational books, but the census, the trade information, things used by the small council’s not-quite-so-small army of clerks and counters and lawmakers. The section of the library that Abby had frequented since the announcement and that he had helped her with.

“Not here,” came the whispered whine, laced with laughter. Aemond rolled his eye as he turned the corner of the aisle. It was shadowed somewhat this far down, The strategically polished silver angled to bounce the light around so as not to pose a fire risk among the precious books, although the day was gray and cloudy and the light reflected was that of a lamp. Abby was pressed against the bookshelves, the blue and silver brocade of her skirts rucked up with her stockings on display, her legs at present, wrapped around his stupid brother’s waist. One arm was stretched out to grab onto the bookshelf behind her, and the fallen book that had been in its place was still on the ground. Aegon’s face was buried into her chest, or maybe her throat? 

He was half-blind, after all, sometimes details could be mercifully missed. Or ignored.

“This,” Aemond said, his voice even and dripping with every ounce of annoyance and betrayal he felt, “is the library, not a brothel.”

Aemond’s fists clenched at the disrespect both of them displayed to a place they knew  was important to him. At the announcement of his presence, Abby squeaked, Aegon’s arms tightening around her as she scrambled to lower herself without sending them both toppling. He held his arms folded behind his back, his hand scraping along his elbow as the pair of them got themselves in order and he shook his head when Aegon looked at him, dragging the back of his hand across his mouth. Abby had turned to straighten her gown.

“Are you really going to act like this?” Aegon said, for it was barely a question. “We weren’t in front of you and your book. You were the one seeking us out.”

“Because you both weren’t as quiet as you thought you were,” Aemond snapped. “It was distracting.”

A lazy smirk crossed across his brother’s flushed face and he wanted to punch him square in his stupid nose. Let him kiss his future wife with his face bashed in. “Well, my lady is distracting-.” There was a soft sound as Abby smacked Aegon’s shoulder, cutting him off with an exaggerated ow, the flinch was nowhere near the violent response that inhabited his brother when it was their mother doing the hitting. She peered around Aegon’s shoulder, her mouth just as swollen, her cheeks just as flushed and her features apologetic.

“We’re sorry, Aemond. Things just got out of hand. I shouldn’t have-”

“Don’t you apologize,” Aegon interrupted her this time, a fierce look on his face. 

“No, actually,” Aemond cut in, taking a step forward, using the few inches he now had on his brother to straighten his shoulders. “She’s right. Thank you, Abby, for apologizing. Are you upset that she has to apologize for you, since your self-awareness is worse than a billy goat ramming his head into things?”

Aegon’s mouth gaped in offense, his flush deepening. There was a bruise along his neck that was going to be difficult to hide. The glib nature of his eldest brother was a trial at the best of times, but this? “You know this isn’t your place to run about as you please. Shall I just unlock my doors, let you roll around in my sheets and over my personal things while you’re at it?”

“It’s the fucking library, Aemond. It doesn’t belong to you-”

Abby let out a startled cry as Aemond’s fist shot out, but as much as he would love to punch his brother, he shoved him instead, feeling the crackling of frustration, the rumble of Vhagar in his chest.  “Because it’s all yours, is that it? You mewling fucking kitten. This isn’t just my library, it’s hers too, but you don’t fucking care about anything that means something to anyone else if it gets in the way of what your limp cock wants.”

“Aemond, truly, we’re sorry - Aegon, no!” Abby’s voice was lost in Aegon’s growl as his brother came back with another shove, sending him back a few steps. Aemond laughed, a hint of a sound like the thin scrape of wind whistling through a crack. Yes, yes let the idiot push him around. Let him continue to pull his friend away from him, from him and Helaena both. His gaze darted briefly to the redhead, blue eyes wide as she pressed herself back against the shelves, before meeting his brother’s lighter gaze.

“You are a glib fucking fool, Aegon,” Aemond said lowly, his mouth curling as he readied for a fight, needing to expend the burn of flame inside of him. “I don’t care what the pair of you do, I’ll say nothing should Mother hear of it, but-” he stepped forward and shoved Aegon hard into the bookstack. The ancient wood creaked and groaned, but the stacks were bolted to the floor to prevent them from topping. A few books fell from the force of Aegon’s frame smacking into it. “Stay the hell out of my library.”

He did not look over his shoulder, even as Abby called his name, apology rife in her tone. He strode through the halls, calling for his horse to be saddled while he went to angrily pull on his riding leathers. The left side of his temple ached as it was wont to do when his face was full of tension. Helaena would make him tea, protect him in the quiet, but that was not meant to be today. The last he saw, his sister was in the gardens with Jacaerys. 

How he ached to wring the stupid bastard’s neck.

How bright he seemed to make Helaena laugh.

How betrayed Aemond felt by it all.

Why hadn’t Helaena said anything? Why hadn’t she told him that she didn’t want to be married? Why had she just let him wander around like a puppy and now left the fool?

‘But hadn’t she told you?’ a little voice drifted through Aemond’s mind and he paused in the lacing of his leathers. Had she not told him by pursuing that fool Warren Fossoway, and the time that he had spied her kissing him - for he had seen Helaena push the squire behind the carved dragon pillar by the gardens. 

‘But she would let me kiss her, she would kiss me, and she’d touch me and I her and-’ The flurry of thoughts ached as he pulled on his boots.

It would not hurt as much if it was anyone but Jacaerys.

The ride to the beach beneath the shadow of the Red Keep was a blur. The rock outcropping of Aegon’s High Hill was a craggy, sheer thing, but the beach below was one that Vhagar enjoyed sunning herself, a guard dog laying at the foot of the bed in a way. Her head lifted as Aemond approached, lowing in greeting and shaking sand from her scales. The tension in Aemond’s chest began to ease at the sight of her, and he approached, patting a gloved hand along her scarred neck, scratching along a vicious scar she must have received in Dorne. There were no words exchanged, not the way Aegon chattered with Sunfyre. Aemond’s bond with Vhagar was one of feeling, of such deep understanding that no words needed to spill from him. In no time, he scaled her great bulk and yelled out the command to fly, which his dragon responded with her own, what he assumed was excited, call in return.

Vhagar landed on the cliffs on the western side of Massey’s Hook, the bay below dotted with smaller fishing boats this far out from King’s Landing and away from the bustle of the capital. Rage and grief, anger and fear were a tempest in his gut and he rankled at the call of Moondancer as his cousin circled above them.

If Baela wanted this fight, then he would meet her, unflinching. Let her see what dragons were made of. They did not all reside on Dragonstone.

“Laodijes peldios!” Baela howled at him, her voice a sharp shout on the breeze, her face twisted and ugly with fury, fists at her side as she readied herself to hit him should he get within reach.

Aemond glared at her, the distance between them shrunk now to an arm length. Vhagar was a great shadow behind him and he could feel the sulfuric heat of her breath as she exhaled buffeting at his back. Moondancer was a little ways away, shrieking fearfully and Aemond could not tell if the dragon reflected her rider’s mood, or her fear of Vhagar.

“You’re a fucking fool. Daemon Targaryen is your father, your mother a Velaryon, and you still don’t realize that a dragon cannot be stolen.”

“You had no fucking right!” Baela snarled. “Vhagar was for Rhaena to claim-”

“If Vhagar had not wanted me, she would have eaten me and you damn well know it.” Aemond cut her off, watching her jaw click shut with a curl of satisfaction. “Vhagar chose me, not your sister. What? You want to kill me to give her another chance at claiming her? Is that what you’re here? To finish the job that you all started?”

“Why would my mother’s dragon choose you?” Balea cried, and this time, there was a choked quality to her rage. Aemond’s eye widened slightly and he leaned back from her, a curl of uncertainty that he despised. His words had been harsh, full of the anger that he had felt simmering these past years. Aemond shrugged it off. He had earned his harshness in this. He’d been the one attacked, the band of them setting upon him simply because he chose to claim his right as a Valyrian prince.

‘Why would my mother’s dragon choose you?’

Aemond ran his tongue over his teeth and leaned back on his foot, watching Baela gasp for air amidst her choking sobs, and turn from him to look out to the bay, towards Driftmark and High Tide.

He remembered his mother’s cries, her rage, her such careful and elegant control snapping as her voice cracked in the silence of the Hall of Nine.

“He’s your son, Viserys.”

“Why did Moondancer choose you?” Aemond asked. “Why did Moondancer choose you, and my egg never hatched?” Baela did not look at him but he could see the way her shoulders tensed. “Why didn’t you go find the guards? Why did you come, thinking a thief had stolen a dragon and Jacaerys brought his blade? Why did they give me a pig, pretending they had found me a dragon as they both had their own? Why did they do nothing but terrorize me with that fact for our childhoods?” 

Aegon had done it too, gone in on the fun, drunk on being the eldest. It had lessened considerably in the wake of Rhaenyra leaving the capital, even if his brother sought other ways to tease him - he’d never again mentioned his lack of dragon.

Aegon had come to him in his sick bed, his curls shorn, red eyed and puffy faced, tears on his cheeks, had knelt at his bedside and vowed to him. 

“We protect our own and I did not protect you. I do not care if you’ve claimed Vhagar, for I was not there for you when you needed me. It will never happen again. I will protect you. I will be by your side.”

Aemond had sometimes wondered how much of the words were his brother’s own, but he had known, with certainty, that the feelings were genuine. His brother was an idiot, and they butted heads, but his brother loved him in his own way, and for as angry as Aegon could make him, he loved him too. In his own way. 

He might admit that on his deathbed, unlike Aegon, who would only need to be in the depths of his cups and into the sad and tearful mourning edge.

“What do you know, Baela?” Aemond said, his voice even, coldness creeping along the edges. “Of fighting and scraping for everything that is owed to you?” He forcefully bit his tongue, copper exploding in his mouth as he broke skin, to keep from pressing further at the loss of her birth right to Driftmark for Rhaenyra’s folly.

“A prince has to scrape for all that is owed to him.” It was rhetorical, biting, and Aemond snorted, taking a step forward, his own gaze looking out at the water.

“You may have been an idiot child, but don’t play me for a fool.” It was impossible not to see how little Viserys thought of his second family, and he had seen it plainly on Jacaerys’ face, the surprise in witnessing it. “I’m sure your father relishes every word you send to him. His little spy.”

Baela’s lip curled in a snarl and she stalked closer. Aemond stayed where he was, watching her with a narrowed eye as Vhagar let out a low growl behind him. She did not move, did not lift her head, but her nostrils flared and Aemond felt the heat of her breath swirl around him. Baela’s eyes widened, and she paused, the indigo of them shining with tears. 

He turned his head slightly to look at Vhagar. “Ȳgha iksi,” he reassured her, feeling Vhagar’s displeasure seeping through him, her warning and the remembered rage from those years ago when she could not protect him or take away his pain. He reached for her snout, pressing his hand to the scar above her left nostril, rubbing against it. He turned his back to his cousin and brought his other hand up, feeling the anger hot as coals, hot as dragonfire in his chest. Vhagar was full of tension. He could feel it. Would she feel that way if it wasn’t him? If she was not so worried for him, would she recognize the girl behind him as the child that Laena Velaryon surely brought to her, as Aemond would have brought his own child? Had his grandfather, Baelon, brought his sons to this dragon before them?

The silence filled the air around them, the wind thick with tension. Aemond pressed his forehead to Vhagar, took strength from her, squeezed his eye shut and ignored the pain that lanced through his head and pulsed behind his scar.

The sob behind him was soft, and Moondancer’s cry was mournful.

“He’s your son, Viserys.”

“I did not mean to tarnish your mother’s memory,” Aemond finally spoke, his voice carrying as he looked, blind side towards Baela. “It was not done to hurt you, or to take something from you. It was… It was my only chance. And it’s something I don’t think you’ll ever be able to understand. I am… I am sorry about the loss of your mother. I did not have the opportunity to give you my condolences then, but I can give them to you now.”

The sound Baela made was strangled. Aemond turned to look at her. Baela was stiff beneath her red and black riding leathers, the metal rings in her hair tinkling as the wind tugged at her braids. He recalled the mourning child she had been sitting by her twin and Jace, the vicious yell she’d let out when she punched him in the nose that night, the howls and scream of pain. He felt Vhagar twitch and groan beneath his touch, another warning and he hushed her again, stroking her snout. He watched her gaze go towards Moondancer, who was crying fitfully, grounded still, her aquamarine wings more green against the lush grass of the clifftop.

“Do you want to pet her?”

Baela stared at him, the hostile lines to her face instantly slacking in surprise. “Skoro syt?” Her voice was small and wary, even as her eyes were wide with grief.

“My condolences,” Aemond repeated, and he found the words genuine. It was not Baela, nor her sister, or even his bastard nephews that rankled him. Oh, he wanted his revenge, He wanted what was due, but more of the blame lay with his eldest sister and their father. Of that, Aemond was secure in. He would gladly feed them both to Vhagar, to take an eye as payment for his mother.

His cousin shifted on her booted feet before whatever compelled her brought her forward. Aemond shifted, beckoning her to take her place by his side as he murmured words to Vhagar. Baela had taken her glove off, her slim, tanned hand reaching tentatively up before resting along the scar on Vhagar’s nostril.

They stood there for how long, Aemond was not sure, quietly beside one another as Baela grieved for the mother at the bottom of the Narrow Sea, and his own grief at what was taken from him.

“Do not mourn me, mother…”

‘But mourn the boy dead on Driftmark.’

It was not lightness or peace that settled over Aemond when he and his cousin parted later. He was not certain how much time had passed, only that after she had sobbed, they sat there in a strange, companionable silence eating hunks of bread and cheese and apple that Baela cut with a wicked blade. She did not give him thanks, she did not say anything, but Aemond took the offering of shared food as her own gesture of whatever truce was settled between them. The exchanged curt nods before parting, Baela northeast and away from the city to what Aemond assumed was High Tide and her grandmother and twin, while he circled back towards the city.

Aemond was not certain of the feeling he held except that it felt like he had scratched something out on a list, or deposited a burden that he was trying to carry with all his other, more cumbersome burdens. It was a closed door. That was enough for Aemond, and there was a part of him that wanted to march to his sisters and tell them that he had made nice, to have Abby’s warm smile proud with him, and Helaena’s little clap and promptly being the receiver of her latest mountain spider that Uncle Rodrik had brought her.

Instead, after entering the inner courtyard of the Red Keep and handing off his horse to one of the stablehands, he made his way to the gardens and to his own preferred solitude when the library - so recently desecrated - was not an option. No, Aemond needed air, he needed the statue of Visenya to look down upon him. There, where Helaena had snipped the strings and released him from the vow he had made, the goal that held him that was more about him than it truly was about her. 

Where his sister had set him free, and he loved her all the more for it.

The problem, he found, upon striding down the paved path and through the dripping ivy, was that his garden was not, in fact, as empty as he hoped. Wylla Karstark was kneeled in front of a bush of hyacinths, carefully cutting the purple blooms and placing them in a basket beside her. She was clad in a dove gray dress, the black fabric of her kirtle beneath poking out through slashes along her shoulders and puffed at her elbows. Her fox features were pinched in concentration and Aemond watched her for a moment, silent as she had clearly not heard his approach.

Wylla Karstark was an unknown. She was pretty enough, with a long nose and sharp jaw, gray eyes that flashed when she was annoyed, which was the majority of the time. She had a rather frustrating talent of being able to look down at him even as she had to arch her neck, for she was as petite as Abby was. Their joint misfortune, just like Aegon’s. She was also well read, their conversation at the feast turning from a mutual annoyance to discussing the book of poetry that he had seen her reading, which itself had turned into a rather long and in depth conversation on the Valyrian poet, Praxilla, whose work had survived by the grace of her living the life of leisure in Lys when the Doom happened. Wylla and his elder brother unknowingly shared a fondness for drinking songs penned by the scribe, although Aemond was smart enough to know he shouldn’t bring that up.

Not until he needed to.

“It is polite to speak when coming upon someone, Your Grace,” Wylla’s northern burr was arch as she focused on her task. “I would curtsy, but you can see I’m already on my knees.”

Aemond’s cheeks flushed at the turn of her words, and he was not certain if she understood how they could be taken. He decided that she didn’t, for she did not turn to look at him, seemingly unbothered. All for the best, he supposed, for Aemond did not think he could meet her gaze should she be facing him.

“Why are you cutting my flowers?”

“Your flowers, Your Grace?” Wylla laughed, a sharp, lilting sort of sound and he wondered if that’s what she sounded like when she sang. Did she sing? He had not asked her. “These flowers belong to Queen Visenya, for it is her garden, is it not?”

“It is my garden,” he pushed back, frowning at the back of her head, the mass of thick, twisted black braids kept in place with a woven, pearl hair net with wicked looking, pearl tipped hair pins to keep the heaviness of it in place. He flexed his hands, wiping them on his riding leathers as he approached. There were other flowers in her basket, like wisteria and some of the roses from the main garden. He sat, bending his one leg to rest an arm on while the other reached in.

Up close, he could see the red flush to her pale cheeks. He did not recall them looking so red when he saw her the day before, outside of the bit of sun all the girls had gotten during the sun.

Her smack was quick, the sound of flesh stinging flesh loud and he immediately pulled back with a hiss and a glare. “How dare-”

“Those aren’t for you,” Wylla said forcefully, the gray eyes of her bright in her face as she finally looked at him. “They’re for Lady Abrogail.”

Aemond had killed a man for the fox-faced woman before him without hesitation, and the knowledge of it settled in him still, generally buried over the past few weeks because he had no idea what to do about it. They’d been attacked in the night, and Wylla Karstark had shoved a knife between the man’s ribs without hesitation. So tall, Wylla Karstark seemed, so loud, filling up the spaces she was in without holding herself back, that he had so often forgotten how small she was.

Until she was there, in front of him, those gray eyes like the storm ridden ocean.

Aemond held her gaze, reaching back into the basket to pluck one of the deep purple, nearly blue anemones that she had gathered, twirling it idly between his long fingers before reaching up to tuck it behind her ear. Wylla was still beside him, her red painted mouth parted slightly, so he could see the flash of her white teeth behind it. Her cheeks deepend in their red to match the paint on her lips and Aemon hummed. 

Abby had been understandably shaken. Knowing her as long as he did, even with the smiles affixed to her face, he knew the signs as intimately as he understood Helaena’s or Aegon’s, or his own mother’s. Wylla Karstark was a mystery. She had been quiet, from what he had seen, but the wedding preparations had taken up much time with the girls, as well as her brother finally leaving the capital earlier that week.

He clenched his jaw, a muscle ticking, before he met her gaze. “Are you alright?”

Her inhale was loud. It trembled and she pressed her red lips together, her throat bobbing with a swallow and looked back at the flowers but did not move to cut anymore. Aemond did not push her, but only waited.

“Yes? No? Strangely yes,” she finally whispered. “I think that’s what bothers me more.”

“That bastard came in with intent to harm,” Aemond said. “If you didn’t kill him, someone else would have. You were incredibly brave.” None knew  where he’d come from. The assailant had been clad in the same red garb as the rest of the servants. A baseborn man. Waters or Storm, Aemond couldn’t remember, much like he had no memory of the man’s face before he stared down at it, red and wheezing before he killed him.

“At least it wasn’t Aegon,” Wylla whispered, her eyes wide, drawing his attention back to her. “What would have that turned into - him sneaking in for them to slobber all over each other. Me thinking he was an attacker and-”

The snort of laughter that escaped Aemond at the idea of it all could not be held back. He bent his head, gasping for air as his shoulders shook and it was only a moment before Wylla’s own peel of laughter joined his. It had been some weeks since he’d laughed, in the wake of what happened at the hunt drying up what little humor he’d indulged in. There was an infectious quality to Wylla Karstark’s amusement that he found comforting. Aemond looked at her, her face flushed from her laughter, and he leaned in, kissing her.

The laughter abruptly stopped, her mouth soft against his, still from her clear surprise. She tasted like oranges. Abby must have indulged in the sweet and sour orange cakes they had at the feast. Wylla did not respond, but she didn’t move away either and Aemond took that as acceptance, and he lifted his hand to cup her cheek, thumb swiping softly against the apple of it. Kisses with Helaena had been different - always expected, always ready, with her initiating many of them. The one time he’d kissed Abby, when they were little and Jace had dared him to, did not count. The both of them had made faces, vowing to never do it again. 

Kissing Wylla, though? He never wanted to stop, especially not when she reached up, the clippers making a soft thump along the grass to wrap around the end of the braid slung over his shoulder. She tugged it gently and Aemond broke away, blinking and gasping. “What?” he asked. “Should I have not done that?”

“Oh, you should have,” she reassured him, breathless and red faced. She licked her lips and looked at her fingers still wound around his braid, toying with the leather tie. “I was just reminded of something someone told me once.”

He cocked his head, mouth pursed. “What was it?”

The smile that cut across Wylla’s face was amused, the scar along the top of her lip giving a mischievous bend to her small, red mouth. “It was about how dragons purr when you pull their hair.”

Whatever thought started to coalesce about her late night conversation with his sisters was pushed right out when her lips found his.

I would love to hear your thoughts! Even if it's just a keyboard smash! Reblog to spread a story around so others may find it! I would love to hear your theories! What did you love? What are you looking forward to? Happy to have you here as always <3

[Next Chapter]

[iambicpentameterhamster]

Every umbrella academy character ranked

Prior to Season 4 coming this year, thought I'd share my character rank with you for the first 3 seasons all together. (Spoilers ahead)

#33- Marcus, Jayme, Alphonso and Fei

Painfully insignificant and underdeveloped. Their only character traits being "spoiled and a bit evil" made them EXTREMELY captivating villians...

#32- Christopher

Only higher because I find the idea of someone carrying around a cube on a stick onset really funny.

#31- Sparrow Ben

Hard to watch honestly, especially in comparison to his lovely counterpart Umbrella Ben.

In general, the Sparrows were terrible and pointless characters, and clearly the writers knew this because most were killed off pretty quickly. All except for Sparrow Ben, which just meant we had to suffer watching him for even longer.

#30- Viktor

This is a controversial choice. He is tolerable in season 1, but then just becomes a moochy emo sod who is boring to watch. I don't know if it's the acting, script or both, but he’s just such a meek and flavourless character who is PARTICULARLY bad in season 3 when he jeopardises his whole family and is repeatedly selfish and has a victim complex.

#29- Luther

He caused the apocalypse in season one and you can't convince me otherwise. Got some alamaba shit going on with Allison...

There are so many reasons I hate Luther. He's a self-centred man child who couldn't care less about his siblings and their feelings, showing zero empathy to Klaus or Vanya, for example. He only shows respect and kindness when he is attracted to the person (As shown when seasons 1 and 2 he is only nice to Allison, then completely ignores her when he moves on to Sloane) or when they pose as an authority figure to him. All he does is whine and feel sorry for himself.

What's that? You lived in the apocalypse all alone for 40 years? You are addicted to drugs and lost the love of your life in a war? You have a power you can't control and a lifetime of rejection? WELL LUTHER WENT TO THE MOON

#28- Carl Cooper

Hated him as a character but he was a menacing villian which I can respect

#27- Harlan

Couldn't care less about him, only there for plot convenience and Victor's arc pretty much

#26- Sloane

An improvement from Luther's literal sibling. Further evidence that Luther will simply fall for any woman who gives a flying fuck about the moon.

Personality: attracted to Luther

#25- Pogo

Basil exposition of the first series

#24- Detective Patch

Barely remember her

#23- The Swedes

They were kind of goofy as villians but there was some good acting and they posed a real threat. Cute moments with the cats. In general, alright, but they could have easily been replaced plot wise with something more interesting.

#22- Cha Cha

Lack of character development for me. I think she deserved to be fleshed out more, I don't think it's fair that only her partner got to be a three-dimensional being. What are her motivations? Who is she underneath it all?

But overall i liked the acting and she was a good villian.

#21- That hotel worker from season 3

He's barely a character but I liked his sass so he's on the list.

#20- Reggie (Reginald Hargreeves)

He is supposed to be the main antagonist/villian of the show, yet The Handler stole his spotlight. He's a bit too stereotypically evil and asshole-ish for me, basically twiddling his moustache and stroking a cat in a dark corner the entire show. The delivery is too blunt and that doesn't help to build the tension and mystery surrounding him as much, but if he were more complicated and cryptic in his personality it would be more effective.

This is very nit picky and overall Reggie is fine. He has some hilarious moments with Klaus in season 3 and I am genuinely intrigued about the unanswered questions surrounding him.

#19- Elliott

He wasn't a particularly important or central character but I enjoyed it when he was on screen and he played his role convincingly. He was a good comic relief in some scenes, and when he died (spoiler alert) the reactions from other characters were realistic and quite impactful. I felt for him throughout, which is impressive for less significant characters and he had a lot of depth relative to the size of his role.

#18- Destiny's children

Not a singular character, but I LOVED Destiny's children. It fit Klaus's character perfectly to have a cult and led to some of the funnies moments in the series.

#17- Dave

From the very limited moments we see with this character, a lot of personality and emotion was communicated, and I feel like we got a big sense of the character. That is down to the brilliant acting from both of Dave's actors and from Robert Sheehan that really sold this character with so little screen time.

Anyway please come back to life Dave! Death doesn't look good on you!

#16- Agnes (Donut woman)

Very sweet and I wish her all the best in life.

#15- Sissy

BRILLIANTLY acted and impactful. Stole every scene between her and Vanya.

Also, she looks EXACTLY like Sheldon's mum in young sheldon...

#14- Herb and Dot

I want to put them both in my pocket and protect them from harm.

#13- Kenny's mum

Again, barely present but I love her. She's a queen. I would go to a rave with Kenny's Mum.

#12- Stan

I love Stan, and he's a big part of Diego and Lila's character development and motivations. I hope they adopt Stan and live happily ever after.

But yeah, great one-liners from Stan.

#11- Grace

Very well acted and haunting.

Top 10 *drumroll please*

#10- Harold Jenkins (Lenoard Peabody)

Again, quite a controversial placement, but I stand by my decision. The acting and delivery of Harold Jenkins as a villain is possibly the best in the whole show. I was totally convinced Lenoard was a nice guy and I was rooting for him and Vanya, until he started dropping hints and slowly revealing his true self and losing the facade and its... it's chefs kiss. So realistic. The actor deserves an award and a standing ovation.

The writers also deserve a pat on the back for this one because he has a convincing motivation and backstory, and the dialogue is DELICIOUS when it comes to Lenoard. He is a truly menacing villain without being overtly scary and powerful and dangerous.

#9- Ray

Charismatic, gentlemanly, empathetic, loving, trusting, supportive... Ray is THE IDEAL MAN. I'm a little bit in love with Ray so I don't blame Allison.

HUGE step up from Luther, for sure.

#8- Umbrella Ben

I would have liked to see more of his character, but I liked what I did see. He loves his siblings and shows it. He is selfless and sacrifices his own existence for Vanya, he is blunt with Klaus because he cares and wants him to improve. Of course, he and Klaus are also a hilarious duo.

#7- Hazel

One of the most touching arcs that offers an insightful message about what life is for, and about Love. Beautifully acted, a very real and lovable character who probably resonates with many in some ways. Hazel is adorable and i miss him in later seasons.

#6- The Handler

I LOVE THE HANDLER MORE THAN WORDS CAN EXPLAIN!!! Funny, playful, entertaining, uexpected and whimsical and yet simultaneously dark and menacing, AMAZING villian that stole EVERY SINGLE SCENE she was in. Kate Walsh was the perfect choice for the role and she played it to perfection.

A bit of trivia about the role, The Handler was originally written for a man, and when Kate Walsh got the role she insisted they didn't change the script (which, let's be honest, they would have.) She put a wonderful spin on it and it's just perfect, I wouldn't change a thing. I would 100% watch a spinoff all about the handler. Season 3 was worse than the previous two thanks to them killing her off (amongst other questionable plot choices)

#5- Allison

Allison was the only character who knew what they were doing, and honestly, if everyone just listened to Allison, there would be no apocalypse. Her storyline losing both Claire and Ray and her powers driving her crazy with power breaks my heart but is well portrayed and impactful.

She's charismatic, clever, strong, and kind. I love Allison and I think most of us do.

#4- Diego

He's stupid but in an endearing way, I find him to be so entertaining and funny, and the actor's face is like an open book. He's not show-stopping but his consistent presence just sets the mood and allows others to act off of him, while he really sells it with his expressions. He's like the rock of the show.

#3- Lila

Lila. Mi amor. Mon amour. Amore mio. Meine Leibe.

#2- Five

For several reasons:

A) He is the daddy here, Luther!!

B) That should be the only reason you need

Seriously, though, I was SUPER impressed with Aidan Gallagher and his incredible screen presence, especially at such a young age. He really embodies the character. Five is the face of the Umbrella Acadamy, and is undoubtedly the most iconic character. 10/10, two thumbs up, absolutely BRILLIANT.

#1- Klaus

No justification necessary.

[zqmbiescorpse]

𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗧𝗛 𝗢𝗥 𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗘..

kaitlyn ka x female reader

a/n: i've been dying for kaitlyn fics, and just the quarry fics in general, because there's hardly any and that makes me want to cry. anyways, first thing i'm hopefully posting so no bullying pls. no werewolves! also sorry if the ending feels like it could be improved, i just really wanted to be finished with this <3

warnings: nothing serious, some making out

word count: 2.4k

(masterlist)

The joyous, fun atmosphere surrounding the gentle flicker of the campfire quickly disappeared, leaving the mood somewhat awkward as everyone who had remained (being Dylan, Ryan and yourself) turned towards Kaitlyn with a disappointed look.

"What?" questioned the small ravenette, sensing the glares from the three of you while she feigned innocence at the situation she, may have, intentionally, created.

"You totally ruined the party man," Dylan absentmindedly responded, taking a sip of whatever beer was left. All of you were a little tipsy, sober enough that thinking clearly wasn't an issue but drunk enough to feel a warm woozy sensation floating around your bodies.

In all truth, you weren't bothered in the slightest by the absence of Jacob, Abi, Emma or Nick. You did like them, sure, though being with them throughout the summer was often challenging - you typically found yourself enjoying the company of the others instead.

The four of you had stuck together for a large portion of the time, and you felt you'd become pretty close; so close that, naturally, you formed a humongous crush on the confident, very attractive, super cool dark-haired girl that was sometimes a little mean to you.

With Kaitlyn, you could never be quite sure about how she felt about you, there had been a few occasions where you doubted if she even liked as a friend. She was hard to read and you were a bit sensitive so, as you can imagine, things got tricky - having a ton of feelings for her only made you suffer greatly.

Then again, when these times occurred where you were miserable, Kaitlyn would periodically open up to you and let you know that, yes, she did appreciate you. Small moments of affirmation after so much doubt made you feel so unbelievably fuzzy inside. Unfortunately, the pair of you were tremendously insecure, because of this, there was a lot of dancing around each other the entire summer, similarly to Nick and Abi.

Suddenly desperate to relish in what could be the last evening with her, a rapid demand to continue the entertainment of 'truth or dare' came spilling from your mouth.

'Someone's...eager," Ryan chuckled slowly, glancing over at you and then at Dylan with a knowing glint in his eye.

Following this, Dylan offered, "Y/N's just disappointed she didn't get to smooch anyone this evening."

"You and me both, Y/N."

It was such a quiet array of words yet everyone heard Kaitlyn mutter them - nobody said anything back.

You were so hopelessly in love with her, that you couldn't help but hang onto anything Kaitlyn said that remotely resembled a reciprocation of feelings.

Shyly, you lifted your gaze from the muddy floor to your friends around you, careful not to stare directly at her gorgeous face. Whatever you were about to say next needed to be calm, one hundred percent normal and definitely not suggestive of anything.

With a brief amount of consideration and overthinking, you said, "Well, I don't know, what else is there to do right now? We can keep playing without the others."

You needed to stop working yourself up over such minuscule things; with Kaitlyn anywhere near you, you couldn't control yourself. Not being a fumbling mess was incredibly difficult.

"Yeah sure, why the fuck not?" Dylan chimed back in with a sense of glee, intrigued to see what would happen next.

"Cool alright, Kaitlyn?"

Deep down, it was clear to you that she would join back in, but part of you still inwardly thanked Ryan for ensuring that she was interested in continuing.

"I'm in, of course," A short pause. "You're a bit far away from us Y/N, you should get a bit closer, come here..."

Watching as Kaitlyn patted the empty space on the rough log impatiently, indicating you join her, an eruption of warmth covered your cheeks at her attention being on you; her wanting you next to her.

"Yeah, come on over here Y/N!"

Obviously, it didn't feel as special when Dylan said it, though, you appreciated how it got rid of some of the tension.

"Okay okay, yes, I'm coming," You spoke up, giggling, absolutely infected with giddiness that was bursting to show. You're sure it did, a big goofy smile plastered to your face as you made your way to the opposite side of the campfire. Apparently, the delight spread to Kaitlyn since you could've sworn she was attempting to mask an excited grin too.

Immediately, a soft scent of honey mixed with something floral was all you could smell, each and every time you inhaled. It made you feel very comfortable.

"Who wants to start it off this time?" inquired Ryan, yet your attention was instantly torn away from him due to the sensation of a soft, smaller hand brushing over your slightly sweaty one.

There was not a doubt in your mind. You had already jumped to the conclusion that it was intentional. From doing an action so small as turning away from you to face Ryan, how could Kaitlyn's hand touch yours in the process if it were on accident? There was no time to think rationally, you were already freaking out like mad. And she loved it.

"I'll go."

Leaving no room for arguments, Kaitlyn's head whipped back round to face you once more, this time with a playful theme prominent within her features.

"Y/N. Truth or dare," she asked, intently, her pretty eyes trained on your very nervous self.

You couldn't pick a place to focus your line of sight, eyes darting from her straight to the floor and back at your two shaky hands resting in your lap. Not in a million years were you prepared to answer 'dare'. In what world did you have the confidence.

Telling yourself it was the sensible response, you requested 'truth' like the jittery coward you are - to nobody's surprise but to Kaitlyn's disappointment.

"Tryna play it safe, are we, Y/N? I'm not letting you off that easily," was all she said as you sat there, patiently awaiting for whatever abomination that was heading your way.

Finally, you observed as her eyes lit up with a sudden delight; her full attention, once again, solely focused on you, not quite prepared for what was coming next.

"Out of everyone here, meaning me, Dylan or Ryan, who would you be the most interested in dating...and you have to answer otherwise it's no fun."

The situation wouldn't have felt awfully suffocating if it weren't for your stupid crush, which you were starting to suspect Kaitlyn was fully aware of. Her plump lips contorted mischievously into something smug - a perfectly arched eyebrow raised while she continued staring you down.

Because of the intense stare and immense amount of pressure you felt you were under, you missed a faint flash of worry flicker in her eye at your hesitation; uncertain whether or not her question had backfired on her.

Words couldn't describe the newfound urge tugging at your stomach to let her know that you so badly wanted to date her, to be with her, to kiss her. You couldn't handle rejection in the slightest but also couldn't bare the thought of letting this go on much longer - missing your chance when you had it.

You felt yourself tearing apart because of a silly crush on a girl who was way too good for you; evidently taking this unimportant game way too seriously. This time, you locked eyes with Kaitlyn, your heart racing, making an effort to bring any remnants of confidence together to prepare an answer.

"Uhhhh, I'd probably wanna date you, Kaitlyn?"

You had never experienced something simultaneously this underwhelming and overwhelming. Really, your response was very simple, basic, and not that huge. If, by chance, the beautiful ravenette was utterly disgusted by your answer it could be put down to merely a game and everyone would move on. You would be devastated but you'd get over it.

Having said that, repulsion was the last thing Kaitlyn felt regarding your answer, instead, a frantic fuel ignited within her. For a moment, she kind of just gawked at you, a bashful awkwardness radiating from your features.

"Truth or dare," she asked once more, this time the question coming across as more demanding, and a slight shake was apparent in her voice. Desperation spurred over her yet she seemed to be concealing it quite well, aside from the little chew on her lip while she awaited your answer, the nervous habit being the only indication of how Kaitlyn felt.

"Hey, what!" Dylan interjected, "Why are you going again, Kaitlyn? It's Y/N's turn."

Though you had to admit that Dylan's disapproval was amusing, you were too engulfed in whatever was happening between you and her. Nothing but you and her. Bathing in her alluring nature, you really did not mean to take this long to respond, you shouldn't be keeping someone that exquisite waiting.

"Dare..."

To outsiders, the atmosphere didn't appear tense at all. The luminous blaze of the golden camp, flickered and your chest tightened by the second.

"I dare you," Kaitlyn breathed out, her words trailing off implying a wane in confidence. Again, she was doubting herself, even when, at this point, the both of you had been as open as you could about your intense romantic interest for each other without explicitly saying anything.

You observed her complexion closely, each insecurity conveyed on her face made your heart rate increase consequently. You yearned for her to give in and do something to relieve all the built up anxiety, yet couldn't blame her too much since you found yourself incapable of initiating the first move.

An abrupt change conjured. Kaitlyn ostensibly bolder.

"I dare you to kiss me."

Silence. You inched forward but couldn't quite make it all the way. You didn't know what it was, something was holding you back. Also, with the audience of the two boys, you couldn't help your sheepish nature.

As though she couldn't handle it anymore, impatient because of your hesitancy, Kaitlyn took matters into her own hands and closed the gap, her soft lips meeting yours. Certain she would tease you about your failure to for fill the dare, you decided it was best to concern yourself with it later - a highly insignificant worry, really.

The kiss didn't last too long. The bliss you felt quickly overpowered by insecurity, and maybe disappointment too. You had hoped the moment you had been chasing for months would at least be longer than a few seconds. Grateful you got to kiss her, yet, you needed more.

"That was...terrible. I'm sorry," You mumbled bashfully, barely audible for Dylan and Ryan.

"Nu-uh baby, it was good," She whispered back, then tugging your face toward her once more.

Whereas the first peck was delicate, shy and over in a few seconds, in this instance, the kiss was deepened almost immediately. Her gentle hands cupped your flushed cheeks, promoting you to tightly grasp at her clothes. It took all of your power to not let any whimpers or whines escape you, making out with someone while other people were around was embarrassing enough as is.

"Okay...guys..." Ryan, being the first to speak up, broke the immersion, the two of you reluctantly pulling away from each other.

"Totally digging how happy you are right now, but, you know, lodge is empty..." Dylan chimed in, somewhat less awkward than Ryan.

You shared a look with Kaitlyn, your shortness of breath mirrored after your lips had been pressed against one another's for an extended period of time.

"Sounds great, thanks Dylan," Kaitlyn rose from her place seated on the log, enthusiasm oozing from her. "Let's get going huh, Y/N?" She proposed, laced with sultry.

You stayed seated, a little dumbfounded about the kiss and relishing in the electric sensation circulating in your body. Kaitlyn gripped your wrist, gaining your attention as her request caught up with you.

"Uh, yeah...yes we should go," Stumbling over your words, you got up, waved to Dylan and Ryan and began your journey back to the lodge. Incoherent mumbling could be heard from the pair left behind. You ignored it, giggling slightly and walked beside Kaitlyn.

When you arrived, you opened up the wooden door and stepped inside, Kaitlyn not giving you an opportunity to voice your opinion on anything; her mouth soon latched onto yours.

It was hungry, and you returned the passion. Although she may have been smaller than you, she still forced you up against one of the aging walls of the building; her tongue buried in your mouth. There was no fight for dominance, Kaitlyn was in control, not that you minded. It was such a rush, her lips all over your cool skin, your trembling hands in her dark hair, the occasional raspy chuckles from her, and the whines from you. Anything either one of you did spurred the other on wildly.

Eventually, distances had to be created since you couldn't keep going without catching your breath.

"I can't believe it took us that long to do this. We could've been having hot make-out sessions all summer" Kaitlyn beamed with genuine delight, her hands retreating from being all over you to placed on her hips, taking her usual sassy stance.

"I know," You agreed, laughing," I was so scared about being rejected"

"It's okay, I was equally terrified. Better late than never I suppose. At least we know now." The ravenette smirked, gazing into your eyes, entertained by how dishevelled you looked, encouraging her to admit, "I seriously am so fucking attracted to you."

Again, you let out a giggle, a noise that Kaitlyn thought was endearing. "Well, I've been fawning over you for like ages now." You blushed, the confession sparking a wave of heat to pass over you. Even though your actions had already said enough, disclosing the information made your shoulders feel externally lighter.

"It does really suck that it's the end of camp, going our separate ways and all" You continued, dejectedly. You were overjoyed that you were finally sharing these movements with Kaitlyn but hated yourself for holding off this long.

She examined your rapidly declining mood, likewise, she was regretful for waiting, however, not an ounce of uncertainty clouded her mind.

"What is there to worry about? Of course, we can stay in touch, I'm serious about this and...I do want to be with you." She reassured you, offering a loving smile filled with comfort. "Just give me your number, baby."

[twost3ps]

I'm writing fic where sera and michael are couple but I admit your post about guitarhero wants to make me about a afncition au trrouple between sera, adam and mike.

The fic would be about sera and adam are fallen but they are like having time of their life to kill sinners. Lucifer is pissed off with both, because they told the true about eden to charlie and the fact lucifer and lilith attacked heaven with overlord who become archdemon by too much souls.So extremination is born after that events.Because Lucifer didn't want to admit his mistakes, he wants to humilate them, then he notice sera and adam are too close,because he knows about sera and mike he thinks he got gocha,well he only have shock of his life,finding out his brother is married with both.

Some jokes.

Charlie to adam: I thought sera was like a mom too you.

Adam,smiking: No she is my mommy. Because I have never got problem with woman on top, I didn't want to be your crazy mother!And trust me sera is frick,only time she is bottom is with me and mike together!

Adam and Sera in answer of accuse of cheating from lucifer, they just show ring...

Lucifer: Noooo.

Adam and sera together: That's right we fucked/married your brother!

Mike rush to hell from end of solar system where he was fighting Roo/eve, and he punches Lucifer.

Lucifer: WHy?

Mike: Because where someone fall, you are the cause! Explain why!

Mike pisses off to Sera and adam who tries to save the situation: Come on, we both know you have corropt kink,the scene between general and naught fallens is your favoritive.

Mike: It was roleplayer adam! I didn't want you fall!

Lucifer/charlie: We are not listening.

Mike: Eve great you, Ady.

Lucifer,suprised: You and her are in good place?

Adam: Yeah, we slipt out after death, because when she become avatar of evil because you, well, her personality and goal become little different. I want to kill sinners. She wants to destroy universe, well we couldn't agree.

Adam turns to lucifer and give a punch: From her! I text about her and you. She said she wouldn't/haven't have sex with you with that small hips and the fact you ruin her life.

Charlie: Well, it is nice to see exs who are in good terms

DAMN LMAOOO EJFNKEBGSE

Mike/Adam/Sera is pretty new to me but very interesting LMAO

Dude good luck with your fanifics this is hilarious and brillaint KEFBESFBSKFB

The part of Micheal and Roo fighting intrigues me o3o Mike's fight against evil that takes a stop so he can relay a message to his husband pfft-

Amen to Adam and Roo.Eve tho <3 love them being on good terms ^^

The three of them do be kinda freaky tho HAAHAHAAH

[jarenka]

finally I finished this pic. Maybe you remember it from the post I MADE IN FUCKING JUNE... a very old post.

And here is the scene in the fic I invented the whole opera plot for:

Anakin closed his eyes, lost in memories.

He and Obi-Wan took a day off to go to the Opera House of Senra together. Even with Anakin's driving habits, it took them four hours to get there. 

The theater building, as was customary in Karati, was located in the center of the park, and Anakin and Obi-Wan managed to take a little walk before the performance. Last time Anakin went to the opera with Palpatine more than twenty years ago.

 "Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis The Wise?"

 He thought these memories would haunt him now, but as soon as he and Obi-Wan entered the theater building, all bad thoughts flew out of his head. They climbed the wide stairs, found their seats in the parterre. Until the lights went out, Anakin observed the hall decorated with intricate wood carvings and beautiful lamps modeled after different local flowers. Anakin and Obi-Wan were wearing their regular civilian clothes but the majority of spectators chose traditional evening clothes of East Catari, embroidered silk tunics. 

“Do you remember the first time you tried to dissuade me from going to the opera?” Anakin asked Obi-Wan. 

He was still very young back then, not even a teenager. In the dining room Anakin overheard other Jedi discussing the latest premiere in Galaxies Opera House. At that time he did not even know what a "premiere" was, and he saw something remotely similar to the theater play only once, when his mother's friends arranged an amateur performance for the children on... some kind of holiday? Anakin no longer remembered. He liked it. Aunt Sey portrayed a farmer and sang funny songs. 

“You were eleven," Obi-Wan replied. “Not every adult can handle opera, and I thought you wouldn't understand.”

He really barely understood anything. It was a historical drama with political intrigue at the end of which the hero was killed by his old enemy, and even as an adult Anakin found this plot to be overcomplicated. But then he was struck by the singing, and the music, and the and the actors in stunning costumes, and the soft play of light and color on stage. He sat almost motionless until entr'acte, and moved only when the curtain fell. "Is it the end?" he asked Obi-Wan, disappointed. "No, there are three acts, but in the meantime we can rest a little." 

In the opera they were currently watching there were only two acts and it took two and a half hours total. When the lights went out, the orchestra played a short overture in the dim light of the bulbs in the orchestra pit, then the lights went out, the music subsided. The hall was plunged into complete silence and darkness. 

And then a voice rang out — an amazingly beautiful contralto. Bluish light flooded the stage, illuminating the scenery of the palace garden with palm trees and bushes strewn with flowers; the palace itself was visible in the distance, a squat building with round domes; two female figures with spears guarded the entrance to the terrace where Princess Akarias was waiting for her beloved. The voice of the actress, at first quiet, now filled the whole hall, she pressed her hands to her chest, tormented by terrible forebodings. Her lover, Saria, a general of the royal army, had to lead troops to war with a neighboring kingdom, and Akarias was afraid that she would die. 

Anakin froze in awe just like years ago in the Galaxies Opera House. He had no idea that theater still could invoke such strong feelings in him.

It became a little brighter on the stage: dawn was approaching, and Akarias was afraid that her beloved would not come to her. 

This production was much simpler than any that was done at the Coruscant. No holoprojectors or complicated machinery. To change the scenery, the lights were turned off between scenes, and at some point Anakin was even able to distinguish the silhouettes of workers in black clothes who were carrying the royal throne from the stage. 

The author of the opera took the plot from the ancient history of Palia, the home planet of the current inhabitants of Carati. After the long war, the king of Asteria and king of Kadasa decided to marry their children Princess Akarias and Prince Tarr in order to establish peace between the kingdoms, but instead of becoming a pledge of peace, on the wedding night, Princess Akarias killed her husband. In the opera, this murder, as expected, was committed out of passion: Akarias was in love with the general Saria, who died in the war at the hands of Prince Tarr, and she agreed to the marriage only to take her revenge.

The last scene took place in the Prince’s pavilion decorated for newly married couple. Sitting in front of the mirror without her upper dress, Akarias sang that she still loves Saria. She prayed to the gods for her and Saria to be together in the afterlife despite her marriage with Tarr. She begged the spirit of Saria for forgiveness, and assured her that she entered into this marriage with only one goal: to do to Tarr what he did to Saria. From the bodice of her dress she took out a knife that had been with her all the wedding ceremony. The metal shone brightly in the spotlight. 

Tarr was waiting for her sprawled in the bed with only his undershirt on. He dreamed that he would finally make love with his beautiful young wife. He propped himself up on his elbows when Akarias approached him, and froze when, instead of going to bed with him, she picked up the knife. Akarias killed him, and then, after offering another prayer to the gods, she killed herself.

Only when the lights came on did Anakin notice that he had grabbed Obi-Wan's arm. He hastily unclenched his fingers and looked at Obi-Wan's palm. He felt a bit dizzy with excitement. 

“Does it hurt?” he asked. After all this beautiful music and beautiful voices his own voice sounded a bit weird to him. 

Obi-Wan replied with a puzzled look. 

"You adjusted the prostheses, didn't you?..” 

Anakin didn't adjust anything. He hadn't held hands with anyone for so long that it hadn't even occurred to him. 

“Well... I forgot.”  

Obi-Wan's gaze softened. 

“It's all right. Apparently, the factory settings suited you.” 

The actors came out to bow, and Obi-Wan and Anakin applauded them along with the rest of the audience.

[thetarttfuldickhead]

do you think how Jamie reacted to Roy and Keeley's teasing at the auction in 1x04 was related to his trauma from his Dad making him loose his virginity to a lady from the red light district? and do you think after the three of them officially get together, that they ever talk about that?

Tricky one, nonny, because as much as I tend towards Watsonian explanations over Doylist ones, in this particular case I can’t quite disregard the fact that I am not at all convinced that Jamie’s Amsterdam backstory was in place when 1x04 was written. It might have been, sure, but… yeah, I doubt it, actually.

And, like, in hindsight, after 3x06, it’s hard not to connect Jamie’s discomfort at the gala with his experiences in Amsterdam. Even if he doesn’t consciously join the dots himself, even if he’s not yet realized that the experience was traumatic to him (and I think 3x06 does suggest that it was, even if it’s possibly to argue otherwise), the notion of having to have sex with someone he doesn’t want to have sex with, especially when they’re that much older (not because having sex with old people is gross, obviously, but because it would mirror the experience he had as a child), would have made him deeply uneasy.

I mean, it would make most of us deeply uneasy, so that’s not the strange part. The strange part, really, is that Jamie believes – if only for a little while – Roy and Keeley’s assertion that he’ll need to put out. Becaue, yes, Jamie’s not always the brightest, but of course the club’s not actually pimping out the players. He knows that, surely. But for a moment he isn’t sure – and maybe that’s because it’s already happened to him, hasn’t it? Not quite like this, no, but money exchanged and him required to fuck someone he had not chosen to fuck. So, yes, things like that can happen and maybe they do happen at Richmond because Jamie didn’t see it coming the first time either, did he, but no, it’s just a fucking joke, Roy and Keeley having a laught and he looks like a right idiot now, doesn’t he, for having believed them, and he can’t even articulate (not even to himself, I think) why he thought, for a moment, that maybe…

Yeah. Makes a horrible sort of sense, doesn’t it?

So, in hindsight I think we can read his reaction being at least partially related to what was done to him in Amsterdam, and normally I’d be perfectly happy with that, actual text over authorial intent, but in this case I can’t stop wondering about what it all was originally intended to mean (if, indeed, the Amsterdam part was not known to the writers at the time of writing 1x04). Maybe it intrigues me because it has the potential to reveal more and interesting things about Jamie? I don’t know, and I don’t have any real theories either, just… something about football players being used to getting sold and traded, something about his sense of self and value directly tied to his body and what he can do with it, time spent creating his brand and the slight disassociation and/or confusion between self and image it can cause (even as I think that Jamie has a very strong sense of self generally). Given all of that, is it so outlandish for him to briefly assume that maybe this too might be required? Especially given his experiences in Amsterdam… Can be a mix of the two, really. Maybe that’s the interpreation I mostly favour.  

As for if they ever talk about it... I don’t necessarily think it’s something Jamie would bring up and I doubt Roy immediately connects the dots once he hears Jamie’s tale of his first Amsterdam trip. Keeley, I think, doesn’t know what happened in the Red Light District; to me, Jamie telling Roy reads very much like a ‘first time I ever told anyone’ thing, but that’s obviously open to interpretation.

But say something reminds Roy of that gala dinner, and what was said then. Maybe they’re getting ready to attend it once more and this time they’re dead pleased to be seated at the same table, making little jokes about can you fucking imagine if someone would have told us then that this is where we’d end up and could have saved ourselves so much trouble if we’d just gone home together that night and Keeley playfully reminds Jamie that he doesn’t actually have to sleep with someone if he doesn’t want to and Jamie pouts like that shit wasn’t funny but he’s laughing too because it was long ago and they’re here now and he doesn’t tend to dwell –

– but Roy goes quiet because wait hang on oh no fuck no, and he doesn’t say anything right away, they need to get going and he’s not sure is he, and he keeps on saying nothing throughout the dinner, and behind the still face he is quietly spiralling as he watches Jamie’s every move like a hawk, every twitch of his lips and every roll of his eyes.

Jamie and Keeley both notice, and are both confused. They keep exchanging glances and when Nate’s off to the loo and Jade’s done her disappeaering act and Sam and Dani drag Jamie off to join the rest of the team for a round of shots, Keeley takes the opportunity to lean in and ask what’s going on, Roy, are you okay?

He’ll tell her then, I think, and that’s not great – not his story to share – but it’s eating at him and there’s no one else for him to confide in and Keeley is part of it too, so yes. He tells her; she’s upset but still the voice of reason; no matter what happened that night Jamie’s doing fine right now, he’s having a great time with his friends and we shouldn’t ruin that for him, but come tomorrow we’ll have a proper chat all three of us, okay, sort things out?

And come tomorrow, they do.

[vamqiredove]

it is actually so important and crucial that you tell me anymore thoughts you have involving agitha and link, or just some of your tp stuff in general because i would Love to know all your ideas!

im especially intrigued by this au you mentioned whats that all about

UNDERSTOOD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! will break this up into two bits hopefully its clear enough where the break into speaking abt my au happens

REGARDING THE BUG THING. just in general w/ where link is from [ very rural heavy in nature he literally lives in a tree. he will just bottle up larva with his bare hands. this guy does NOT get squicked out easily !! ] i think he'd not only be chill but enthusiastic about gathering bugs for agitha. i like to think that he's still got that love for learning in him, and hey, here's this kind of bug he didn't know existed ! golden bugs are cool and agitha will tell him about them ! she teaches him how to pin bugs ! maybe make dioramas together !

and idk. it's just a nice break during his journey. he gets to stop going doing hero stuff to bring agitha bugs and i think he'd feel pretty at home in her castle [ again, literally lives in a tree ]. it's a nice break from all the dull colours of castledown once he gets over his countryboy wonder of WHOOAAHHHH THE CITY !!!!!!!!!!! cause like .. the only colour for you to see there is really just what people are selling in the market.

also idk how to explain it. i tend to not really like knight/princess ships when it comes to typical het dynamics, they have to have lots of flavouring to them. but smthing abt agilink scratches the positive itch for that trope ?? link's not a knight. he's just some ranch hand that got forced into all of this. agitha is scorned by everyone around her. the only 'people' she has is her bugs. it feels very autism couple to me. and yeha. yeah agitha autism. the a in agitha stands for autism. you rlly do get her better than nayone i trust no one else to takl about agitha. kewpie only

MY SILLY LITTLE FUCKED UP AU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

it's an apocalypse au i started up a while ago originally just of the FSA manga. its called of fire and flesh, which very much reflects its origins bc the 'main character' is red who has an association with fire lmao.

BUT ANYWAYS i decided literally today to make it a general lozverse au bc i wanted to add more characters to it. specifically botw link and tp link, because they're like. my favourite linkcest ship outside of FSA. worth noting that in context of the au unfortunately all selfcest stuff is removed bc they're all entirely different people, and for that reason, taking all the 'link' and 'zelda' and giving them different names for clarity

botw link is still named link just as a reference to how he's the only one you can't change the name of in game, tp link's name is twilliam [ A JOKE TAKEN SERIOUSLY he tends to just go by twi or twilli ]

link's got amnesia, and he's just been kind of floating around the big city for a good while. twilliam was a country boy who grew up on a farm and went to the big city for university. haven't fully decided on WHAT yet but i think he wanted to be a teacher !! anyways. he meets link at some point at the cafe near the campus and they become quick friends. twilliam is naturally already protective of him, but then WOW the zombie apocalypse starts !! the two were together when they evacuated and they've stuck together.

where i'm unsure of what to do is where to add agitha in. should twi know her ahead of time, or would he and link meet her once things start up ? i think, maybe, the three were the only ones in an area when the evacuation notice got blared out, and she stuck with them !!

not like super sure on what ships i'll confirm but in my head. twilliam is arospce bicon with two hands.

link ends up getting infected, and now with agitha here, it adds some fun extra panicTM for twi. link ends up being immune [ he's the ONLY one in the au who's immune. i decided this to reference his "basically fucking dies and is then revived" thing ] BUT he suffered a terrible fever for a few days and it was terrible for everyone involved.

anyways on what i think agitha's deal is, i really don't know, i might give her a connection to sheik and have them both be pageant kids, though while sheik was pulled into the industry and left to suffer his whole life for it, agitha left it. whether she was kicked out for being too "creepy" and "unnerving" or because she wanted to and her parents[?] listened, who knows ! i think i'll yoink your idea of "her mother left her and her dad died, so she's living on her own with whatever funds she has" though it happened later in her life to explain why she wasn't just tossed into the system given this is a modern world au. THAT or she's living with an aunt ? could do some interesting character stuff with that !!!

i think she'd also be very good at foraging, which helps them out a lot with safely finding mushrooms to eat..

...and i guess this could very well lead into crackship territory of agitha x botw link, because when writing polyam i highly prefer "they're all dating each other" with only a few exceptions !! that'd be an interesting dynamic to think about [ and if you DO have thoughts on it pls lmk ]

anyways this au is largely a product of me having apocalypses as a special interest and hating most apocalypse media. a lot of it is just male power fantasy and i hate it. the goal of this au is for the characters to eventually all come together and start a community that's a safe zone with the goal to thrive instead of survive. because in the end, i like when there's hope to the end. as much as i'm a downer about life, i like the fantasy to think that if the world ended, at least some humans could come together to rebuild and, y'know, do Good instead of barely getting by.

also like the usage of guns in these things pisses me off but that's so unrelated hGJDSHJGHDSHDSH

left out a lot tho especially because this is abt agilink and not the entirety of this au. but if u are interested !! i set up a blog specifically to post abt it once i start finishing stuff TO post. idk if i'll reblog my old posts onto it though because i'm unsure how much of it will be retconned [ probably not much ? but eh. i need to finish character profiles before i worry too much about the timeline ] -> @offireandflesh but i have a tag on my main/slaingelo of the au if you'd wanna look n read thru it but that's all just FSA manga exclusive stuff, bc again i only decided to include more characters from the games like. 6 hours ago. i have one singular ficlet somewhere in there that's just red and blue basically having a break up and red being certain blue is dead

[kieuecaprie]

So, I've tried out Froniter Station on SS14 after a while of hemming and hawing about it. Decided it would be funny to take the fail-girl lizard out onto the new frontier and see what happens.

First shift went poorly, ended up doing quite poorly because I was mining and couldn't find a place to process ores nor did I have the machine to do so so I was stuck selling scraps on the trade outpost (This is why you should, you know, actually engage with the player market lmao) So, I decided to do a hard reset (I wasn't sure if there was anything against it but I was a newbie and was desperate to keep learning) and went out salvaging. Actually came out on top that time with selling loots. Third time, I also salvaged by myself but a bit of emergent gameplay happened (read: thruster placement skill issue) that made me interact with the folks on the server.

A priestly lizard who was FUCKING HUGE managed to save Adalite and bring her back to Frontier, as well as offer her wine and some advice, it was actually rather sweet.

I did sell my shittle off, bought another Construct, and went back to salvaging, making back what I lost and actually planning my ship design this time. Remember, folks, always bring cable, more than you need!

The shift after that, though, oh boy, it's a bit of a doozy.

Anyway: >Be me, Adalite Tosimizu, currently striking it out on the Frontier.

So that round, I had decided that I'd try and get hired by a ship so I can, you know, actually RP on an MRP server (shock and horror, right?) and had Adalite ask if people needed a blue lizard who can do the things.

A lizard by the name Bites-The-Cables responded by saying that they always need a blue lizard. This lizard had been saying at the start of the round that they wanted to make an Unforgettable Luncheon and were looking for crew members to assist!

I wasn't too sure, first, but after confirming, I hopped aboard the McCargo (yes, really) and met the rest of the crew. A human, a harpy, some small vulpkanins with matching attire, a lizard wearing a bio suit, a TALL HULKING LIZARD wearing a lizard plushie on his head (We had a brief LOOC convo about the lizard plushie thing. It's honestly surprising people don't know about it but it's amusing when they realize.) So, what was the plan? To have a restaurant! BUT there's one catch: there will be a live anomaly! As someone who practically mains Science in SS14, I'm both appalled and intrigued, and I'm sure y'all see where this is going.

So we do the prep-work, converse among ourselves and just generally have a chill time (which is something I've never got the chance to do in SS14 before, mainly because, well, Frontier has a much more relaxed shift length and no real antagonists.) while we set up the whole she-bang.

We've commandeered a science lab, a group of three cleared out the xenos inside, and we got our stuff together, now we have to wait.

Enter: Joe Czanek, a smarmy looking human, and his compatriot, Amera, a moff, turns out they were from the, ahem, secret Health and Safety department... Yeah, okay, seemed everyone was suspicious of him, Walks-With-Shadows especially, apparently Joe built up a reputation for scamming folks which is something that I (and consequently, Adalite) didn't know about up to this point.

So, shenanigans ensue as the crew try their best to keep the place "up-to-code", hiding armaments and general other stuff. I just kind of stayed in the main area, partly to keep an eye out, partly due to stage fright at this point, but I did eventually start wandering and ended up interacting with them directly.

Then the luncheon finally began. A vulpkanin brought out the foods, the "inspectors" would say how terrible the place and the food is and the man would write stuff down. At one point, he even asked Adalite to sit down for a few questions which, to her, was the most nerve-wracking thing she's done.

Fortunately, it was merely uneventful after that up until Joe asked to see the anomaly (LOOC, they said that they were expecting it to be an Aurora Borealis moment lmao). Pressured, we decide to spawn an anomaly and get... slime. Okay, cool, we got slime anomaly. That's good.

What's not good was that it was in a corner on top of an anomaly vessel, which made keeping it stable hard. But it was fortunately safe, ironically, even if it did spit out liquids and fumes into the dining area.

Eventually, Walks-With-Shadows began to keep catching fire which prompted me to drag him to the lab's medbay for treatment, unwittingly being the first domino cast in a line of dominos that'd end up being disasterous.

As we were treating Shadows in the medbay, I heard over comms that the anomaly was about to go critical, so I rushed over to try and help before it suddenly exploded (and the vessel too) into reagent slimes.

Chaos ensued. The laser pistol was not enough and I ended up getting crit and actually died. Everyone else died too. Medical comms lit up with medical tracker implants (a roundstart item, actually useful if the meds on the shift are on the ball). I had ran into the McCargo and ended up sliding towards one of the airlock doors while I was bleeding out, thus making me the first to get revived. Adalite Tosimizu really is built different, isn't she?

A tearful reunion with the co-workers and an examination of the place, we decide that it's best to skedaddle back to the Frontier Outpost but not before Walks-With-Shadows generated ANOTHER anomaly. (It was ice, less threatening that others but still painful if you aren't wearing proper clothing)

Walks-With-Shadows talks with Adalite for a bit about family, it was a general agreement. While blood may be thicker than water, your true family comes from the people you trust the most, which does mesh well with Adalite's backstory I had in mind (I haven't been able to elaborate on it very much as of yet since I never get many chances to do so.)

We chatter for a bit on the ride over, hop out, and hear Bites getting her review (Bites ended up with a 200k spesos "fine", which was then haggled down to 100k and helping with wedding dining from what I recall), I lamented that I didn't get money but decided to see the bright side because, well, I got to meet some wonderful people.

Walks-With-Shadows, who is practically Adalite's big brother at this point, drags me over to the ATM, withdraws some money, then prompted me to deposit it.

It was 90k. Ninety-fucking-thousand spesos, and he was just offering it. I eventually took it after a brief back-and-forth making Adalite my first character to hit 100k on Frontier. Cargonia would've been so proud.

Eventually, we start winding down (it was VERY late for me) and just generally talk about things and headed to cryo. Walks-With-Shadows said that if Adalite ever needed anything, she can feel free to call on him.

After saying goodnight, it was time to cryo and end the shift. Probably THE most memorable RP moment I've ever had in SS14, by far.

Anyway, screenshots below, first of all, the shittle I made in my third-ever shift on Frontier Station:

And secondly, sparse screenshots of what happened during the very long RP session:

[gaykarstaagforever]

Part 1

Fine. You want Fat Superman? Here is Fat Superman.

PART 2: FAT SUPERMAN

Spoiler warning: he gets fat from drinking expired champagne on an alien planet.

No I'm not joking.

And while he has to exercise to get thinner, faster, it was always going to wear off and he'd go back to normal.

Those are the stakes of this idiot story.

You see this? You see Lois being a bitch about it, and all the cruel fat-related puns?

10 and a half pages of that. That's basically it.

This is a joke that isn't funny, that eventually just...stops.

They made this the cover feature.

...A cover feature with a scene that doesn't even happen. Superman just says, "Man. What if I got fat in a phone booth, instead of a space capsule? (He was in a space capsule when he got fat. A FAKE space capsule. Look. It doesn't matter.)

Yeah. God forbid any actual dramatic story beats come out of this, you fat bastard.

Great. Now I'm doing it.

The only mildly amusing thing he does while fat is use his giant butt to plug a hole in a dam.

Speaking as a man with a giant butt...you use what you have, you know?

But even that isn't fun, because he has to make some comment about how he can't fly right, because of temporary obesity.

Yes. Because Superman's flying ability before now was totally a matter of real-world aerodynamics and particle physics.

Having him complain that his thighs are generating 10 million kilojoules of heat as they rub together when he walks would have been cruel garbage, but I would have accepted and even laughed at that. But FLYING? He is too fat to fly? Give me a break!

The blimp jokes were right there, you hacks!

Also, look back at that first dam panel. The people on the dam call him a hippo and wonder how he can still be a hero when he's fat.

It is well-established in the comics at this point that Superman can do anything, all the time, and also has super-hearing. Mostly because he tells everyone any time he does anything. And these jackasses have the nerve to stand well-within even NORMAL hearing range, and make fun of a LIVING GOD WITH LASER EYES for suddenly having man-tits?? He should have blown them over the edge, just to make a point.

Granted, this is Superman, and he's a goody-two-shoes. And they also no doubt know that. Plus he himself is currently whining about how he's TOO FAT TO FLY PROPERLY.

I've been mad for three days about this. Let's pause for an ad break.

Intriguing. I'll have to look up this 'Sesame Street' thing later, see if it went anywhere.

Back to hell.

Speaking of weird physics, I can't imagine how people on a plane flying at like 700 mph, passing even a fat Superman going at least as fast, can recognize anything, let alone have enough time to accurately guess his real Fat Superman weight.

But they do. Because this story is awful.

Okay this panel is pretty dense so let's talk about it.

1) He built that scale super-fast out of NOTHING, just to weigh himself. Looks to me like his super-abilities are just fine, even if he can't see his own penis.

2) ...I mean, okay, he is literally two tons. I admit, that's kind of really goddamn heavy. Maybe he should worry about this a little bit.

3) That last sentence is the greatest sentence in any Silver Age comic, ever. "Why ask questions?" Who gives a shit, right? It doesn't matter. None of this matters. Why did you buy this? Fuck you for reading this, kid. Go outside, nerd.

They didn't call him a blimp, but they DID have him call himself a parade balloon.

And then make him real sad about it.

...Did the Government pay DC to do a comic bullying fat children, because it was the height of the Cold War and they were afraid the next generation would be too porky to battle the Russians on their home tundra? Was someone on DC's editorial staff mad at his overweight mother-in-law? This is reaching frightening levels of antagonizing people who like donuts.

I've lost the thread, here. There is slightly more stupid story, but I've hit the "pictures of Fat Superman" limit, so this will need to continue in a Part 3.

[pepper-steam-milkshake]

okay so. thinking about the new episode. season 5 finale. lets jump into it

So. That's it?

Honestly, I'm kind of disappointed about this episode because while things got resolved, I felt like there wasn't much emotional resolution? I don't know. Because like, obviously Fyodor's dead and Fukuchi's dead (before I hear anything about either of these, I'm touching back on those in just a sec), and Bram's back to being a full bodied individual, I'm not that satisfied. For god knows how long, the ADA has been divided, being treated like terrorists and what not, and they just. Resolve it like that? Dazai isn't even back with them yet, we didn't even see Yosano, like. I want to see the band back together again. I want to know how everyone's recuperating after that shit show of an arc, because that was a lot.

-

We're just. Not going to talk about Meursault?

On the note of resolution, yeah, I'm kind of annoyed that we didn't get more SKK. Not even like, ship content. I don't even care about that part, I think we all knew that was coming, and whatever, like, it doesn't matter.

What I care about is like. Any conversation of what the fuck happened in Meursault. There is no god-damn way that Dazai planned all of that with Chuuya pretending to be a vampire. There's just--can we talk about this? Please? What the fuck happened in there? What happened when we couldn't see things? How much of that was acting, and how much of that was real? Like. Chuuya was wearing contacts and fangs this whole time--okay?

-

Fyodor's not dead.

I want to talk about this, because my initial reaction was "oh shit, they fucking killed him off.

And then. I looked this up.

Eli, Eli, lama sabachtani.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.

Spoken by Jesus right before he dies, and then gets resurrected, three days later.

You know, that's pretty damn suspicious. Especially since we don't see a dead body. Originally, I was like, "oh, we have an arm, he's lost his arm, he must be dead."

That's not a body.

Something weird is going on here. I get the feeling this isn't the last we'll see of Fyodor or of Nikolai, for better or worse.

It's also intriguing that Fyodor didn't bother to take the antidote once he received it.

Hm. Perhaps he suspected that in a few minutes, he wouldn't need it.

I don't know, just theorizing.

-

What the fuck happened to Sigma?

Literally, that's it? Sigma's just. Comatose? Forever? Was he left in Meursault? Stuck like that? After an information overload? That's it? Dazai and Chuuya seemed to give zero fucks about it (which is not surprising considering they just met him, but still) (this is not a "WOW I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY DON'T CARE" comment, this is a general like "they've got more pressing priorities than a man they've known for about 30 minutes tops"), which seems to imply that he was just left there in that state.

Is Sigma just going to stay imprisoned in Meursault in that state? Because as a member of a terrorist group--which after all this, I'm hoping it's established that the true terrorist group was in fact the Decay--it would make sense for him to be held in the top security prison that they just broke out of.

Also, what the fuck is going to happen with Meursault. They destroyed quite a bit of that. Like. Is Dazai going to receive a call about "hey, bestie! you kinda destroyed our high-security government facility, time to pay up lol" LIKE. HELLO.

-

Fukuchi's "curse" on Fukuzawa-- what is that going to mean for his future and that of the ADA's?

It'd be very easy to say that Ranpo was speaking metaphorically about Fukuchi cursing Fukuzawa, but this is BSD. A lot of weird shit happens.

In any case, ignoring that, we now know that Fukuchi seemed to plan for Fukuzawa to be the one to kill him, and that One Order would actually respond to Fukuzawa. He has put him into this role of the chief commander of the Army of Mankind--not sure if that's official or not, but that could have big implications for Fukuzawa and the ADA going forward. And now, he has One Order, and can't destroy it, which begs the question:

What next?

EXCEPT FOR FUCKING THIS:

-

TWO. HOURS. THEY GOT TWO HOURS BEFORE THINGS WENT BACK TO SHIT.

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME.

ARE YOU SERIOUS.

TWO. GOD DAMN. HOURS.

AND EVERYTHING HAS ALREADY GONE BACK TO HELL.

Albeit, Akutagawa's back and got a fire af fit, but EVERYTHING HAS GONE BACK TO HELL. ALREADY.

And, the worst part?

That's got to be fucking Fukuchi, who we just saw die.

The scars on the face. The hair. The buff ass body.

And that fucking sword.

Which means that within those two hours, something went very, very wrong.

No one else is in sight. Atsushi is currently fighting Fukuchi again. Akutagawa has either been fighting at his side or is now fighting with him.

What's even more fascinating is the cloth mask over Fukuchi's face. Intentionally obscuring his vision, and our vision of his face.

Let's take a further, closer look, shall we?

This man. Has no feet. His hands have become claw-like, black. There appears to be antlers popping out of his head.

Something really fucking weird is going on, and you know what? We're not finding out shit for god knows how long, because we didn't even get to all this stuff in the manga yet.

-

Other Thoughts

Akutagawa's Return: The boy has come back! He's not dead! That's wonderful! Plus, he's got a badass new look. However, he and Atsushi are already going head-to-head again with Fukuchi(?). (Also, someone commented on here--I can't remember who--about how he has armor covering his neck, and TOO SOON. HE JUST CAME BACK. STOP.)

Bram Stoker: The man has been freed from the sword, which also begs the question of what exactly will happen to said sword, but that's a later problem, most likely. The man now has two legs, is alive... what's he gonna do? My bets are that he's going to hang out with Aya, the reincarnation of his daughter, because why the fuck not. It's not like he has anything better to do at the moment.

Vampires: Uh. People are still vampirized. Albeit, when we see Akutagawa again in the preview, he is very notably not a vampire anymore, but how did that happen? Can Bram just, revoke his ability? Probably.

Dazai's Return: Listen, man. He's been in jail for months. I just want to see him reunite with everyone again. I want to see Atsushi and Kunikida going "holy shit you're back". I want Ranpo to make fun of him for going head to head with Fyodor. I want to see him recovering from the shit that happened in Meursault. You know what I want? I want him to stop playing chessmaster for one fucking moment and just. Relax. Take a nap. Jesus fucking christ.

Jouno: We didn't see him in this episode. At all. Where is he? Where did he go? Why isn't he here? If the vampirization is taken away, he's got to be free.

The Hunting Dogs: Are we going to continue seeing them, or was this the last of them? Honestly, it'd be interesting seeing them becoming a more permanent fixture in the cast, kind of like how the Guild has functioned.

Man. Now we got to wait aaaaaaaaaall over again.

Welp. Time to wait for the start of next month...

[sailorstarr-chan4]

For the first time since 2020, I am feeling the urge to read InuKag fics again???

This all started in June when I FINALLY read the iconic "Freak Attraction" by our esteemed @artistefish (which is PHENOMENAL AND AMAZING BTW PLEASE GO READ IT), but then, just now, I saw that the Smut Queen herself, @keichanz had posted new smut...... 👀👀👀

Aaaaaand suddenly I went hunting for other smutty oneshots to add to my "Marked for Later" fics. For the first time in AGES. Like. Um. Holy shit????

[Ramblings about my "Inuyasha history post-2020" below cut. Tl;dr: I'm lowkey Shook that my love for Inuyasha and InuKag fics is finally, slowly coming back 🥹💕]

Here's the rundown: 2020 happened. I went into quarantine with my parents. I was determined to finally devour a BUNCH of Inuyasha fics I kept meaning to read, and at first I did with great gusto..... but..... as April 2020 crept along, my interest began to wane and depression seized a hold of me.

Then Yashahime was announced. The fandom imploded. I felt nothing. No interest, no worries, no intrigue. NOTHING. It would've scared me if I was capable of feeling it.

Oh eventually, I felt a mild amusement at all of the squabbling and ship wars and all that nonsense (and spawned a whole fucking series of memes as a result lmaooooo). But my love for the fandom/fics had more or less snuffed out. Which sucked for a number of reasons, not least of which were "shit, most of my WIPs are for this fandom fuckfuckfuckfuck" LMAO 🙃

Depressing shit aside, I dove back HARD into the Disney fanfic side of things, on top of other anime titles and old fandoms like Harry Potter. I moved on to other fandoms, partially due to feeling embittered at the Inuyasha fandom for already making my depression over my lack of interest EVEN WORSE with all the in-fighting over Yashahime (which btw, for the record, is NOT a particularly bad show. It's not a GOOD show, per se, I don't have any strong feelings for it either way, but it's NOT the Antichrist™ like fans were making it out to be, sheesh >.> It's just another mediocre sequel for a classic-but-not-particularly-amazing-original-series. Shocking, I know. Moving on)

The only thing keeping me sane about Inuyasha was watching it with my fiancé, from Nov. 2020-Sept. 2021. His delightful commentary breathed life into the series like you wouldn't BELIEVE lmao 🤣

Eventually.... I felt the desire to write again. But it was HARD. 😭

After Shameless was completed in April of 2020, I felt.... empty of Inuyasha fic writing. By a miracle, I managed to update my Big Three WIPs (An Unexpected Encounter -> June 2020; Inuyasha: Prince of Thieves -> July 2020 & Sept. 2022; and Shards of the Sea -> June 2021 & Sept. 2022), but the gaps between updates kept widening, and I only worked on them because they were already partially written/published. I even ended up archiving older ficlets into Tied Together and Bonds Across Time, but had to resist the urge to delete everything and start afresh SEVERAL times since 2021 (which, coincidentally, was around the time the fandom was tearing itself apart over Yashahime bullshit and by bullshit I mean innocuous junk people were losing their goddamn minds over ugh.... 😒)

The handful of other fics I punched out for other fandoms were small, and only posted briefly in the summers of 2020 and 2022.

The latter summer was thanks to my first InuKag written smut in 2 years: Sinful Symphonies.

So, yay! Finally getting a feel for writing again, both for Inuyasha and in general! But I still felt utterly detached from other Inuyasha fics, not because of the writers (are you KIDDING me, half of the reason it was hard to distance myself from the fandom was because of the AMAZING TALENT in this fandom ugggghhh 😭), but because of my personal, complicated feelings with the fandom and series as a whole.

But then I binge-watched the series by myself this May. And finally, decided to buckle down and read Freak Attraction, which I have been meaning to read LONG before 2020, and thus, it became my first Inuyasha bookmarked fic on AO3 in almost 3 years, and first "new" Inuyasha fave as whole since August 2021.

My last Inuyasha bookmarked fic on AO3 was on Nov. 1, 2020 (on ff.net, I read two small MirSan smut fics in August 2021, but these are outliers; I really could not bring myself to read more than those -.-).

My last InuKag bookmarked smut on AO3 was April 7, 2020.

My last REVIEWS I left for an Inuyasha fic (besides the aforementioned fics) were from June-August 2021 for a couple of updated faves (namely Keichanz's Iconic You Rescued Me, which was a ROLLERCOASTER OF FEELS, LEMME TELL YOU).

And now. NOW. AT LAST. THREE WHOLE YEARS after 2020 sucked the joy of Inuyasha fandom/fic from me.... I want to try again. I want to read more again.

Even if it's only a little bit, I would like to find joy here again. 🥺💕

[grimalkinmessor]

for no reason in particular, whats your favorite thing about the ladychako ship? whether thats a specific interaction, a scene idea, or a dynamic they could fit :3

I SEE I HAVE PIQUED YOUR INTEREST HOW DELIGHTFUL >:3

No but I originally stuck them together as part of a fic idea, where Midoriya, Uraraka, and Todoroki are all villains (and in relationships with their respective canon rival), and all three of them are being fucking HOUNDED by older heroes ho just want them to stop being evil for like five seconds so they can see that they're just kids and 1) changing the world shouldn't be their job, 2) (contradictorily) they could do so much good in the world if they just learned how to go about things. YES this is vaguely/highly condescending depending on the hero, but these tired strung-out heroes are pinning all their tattered hopes and faith in humanity on this one kid (possibly kidS again depending). Aizawa is running after Izuku, Hawks is gunning for Shoto, and Nagant is trying to pin down Uraraka. Sexual tension and jealousy and angst and drama abound.

ANYWAY back to the matter at hand: that's when I realized that I really like it in general?? Like Ochako is kind of the reverse of Kaina in a way—she went in to the hero business with a more cynical outlook (she needed the paycheck, her family was struggling, heroism was a job to her, not a dream) and eventually grew into her optimism and hope for the future whereas Kaina was lured in by promises of a brighter future only to be submerged in the gritty politics of hero work. Ochako goes into it thinking she'll be a government dog but comes out the other side with new conviction for a hopeful future, while Kaina goes in bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and stumbles out the other side dull-eyed and covered in blood.

I really like the idea of Nagant meeting Ochako either post-war, or even in an AU where she never defected, and trying to give her the doom-and-gloom talk, "This isn't the shit they preach on TV kid" and Ochako just coming back at her like "Yeah I already knew that thanks I got over it" aND IT JUST. STUNS HER. GOBSMACKED. OFFENDED. I imagine them having a full on argument about it at a bar or something and then Nagant's fucking hooked. Ochako is the bright spot she's been looking for, something she can cling to (and also butt up against because they definitely have a lot of differing opinions).

Uraraka on the other hand, is captivated more by Kaina's vibes. I mean come on, are you telling me if this tall lady in sleek dark clothes with pretty hair, gun holsters on her thighs, and a war-torn look on her face glanced you across the bar and gave you her full attention that you wouldn't immediately be enratured? Seduced, even? I sure as hell would.

(Though I am a Nagant simp maybe I don't count lmao—)

Plus,,,,I imagine that Ochako emulates Izuku in that her desire to save people overcomes their desire to be saved. She sees that Kaina is wounded and full of guilt and anger and she pulls the classic "I CAN FIX HER" before leaping headfirst into trying to do so. Nagant probably isn't sure whether she wants to be helped or not—but it's no biggie. Ochako will help her decide :) *the Midoriya-Izuku-friendship-threat theme starts playing but with ominous background Kirby music* You Have No Choice Ochako Is Helping You 💗

On a more risque note, I also like the image of them meeting at a hero event, having a one night stand, and Nagant being unable to get Ochako out of her head. Or even a before-UA thing where Nagant is on a rescue mission and she finds Ochako just like,,,,holding up an entire building with her Quirk and becoming both concerned and intrigued. Because one, Lady Nagant knows what the HPSC does to (seemingly) powerful people—what they offer them—and it doesn't sit right with her to think of Ochako going down her path (there's little chance of that but this is where Kaina's mind goes), and two, this kid just held up a whole ass building for an hour so everyone could escape the collapse even as she shook and sweated and cried and strained, and again. Nagant is cynical. Pessimistic. So seeing Ochako be so selfless for zero net gain, on instinct no less, would definitely catch her eye. Maybe even enough to offer an apprenticeship ;3

IDK MAN THE MORE I THINK ABOUT THEM THE MORE I LOVE THEM

[greenerteacups]

Dear GTC!!

Having finished my reread of your Book/Year 3, I’ve been thinking about what lessons the remaining Marauders might have to teach the Harry-Ron-Hermione-Draco foursome (whose lack of a covert group name makes them much less pretentious, but leaves open the option for us readers to suggest our own name ideas; i am partial to the “troll-toppling foursome”). In many ways, they are inheritors and foils of the Marauder legacy, not only its members, but also Snape, Lily, and the Black siblings. I’m certain this inheritance stand a chance to transmute itself into the later generation’s respective magical signatures and talents. Lupin taught Harry how to cast a Patronus; Draco recieved Snape’s old potions textbook. I think it stands to reason that Hermione and Ron individually, and the second generation foursome collectively, have magic to inherit and learn from the surviving marauders. Namely, Animagi magic, at which I think Hermione would be particularly talented, Draco and Ron would appreciate the strategic and tactical value of possessing, and which Harry might relate to on account of his being a Parseltongue. Do you think the four of them as a unit would be strong enough in magic and self-mastery to become underage illegal Animagi together? Do do you think Sirius would have any interest in teaching them, or do you think it’s something they might initiate on their own?

The phrase "Harry-Ron-Hermione-Draco foursome" is, while on the one hand a perfectly accurate and uncontroversial way to describe their group of friends, also the unique combination of words most likely to make Draco wake up screaming in a cold sweat;

The parallels you draw out between the Golden Quartet (trademark pending, someone in the comments gave them this name and I think it's cute) are really lovely, and I spent a while thinking about them! The dynamic parallels between Draco and Sirius vs. Draco and Snape are in particular things that I spend a lot of time thinking about. Chapter 29 is a sort of love letter to the Marauders, in that way.

I'm intrigued that you think Hermione would be a good Animagus; is it because she's a Transfiguration nerd? I'm not saying you're wrong, it's just not something I'd thought of before, so I'm interested by the thought. There's a brief discussion of this prospect in Book 4, before the Second Task, where Harry raises the possibility and suggests that Sirius could teach him (albeit somewhat in jest); Hermione shuts it down for safety and legal reasons, which are probably straight from McGonagall's lips. So that's why they haven't considered it seriously: animagus magic is a unique combination of dangerous and time-consuming that means it's very rarely a solution to whatever the Quartet are dealing with, and the Marauders pulling it off is kind of a small miracle made possible by the fact that, unlike the Quartet, they basically had nothing else to do.

I also slid in a reference to McGonagall giving everyone a lecture on the dangers of fucking up animagus transformations, complete with pictures. It's my headcanon that this lecture started after a Certain Three Individuals graduated, for reasons related to her sanity and blood pressure. (She does offer an elective on it to seventh years, however, so... I mean, if it were me, I'd much rather learn from her than from Sirius, who strikes me as a "straight into the deep end" kind of teacher. Come to think of it, that might be the answer to your question.)

[bloodboundsiege]

out of curiosity, what made you decide to make this into a full fledged visual novel instead of just writing a fic? esp since afaik there hasn't been a demand/outcry for more bloodbound

(this ended up being rlly long, so I'm putting it under a cut. if you don't want to read all of that, the tl;dr is I've been working on an spec adaptation of Bloodbound since 2021, I've been making edits with Choices assets for a little over a year now, and I started messing around with ren'py during my stint in the now no longer active @nightboundthesecond project, and this spinoff is the culmination of all of those things bc I wanted to do something w them).

Anyways, here's the long version:

So...I kind of already did. Sort of.

In summer of 2021, I was going through a pretty bad depressive episode and ended up rereading Bloodbound (which got me back into the fandom as a whole, more on that in a sec). When the dust cleared, I began really heavily reconsidering what exactly I was doing with my life.

I'd been toying with the possibility of doing a film MFA of some kind, but I was worried I didn't have the skillset to get into any grad programs. So, I began teaching myself how to write screenplays by adapting Bloodbound into a spec TV series. From August 2021 to April 2022, I wrote twenty-eight episodes, with three rounds of revisions, which really strengthened my abilities as a writer. I'm currently at a T10 film school getting an MFA. I wouldn't be where I am without doing that. Part of my love for Bloodbound stems from the fact that it quite literally changed my life.

The very nature of turning a book into a screenplay/teleplay is that you have to restructure a lot of plot points so they fit in better with the new medium. With a TV adaptation, you also usually have to build onto the source material. For Bloodbound, that meant fleshing things out and creating new characters to move the plot forward. It also meant exploring things that either happened offscreen or were only brief scenes.

And so when it came time to write episodes for the book 2 adaptation, the huge aspect of that was going into New York City and seeing what Gaius was doing during his hostile takeover. And since I had very little to work with from the source material, I had to come up with a lot of stuff off the cuff. And as I put those storylines together, I was like there's actually some pretty interesting stuff here. This visual novel is based off of that stuff.

@clansayeed and his fantastic reimaginings of Bloodbound and Nightbound had been on my radar for a while at this point, but I wasn't aware of the fake caps he made until I actually checked out his tumblr account. I thought they were really fucking cool. As a little private celebration for finishing the third round of edits for season 1 (and to let myself take a break), I decided to teach myself how to make fakecaps and recreate a few scenes from my adaptation in the Choices format:

I found out that I really enjoyed reworking assets into new outfits and character designs--lowkey, putting on a podcast or a video essay, opening up pixlr, and just making stuff became one of my go-to ways to unwind in the midst of mfa apps and life in general--, so I started making more fandom service stuff for fun and posting them on Reddit. I made a variety of stuff: role reversal AU edits, general dress up stuff, and of course... "on the set of [choices book]: the tv show" fake caps.

I feel like you're not really supposed to say this, but it was kind of validating to me that a lot of those posts did like. Decent numbers. And that kind of motivated me to get better at doing it, especially in the beginning.

And then...It Lives Within dropped. And I think that shifted a lot of how people--myself included--considered what they could do within a fandom space like Choices. Like, if we could make our own shit, why not? I was really intrigued by the idea, and so when there were calls for writers and sprite artists for a Nightbound project, I jumped at the opportunity.

(As a side note, I think the fact that now there are people within the fandom making their own sequels/spinoffs/whatever is gonna be rlly interesting for the general ecosystem of the Choices fandom and its future, but that's a convo for another time lol)

While the team I was on is no longer working on a sequel, being part of that group did a lot for me, and I look back on being part of that really fondly. I think we all were kind of picking up whatever we needed to do, regardless of if it was what we signed on for. For me, that meant teaching myself how to use Ren'py. The thing was, this was still in the really early stages of development, which meant I didn't have a lot of story to play with. So...

I was kind of like. Fuck it. Let me try my own thing out.

The original idea was actually a prequel set in the 1910s, as I'd done an MC set and an LI set based on that very premise, but the problem was that there are so few assets from that time period, and asset creation has never been my strong suit. But then, I thought back to the adaptation I'd been working on.

Some of the strongest writing I think I've ever done was in the episodes where the primary storylines were following Gaius's takeover of New York. I think a lot of the themes of the second book came out in those moments. And as cool as it would be, as much as I've fantasized about it, I don't think Bloodbound: The TV Show is ever happening. So it made sense for me to rework that into a visual novel spinoff.

In terms of the actual framing of this story, I spent a lot of time in the Bloodbound tags in the early days of working on my adaptation. I was deep in those tags. And it's really interesting to see what people expected it to be before its release. Part of it was the assumption of a Clan sorting system. Obviously, that wasn't actually the case.

Additionally, I think a lot of people were frustrated by the fact that Bloodbound's MC isn't really given the option to just. Be bad. Which then makes moments like this super jarring:

So, I decided to put everything I'd learned together. I was working on the GUI/character creation features for Nightbound (side note, the GUI in this game isn't an absolutely perfect replication of the Choices GUI yet and won't be for the demo, but we're getting there), I had a ton of edits I'd made that I wasn't using for anything, and I had a story that I knew could be reworked into an arc about a new vampire in New York City during Gaius's coup.

But with this project in general, it's less about a demand for a sequel/midquel/spinoff within the fandom and more like. I noticed that there were some things people wanted out of Bloodbound and didn't get, and trying to give it to them, because I wanted those things too, and I felt like I had the means to create that. When I've talked to IRL friends about this project (non of whom play Choices), I've just been like "yeah it's a visual novel fanfic" because...it's a visual novel fanfic.

So. That's why.

(This was super long (and felt a little self centered, sorry!), but if you read all of that, I hope it all made sense. All of this is to say that this has been a labor of love for a book series I've been living with for a year and a half, and I want to get part of what I've done with it out of my head. I hope you all like it.)