#had anyone else read / known about that meaning of ally ??

[cevansbrat0007]

Sweet Tooth

Summary: Ari gets inventive when he finds himself in the doghouse with you. Be sure to check out the follow-up drabble, Sweet Tooth Deluxe!

Warnings: Smut, Mature Themes, Ari Being A Menace, Arch Nemesis', Dominant Ari, Aprons, Arguments, Oral Sex (fem rec mentioned), Spanking (mentioned), Pussy spanking (mentioned), Pet Names, Cursing, Violent Thoughts, Minors DNI

A/N: Written for @honeygngergemini. Part of my Sweet Renegades Series. Semi-proofread, not beta'd. All mistakes are my own. Likes, comments, and reblogs are always appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Ari leans back in his chair, one long leg coming to rest atop his knee as he levels a hard look at Officer Milton Foster. He scrubs a tired hand over his face, his mind working overtime to process what the young man had just said.

“But that makes zero fucking sense.” He grumbles, groaning when he sees Milton just shake his head.

“Aye, man.” The dark-haired deputy  throws up his hands. “You asked me where I thought you went wrong and I told you.” He turns in his office chair to spare a quick glance at his computer. “Do not shoot the messenger.”

“No one’s being shot, alright? I just don’t get the logic behind any of the shit you just said.”

Couple that with the fact that you’d been icing him out for the past several days for reasons unbeknownst to him – which had left him in a god awful mood. He missed you. Your laugh, your warmth, your smile. 

All of it.

Not to mention that deliciously curvy body that had been keeping him warm at night. He really missed that. More than than anything he needed a fucking kiss.

But you were ignoring him. And Ari had discovered pretty quickly that he didn’t like any of it. Not one bit.

So, he’d turned to what he felt like was his only ally in this god-forsaken town: the newly minted sheriff’s deputy, Milton Foster.

“So you’re really trying to tell me that the reason my woman is pissed at me is because I ate Charline Marshall’s pecan pie at the town potluck, liked it, and asked for seconds.” Ari smooths an annoyed hand over his bearded face. Trying to understand Bell’s Creek’s local politics could really do a number on a person. 

“And don’t forget that she purposely dropped your lady’s bramble berry pie on the ground.” Milton does a quick spin in his chair. “She tried to pretend it was an accident, but most of us know better. Charline Marshall has eyes for you and I think she might be ready to make it known.”

“I’m pretty sure that I couldn’t even pick that woman out of a lineup.”  

Milton simply shrugs before taking another spin in his desk chair. “You’ve got a lot of admirers, Mr. Bounty Hunter. A man like you blows into town…well, you’re downright exotic. Every single red-blooded woman under 75 wants a taste.”

Ari visibly shudders before crossing his legs at the ankle. He didn’t want anyone else. This particularly surly Bounty Hunter wanted you. He only wanted to eat your food. Enjoy your sweets. Fall to his knees and devour the fuck out of your pretty little pussy.

“Hard pass, buddy.” Your lawman sighs. “I didn’t know shit about the pie incident. I mean, how could I when she was barely talking to me or anyone at that party?”

“Not saying it’s your fault, big guy. Logically, what would you have been able to do if she had told you?”

Ari looks up at him, his piercing blue gaze never once leaving the young deputy’s. “I would’ve taken her back to my place and spent the rest of the night making her feel better. I would’ve done everything in my power to take my girl’s mind off that petty shit.”

“Mmm.” Milton murmurs as understanding suddenly dawns. “I really don’t wanna get too deep in your business, but your lady is like a sister to me.” He leans back in his chair so that he can kick his feet up on his desk. “We used to play on the playground together as kids. And full disclosure, she used to beat my ass.” The deputy chuckles as he begins to recount all the way you used to be a tiny force of nature. 

“I…can see that.”

“Yeah. Yeah. Anyway, I think your original plan was a good one.” 

“Meaning?” Ari leans over to take a sip of his now cold coffee. It tasted like shit anyway, even when it was hot. In fact he longed for you, his BIrd, to make him one of your little caffeine-infused concoctions – preferably while wearing nothing but his shirt. 

So he could also take a bite out of that luscious ass while you refreshed his mug. After all, he was a man who prided himself on his ability to multitask. 

“Meaning, you need to find a way to distract her while making your point.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning, you’re a smart fuckin’ guy who set his sights on someone who could easily be the most stubborn woman in the whole damned state.” A smirking Milton offers up a salute with his can of Dr. Pepper. “That’s for you to figure out. All I can do at this point is wish you luck.” 

“Thanks.” Ari grunts, wishing that he had a better idea of what to do with you.

Oh, rest assured that he’d figure it out. You were too important to him not to. He just hoped you’d find it in your heart to take it easy on him for his mistake. 

The Next Day

You wake up to the smell of cooking sausage wafting into your room. It makes you smile as you stretch your arms over your head. Your stomach growls in agreement, subtly reminding you that you’d neglected to make dinner last night. 

Oops. You hadn’t meant to forget, it had just happened. Normally you would end your night with speaking to your Beast of a Bounty Hunter, who always made sure you ate. But lately, you have been both mad at him and embarrassed.   

Because at a recent town potluck, Ari had eaten your rival’s pecan pie. Now, you weren’t children, but this had also been after she’d purposely sabotaged your own dessert by accidentally dropping it on the ground. 

Charline pretended that it had been a mistake. But the way you’d witnessed her laugh after the fact. And then she’d fed your man, reveling in every minute. You’d known her pecan pie was dry, but Ari had seemed to enjoy it. So much so that he’d asked for a second piece. 

Which was fine, except it had hurt your feelings. And you hadn’t been sure how to relay exactly relay that fact either. So you’d clamped down. You’d bottled up. 

And as a result, your poor, sweet man was suffering. Which meant you needed to apologize. But you weren’t quite sure how to go about it. As you sit up, you vow to yourself to give him a call today. As soon as you sat down and enjoyed your breakfast.

And then it occurs to you. You weren’t the one cooking. Which meant someone was in your house. 

You spring out of bed and grab your Louisville Slugger that you always kept nearby. Taking a deep breath, you quietly make your way down the stairs, your trusty bat poised to take a swing at whatever moron who’d chosen to take up residence in your kitchen.

Baring your teeth, you crest around the corner on bare feet, ready to make your presence known. 

“You gonna hit me, Bird?” Ari muses as he adds a dash of salt, followed by pepper to whatever it is he’s got cooking in the skillet. Your flippin' skillet. “Is that really how this ends? You take me out while I’m being kind enough to whip us up some breakfast?”

Momentarily flummoxed you find yourself lowering your weapon in favor of taking in the scene before you. This man – your Bounty Hunter – was currently standing in your kitchen clad in nothing but an apron. 

Your apron. And yet somehow it fit him better

“Wh–what are you doing?” You ask him, letting your baseball bat clatter to the floor at your feet. You wouldn’t need it. You were safe with this man, but only to a point. “And how’d you get in?” You hadn’t given him a key yet. 

That was supposed to be a present for later. 

“Eh.” Ari shrugs, flipping a pancake with surprising skill. “Maybe I saw my gift and swiped it after the potluck. Maybe you weren’t listening to me and I couldn’t get a read on you, so I had to be an asshole and make an executive decision.” He turns away from you to drop a finished pancake on a plate, giving you a fantastic view of his perfectly muscled ass.

“You mad?” 

“N-no.” You respond as you feel your thighs clench. God, how you wished that you’d come down here wearing pants. “I was actually planning to reach out to you today. Can I ask what you’re doing?” You shiver as you feel your thighs grow damp, your traitorous pussy working against you. 

You should be mad that your Beast had broken into your house. Instead you were happy to see him with a much deserved apology ready to fall from your lips. 

“Making you breakfast. Chocolate chip pancakes, eggs, and sausage.” He adds another delicious pancake to the stack. “I’m gonna feed you, and then I’m gonna fuck you, and make you rethink ever ignoring me again.” He purrs, the intoxicating rumble coming from somewhere deep in his chest. 

Fuck you were so wet it was almost embarrasing. 

“I’ve earned the rights to that tight little pussy, baby. And when I make a mistake like I did with that goddamned Charline, I want you to tell me.” Ari turns off the range, pulling the food off the heat and onto a plate.

“I’m sorry.” You murmur, both hating and loving the way your nipples pebble beneath the thin fabric of your oversized t-shirts. Actually, it was one of his. A detail he also seemed to notice. “How can I make it up to you?”

Ari studies you for a moment, his handsome face tilting to the side. And then your eyes stray to the sight of his impressive erection. You watch as one of his big hands reaches down to fist his hard cock, pumping it once. Twice. 

“You can start by going back upstairs. I want you naked, on all fours. I want to come up there and feast my eyes on your soaking wet cunt.” His heated gaze bores into your own, making your already drenched core spasm one more. “And you’d better be wet for me, otherwise I’m gonna spank it. And you.” 

“O-okay.” You find yourself taking a step back, your hand clutching at the wall. 

“I’m gonna eat it baby.” Ari growls, his voice filled with a mix of unbridled lust and determination. “I’m gonna make that pussy fucking cry. And you’re gonna fucking take it. You hear me?”

“Yes.” You whisper, resisting the urge to reach down as you stroke your eager fingers over your throbbing clit. “Yes, Sir.”

He takes a menacing step towards you, his body delighting in the way that you shiver. You’d been bad. Which means it was time to pay the price. And what better man to exact that payment than your own handsome, 6”4 Beast? 

“And then I’m gonna fuck you in front of that brand new mirror I bought you. I’m gonna show you who owns that beautiful body and remind you why it’s important to talk to me when you need me.” Another menacing step. “And then I’m gonna feed those delectable curves after I’ve had my fill.”

“And then…” He tilts his head from side to side, cracking his neck. “You’re gonna let me kiss it all better while I make love to you.”

“Y-yes, please.” Right now you were willing to give this man whatever he wanted. Whatever helped you atone for your supposed sins.

“There’s a good girl.” He intones as he unties the apron, leaving him naked and aroused in your simple kitchen. “Now run.”

END

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[swordfright]

what are your logistical questions about the guard dog au?

Ohhhh boyyy. Well. First of all I'm sorry it took me like a month to answer this, I got busy.

I wanna start by saying I wasn't around when Guard Dog AU was created, it was before my time (just barely) but I have read dozens of fics with this premise so bear in mind that I thiiiink I have a pretty solid understanding of how GD is supposed to work?? But I could be wrong about some details, in which case please feel free to correct me! Also, I wouldn't normally poke holes in someone's AU because at the end of the day, AUs are supposed to be fun fantasy what-if scenarios and not airtight canon-compliant thought experiments. The only reason I feel comfortable doing it with Guard Dog is because, from what I can tell, this AU wasn't created by any one specific person, it just sort of manifested on twitter in like 2021 and now there are literally hundreds of pieces of fan content about it. What I'm saying is, Guard Dog is The People's AU and that's the only reason I don't feel weird answering this ask.

Yeah, so. My logistical questions are as follows:

What's Sam's motivation for letting Q borrow Dream?

When in the timeline is this taking place? (because that affects EVERYTHING)

What threat is Dream purportedly guarding Las Nevadas from?

How does Dream's presence change the preexisting dynamic in Las Nevadas?

What is Quackity actually getting out of this?

Who does or doesn't have the revive book at this point?

I'll try to address these as neatly as I can. So, my understanding of the premise: Quackity somehow gets Sam to agree to let Dream out of the prison so he can live out the remainder (or some unspecified portion?) of his life sentence acting as security for LN. In some variants it seems like this is happening after Dream gives up the revive book, but in other variants that's not the case or it's left unclear. There are a couple points at which this feels implausible/OOC, namely:

1.) Sam would never let Dream out, even on parole. He does not want Dream under anyone else's watch. He wants Dream in Pandora at all costs. You cannot convince me he would just let someone borrow the prisoner for a bit, for any reason - especially not Quackity, who imo Sam probably sees as a greater threat to his authority as warden than almost anyone. Think about it: aside from Sam, Q has probably had the most consistent contact with the prisoner during his incarceration; Q's violence and general temperament mean that Sam likely knows Q killing Dream is a possibility, and that without the warden's supervision this could very well happen. Sam obviously isn't concerned for Dream's wellbeing, but he does want his prisoner alive because otherwise he's not a prisoner and Sam's not a warden. So yeah. "Just me and him" line etc etc. Dream ain't never gettin' outta there if Sam has anything to say about it.

2.) What is Dream actually capable of contributing to LN? In other words, would initiating Guard Dog actually pay off for Quackity in tangible ways? It depends on where in the timeline we are. If this is happening post-torture era or even mid-torture era, Dream is likely physically incapable of performing the feats of combat he was capable of prior to prison. Hell, even if Guard Dog era is happening instead of the torture era, Dream has still been in prison for a while and is probably already experiencing the disabling effects of prolonged malnutrition and neglect. So if Dream is known for PVP and his PVP skills took a severe blow recently, then what use is he as a security guard? Which brings us to the next question...

3.) What threat is Dream even guarding LN from? Quackity's foremost enemy is Technoblade, who has largely peace'd-out between Doomsday and Jailbreak. Q is evidently not eager to reignite a direct conflict with Techno because he got his ass handed to him last time. Also, he's aware that Techno and Dream are allies, so why would he put Dream in a place that's easier to rescue Dream from than Pandora? You could argue that maybe by publicly turning Dream into a glorified slave laborer Q is indirectly flaunting his power (the power of ownership) in Techno's face, but I don't see this as terribly likely given that (based on some of the visitation dialogue) Q misunderstands the nature of Dream and Techno's relationship. Critically, he doesn't seem to realize that they are comrades in addition to allies. And I think flaunting ownership of Dream would only make sense if you thought you were really hurting Techno in the process - Quackity just doesn't seem to have picked up on the fact that this is even a possibility. Based on all this, the enemy Dream is supposed to be fending off probably isn't Techno, so who is it? Las Nevadas is pretty much a neutral state. Q has people he doesn't like, but his list of Actual Real Enemies is surprisingly short. The population of the server is also comically small, so like...intruders? What intruders??? It's not as if Q really has to worry about strangers breaking in and robbing him or something, which is usually what guard dogs are for. My current answer to this question is that the threat would have to be the Egg. Possession by the Egg can turn people you know into strangers, and the entity that is the Egg can travel/infiltrate new spaces by way of the vines. Also, this conveniently answers the sub-question of "what threat can Dream defend LN against that the actual members of LN couldn't?" If you suddenly have to worry about contamination, it makes sense that you would send someone disposable to deal with the contaminant - not your own friends or employees. Speaking of which...

4.) Dream's presence in LN would change the faction's dynamic and Quackity is sooo poorly equipped to navigate that. Quackity's whole shtick is that he's charismatic because he can't be strong. He's volatile, conniving, violent, insecure, hedonistic, profit-motivated and has poor impulse control, but he's also able to project confidence and affability in ways that have been advantageous to him. There are two sides to Quackity and he seemingly likes to keep them separate. If Guard Dog is happening after the torture arc, then Quackity is used to showing the worst aspects of his personality only around Dream. In Pandora, he's a torturer; in Las Nevadas, he's a leader. So what happens when those two places effectively become the same place? If LN is Dream's new prison, how is Quackity supposed to act there? Sure, he's not particularly kind and caring when dealing with his staff (most of them were recruited via intimidation, after all) but they've never seen the side of him that Dream has seen. How is he supposed to maintain that authority over Dream while continuing to be the version of himself that Fundy and Purple and Foolish and co. know? Quackity talks a big game about (and makes gestures toward) not caring that people know about the torture, but he obviously does have reservations about it. When Wilbur asks him about visiting, he dodges around the question. When he discourages Foolish from breaking in, he's weird and cagey about it even though he knows he needs to come clean. When Tommy confronts him about the torture directly, he says "Don't ever say that, not even as a joke." He's defensive. This is another one of Q's hilarious contradictions: he wants to enjoy the benefits of being known as a dangerous person without the downsides of people being actually scared of him or finding him repulsive. He wants to have his cake and eat it too, and Dream's presence in Las Nevadas puts that impulse in jeopardy. There's a big difference between people suspecting you may have done some torture vs people actually witnessing that torture firsthand, or even seeing its aftereffects. Not to mention, there are now other people for Dream to interact with besides Sam, Q, and the prison guards! That changes things, even if Dream isn't allowed to speak to them directly. In Pandora, Bad and Ant had one job, which was to keep the prison running and keep Dream inside it - that's not the case with the LN crew. These people have shit to do! Foolish is building Quackity a replica of the Eiffel Tower, he doesn't have the time or interest to be a prison guard. I could go on but you get my drift. Things would get so weird so fast.

5.) The revive book complicates all of this. If Dream actually did give up the book and Sam understood how to use it, I could be convinced that maybe he would let Quackity borrow Dream for a bit - because hey, if he kills Dream then Sam can just revive him! However, I don't feel confident saying that Q wouldn't just kill Dream immediately after getting the book. We know Q enjoys torturing Dream, but we also know that he seemingly gets bored of it after a while. We also know he has at least some level of concern for propriety/his own rep, so he does have plausible reasons to just straight-up kill him after getting the book. Like, he got what he wanted (necromancy knowledge + a fun 3 months of recreational activity) and if he kills Dream then that's one less person to potentially spread word of Q's uhhhh proclivities around the server - which, again, he paradoxically does seem to care about. Even if Q's plan was to relocate Dream to LN to better access to his fave chew toy and never intended to kill Dream, would Sam believe that?? Q can't directly go against the warden's orders when he's visiting Pandora because that would be stupid and dangerous, but in Las Nevadas? Hm. I think Sam may see Guard Dog as an attempt on Q's part to move the prisoner to a location fully under Q's control so that he can kill Dream without risking retaliation from the warden. Basically, I think this au only has a chance to work in a scenario where Dream has given up the revive book to Sam, but not to Quackity. Because otherwise, Sam just wouldn't let him go. Quackity does want the revive book, but moreso he enjoys torturing Dream, so I do find it semi-plausible that Q would initiate Guard Dog even if he didn't have the book yet.

Ummmm so yeah! These are my questions and thoughts about Guard Dog! i think it's a really fun AU with a lot of potential, but there are kinks in the premise (pun intended) that I find it difficult to wrap my head around. anyway please talk to me about this because I think about it all the time and I wanna hear some other folks' takes too.

[flightfoot]

do you know of lila take down fics that don't bash the children?

Hm, I'm assuming you mean ones that are still focused around Lila being a schoolyard bully? I generally stay away from those nowadays, instead opting to just read the fics where everyone's aged up and she's presented as more of a supervillain (those tend to not bash anyone else), but I do still have some recs for you!

Not Quite Right by @ladynoirfanao3

When Marinette wakes up one morning, she can’t help but feel that something is just a little bit… off. No one else around her seems to feel the same, however, and she is forced to shake off the strange feelings. It proves to be more difficult than she imagined, especially when an akuma attack leaves her feeling helpless as she watches Chat Noir and Ladybug arrive on scene.

---

In Pursuit Of The Uneatable by @nemaliwrites

Who do you trust when your own reflection becomes a stranger? In a Paris where Lila weaves tales that blind the city, Marinette stands accused, isolated. Her parents' trust is shattered, her friends distant, and in battle, illusions blur the line between ally and enemy. As the shadows and uncertainty threaten to close in, Marinette finds herself turning to the last person who claims to be on her side: a boy in a white mask who calls himself a fox hunter.

---

Hold Me By Both Hands by @angelofthequeers

“I know he said never to take you back,” Plagg mutters. “But he’d change his tune if he knew.” He looks Adrien straight in the eye and, more serious than Adrien’s ever seen him before, says, “There’s someone you gotta meet. He’s been looking for that book for ages.” How differently might the events of season 2 have gone if Adrien had also known of Master Fu from the start?

---

Accidents Are Also Miracles by @liiinerle

After some turbulent days that end with five people knowing her secret identity as Ladybug, Marinette loses faith in her ability to keep herself hidden. Wracked with doubts and insecurities, she pleads with Alya to take over as Scarabella, and tries to disconnect from heroing altogether. Along the way, she starts to date Kagami. Hard as she tries, though, she can't stop worrying - especially not once Monarch takes a particular, and personal, interest in her. At the same time, Alya tries to adjust to her new role while she works to uncover who Monarch really is, and makes some realisations about her own wishes. Kagami struggles against a controlling and abusive parent, and a girlfriend who seems bent on destroying herself - with or without Monarch's involvement. And in the meantime, Alix keeps popping her head back in with offers to help (because cool though time travel is, she misses hanging out in her own time).

---

Side Effects Include: Empathy by Word_Devourer

Adrien develops touch-based empathy from using a Miraculous as long as he has. This can only go well.

---

The Investigation by @11jj11

Adrien and Marinette are finally dating-- which is what Alya has always wanted... but yet this sudden transformation in their relationship overnight? Things aren't adding up. They are suddenly so much closer than they ever have been before, Adrien is apparently a flirt, Marinette is no longer a stuttering mess, and not to mention the nicknames that came out of no where. Alya is happy for her friends, but she knows there's something more going on, and the reporter in her is going to get to the bottom of it.

---

best (fake) smile by Reiaji

After Gabriel arranges for Lila to be his date at Paris Fashion Week, Adrien rights a wrong as best he knows how: with a little bit of sweetness, a little bit of subtlety, and a lot of social media magic.

[mlmxreader]

The Confession | Kili x gn!reader

『••✎••』

↳ ❝ Hi can I request "Be gentle with my heart, won't you?" with kili please? ❞

: ̗̀➛ You and Kili spend a restless night talking and confession.

: ̗̀➛ trauma

•───────────────★•♛•★──────────────•

You were restless, frankly. Unable to snuggle down beside Kili the way that you usually did and hardly able to get any rest at all; the others were all sleeping in different rooms throughout the expansive inn, and Thorin had told you that you were safe, or at least, he kept trying to reassure you of the fact - he knew the landlord, he knew that they were trustworthy and would not let any harm come to you or anyone else.

Yet you were still on edge, scowling and glaring at anything that made a noise. So tense and ready to jump into action that even the smallest and most insignificant of mice caught your attention and focus without ever meaning to do so.

Kili stirred, pulling his left leg up so that he could rest his forearm on his knee as he looked at you with both worry and suspicion. As his best friend, he had known you for so many years that he could almost read your mind with ease.

Not even a month after Smaug had driven  his people from their home, yours had been attacked; the bandits from the east with roses on their armour and lions on their shields, bearing a white banner with a red cross, saw the opportunity and took it eagerly.

They drove their swords into soldiers and civilians without care, they did not even think twice. They stole the land and murdered communities. In one in particular, the bandits flooded everything; driving people from their homes and causing countless unnecessary death.

They saw the land as theirs, and held onto it with an iron fist after outlawing a language so ancient that even the elves could not speak it. Dragon's tongue. The bandits took everything. You were lucky enough that your family had always been an ally to the line of Durin, and Thorin had allowed you refuge with him.

Kili knew that such a thing had never left you, watching your homeland be ripped and torn for selfishness and greed, he knew that you would always miss the language, the culture, your home.

How could he ever expect you to relax and rest?

He sighed as he ran a hand through his tangled hair, knowing that he had to braid it again in the morning as the ties and binds were becoming rather loose. Putting his hand on your shoulder heavily as he licked his lips and swallowed thickly.

"Do you want to talk?"

You shook your head as you reluctantly spared him a look, guilt and worry in your eyes. "I'm fine."

"You don't look it... quite the opposite," he told you quietly, trying to keep his words hushed. "Do I have to remind you that I can read you like an open book?"

"Be quiet," you huffed, wiping your eyes and surprised to find them quite wet. "I dont want to talk about dead memories that have long been buried."

"You don't have to," Kili softly replied, "but I would like to know when you aren't well in yourself - I care about you far too much to let you keep things to yourself like that."

You began to bite at the inside of your bottom lip, pulling flesh away in little and thin almost see through strands that sat on the tip of your tongue. "I appreciate it, you know I do, but this is merely restlessness and nothing more, I promise."

"Well, considering we're both up, do you mind if I make a confession?" He asked, patient for your reply.

"Go for it," you shrugged, your voice almost a mere hum.

"In all our time we've known each other, I have become very fond," Kili started, "and I know you think I'm joking because of how you're looking at me, but it's true. I do mean it. You can laugh at me all you like, but I do mean it: I love you."

You thought about it for a moment. You could read Kili as if he was an open book left right on your lap and did not and could not doubt his honesty and sincerity; it was in his dark, almost ebony, eyes just as much as it was on the tip of his tongue and the slight smile on  his lips.

But you did not know what to say, as although you did feel the same, you were unsure if you were good enough for him.

You knew that you were colder than most, and that you were always haunted by those days; watching the school where you used to study become submerged beneath the water as the men with roses on their armour laughed, their white banners with red crosses flapping in the wind.

The way they grabbed you and your fellow countrymen, forcing you all to your knees as they pressed swords to your throats; the hammering in your chest as you stared up at them with a scowl. Restlessness came to be an old friend after that day.

You didn't want to put Kili through all of that - through the waking nightmares and the constant harsh and quiet tension and restlessness. Your heart was pounding in your chest, fingers shaking as you shook your head, silently pleading with him.

"Kili, don't..."

"What?" He whispered, furrowing his brows.

"Don't trick yourself into believing that I'm capable of love," you whispered softly, swallowing thickly. "Or that I will do anything except hurt you... please, Kili, don't be a fool."

"I'm not," he responded by gently planting his hand behind you so that he could lean in slightly. "I'm really not. Please, be gentle with my heart, won't you? It's in your hands. I want you to have it."

"You won't stop?" You asked with a soft laugh, and when he shook his head, you nodded slowly, swallowing thickly. "If I give you mine in return, will you?"

He nodded. "Of course."

"Promise me one thing," you said quietly. "No matter what, if I become too much, or you realise I'm not good enough - you will leave."

He hesitated.

[sidecharactersdomatter]

Thoughts I had during TGCF Season 2 Ep 1

I’ve finished my quarter and I am spending my spring break reacting to Season 2! Let’s make this reaction series count!

-Welcome back to Puqi Village people, at morning and known for their chestnuts!  (The best nuts I’ve had outta the packet!)

-We are back at Puqi Shrine people!

-And the Altar is packed!

-Instrumental Hong Jue!!!

-Did he oversleep?

-Aww he’s so lonely! :’(

-Dang.  That is a clear stream

-Eeeeyep, he is thirsty!

-And a water droplet fell past his freaking throat!  They just had to animate that!

-It’s the same ring from last Ep!

-You mean, ‘Gege’ Yeah, I’ve already typed this, “I watch the English Dub religiously” Don’t judge me!

-It is the same ring people!!!

-Oooh he hid it!

-Yep like two years for us in 2023

-Oh her eye bags got deeper and darker

-Welp it just got serious

-Looks like we’re back in heaven

-They added 3D palace shots and camera panning

-Woah that was a really good transition with the bell toll

-I wonder what kept the emperor all season…

-Feng Xin!

-Mu Qing!

-It’s that female Blue robed NPC from Ep 4 on his far left!

-*Looks at how the camera pans up to the Heavenly Capital* My Oc Qing Tao is like: The Oldest Enemy I know, stairs…

-New opening people woo!!!

-New opening animation had me sold!!!  They really improved 2 years later

-I love how the music switches from a majestic powerful orchestra tune to a comical xylophone like leitmotif upon introducing Xie Lian.  To say, “And then there’s that guy.  Then there’s that guy.”

-Social Distancing, Ancient Chinese Pantheon Style

-Man tough crowd today!

-And after every official flees the Trash god, one of my Junior Official OCs, Long He goes, “Huh, who is that dude?”  And then his dad, a Civil God will say, “That dude is the Crown Prince of Xianle.  His highness crown prince Xie Lian!” And then that Civil god begrudgingly brings his palm to his face.

-*Hears Mengyou calling his highness*: Ladies, Gentlemen and Enby friends, Him!

-This has the energy of giving someone a lanyard pass to visit a certain building

-“It’s not that hard!”  “You ascended hundreds of years ago you know better!” “Now keep it with you!”  Only like 4 minutes into the first Ep and that NPC is already getting the best lines.  (More of Lang Qianqiu’s trusty assistant later this season folks!)

-He sounds just like the English actor for Elam, Justin Briner, from the Heroic Legend of Arslan (another awesome historical manga!)  Coincidentally, Elam is also one of Arslan’s most trusted Allies.

-I can’t wait to write more of my ATLA x TGCF crossover, The Scrap Immortal and the Avatar, just imagine the Gaang’s reaction to learning that there’s more than one crown prince worshipped!

-Man, it’s like I always say, “The rumor mill’s always a’runnin!”  Or water wheel since it’s ancient China

-Hi Ling Wen, man what kind of product did she use to hide those eye bags???

-I’ve started reading the Manhua series so, Huh? No cursed shackle?

-It’s been days and you still haven’t found the Moldy faced boy from Episode 3???

-I also can’t wait to write Aangs reaction inside that huge throne room, (“It’s bigger than the one in Ba Sing Se!”)

-Now we’re actually seeing the emperor, the first time was in the Episode 1 flashback near the end

-Now we get the first appearance of Pei Ming, who appeared in the Flashback of Ep 3

-Well that sounded patronizing coming from Pei Ming

-Now Pei Xiu has to reap what he sowed.

-Yep that’s a kill count

-I love how this next scene is basically,

Pei Ming: Your Highness, please tell everyone who accompanied you?  Then Xie Lian starts to compose an alibi:  Ah yes!  I will do that.  It was incredible!  What did we get swept in a sandstorm or something?  Oh yes! It was just a youth in red robes who was knowledgeable about the Ban Yue kingdom.  <- This incorrect quote is inspired by Zuko and Iroh lying to Commander Zhao about the state of their ship in episode 3, The Southern Air Temple.  (Does anyone else think that Xie Lian, is what would happen if you combined both Iroh and Zuko?)

-The face Xie Lian made when he’s trying to keep fibbing and brought his index finger to his cheek that was good body language

-Hi Windmaster.

-Oooh Feng Xin and Mu Qing

-Welp you tried keeping him innocent Xie Lian

-Not as complicated as your love life, maybe I should do a Pei Ming roast count?

-Hey Xie Lian is smarter than you look

-Pei Xiu still wants to protect Ban Yue even facing his impending banishment.

-Ok that line and Pei Ming’s attempt to kick Pei Xiu does seem like an abusive action in my perspective.

-Woah, and that was Jun Wu’s own gavel.

-Well that was a short trial

-Him calling Xie Lian to stay, has the exact energy of a teacher calling one student to stay after class to talk.

-Ling Wen is now talking with Jun Wu

- Now that was a really brief meet up between the Xianle trio.

-Thank you Wind Master, and they are a savage!

-Well he’s still mad

-*Sees Qianqiu still asleep standing up*: XDXDXDXDXD

-Aw he woke him up!

-Don’t worry honey, you didn’t miss much anyway

-How in the heck was he able to doze off through all that shouting. I almost fell asleep in a lecture and that’s nothing compared to TaiHua’s feat

-*Hears Jun Wu speak like*: Oh gods! Why did they have to make him sound so seductive! He’s like an East Asian Belos! (And I’m still busy working on Murder They Cast’s first phase)

-Oh Xie Lian’s expression when Jun Wu talks to him, it’s concerning!

-That soft “forgive me”

-I mean we learned about his huge failure in Season 1

-“How Disappointing!” STOP!!!

-Oooh I didn’t notice this during the rewatch but they played a stringed instrumental version of Bu San.

-Srsly HOW BIG IS HIS FREAKING PALACE?!?!?!

-A mural of heaven

-You gotta love Xie Lian’s modesty

-“Such a low opinion” yep his voice is like liquid gold and it is pure torture!

-“How’d you seduce trouble this time!” That tease in his voice why!!!!

-Aw good for you Xie Lian

-Just you wait till the second half of this season

-It’s their version of shooting a flare gun

-Oooh from left to right is Feng Xin, an unknown person behind him, next there’s Ling Wen(with what happens later in the series), Lang Qianqiu in the middle, Mu Qing is next, then there’s Pei Ming in front of him, and the last guy might be Quan’s Yizhen since he also appears in the 2nd half of the series. I hope I found every martial god

-Also the Thunder Master (my OC Leishi) tends to work part time

-There are retired officials???

-In tsiata (my TGCF x ATLA crossover, The Scrap immortal and the Avatar) Ghost City is more modernized than the Spirit World, since it’s mostly untamed wilderness

-Oh he had balls defending San Lang people

-“Your majesty makes me sound like a little princess” yeah that’s what you are honey

-That pose! I was watching this ep with my older sister and she said, “Man is draping himself!”

-He’s gonna touch the scimitar, isn’t he? (I’ve watched clips of Season 2 before doing my reaction posts)

-And Xie Lian still has the best preferences good on him!

-Xianle trio mention

- And I still think clearing the debt should’ve taken longer, but that’s just my small nitpick

-Yeah nobody round here can keep a secret

- *Sees Jun Wu walk up to Xie Lian reminding him to be careful and puts his hand on his shoulder*: That’s too much pressure!!!

- “I had it erected for you.” James Cheek totally had fun writing Season 2’s script

-I can see why he prefers his own shrine over how massive and opulent his new palace is.

-Hi Windmaster

-Ooh a pond reflection

-Yep that’s your traveling parter

-Then he just fans himself and he instantly slays

-Jacob Eiseman had fun with his performance and ate up every crumb

-Windmaster is Genderfluid Bisexual culture people!

- “Thoroughly~” Yep that just slayed me I’m down

-Yeah Qingxuan’s cultivation backstory is gonna age like curdled milk in Book 4

-Man I just love all of Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan’s interactions with each other!

-Xie Lian, honey, you are way too good to be a tumor, trust me

-I love how Qingxuan also defended Ban Yue from Pei Ming

-“You were my kind of crazy” I love how Shi Qingxuan and Xie Lian instantly became besties

-Dude, Qingxuan puts the “fun” in function in both forms!

-This is exactly the reason I made my Thunder master OC Leishi female too.

-Now I gotta draw Xie Lian’s female form

-Yeah I react the same when letting a small amount of alcohol in my system

-The witching hour

-To quote a well known assassin Yor Forger, “No way I’m doing this sober”

-That one wrinkled ghost did not age gracefully

-Yeah their burial grounds are in Taiwan, awesome island I definitely need to visit

- Why did they have to design every Heavenly Official to be so Attractive???

-It’s the Spirit World from Spirited Away

-Ghost City would seem like a more modern area than the Spirit World in the Last Airbender

-The heck’s this confetti

-Ooh I like the green dressed spirit with the dark bamboo hat

-Hi Jian Lan

Literally any of my young adults would react to a promiscuous person with just one word in annoyance, “Prostitutes…”

-Honey Xie Lian is already outta your league, try finding someone else that’s your type

-Yeah you didn’t have to tell everyone about your medical condition, heck I don’t even want to picture the Gaang’s reaction after hearing it

-Ghost City is the Las Vegas of Ancient China

-Bouncers

-I love the female NPC that greeted Xie Lian she has a great voice and design

-Oh I know who that is

-He clutched his heart!

-“No thanks~” *Instantly fans myself*

-The camera pan to this throne!!! He is gay and he means business!!!

-James Cheek has ate it up!!!

-The soft “San Lang”

That was an awesome start to the Second Season. Sorry if I haven’t been posting I’m four weeks into my quarter and I also got back into writing fanfic, like the first chap of The scrap immortal and the Avatar. I’ll still do every reaction to Season 2 on weekends!

[cinammonelles]

Thoughts about Nea, past!Allen and the next chapter

long post, spoilers under the cut

Okay so I've always wondered why Nea gave up on Allen as his ally so quickly. Allen was one of his closest allies besides Cross and Tim till the time of his death right? He even gave up his body so Nea could execute his masterplan.

Yes, Allen did lose all his memories(or did he?) and somehow ended up in the Black Order. But we know Nea can show him his memories so he should also technically be able to show him past!Allen memories that were locked away? Or atleast memories of himself with past!Allen?

Allen would definitely be torn and overwhelmed and confused after but everyone who has known the "other side of the war" has taken Nea's side so far. And Allen even went so far as to become Nea's vessel in the past. He would definitely take his old friend's side again right? Or even seek out some sort of a middle ground?

Why didn't he do that then? Nea watched all of his memories since Cross started tailing him and Mana. Wouldn't it be easier to have Allen half-cooperate during the little time he has left, instead of having him actively work against him?

There's so much emotion in this one panel here. Confusion, worry, pain, anger, desolation, and maybe even a hint of guilt?

Its like... he just didn't wanna disturb the little equilibrium Allen had managed to create in his life? The little community he had found in the Black Order?

I mean if we think abt it Nea never really wanted to parasitize Allen in the first place(or atleast that's what I think the evidence so far implies). It was just the only option available to them back then. They needed Nea's powers to thwart the Earl & the Noahs' plans. And if Nea died then the Earl would just absorb(?) him and there would be no stopping him after that.

And I think giving up on Allen as an ally was Nea's way of being kind to him. Of returning the favour. Being his ally isn't an easy or pleasant job from what we've seen so far. And Allen would've disappeared anyway from the moment past!Allen transferred Nea's memories to himself. After seeing his attachment to the Order and the friends he made there, maybe he just wanted Allen to disappear with pleasant memories he made at the Order rather than the gruesome memories of being Nea's ally.

This panel in particular is so sad. He was able to give up on Allen as an ally so easily because he still had Tim. Tim was his last remaining ally and then he wasn't. And its particularly cruel how Hoshino pulled this off. He says that he doesn't need anyone else as long as he has Tim and just a few chapters later Apocryphos kills him. Nea must be used to losing allies by now but Tim really was the last real friend he had left(hoshino you cruel cruel woman)

Also the way Link's just bomb dropped the news abt tim?

Imagine hearing your last friend/ally died from some rando and then not even getting the time to process it because your arch enemy's ressurection shows up and somehow has your face? And then you get yeeted back into brain breakroom just as you were about to start beefing with him and the next time you wake up you're in your childhood home which you have mixed, complicated feelings for.

And that's not even getting into the whole 'tim chose allen over nea' thing.

Also if Allen goes back to the mansion and finds Bookman, he's guaranteed to find out atleast part of his past if not the whole. And he would definitely demand to know more from Nea. Will he accept Allen as his ally again now that Tim is gone? Will he accept Link as well? Will he try to kill Johnny again? Will he even be stable enough to consider future plans? Will we ever see Lavi again? We find out next month :D

Or we don't

(I also have a theory abt the Bookmen having the ability to transfer memories but that one's for another time)

Thanks for reading!!!

[judethejudas]

How they would react to you being trans— MW2 Headcanons

This includes all types of trans— so trans women, men, non binary (which would require much more explaining to the boys). Also it’s okay to not want to take hormones or do surgeries, it does not make you less of who you are. It’s just for the headcanons, my loves.

Ghost:

- He’s silent the whole time you’re coming out to him

- He just stares at you, with so many thoughts in his mind.

- Of course he knew trans people existed but he never figured you’d be one of them.

- You were already on hormones but not the surgeries, which made sense to him now because you always avoided the showers with everybody and preferred covering up.

- Ghost covered up quite a bit too so he felt closer to you in that way. That you both valued your privacy.

- He realized now it was because you didn’t have much of a choice. Even though he couldn’t have known, he felt guilty for it.

- He caught onto the pain in your eyes as you explained that your transition wasn’t easy. You lost friends, family, people you really cared about.

- “All because you were trans?” He couldn’t believe it honestly. That someone would break a bond because you wanted to be yourself.

- He put a hand on your shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. “This doesn’t change anything between us and if anyone has a problem with it, you come to me. Is that clear?”

- You brushed the tears off your cheeks and nodded, before Ghost sent you off to do something productive.

Soap:

- He’s quite shocked when you tell him and he doesn’t make much of an effort to hide it.

- You’re transgender? How? How does that work? Do you mean you’re going to transition into the opposite gender?

- He’s not stupid but he’s confused. Our confused ally.

- You had to explain to him that you already did years ago but didn’t have the surgeries, which is why you covered up a lot.

- “I thought you and ghost were just starting a little club getting all cozied up like that.” He’s so puzzled and asking a lot of questions, like how your voice sounds like that and how this happened.

- The only letters this man knew of the lgbtq2s+ community is gay and lesbian.

- You explained hormones to him and he was just blown away.

- Then you started talking about how unsupportive people have been to you and he felt terrible.

- “I’m not like that, am I?” You reassured him immediately that he was not and he was relieved. He had grown to like you on his team, how you two bickered and joked with each other on missions— especially when you two ganged up on Ghost.

- “You’re definitely gonna have to run it by me a few times but I got your back, (y/n).”

Captain Price:

- I ain’t gonna lie to you, this man?? Is all kinds of phobic. He’s old, he can’t help it.

- He had taken a liking to you as time went on and you proved yourself to be a valuable member of the team.

- So when you came out to him, it was just pure shock. He didn’t know what to do or say. Suddenly everything had changed. About you.

- He was taught not to respect members of the lgbtq2s+ by his family and grew up with that mindset. He knew every slur in the book.

- But you being one of them? He couldn’t fathom it. But he also couldn’t bring himself to hate you.

- You explained to him how you were alienated and hated ever since you came out, so you found a family when you joined task 141.

- He felt horrible now.

- To anyone else, he could be bitter about it and he wouldn’t feel one ounce of guilt. But not to you. This was you.

- “Alright look, I can’t say I understand.. this. I’ll need time to process it since I was raised differently, but I’m not gonna throw ya out..”

- You were happy he was willing to put aside his prejudice for you, but you did need to correct him on a few terms that weren’t horrifically transphobic or homophobic.

- You, Ghost, and Soap end up giving him the nickname of Captain Pride, absolutely bombarding this old man until he’s had enough and making you all scrub toilets.

_______

I seriously doubt Ghost and Soap would be assholes about reader being trans. I just don’t see them caring that much other than asking a few questions, but Price? 😭

[mytragedyperson]

Thoughts I had while reading TCF chapter 10

The idea of little 5 year old Raon Miru being so desperate to escape his tormentors that he cuts into his own life force still makes me so incredibly sad. The idea that in canon there’s a world where Raon Miru not only died, but was killed by Choi Han. Can you imagine if Choi Han found out that this could’ve happened. I don’t think he’d ever forgive himself even if Raon 100% would. God this book has some sad moments, but even the novel within the novel is so sad. I know that’s a doomed world but this is actually insane. I also feel like this book does a really good job of exploring the butterfly effect or something similar. Literally one person changed, was transmigrated into the world, but because this Cale was different he made different choices, and each small choice he made, caused another change, some smaller than others, but all ultimately leading to their victory. Let’s talk about how him saving Raon changed a lot. For one thing, I don’t think, without him, he would’ve known Alberu was a dark elf. He might’ve been told or found out, but it would’ve taken longer, and he might’ve reacted differently. Because he had Raon, he knew Alberu was using magic to change his appearance, and had an aura or something that was different to the rest of his family. Then, in the forbidden forest, Raon recognised the dead mana or something, so when he next met Choi Han, he told Cale or something. Sorry, I’ve not gotten to that point in my reread yet so I might be misremembering but that was the gist. But his lack of a bad reaction to Dark Elves, allowed him to meet and form some sort of alliance and bond with them, while also improving the bond he had with Alberu. And there are so many other times where Raon or one of the kids were helpful, and The Birth of A Hero world didn’t have them. In fact, that could’ve been the start of the world being doomed, those kids, and Taylor, and Paseton dying. Just by bringing Kim Rok Soo to this world, things changed, but he had no real way of knowing, when he saved these people, the impact it would have, the knowledge it would give them. He just didn’t want to see kids, or anyone else, suffer. And just by refusing to let people suffer or die if he could help them, he gained allies, and resources, and information that they didn’t have in The Birth of a Hero, or if they did, they learned it too late. The fact that having one person change, the fate of the world changed. Each small choice, each small change, each time he does the thing he decides to do, it leads to a much bigger change and a much bigger impact later on, even if just because now all these people he’s helped have a common ally that they trust and respect. God I could and probably will go into more detail about this later on, but yeah. Moving on for now.

Also Choi Han was right that the dragon’s eyes being full of pain and sorrow but its mouth still smiling is sad. This is his first time being outside the cave he was kept on, he’s seeing the world for the first time, but he’s lost his rationality. He’s happy to be free but he hurt and lost himself in the process. And then you imagine Raon Miru (that means happy dragon, right?) the same adorable little dragon that threatens to kill everyone and destroy everything if anything happens to Cale. It’s heartbreaking, that’s heart breaking. Cale needs to hug Raon extra tight for me because he deserves all the love and affection, plus extra for the version of him that never got any.

I’m so happy Cale went out of his way to save Raon. Like, he didn’t have to do that, he chose to and it was the right thing to do, but so many other people would’ve probably not cared. This is another example of Cale being a good person and refusing to admit it. Let’s keep note of that, misunderstandings, every time someone just doesn’t question something, honestly everything, let’s just keep a note of everything. It’s not even like he can say this is selfish because he doesn’t plan to keep him, he literally gains nothing from this if everything goes according to plan, and he doesn’t care, he does it anyway. Also him saying that he can use the kids to justify adopting them will never not be funny, adorable and kinda sad, because he can’t admit, even to himself, that he just wants to keep them around.

I forgot this was still the interview scene. Damn, a lot of shit is mentioned in this scene, like from the scene with Hans before the interview to the end, we get a lot of information.

Also, the interview being about whether Choi Han can protect people and then the job actually not requiring him to. Beautiful. That thing I said yesterday about the interview scene being good for Choi Han because it gives him someone who believes in him and respects him still stands. But his first job more or less being an escort mission of find and bring these two people to me, with the two people being capable of protecting themselves? It takes the pressure off Choi Han to have to protect them and builds his confidence and belief in himself, while also providing him with a support system of some sort. And Cale doesn’t intend for this but it happens. And the fact that Choi Han, not only succeeds in the job, but also helps save the other wolf children? That probably did wonders for his confidence, for his belief in himself. Ugh, it’s so good.

Also, Cale claiming in his thoughts, to himself that he’s just gonna let Choi Han, Lock, and Rosalyn deal with the terror incident, only to make a whole plan to stop the attack. He’s so good at scamming people he even scams himself. That’s beautiful.

And then he makes it a secret between just them. He’s essentially telling Choi Han he trusts him with this more than anyone else. No wonder he can never get rid of Choi Han after this. And the best part is he doesn’t even realise he’s doing it, he doesn’t know the impact it has on Choi Han.

Also Choi Han is just kinda precious in a way I can’t explain. Like he seems like he needs a hug, but specifically a hug from Cale and his kids and Rosalyn and Lock. Tbf the entire Calefam kinda needs a hug.

Also for some reason I just got the image of early days!Hans hearing from Deruth he has to give Cale more money and just cursing in his head the entire time he goes because what is he even doing with all this money? He’s not spending it all on alcohol, he’s not drunk enough for that? He hasn’t been back to Billos’ shop and then remembering hearing from someone that Beacrox saw him buying a fuckton of bread and medicinal herbs and going into the slums and being like did he really spaen that much money on bread? How much bread did he buy to be spending that much money? Also why does Deruth give him his allowance in gold coins and cheques exclusively? No wonder he doesn’t wait for change and just says keep it, that would be a bitch to figure out for everyone involved. Also I’ll be honest I don’t get how cheques work in general but, like, he goes to three different bakeries for bread, and I know he paid for that with coins, was that first gold coin for the rest of the week? It was, right? Because otherwise my question was gonna be how does using a cheque at 3 different places work but the answer to that is it doesn’t, right?

God I love Ron just tormenting Cale with lemon things. And then he gets Beacrox and I believe later recruits Hans to help keep it going even when he’s not there? Or maybe Choi Han? I can’t remember who but I know he told someone to do it while he was looking for information on Arm. Maybe one of the kids? That would explain why he didn’t just say he doesn’t like lemon things. I don’t know. I’ll revisit this when I rearead that bit and remember who it was. Ron’s already admitted he knows something’s up. I feel like this is an attempt to figure out why he’s changed at first and then it just becomes their thing.

Also his plan to foist everyone off on Choi Han has already failed because Choi Han already knows he’s not leaving Cale, not if he can help it. So, sucks for Cale but, sorry, you’re already stuck with the troublesome people. But in all seriousness that’s probably for the best because they all need each other.

I’ve finally finished this chapter. I’ll be back with my thoughts with my thoughts during chapter 11, if I have any.

[nexysworld]

I loved music to my ears so much, and I had an request for the second one if you’re interested. Just the thought of her rocking up to save Freyr with Heimdall is hilarious, everyone is wide eyed like “what did I miss??” She’s just walking around like it’s normal with her visions guard dog trailing behind her.

So sorry for the delay on this! I love this idea! <3 Don't know if this is exactly what you had in mind but here we go! For those who are new this is a continuation to my Oneshot with Heimdall x Fem!Reader which can be found here. (PS sorry for any mistakes I cranked this out in one sitting directly in Tumblr instead of using docs. )

Read on AO3 🖤 Requests are Open 🖤 Fic/Request Master List

Gulltoppr trotted along at an even pace, shifting you from side to side as he moved forward through the humid environment of Vanaheim. You heard an audible sigh from Heimdall behind you. "Annoying pests." He sneered before hopping off the massive beast. You turned to look at him with a confused brow raised, there'd been no one for a while now despite the sound of fighting in the distance. Heimdall smacked Gulltoppr's back leg sending the beast running, nearly throwing you off, you had to hold on extra tight to the front of the saddle to keep your bearings. "Heimdall!" You dared to only look back once as a group of enemies surrounded him seemingly out of nowhere. Heimdall was strong, no one had ever been able to touch him in battle before, that still didn't stop the bubble of nervousness forming in your core as he began to disappear with the distance. All you could do now was focus on the direction ahead of you, after Gulltoppr's panic eased, you were able to grab the reins and slow him down a bit. While you'd never commanded such a beast before you assumed it at least had to be a bit similar to riding a horse, luckily for you, you were right. The sound of fighting became louder and louder almost rumbling in your ears, you knew you were going the right way. Quickly the scenery changed from the muddy footpaths to a large stone building, you tossed the reins speeding the beast up desperate to get closer to your allies,. Soon you saw the outline of Atreus, nearly running him down with the horned lion, you quickly yanked the reins causing the poor beast had to nearly skid to a stop. Freya and Kratos were close by tending to a wounded looking Freyr. All four of them turned to look over, hearing the noise. It was something straight out of a comedy really. Freya, Freyr, and Atreus were all slack jawed at your appearance. Kratos stood with his usual straight face, but even you thought you saw a twinge of something else there. "That's Gulltoppr." Atreus said it as though it was an unknown fact to you. He circled the beast confused. "But . . . I don't see Heimdall?" Freya and Kratos looked at each other then back to you. They weren't speaking but their thoughts were clear. They were in disbelief, Heimdall trusted his steed to no one, which could only mean that he was defeated in battle, though it was unthinkable that you of all people could have done so. Kratos may not have known Heimdall personally, but he knew the stories. Even Freyr managed to get a solid 'what the fuck' look out towards you. At this moment you were regretting not having told your friends about your relationship with the Golden God. Too little too late for that now. "Hey I know what you're all thinking. But that's not the case." You put your hands up defensively and let out a dry laugh. "Look I can explain, I swear, but there's not really any time for stories right now. Suffice it to say that Heimdall and I are . . . close."

The confused look on their faces didn't change. "Heimdall isn't capable of being close to anyone that isn't his Daddy, Lass." Mimir chimed in. 

You heard a familiar voice behind  you. "Tch, shows what you know you old goat. Sunshine, you never told them about me? I am truly wounded, are you ashamed of me? Ashamed of our lovemaking?"

You would have been relieved to know he was alive and okay, but all you felt was embarrassment as heat rushed to your face. Freyr let out a chortled laugh mixed with pain. "No fucking way!"

Heimdall leaned against Gulltoppr's side looking over at the crew.  "Let's see, useless little half breed. Check. Queen Mistletoe. Check. Sizzles. Check. Traitorous old goat? Check. Oh and the empty headed brute must be the half breed's father. Great."

Atreus couldn't help but let out a small laugh, sure Heimdall was an asshole, but he could be funny. Kratos shot the boy a look and Atreus did his best to straighten his face to a neutral look again. 

"This is seriously all you have to try and take down the All-Father? Pathetic, truly pathetic Frigg." He shook his head before looking up at you. "You owe me big time for this Sunshine, you know that."  

"I'll owe you for a lifetime." You said softly looking down at him. 

Kratos called what could only be considered a team huddle with Atreus, Freya, Freyr, and Mimir. 

"How do we know we can trust him? How do we know we can even trust her, she never told us of her affiliation with Heimdall." Freya asked. 

"I'm just shocked Heimdall can get laid. Do you think he pulls the stick out of his ass each time or leaves it in?" Freyr joked. Mimir and Atreus laughed, the remaining two not so amused.  

"In all seriousness, Heimdall is Odin's lapdog, he'd never betray the All-Father--" Mimir was cutoff by the sound of Heimdall's voice. 

"You know I can hear you right, I can even hear your thoughts before you say them. And by the GODS your lot is quite honestly the most predictable boring set of people I have ever had the displeasure of listening to." Heimdall added from afar before walking over to them. 

"For your information, I am not his 'lap dog.' I aim to protect Asgard, and as I see things right now if I allow the prophecy of Ragnarok to come true as is written, Asgard will fall with Odin. I will not allow that, it is my job to protect my realm and my people. In addition, no harm comes to my Sunshine, the next person who even thinks of launching an arrow at her or accuses her of being a traitor, ahem Frigg, I'll gut you like a fish and hang your body outside Himinbjorg as a trophy."

Heimdall turned and looked into the open night distracted by something before he side stepped a fire-arrow. "Slow down." He said grabbing Freyr up off the ground and walked back over, slinging him up over Gulltoppr and tied him to the saddle. Time turned back to normal. 

"I swear by the Norns if you hurt him." Freya threatened. Kratos put a hand on her shoulder to prevent her from moving. 

"No time to argue now Frigg, unless all of you want to die." Heimdall hopped into his usual spot on the saddle behind you taking the reins. "Hold on tight Sunshine." He kicked Gulltoppr into gear and took off into the night.  Freyr bounced on the back of Gulltoppr and groaned each time his injured leg pulsed with pain. Heimdall never allowed to beast to slow down as they weaved in and out of enemies, jumped over logs and rocks, and barreled through the woods. 

He finally stopped at the bank of the water, giving the rest of the group time to catch up. It was clear they were out of breath and enemies were in toe. Freyr wriggled a bit before grabbing the little paper boat he had attached to his hip, throwing it into the water. 

You were astounded at how it grew into size. "Neat little trick Sizzles." The second the crew managed to flop themselves into the boat, Heimdall took off again. Following the boat as it flew through the water, you had expected Heimdall to stop once you saw that the mountain tapered off into a waterfall. Your stomach dropped when Gulltoppr leapt off the ground, when there was no feeling of falling you opened one eye, and then the other. You were in the air, the boat flying next to you. “Gulltoppr can fly?” “Of course he can.” Heimdall said with a scoff, like it was something you should’ve expected already. 

Once the closest gate came into view, the group passed through it quickly, walking by the world tree and out the other end to the opening of Sindri’s home. Freyr was quickly brought inside so Freya could heal him. Heimdall helped you off of Gulltoppr and titled your chin up to look at him. “They ARE idiots.” He said firmly. You couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. He leaned down to kiss you, and you wrapped your arms around him, happy to be on safe solid ground again. Meanwhile you had an audience of people staring out of the windows watching you. “It’s like watching a buildin’ on fire. Horrible to see but you just can’t look away.” Brok said.

 “Is that really Heimdall?” Tyr asked crouching to see through the window. “Fuckin’ weird, right?” Added Freyr.

“I. Can. Hear. You.” Heimdall said, whipping around to glare at them. You rubbed your temple feeling an oncoming headache. You hoped Ragnarok would come soon, you had sorely underestimated how…dysfunctional this alliance might be. But at least he was here with you now, and that’s all you needed.

[accirax]

Disventure Camp All Stars Power Ranking (Round 13)

After last week's results, I feel like I could finally be getting into the rhythm of these post merge episodes. However, I'm not sure if this episode's elimination will wind up being something my rankings like...

In case you haven't seen my previous power rankings ( 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 ), the Power Ranking Format is essentially a way of ranking how well each player is doing in the game. So, in essence, this is a long form way of predicting who I think will be eliminated from the competition in the next episode. There will be spoilers for last week's episode (obviously) and its power ranking, so make sure to read that first if you don't want to be spoiled on how I ranked our last boot. If you want more clarification on the rules, that first post will help you out as well. Furthermore, I'm going to be spoiling the preview for next episode, so if you want to go in TOTALLY blind, save this for later. Let's go!

Recap - Yul's Elimination

Current Score: 58 acquired/82 total

(Points versus @venus-is-thinking: 9 acquired/9 total)

I FINALLY DID IT!!! I FINALLY GOT A PERFECT ELIMINATION SCORE!!!! It's about damn time. I was so right to not gaslight myself into thinking that Yul wasn't about to be eliminated anymore.

I think that Yul had essentially worn out his welcome in this season. He worked really well at the beginning, in definite part to being part of the plotline with Emily which pushed extra bullying onto him. But, once that ended, he wound up in a neutral/power position again, which made him way less likeable. Grett was obviously going to get her revenge on Yul at some point during the season, and while I initially thought it might be via sabotaging him in the finale, I think it was a good choice to get him out sooner rather than later. Not to mention, having the villains overpower the heroes three times in a row might have been stale in the short term.

Trailer Analysis

Oh, is that Riya/Ally thing actually going to be relevant? I thought I was overstating things again. I guess now that Riya has been... sort of? separated from her number one, she might need to look into other alliance options to get her further. Ally doesn't have anyone else, and Riya already laid the seeds for a teamup with her, so it makes sense!

Alec and Connor are on speaking terms again (for now). And fishing terms.

This is probably either Aiden struggling to keep the secret of Alec and Riya's kiss in, or him regretting telling it to everyone after he does.

Grett and Gabby are continuing to hang out, and hopefully getting along.

Alec is losing it. I wonder if he sees the burgeoning alliance between Riya and Ally, and is trying to stop it.

Oh, I see! The challenge will be about retrieving a flag from a hidden location behind super dangerous obstacles like sharks and bears!

Yeah, and they have phones that can GPS lead them to the flag, and maybe provide some puzzles along the way!

... Or it's a TikTok challenge? I guess? Seems like the challenge might be more about doing viral dances in dangerous locations, although I have no idea what the flag means in that case. Maybe you can only get the flag once you do all the dances? Or, could it be an immunity totem?

I would imagine that Aiden would have somewhat of an advantage here, given his TikToker boyfriend. Grett also knows a lot about social media, but I don't get the sense that she does many challenges like this. Yul would've known...

Relevantly, this seems like a team challenge, which will probably grant double immunity. Pairs who appear together frequently in the trailer seem to be Alec and Connor, Grett and Gabby, Jake and Ally, and Riya and Aiden. If Riya and Aiden are together, then the pairs are definitely staff-assigned.

"... The things we do for money."

Nothing too serious here, as I imagine this is just about Alec being embarrassed to do viral dances. It did get a laugh out of me, though.

Power Ranking

#1: Ally

From what it looks like, Ally has wound up in a really nice position in the game. (Such is the way of the gamer girl.) She has a working relationship with all of the heroes, and after last episode, might be considered Connor's number one. I suspect that this episode will bring Ally and Jake closer together as opposed to further apart. And, it looks like Riya might be trying to hit her up as well. I don't see any particular reasons why Grett, Gabby, or even Alec would be particularly interested in getting her out.

So... truly, which people would be the ones to want to cast their votes on Ally? Or, even further, who's the one pitching her name in the first place? Pair this with the fact that she's still the only female hero (although that status is more dubious given Grett and Gabby's recent actions) and I would be pretty surprised if Ally went home this episode. It's true that she doesn't really have any plot lines going on right now, but I find it more likely that she's about to be swept up into a new one than that they've left her alone for this long just stalling out before randomly pulling together an elimination.

#2: Grett

and

#3: Gabby

I truly did not know which one of these two to place first, because I find it pretty unlikely that either of them will be eliminated, for a couple of reasons. First of all, they could totally win dual immunity here. Like I said earlier, Grett does have extensive experience with social media, and, just on the surface, Grett and Gabby are the only pair that don't currently have some level of beef with each other. If the moral of the episode is "people who are actually friends work better together," then I could totally see Grett and Gabby winning by virtue of actually being a functional pair.

Secondly-- and this is ultimately the reason why I placed Grett slightly above Gabby-- I don't think they would want to eliminate Grett or Gabby immediately after they eliminated Yul. I felt the same about Jake and Aiden last episode following the Tom boot. I think the writers will want Grett and Gabby to have at least one episode of peace post-Yul before either of them are eliminated. I believe it more strongly for Grett, just because I think it would be awkward for Grett to finally triumph over Yul and then be tossed straight into the Loser's Motel with him again just one episode later. But, in either case, they need some room to breathe.

From a gameplay perspective, they're also in somewhat of a swing position together. To the extent that the heroes versus villains rivalry is still a thing (which, granted, I think that phase will be fading out), Alec and Riya will want to win them back, while the heroes would want to solidly win them over. In either case, no one wants them out.

And, finally, back to meta stuff, I think either of them could be plausible and deserving finalists. I'm sure there are plenty of reasons to justify either of them going home, but I find the reasons to keep them here more compelling.

#4: Connor

Well. Connor goes here because he is still, hypothetically, the villains' number one target. So, in the theoretical case that this vote is still a plain and simple heroes versus villains vote-- I guess one that ends in a tiebreaker?-- Connor could at least be eligible for elimination, assuming he loses the challenge. The villains could also try to entice... I don't know, Aiden over to their side? Yeah, I don't find this argument particularly strong either. Unlike Connor's superpower.

Another big reason why I don't think Connor will be eliminated yet is what I said before: that the narrative will want him to triumph over Riya this time after losing twice before. Or, at the very least, they'd want him to go out in a more dramatic fashion than "I guess Grett and Gabby are totally working with the villains again, along with random person C."

He also still hasn't done anything that critical since returning to the game, in the sense that he hasn't done anything particularly Connor-centric. He did definitely unite the heroes in the Tom boot episode, but Ashley, Lake, James, or even Hunter probably could have done the same. Why bring back Connor specifically? Well, to expand upon his relationships with Riya and Alec. He's definitely going to interact with Alec this episode, but talking with Riya seems like it may not yet be in the cards. For those reasons, I think Connor will survive this episode... even if his ass is NOT winning this challenge.

#5: Jake

RIP Jake, I think this is the lowest I've put him in a while. Although, I still don't have him that close to the bottom, obviously. He's still my current winner pick of the season.

Actually, let me take a quick moment to diverge and share a theory I've been cooking on, as inspired by Venus putting some full-game theories at the end of her last rankings. I think that, to commemorate this large-cast series of All Stars, the finale will have each finalist choose not one, but two assistants. Assuming Jake is there, I think he'll pick Ashley first, and be convinced to take Tom second (given how established it is that Miriam has had medical issues). And, assuming Jake wins, I think he'll split the shiny new prize of three million dollars between the three people on the winning team. After all, the show has already made a point to tell us that Ashley will use the money to rebuild her farm, and that Tom will fund schools in his neighborhood. If either of those virtuous causes went unfunded, it'd be pretty sad.

Anyways, that's the main endgame I'm imagining now, but I obviously don't want to be such a slave to it that I fully disregard the possibility that Jake could be eliminated prior to the finale. It is definitely possible he could be nearing the end of his run soon. He's come a long way in his character journey, so if he got eliminated now, we could be satisfied that he truly grew from this experience.

However, I don't really know who would be voting for him. The villains don't have the power to just executively eliminate whoever they want anymore, so they would have to crowdfund additional votes to (presumably) get up to a dominant five. I think the most plausible scenario is Alec/Riya/Gabby/Grett/Ally votes for Jake, in the case that Ally and Jake grow to hate each other even more over the course of this challenge.

Overall, though, I don't really see why the folks in-game would want to eliminate Jake instead of Aiden. Riya still hates Aiden way more, and that'll probably only increase if Aiden shares the secret of Alec and Riya's kiss. I'll elaborate more on my thoughts on that in Aiden's section, though, so just know that that logic partially contributes to Jake winding up at #5.

#6: Riya

Despite putting Riya this low on the list, I think she'd have to fuck up pretty badly over the course of this episode to be the one getting the axe. She does potentially have negative momentum going for her, though, with the truth bomb that Aiden's about to drop. If that causes Connor to truly, fully lose faith in Riya, it could lead him to strongly push getting Riya out now.

The problem is, I don't know who the fifth is. Possibly Alec, if he were trying to escape his shame, but that seems kinda counterintuitive if he likes her and likes spending time with her. Grett probably has an overall favorable view of Riya, given how she helped her with the Yul situation. I guess the fifth would be Gabby, then-- maybe if Riya goes on to insult Gabby and/or Grett and/or Ellie (somehow?), Gabby would feel okay turning on her? Seems a tad random, though.

A big part of the reason why I put Riya this low is because, as I said in Connor's part, I'm expecting Riya to be eliminated before Connor, so I kinda feel obligated to put her below him. But things are happening with Riya this episode, which could plausibly lead to her elimination. I get the sense that she'll be sticking around for a bit longer yet, but we'll see. Maybe she'll be victimized by a kiss of death.

#7: Aiden

For all those who read my initial thoughts on last episode, you know how confused I was by how revealing the secret of Alec and Riya's kiss was meant to benefit Aiden in any way beyond "get revenge on Riya by blowing up her relationships." It really seems like it could backfire, and, backfire it may.

I could see it as sort of a cautionary tale. While Riya robbing Rosa and sharing James' private messages didn't directly get Riya eliminated, it did make her worse, and ruined the end of the game for her. If Aiden starts exhibiting similar behavior-- being cruel to others on a personal level to "help his game" by really stirring up drama-- I could see it (and an elimination along with it) being a wake-up call and moment of growth for him.

Granted, it's not a moment of growth that's been particularly foreshadowed throughout the season. We saw how strongly the writers chose to demonstrate Disventure Camp worsening Ellie before that was the reason why she was eliminated. If Aiden was eliminated for similar reasons, especially after starting on the same tribe as Ellie, I would imagine that would have been more strongly highlighted.

I also don't really know who the fifth vote would be, again. I could see all the (former?) villains being on board if they want to protect Riya, but... would Connor really be so mad as to fully flip on Aiden? Jake and Aiden seem to be friends now, so I don't think it'd be him. I guess that leaves Ally, if she felt more aligned to Riya now than she does to Aiden? Props to Riya's acting skills if true.

It definitely feels like Aiden's story will be coming to an end soon, but I'm not sure if the cards are in place just yet. Still, I wouldn't be too surprised if this is Aiden's last dance.

#8: Alec

Okay, this time I think it might finally be Alec's time to go. As you can probably tell, I've been operating under the assumption that we won't be heading into a tiebreaker again, and therefore have been trying to figure out how various people would be able to manage receiving five votes this episode. This is not a problem for Alec, because I can genuinely imagine everyone voting for him.

Jake, Aiden, and Ally would certainly jump at the chance to get out a villain, especially their crafty leader who's won a bazillion immunities. Connor would have that rationale as well, even furthered by the fact that Alec has betrayed him twice now (voting him out and kissing his "it's complicated"). It'd be pretty easy to see how Alec is dragging Riya's game down now with his awkward behavior, and given how quick she was to cut Connor for that conduct before, I'm sure she could be ruthless again. As for Grett and Gabby... well.

Here's another theory of mine: with the potential death of the heroes vs villains alliances, I think we're about to see the dawn of the classic women's alliance. Riya already approached Ally over the fact that they were both women who needed to look out for each other. She also inspired Grett to break up with Yul by telling her that she was a strong, independent woman. I think a secret women's alliance could start as early as this episode, and once Jake, Aiden, and Connor have been lulled into voting out their fourth man, it'll already be too late, and the women will have the majority. If this is the case, don't be surprised to see Aiden at the bottom of my next power ranking.

(By the way, I do have issues with the concept of a "women's alliance" in shows like Survivor, because it's unfair how people are always worried about the idea of a women's alliance when no one would call what would be a "men's alliance" by that name. However, the "women's alliance" is a classic trope in Survivor, so I could totally see them wanting to bring that in for DCAS.)

Alec was at his peak, and it seems like he may now be set up to fall. He no longer has numbers nor power. He doesn't even have his backstory to share anymore! All he has is his personal skills and challenge prowess to save him... but god knows Alec and Connor are not winning the fucking TikTok challenge. If this is your final episode, Alec, know it was a pleasure.

And, that's it! Who would have thought that I'd name drop Ellie twice in this power ranking...? Despite the uncertain state of the game, I feel fairly confident about my women's alliance idea. Then again, I've felt that way about other stuff before, and been totally wrong. Should I really have such confidence that I'll get a perfect score for two weeks in a row?

I can't believe that the next episode is only three days away. See you then!

[dontforgetoctober3rd]

He Is

(A timeskip Bridgerton/HOTDish fanfic)

Pairing: Aemond Targaryen X Philomena Finch (faceclaim for Philomena will be the amazing Taylor Richardson, who plays Bridget in The Gilded Age!)

Word Count: 2800ish

Cheesiness: Off the charts, cheesier than the state of Wisconsin

Summary: Just as her mother Philippa predicted: Philomena Finch is a writer.

But Philomena is disappointed that none of the men in real life live up to the fictional ones she reads and writes about. None of them until Aemond Targaryen, that is.

Author's Note: This fic is a somewhat convoluted, three-way crossover (kinda???) because it obviously has elements of the Bridgerton universe but also the HOTD/GOT universe, with mentions of the Skyrim video game lore! Basically, Philomena writes what we know in this world as Skyrim but in a book form and Aemond is the author of what we know as Game of Thrones in this fic. Get it? Alrighty. Also, yes, the fic title is yet another Ghost song big whoop I love them ok?!

Dividers: @cafekitsune

GIF Credits: In the gifs themselves, I used the gif search function

The first time Philomena Finch knew she didn’t fit in with The Ton of London high society was in boarding school at age 12, when the teacher asked each girl to come to the front of the class and share what their goals in life were.

“I want to start a charity for orphans,” came one of the replies.

“My goal is to throw the most glamorous balls anyone has ever seen!” another girl said.

“I will tutor respectable young ladies on how to speak French,” yet another said.

On and on the answers came, but they all had one thing in common: before telling what their goals were, they all prefaced their statements with “After I marry-”

Philomena knew she wasn’t going to marry then and she knew it still now, at age 19.  It's not that she didn’t want a husband, she just had always known that the type of man she desired to be with was not to be found outside the books she read or little stories she would write. The kind of husband she wanted had to be amazing and handsome and approve without question whatever she wanted to do in life.  The years had taught her she would not find him in the real world and she accepted as her fate that she was to remain unwed, as if it were a commonly given fact like any other.  Her parents’ and aunts’ marriages were simply lovely anomalies in the humdrum, rigid world of the english Ton.  The way of things would not change.

The sky was blue, grass was green, taxes were to be paid and Philomena Finch was destined to die alone.

That being the case, she preferred to fully throw herself into writing, which her parents wholeheartedly supported. 

 “The world is changing!” her father had informed her, contrary to what she herself believed. “Women hardly have a need for husbands like they did before and besides, how else could we survive the monotony of life without stories to read?.” 

Her mother agreed as well and for that Philomena was so grateful, as her own grandmother constantly moaned about having a spinster in the family and her well-meaning Aunt Prudence put the famous Violet Bridgerton to shame with the amount of gentlemen she sent her way at balls. 

It was relentless, so the minute Philomena would get home and dress for bed,  she went straight to her writing desk instead to create worlds she could escape to. Every time she sat to write she thanked her lucky stars that she had a mother and father who bought her all the quills, ink and paper she wanted.

 In fact, she was working on a story she hoped to publish soon but it was rather gruesome…and violent. Recent inspiration had hit her about two years ago after the country of Valyria had ceased its war with England and everyone had seen the new, foreign aristocracy trickling into London to break bread with new allies.  

Before the war, stories had floated around of beautiful white-haired men and women, but to see them in person?  Everyone in society clamored to be near them, to win their favor and possibly their love in some cases.  Philomena thought they were otherworldly. It was as if there existed a version of the Bridgertons that was fifty times as popular and a hundred times as good-looking.  Being near them felt practically magical. 

Certainly too magical for an ordinary, plain English girl like herself.  She knew this because only last season the one time Aunt Prudence had managed to snag a Valyrian Lord at a ball to bring to her, practically elbowing away other girls from him (a Daemon Targaryen, she remembered) the conversation had remained one sided.

  Lord Targaryen seemed incredibly disinterested and practically fled as he excused himself after hardly saying more than ten words the entire time.  “I must find my brother, pardon me.” Daemon had told her as he walked away. 

  The only type of men in reality that seemed to interest her…had zero interest in return. 

So Philomena dealt with her increasing feelings of inadequacy with writing, as always, and got to work.  A world of dragons and magic, of elves and warriors. Not at all what a typical lady would read, let alone write! 

The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, she called it and she finally had about two thirds of the story written to show her parents before the new season got going. She had anticipated horror from them both, but they had been utterly enthralled by the story and wanted to know more. 

“Oh, please tell me Ulfric Stormcloak wins!! I need to know!” her father had begged.

Her mother was of a different opinion. “I do hope he gets executed by the Dragonborn! Preferably while Elisif The Fair watches! It's what he deserves after killing her husband! Hmph!”

Aunt Prudence was a fan of the character Maven Blackbriar, and positively preened when Philomena told her she had based the character off of her. “I do have a knack for finances and running my family well,” she had said with a smile at tea one day.

“Like no other, my love.” Uncle Harry was quick to put in. 

The most help had come from, surprisingly, her uptight grandmother Portia. She had dropped by for luncheon one day and insisted on seeing this story her daughters had been ‘blathering about’.

“I do wish you would concentrate on finding a husband instead of that scribbling…,” she had began, after receiving the hefty manuscript from Philomena in the parlor and having read through it for a few minutes. “-but if you must insist on continuing with it, then you might see about getting some assistance in trying to publish from your uncle Colin and Aunt Penelope, after their return from Germany.  No doubt they’ll go straight to the Viscount Bridgerton, who will then reach out to his contacts and ensure you have a chance at this little story of yours getting printed into an actual book. Maybe.”

Philomena was ecstatic.  Writing was her greatest passion, it was what brought her the most joy, and now there was a chance that hundreds (possibly thousands!) of people would read her work and feel that same joy. Who needed a husband?

The latest season started as the last few had: everyone shamelessly fighting to get a hold of a Valyrian lord or lady.  Or one of their lesser family members, but the objective remained the same for the Ton, which was to align themselves with a wealthy Valyrian family.

Philomena mostly avoided the season these days, as she was busy trying to publish her novel (which had turned into a several novel series, as her publisher had suggested because the story was so long).

A few weeks in, all of London high society received quite a shock: Daemon Targaryen had brought his nephew Aemond.  He was badly scarred on one side of his face, a patch covering the missing eye.  Rumor had it the Targaryens were  so rich, a sapphire was put in.  

What would have spelled doom for the prospects of a normal Englishman, however,  did nothing to cause Aemond to be seen as lesser by the Ton.  The loss of an eye didn’t deter daughters and their mamas in the least.  Aemond Targaryen was rich, beautiful and available.  

All were determined to secure the position of being his wife but that determination was soon snuffed out. 

 To the dismay of every marriage-minded mama, Daemon proclaimed to the queen herself that Aemond had already selected his future wife when she asked why he had brought his nephew along this time.  The surprises didn’t stop there, for soon after Prudence Dankworth and her husband arrived, Daemon and Aemond were witnessed by all approaching them and engaging in what seemed like a long and animated conversation. 

Lady Danbury gleefully suggested to Lady Kate Bridgerton that the gossip rags would soon be printing headlines about a very lucky match indeed, for no Valyrian had yet married anyone of English descent. 

Philomena could hardly believe it.  Aemond Targaryen was sitting across from her in the Finch  family parlor.

She had been in her father’s office minutes ago (which he had generously surrendered to her for the duration of however long it took to get Skyrim published) when she had heard a huge commotion near their front door and someone rapidly running (stomping, more like) to the office.

It had been Aunt Prudence, out of breath and slightly disheveled.  The maids didn’t even bother to try to announce her as they caught up and turned to leave just as quick. “Wash that ink off your hands and let down that bloody hair!” Aunt Prudence hissed. “And put on your best dress.  You are to have a special caller today!”

"In the evening?!" Philomena had said in disbelief. "The sun is about to set! I have candles already lit, for goodness' sake. Who calls at this hour?!"

"NEVER YOU MIND!" Prudence had all but shrieked. "Ready yourself!"

So Philomena had.  She was not really expecting anything to come of this visit but no sooner had she sat at the couch adjusting her hair than the maids were announcing the arrival of one Aemond Targaryen.  

Now here they both were.  Philomena’s parents were out but Aunt Prudence remained to chaperone. She tucked herself as far away as possible near a window with a large lamp lit nearby, pretending to read so as to try to give them some privacy.

  Courteous introductions were made, stiff small talk attempted.  Aunt Prudence made a show of loudly flipping pages to fill the silence, so that the young couple might feel like they were being thoroughly ignored and perhaps open up to each other more.

Philomena did not know what she was supposed to do.  

She felt clumsy and ugly next to Aemond, whose hair seemed to sparkle in the candlelight and whose face looked like it was carved by the most expert of artisans.  His magnificently sculpted jaw tempted her so, she struggled to keep her eyes from simply staring at it the entire time.  

Her own hair was slightly frizzy from having been rapidly combed, wisps of it escaping in front of her ears. It was a rusty, orange color.  Not the beautiful, brilliant red that her mother had.  Certainly nowhere near the gorgeous silver of Aemond’s hair.  How she longed to touch it! To smell it! God must be mocking her, because she had also heard he was an avid writer. Simply put, he was perfect for her.  Too perfect.

Desperate to take her mind off of gawking at him so that he wouldn’t think her a lunatic, she hurriedly offered him some biscuits, which he politely refused. 

“The last thing I wish to be is overzealous, but,” Aemond began. “My uncle has told me about you.  His contacts in publishing say that you are working on…quite a story.”

Philomena frantically looked to her Aunt, who quickly mimed what looked like…writing on paper? 

Show him your book!  What you have been working on! Show him Skyrim!

The scene in the parlor was quite comical.  

Aemond could clearly see Prudence Dankworth furiously miming to her niece and yet she continued with it as though he wasn’t present.  It almost made him laugh but he did not wish to ruin his chances.

Philomena Finch was not everything his uncle had said.  She was so much more.

She had the most alluring, fire-colored hair.  Her face was the perfect shape, with full cheeks and deep brown eyes.  Keeping his one functioning eye on her face was a monumental task, as he longed to slowly drag it over her seductive body. 

Best of all…he had clearly just caught her as she was working on her writing.  Aemond could still see a few spots of ink she hadn’t managed to wash off.  

Aemond let himself think for a moment, gazing at Philomena as she “communicated” with her aunt.  

Writing was his passion.  It soothed him and gave him strength, especially when he had lost his eye.  It was everything to him.  To find a woman who shared his dreams…it was too good to pass up. 

“With writing, you can create anything from nothing, like a god.” his Uncle Daemon had told him once, when he had spiraled into doubting himself again.  “It is your gift, nephew.  Don’t throw it away.  For anyone.  If your future wife truly loves you, she will love all of you.  Do not stop your writing.” 

So Aemond hadn’t.  

He had cultivated it and was on the cusp of publishing his first work, A Game of Thrones. A great deal of people had been disgusted with it…but an equal number had loved it, likening it to a Shakespearean work. His uncle had friends who worked in the book writing world and he told him there was a somewhat similarly violent story in England, also with dragons, about to be published.  It was written by a lady. 

Aemond had begged for a copy of at least a few chapters to read it.  Obtaining it wasn’t difficult for him, being already an author about to release his own book.  

He loved everything about the story. 

Everything the characters felt, he felt.  Really, the similarities stopped at the dragons.  

He longed to walk in the world of Skyrim. To see the babbling brooks of Whiterun.  To wander through caves, fighting his way against hordes of Falmer. Everytime he reread his copy of Philomena’s beginning chapters, he lost track of time.

To have created such a universe…if she could only feel a fraction of that passion for him, as a husband, he would be the happiest man alive.  He knew it. 

His heart was already hers.  It was just a matter of letting her know it. 

“Marry me.” Aemond said, coming out of his thoughts.  Zero hesitation.  Matter of factly. 

Philomena felt like her heart was sliding into her throat as her head snapped to look at him.  Aunt Prudence audibly gasped. 

“Marry me.” Aemond repeated. “We belong together.”

He would be miserable married to her, she just knew it.  If they married, she knew she would love him…how she could possibly love a man that wouldn’t love her back she didn’t know but that was what she felt.  

He would grow to eventually hate her and still she would love him, like a fool. He would try to change her and when she refused, loving him the entire time,  he would hate her.  And it would break her heart.  So that was not going to happen.  It could not happen, because she would not let it. “I don’t know you!” Philomena cried.

“We will get to know each other over the years.” Aemond said, taking her hand. She did not remove it but continued to protest.

“I detest going to balls.” 

“I do as well. I prefer to write.”

“My aunts are a lot to deal with.”

“As is my uncle Daemon.”

“My family is nowhere near as wealthy as yours.”

“No matter.  I stand to inherit more than enough money for the both of us.”

“Well, I often argue.  It’s not my intention but it happens a great deal.” Philomena persisted.

“Husbands and wives will argue.  It's the way of things.” he shrugged, still holding onto her hand.

“I often write very depraved scenes.  I have a few more horrid bits to add to Skyrim.” 

“Did you know incest is featured prominently as a storyline in my own book?”

Undeterred, Philomena barreled on, Aunt Prudence watching in shock from her corner.

“I do not want to have children right away.”

“We have various useful contraceptive methods I can get for you.”

“I often get up at night to write.”

“One cannot control when the muse calls upon you. It’s good to work when you get the inspiration for it.”

“I want to travel.”

“I want the same.  We can go wherever you like first.”

“If any of your family were to insult me, I will not just take it.”

“Understandable.  I love them with all my heart but family can be quite insufferable at times.”

Out of options, Philomena didn't care how pathetic she sounded when she said it but it had to be said. “I am not…as beautiful as you.”

“I do not know what to say to ...that.” Aemond said, rubbing her hand gently.  “Other than youre wrong.  So very wrong.”

Philomena was silent. For once, she did not have words, either on paper or to speak.  What Aemond asked next felt like a dream. Prudence had long since dropped all pretense of reading her book and was watching, jaw dropped.

“May I touch your hair?” he asked.

“I- we are not even betrothed!”

“Aren’t we?”

“Yes…? I suppose...?” she whispered, her own eyes boring into his one.

“Excellent! I’ve been dying to to touch your hair since my uncle told me the color. No one has such a color in Valyria.”

“Very well.” Philomena said with a smile.  “I am right, though.”

Aemond looked puzzled. “Right about what?”

“You are more beautiful than me!” 

He fiddled with her hair, blushing.  “Lies.”

“I would not lie to you!” 

“Arguing with me already?

Prudence Dankworth could contain herself no longer. 

Loudly declaring her congratulations, she ran to hug her niece while Aemond Targaryen finally burst out laughing.

[meekmedea]

brain rot - dis aliter visum au rambles

ugh I have so many random thoughts about this AU that my mind feels like it will explode if I don't type it out.

so this au I had where Clemensia manages to mentor Reaper (successfully)

Reaper knew full well what he was doing during that interview when he 'confessed' his love for his mentor

it's even more scandalous now that he's survived and they have to stick to the story - but mentor and tribute duo manage to make it work

Read the AU here on AO3

SPOILERS below (these are things I mostly imagined happening in this AU - some are more background things)

CLEMENSIA & REAPER

it took them a while to be close - it was like begrudging allies (on Reaper's part) to wariness, then neutral feelings - then hmm maybe we are somewhat friends - to friends - to whatever this relationship we have with each other is

they are close enough that he tells her of District 11, of his and her political leanings (they were young and drunk)

in a way, Clemensia is trapped in the Capitol, he has freedoms that she cannot (travelling between district 11 and the Capitol)- he is her only window out. Clemensia never tells him that, of course. But she also misses him a lot when he's away.

Reaper never tells her that because of his flag stunt - his family was killed. He figures out pretty quickly that she has no idea of it either.

He's very lucky that the 10th games weren't that well advertised in the districts. Because otherwise, people might have mixed feelings about him - whether that be seeing him as a suck-up to the Capitol or just doing what he did to survive. Especially with how Clemensia and him have tied their fates together so publicly with the whole 'knight/lady' role they've played up.

while he was in the Capitol, he attended many events with Clemensia - mainly because she is part of the elite, and also he will only attend if she goes with him.

but even at these events, he is pretty closed off. Uninterested for the most part to talking to just about anyone else. If anything, she gains a menacing/brooding bodyguard who just glares at anyone who just as much speaks a word that rubs him wrong about Clemensia.

There's a reason why people thought Clemensia and Reaper were lovers - and that was one of them. Their game plan when he'd been a tribute also contributes to things too.

TBH I considered making their constant appearances together is where the idea of having a Capitol escort to keep the victor in line/show them around coming from

the years where they were apart because of his 'betrayal' was hard on both of them. Clemensia refused to speak of Reaper to anyone. Reaper, on the other hand, had nobody he could speak to about her. It doesn't help that in the early years after his betrayal Clemensia remains one of the 'elite' and known as part of President Snow's close circle.

Reaper writes letters. Many letters, but never has the courage to send them out to her. Eventually when he meets Clemensia's son, he decides to give some of them to him.

both Clemensia and Coriolanus married in their late 20s, and rather close to one another. So when news comes that Clemensia is married - for a moment, he does fear very briefly that it was to Snow.

He's in his late 40s when the ribbon is sent to him from Tigris - it's the same burgundy that Clemensia tied around his wrist when they were 18. And while there's no note, he just KNOWS its from her.

there's a deleted line where Reaper tells Clemensia once they remeet after the districts have successfully rebelled, "I'd have named my son Clementine if he wasn't born a boy."

because yes, Clemensia and Reaper both have grandchildren that are meant to remind themselves of the other. Clementine (Reaper's granddaughter) is more obvious in name, but Rhea's name (Clemensia's granddaughter) is based off the greek myths and is a nod to D11's agriculture. Rhea is said to be derived from the word meaning 'earth'

CORIOLANUS VS REAPER

the beef between them

and YES, every time Reaper mentioned that Clemensia's friend was strange (pre and post games)- he was referring to Coriolanus.

Coriolanus: You are NOT good enough for my best friend, and I don't want you around her. END OF STORY.

Reaper, immediately going to look for Clemensia: Hey Clemmie!

the fact that Coriolanus despises how Clemensia allows Reaper to call her 'Clemmie' - Reaper knows it and calls her that, mostly to piss him off. Also, because he's grown fond enough of her to call her that now.

Coriolanus sort of gives off she was my friend first vibes. And he is like classist too...

to be honest, I considered both as possible/potential love interests for her, but ultimately, I decided against it. But you do see hints of where Coriolanus' route may have gone in the dis aliter visum AU

if these 2 were left alone in a room, it's not a pretty scene for long. The only thing keeping each other from killing the other is Clemensia.

CLEMENSIA & CORIOLANUS

these two could have gone in so many directions, I have to admit that my drafts had quite some variety: from love interest, to former lovers, to being in-laws. But they would have never had a happy ending

regardless, they stayed pretty close friends for quite some time. Enough that Tigris worried whether Clemensia would ever see Coriolanus for what he was

they did hook up (sort of) in their 20s - they were drunk, and both were attracted to one another - but it never went anywhere

she did have a crush on him at one point - her father admits that he thought she'd marry someone else (Coriolanus) when she announces her plan to marry Felix - I like to imagine Coriolanus and her had this sort of are they/are they not dating vibe to them when they'd been younger

Coriolanus keeps her around for a variety of reasons - 1) friendship 2) attraction (since she was never bit, she remains the prettiest in his eyes, and like most of society's eyes) 3) she's a victor 4) their little lie to Dr Gaul, if they are close, there's no reason either will betray the other --- there's more reasons, I'm sure, but I can't remember them all at the moment haha

they drifted apart with their respective marriages to others - one of those things, you know? But their children were close so they remained in contact with one another.

haha there's this whole alt scene where I imagined how their respective children were: Selene (Clemensia's daughter with Felix) + Lucius (Coriolanus' son with Livia[?])

much like Coryo + Clemmie, Selene + Lucius were good friends. Except where their parents remained friends, they did not.

Livia is livid when Lucius spurned his arranged match (she set up the match), in favour of Selene. Coriolanus is annoyed, but more so that it causes a scandal, and not much else.

the two go to Clemensia to ask for her blessing & because they know that she (and Felix) are the only who could really argue in their favour.

ultimately it is Clemensia who convinces Coriolanus to agree to it.

TBH these 2 were potential parents of Snow's granddaughter that he asks Clemensia about. but in the end, I scrapped that idea. Snow's granddaughter is just related to Coriolanus, and has no blood relation with Clemensia.

What really sealed the coffin in Coryo and Clemmie's deterioating friendship was her daughter dying because of his orders.

there was this deleted line from the scene where Coriolanus and Clemensia are arguing over her daughter's death and his son's death (since the 2 were rebels) - in this deleted scene, he says Clemensia should be grateful he kept her name/rest of her family out of this. Furious - Clemensia screams back that he might as well kill her too - for being the mother of a rebel.

had I gone down the route where Selene and Lucius having a child left behind - you can bet Coriolanus and Clemensia would have fought tooth and nail over custody for the granddaughter. Coriolanus would have won eventually - but would have yielded to the occasional visit to Clemensia.

I can't find the line anymore, but to show he bears no (little) ill-will, he would have allowed their shared granddaughter to visit. And on that first visit, the granddaughter brings along a bouquet of red roses.

the 2 former friends have this strange understanding near the end of the AU

It's kind of like how Reaper and Clemensia have this relationship at the end that there can't quite be defined by anything. But Coriolanus and Clemensia's at this point, is far more twisted, and there's no way the two would ever fully be able to reconcile.

there's an understanding at the very least- and perhaps for Coriolanus, no matter how their relationship turns out, he has this soft spot/degree of affection for her.

SHORT callout to FELIX RAVINSTILL

he is such a minor character, but in the end, Clemensia chooses him, and he is the one that she sticks with

it's such a small thing, but if you keep an eye out on the clementines in the fic, he is the first to 'give' them to her - granted he is sending them to Reaper, but he is the one who donates them to her

in all other cases, Clemensia is the one to give them out - she gives them out to Reaper, to Coriolanus - and they are never given in return to her

while she's in the hospital, though she gives clementines to Felix, it's more reciprocal by this point.

In return he brings her orange blossoms, clementine inspired desserts, dedicates his writings to a 'Miss Clementine' that later becomes 'Lady Clementine'. And even in their marriage, he ends up being the one giving them to her all the time

[moonlight-prose]

NIGHT CRAWLING | ODE TO THE DARKNESS

a/n: listen......i have no explanations for this. i've re-watched werewolf by night three times already and i'm fully head over heels for jack. he's such a cutie how can anyone not be in love with him? this isn't fully edited or beta read so beware of mistakes.

summary: hunters go after things that go bump in the night, but he just so happens to be one of them.

word count: 4.3k+

pairing: jack russell x f!reader

warnings: not explicit, cussing, violence, fighting, reluctant allies, slight angst, alcohol consumption, talk of death.

next chapter | masterlist

“Monsters exist!” A man on the side of the street shouted; a flier printed with drastic reds and blacks to simulate fear and death was shoved into your face as you tried to walk past.

He looked by all means insane, with wild eyes and red makeup painted onto his pale face. However, you disregarded it as him possibly being high on some kind of drug. That seemed like the most feasible option.

“Yeah no shit,” you muttered, shoving past him.  

It was a big city—lots of people were on the verge of losing their minds or already there. Insanity had become the new drug and people were addicted. You hated to admit it, but you were one of them; right on the verge of finally falling headfirst into madness. It seemed easier to live that way—residing in the crazy that already stuck to you like glue. Compared to the way you were surviving now, barely able to call yourself human with every passing year, choosing madness was peaceful.

An empty club that used to be a gentlemen’s club was up ahead. A known spot for people like you to find things that were off the market to others. You personally thought the hole in the wall club was a piece of shit, but there was nowhere else that you could find information about your hunt. If you could even call it a hunt.

It had been a month of searching for someone or something—a tip from a friend—and you had no such luck as to where they were. Let alone what their name was.

The heavy gold necklace wrapped around your neck thrummed to life—the cold pressing directly against your skin. You wanted to rip it off your neck, throw it in the trash and never look back. But every time you attempted to part with it, the damned thing always found a way to come back. It played a sick game of tug and war. Pulling out your life every time you used it for your own gain—a vicious cycle that never came to an end.

You were a slave to the night, a hunter that used the darkness to your own extent and this necklace, the connection it gave you to the side you wanted so desperately to ignore…was your master.

You supposed there was some irony to that fact. Not enough to bring a smile to your face, but enough to make you bitter. That’s all you could feel towards your circumstances, already exhausted from the weariness of your past. Joy was rare in your line of work. A piece of you that was stripped away the second you agreed to take on the position of hunter. Sometimes it never graced you with its presence and by now you were past the point of giving a shit about whether or not you were happy. 

Happiness was a figment of someone else’s imagination. You simply weren’t lucky enough to receive some of your own.

Halting your footsteps, you turned towards the heavy wooden door that had a name engraved on the front. You smirked at the word Monstrum that stuck out like a sore thumb on a club for hunters. Even you had to hand it to the people here—they held a sense of humor. Most hunters couldn’t seem to afford one given the nature of the job and how dark it was. The killings—even if they weren’t of humans—took a piece of each hunter every time; left them as hollow versions of themselves in the end.

Yet they still celebrated their wins.

You pulled the door, the scent of cigar smoke and the copper tang of blood overtaking your senses. The building was old. A part of New York that remained throughout the decades, stuck in the passage of time even as people came and went. Most walked by this small club without barely even a glance, but you knew the interior all too well. You knew which seat belonged to which hunter, who came here more often than they should, and who rarely showed up.

The man in a black button down sitting by the bar with a glass of water in front of him screamed newbie. He glanced around him as if waiting for someone to start speaking. Or at least invite him into a conversation. It was blatantly obvious to you that he didn’t belong here. Either he was a new hunter barely getting into the business, or he was a nervous type—wary of all other hunters.

You wouldn’t blame him on that front. All hunters were in it for themselves. Given that there was no time for anything else in this life. Nothing but blood, death and even more blood.

“Hey Charlie,” you said, sitting on the stool you usually occupied when you visited.

Charlie was older than the place itself, standing with snow white hair and a mustache to match. He would have looked like Santa Claus if it weren’t for the scar that ran down his cheek to the very base of his collarbone. As if he was split in two at one point in his life. You had a running joke that he was immortal and that perhaps one day if he felt generous enough, he might share it with you. He offered you his usual crooked dimpled smile and a glass of scotch.

The taste was familiar on your tongue. A small token of the club you once called home. Now it was but a tainted memory that inhabited the dark corners of your mind. Your very own monster, that forever remained unkillable.

“It’s been awhile since I’ve seen you around these parts.”

A grim half-assed smile spread across your lips. “Monster hunting keeps me moving. You’re the one who calls it an unstable job.”

“Don’t remind me,” he scoffed. “I got out just in the nick of time.”

“Yeah well…you’re one of the lucky ones Charlie.”

You didn’t have to look up to know that he was eyeing the obsidian stone that was settled on the gold chain wrapped around your neck. He knew the significance of the stone. Where it stemmed from and how its curse ultimately took every hunter who wore it. You joked that it was a family heirloom, a family curse that passed from descendant to descendant. But he knew what it really signified, where it truly came from.

You wore a noose around your neck made of delicate gold and one day it would become impossible to breathe because of it.

“Have you heard from him?”

Wincing, you ignored the way the scar on your back grew uncomfortable—the reminder of who you belonged to, who owned your soul, sparking in the back of your mind. Even if you wanted to tell Charlie you couldn’t. The world you were a part of, separate from hunters was a secret you had to bear; a promise that you’d take with you to the grave. You only wished that the weight of said secrets wasn’t so heavy.

“Nope,” you replied, finally turning your gaze back to his worried face. “I figure that not hearing from him is a good thing.”

“And the stone…”

“What stone?” you asked, eyebrow raising slightly to remind Charlie that while you may be friends, you wouldn’t hesitate to silence those that wished to announce your secrets to the world.

His mouth snapped shut, eyes shifting around him before settling on the man who was still acting as if he didn’t quite know what to do in a place like this. A part of you wanted to ask if he was alright. Except the other and much louder part reminded you to stay silent. The more you grew involved with other hunters, became attached to them, the more you shifted back to your human nature. You left humanity behind for a reason and you weren’t about to go back to them so soon.

Downing the remainder of your glass, you shoved it towards Charlie, a golden coin worth more than paper money set beside it. Some hunters found the materialistic value of green paper worth it, but the traditional hunters—the one who’d seen their fair share of death and decay—chose the old ways. They were complicated and half of the time you considered giving them up, but they worked. That’s all that mattered in the end.

“I’ll see you soon Charlie,” you said, getting up from the stool and pulling your coat around you. While it wasn’t freezing outside, you always felt cold thanks to the stone that continued to thrum like a second heartbeat against your skin.

He didn’t try to stop you. Not when this small ritual of yours had been going on for nearly a decade. You would return to the city you once called home, visit with Charlie for as long as you could, head back to your old apartment for one day of sleep, and return once more to the land of monsters. At first you were thrilled to finally be doing something meaningful with your life. You would save humans, protect the ones who were unable to protect themselves, but as time went on and the demands became more and more difficult, you grew weary.

No longer did you care about protecting the innocent. You could care less about the world.

You now yearned for a life that you were unable to possess, a life of peace that you once held in the very palm of your hand. The decision had been made for you to follow the path of night, to wear the stone without end. But all you wanted…was to be rid of all of it. Finally free from the bonds of everyone else—finally given the chance to live.

The door slammed shut behind you with a familiar bang, leaving you to finally make your way to the old crumbling apartment building that housed more trouble than good. It stood five blocks away and was barely five stories tall, but you could practically see it from here. You figured it was the horribly carved gargoyles at the top of a precariously built tower that caught your attention. Whoever in their right mind decided that building a gothic home for hunters in the middle of nowhere New York certainly wasn’t given the credit they deserved.

You wanted to thank them.

At one point the place was home. Somewhere you could strip yourself of the hunter title and be yourself again. Although at this point you were positive that you wouldn’t recognize the person that once was.

The person who had been lost in the chaos of death.

Standing a block away, you felt the necklace fall silent against your skin. A warning sign of trouble coming your way. You never quite figured out how it could tell, but knowing the powers that stemmed from one being in particular, you weren’t all that surprised. Unknowingly you held your breath as something shifted in the alleyway beside you—a  shadow that you could barely make out clearly. What may look like a man from this distance could turn out to be a monster.

Charlie had called you a reckless hunter once when you first started. When you were still you and the family legacy you were meant to maintain was the most important thing to you. Now you knew who you were—knew what you were capable of.

Another shift brought the shadow’s shape into your pathway, showing you enough to see that it was in fact a man. But that didn’t make this better. A man following you in the dead of night. Either he was drunk off his ass, or you were someone he considered an easy target.

Before you could take another step however, the necklace went warm—nearly singeing into your skin as the realization finally dawned on you. That was not a man…no that was a monster who thought you were to be its next prey. A grin spread across your lips, the burn now spreading to the very tips of your fingers as the gold inscription on the back of the stone began to glow. You felt it with every step you took down the empty alleyway. The power surging through your veins, bringing you back to your one and final purpose. To deliver death upon those in this world.

You were the bridge between. The deliverer to the guider of souls.

“Following me. Not the smartest choice you could have made tonight.”

A clatter of what you assumed were trash cans bounced off the walls as he stumbled forward. “No I wasn’t—” He raised his hands in surrender. “Let me explain.”

“First tell me who you are.”

“Okay. Yes, I can do that.”

The necklace scorched your skin again, burning its way to your very heart as gold continued to flash around it. You’d only seen it react that way towards a certain type of being, but whoever stood before you, his figure hidden in the shadows couldn’t possibly be what you thought. Only the stone never lied.

Your head snapped up, eyes squinting as he approached slowly as if you were the beast and he the hunter. Grinning, you spread your hand, feeling the energy surge beneath your palm, turning into something solid. The flail was weighty, a heavy reminder of who you served, but the sword that formed in your right hand was delicate. A symbol of the light that flowed through you.

“Would you look at that,” you taunted, digging your boot in the ground. “A monster masquerading as a human.”

“No. My name is Jack. Please let me—”

You didn’t need to hear another thing, the gold already bleeding into the iris of your eyes. Launching forward, you felt the energy pulse through your body, shifting you in the air and allowing you to land behind him. He spun around to face you, his eyes wide with disbelief as he took in your power for the first time. Most people when they realized what you could do were left without words—you being one of them.

“How…”

Another wave of warmth spread through you, confirming all you needed to know in order to act on your instincts. Swiping the blade his way, you watched him duck, rolling forward to avoid getting nicked. Only to scramble backwards as your flail nearly embedded into his shoulder. You’d been trained to fight your entire life, trained to take life from monsters, but you never expected one to look so human. To act as if he was actually one of the people that walked along the streets—living normal lives.

“You’re not human.”

He got to his feet, stepping back only for his back to hit the wall. “But I am!”

“Monstrum,” you muttered, shifting the sword into something smaller, a dagger as black as the stone that continued to send waves of heat through you. Any other human wouldn’t be able to withstand the heat, but you’d surpassed that title long ago.

You flipped it in your hand, turning to the blade to press right against his throat as his hand clamped around your wrist trying to push against the strength that coursed through you. One last shove and you’d be able to claim victory, but then his brown eyes met yours. The fear was so deep, so visceral it caused you to pause for a brief second. That was the first mistake on your part. Using your distracted state to his advantage, he kicked your shin, bringing you down hard to one knee. He managed to dislodge the knife from your hand, wrapping one arm around your waist, the blade pressing into your throat as you struggled against his hold.

“You fucking bastard!” you shouted, grabbing a hold of his hair and yanking it until he cried in pain. “Let me go!”

“Elsa Bloodstone!” he nearly roared, tightening his arm around you.

Every part of your body chilled right down to the bone—the necklace counteracting the cold sensation with its continuous surge of energy. You stopped struggling, stopped moving and simply stared ahead wide eyed. The weapon in his hand vanished, the hold you had on his hair finally being let loose and he moved away, giving you space to stand fully. Her name settled in your mind, the memory of the phone call you had with her a month ago coming back.

“When you find him…don’t kill him. He’s not a monster. He’s…different.”

A scoff left your lips. “If you haven’t noticed El, we’re monster hunters.”

“I know, but this man isn’t one. Find him and keep him alive. We may need him.”

“You mean you need him alive for your little gang.”

She laughed, the sound familiar after all these years apart. “You could say that.” A sigh filtered through the line and for a moment you could see her staring out the window, her eyes trained on the light of the moon. “Stay safe will you?”

“Don’t forget who you’re talking to El. I’ll be perfectly fine. I promise.”

If Elsa had told you that this monster…that Jack wasn’t a monster then you would believe her without hesitation. There were few that you trusted in your life, but she remained one of them. You accepted her word as the truth, a finality that only rivaled an order from him. After all, she’d been with you through thick and thin. The sister you never had and yet the family you were given all the same.

Standing to your full height, you turned to face him without the clouded bloodthirsty view from before. His black button down shirt was in disarray, his hair mussed from your hand, and it seemed that the panic still remained in his system.

“She sent you right?” he asked, seemingly still wary about whether or not you’d attack him. “Elsa?”

“Yeah,” you replied, finally allowing a bit of your guard to slip down. “She sent me.”

“She told me to look out for you.”

A wry smile crossed your lips as you continued to size him up. “Funny. She told me almost nothing about you.”

“There isn’t much to tell,” he said, scratching lightly behind his ear.

“Other than the fact that you look normal?”

“Well I am…normal.” Raising an eyebrow you watched as he crumpled in on himself, the facade of hiding who he really was, now falling to pieces around him. You swore that if you listened close enough you’d be able to hear them clatter on the ground. “I’m normal now here—with you.”

“And when you’re not normal?”

He paused, glancing up at the half moon you knew hung in the sky like a beacon of light in the darkness. “I don’t have to worry about that for some time.”

The realization clicked together in your mind—the truth of what he was coming to light. “A werewolf,” you mumbled, seeing his eyes flick to yours as he heard every word you said perfectly. “Where the hell did Elsa find you?”

“Ah, it’s a long story.”

Your apartment still stood empty after all these years, awaiting your return. It almost felt like breaking the rule of all hunters to invite a monster upstairs, but by the looks of things…Jack wasn’t a monster. He was merely a man who was unable to control what danger he brought to the world. At least you could sympathize with that part of him. Sighing, you practically heard your mother roll in her grave—watching you interact with someone she would have already killed. But you held no other choice.

“Come with me,” you replied, turning on your heel and heading back to the path you were originally on. “You can tell me over a cup of coffee.”

With one more glance at the sky, he quickly caught up, walking by your side the remainder of the way.

Half a pot of shitty coffee later, you found yourself lounging on the old beat up leather couch you found at a thrift store, while Jack paced back and forth in front of you. He was speaking a mile a minute, explaining in minute detail how Elsa happened upon him at her father’s funeral. The same one you skipped due to a mission given to you by him. To think if you had simply disobeyed orders, you’d have been able to meet this man.

You found him fascinating.

Not in the way a hunter found a monster fascinating, but in the way a woman found a man she was attracted to fascinating. It seemed ridiculous in your exhausted mind to allow any sort of attraction to weasel its way in. But there you were, watching entranced as he continued on with his story. By now you would have interrupted the person speaking, begging them to tell you just the main details and nothing more. Yet you found you were at ease while he spoke.

A feeling you hadn’t been able to indulge in since before you sold your soul.

“How did I get dragged into this?” you asked, more to yourself than him, but the question stopped him in his tracks.

“I thought Elsa would come herself.”

You hummed, sipping at the now cold mug of coffee in your hand. “She’s a bit busy forming a team of heroes or villains. I can never keep track nowadays. Anyways I’m here to protect you.”

For a brief moment you saw the corners of his lips pull upwards. “Protect me? Why?”

“Well…” You stood, setting the mug on the scratched coffee table. The long gash from where you’d been attacked all those years ago still remained, engraved in the wood. “One day she’s going to need you for this special team of hers and you’re going to say yes.”

Jack nodded, rubbing his chin as he began to pace again, his energy and anxiety practically bleeding into the room. You’d seen humans act nervous before, seen the way that they allowed their minds to overthink anything and everything. But he seemed to do this simply to get the energy out of his body. A way to expend everything until he was settled enough to sit down on the couch.

Perhaps you should have given him decaf instead of black coffee.

“So you’re a…one of those recruiters?”

You chuckled, stripping off your coat and dropping it into the vacant chair. “Recruiters,” you scoffed. “I’m as far from that as you can get.”

“But you have powers.” He watched your movements halt, eyes shifting to rest on the wall where a wooden symbol hung like a cross. “You’re not fully human either.”

“I’d leave that alone for now if I were you,” you replied, moving towards the kitchen where you craved something far stronger than coffee. Something that resembled the color of honey with a taste as bitter as gasoline.

All the while his gaze followed you, his expression of anxiety shifting into one of determination. You knew he’d get the information out of you tonight. After all Elsa said to protect him and you wouldn’t allow a complete stranger to protect you either if you were in his situation. But you desperately needed something to counteract the stress of revealing yourself. It had been so long since you told anyone the truth that you weren’t sure you even remembered how to.

Was it possible for you anymore? Or were you stuck in this perpetual lonely hell of your own making?

“Who are you?” he asked, prying as far as you would let him. You had to hand it to him. He was intelligent enough to pick up on how irritated you were getting, how far your limits extended to.

Sighing, you poured a glass of your very own addiction and took a sip. “That’s also a long story.”

His eyebrows raised, an expectant look crossing his eyes. “We have time.”

“That we do.” Settling back in your usual spot on the couch, you propped your feet up on the coffee table, the weight of your boots creating a thump. “Let me preface this by saying I’m not like you. I’m not a monster hunting monsters.” You smiled at the way he averted his gaze. “Don’t think I didn’t see you at the club. Tell me, do they know what you are?”

“That’s not the point,” he sighed. 

Finally he settled in the chair opposite to you. After thirty minutes of pacing, he rolled the long sleeves of his shirt up his forearms, the veins on his skin catching your eyes. You didn’t want to admit how you traced them while he panicked. How you wanted to touch them. Yet like everything else, you squashed the crush where it stood, extinguishing the feelings that threatened to creep up on you. No matter how attractive he was, you were not going to be distracted by him.

He leaned forward, hands clasped together as he watched you—waiting for you to continue.

“I’m not alive,” you said, hoping that saying it quickly would get over the shock of what would come next.

“Not alive?”

You nodded, taking another sip of what your mother used to call liquid courage. Either you told him now or you lived with the secret still buried in your chest. Not even Charlie knew the truth of who you were—of what happened to bring you to this point. You were past breaking, past the point of trying to put yourself back together. After all, there was no hope in saving a walking ghost.

Exhaling, you met his brown gaze, allowing yourself to finally open the door that you’d kept locked and sealed for so long. Though the key was rusty, surprisingly, the lock slid open with ease.

“I died six years ago right here in this room and never came back quite right.”

[itchose]

@manslaught said, "that's the stupidest fucking thing i've ever heard."

she didn't need to read the passage of the book to her; she had it memorized, mostly because it was too outrageous to her when she was sure she was the only one who really knew mikayla anymore, anyway ( mostly, because mikayla never seems interested in talking about anyone else she may have, so allie just assumes she's all she's got. ) ❝  right?! ❞ she asks with a scoff, as if they're on the same level, as if they know mikayla the same. allie waves her hand in front of her and shakes her head. ❝  i mean, i just had to read it the second it came out, ❞ she says shamelessly, but it's still framed as something she did to protect mikayla. ❝  but, like, this girl is acting like she knew you, like you were actually close at one point. ❞ allie rolls her eyes, a bit defensive, trying to make herself more relevant as mikayla's only real friend. ❝  — i mean, the stuff in the book i told you about, it's not true, right? ❞ she asks, speaking it with confidence before she looks up to mikayla, her brow furrowing, a silent plea to tell her she's correct, because she doesn't actually know. she's only assumed that she would've known the truth before anyone else.

[farmerlesbian]

I have been questioning my sexuality for a long time, and having some feedback from queer people would be so helpful. So thank u

Well, I had known I like girls since I was like 14-15, I mean, it was really obvious and before figuring out I was educated in the topic an a total ally obsessed with the lgbt+ community, but yeah, I feel in love with a girl and started using bisexual as my label, because I had been also attracted to boys before,

I was like comfortable with that for a while, but, big point here I haven’t had anything with a girl at all, I knew I liked them but I had never had an experience, so years when by, and, at that time (18-19)I thought I was asexual because, I didn’t feel sexual atracción for anyone, and I was genially scared of it, but like this fellings where always more towards men.

Let’s keep in mind that I still had a crush for this girl, but like nothing ever happened so I tried to move on, and hang out with a guy I meet at school, but I remember like never felling comfortable with him, I felt really weird, I couldn’t explain it, but I ended ending up things with him because of how weird it felt.

Some time later, at a party I met a beautiful girl, and well long story shot we felt in love, and I literally made everything with her like in a week, it was, amazing, like just by kissing her, I was dying, I had never felt as good as I felt when I was with her

But well life happened so we broke up, and some time later I started hanging out with another girl, nothing serious happened, but like Omg, I can’t even describe how attracted I was to her, so that’s when I realized I might no be asexual or even Demi, cause the tension and attraction were there before having feelings for her.

As u might expect things didn’t worked out, so we stopped hanging out. To this point I was still kind of comfortable with calling me bi, but I had started questioning if I really liked men, cause I have never felt what I felt with the girls I meet, with guys.

Time passed , and I didn’t have anything serious, but at party’s sometimes I kissed boys, and I really didn’t wanted, it felt really weird, like so uncomfortable for me, and most of the time I would only kiss one if I was kind of drunk, and I felt so wrong afterwards, so I tried with girls and I liked so much, even when sometimes there where people I didn’t knew

But yeah, I kind of came to the conclusion that I’m really attracted to women, in a sexual and emotional way, and I really don’t know if I could ever had that with a boy, I had never felt genuine connection with one, in those ways, I do find some attractive, I could see one and say like he’s good looking, i could kiss him, but that’s all, nothing else would happened,

Sooo, I don’t really know if I’m a lesbian, and I’m scared of using the label, even when I feel more comfortable with it, because of the, what if, even when I’m not interested and don’t genuinely think it could happened, or see myself with a boy

And the thing that everyone thinks , that because I like masculine women, I’m looking for a “men”, when the reality is that I just really like women expressing their masculinity and the looks of it, me myself are kind of masculine too so yeah

Long story for something that might be obvious but I would really like to hear some thoughts

ahhh sorry for the delay on this! i had right away talked about it with the wife and planned out what i was gonna say and then never actually went and wrote it out.

you don't need it, but if it makes you feel better, you have our permission to call yourself a lesbian. to be a lesbian. if i'm reading everything right, you are super into girls and feel very uninterested in boys, yes? that certainly sounds to me like you're a lesbian!

you say you're scared of using the label but don't say what it is you're afraid of. ask yourself what you're afraid of, and is it real, is the danger real? how significant is it, like is it even a big deal? and do you want to push past and ignore your fear and call yourself a lesbian? why not try it out and see how it feels

and in regards to being into masc women - me too! mascs and butches and studs and tomboys are not men.

[whatisthismandoinghere]

Do you happen to have any headcanons for Crittendon or Hochstetter?

Sorry this took so long! Got a little busy this week and I didn't have my laptop with me but here we go

Crittendon: I think Crittendon served in WW1 and had that attitude at first that “war is adventure, so let’s go fight!” Probably came from a rich and well known family considering how class played such a huge role in becoming an officer (I’m assuming that the same applied to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) considering the attitudes of those in the RAF during WW2 regarding lower class airmen wasn’t exactly what you would call friendly). But anywho while Crittendon was definitely posh, he didn’t mind associating with those that were considered lower status than him. I can honestly see him being a bit like Hogan when he was younger and serving during WW1, not exactly following the norms and a bit of a risk taker and show off (a much more toned down version of Hogan, I don’t mean to say they were exactly alike, I just mean to imply slight similarities and that Crittendon wasn’t always so steeped in tradition). Now there’s a few reasons that I have in mind as to why he is not like this anymore: 

1. Associating with people of a lower class than him was gaining him a, shall we say, unfavorable reputation with his superiors and since he absolutely dreamed of being this heroic, well known, and well liked officer, he slowly dropped those friendships because he couldn’t stand the thought of disappointing his family. I think they for sure put a lot of pressure on him to make a good impression, climb the ranks, uphold the family name and honor, and I see Crittendon just having this terrible fear of letting his family down and being disowned. His father and his grandfather were likely big military men themselves so there is a reputation to uphold that comes with the name Crittendon. So he regrettably falls into this strictly traditional, by the book military life. 

2. I think this attitude is solidified by seeing his buddies get seriously injured or dying or suffering from PTSD (or what they would call shell shock at the time), and it gets to the point where he stops making friends in general because he can’t bear to lose anyone else (and I remember reading somewhere about an officer, not exactly sure if it was WW1, but anywho the guy just stopped learning new soldiers’ names because the casualties were so high). I see him adopting this “play by the rules and no one gets hurt” attitude and simply refusing to take what he deems unnecessary risks (hence the stance he takes on not participating in sabotage in “the flight of the valkyrie”).

So I conclude that a combination of pressure from his family and the terrible things he saw during WW1 shaped him into the man we see in Hogan’s Heroes. Now I realize it’s a bit strange to say that Crittendon’s insistence on tradition, his inability to fathom and accept Hogan and his unusual ways, and his inability to adapt to this new war landscape were not with him from the start. But I think this is what makes it so interesting because Crittendon knows what worked for him during WW1, he survived by following tradition and following the rules, so naturally when he sees Hogan for the first time, who reminds Crittendon slightly of himself when he was younger, he thinks he can set Hogan on the right track so to speak by being so insistent on how he would do things. And in Crittendon’s mind I think he believes he is doing Hogan a favor by passing on his knowledge from WW1, even though he most certainly is not. So I think Crittendon definitely means well and at times is genuinely trying to help Hogan, but he’s just never gonna be able to adapt to this new war that the Allies are fighting.

I can definitely see the possibility that Crittendon was also a POW during WW1 and that also played into the views he held. Maybe he and a group of men planned this escape and it ended up going horribly wrong (trying to decide if someone just slipped up or if there was a snitch, the details are a bit foggy at the moment) and a lot of guys got hurt or killed. That would completely explain Crittendon’s escape only attitude in “the flight of the valkyrie” This part of my hc isn’t as fleshed out as I’d like it to be cuz I’m still working out some details but I’ll post about it once I have everything I want.

Side note: As for Crittendon’s arrogance and overconfidence, I’d have to say maybe that stems from his experience during WW1 as well. Like “I’ve been around the block before, I know how this works, who does this kid colonel think he is trying to tell me what to do?” For him at least, following military norms and playing by the rules worked for him. He rose to the rank of colonel (or group captain I suppose) and he made it out of WW1 alive. This way worked for him, why shouldn't it work for everyone? Crittendon just fails to realize that WW2 is a whole new ballgame though. So although he does eventually come around to the idea of sabotage, he isn't very good at it cuz he still holds that attitude of "I have experience, so I know what I'm doing." He just can't stop seeing Hogan as this kid who is too young to be a colonel and therefore has no credibility and that is a good chunk of Hogan's dislike for the man.

Side side note: This is unnecessarily deep, I do enjoy Crittendon even without all this backstory I made up for him, purely for his comedic value and the distress he causes Hogan 😂

Hochstetter: I’m gonna be honest, my hcs for Hochstetter are pretty basic and aren’t super elaborate. He for sure needs to be more fleshed out but this is what I have for now:

Disgruntled WW1 veteran who was very unhappy with how the war ended. I think he struggled a lot afterward, had a hard time finding work and making ends meet and maybe some struggles with mental health. Then this hitler guy comes along and he’s just ticking off all the boxes for Hochstetter cuz he’s making these promises of a better Germany and throwing off the shackles of Versailles and Hochstetter is sold. He becomes an early member of the nazi party and that’s about all I got

I’d really like to come up with some stuff about why he hates Hogan so much. Like I know Hogan is just really good at pushing buttons but he makes Hochstetter absolutely irate. There’s gotta be a little more to the story. Maybe something happened when Hogan first became a POW and he was being interrogated at gestapo headquarters… I’m excited to build on this later

However a friend of mine mentioned a story where the author ties in Howard Caine’s Jewish heritage into Hochstetter’s character and makes him a spy and I haven't had the chance to read it yet but I could easily be persuaded, my hcs on Hochstetter aren’t set in stone