#he would relate to cole so much especially with wish i could care less

[raemaryllis]

So I’ve recently been thinking about the rejected prophecy au and how popular it was when they first came up with it. And I was scrolling through @rinas-ninjas blog and saw a piece for the au. I started thinking about how the tournament of elements would go in this au and how Lloyd would interact with the other EMs. I also remember something similar in a fic I read about it back when the au was popular. Unfortunately I can’t seem to find it anymore but it sparked the inspiration for this one. I thought it would be interesting to see something from Skylor’s POV as well, and thus this was born.

It’s my first time posting fanfiction so hopefully it’s not too bad?

Worth it for This

////

Skylor wasn’t blind.

She saw the green ninja. The way he unconsciously shrunk into himself when the other ninja were around. The way he tensed when one of them put a hand on his shoulders in front of the other masters.

She knew the green ninja was abused by his so called ‘family’, and she couldn’t do anything about it. It hurt, Seeing him put up with the taunting and pushing from the other ninja. But what could she do? She was just another competitor in this tournament. One who was mildly infatuated with the fire ninja.

Or, she was supposed to be. Until he showed his true colors.

Red seemed to suit him, as anger was all he ever showed when around the green ninja. That, and jealousy, which Skylor couldn’t understand. So what if the other was the prophesied savior of Ninjago? He was a ninja and the master of fire.

But she knew what power could do to people. All it took was a taste, and suddenly you do whatever it takes to come out on top. She’d seen it in her father, still sees it, she sees it in all of the competitors in the tournament, and she’s seen it in herself.

But that lust for power was something she never expected to see in the saviors of Ninjago.

It almost made her want to ditch the plan altogether.

Almost.

——-

It was day two of the tournament and the plan was going well, all things considered.

Faking nervousness was easier than she thought it would be. Especially when compared to pretending to like the fire ninja.

Kai, as she found out from listening in on their conversation, was quite cocky. He truly believed he was impressing her. She would have found it cute, if not for the fact that his idea of impressing her was talking down on the master of energy. If she had to listen to him talk about how useless the element of energy was one more time, she was going to blow her cover.

“Hey, why don’t you sit with us. There’s plenty of room at our table.” He says gesturing towards a seat in the crowded booth. Pointedly ignoring the distraught look on the green ninja’s face.

“But Kai, we have to stick to-“

“Shut it Floyd.” At the master of Lightning’s interruption, he immediately quiets.

Fortunately, Garmadon takes that moment to usher him to another-thankfully unoccupied table.

“Come Lloyd, I would like to talk to you. Privately.” He says looking pointedly at the other three ninja.

So Lloyd was his name then. Huh..She might have to remember that.

...

Apparently the ninja were the ones caught infiltrating her fathers ceremony after the master of metal’s defeat. She wasn’t surprised. Neither was she surprised that her father put the earth ninja and lightning ninja against each other in the next round.

Good, serves them right for treating their teammate like trash.

It was entertaining at first, watching them duke it out in the arena. They seemed to already have an intense hatred for each other. Unfortunately they sided together and the black ninja, Cole, she kept having to remind herself, sacrificed himself at the end. All the while she had to pretend to feel sorry for them.

The ninja don’t seem to know everyone is out to get them. Although most of the elemental masters seem to have caught on to Lloyd’s situation. Which means that their plight with the ninja is more to do with their mistreatment of their teammate, and less about their hostility towards the other contestants. Still, Skylor can’t help but feel bad about what’s going to happen. Hopefully she can convince her father to let the green ninja and his father go after all of this is over.

As of right now though, she was trying to very discreetly help the kid out by using the master of form’s power and knock down her own teammates. She may not like the ninja, but she wasn’t going to let the kid lose and be taken to the factory because his teammates couldn’t give a crap. They were only on his team because of Garmadon, which they made abundantly clear when Kai hit his back, causing him to fall behind.

She may as well try to give the kid a break.

Skylor skated over to where Kai had once again fallen due to lack of experience and general skill. “Your teammate looks like he’s struggling out there.” She helps him up, watching as he looks to where the green ninja is skating. “He could use a little help.”

Of course he did have some help. A few contestants sided with him, if only to lighten the load that the other ninja made worse. But most of them decided to side with Chamille, mostly just to teach the other two a lesson.

Kai sneered. “He’s fine” he then starts skating toward the goal at a leisurely pace, as if he’s taking a walk in the park. “He’s the green ninja, he doesn’t need our help. If he wants to stay in the tournament he’s got to put in the effort.”

Skylor just skates away. If he wants his teammate to lose, fine. He’ll get what’s coming to him in the end.

...

Tricking Kai into following her through the jungle was remarkably easy. She would laugh, if she wasn’t trying desperately to act like she still liked him.

They were currently walking through the tunnels. Kai was trying to convince her to join them and defeat her father. In truth, she has been considering it. If only because her father was a power hungry lunatic and she didn’t want to have to hurt Lloyd. She felt sorry for him, her father was undoubtedly having him brought in chains to where the ceremony was to take place. He didn’t deserve it. That’s why she would help Kai with his plan to take down her father. If only so Lloyd could live his life in peace with his dad.

...

Kai has officially gone off the deep end. As he is currently standing before them with her father’s staff in hand, about to attack Lloyd.

“YOU HAD ALL THE POWER!” Kai says, advancing on them “NOW IT’S MY TURN!” Skylor wonders if that’s the staff talking or Kai himself. She wouldn’t be surprised if it was the latter.

Lloyd has a look of absolute fear in his eyes as he tries to shield her from his teammate’s wrath.

“I SHOULD’VE BEEN THE GREEN NINJA!” Now that is something she knows is really coming from Kai, and she has to do something before Lloyd is struck down by his own powers.

She pushes Lloyd behind her, knowing she has no protection against her father’s staff that holds more power than he’s ever encountered.

Lloyd looks at Kai from behind her “No Kai! Don’t!” Just as Kai is about to fire it. a massive drill comes through the wall, taking out half the room.

Kai’s sister quickly destroys the staff, freeing all the elemental powers inside it.

Overall, Skylor is glad she’s not a ninja. And glad she can finally drop the act of trying to be nice to them.

.....

It’s over.

Her father is in the Cursed Realm, sent there by Garmadon in order to save Ninjago. Skylor wishes there was another way to win. Lloyd has been through too much pain for someone so young. She remembers how young she was when her mother passed. Her father only growing more obsessed with power and trying to gain his own. In a way, she can relate. He may not have loved her, but he was still her father. And a part of her would always miss him.

When Kai comes to talk to her, she doesn’t spare him a glance as she walks passed him towards where Lloyd and Nya are standing near their flying ship.

“Hey you two” They turn to face her, each having a look of mild recognition on their faces as she approaches. “Me and the elemental masters were about to head back to the restaurant to debrief, care to join?”

Lloyd looks skeptical, as if she’s going to decline her offer or reveal it as just a joke, but Nya smiles at her “We’d love to. We could all use a little rest after today” She says, looking over at Lloyd, who looks shocked at her answer.

“Perfect, they’ll be glad that you accepted” Skylor says, turning to where the others are looking at them.

And the look on the black ninja’s face when she rejects his request to join made this battle just a little more worth it.

And when they’re all seated at three large tables put together at her restaurant, and Lloyd looks over at her with a small but genuine smile and mutters a “thanks”, she can’t help but be grateful to her father for bringing them all together.

Of course, next time she happens to see the ninja, she’ll be sure to tell them they’re all banned from her restaurant.

Except for Lloyd and Nya. They’re welcome to noodles on the house anytime.

[greenygreenland]

Having Morro as your boyfriend:

-when he fell for you, he fell h a r d

-he may look tough and mean, but he's actually a real softie because he's just a teenager

-acts all emo/cool because he wasn't the happiest guy growing up

-you change that because he learns to find joy in life again

-he's awkward at love-related-stuff because all he ever knew was the way of the ninja

-if you met him when he possessed lloyd, then there's no doubt that you held a grudge against him

-that changed when you realised he had corrupted himself over the idea of becoming the 'chosen one'/green ninja

-you begin to forgive him after he redeems himself

-you save him from dying because yeah, you kinda like him and hate to see him go

scratch that--you love him

-he's not the cuddly type at first and is kinds shy at public affection even if it's hand holding

-baby steps baby steps

-your relationship = difficult at first because he's a ghost

-you learn to get used to it

-morro lowkey sad he can't physically hold you/hug or kiss like a human could

-he wishes he could be a regular human again

-kinda insecure about that and fears that you'll leave him for a man who could offer what he couldn't

-you give him a long talk and spend each day showing him how much you love him and why he's so special to you

-"morro, i would never leave you because you stole my heart"

-he'd laugh a little and say with a small smirk, "did i now?"

-you'd grin at him and give him a tight hug

-he's a gentle kisser despite his tough exterior and he'd be the quiet romantic

-so he wouldn't like to bring you to public places or fancy restaurants

-he prefers long walks, star gazing, long talks under the moonlight, movie night on the couch, or anything that's not too loud

-lowkey a great flirt despite thinking he's too awkward/inexperienced

-"are you a star because you make all my dreams come true"

-you'd probably be blushy if you're shy

-if not, i bet you'd tease him back or begin a flirting contest

-would do anything for you even if it meant leaving the land of the living to let you live another day

-if someone bothers you he'd probably threaten them

-if you don't like that kind if stuff he'd just glare at them until they cower away and run for the hills

-watching a scary movie with him is like watching cinema sins because he criticizes the whole movie

-"fake"

-"makeup"

-"so fake"

-"that's not even what a ghost looks like!"

-if you get scared he'd wrap his arms tight around you and let you lean into his shoulder

-"it's not real, don't be scared"

-"your boyfriend is a literal ghost you have nothing to fear"

-cuddles after the movie to offer you comfort if scared

-would be the type of guy to put his arm round your shoulders and let you lean into his side

-the ninja disapprove of him at first

-especially kai + lloyd

-nya would just be cautious while zane wouldn't be too happy about it

-cole would thinn you're crazy while wu would give morro a 'talk'

-jay would keep a careful eye on morro

-lloyd would freak at first

"You're dating the guy that possessed and almost killed all of us? Are you nuts?"

-"fear isn't a word where i come from...?"

-"don't give me a starfarer quote. This is serious (y/n). What if he hurts you?"

-"he won't. I just know it."

-you have such strong faith in him that lloyd decides to be like elsa and let it go (but he keeps an eye on morro)

-they later find out how much he loves you when he protects you from some thugs in the street

-"are you okay? Are you hurt (y/n)?"

-"i'm fine. You?"

-he would smirk at you and give you a big, firm kiss on the lips

-"not a stratch"

-the ninja learn to respect and trust him because they see how much you both love each other

-morro spoils you with little gifts here and there or by giving you a breakfast in bed

-he goes to wu for advice on relationships because he's still kinda i n s e c u r e

-"i can't say i know much about that, but i know the best thing to do is to be yourself. It's less complicated. And if (y/n) loves you as much as you do her, then she will not have a reason to leave you."

-takes his advice and applies it to the t

-turns out the old man is right

-you both would do anything for each other, even if it meant walking to the ends of the earth and back

-morro = defintion of i love you to the moon and back

-you guys = perfect power couple/soulmates

[fallintomyhands]

Blacked out card for @barisifandomevents !

Fake Relationship: Dreams – Asmodesgold (M) 

·        Barba gets the flu. Carisi gets more than he bargained for. A sweet, soft fic full of longing and loving care.

Wedding:  In Vino Veritas – etothepii ( E ) 

·        A bachelor party, a wedding, late nights in the office, and confusion. One of my favorite fics of Carisi figuring himself out, featuring a lot of unique but realistic situations, tenderness and heat, angst, and hopefulness. A fandom must read.

Alternate Universe: The Primitive and Sanctified – Konigsberg ( E ) 

·        Demons exist, unbeknownst to SVU… except the members counted amongst their ranks. This is one of my favorite stories of all time, and please don’t let the supernatural elements (or the fact this is sadly still a WIP) “scare” you away! The “monstrous” elements are used to perfectly capture characterization, and this is the most tender fic I’ve ever read.  Makes you want to crawl into the soft, dreamy feelings and live there forever. Please give this a shot if you haven’t already; perfection.

Crack Fic: Overstepping – rellkelltn87 (M) 

·        A raid on a real-life mad scientist goes horribly wrong, and ends with Carisi “in a family way.” I never thought I’d see an mpreg story in this fandom that could come off so believable, but this author works miracles (in a much kinder way than her characters!) Part casefic, part romance, all suspense, don’t pass this one up, you will not be disappointed!

Based on a Movie:  Do Monsters Dream? – bourgeois ( E ) 

·        Shape of Water AU in which Sonny works at an aquatic research facility and meets someone special. Takes place in a timeline where we see Carisi struggling after the Tom Cole incident, heart wrenchingly portrayed through his losses, personal and professional, and his meeting of another lonely, imprisoned soul. Beautifully written, absolutely captivating prose, wistful, heartfelt and magical.

Animals:  Yuletide by the Fireside – Juniperhoot 

·        First Christmas with a new love, and unfortunately a new, smaller paycheck. Tenderness, cozy domesticity, and the most adorable dog ever singing along to bad TV music numbers; what more could you want? If your answer was ‘thoughtful characterization’ – that’s here too!

First Date:  Everything Seems a Little Bit Sweeter – rafaelbaseball, burgeois 

·        Barba is obsessed with a YouTube chef, and enters a contest to meet him for dinner. One of the earliest fics I was obsessed with. The whole series is lovely, and the actual date is so tentative and lovely it makes my heart clench. Barba finding himself not in the age group of Sonny’s fans is painfully relatable and a stroke of genius.

Carisi Family:  A Healing Year – Adrianna_m_scovill (M) 

·        A year in the life of Barba and Carisi, in which Barba faces his insecurities and begins to heal, and to love. A fantastic story from start to finish, with top notch characterization and intense emotions, steamy sex, and everything in between. I chose this for my family fic not just because there’s a lovely holiday spent with the Carisi family, but because the fic also embodies how Carisi manages to make everyone in his life his family. Utterly captivating story from an author that always makes an emotional impact.

Soulmates:  Choose To Be With You – Robin Hood 

·        Sometimes the person who has your heart doesn’t have your soul. Great take on the soulmates trope, heartfelt, heartbreaking, mature. Insightful characterization of both characters, but especially Carisi, who faces an impossible situation, and reacts exactly how I believe the character would do.

Get Together:  Noche Sin Estrella – Lambnoire 

·        Casefic in which Barba is injured, and Carisi figures something out about himself when his protective streak becomes something more. A pretty much perfect fic; perfect characterization, strong and realistic casefic, recurring canon characters that feel true to themselves, whump that expresses the right amounts of terror without delving outside the scope of the show, and a slow burn journey of romance and self-acceptance that is meticulously paced, utterly realistic and hits every emotional mark flawlessly. Now that it’s back, make sure you don’t miss out.

Break Up:  Every Time We Touch – OblivionCastro 

·        Soulmate AU where the touch of your partner gives you pain.  A 5+1 fic, a soulmate fic, but mostly, a lyrically written story of enduring pain and enduring its loss. A wonderful metaphor for the agony of love and loss that brings me to tears every time.

Secret Relationship: Pink (& Other Promises) – leslielol 

·        Barba and Carisi fall together, and decide to keep it under wraps for a while; results vary. A common premise with uncommonly good prose. Vivid, lyrical language wraps around a soft story about affection, subterfuge, and acceptance.  A very different look at Barba and Carisi than the author’s main fic, but no less enduring and amazing.

WIP:  Much Farther To Go – nukablastr (M) 

·        The threats on Barba’s life have been declared a cold case, but Carisi decides to do some investigating on his own to protect the man he loves. This is the third part of a long series detailing the “missing” events in S17, and exploring beyond into “what could have been” if this major plot hadn’t been dropped. I added part 3 for the WIP, but recommend reading from the beginning. This story is expertly paced and plotted, and feels absolutely like it could be a piece of canon. One of the seminal works of the barisi fic fandom; read it if you haven’t.

Shadowing:  Mind if I Sit Down? – Larkin21 ( E ) 

·        Another episode tag based story from S17, featuring Carisi and Barba entering into a casual relationship behind the scenes. There’s not really many (or any!) full stories of Carisi shadowing Barba, but I was glad to be able to include this series, which features a full chapter on the shadowing episode. Again, I recommend reading the entire series, as it’s full of fantastically written plot and characterization, seamlessly weaving deep insights on the characters and blisteringly hot sex into the best seasons of the show. Another not-to-be-missed series!

Get Together:  I’m gonna leave it all out there to dry – littleblacksubmarine  ( E ) 

·        Carisi is barely keeping it together, and Barba is waiting to be allowed to help; a story of depression, self-loathing, comfort and devotion told through incredibly poignant intimate and sexual encounters. An unusual depiction of a very dark Sonny, and a protective, self-sacrificing Rafael who’s there for him every painful step of the way. Amazing story that captures perfectly some very different aspects of the characters than we typically see, and still feels 100% true. This story has broken and healed my heart so many times.

Holiday:  Pass Here and Go On – abogadobarba 

·        After the events of Undiscovered Country, Barba and Carisi reconnect, by chance, on a train of all places. Full of atmosphere, literary references, and some of the best prose in the fandom. This story is pure poetry, creating a tone of loneliness and longing, the sense of expanse and yet confinement that only travel can bring, and ultimately peacefulness and hope.  

Alternate Career Rafael: In This Light – Astronaut_Milky (M) 

·        Barba is a photographer, Carisi is a model, both men destined to keep finding… and losing, each other. Beautiful, sexy story about two men whose jobs keep bringing them together, and tearing them apart, full of light and heat and beautiful people and beautiful imagery.  

Undercover:  Have You Ever Wished For An Endless Night? – minnesotamemelord 

·        Carisi goes undercover at a high-powered legal event, and runs into someone familiar. A look at Sonny getting to go undercover at a nicer event than we normally see! Well written characterizations, and some interesting contemplations on unique issues, such as Carisi’s opinion on wealth and the wealthy that felt so spot on I immediately felt they were canon. Also, poor Rafael; he has such terrible friends!

5+1:  We Had No Haste – alwaysbuddy 

·        Carisi and Barba meet over and over in the most coincidental of places, but succumb to their own insecurities. Breathtaking story about two should-be fated lovers who continue to meet and connect over a multitude of vacations, but can’t bring themselves to reach for what they want, until they fear it may be too late. Gorgeous, atmospheric, romantic and sad, in equal measure, with an ending that’s happy, but still exudes a sense of so much lost time. This fic haunts my thoughts in the best ways.

Cooking:  Sustenance – AhumanFemale, tiberius (E ) 

·        Barba’s friends buy him a live-in chef for a time, so he can stop living on pretzels and coffee. Sweeping piece of art that exudes sensuality and the feel of time slipping through your fingers.

First Meeting:  Here and Now – wormghoul 

·        Barba and Carisi meet, and have a whirlwind romance, at LSAT camp before being parted until they meet again at SVU. The imagery and language used in this story has stuck with me for a long time. Shockingly, wrenchingly accurate descriptions of the feelings of holding memories dear, “as a talisman,” and the devastating feelings of having them torn away from you by reality… but also the hope that they can be made anew.  

Crack Fic:  It’s Not Too Late/Gag Order – cupidmarwani 

·        Carisi has a superpower, and has reached the end of his rope. Carisi has seen too much, and has the power to burn it all down. Barba wants to save him, but has to face stark reality. Short, intense story about the toll Carisi’s job takes on him, and how he becomes one of the monsters that he used to fight. Depressing, heartbreaking, terrifyingly relatable, this is an overlooked gem.

Confession:  Him. – keraunoscopia 

·        Carisi struggles with his sexuality and internalized homophobia, and seeks aid from the Church.  Quiet, powerful, painful, and so, so beautiful.

Domestic:  Daylight – cypress_tree ( E ) 

·        Carisi stays the night for the first time and Barba sees him in the sunlight. Short, sweet, hot. What’s more domestic than two people in love, unwilling to get out of bed and leave one another’s presence?

Fix It:  Good Morning – Kaye_21 (M) 

·        A threat to Barba’s life does not end well – repeatedly! Another “supernatural” style fic that shouldn’t be overlooked, even if it’s not your genre. Barba, stuck in a room with Carisi and a man out to kill them both, needs to figure out what is required of him to prevent their deaths, before he loses his mind. Fantastic character study. Terrifying, sad, sexy and hopeful. I chose this one for “fix it,” since as barisi itself could be considered a canon “fix it” or missed opportunity, and this fic itself embodies Barba himself finding a way to be that fix.

[aweebwrites]

Move on Dragons Ch 15

"Any luck yet Sensei?" Lloyd asked from the bridge of the Bounty, watching Little G eat his fill from the small bowl of wild berries in his palm, the others next to him.

"Yes and no." Sensei Wu admits, something akin to frustration in his slitted golden eyes. "I managed to get closer this time but your father is a slippery man who insists on not being found. He has taken traveler's tea to leave the realm so I must follow him." He told them, shifting the view of the device to the sight of the small camp with an empty teapot there, the outed campfire still burning.

"I will still have to figure out just which realm he escaped to but there are only so many he's willing to visit. I may be unable to contact you all for some time longer." He forewarned them.

"That's cool Sensei. Everything's pretty chill on our side still. Nothing too major has come up and our tech team is getting closer to figuring out how the device works." Cole says as he glanced at Zane, Nya, Pixal and Jay close by.

"Indeed." Zane nodded at the screen showing their Sensei. "We've already learned how to turn it on and off but we're getting closer to figuring out how to activate its interface." He reported.

"That's good. Having a direct line to Vortica will prove to be most helpful." Sensei Wu nodded then looked to Kai who was a little jittery if his shifting wings and flicking tail wasn't enough indication. "Is something the matter Kai?" He asked him and Kai blinked then shrugged.

"Nothing's actually wrong but…" He says then grinned. "Wu and I will be checking the Dragon Dimension today. We hit the 2 month mark since the dragons left so we're gonna see how things are doing. We aren't expecting much progress so quickly, even though 5 years have passed there, but we're looking for small signs that the planet is recovering." He told them.

“It won’t be in its best shape but… I’ve missed the place, you know?” He added with a shrug and the others could relate.

They haven’t been there for long but it really was beautiful.

"I see. Be careful however. Extinction usually brings forward evolution in both animals and plants alike." Wu warned him and Kai nodded.

"I will be. We'll let you know the news of what's up next time we chat." He promised and Wu nodded.

"Then I will contact you once I am able to." He promised them.

With that, their conversation ended with well wishes and goodbyes.

“This infernal device is highly frustrating.” Pixal says glaring at the small device she held in hand.

“But it’ss pretty fun to sssolve! It’ss kinda like a rubix cube!” Jay grinned, taking it and looking it over, his flicking tail almost tripping both Zane and Cole, all of them used to he and Lloyd’s tails to know to stand clear of the area behind them.

It took a lot of adaption to work around their individual changes, especially both Jay and Kai’s changes as theirs was permanent. It didn’t bother either of them much anymore- Kai didn’t have a problem with, too used to it as he was- but there were days when they did miss being human and on days like that, their much bigger family was there for them.

“Are you ready Kai?” Wu asked, looking down at the team’s ship from where he sat near by.

Somewhere in the past week, they began being able to speak like them. Zane knew better than to question how they were able to what with the structure of their mouths. Pixal knew better not to as well, not after almost short circuiting trying to figure out how Zane too got the ability to shift. Both nindroids decided to call it magic and left it at that.

“Yeah.” Kai says as he walked over to the edge of the ship, pulling out the dimensional crystal.

“Don’t forget the camera so we can keep track of the planet’s progress.” Nya called and he turned around catching it with his tail.

“Thanks sis. I’ll get all the footage you guys need.” He grinned then hopped over the edge of the ship, using his wings to catch him.

“You guys sure you don’t need us to come along?” Lloydie asked, stepping forward from where he and the others stood.

“Nah. It’s just a quick in and out. We won’t be more than 5 minutes tops.” Kai reassured.

“Just make sure to stick close to my father.” Morro cautioned and Kai smiled, flying over to stroke his snout, bumping his forehead against his.

“Don’t worry Mor-bro. We’ll be fine.” He reassured and Morro wasn’t ready to admit he needed the reassurance.

He knew their world was in a bad state, knew it was dangerous to go as they weren’t even sure what the oxygen levels were like right now and with both Kai and his father going there… He blinked once Kai held the crystal out to him.

“Why don’t you send us off huh?” He grinned and Morro blinked at the pink gem then balanced on his hind leg and accepted it, the crystal tiny in his paw but he picked it up between his claws and glanced at Kai as he flew back to where his father was. “Just hold it up and it’ll do the rest- but make sure not to do it twice or else the portal will close.” Kai warned and Morro nodded before holding up the crystal as instructed, a large portal opening up close to the two as he did.

“Sit tight. We’ll be back in a jif.” Kai winked before he flew in as Wu walked through.

The first thing Kai noticed once he stepped through was that the sun was setting- which was good since the air was uncharastically hot. That combined with the obvious decline in air quality made it a little difficult to breathe. He glanced up at Wu as the dragon looked around at what once was a lush, bountiful planet, now reduced to desolence, nothing but broken and dead trees standing around the base of the mountain they called home. The sky held a noticeably redder colour and it was quiet. So uncharastically quiet. Kai turned the camera on, moving forward still, looking for any signs of life thriving here. There were bones of animals passed, decomposing still and fungi. Well. At least they were clear signs of life.

“We won’t be able to ascend the mountain. The air gets thinner the higher you go and it’s already difficult to breathe at sea level.” Wu spoke up as he too walked around, keeping his pace slow and his breathing even.

He couldn’t afford to get even slightly winded. As a dragon of his size, his lungs demand a large amount of oxygen with each inhale, amounts that the planet could no longer satisfy. He couldn’t stay for very long still, else he collapses from oxygen deprivation. But their future depends on any signs of life. Fungi was a good start but he was hoping that more complex life survived the decline in the planet’s environment. If not, then they would be in Ninjago for far longer than he originally thought.

“Nothing. Maybe we should try in a different area? This is still kinda on a slope so maybe if we head to flatter land…” Kai suggested, turning to Wu.

“Perhaps.” Wu says in consideration. “However-” He was cut off by a cough that quickly descended into a coughing fit.

“Wu!” Kai yelled, alarmed as he flew over.

“I’m… Afraid I cannot… Stay any longer here…” He rasped, barely able to prevent himself from coughing further.

“Then go back!” Kai urged, looking back to the portal and he nods, heading towards it. “I wanna look around for a minute longer but I won’t go far.” He told Wu as he paused to see if he was coming.

“... Be careful.” He warns and Kai nodded, watching as he returned to his world.

Kai looked up, the moons, rings and stars in the night sky holding a reddish tint from the oxygen deprived atmosphere before he looked around again, hoping for even the softest glow of an insect but finding none still. He sighed, turning the camera towards himself from where he had still been filming.

“Five years past here and no signs of complex life. I’d look around a bit longer but it’s not exactly easy to breathe here, despite my body needing less oxygen than the dragon’s. It’s dark but it’s still pretty hot out and the air is thick and heavy. Maybe things will be in better shape after five more years. We could probably even chek different locations then.” Kai shrugged at the camera recording him. “Might as well head back now.” He says quietly, looking at the reflective lense before he frowned, spotting something strange.

He glanced back and up, looking at the sky suspiciously. Strange. He could have sworn he saw some kind of light- It flickered in again, growing brighter and larger this time. Kai’s eyes widened at the familiarity of the phenomenon in the sky. No way… He turned the camera towards it without much more thought, on the defense as he narrowed his eyes at the swirling multicoloured vortex above. Suddenly, two figures came tumbling out and Kai’s eyes widened before he darted forward, dropping the camera and catching one- then two, before they could hit the ground. Oh man were they heavy! A small sound from one of the two figures caught his attention and he really looked at them.

“Oh boy.” Was all he could think to say.

Wasn’t this a situation.

Outside the portal, Morro was fussing over his winded father, creating a gentle but oxygen filled airflow around his head as he caught his breath.

“Kai’s still in there. What’s taking him so long?” Cole says with a frown, wings out and opened, ready to perform a rescue mission if he must.

“If he doesn’t come out in the next minute or two then we go in.” Lloyd says, looking across at Cole and he nodded.

You better be ok Kai…

____

“Ugh!” Pixal growled in frustration.

“I agree! This is hopeless! Almost two months and we’re hardly any close to figuring this thing out!” Nya yells, resisting the urge to throw it down to instead place it on the table.

“I feared we wouldn’t be able to uncover the mysteries of this advanced technology. It appears this is becoming reality.” Zane says with a tone of frustration as well.

“I don’t know guyss, maybe we’re overthinking thingss.” Jay spoke up and they looked at him, both parts unimpressed and curious.

“Have you even interacted with this device? I think overthinking is quite necessary.” Pixal pointed out.

“No no.” Tempest says as he took over, Jay on the back burner. “I think Jay’ss got a point. Doess Vortica ssseem like the type of persson to use anything overly complicated? Doesn’t matter if complicated is within her knowledge basse, I think ssshe’d use sssomething that only takess a touch or two to activate.” He says as he used his tail to pick it up and bring it closer.

“Maybe turn it on then swipe?” Tempest mumbled as he did so, sliding his thumb against a pink panel before he blinked once a holoscreen and keyboard popped up, an image of Vortica sticking her tongue out at the top, making it clear this was a messaging interface.

Tempest smirked at the surprised, borderline angry looks both Nindroids and Nya wore, Jay yelling up a storm in the front of his mind.

“Well. I’ll be damned. Looks like the mystery is solved at lasst.”  Tempest huffed.

____

“Alright. Let’s go in.” Lloyd says as he walked forward, Cole on his tail.

Before they could get any closer however Kai walked through the portal, struggling with the weight of the figures in his arms.

“Is that-” Blaze says with wide eyes as he and the others walked over.

“They are…” Wisp whispered, not sure if he should go on the defense or assist.

“Well. There’s two faces I never expected to see again. Especially like this.” Mist spoke up as Morro closed the portal.

“... Indeed…” Was Wu’s contemplative hum.

Perhaps… This was for the best.

____________ (I'm trying for updates every 2 days now for this fic. Also I cannot write the name Green Bean/Greenie and take it seriously so I updated Dragon!Lloyd's name to just Lloydie. They still call him Greenie and he's still annoyed by it but that's kinda in the background. Can you guess who came through the portal? ;)Thanks for reading!)

[piperhalliwellskitchen]

Your fun but painfully hard Charmed asks, as promised :) How would you rank all eight seasons of Charmed from your favorite to least favorite? How would you rank all four sisters from your personal favorite to least favorite - and why? Which were your favorite and least favorite romances of the series? Which sister relationships do you love most and least (e.g. Prue/Piper, Piper/Phoebe, Prue/Phoebe Piper/Paige, Phoebe/Paige...?) And what would you most want to change about the series?!

oooooooooooo these are great!!! ranking of all the seasons favorite to least favorite for me is: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 4, 7, 8the first three are my favorite because i feel like the first three seasons were the most interesting and i reeeaaallly loved shannen doherty’s acting. due in part to her excellent acting and the writing of the first three seasons there was something vaguely more real about the first three seasons, vs. the rest where it kind of turns into supernatural soap opera (which i still love) and becomes a little more like fluff. still enjoyable but missing a certain grit. sister ranking: piper is my favorite because i love her and want to be like her the most, prue is my second favorite because i’m probably actually a lot more like her than i think (and we have the neurotic oldest sister thing in common!), and paige/phoebe are on equal footing with me because i relate to both of them in the same way - free-spirited, a little edgy (i relate to seasons 1-3 phoebe more than “grown up” phoebe in the later seasons) but even though i relate to them they’re not necessarily my favorite… but i still love them….prue & piper is my favorite sister relationship, hands down! shannen + holly are great friends in real life which really shows in their acting in the first three seasons.. honestly i felt like after shannen left, piper was never really able to recreate that same relationship and she just sort of became everyone’s mom which is part of why i don’t like the later seasons as much…. i love phoebe/paige because paige brings out the mentor in phoebe and phoebe/prue was always fun - they had a little animosity but i think they really bonded by the third season (though phoebe got over prue’s death way too easily in the fourth season, tbh..) piper & phoebe always had a good relationship that was fun to watch - in the first 3 seasons, she was the buffer from phoebe to prue and after prue left, piper and phoebe bonded as like sister-moms to paige, introducing her to the craft and that was fun to watch… piper/paige is probably my least favorite sister interaction because i feel like when paige came along, piper really became more of a curmudgeon and i LOVE piper as a mom, don’t get me wrong, but she acted like too much of a mom with paige, when the reality is that paige is an adult.. and it took a while for piper to kind of adapt to that. in some episodes/seasons/scenes she recognizes it, but in others, it sort of seems like a bit of lazy acting on holly’s part maybe? to treat paige like a baby…things i would most want to change about the series… oo… for one, make the setting true to san francisco LOL. you can’t just have a few shots of the golden gate bridge, some cable cars and ghirardelli and call it a day - that’s not all that SF is! i’ve lived here for a few years now and there’s only a few eps/scenes that really made me believe it was SF. the slum lord in season 5, and some of the buckland scenes could be in the financial district. the show doesn’t ever mention the east bay (oakland, berkeley, etc) or if it does, it’s an afterthought. but their house? the fact that they have a front yard and a sunroom???? unheard of in SF, especially wherever they are supposed to be located.. they made a reference to where that was supposed to be in the first season which was WAY off (somewhere near eddy/o’farrell… which is deep tenderloin and has ZERO manors… not a nice neighborhood like theirs) - and they kind of avoid mentioning any of the neighborhoods at all which is like a HUGE thing in SF. they never talk about the mission, nob hill, financial district, pacific heights, bayview district… etc… the show would have been a LOT more believable if they actually did some research and made the setting more realistic. also relating to setting… these are 4 total sisters (WICCAN sisters no less!!!!) in the bay area and not even ONE of them was at least a little bi???? the fuck?????? that was pretty ridiculous to me. also i got really sapphic vibes from phoebe, always. i understand the appeal of cole, but i think it would have been amazing if she had either a temporary or serious relationship with a woman after… a woman would have made phoebe feel way more appreciated and i think phoebe would have been really receptive to a relationship with that kind of love + mutual understanding.. but for real, the fact that not only did none of the sisters have any romantic relationships with women at any time, they also only had maybe a total of 3 lesbians featured on the show (and only ONE was a couple that it was explicitly mentioned they were together - oh and one of them dies.. shocking…) - that was really upsetting. this is san francisco, for fuck’s sake. there should have been a way more diverse character base - not just more lgbt characters, but more black, latino, lgbt and all those intersections.…speaking of diversity. there was a lot of racism in the show that watching it over and over again makes me pretty annoyed. a lot of the demons are always black, and really obnoxious tropes. like the witch doctor. the “tribal” demons. the demons that always die. and even the innocents that die first/quickest are always the non-white ones.. the bay area is a REALLY rich + racially diverse area, they really should have had more than (1) recurring black character (darryl.. and of course he was a cop.. smh) and they absolutely should have had recurring latino + asian characters. chinatown + japantown are HUGE parts of san francisco, and many parts of the bay area are almost exclusively asian or latino…. it’s pretty much unforgivable that they didn’t even really seem to try to incorporate non-white characters in the show in like a real, meaningful way. another thing they could have done better is ended the series at the 7th season, after they faked their deaths. the 8th season was pretty bad imo. lol. their fake alteregos were kinda fun but it was just so pointless… also as much as i love paige + rose mcgowan, i do wonder what the show would have been like if someone else was cast as paige… there was a confession on @charmedxconfessions once that i saw wondering what it would have been like if eliza dushku was cast as paige, and i admit that is an interesting thought. i’m not sure who i would pick, but it does make me wonder. rose is pretty and everything, but she’s really not the greatest actor, let’s be honest with ourselves here. lol. the first few eps in season 4 i think are the best example of this… she starts to get into it better in season 5, for sure, but… i wonder what it would have been like if they hired someone with more seasoned acting chops…. also with regards to paige.. her giving up her job made me sad, tbh. she did a lot of good work as a social worker and again with setting, it’s super unrealistic that any of them would go any amount of time without any kind of job. and if she had a good one like that, i think it was unrealistic that she would leave it? idk. i think it would have been interesting if she continued to keep her job and they could have delved into some of the problems of the city through that, too. (thus adding to the realism of the setting…) could have also been a good way to incorporate more interesting (and not white) recurring characters, too.the last season with paige’s relationship with henry… can we say.. SNOOZE. god that was such a boring, forced love plot. i actually like henry, but i really felt like that relationship was shoehorned in to give them all perfect husbands. same with coop. so boring. i’m not just saying this cus i think they should have dated women at some point, but like those relationships were literally so forced + boring. not only was the writing in the 8th season pretty weak, it seemed like those two romantic plots were a way to keep viewers interested. cheap tactics, imo. lastly!!!! (i’m almost done i swear) i REALLY wish they left things on good terms with shannen doherty, because the fact that they really never mentioned prue at all past the first few eps of the 4th season was really a shame. she was a HUGE part of their lives, obviously, as their oldest sister, and she was the most powerful witch for the first three seasons… the fact that they pretty much forgot about her entirely past the 4th season showed that they let their petty beefs control the show instead of caring about its integrity or fans.. like i’m sure i wouldn’t have liked shannen doherty in person much either (she’s a republican and from what i heard, it was her and alyssa milano’s political/personal differences that drove that wedge in the show) - but at some point you really need to just be professional. if you’re not doing it for the fans, who are you doing it for? it would have been good for them to either feature her in the last episode, or pan to a photo of her when piper/leo were walking up the stairs.. everytime i watch that i get so upset. it’s disrespectful to prue’s memory, and she deserved better.. ok… i think that’s it…. though i could seriously go on forever LOL. i love this show to death but i’m very acutely aware of all the issues this show has especially since i watch it literally every day lol… still love it… but yeah if they ever do a remake i have SUGGESTIONS…!!! hehEDIT: oh i just realized you asked about romances too! i kind of addressed it in my things i would change about the series answer... but yeah uh piper+leo are my favorite and i do love phoebe/cole sometimes.. in season 2, 3, and parts of 5/6. but yeah cole is pretty bad and abusive and ughhhhhh.. he’s just so.. tasty.. lollllll............ pretty much all of paige’s love interests are super boring. i loved prue/andy :( and again, paige or phoebe should have dated a lady at some point. lol.

[rosepoints]

wait...: I wanna know ur feelings on fenharel... the dread wolf.... share ur thoughts?

ok i’m gonna shove this under the cut bc a friend of mine who’s following this blog hasn’t finished inquisition yet :’) warning: do not read if you haven't played dai yet ;; this is so ridiculously spoiler-heavy ahahahhaha

mmmmm idk how to begini guess i should start with my impressions of him before dai?

anyhow, when i started origins as a dalish warden, i thought it was strange to see how the dalish kept a statue of a god that they feared and hated so close to the camp. ok it was on the outskirts and not actually in the camp, but still, it was closer than i would have expected an image of a hated god to be. it made me wonder if fen'harel was ever a god of protection that was twisted into the trickster since then, keeping the statue by the edges of the camp could be some sort of leftover tradition from the times when the god was viewed differently.also, the continuing motif of wolves and halla throughout elvhen artwork struck me as being a little strange especially since wolves are a marker of fen'harel ? idk if i'm forgetting any other elvhen god that has the wolf motif thing going on as well, but yeah, that was another thing that intrigued me about the god.

and then, in dai, we meet solas.

ngl i thought he was a bit pissy at first especially since i played as an elf for my first playthrough and got the "you're not a real elf lmao the dalish are WRONG" conversation.but then, throughout his banter and conversation throughout the game, you start realizing that he knows far more than what he chooses to tell, and he's always melancholy about the things that already exist. he's careful with his words, never outright denying or confirming anything, and he cares so deeply about spirits and dreams and the Fade.another thing that caught my attention was when he referred to his people vs the elves / dalish of today + the way he shifts from "my people" to "your people" to "our people" throughout the game is so... disconcerting. he just doesn't seem like your regular, everyday elven apostate and that's what intrigued me about him and what made me pursue him. and now, we know. we know that he is infinitely more than he ever seemed to be, but he is still, at the very core,

you start to realize that he never considered anything or anybody real before, and as you traveled and adventured and defeated corypheus, he learns that this world is in fact real and that the creation of the veil didn't make anybody less of a person. that's how his character develops.it's just as important as leliana's morality or the iron bull's loyalty or cole's identity, but perhaps, not as evident.

yeah, some people are going to say that he's a problematic character, that his romance isn't as good as people say that it is. and yes, those people are entirely entitled to their opinion. and okay, he looks like an egg and i was a little pissed at his condescending behavior. but for me, it was the fact that it felt as though he was letting himself be himself. solas, the man who despises tea and sets his own coattails on fire. after all, he did use himself as a disguise, and i feel like spending time with my lavellan and the rest of the dai crew allowed him to be himself instead of the terrifying god that the dalish think he is or the leader of a rebellion that he is still leading today. and he grows. he really does. if you listen with his banter with cassandra, you can tell that he respects her and her faith. he focuses so much on freedom and self-determination and power's ability to corrupt. he loves the fade and the spirits.

and wow !! trespasser ended me !!! especially that exchange where lavellan asserts, "solas, var lath vir suledin!" and solas pauses and looks at her with the saddest eyes and says softly, "i wish it could, vhenan." aND THE MUSIC my god the dlc music never fails to wrench my heart.(and he even paints a mural of his own ass man that takes some courage to do wowowowowoww)

and now, on a more personal note, i find myself relating to solas a lot more than i originally thought i did. he's stubborn and pessimistic, and he seems to be unable to trust others but yet, doesn't want to be the only one to carry all of this power and responsibility. i sorta relate since i've definitely been in multiple situations where i've tried to fix things, but everything just got worse and worse, and i can feel that desperation of trying to make things right again (but ofc not on such a huge scale as he has). also, idk if this is reaching too far, but i think that he has a tendency to disassociate a bit at times? and yeah, i have a tendency to do that too, and it's so disorienting when i realize what's going on and what's happening, and it must be so disconcerting for him to live in a world that is so completely different than what he used to know and to live with the fact that he was the one who caused it to happen.

another thing to consider about solas is the fact that we still don't know many details regarding his intentions and how he plans to execute them just yet. we only know that he's trying to bring down the veil in order to undo what he considers to be his biggest mistake. i've seen a lot of interesting meta + theories on tumblr about who he was as a "god" and the divinity that he denies as well as connections to lyrium, the fade, the titans, and the evanuris themselves. i think that one theory in particular that i remember clearly is the one theory regarding the accumulation of power through worship and how beliefs can shape a god. i can't find the exact post now, but that's definitely a good read.

ok wow this has become a rambling mess of an answer and i sincerely apologize ;; it's not rlly coherent at all rip

anyhow !! i'm !! just so !! excited !! for dragon age 4 !!man, think about all the lore!! think about fen'harel and his rebellion, the forgotten ones, the evanuris, the blight, the red lyrium, the titans, mythal, tevinter !!!!!!! like shit !!! i'm literally shaking with excitement right now :"))))))

[cosmosogler]

today i crawled out of bed after sleeping for less than 8 hours to go to the gi doctor. i spent most of the visit filling out my insurance information. the doctor took one look at my records and immediately referred me to an office by one of the hospitals in town to get the imaging stuff done... next wednesday. so that’s a thing.

i had half a box of mac and cheese for lunch, and veggie broth for dinner. then mom said she had made too many scalloped potatoes so i had some of those. just a tiny bit. 

i spent a while this evening talking to my school friends on facebook. jay practically threw a fit that i wasn’t coming back. he said he and devon had already made a “welcome back” card for me and now they couldn’t give it to me. raven suggested some vitamins i’m gonna give a try. i mean, it’s not like vitamins will make me feel WORSE, right?

i also gotta email dr. cole tomorrow. and call the grad office. i called financial aid about getting a refund since my withdrawal from the university was health related, and the lady there told me that i couldn’t graduate in may if i’m not an active student. so i’ve been kind of quietly freaking out about that all day. i’m too much of a pushover to really fight for my case if they just give me a straight up “no.”

hmm. i’ve been having a lot of thoughts that i haven’t really felt comfortable sharing with tumblr. i wish i could eat junk food like ice cream and try to work through these feelings, but i am on a bland food only diet and also don’t have my therapist or psychiatrist handy. so my self care has mostly been relegated to avoiding sleeping and taking long showers. 

i don’t like sleeping when i’m feeling like this. all my feelings and fears come spilling out all at once in a hellscape that reeks of decay and despair. my dreams keep coming back to the feeling that i’ve lost something that can’t be replaced. and it’s not just my pokemon game. i don’t like thinking about it. and i see people that i don’t want to see, and i am very, very weak and ill. even in my dreams i kind of shut down when confronted with all this crap. i am profoundly unhappy and i have no idea what to do about it. my dreams have no comment on what to DO about all these emotions, not that i can see. i just wake up feeling them intensely.

maybe i’ll ask asher if he wants to hang out in person. i would just have to bring along my own saltines. 

with the current political climate it is getting increasingly difficult to spend time with dad. he launches into unwanted political commentary at random if i happen to be nearby for too long. i do not feel comfortable sharing my opinions with him, especially when he does stuff like say “i know you feel ___ about this,” or “i know you think ___.” it’s like, bitch, you have no idea what i think because i’ve never even told you what i think. 

i’m not really scared. i think i’ve launched on a rocket past the fear line and into despair territory. in more than one way.

[maiden-of-wolves]

Venna Drags Ariel to Her Feelings

Just a scene that I had in my head of Venna Lavellan and Ariel Grace talking, friend to friend.

“So…” the Inquisitor began, letting the syllable drag on far too long for emphasis. “You seem to be pretty close to Zev—”

Click on the read more if you want to see more. (Trying to spare those on mobile)

Ariel cut her commentary off at the knees. “So are you,” she noted sharply. ��So is Varric, not to mention that he and Dorian flirt like mad, too. I’m not special.”

Venna quirked a brow as she looked at her friend. That was a spectacularly defensive answer, which only made her even more curious. “You don’t go out of your way to spend time with people, Ariel. That much, if nothing else, I know about you.”

Ariel gave her friend a rueful glare but didn’t actually deny it. She turned her gaze away to stare out at the mountains that surrounded Skyhold.

“Do you like him?”

“Of course. He’s interesting, and underneath all that flippant flighty flirting he has the capacity for a great deal of kindness. I hate that he has the same penchant as you and Dorian do, though.”

“What? A great sense of fashion?”

Ariel fixed her friend with another withering glare and then dramatically rolled her eyes. “No. Your habit of attempting to make me blush my face into a new skin color.”

“Ah, yes!” The elven inquisitor crowed, clapping her hands together before rubbing them for a moment as she grinned. “That is really fun. You could make it less fun if you just weren’t so easily embarrassed, you know~”

The advisor continued her glare, her lips now pursing slightly from irritation as her brows knitted slightly. Her lips shifted back as she spoke. “You talk like I can actually change what embarasses me by sheer force of will.”

“Well we’re certainly trying to toughen you up with some… what did you call it? ‘Exposure’ something?”

“Exposure therapy,” Ariel corrected Venna. She sighed. “Guess that’s just not effective on me, then. Seems to be making the problem worse. Perhaps you should stop trying it, since the treatment isn’t working.”

“Ah, but none of us are doctors — or, what did you call those special doctors?”

“Therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists…”

“Right. Those things.”

After a moment’s silence, Ariel had relaxed and looked back out at the scenery. Venna, however, wasn’t done.

“You didn’t answer my question. Do you like him?”

“I did answer your question.”

“With your evaluation. Not your feelings.”

Ariel’s expression shifted to a mix of disgust and irritation. She really had spent too much time telling Venna things. She knew her too well now.

“So…?”

“Why does it matter? We’ve been over how I can’t get that invested.”

“Doesn’t stop you from having feelings.”

Ariel went quiet at that, unsure how best to form her feelings into understandable speech. “I… Miris is the only one he will ever love.”

“I didn’t ask about his feelings. You don’t know those.”

Ariel heaved a sigh that bordered on dramatic. “I do my best not to hope for, much less really think on, that kind of thing. Especially with him.”

“Is that it? You find yourself daydreaming about it and shut it out?”

Ariel glanced over at Venna and was met with a knowing stare. She shook her head. “Imagine this - that when I came out of the cells at Haven, I knew intimate details about you without ever having met you: your clan name, your last relationship, your favorite food, your favorite saying, your quirks… wouldn’t that be exceedingly creepy?”

Venna’s brows raised so high that her vallaslin was intensely compressed. “You know all that about Zevran?”

“Not all. It was a thought experiment for you and you didn’t answer.”

“Yes, that would be… disturbing. I’d wonder if you were a blood mage.”

Ariel chuckled, though the sound was breathless and mirthless. She ran a hand through her shaggy hair. “That’s why I’ve tried to simply be there with him. Let him talk — the fact that I find his voice sultry, smooth like velvet and soothing not being the main reason I listen as intently as I do — let him tell me the things he wants me to know. I encourage him to talk about his trauma because no one else in his life allows for such things and he lets it build up. I help him how I can because I care, because I know… how much he’s already suffered. I am content just being able to talk with him, to gain his trust as naturally as I can.”

“You rank up there with Cole in compassion, Ariel, but that sounds extraordinary even for your empathy…”

She knew the question hidden in Venna’s statement. “Miris will forever have his heart,” Ariel reminded her friend. “One of the things I’m sure he told her was a simple phrase that I will never get out of my head. Three words, but not the ones you think of. He said,” she paused to sit up a little straighter as she prepped to mimic his Antivan accent, “I am yours.” Ariel smiled to herself, cheeks turning rosey even just from the memory.

“Isn’t that a bit… kinky?” Venna asked, brow quirked as she stared at her friend. “I knew you were curious, but are you—”

“No, no! You don’t get it!” Ariel gasped. “He was owned. The son of a brothel worker—”

“A whore.”

Ariel caught herself actually growling at Venna. “Can I finish?”

Venna sat back a little bit, eyes widening at Ariel’s snapping. 

Ariel took her silence as an invitation and acquiescence. “He went from the brothel to be sold as an asset to the Crows. They didn’t care if he lived or died, treated him horrifically and had him tamp down any emotion that could possibly impart empathy. And then… after a staggering loss of a fellow Crow…. He was spared by Miris when he wanted to die. He was given a fresh chance, but he’d only ever known being ‘owned’. When he said it Miris… it was his choice. He trusted that she would never hurt him. It was a beautiful moment. And… it was…” Ariel hesitated, expression falling from the anger she had worked herself up into a few moments before. “It was terribly relatable.”

“You were owned?”

Ariel shook her head. “No, not like he was. I was pushed, told what to be, how to dress, how to talk… I rebelled but fell into nothing but shit when I tried to trust people romantically. I saw that moment and I felt hope. Hope that I could find that one day. That even if someone as stuffed into a mold that Zev was… could break it and live happily. That’s why I wanted to help him so badly. He’s suffered enough.”

Venna seemed at loss for words for a few moments. Still, she regained herself eventually. “It still sounds like you’re side-stepping. Talk about you.”

Ariel looked exasperated at the insistence, but she had nowhere else to go with it other than the space in her heart that she locked everything down. “Even though I love how he speaks, the way he laughs — it makes me feel…” she sighed as she searched for the words, “alive. Intensely proud when I’m the one that pulls that beautiful sound from his lips.” She paused, staring straight up into the clouds as things she held down deep in her consciousness just simply flowed out. “The way he grins at you when he’s thought of something clever or mischievous. The glimmer that follows in his eyes. The sheer confidence he manages to radiate nearly every single moment of his life is something I could only enviously wish I could know in my life. Even in the few times I have been at his side in battle, the way he effortlessly glides through enemies… puts me at ease. And you know how I am around death, how guilty I feel, how… it haunts my dreams. But when I’m with him, that’s all I remember. I don’t think about the lives, I think about his prowess… that he is on my side in all this and I have nothing to fear.”

“And his ‘prowess’ doesn’t involve his well-formed body?” Venna questioned, smirking.

Ariel barked out a laugh. She finally pulled her gaze back down to roll her eyes at her friend. “I’m not blind,” she answered ruefully, doing her best to completely ignore her rising blush. “But that’s — as Solas would put it — is only an enjoyable side-benefit.”

“Man, you really love him…”

She didn’t add to that, suddenly feeling very depressed about it all. “I suppose I do. But… it’s never to be. I can’t let it, even if he would ever remove the tightly-wound barbed wire around his heart that is his memories of Miris.”

“Why? You seem to be helping him work that out—”

“We’ve already discussed this—”

“And I’ve already told you that you’re not disposable,” Venna cut her off in a snap. “You’ve already admitted that you don’t think you will be able to go back without some serious blood magic and you refuse to do that. So what’s stopping you?”

“His memories? My propensity to love too deeply, so much so that it’s suffocating? His already shattered and papered-over heart? My own fragile sense of self, already cracked and glued from the last time I really let myself love? The list seems endless and terribly painful.”

“And you don’t see how that’s all just… leading you towards each other? That you’re helping him heal and strengthening yourself in the process?”

“Real life isn’t a storybook,” Ariel muttered. “Putting two broken people together doesn’t magically make them whole.”

“Nothing magical about you just sitting with him and encouraging him through his painful memories. Being a safe ear and space for him.”

“Perhaps not, but the point still stands. Putting broken people together isn’t a great idea. And I have no intention of being the one to break him again, even if it is not due to my own wishes.”

“Sounds more like you’re the one who’s afraid to be broken again.”

Ariel didn’t answer, again staring off at the surrounding Frostbacks. She couldn’t help but feel Venna was right… but that would mean she had no reason to not be with Zevran. That was a terribly dangerous idea.