#he's not actually called the savior king is he

[tacticalgrandma]

Dimitri’s handsitting “i’ll be complicit in racism but i’ll be really sad about it :(” is pathetic. Be like Claude and poison your best friend’s brother about it

[hanakihan]

… no wonder JP twitter went apeshit IM CURRENTLY LOSING IT HOLY FUCK??? HE’S SO??? CRYING??? YELLING??? PRAYING TO HIM LIKE HE’S THE GOD OF MY NEW RELIGION RN??? HE’S SO 5★ WORTHY HERE GOD???

[kitten4sannie]

ᴘʟᴇᴀꜱᴜʀᴇ ᴘʟᴀɴᴇᴛ

ᴛᴇɴᴛᴀᴄʟᴇꜱ/ᴛɪᴛꜰᴜᴄᴋɪɴɢ ➠ ᴡᴏᴏʏᴏᴜɴɢ

pairing: intergalactic alien idol! wooyoung x cyborg call girl! reader (fem) feat. ai! san

genre: futuristic au, idol au, smut

summary: your company pleasureplanet™ gets a call from the most sought after idol in your galaxy, requesting you for an evening. he shows you a side his fans have never seen before.

w.c: 2.5k

warnings: switch! wooyoung, reader adapts to whatever woo wants for her own pleasure ^^, alien heat cycles, woo’s got an big alien cock, implied voyeurism, praise, begging, tentacle sucking + fucking, deep-throating, titfucking, choking kink but not in the way you think, unprotected sex, just…so much cum and alien goo lol, breeding/impreg kink, actual impregnation (in this economic climate??), oviposition, creampie, cum inflation

a/n: i’m giving my lord and savior cthulhu all the credit for bestowing this idea upon me,, it’s not like i’ve been wanting to write something this heinous for months and months… where’d you even get that idea from?? haha…ha. but fr im so happy i finally got to write out something that’s akin to a hentai lol i’m living my best smut writer life rn. please heed the warnings and if you did so i hope you enjoy :3

Now Playing:

ᴘʟ4ʏɢ1ʀʟ ʙʏ ʟᴏʟᴏ ᴢᴏᴜᴀÏ

0:01 ❍─────── 4:28

Volume: ▁▂▃▄▅▆▇ 100%

ᴘʀᴇᴠ | ꜰꜰꜰ ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀʟɪꜱᴛ | ɴᴇxᴛ

Wooyoung woke up from his sleep in a cold sweat, the flashing lights projecting from the room’s flatscreen making patterns on his glistening skin as he sat up, his body filled with an odd, though familiar heaviness that he knew he would have to take care of sooner than later. 

“Shit, is it happening already?” he whispered to himself, groaning as pulled himself to the edge of the king-sized bed to sit comfortably. “San, do a body scan.” Wooyoung rubbed his tired eyes, waiting for his in-house AI system to kick in, a familiar ding suddenly ringing out inside the empty room.

A projection of a youthful man with sharp, feline-like features appeared on the wall closest to Wooyoung’s bed. He looked in Wooyoung’s general direction, giving him a cordial smile and a bow. “Good evening, Wooyoung.” Blue rings of light formed along the edges of San’s brown eyes, studying Wooyoung’s form. “It appears that your BPM is above normal range. Abnormal body temperature and cortisol production have been detected. Unusually high levels of arousal and semen production are recognized as well,” the AI stated matter-of-factly, blinking. “You seem to be exhibiting symptoms of an illness that members of your sector are susceptible to contracting during this time of year. Would you like to see an in-depth analysis?” 

“Yes, San.” Wooyoung waited for a moment until a prompt appeared on the small computer built into his wrist, tapping a few options, until it projected various images to him. The application showed him what he was in denial about discovering, the bright red letters indicating that he was indeed smack dab in the middle of an intense heat, and to make things worse, he was carrying. To make matters even worse, he knew his kind was required to transfer his offspring to a willing partner, or else his own body would become a birthing ground.

Knowing that he had too many fans relying on him in the intergalactic entertainment world, it simply wasn’t an option for him to retire. He would have to find someone that could host them for him, but where? And so late in the night? Who could possibly–

“Hey, sexy, are you looking for a late-night lover?” an ample-chested member of the spider dimension with eight hooded eyes and fearsome mandibles questioned Wooyoung from the bright TV screen, bringing a bit of their web together into a pattern that formed a heart.  

“Oh?” Wooyoung murmured, realizing that just perhaps his reluctant, desperate prayers to his galaxy’s god were in the process of being answered.

A curvy gray alien leaning seductively against a bar table continued the spiel, “Someone you can unload your deepest desires onto? Someone that can make your wildest dreams come true?” 

“Well, look no further.” An enthusiastic, though automated voice took over this time, as the screen showcased the company’s shiny logo, while it flipped through a slew of optional playmates across the screen like pages of an open book, showcasing the wide range of choices Wooyoung had. “Our playmates at Pleasure Planet will take good care of you. For price options, call (XXX)-XXX.” 

Wooyoung bit his lip, about to look away from the TV when you popped up on the screen, drawing his attention to you, your human-like beauty mixed with the metal intricacies of a robot standing out to him. 

“Well, what are you waiting for, baby?” you asked Wooyoung through the screen, laying across a plush velvet couch in only a small black slip, your back arched, running your fingers up along your sleek body, until you brought them into your hair to push it behind your ears, your fingers brushing against the small lit-up chrome circle near your temple. “Give me a call~” 

Wooyoung gulped so hard, he almost swallowed his Adam’s apple, knowing what he had to do. He rubbed at his sweaty neck, feeling more beads of sweat trickle down his neck to his chest, the loose sleep t-shirt that was hanging off his shoulders now tinted a darker color. “San, call Pleasure Planet and book me an appointment with the cyborg girl.” 

“Right away, Wooyoung,” San obeyed, bowing at the waist, before his image dissipated, the wall returning to a blank state. 

࿏࿏࿏

A soft ding sound filled the empty space of Wooyoung’s expansive cyber chamber after some time went by, finally distracting the overheated alien from his current predicament. He continued to lay in a fetal position on the side of his bed, too overwhelmed by the dizzying amount of arousal that was swirling around his insides like a shoal of fish. “Is…nnngh…she here, San?” 

San’s form materialized onto the wall once more, scanning his Master’s crumpled up body, running a number of tests, finding that the situation was beginning to grow imminent. “Yes, she is, Wooyoung. Please begin the mating ritual as soon as possible, to prevent less favorable outcomes. I’m sure your company wouldn’t want you–”

“You think I don’t know that, San?” he snapped back, holding a hand to his disruptive abdomen, groaning in both pain and unexplainable pleasure, as what Wooyoung could only describe as molten-hot lava churning around inside his core, just aching to spill out of him. “Where the fuck is she? I need to–”

“I’m here for you, Wooyoung. Please, put your worries to rest,” you replied as you entered his room, Wooyoung’s eyes following your movements like a moth to a flame, taking slow steps up to his bed, shedding various articles of your clothing until you were bare for him. 

“O-oh, hi,” Wooyoung croaked, doing his best to sit up in his bed with his head against his pillow, beads of sweat already soaking into it, strands of black hair sticking to his forehead. He watched you climb onto his bed and crawl towards him, his eyes shifting from your face to your body, trying to get his spinning mind to stop for a moment. “Wh-what’s your name?” 

“Y/N, but you can call me whatever you want. I’m yours for tonight~” You mounted him, lowering yourself down to feel his aching length pressing into your heat through his boxers. 

“Y/N…” he repeated softly, entranced by you. 

Smiling down at him, you gently ran your hands up his rapidly rising abdomen, feeling up his soft body along the way, eventually slipping him out of the sweater he was in, eliciting a whine from the alien below you. You brought your lips near Wooyoung’s parted ones, whispering against them, “Oh, baby, you’re in bad shape, huh? Need me to take care of you?” 

Wooyoung nodded weakly, his hands on your thighs, feeling your soft skin underneath his heated grasp. He squeezed into it, swallowing harshly, his Adam’s apple visibly bobbing inside his throat. “Y-yes, please, it hurts so bad…” 

San, who was still watching from the wall, cleared his throat, doing his duty and informing his Master of important information. “Master, please return to your body’s natural state soon. Your vitals are starting to worry me.” 

“I got it, San,” Wooyoung grunted, glaring at the AI, before returning his attention to you. “Oh my god…” He groaned at the sight of you running your hands up and down your perfectly created body, your fingers slipping past the metal, glowing seams that sealed you together, until you got down to your glistening cunt, your fingers spreading yourself open for his viewing pleasure, all while grinding back and forth against his slippery, clothed length. “Y/N…fuck…I just…don’t want to scare you…” 

“You won’t, trust me. Please, let yourself go, Wooyoung, it’s okay,” you reassured him softly, licking at your fingers before they returned to your perfect pussy, rubbing at your clit, feeling zaps of electricity course through your body, your artificial synapses firing off inside your brain. “I’ll take care of you, I promise.” 

Inhaling sharply, Wooyoung closed his eyes for a moment to ground himself, knowing you wouldn’t judge every inch of him like people on the Universal Net did. Little by little, he let his body return to its natural state, small, ridged scales growing in patches along his skin, which exhibited an electric blue tint wherever his blood settled in the most, long, slick-covered tentacles emerging from his form, some of them idly curling around different parts of your body — the most notable change to his body being his cock, which tore out of his boxers from its size. It was no longer human-like, but instead resembled his wriggling appendages, had prominent ridges, leaked a steady flow of blue, viscous pre-cum, and had an obvious girth to it, thick, heavy-looking, and perhaps capable of stretching you open to your particular model’s max capacity for cock.

“Oh, Wooyoung,” you sighed, small digital hearts forming within your hooded eyes, cupping the alien’s flushed face, bringing your lips to his. “You're beautiful.” 

Wooyoung melted into your kiss and body respectively, bringing his hands up to your own face, holding it, his tentacles exploring the rest of your form for him, a few curling around and in between your tits, others sliding along your thighs and hips, while his slippery cock idly rubbed back and forth along your cunt like it had a mind of its own, sending waves of pleasure into the both of you. “Fuck, I need you so bad, Y/N…” 

A string of saliva broke your kiss as you pulled back, squeezing your tits together around the tentacle that was between them, licking at the wriggling tip. “How bad, baby? How bad do you want to fill me up with your cock?” you asked breathily, feeling the tentacle begin to thrust faster and faster, dripping blue pre-cum onto your slick skin. “You want to fuck your cum into me, Wooyoung? Fuck me so deep, it reaches my womb?” 

“Y-esss, please, oh my god, please,” Wooyoung moaned out, grabbing at your hips, continuing to grind his large, ridged cock against your cunt, unable to stop gasping for air from how hard he was breathing. 

“Then, come here,” you purred, reaching down to grab Wooyoung’s cock and pushing it inside you, feeling it fill you up inch by inch until your hungry cunt swallowed it in its entirety, your bodies essentially becoming one. 

Any semblance of composure completely left Wooyoung’s burning body in that moment, encouraging him to grab onto your hips like handlebars and drive his cock deep into your cunt over and over, his tentacles still eagerly exploring the expanse of your skin, some rubbing into your clit, others still preoccupied with your now bouncing tits, an additional tentacle loosely wrapping around your neck, the tip of it sliding along your cheek like it was licking you. “Feels so fucking good being inside you, Y/N, I’m gonna melt.” 

“Take me, Wooyoung, do whatever you want to me,” you told the alien in between pants, opening your mouth when Wooyoung’s tentacle rolled down your other cheek and across your lips, eventually slipping inside your mouth when you opened up, the small round disk built into your temple continually flashing blue the longer your body short-circuited with pleasure, your sensitive flesh squelching lewdly each time they joined together in slick, gooey harmony. 

Wooyoung watched you with a fondness that bordered obsession, drooling at the sight of his appendage fucking itself into your bulging throat that it was wrapped tightly around, still bringing you down onto his cock at an unnerving speed, the heaviness swirling around inside his lower abdomen growing more and more prominent. “I’m going to breed you, Y/N, did you know that? I’m going to fill you to the fucking brim with my kids.” 

You gurgled happily around the thrusting tentacle that was currently stretching out your lips and throat, your body shuddering with pleasure once load after load of blue goo spilled into your willing mouth, dripping down the sides of your chin and traveling along the rest of your slicked-up body. The tentacle left your mouth with a lewd pop and slowly wrapped around your waist instead. “Fill me up, Wooyoung, please, fuck it in me, deeper, I need it,” you begged him, desperately driving yourself down on his thick cock, cupping your own overheated cheeks, the hearts inside your eyes growing more and more bright each time the alien’s cock slipped deep inside your sloppy cunt.  

“Gonna fuck you so full, Y/N, gonna plug you up with my cock so you have to be my breeding bitch again and again,” Wooyoung mindlessly moaned out, simply driven by his overwhelming lust and instinctual urge to procreate, the heaviness moving closer and closer to his pulsing cock. 

“Yes, give it to me, please…!”

San, who had been silently observing the entire time, cleared his dry throat up to announce, “Delivery of offspring will be completed in…three…two..one…”

Neither you nor Wooyoung could tell who had came harder between the both of you, your joined moans and pants filling up the heavy air in the room. Wooyoung’s hands were cemented against your lower abdomen, able to feel as each warm, egg-like object had been deposited into your contracting cunt. “Feel them?” he asked under his breath, looking up into your barely open eyes.

“Yeah, I feel them,” you breathed, feeling dizzy just from the sensation of being filled to the absolute brim, Wooyoung’s cock acting as a dam until he knew that nothing except loads of his cum would come out afterwards, a small bulge present inside your stomach being the proof of what had been done to you. 

Wooyoung let out a small whine, slowly pulling out of you, his cock flopping lifelessly onto his pelvis, his eyes focused on the way your used hole fluttered around nothing, dribbles of electric blue cum dripping out, until a flood of it came seeping out in between your sticky bodies. With a blissful smile on his face, Wooyoung rubbed your stomach with gentle circles, humming to himself. “Let me know when you’re ready for another round, okay, baby?” 

You smiled softly down at him, placing your hand over his, ready to ask him for another round as soon as possible when San spoke instead.

“I hate to interrupt, but you have quite the schedule tomorrow, Wooyoung…practice at 9, vocals at 11, a fan meeting in the Twilight Quadrant at 3….” San slowly informed in a disheartened tone, a drop of sweat cascading down the side of his sleek face. 

Wooyoung growled, grabbing a pillow and tossing it at the wall, the image of San blurring temporarily. “Shut off! Shut down, San!” He looked back at you, rubbing your hips gently, unable to stop smiling at your pretty cybernetic face.

San disappeared from the wall, but his voice remained. “Just so you know, I don’t actually have a shut-off button, Wooyoung. I’m sentient…” 

Wooyoung’s fingers clenched into your hips, his eyebrows twitching downwards. “Oh my god, San, just wait till I fucking figure out how to hack your programming…” 

San cleared his throat, shaking his head, though it wasn’t visible to either of you, especially since you were both too busy eye-fucking each other. “Again, I’m sentient. That’s out of the realm of possibility.” 

“San!” 

fff taglist: FFF taglist: @itza-meee @chnt1 @k-hotchoisan @wonyobie @vampiregirl215 @yuyusbunny @christmastodoroki @luvt0kki @pieyoon @goldnhwa @choisanboobenthusiast @icyb3rry @maximofftrash @choism @yunhosmelonbar @nebulousbookshelf @astayinwonderland @slutologyy @10nantscompanion @ddaeing @pandagirl-016 @Randomgirl11-posts @staytiny816 @horanghae8 @smally97 @ateezzzser r @crispybaguettes @bubblegumbird @midnightmaja @i2nsstuff @asimpelslut @svt-dinosaurus @wisejudgedragonhairdo @deathbyyeekies @firefox79 @wildesreblogs @everyonewooeverywhere @raspberrysannie @Whatintheninerealms @hyunjinsbby (pls check your privacy settings if i couldn’t tag you lovelies <3)

Apply for the taglist here ⇢ ♡

© kitten4sannie, 2024.

[apoloadonisandnarcissus]

On Galadriel’s Whitewashing by the Fandom

Allow me to rant. Because at this point I really have to ask this: what show have you all been watching? Many say that Sauron deceives the audience, but it was actually Galadriel who deceived you all, really.

In Season 1 and Season 2, we saw Galadriel using others left and right, for her own ends (including Halbrand, Míriel, Adar, etc.). Her character introduction in Season 1, was her beating the sh*t out of some kids over a paper boat. Then, we saw her treating her companions’ lives as if they meant nothing to her. This alone should tell you something, but no, you wanted to see the “feminist hero” that never was. She was acting like... Sauron, when he ditched the humans on the raft. 

Nah, you think?

Throughout Season 1, she was arrogant, high on herself and downright offensive to pretty much every character she came across. She was constantly acting as if she was better than everyone else, and others were beneath her, because of her delusions of grandeur. She disobeys Gil-galad over and over again because she doesn’t truly recognize his authority. He’s younger than her, and in her mind she’s the one who should be High Queen of the Noldor, because she’s the only surviving child of High King Finarfin. She lied and manipulated others to her own ends... like Sauron.

When your ways of manipulation are more radical than Sauron’s.

Allow me to say this once more: “Rings of Power” has Tolkien experts to assist with the writings of the scripts. Christian doctrine and preaching is a huge deal on Tolkien’s work, and even if the show producers don’t see it or don’t recognize it, it’s still there because it’s inevitable, you can't work Tolkien without it.

What does this mean? Galadriel is not a hero. Pride and greed are not good traits in Tolkien lore. She’s not one of the “good guys”. Not yet, and she’ll only get worse before she gets better. She’s not a villain, either; she’s an anti-hero like Adar. Why do you all think Satan’s little helper Sauron got so interested in her, in the first place? 

When Sauron of all characters gives you the side-eye and tells you to chill and tone down your antagonistic behavior.

And was she deceived by Sauron or did she deceive herself? Because Elrond, as usual, is right, and that’s why he calls her out on her bullsh*t in Season 2: Galadriel wanted the lost king who could ride her to victory, to destroy Sauron and cover herself in glory, being worshipped by everyone on Middle-earth as its savior. She wanted to use Halbrand as a pawn in her big plan, and it’s mind blowing she actually fell in love with him. Does this ring any bells? It’s because it’s Sauron’s plan, too. They are alike. Everyone agrees, but doesn’t realize just how much.

You think they showed us these glorious shots of them for “good” reasons? This is the first of Mairon’s deceptions on Season 1, another step closer to evil and his old ways. This is them high on power and on themselves.

Gil-galad foresaw that Galadriel would bring back Sauron if her pursuit for him would to continue. That’s why he sent her back to Valinor, in the first place. Guess what? He was right. It was Galadriel’s actions that condemned Middle-earth to Sauron’s tyranny. In the legendarium, the Elves are also the ones to blame. And what consequences did she faced for this? Enduring Elrond in charge for two episodes until she went rogue? Or perhaps the Valar have already banished her, and the show failed to mention this. 

Preach it, brother!

Elrond was also the only character who could see through Sauron’s “rings of power” masterplan (must be that Melian’s Maia blood kicking in), until he was deceived himself, as well, and now he also thinks the rings are a good thing. Because these rings allowed the Elves to “cheat death” and stay where they don’t belong. “Rings of Power” made this point very clear in Season 1: the Southlanders don’t want the Elves on their lands, they are invaders.

In truth, all of these characters are not only Sauron’s accomplices, but are feeding off his power, but they are acting as if they are the “good guys” here, and they need to save Middle-earth from the new Dark Lord. No wonder the Valar told them to f*ck off, and only sent a few helpers who didn’t even dealt with Sauron directly, even though they (being Maiar themselves) had the power to do that.

Long story, short: for the love of Eru, stop whitewashing Galadriel’s character, or believing her to be some sort of “Virgin Mary” nonsense type of character. Or if you actually think her behavior is somehow heroic I don’t even know what to tell you, honestly. Because it’s not suppose to be. And if you were upset with her “toning down” in Season 2, oh boy, I might have bad news for you.

We should appreciate Galadriel’s character for what it is; an anti-hero seeking redemption. She f*cks up a lot, is flawed, and makes huge mistakes, and that’s what will make her character arc feel earned and compelling. In that way, she’s the opposite of Sauron; as he falls into evil, she raises up to good; the Lady of Light and the Dark Lord. This is actually refreshing in the midst of so many boring-ass one-dimensional female characters we see nowadays, an ideal of perfection no one can relate to.

[luca-the-star-child]

This is mostly crack but anyways...

Another AU where Danny is the ghost king! ..right?

Pariah Dark proclamed himself the ghost king, not because he was crowned, or because the zone choose him or whatever

"Ghost King" is just a title! He is powerful enough to defeat the Ancients! (when they are alone ofc) Ghost are scared of him! He's not actually the king of the ghosts (just don't say that to his face)

Do you know how hard it would be to choose a ghost to represent ALL of the Infinite Realms?? Is called "Infinite" for a reason! The Observants alredy have a hell of a time trying to get ghost to listen to them!

So when Phantom defeated Pariah! He didn't become the ghost king by right of conquest or whatever, so people didn't care about that (they were happy for pariah dark being gone again of course, he was an asshole!)

So everyone is happy, the evil is defeated, friendship are made and all that jazz (HA!)

Everything is calm now! ..right?

Well the ghosts - the one familiar with phantom at least, most of the others don't care about it to much - decide to prank him

"Hey you know what would be really funny?"

Anyway the gjsot go on their way to prank Phantom, they are giving their best! They are all dramatic bitches! It would be impossible for someone whos not a ghost to not believe it!!

"Phantom you are the ghost king now! Fix our problems xoxo"

"w..what did you say?"

Anyway Danny believes their lie, and the ghosts surprised that Phatom believed them, decide to take advantage.

So Danny goes and...does a really good job! He fixing personal problems, ending fights between groups and ghost, fixing literal political problems in the Zone! He is 100x more tired now of course, but he helping people, he is protecting them! He is the ghost king now! He has to do his job, its probally his fault that this is happening anyway

The ghosts now have another problem in their hands

Having to tell Phantom that this was all a joke, that putting all these problems on his back, calling it his job to fix it, was all a prank!

The don't know what to do! The effectively put a 2 year old on an made up throne! And its worse because the 2 year old is doing an hell of job! He making the Zone a better place!

(They are also just a bit scared of telling him, he defeated Pariah Dark, one of the strongest ghost on the Zone, and two Ancients! How is he so powerful alredy???)

So...what do some of the other ghosts who do know Danny but didn't participate in the prank

Clockwork? They are seeing all of this and thinks its the funniest shit ever, and they see that this mishappen leads to a bright timelime, so he is not interveining, just giving advice here and there

The observants are all having a collective mental breakdown, how can a CHILD do their job way better than then????

Frostbite and Far Frozen? The are overjoyed! The know that this Ghost King stuff is not actually real, but they are happy that Phantom is some of the most powerful ghost now! Would you like to hear more about him? Our lord and savior Phant- wait where are you going? They are not a cult! He swears! Please come back here-

Back on the living realm, team Phantom (which is just Tucker and Sam now, Jazz went to college, and Danny didn't want to worry her) also believe the lie! The ghost sounded very truthfull! Why would the lie about this anyway? The dance number was very convincing after all!

But they are very worried about Danny, he somehow managed to become even more overworked! So they are trying to help him as always...

Okay so, sumary:

Danny thinks he is the "Ghost King" because of a prank by his ghost frenemies and does a way to good job at it (despiste being, technically, a ghost toddler)

The ghost now don't know how to tell him the truth because it will be very awkard

Clockwork finds this funny, the Observants and sobbing, Far Frozen is a cult happy for Phantom, Team Phantom are confuses and worried, Danny is on the verge of his limit, but he never seens to tip over line because his obsession is being fullfilled (in a very stressfull way)

[vavoom-sorted-art]

Of Kings And Kids - Chapter 1

Welcome to @gaiaseyes451 and my Christmas collab! We'll be publishing a chapter every day, whith the fifth and final chapter going up on the 26th of December!

Head to AO3 to read the entire chapter.

*~*~*

Aziraphale stood at the town’s well, clay cup in hand, and drank, grateful for the cool water. While the journey from Nazareth hadn’t been particularly arduous, the angel was happy for an opportunity to rest after traversing the loamy, rolling hills; especially after guiding a flock of sheep and goats for the last five days. Michael had assured him, when she was briefing him on the Mission Messiah assignment, that Heaven had an alias prepared this time. Somehow, Silas the shepherd who was leading his flock of bovids to Bethlehem for the autumn livestock auction was not precisely the backstory Aziraphale had expected. Nevermind that Bethlehem had never held a livestock auction before, best not to question these things.

Bethlehem was built around the town’s well which stood in the center of a courtyard. Most inns and lodging houses surrounded the well while private residences were scattered among the slopes. The city was surrounded by a modest wall with roads granting access from the North and South. The land itself was lovely rolling hills with lush grasslands and natural grottos, perfect for grazing livestock. It would have been conspicuous if a shepherd had moved at the same pace as a woman who was about to give birth, so Aziraphale had arrived ahead of the holy family. He was glad for the chance to get acquainted with the town and for the brief respite before the real work started.

Preparing for the arrival of the Messiah really was quite stressful.

Having filled his waterskin, Aziraphale was about to head off to one of the rest houses to sample the local cuisine when a familiar voice called out.

“Hello, angel!”

Aziraphale stopped short. While he was always happy to see this particular demon on his assignments, having him this close to the savior’s birth was a tad disconcerting. He turned and greeted him warmly, even if his smile was a bit cautious. “Crawly! Hello.”

“Ah, actually, call me Crowley.” He said, casually.

“Oh, have you changed your name?” Aziraphale asked.

“Nah, not officially. Just tryin’ it out for a bit. ‘Sides, little odd to have a nobleman called ‘Crawly’.” He said, gesturing to himself.

Aziraphale took a moment to take in Crowley’s garb.The demon was wearing his hair a bit longer, russet waves held out of his eyes by a beaded headband. He was clothed in his preferred hues in a deep charcoal robe and cloak made from fine linen with patterns embroidered in red at the neckline and hem. The cloak was fastened at the shoulder with an onyx snake broach and synched at the waist with a burgundy leather belt with a serpentine fastener. The robe drew his eyes down to strappy sandals that accentuated Crowley’s calves. His wrists were adorned with wide, silver cuffs that emphasized his svelte arms and long fingers.

Aziraphale dragged his eyes back to Crowley’s face and attempted to make eye contact through the dark lenses. “Well, hello, Crowley. What brings you to Bethlehem?”

*~*~*

Keep reading on Ao3 to see additional illustrations! We'd love to hear your thoughts! Find all chapters and additional content for this story here.

big thanks to @goodomensafterdark for the support!

Happy Holidays and Happy Reading!

[jennifer-jeong]

Angst + Fluff | Ryomen Sukuna x Reader Next time

hehehe see what I did with the header picture, they're leaning on each other (you'll get it if you read)

SUMMARY Sukuna promises you he’ll be better for you in your next lives.

CONTENT NOT SPOILER FREE, suggestive, angst to fluff, gender neutral reader, it’s supposed to be a happy ending if you pretend that things don’t go according to canon LOL, very OC Sukuna so he actually has emotions, near death experiences, injuries, blood, death, suicide, ALL CHARACTERS ARE 18+

AUTHOR NOTES I can’t write canon Sukuna because he doesn’t even like humans 💀 Basically this is pookie Sukuna LOL There’s a lot of deviation from canon in this fic. I'm probably going to make a smut portion to this in a separate fic so stay tuned hehe, I'll link it here if I finish it!

WORD COUNT: 2244 why did this turn out so long... maybe I actually do like him

Back in the Heian period (a millenia ago), Ryomen Sukuna, “the king of curses,” peaked in power. At the same time, you were just getting started with your adult life. Unfortunately at this moment, however, it seemed that it would be cut short. A strong, locust-like, curse manifested in your village and you’ve been trying your best to stop it but to no avail. In fact, it’s currently pinning your body to the ground, trying to bite your head off. You imagine that the curse came to be due to the fear of famine in your farms, but you didn’t think it’d be this strong. You struggle but the curse is much larger than you are. You don’t even know what your last words should be, your mind going blank in panic. Your life starting to flash before your eyes-

“I suggest you fuck off my turf,” says a dangerously domineering voice. The curse looks up down the road and sees something you can’t in your current position. You barely need to look to figure out who it is though. The curse above you freezes in pure fear and eases up on crushing your body in a jolt. You hear the same voice “tsk” at the curse’s “disrespectful” hesitation and suddenly the giant bug flies in a seemingly random direction before essentially exploding due to the force. You sit up slightly with shock evident on your face, you turn around to finally see your unfortunate savior. He takes your silent shock as confusion and explains “the area is mine… filthy curses have no right to do as they please around here.” Your body feels heavy from the sheer aura of power he gives off but you can’t help but still make a mildly disgusted face at him for what he’s saying. You’ve heard he treats humans like livestock and you have always despised him for having power like that and choosing to do this instead of something good. He makes an angered face back saying “hah?” and just when you start to regret your choice of facial expression, he rolls his eyes and walks away. You pause for a few seconds before taking a breath you didn’t know you were holding. You mutter a “thanks” that you don’t think he hears before heading back to your home to tend your wounds.

Sukuna had been watching you recently. It was no coincidence that he appeared in front of you that night. He first noticed you when you were able to kill any of the curses that attacked your village. He watched, quite amused, that you continued to struggle with no fear against these monsters while the rest of your idiotic village sat back and watched, some even calling you insane despite you saving their lives. Sukuna doesn’t understand why you don’t just beat up the humans that don’t listen. You let them take advantage of your kindness even though you could wipe them all out with an arm tied behind your back. You’re overly kind but you still have the guts to stand up to someone like him. He heard your small mutter of gratitude while he walked away and smiled slightly. He’s never met someone he actually felt bad for in this way. He’s found something he feels pity for, and it’s enough to make him want to protect it, treat it like it’s special.

So now you’re here, a few days later in his temple, bowing 90 degrees in front of him with an offering in your hand. You came here to show him respect for not killing you or the other villagers. He’s impressed you even found him and more impressed that you made the trek here. He walks towards you and reaches for your chin with his hand to make you look at him and stand up. His eyes inspect your slightly flustered face while his thumb very slightly caresses your chin. He releases his hold on your face and takes the offering. You stand there, still on guard and weary of the man. But you know he hasn’t done anything to your village in the time that you’ve been alive, you just know he’s the “disgraced one” and that it can’t be good.

For the next few weeks, your time is spent half at the village and half at Sukuna’s temple. He decided to help you with the journey by just teleporting you with a “simple” technique that you couldn’t comprehend. You slowly discover that Sukuna is actually just so strong he’s bored, no one really stands on equal ground with him. Even if all the sorcerers in the world fought him, he’s confident he’d win, and you don’t doubt it (canon).

He thinks it’s cute that you still go back to the village to help out here and there. He’s only okay with it now because he can watch over you and intervene if anyone wants to be rude. Many of the villagers are kind to you from a distance, only some actually approach you to thank you from time to time. A small group of the villagers unfortunately highly suspect you to be a curse of some sort though and don’t trust you because you’re so powerful. You’ve only ever done good with your power and you know that for a fact, so you ignore them. Sukuna, however, sits in his temple absolutely fuming whenever they interact with you, he’d maim them if you told him to, but you specifically told him he can’t hurt any humans unless they attack first.

Sukuna enjoys watching your little daily endeavors, smiling whenever you’re clumsy while cleaning or when you accomplish hunting down and killing some curses. It brings a sense of innocent joy to his life that he hasn’t ever really had. He’s had violent, murderous joy in his life, but nothing like this before. Some might say it made him soft, but really it made him stronger in a sense, he finally had something to protect.

As time goes on and seasons change, you and Sukuna only grow closer. You can’t explain why you’re still here with someone you used to hate with every fiber of your being. You think it might have something to do with how he actually sees you. He sees your struggle and your kindness and properly appreciates you for it. No one else in your life has done that for you. No one protects you and cares for you like he does. You also learned that he’s always been pretty good or at least neutral in using his power too. Only killing humans when attacked, beating up strong sorcerers but not killing them, and killing curses that bother him in his land. He was never actually as bad as the rumors made him out to be. Basically, Sukuna fell first and fell harder before you realized that you had fallen all the same.

Sukuna can’t help but be a little obsessive over you. You’re the only one he has eyes for afterall. He always checks in to make sure you’re safe when you aren’t at the temple and actually learns how to cook new dishes so he can feed you. His touches always linger on you: his hands on the small of your back, fingers brushing through your hair, lips ghosting over your skin. When you spend nights together, he’s essentially worshiping your body, telling you how beautiful you are and how he’s all yours. You make sure to return the favor and make him feel loved, it makes his heart feel so full and only deepens his love for you.

You’ve discovered overtime that Sukuna is actually human, he’s just so unbelievably strong and feared that people think he’s a curse. It was strange, you could almost draw a parallel between Sukuna and yourself. Both of you were feared by some because they just didn’t understand you or your intentions. It was an unfortunate part of this reality, but as long as you could live happily together, you didn’t really mind.

Another unfortunate part of this reality, though, was that things never go according to plan. Your plans of living happily together with Sukuna quickly fell apart soon after your 3 year anniversary. The sorcerers knew that they could use you to bait Sukuna and have a much better chance at defeating him. So that’s exactly what they did. They caught you when you were out in the village in the late summer. You were strong, but there were too many of them.

It was doomed before it even started.

In the end, Sukuna is out of energy, being forced to fight offensively instead of defensively if he wanted to save you. You managed to escape to return to him and help, but you were both quickly overwhelmed since the sorcerers decided to play dirty like this. You were both sitting outside of the temple, having teleported away to buy some time. You both just sit and talk. “Have we even killed anything other than curses recently?” you question. He chuckles at your seemingly lighthearted question in this situation, “not that I can think of… I think this was always coming for me though.” You look up at him with concern, he can only smile back even though you can see the clear sorrow in his eyes. “Humans are always scared of what they don’t understand. It’s just how it is” he says as he closes his eyes and enjoys the sun. The warmth drying the blood on both of you, some of it belonging to you both, most of it belonging to your attackers. You’re silent, not sure of what to say in what seems to be your last few moments. He leans on you and you turn your head to touch foreheads. He sighs and says “I’m glad I met you at all though… You showed me what being loved is like. It was something I never thought I’d find or deserve.” You start to tear up and reach a hand to caress his cheek. “You always deserved love, darling. I’m sorry the world was so horrible to you,” you say to him in a gentle voice. “Don’t apologize, love” he says as he kisses your forehead and wraps an arm around you.

“Maybe if we can get them to hate us enough, they’ll curse us together and we can live on like that” you say jokingly. He chuckles and says “wow you really do like me, huh?” You both laugh and hold each other.

A group of sorcerers are within view and are approaching fast. You give him one last kiss and speak your last words to him: “maybe we’ll reincarnate together someday. Maybe as curses, maybe as humans.” His eyes soften with sadness written all over his face “if that happens, I promise our lives won’t be like this one… I want to be a good man for you next time… I’d give all this power up if I could just live a long and happy life with you.” You close your eyes as tears fall. Your eyebrows scrunch as the pain washes over you, physically and emotionally. You see him tear up ever so slightly and whisper “I’m sorry for all the trouble, my love.” “Just make it up to me next time,” you giggle. He knows you never blamed him. He smiles.

You always knew what you were getting into when you approached Sukuna. It was dangerous, delusional, and stupid. But you know you would’ve never had it any other way.

You both still sat side by side, foreheads touching, holding each other. You quickly charged two shots of cursed energy. One piercing his skull, the other, yours.

You eventually become a small part mentioned by people when they retell the tale of the king of curses. Many described you as a traitor or as a curse. But some could see that you prevented Sukuna from spiraling deeper into his distaste for humans. Without you, he might have become a sadistic psychopath as time went on since no one would have any way to kill him. They praised you for that, thinking you did it on purpose to save the nearby villages. Both these ideas were lost in history though. In modern times it’s only written in some books at jujutsu high as hypotheses. No one truly knew what happened.

Sukuna’s powers sealed into his fingers upon death. A technique he used on himself before he met you and one he long forgot about. The sorcerers, out of fear, scattered his indestructible fingers to prevent anyone getting their hands on them and reincarnating the king of curses. Hoping to keep the man dead.

Again, reality makes sure things don’t go to plan, and it’s Yuji’s first day meeting some of his classmates. Sukuna has been wondering what to do since he’s been reincarnated into Yuji’s body. He’s been uncharacteristically quiet in Yuji’s mind and it makes everyone question if Sukuna is really the evil being they all thought he was.

Sukuna is barely paying attention until he feels a familiar warmth walk into the room, not even needing to see you to know who you were. He couldn’t believe it, he almost laughed, thinking that the universe really brought you two back together after more than a thousand years. But he paused, suddenly serious because he realized he had a chance to make things, not right, but different.

After class, Sukuna switches with Yuji, and lo and behold, you show him the exact same disgusted face you made to him centuries ago when he came to greet you in Yuji’s body. It made him smile as he let out a whisper,

“I missed you.”

|| MASTERLIST ♡ || Thank you for reading! ||

[envy-of-the-apple]

I'm 99% sure it was called "Forever Yours" and it was a yandere oneshot series basically of a ton of popular anime boys from the time. The ones I remember were the Tokyo Ghoul dude, there were some Death Note guy chapters, there was the ML from Kamisama kiss, OH and the white haired guy from Psycho-Pass. There were like 50 chapters. It had probably a million likes or something it was INSANELY popular.

Ryntymy also had some other ongoing fics (and a ryntymny/reader crack fic, god, love them for that), but god it's soooo hard to remember.

i DID find a post about one of the fics i knew of that was actually REALLY GOOD that you would have LOVED (it was very similar to saltburn although it's quotev so this yandere was ofc pretty tame):

https://www.reddit.com/r/Quotev/comments/1b652gu/trying_to_find_old_x_reader_fic/

as for what's still up... hm. i do remember parallel ink, and also psychadelic peanut (they had this really trippy izaya fic):

https://www.quotev.com/story/9754667/Unfortunate-YandereIzaya-Orihara-x-Reader/1

AH parallel ink wrote kingdom of possession, which i DO remember:

https://www.quotev.com/story/6759314/Kingdom-of-Possession-Yandere-King-x-Reader

and there was this one series that was ACTUALLY quizzes, which was neat:

https://www.quotev.com/quiz/8085561/Out-of-Sight-Out-of-Mind

this one was a pretty fun sort of mystery style thing:

https://www.quotev.com/story/11260294/Seesaw/1

and this one was like. formative for my longing for pathetic masochistic men. i wasn't super into it back then but THE SEEDS WERE PLANTED:

https://www.quotev.com/story/8901227/Then-Came-You-Sadistic-Reader-x-Yandere-Character-One-Shots/2

SEESAW????? I lovedddd that fic so so much ahhhh it was amazing!!! the fic put me in so much denial cuz i was like 'its him! wait no its not him? wait it IS him? no wait-' very very entertaining

speaking of murder mystery yandere fics...there was this one where the reader was isekaid onto a train and quickly pieces together that all of the passengers resemble ppl from this book they read years ago...except they cant remember the ending aka they dont know who the murderer is. pretty sure the author deleted it but it was good!

its so funny you mention psychedelic peanut cuz i remember they got canceled???? actually...pretty sure parallel ink did too...as well the rest of their clique....and thats why i zipped outta the quotev yandere community!

actually that one aot isekai i was talking about was hosted on quotev! pretty much the height of literature, there's no competition. if i dont find it im just tempted to just rewrite it.

Curse of a Broken Promise is still up there and i think it still holds up! its a yandere kaneki ken fic and the writing is so....whimsical? idk how to explain it but it whenever i read it i always felt so sad. good read!

Imperishable affection (yandere!mafioso x reader) is ALSO written by the same author. basically yandere mafia boss guy threatens you into loving him or else your family dies yada yada so ofc the mc does. for a quotev yandere fic its pretty dark actually.

You Need Me (Yandere Manipulator x reader) THIS was the fic that brought me into the yandere thing. and the author used to update EVERY day so this whole this was an event. and the TWIST i remember being 14 and gasping like 'omg he did EVERYTHING???' very very good

If you want a izayax reader fic whos author WASNT wierd might i suggest Twisted Obsession. Beautiful writing. Its better than most ao3 writing actually and wayyy above mine. I love the way this author characterizes Izaya in this and the backstory for why hes so strange is pretty believable. like i fully believe it should be canon.

Savior Complex is an aot isekai where the mc gets whisked into a yandere sim where Petra is the love interest and the rest of the aot cast is obsessed with her. but we can all guess what happens. pretty good tho!!!

BUT EVERYONE GO READ PRETTY its a gojo x LATINA READER AHHHHHH YESSSS. i just LOVE LOVE LOVE the way this author writes. its so poetic and there's so much left up for interpretation.

[siriuslyobsessedwithfiction]

What do you mean Nikolai Lantsov was a morally grey character? He was a selfless hero!

Literally Nikolai Lantsov:

Befriended and convinced already disoriented and ignorant Alina that the Darkling was a bigger issue than the First Army and the people turning on Grisha and executing them, a brewing civil war that would most likely happen even if they killed the Darkling, Fjerda and Shu-Han casually invading their territory, etc. That they should abandon negotiations with the Darkling and prepare for war even though the country can't take it. Also, his reasoning that he should become the King? Nikolai: Oh yeah, I'm a bastard with no claim to the throne who has never actually done anything to change Ravka for the better, I was too busy playing pirates. And I just gave the rapist King who doomed this country a nice retirement and more servants to rape, while your friend Genya who he raped gets a trial for attempted regicide, be grateful she will be spared.

"Fouche did not miss the boat: Befriending the revolutionary leader Robespierre, he quickly rose in the rebel ranks. When Fouche arrived in Paris to take his seat at the convention, a violent rift had broken out between die moderates and the radical Jacobins. Fouche sensed that in the long run neither side would emerge victorious."

While Alina and Darkling were watching each other, Nikolai was watching the throne. Darkling got rid of the King and the only legitimate heir for him, so all Nikolai had to do is march into a disbanded army and declare himself a war hero and the King. Nikolai: Maybe we should just abolish absolute monarchy in Ravka because it's 20th century already, some of the countries no longer have it and no one even wants it anymore? Don't be ridiculous. My mother was an oyster and I'm the pearl or something.

"Power rarely ends up in the hands of those who start a revolution, or even of those who further it; power sticks to those who bring it to a conclusion. That was the side Fouche wanted to be on.

At a certain moment, however, he called a halt to the killings, sensing the mood of the country was turning, and despite the blood already on his hands, citizens of Lyons hailed him as a savior from what had become known as the Terror."

Nikolai to the remaining Grisha after the civil war: Right, so I know I used my big guns to slaughter you, the oppressed minority, because you sided with a man who gave you shelter, saved you and was your respected general instead of a girl who was prejudiced against you, never trained, and abandoned you, BUT I need an army. So, here's your pardon and you can once again become serfs to the monarchy who failed you for centuries. Also, the drafting age has been lowered for Grisha and now we're sending unprepared children to missions. Freedom for Grisha? Letting them buy land? Don't be ridiculous. Can't you see I have more important problems to deal with? The Darkling still exists trapped somewhere in the form of a ghost!

If only the author would acknowledge in KoS duology that he has flaws and selfish ambitions. Let him be a complicated character with layers, it's not the end of the world.

[fatherfigurefusion]

Randomly generating Ultimate Talents for the DRDT cast and ranking them on how fitting they are (Tetro Danganronpa: Pink Edition):

Teruko Tawaki, Ultimate Bounty Hunter

9/10: It's the Maki Harukawa-energy for me.

Xander Matthews, Ultimate Zoologist

8/10: He would be only the most fanatic of conservationists!

Eden Tobisa, Ultimate Figure Skater

7/10: Call that "Yuri on Ice"!

Hu Jing, Ultimate Superhero

9/10: Two words: savior complex. Also, the concept of buff Hu is heavenly!

J Moreno, Ultimate Impersonator

6/10: I can imagine that their background in acting would lead to them being excellent at impersonation, but doesn't feel nearly as fitting, compared to the previous talentswaps.

Veronika Grebenschikova, Ultimate Demonologist

10/10: ...Too easy.

David Chiem, Ultimate Internet Idol

10/10: Ai Hoshino/KAngel-core!

Arturo Giles, Ultimate Quiz Show Champion

6/10: If the topic is celebrities, Arturo would be a king at quiz shows!

Levi Fontana, Ultimate Gymnast

3/10: I kind of headcanon that Levi is not flexible in the slightest. Too much of a brickhouse.

Ace Markey, Ultimate Fire Dancer

9/10: You barely have to change anything about Ace's design for him to pass as a fire dancer. Also, imagine him having both stage fright and pyrophobia!

Min Jeung, Ultimate Mask Artisan

8/10: Don't know why, but this talent feels oddly fitting for her.

Whit Young, Ultimate Student Council President

7/10: Sure, Whit is a goofball, but I feel like he'd do his best to make school a fun and easy experience! (Also, Whit always seems to get academic talents in these talentswaps!)

Charles Cuevas, Ultimate Illustrator

8/10: I actually headcanon that Charles is great at drawing, so this talent is fitting for him, in my eyes!

Arei Nageishi, Ultimate Fashion Designer

10/10: Possibly one of the most fitting, non-athletic, talents for someone like Arei!

Nico Hakobyan, Ultimate Crime Scene Cleaner

7/10: It's just a feeling, but I could easily imagine them cleaning up a crime-scene with a straight face, a far cry from the timid soul first impressions would suggest.

Rose Lacroix, Ultimate Child Actress

8/10: I'm just imagine the Spurlings running the film industry, and hiring a young and destitute Rose as a child actress, with her photographic memory helping her memorize her lines.

[merwgue]

Introduction: The Inner Circle—Prythian's Pinnacle of Elitism

Ah, the Inner Circle. We’ve been told they are the champions of freedom, the guardians of goodness, the leaders of a new, fairer Prythian. At the helm, Rhysand and his merry band of elite soldiers, spies, and diplomats would have us believe that they are a beacon of morality, integrity, and justice in a world rife with corruption and cruelty. But is that really the case?

The truth is, for all their talk about fairness and equality, the Inner Circle is a tight-knit clique of power-hungry elitists, operating behind closed doors, making decisions that benefit themselves first and foremost. They may wrap themselves in the guise of the protectors of the downtrodden, but at their core, they are just as hypocritical, privileged, and out of touch as any of the villains they claim to despise. In fact, they might just be worse, because they have the audacity to act as though their privilege makes them better—more enlightened, more justified in their actions.

So, let’s dissect these so-called heroes, one by one, and see just how elitist, manipulative, and self-serving they really are.

---

Argument: The Inner Circle—A Case Study in Elitism

Rhysand: The High Lord of Moral Superiority

Rhysand, the self-anointed savior of Prythian, is the poster child for disguised elitism. He masquerades as a progressive leader, but peel back the layers, and what you find is a ruler who thrives on control. Rhysand isn’t just the High Lord of the Night Court—he’s the king of moral superiority, looking down on everyone from his lofty throne of righteousness.

Sure, he says he’s for equality and freedom. He claims to fight for the good of the people. But what does he actually do? Let’s take Velaris, his perfect little utopia, hidden from the rest of the world. While Velaris flourishes, the Court of Nightmares festers in squalor and fear, serving as the dirty underbelly of Rhysand’s pristine world. He never bothers to reform Hewn City—oh no, he needs it just the way it is, a place where he can flex his power and superiority whenever it suits him. The citizens of Hewn City? Well, they don’t matter. They’re just the pawns in his game, existing to bolster his reign.

And let’s not forget his relationship with Feyre. Rhysand may parade around as the epitome of respect and love, but make no mistake: he’s always in control. From hiding their mating bond to orchestrating her role in the Night Court, Rhys pulls the strings and Feyre dances along. His actions scream “I know best,” and why wouldn’t they? He’s convinced that only he is smart enough, only he is powerful enough to do what’s necessary to save Prythian—even if it means bending a few minds, breaking a few rules, and making everyone else think it was their choice all along. Manipulation, after all, is Rhysand’s true craft, and he’s a master of making his elitism look like benevolence.

Feyre: The Nepotism Queen

Then there’s Feyre, our humble protagonist-turned-High-Lady who skyrocketed from a poor, illiterate human into one of the most powerful figures in the world. But let’s be real here—Feyre didn’t climb the ladder through hard work or merit. She fell in love with Rhysand, and with that union came a direct elevator ride to the top.

Feyre may have been born into poverty, but ever since she became High Lady, she’s lived in a bubble of privilege. Velaris is her kingdom of starlight, where she spends her days painting and redecorating her river house, while the rest of the world struggles to recover from war. Her empathy is selective at best—sure, she destroyed Tamlin’s court under the guise of justice, but did she ever stop to think about the people living there? The families who depended on their lands for survival? Of course not. Her personal vendetta against Tamlin was far more important than the lives of those fae. After all, the rules don’t apply when you’re Feyre Archeron—especially when you’re backed by the High Lord of the Night Court.

And while Feyre may now hold the title of High Lady, don’t be fooled into thinking she’s earned it through any political savvy or leadership skills. No, her place in the Inner Circle is due to one thing: her connection to Rhysand. It’s nepotism at its finest, wrapped up in a pretty bow of self-righteousness.

Cassian: The Hero with a Savior Complex

Cassian, the brute force of the Inner Circle, is constantly playing the part of the good-natured, relatable warrior. He’ll tell anyone who’ll listen about his rough upbringing in the Illyrian camps, as if that somehow makes him immune to the elitism that defines the rest of the group. But here’s the thing: Cassian may have started at the bottom, but now? He’s sitting at the top, living a life of luxury while his people—the Illyrians he’s supposed to care about—are stuck in a cycle of oppression and backward traditions.

Cassian loves to flex his power, both physical and political, while simultaneously acting like he’s just a humble servant of the Night Court. But let’s not forget that his entire identity revolves around being Rhysand’s lapdog. Sure, he’ll fight for his brothers and his court, but when push comes to shove, Cassian isn’t going to challenge the status quo. He’s too comfortable playing the hero to actually get his hands dirty with real change. His elitism is hidden beneath layers of camaraderie and bravado, but it’s there, lurking just beneath the surface.

Morrigan: The Queen of Hypocrisy

Morrigan, the moral compass of the Inner Circle, is perhaps the most hypocritical of them all. She spends centuries railing against her family’s oppressive, regressive ways, yet she remains complicit in the elitist structures of the Night Court. Mor presents herself as a champion of freedom, equality, and justice, but when it comes to taking real action? She’s as stagnant as the rest of them.

Mor’s treatment of Azriel is a prime example of her selective morality. For centuries, she’s let him pine for her, never being honest about her true feelings, all while claiming to value honesty and transparency. She preaches fairness, but when it comes to her own actions, she hides behind the convenient excuse of “complicated feelings.” The truth is, Mor is content with her position of power and privilege, and she’ll never rock the boat as long as it benefits her.

Azriel: The Silent Judge

Azriel, the brooding shadow of the Inner Circle, operates with an air of superiority that’s masked by his quiet demeanor. As the Night Court’s spymaster, he holds everyone’s secrets, wielding them like a weapon when necessary. But for all his talk of loyalty and honor, Azriel’s true allegiance is to his own sense of righteousness. He judges others from the shadows, believing that his pain and suffering give him the right to decide who is worthy and who is not.

Azriel may claim to be a humble servant, but his actions speak otherwise. He holds power over people’s lives with the information he gathers, yet he only uses it when it benefits his circle. His elitism is rooted in his belief that no one else can truly understand the burden he carries—and because of that, he places himself above everyone else, quietly deciding their fates while keeping his own cards close to his chest.

Amren: The Untouchable God-Queen

And finally, we have Amren, the literal embodiment of elitism. She’s not just better than everyone—she’s practically a god, trapped in a fae body, tolerating the rest of the world with barely concealed disdain. Amren operates on a level of superiority so blatant, it’s almost admirable. She doesn’t even try to hide it. Mortals, fae, even her so-called friends in the Inner Circle—Amren sees them all as beneath her.

Her loyalty to Rhysand is purely transactional. She sticks around because it’s convenient, but make no mistake: Amren serves Amren. She doesn’t care about the people of Velaris, or the fate of Prythian. Her elitism is so ingrained, it’s not even a character flaw—it’s simply who she is.

---

Conclusion: The Inner Circle—Elitism, Hypocrisy, and Privilege

So there you have it: the Inner Circle, a group of individuals who cloak their elitism in the guise of heroism. They claim to fight for freedom, equality, and justice, but in reality, they are a self-serving, privileged group of fae who operate above the rules they enforce on everyone else. From Rhysand’s manipulative control to Feyre’s nepotistic rise to power, from Cassian’s savior complex to Mor’s selective morality, and from Azriel’s silent judgment to Amren’s godlike disdain, each member of this circle operates within a bubble of elitism, making decisions that benefit themselves while pretending to serve the greater good.

And we’re supposed to believe they’re the good guys? They might wear the mask of Prythian’s protectors, but make no mistake—behind the starlight and shadows, they are a class of elites that operate under their own rules. At the end of the day, they’ve created their own little world, where they are always right, always justified, and always on top. Their hypocrisy knows no bounds, and their elitism? Well, it’s woven into the very fabric of their existence.

But don’t worry—they’ll still invite you to Velaris… if you’re useful enough.

Taglist: @hrizantemy @flat-neines @foxyfairydream @travelingbandit @naravelia @headfulloflettuce @chococococya @roseadleyn

[vulpixisananimal]

(You gently close the door to Sifs room and lean back on the wall next to it. Change, what a morning.)

(You rub your temple. Alright, alright, analyse and compartmentalise, Siffrin, no, Loop, had told you a lot and you had to relay it to the others. Are they all going to take it well? You couldn't exactly keep it secret.)

(Oh boy. . .)

(You walked down to the where Nille and Odile were sitting for breakfast. Nille waved good morning.) "Hey big guy, how's Siffrin doing?"

"Oh, bad." (You sigh and sit down.) "Where do I even start."

"Never a good sign." (Odile comments from behind her book.)

"W-well, right now they're resting up. They have craft exhaustion and are pretty hungry. I was going to grab them some food."

"I got it!" (Nille stood up and scooped up some of breakfast.) "Not surprised, time crafts s'pposed to be impossible for a reason."

"Even one loop should kill them, really." (Odile adds.)

"Ah, well, about that." (You rub your neck.) "When everyone's back there's a lot to explain."

"Ah."

"Ominous, I'll be quick then." (Nille runs off with the food.)

(You pick at your own breakfast, quesadillas, just like Loop said. You took a bite, tasty!)

(You think while you eat; how many times had they eaten this breakfast? Well, if you had the same thing for breakfast over and over you might go crazy! And it's even made the exact same way every time.)

". . . Isabeau." (Odile starts.) "Did you get to ask?"

"Hrk-" (You choke a little, Crab!! You forgot!!) "N-no, I didn't. T-there was uh, something a bit more important going on."

"It sounded intense." (Back to her book.) "Argument?"

"Not really. . ." (You rub your shoulder.) "I-I'll, I'll ask them out another time! When things have calmed down."

(Nille returns to you and Odile chatting.) "They're out like a stone, don't think I've ever seen someone so sleepy."

"That sounds like Sif!"

"I doubt anything short of the King coming back would wake them up."

"Knock on wood." (Nille replies, nocking on the wood table as she sat down.)

". . . What?" (Odile looks up, confused.)

"Knock on wood! It's an old tradition to stop you from jinxing yourself. And I don't exactly want the King to come back."

"Ah I see." (Book down, researcher mode.) "Where does that tradition come from? Is it Vaugardian?"

"I don't think so," (She thought for a second.) "Actually, I got no idea where I got it from. Maybe I got it from someone in Bambouche."

"Could be one of those 'Sif things.'" (You comment.)

"Ah yes, the 'Sif things'" (Odile continues.) "I would not be surprised if this was another 'Siffrin thing', with how many little traditions seem to be tied to it."

"Like that thing they told Boniface to do? On their birthday?" (Nille asks.)

(Odile nods.) "Exactly so. Now let's pause this conversation before we get headaches, shall we?"

(You nod, right. It was always a pain to talk about 'Sif things' as you all had come to call it. Island talk. Wish craft. Rituals and- ow. Alright message recieved, back to casual non-island conversation.)

"Hmm. . . Is it tradition research?" (Nille asks after a second.)

"No, wrong." (Odile shakes her head, back to the book.)

"Awww."

"You'll get it sometime Nille!" (You say encouragingly.)

"How long did it take you again?"

"It took me a few months, and Sif figured it out durring the loops sooooo. ."

"I'll try and do it quicker then." (She rolls her eyes.)

(At long last Mirabelle and Bonnie joined in from doing their morning routine and took a seat. The casual chatter continued as you all finished breakfast.)

". . . Where's 'Frin?" (Bonnie asks.)

"He's resting up, I guess that loop yesterday really took it outta them." (Nille ruffles Bonbons hair.) "Was too busy saving our lil' scoundril."

"Ah, right, about that." (You clear your throat.) "Former saviors of Vaugarde I, Isabeau, am calling a very serious no jokes meeting into order!"

(Odile let out a half-laugh.) "Good start."

"Oh Madame! That's no way to act durring such a serious meeting!" (Mirabelle replies in a poshy accent.)

"Quite so! For we are only the most serious of serious!" (You continue, before breaking out into a laigh.)

"A real comedy duo you two are." (Nille says, leaning back.) "So, what's the deal big guy?"

"Right!" (Alright, here goes, gotta tell em everything. Now, just like Sif does. You breathe in, and out.) "Well, for one, Siffrin isn't Siffrin right now. Remember the conversation yesterday? Well they're Loop right now, not Sif. Just, as a start."

"Alright. . ?" (Odile responds as if prompting you to continue.)

"But! The, uh, the real issue is that." (Ohboy.) "They've aparently been looping through today, with this being the, 8th or 9th time."

"Again?!?!"

"Oh gems. . ."

"Well that explains the exhaustion."

"Yeah," (You rub your shoulder.) "Last loop was aparently really bad, and they had a whole breakdown- oh Change I forgot to ask for details."

"W-we can ask them later! Once they're up." (Mirabelle looked nervous.) "Did they tell you a-anything though?"

"Oh they did! Uh. . ." (You tap your chin.) "Right, so, an old friend of mine, Ramos, who used to go by a different name I think- A-anyway! They've aparently been using mind craft on people, strong mind craft. It got Mirabelle in trouble for kidnapping Bonnie, and they changed my memory."

"What?"

"I- I wouldn't do that!! Why would they-"

"THAT'S CRABBING STUPID!!!"

"Language!"

"I-I know! I know it sounds bad and uh. . ." (Oooooh boy.) "Aparently last loop they tried confronting Ramos, and they turned into a sadness and we had to fight. Nille got hurt pretty bad, but we won."

". . . But?"

"I, they didn't tell me, but, aparently something bad happened to Ramos."

". . ."

". . ."

". . . What in the world could have been bad enough to go back again?" (Odile muses.)

"I, I don't want to think about it." (You shudder. Oh Ramos. . . You remember them, you would hang out sometimes, train together, and you'd help them out sometimes with exams. They had some troubles, but they were alright! They were a good person!)

"So. . . So what do we do?" (Mira asks.)

"Well. . ." (You think for a moment. Loop seemed so. . . Distressed. Desperate. Sad. All of that. You'd seen it all before when Siffrin walked up to you at the Favor tree, they looked so distant then. . . You couldn't let that happen again.) "We should get training just like we used to!"

"Huh???"

"Ah."

"REALLY?!?"

"Not you Boniface." (Nille replies.) "You're still a kid."

". . . Pétronille, I mean no disrespect, but I'm fairly certain Boniface is a stronger fighter than you are at this point." (Odiele counters.)

"HEY!!! I'm PLENTY tough!!!"

"Haha!! 'Dile called me stronger!!"

"Oh I'll show YOU strong ya lil-"

"A-alright! M-maybe save that or another time since, since we still need to figure out everything a-and-" (Mirabelle tries breaking them up. Her look of worry doing the trick instantly.)

"Ok, ok. But if Boniface is gonna fight I better be there."

"As long as it's on the backlines as well." (You respond.) "Dive in when there's an opening just like we used to do."

"Sounds like a plan."

"I do wonder though, how much, well, how much will it matter?" (Mira was pondering.) "If this isn't the last Loop, then, we would have done all this for nothing, and, w-well."

"I had a theory on that." (Odile adjusted her glasses, oh you loved this part.) "Siffrin said they started each loop waking up from their nap. Yesterday, Siffrin also looped back to waking up from their sleep, and I'm assuming todays loop started with them waking up too." (She tapped her chin.) "There's a good chance taking a proper sleep is linked to making a "checkpoint" of sorts."

"But what about the clock tower? Sif said we always had a sleepover there before going to the house." (You ask.)

"Hmm, good point." (she thought it over, then snapped her fingers.) "Ah! Didn't you plan to tell Siffrin your grand confession durring the sleepover?"

"M-m'dame!" (You hold up your hands deffencievly.) "What does that have to do with this?"

"You chickened out, duh." (Bonnie chimes in, smugly.) "I can already see you trying to talk to 'frin when everyones trying to sleep. Then holding off till after the King."

"O-oh..." (You try to sink into the floor. That, that would be something you do, yeah.)

"As easy to see through as a plane glass window." (Nille shakes her head.)

"L-lets move on-"

"Yes yes, so, my theory is that when Siffrin wakes up it'll be a new point they'll loop back to." (Odile stands up and stretches her back.) "Which means that anything we do before they wake up will do wonders for future loops."

"Oh!!! That's great!!!" (Mirabelle jumps up too, a new spring in her step.) "I'll get my sword! Oh it'll probably be dull by now too, oh! And I need to brush up on my combative crafts!!"

"And don't forget the-"

"I don't think I could ever forget the carrot method."

"CRAB!!" (Bonnie jumps up in a panic.) "I've been using those spare tonics for cooking!!!"

"Language, but a good point. I'll help ya look for more." (Nille gets up too.)

(Phew.) "I'm glad we figured all that out." (You stood up, and strike a big heroic pose.) "Siffrin, Loop, they're gonna get out of today! And we're gonna help them do it!!"

[laurentdirosetti]

"Support character"

{Idia Shroud x gn/MC}

Tags: hiding, cute, shy, curing wounds, soft touches, breathing onto the neck.

You have always been a passionate video game player, so you wanted to get to play with the weeb himself, Idia Shroud. You knew his reputation wasn't the best, among other nicknames, people called him otaku, freak, weirdo... But that didn't really mean anything to you, since you were pretty much the same. Despite being an introvert, you wouldn't define yourself as a shut-in kind of person. You enjoyed spending time with your friends and talking to people from time to time. 

Nevertheless, you were having a hard time approaching Idia, he almost never leaves his room and it was difficult to locate his floating tablet. But one day destiny kicked in: you were walking to your next class with professor Crewel when you heard people arguing in one of the classrooms next to your locker. There was a group of bullies making fun of your well-known floating tablet. 

They spitted out a lot of hurtful things like "you're gonna die alone because you're a weirdo", "if it wasn't for your brother nobody could go near you" or "what's so great about you when you can't even show your face?". You didn't know such pea-brains had the audacity to pick on him, he’s known for being a genius after all, but you couldn't stand it any more and entered the class bravely.  

MC: hey! Stop bothering him and f*ck off!

They turned around infuriated and gave you a glare.  

Bullies: mind your business, you're so little you wouldn't even protect yourself, loser.

Nonetheless, that wasn’t going to move you from there. On one hand, you decided to protect Idia, maybe out of admiration, maybe because of another motive you couldn’t figure out yet. On the other hand, even though you tried your best to look sharp and intimidating, you were actually very scared of those giants—all Savanaclaw students have to be this buffed? 

Noticing you weren’t moving, the king bee started walking towards you at a slow pace trying to look menacing, which was pretty much working, honestly. Your shoulders began to shake. It would be a lie to say you stepped in with a plan to start with. As in games, you never had a plan for attacking the enemies, you just go with all your force —but you haven’t that strength in real life.   

MC: leave him alone… 

That big guy was in front of you and ready to punch you in the face, but Idia's tablet got in the way. The machine screen bursted into pieces that flew all over the place and cut one of your cheeks. The bullies laughed loudly and made fun of Idia's intent to protect you, cutting your face in the process and breaking in pieces. But that didn’t end there,the big one wasn't satisfied with the results, after all, he wanted to hit you.

Without thinking, you took the remains of the tablet in your hands and ran out of the classroom. All the bullies followed you along the corridor. When you turned to the left you felt someone grabbing your hands, making you enter one tiny room. 

Your face bumped with a hard surface, so you placed your hands trying to figure out what it was. Your fingers detected what was a boy’s chest and you rapidly open your eyes and looked up to your savior. The room would be completely in the dark if it wasn’t for Idia’s blue fire hair which let you see his embarrassed expression. His eyes were wide open and his mouth strongly shut. You tried to let some air between the two of you but there wasn’t really too much space to move, so you couldn’t move away from him. 

Idia: so- sorry to bring you to the storage room…I- I had no other alternative in order to lose those NPCs. 

He stumbled over his words, even though he tried looking up to avoid direct eye contact. From your perspective the view wasn’t so bad, it was your first time meeting Idia and from that close. His skin was so pale you couldn’t even find a mark on his body, whiter than the snow itself you would say. The darkness of the storage room added to the light of his hair, highlighting his bones and muscles as he breathed and moved his head to one side. He kept on trying to make space between you, without success. You felt sorry for him and tried to calm the atmosphere, maybe if he gets to know you better he wouldn’t mind making eye contact with you —and even playing videogames together, you wish. 

MC: NPCs? They were more like minor bosses from the in-between levels. 

Idia let out a small laugh and then remained silent. That was definitely not the typical answer he gets when he talks that way. Nobody has ever followed his videogame slang. Most people would hush him or ignore his comments, since they don’t know what he’s talking about to start with. This little word exchange warmed his shaking heart and gave him the courage to look a bit down to see your face. 

MC: that sure scared me, I usually try to avoid trouble. 

Idia: the- then why did you… suddenly charge in?

MC: well… they were shouting bad things at you… 

Idia: oh… really? I was on mute all the time. 

You both stared at each other astonished. He wasn’t having any problem after all, he couldn’t even hear them. Suddenly, you felt really ashamed and your face started to show it by making you blush blatantly. Idia noticed your expression and was kinda amused by your reaction, enough to make him smile viciously while staring directly into your face. Then, among all the red your face could hold, he saw a tiny line of blood that went from your cheek down your neck. 

Without realizing it he was rising up your chin to closely examine your little cut. 

He took one handkerchief out of his hoodie and cleaned away the blood. He was being really careful not to hurt you, giving soft touches to wipe the blood. His other hand was gently placed on your shoulder. You didn’t know this side of him and surely wasn’t disappointed at all. His face was closer than before and you could feel his warm breath mix with yours. 

Once he finished, he realized the situation he inadvertently created: face to face with you, one hand on your shoulder, the other caressing your cheek with a handkerchief, eyes to eyes… He jolted and glued his body against the wall the best he could. It was his time to get red, but ridiculously red, not only his face changed colors, his hair too. 

MC: your hair turned red, are you all right?

Idia: do- don’t look a-at it, ple-please!

His long and trembling hands covered up your vision. You could feel his cold touch and trembling fingers on your eyelids. 

MC: what 's wrong?

Idia: you- you obviously think I’m strange right?? my hair is on fi- fire and even changes co- colors, what a weirdo ri- right??

MC: well, Grimm’s ears are on fire too and your brother’s hair is also on fire, what’s so bad about it?

Idia: Wh- What’s so bad!? I want to live inadvertently and it’s impossible because everyone would lay their eyes on a head on fire, it’s frustrating.

MC: I think it looks very cool, actually.

Idia: I see, yo- you approached me because you think I’m some fair attraction right? 

MC: No! That’s not true! 

Idia: but you approached me because I’m weird right?!

MC: That’s no why I approached you!

Idia: then why did you approach me!?

MC: because I want to play videogames with you!

There it is, you finally said it. After all that yelling, it was easier to shout it out. Now, the room was dead silent. Idia’s hand were still on your eyelids, but you couldn’t feel his shaking anymore. He was calm and his touch felt warmer than before. You took his hands and slowly moved them down. 

Frankly, he was surprised. Nobody, other than Ortho, has ever asked him to play videogames together. It was a first for him and he didn’t know what to say or how to react. He was repeating your last sentence again and again on loop in his head. 

He is a genius, that is true for him, he’s sure his mind and creations are brilliant enough to awe anyone. Nevertheless, he felt so dumb right now…

To be continued

[apoloadonisandnarcissus]

Galadriel x Sauron: One Royal Couple to Rule Them All

Many fellow fans don’t understand why Galadriel would ever join Sauron, of her own free will, in his plan of world domination.

To me, this due to two things:

Whitewashing of Galadriel’s character and refusing to see how much she craves absolute power. There are so many bad takes about her character, it’s hard to address them all in here. I’ll just say she’s not the “Virgin Mary” of Tolkien lore; she’s not a “fairytale princess”, nor a “damsel in distress”;

Misunderstanding of Sauron’s plans. Even if you aren’t familiar with Tolkien lore nor have read the books, “Rings of Power” already explained what Sauron’s goals are, and what he wishes to accomplish.

Sauron’s Masterplan

Let’s start with Sauron’s masterplan. What does he want?

But today, a new age begins. Under me. Your new master. Sauron. And with a new age, I bring a new vision. A path to unconditional conquest. For I seek a new kind of power. Not of the flesh, but over flesh. A power of the unseen world. One we shall use to enslave the peoples of Middle-earth to our very will. Many Orcs will die. But out of the chaos, we will forge a new and perfect order. No longer will we be hunted as the demons who broke Middle-earth, but rather worshipped as the saviors who finally healed it. By bringing its peoples together, to rule them all as one!

From a perspective of Tolkien lore, this speech was a bit over the top, even for Sauron himself. But I understand why the show writers went with this, it’s meant to illustrate that Sauron is evil, and a tyrannical dictator.

Sauron doesn’t see himself as a villain; he thinks he’s the hero, here. Because he’s a demigod and one of the Ainur; he helped shape the world the seeks to dominate. He looks at the ruins of Middle-earth and how the Valar aren’t doing anything to help. He’s the only deity who’s willing to do anything about it. And so, he steps in and makes it his personal mission to rebuild Middle-earth (“heal it”).

He would never call himself “Sauron”, either, because that’s the name the Elves created to mock his own (“Mairon”). And it means “the abhorrent” instead of “the admirable”. He would call himself Tar-Mairon, “King excellent”. But, again, the show had to go with this otherwise casual viewers wouldn’t know who this character is.

This is Adar spelling Sauron’s plan to Galadriel in 2x08. When I first watched this scene I must confess I was confused and thought this could be one of Sauron’s deceptions, actually.

This is Sauron’s masterplan and the reason why he created the “rings of power” (the “power of the Unseen world”) in the first place. But this brings another interesting question; perhaps Adar himself was on board with Sauron’s masterplan of healing Middle-earth until he saw his methods.

Adar, in 1x06, told Galadriel a bit about Sauron's plan, as well, when he reveals to have killed him:

After Morgoth's defeat, the one you call Sauron… Devoted himself to healing Middle-earth, bringing its ruined lands together in perfect order. He sought to craft a power not of the flesh… But over flesh. A power of the Unseen World. He bid as many as he could to follow him far north. But try as he might… Something was missing. A shadow of dark knowledge that kept itself hidden, even from him. No matter how much blood he spilt in its pursuit. For my part… I sacrificed enough of my children for his aspirations. I split him open. I killed Sauron.

Repentant Mairon, himself, already told this to Galadriel in 1x08:

When Morgoth was defeated, it was as if a great, clenched fist had released its grasp from my neck. And in the stillness of that first sunrise, at last, I felt the light of The One again. And I knew if ever I was to be forgiven... That I had to heal everything that I had helped ruin.

Mairon wish to “heal” Middle-earth comes from his own desire to escape Morgoth’s bounds. That’s the reason behind the “heal yourself” quote from 2x08. Mairon wants to kill “Sauron”, as well, and erase every trace of his former master from the world.

But he can’t, nor can he escape his bounds to Morgoth, because, like Tolkien wrote, they are too strong (“Rings of Power” suggested there might have been some blood oath/binding involved) and he falls back into evil. And this is why he gets so triggered when Celebrimbor calls him "shadow of Morgoth", and he snaps, and kills him in a rage fit:

But Sauron regrets this in the next minute, and he cries. Because this is not him, this chaotic destruction is not who he is. He’s a control freak, a mastermind, always planning and scheming, he’s patient, and organized to the point of obsession. These are Morgoth’s bounds and corruption of him reaching the surface. And when he looks up all he sees is Morgoth.

Sauron’s masterplan is the unite everyone on Middle-earth; all kingdoms and all races (Elves, Dwarves and Men) to live together in peace and harmony. No more wars, no more suffering, no more pain; only a world of beauty, order and perfection. The qualities he was created to have by Eru himself, and his contributions during the Ainulindalë, when he helped shaped the world alongside the Valar and the other Maiar. This is why he tells Celebrimbor this, in 2x07: I see the end, Celebrimbor. So clearly. I have seen it from the moment I awoke.

The problem here isn’t his masterplan per say: this is not an evil plan by any means. But he was corrupted by Morgoth, and his ways are also corrupted. This is how he self-deceives himself. Mairon’s love for order becomes a obsession with domination; and Sauron knows he has to become a tyrant and to enslave everyone to his will, in order to create his perfect world.

To him, the end justifies the means, and he’s willing to use chaos and destruction (Morgoth) to achieve his masterplan. And this is perfectly embodied in this quote from him, in 2x01: “out of the chaos, we will forge a new and perfect order”.

Where does Galadriel fits in all of this?

He thinks she’s the missing piece. Sauron believes her “light” will keep him in check, and somehow control his bounds to Morgoth. But as I’ve discussed before in this post, her “light” isn’t really hers, it’s the light of the Two Trees of Valinor, and it shines on every Elf that was born during the Years of the Trees, in Valinor.

It’s Galadriel’s beauty that blinds Sauron. And why is that? Because she’s the physical form, the materialization, of everything he was designed to love by Eru himself. I already talked about this in this post. This tells us their attraction is not only spiritual (the “they are higher beings” nonsense), but also physical (sexual).

The reason why Mairon was attracted to her in the first place was because Galadriel, unconsciously, reminded him of Morgoth. Galadriel and Morgoth share the same chaotic energy; the same arrogance, greed and lust for power. This is yet another one of the ways Mairon self-deceives himself; he thinks Galadriel would allow him to escape Morgoth’s bounds, but it's the other way around. On a unconscious level, he’s always seeking his former master. And that's why he wants to serve her, and to bind himself to her.

And we, the audience already saw him pitching this desire to Galadriel herself, in 1x08:

Sauron: This is it. You bind me to the light. And I bind you to power. Together, we can save this Middle-earth. Galadriel: Save? Or rule? Sauron: I see no difference.

And this blood binding is exactly what he does in 2x08, using Morgoth’s crown; the dark magic artifact that’s already infused with his own blood because Adar used it to destroy his previous physical form.

This is a silent conversation happening between them, through their new bound. And Sauron probably showed her many things, namely: the connection they shared in Season 1 was true and real because he “felt it, too” (and not a deception on his part like Galadriel believed); his proposal was honest (he would, indeed, make her the Queen of Middle-earth), and his entire masterplan.

But Sauron is not only an expert on deceiving others, but himself, too (like Celebrimbor told him, in 2x07). Meaning, in his mind, Galadriel as the “Queen of queens” would be a good thing. Except it wouldn’t. She would be far worse than him, with the power he would provide her with.

Which leads me to the next point:

Galadriel Lust for Ultimate Power

To understand this, we need to go back to the source: Tolkien. What does he says about Galadriel?

[Galadriel] had no peace within. Pride still moved [her] when, at the end of the Elder Days, the final overthrow of Morgoth, she refused the pardon of the Valar for all who had fought against him, and remained on Middle-earth. Unfinished Tales [of Númenor and Middle-earth]

A penitent: in her youth [Galadriel] a leader in the rebellion against the Valar (the angelic guardians). At the end of the First Age she proudly refused forgiveness or permission to return [to Valinor]. She was pardoned because of her resistance to the final and overwhelming temptation to take the [One] Ring for herself. Tolkien, Letter 320

Galadriel, in Tolkien lore, is a “penitent”, a “repentant sinner”, because she turned her back on literal heaven (Valinor) due to her pride and her greed for power (wanting a kingdom of her own), and for this she was banished by the Valar: Tolkien work is infused with Christian doctrine whenever people chose to ignore or not, it’s still there. And this is true in “Rings of Power”, too, only her desire for power is connected with her desire for Sauron, in the show.  

Now, to understand her connection with Sauron, and want she truly wants, we need to look at “The Mirror of Galadriel” chapter in “Fellowship of the Ring”, the first book of “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Overall, the scene with the Mirror is somewhat similar to the Peter Jackson adaptation, only Sam is also there in the book version, and he wants to see Elf magic.

This takes place thousands of years after the “Rings of Power” timeline, and Sauron has been defeated, at least, 5,000 years ago. 

The last night before the Fellowship departs Lothlórien, Galadriel offers Frodo and Sam the opportunity to look into her Mirror, and they accept.

With water from the stream Galadriel filled the basin to the brim, and breathed on it, and when the water was still again she spoke. “Here is the Mirror of Galadriel,” she said. “I have brought you here so you may look in it, if you will.” The air was very still, and the dell was dark, and the Elf-lady beside him was tall and pale. “What shall we look for, and what shall we see?” asked Frodo, filled with awe. “Many things I can command the Mirror to reveal,” she answered. “But the Mirror will also show things unbidden, and those are often stranger and more profitable than things which we wish to behold. What you will see, if you leave the Mirror free to work, I cannot tell. For it shows things that were, and things that are, and things that yet may be. But which it is that he sees, even the wisest cannot always tell. Do you wish to look?” [...] "Remember that the Mirror shows many things, and not all have yet come to pass. Some never come to be, unless those that behold the visions turn aside from their path to prevent them. The Mirror is dangerous as a guide of deeds.”

Sam sees the “Scouring of the Shire” (which was cut from the Peter Jackson adaptation). Frodo sees several visions, and the last one is the Eye of Sauron itself.

“Do not touch the water!” said the Lady Galadriel softly. The vision faded, and Frodo found that he was looking at the cool stars twinkling in the silver basin. He stepped back shaking all over and looked at the Lady. “I know what it was that you last saw,” she said; “for that is also in my mind. Do not be afraid! But do not think that only by singing amid the trees, nor even by the slender arrows of elven-bows, is this land of Lothlorien maintained and defended against its Enemy. I say to you, Frodo, that even as I speak to you, I perceive the Dark Lord and know his mind, or all of his mind that concerns the Elves. And he gropes ever to see me and my thought. But still the door is closed!”

Galadriel then reveals to Frodo that she’s the ring-bearer of Nenya, one of the Three Elven rings of power. And is with the help of its power, she protects the realm of Lórien. However, Nenya is not the only magic at work here, and I think the ring works as an amplifier of Galadriel’s power (like the Mirror itself), and not as the actual “source”. And the protective spell around Lothlórien is something similar to Girdle of Melian, not only because of Nenya's presence, otherwise Galadriel wouldn’t be able to leave her kingdom, ever.

Praising Galadriel as “wise and fearless and fair,” Frodo offers to give the One Ring to her: “I will give you the One Ring, if you ask for it. It is too great a matter for me.”

This is the when Galadriel’s trial begins; she had the intention of test Frodo, and now she’s the one being tested.

Galadriel laughed with a sudden clear laugh. “Wise the Lady Galadriel may be,” she said, “yet here she has met her match in courtesy. Gently are you revenged for my testing of your heart at our first meeting. You begin to see with a keen eye. I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired to ask what you offer. For many long years I had pondered what I might do, should the Great Ring come into my hands, and behold! It was brought within my grasp. The evil that was devised long ago works on in many ways, whether Sauron himself stands or falls. Would that not have been a noble deed to set to the credit of his Ring, if I had taken it by force or fear from my guest?

“And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair! She lifted up her hand and from the ring that she wore there issued a great light that illumined her alone and left all else dark. She stood before Frodo seeming now tall beyond measurement, and beautiful beyond enduring, terrible and worshipful.

Then she let her hand fall, and the light faded, and suddenly she laughed again, and lo! She was shrunken: a slender elf-woman, clad in simple white, whose gentle voice was soft and sad. “I pass the test,” she says, “I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel.”

They stood for a long while in silence. At length the Lady spoke again. “Let us return!” she said. “In the morning you must depart, for now we have chosen, and the tides of fate are flowing.”

Let's go back to Galadriel’s “dark form”; both adaptations are similar and true to Tolkien’s words:

Sauron: Fair as the sea and the Sun. Stronger than the foundations of the earth [...] Not dark. Not with you at my side.

In place of a Dark Lord you shall have a Queen. Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the dawn. Treacherous as the sea. Stronger than the foundations of the earth.

The detail that makes all the difference: Sauron proposal was to make her “a” queen, she’s the one who added him to the deal. They both agreed in placing crowns in each other’s heads.

And she wanted to take Sauron's offer, she craved what he offered her; as she confessed to Celebrimbor, in 2x07:

What prevented her from accepting in 1x08 wasn’t the “tyrant” bit, but believing him to be deceiving her, and his proposal being a mere illusion, and not honest. Because he's "the great deceiver" after all.

This is Galadriel’s true heart's desire. She craves this; ultimate power, and to be worshipped by everyone. That’s the reason why Sauron offered her this, in the first place, and why the One ring will give her the same temptation thousands of years later. Sauron has many glorious titles (“Lord of the Earth”; “Ruler of Middle-earth"; “God-king”, “King of Men”, “King of Kings”), and Galadriel wants them all for herself (“In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen”).

Sauron's offer will haunt her for thousands of years, because that’s what she truly wants, she's *that* power hungry, folks. For that D, too. And, in 2x08, what we saw was the beginning of Sauron’s grouping of Galadriel's mind, for centuries into the future, too:

[tenebris-lux]

- chapter 46, Words of Radiance

This part made me smile for the obvious reasons. It’s the response to this part. But that bit at the end where Rlain was going to say something … (SPOILERS from here on!) He was probably about to confess to Kaladin that he was a spy for the Listeners. And being a spy can mess with your personal loyalties; it’s hard when you relate to the people who had been enemies.

That’s relevant in this chapter, because Kaladin goes to a meeting with people trying to assassinate one of his charges, and … they have fair points too. Now Kaladin is caught in a problem. What’s the right thing to do? To where does his loyalty go? It’s not even as easy as just taking Elhokar out—it would still be betraying Dalinar as well, even if the intentions are good. The real sticking point is that his friend is one of the spies/assassins. That’s someone he helped and also wanted to keep safe. And Kaladin … well, he has a REALLY hard time letting go, and he’s caught between two attachments here. He doesn’t know it, but he’s in a similar situation as Rlain is.

Moash is using the group as an opportunity. He agrees with their point about Dalinar, but that’s secondary to him. He just wants Elhokar dead. I can’t blame him, and it must hurt having to protect the guy who thought nothing of his grandparents. This, folks, is what we call a conflict of interest; he shouldn’t even be this close to Elhokar. He’s trying to make the idea appeal to Kaladin by putting the savior spin on it; “you can help people this way, so it works out” kind of thing. The thing is, Kaladin only really kills immediate threats to his charges. He doesn’t really do the premeditated stuff.* He’s a defender, not an aggressor. As Syl said before, he’s a Windrunner, not a Skybreaker. And he doesn’t have a taste for duplicity. That’s Shallan’s territory.

It’s kinda cute how Kaladin’s conundrum with this is in the Shallan-focused book. One could objectively consider her actions of killing her father a betrayal. She’s 100% justified in it, IMO, but it was difficult for her to do. And she felt she had to because he was an immediate threat to those she loved, and there was no changing that; he only got worse over time.

*He came close in The Way of Kings when he was being transported to the Shattered Plains. He carried that blackbane leaf with him for a while, but never got around to actually using it.

[sadly-in-active]

Hey, may I request for affogato x reader general hcs?

Ofc (I need to write or else I never will again)

Affogato Cookie x Reader

Summary: Just some general hcs of you and Affogato Cookie, nothing much. He can be a real sweetheart to his beloved, even if it may come as a surprise to others…

TW: I really don’t know

Well, Affogato certainly could relate to onions (please get the reference), having multiple layers of trust and appreciation for the ones around him.

He acts cold, yet charming at first. He knew that everyone is a threat in their own ways, either with brute strength or knowledge, so he knows not to take many for granted.

However, his layers crumble down after spending so much time with someone he genuinely seems to trust: you.

Affogato tries to deny his own feelings (tsundere at the max) but he honestly really likes you.

During meetings, he tends to keep you closer, and he doesn’t shy away from saying that you’re his partner.

He calls you things like darling, my love, sweetheart, but then he also compares you to a little sheep at times, either degrading you (lovingly) or just to tease you, saying how he’s the strong shepherd and you’re the little sheep in need of a savior.

He probably has a lot of blankets and lush pillows in his chambers, and he loves seeing you wrapped in them during another cold snowy night, watching you sleep after a long day.

He does your makeup. Actually, he lets you do his as well, if he’s generous enough.

Affogato practically melts when he sees you wear his fabulous robes. Honestly? He thinks that you wore it better then he ever could.

Now, now, he isn’t all that sweet. For example, if your loyalty is more to the kingdom then he is, Affogato tends to get really jealous, trying to convince you to love him more.

But don’t worry, he reassures you that his plotting and scheming will never ever hurt a dear like you. He just wants to rule the Dark Cacao Kingdom better then the King would, and he’d love to have you rule beside him.

Who knows, perhaps he’d promote you to become his personal advisor? You’re already so close to him and he trusts you 💜