#her and melina 10/10

[cometblaster2070]

genuinely love ranni's stupid lore dumping ass like first she's just annoyed and embarrassed that we've realized she's in the doll form and then she sends us on a silly little assassination quest because yk we're already there and THEN after all this we sit down and she just starts telling her entire backstory it's so funny.

girl can't keep shit to herself to save her life I love her. like she just immediately launches into the entire reasoning behind her hating the fingers and how iji and blaidd mean so much to her before she's like 'wait fuck I shouldn't have said that forget this conversation ever happened bye.'

also bonus: yk when you face the baleful shadow for the first time and ranni has that banger dialogue like:

"O Shadow, thou'rt the last. Tell the Two Fingers, That Ranni the Witch cometh, to rend thy flesh. With a fateful wound, ne'er to heal."

and it's so funny to me like GIRL I AM THE ONE TRYING TO KILL THIS MF I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING STOP.

it's just embarrassing when your girl's all hype like that and then you get your ass kicked by the baleful shadow like 5 times in a row.

[natbelovasblog]

NATTY HEAD-CANNONS!

PAIRINGS: Natasha Romanoff + Fem!Reader mentions!

SUMMARY: Just some little cute things I can totally see nat doing.

WARNINGS: Softy nat. That’s it.

A/N: Everyone sees her differently, but these are some things that I think it would be like dating Natasha! P.S.! This is my first post of mine on here. I hope you guys like it! Likes, comments and reblogs are always appreciated!

Natasha was very anxious for you to meet her family. The avengers: because they can be a little too pushy and irritating. Especially when your new to the team. Always talking and asking you questions. They can be very overstimulating when you don’t wanna be bothered.

As well as her adoptive family: Yelena, because she’s very much like Natasha herself. Protective. Very very protective. She was scared that Yelena wouldn’t like you, even though there is nothing to not like. She just hoped Yelena would, because her sisters approval means everything to her. Luckily It all went well…Yelena is so obsessed with you. She’s your best friend. She mainly is your best-friend because you make her food. Aka mac and cheese.

Alexei, he’s such a irritable human being, Natasha loves him dearly. But she also is aware he can be too much, as well as embarrassing. Especially with childhood stories.

Melina, She was less nervous about her mom over all of them. Melina is very supportive but she can also be to out-loud if she doesn’t like something. Saying it without a care in the world. So she was nervous Melina would say something rude to you without even noticing.

Natasha is very big on touch, it’s her love language. As well as acts of service and words of affirmation. She loves telling you how much you mean to her while staring into your eyes, and then kissing you deeply. She also is obsessed with getting you things you need. Especially when you’re on your period. She loves going out and buying you what you need- including chocolates, teas and anything or any food that “helps with the pain.” She’ll get you anything you want. Just say the word.

Natasha is a total nerd- no matter what anyone says. She loves re-watching all her favorite movies and saying all the lines. It’s gotten so bad to the point she has to lie to you and say she hasn’t watched the movie yet when she most definitely has, just so you’ll watch it with her. Then a couple minutes in, you’ll hear her silently mumbling the words while mindlessly playing in your hair. Safe to say you scare the shit out of her when you call her out for lying.

Natasha is a terrible cook but she really does try. And not because she needs to please anyone. Not because she needs to prove anything. But just because she wants to. She’s always trying to help people in the kitchen. She loves watching other people cook and loves watching cooking shows. So imagining herself being able to do it is definitely a goal of hers!

Natasha never gets drunk while with you, even if you tell her it’s okay, she refuses. She’ll get a tiny bit tipsy but that’s as far as she’ll go. She always wants to be in her right mind while around you, so she can protect you. The only time she’ll get drunk is when Yelena is with the both of you, and agrees to stay sober, because she knows Yelena will protect you with her life as well.

Natasha’s favorite season out of them all is definitely fall!! She lovesss being able to just cuddle under the covers without being to hot- or too cold. But perfectly content. Plus she loves taking photos of all the pretty leaves and trees- being the nerd she is.

She fiddles with your hands a lot, 9/10 times in the conference room she’ll grab your hand, just mindlessly playing with your rings or putting her rings on your hands to play with if you don’t have any on. Just randomly outlining the creases in your hands or massaging them.

She’s always chewing gum or biting her cheek when she’s nervous or stressed. Just something to keep her mouth busy. Most of the time she’ll just walk up to you and randomly bite your thigh when your reading- as a means to distract her mouth.

She yankes the covers off of you at night- even if she doesn’t mean too. Then when she wakes up in the morning, she covers you up, wondering why you’re never covered up in the mornings.

She’s so so so fucking stubborn. You will not and can not tell this woman anything. It goes in one ear and right out the other, especially if she knows it’s something she’s not supposed to do.

Natasha is not much for PDA, but boy oh boy when you kiss her in public or put your hand on her thigh, she can’t stop the flustered look and cherry red blush from covering her face, and you live for it.

Natasha always pampers you and gives you anything you want or need. Even when you don’t know you want or need something, she does- and immediately gets it for you.

She is a huge coffee addict. It doesn’t matter what time of the day it is- she will have her coffee, when she wants it and exactly how she wants it.

Natasha is very private and sensitive about your shared relationship around her family and friends, but by no means is it a secret.

When you two are in public, she is always holding your hand, belt loop, jacket or she’s either checking around every corner and rooftop. Making sure your safe at all times.

When Natasha used to have nightmares, she would walk down to the kitchen and fix herself some coffee, nervous to wake you up with her yelps and movements if she had fallen back asleep, fallen back into her nightmare. That was used to, when you had first starting sleeping in the same room. But now, she cuddles even closer to you, sometimes even waking you up with a soft “baby” just so she knows that she’s safe as you comfort her. Telling her that your proud of her for waking you up.

Natasha never yells durning fights or disagreements. Her voice may get a little loud, and she may even shout a bit, but she never ever yells. She tells you she’ll be back and goes for walks, or car rides to calm down. Then comes back, hugs and kisses you and sits you down for a talk.

She’s OBSESSED with animals. Cats specifically. She always says she doesn’t like them, trying to be mysterious and different, but in reality you see the little pout come upon her face every time you two see a stray animal or kitten on the street.

[retro1919]

I know you’ve been waiting all day for this Melina said to Jalen as he watched her get the bed ready her big 48NN milk filled titties swayed back and forth slapping together as he jumped up in the bed she gets in with him as he falls into her arms she plugs her titty into his mouth Jalen waist no time pulling away on her titty grunting and groaning with intense pleasure eyes rolling back in his head UMH!!!! UMH!!!!! UMH!!!!! he kept grunting go to sleep Melina kept whispering after 10 more minutes of intense nursing Jalen passes out 🥛🍼😴💤!!!!!

[just-aake]

Boundless Devotion - Part XV (Final)

Pairing: princess!Natasha Romanoff x fem!reader

Summary: MedievalAU. Natasha is the eldest princess of the Romanov Kingdom. As the time of her coronation approaches, she is suddenly forced to make a decision – either find herself a partner or her parents will choose one for her.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15

Warnings: light angst, hurt/comfort, fluff

Words: 8179

It’s difficult to know how much time has passed when you’re trapped within your own mind.

One moment, you’re glaring at the one who you once believed was your father, wishing for his downfall. 

The next, you’re falling into the eyes of the one who holds your heart, all while gripping a dagger aimed at hers.

The lost time spent drifting between reality and darkness always leaves you with a sense of helplessness, especially when you later awaken to discover the actions you took during that time, actions that still haunt you.

Your current condition feels similar to that feeling of being trapped, except, unfortunately, this experience is far more agonizing.

With each passing moment, every part of you aches, both mentally and physically. 

The sensation only seems to intensify, worsening to where it feels as though your entire body is engulfed in flames, burning from the inside out. Even the simple act of breathing becomes a challenge, let alone attempting to move.

At times, the overwhelming agony drains you to the point where your weary mind is tempted to just surrender to the dark void at the edge of your consciousness, promising relief.

But then a voice breaks through amidst all of the pain, calling your name in desperate pleading.

Though your tired mind struggles to place the voice in the moment, it feels familiar. 

There's something about it that warms your heart, making you forget about the pain even if only for a fleeting moment. 

The devastation in their tone is the reason you find the sudden need within you to push through the agony, if only to help alleviate the sadness in their voice.

And so, that's what you decide to do.

You endure, and you stay.

Gradually, it starts getting better. The pain lessens along with fewer waves of feverish sensations coursing through your body. 

Eventually, you hear other voices too, all familiar and all concerned for you. And as your mind slowly recovers from the fog of pain, it begins to piece those voices with their respective owners.

Wanda and Pietro

Yelena and Kate

Carol

Even Queen Melina

Ironically, the one voice you hear the most, always a constant source of comfort and peace at your side, is the one that proves the most challenging to place.

Frustrated at the mystery of this person, you eventually gather enough strength one day to will your mind to wake up, determined to finally discover their identity.

Slowly, your eyes open, and after a few blinks, your vision clears.

The first thing you realize is that you’re not in your room, but the surroundings look familiar. With a dull ache on your stomach, you opt to turn your head instead to survey the rest of the area. 

As your gaze falls upon the sleeping figure by the window, illuminated by the afternoon sun casting a warm glow on her red hair, memories flood back, and you finally recall the owner of that elusive voice.

Natasha

With her eyes closed, the princess sits in her window seat facing you, her head resting on her hand against her bent knee. 

The realization that she must have fallen asleep, likely exhausted from watching over you, causes a sad bittersweet feeling to form in your heart.

Glancing around once more, you take in Natasha’s bedroom, a place you haven’t visited in a while since before everything that had happened last year.

Despite subtle changes in details, everything remains mostly unchanged. Her swords and armor hang securely on the wall, and her shelves are lined with books and personal items that she treasured through the years.

On her desk, a small stack of papers awaits her attention, likely documents of the kingdom needing review, and adjacent to them sits a tray of obviously untouched food.

You frown at the sight, aware of Natasha’s tendency to neglect meals whenever she’s stressed or too busy.

Returning your gaze to her, you notice the dark circles under her eyes, deepening your frown and concern. 

Intending to call out to her and urge her to rest in her bed, you open your mouth, but your parched throat betrays you, plunging you into a painful fit of coughing instead.

Natasha’s eyes snap open instantly, her body tensing in alertness as she searches the room, before locking onto you in realization.

She swiftly rises from the window seat and approaches the edges of the bed where you lie, her hand reaching out to comfort you but then she stops in hesitation just before she touches you.

As you regain your breath, you notice her hand clench with nervous energy before slowly withdrawing to her side.

Summoning your strength, you reach out and grasp her hand firmly, not letting her go far, as you intertwine your fingers and rest them atop the bed. 

You nod toward the bed, silently urging her to stay by your side.

Natasha's tense posture relaxes at your gesture, and a faint, relieved smile forms on her lips as she takes a seat at the edge of the bed. She reaches for the cup on the nightstand, bringing it to your lips and helping you take a sip, soothing your parched throat.

In a whisper so soft as if afraid to break the moment with you, Natasha asks, "How are you feeling?"

“Sore,” you respond honestly, your voice still strained.

A flash of regret flickers across Natasha’s face as she looks towards your injury. Not wanting her to spiral into guilt over what happened, you tug on her clasped hand to bring her attention back to you.

“Can you help me sit up?” you ask, determination in your tone as you release her hand and prepare to push yourself upright.

“You really shouldn’t be moving right now,” Natasha cautions, her hands hovering tentatively in concern.

“I know, but I want to,” you insist. 

The thought of continuing to lie helplessly on your back, a sight that likely tormented Natasha during your time of unconsciousness, doesn’t sit well with you.

You want to reassure her that you’re feeling better than your previously weakened state.

Natasha hesitates, torn between honoring your request or prioritizing your well-being. However, she comes to a decision when she sees the determined look on your face.

“You’re so stubborn,” she remarks with a gentle shake of her head, a hint of fondness in her voice, as her hands move to support you carefully in sitting up against the headboard.

“Takes one to know one,” you tease lightly, offering a small smile as you lean back, taking a moment to catch your breath.

A comfortable silence settles between you as you stare up at the ceiling, lost in thought.

Memories flood back, and you distinctly recall Natasha’s anguished face above you before darkness consumed your vision. 

Your smile drops slightly at the memory, and with a tired sigh, you turn to meet her patient gaze, breaking the silence.

“How long was I out for?” you ask softly.

“Three days,” Natasha responds gently.

Processing the information, disappointment washes over you as you realize what was supposed to have taken place yesterday.

“Your coronation…I missed it,” you say sadly.

Natasha chuckles softly, shaking her head in disbelief at your priority.

“No, you didn’t,” she reassures. “I’m not the queen yet.”

At your confused expression, Natasha continues her explanation.

“I postponed it. And before you say I didn’t have to, you know that there was no way I would have gone through with it without having you there.”

“Besides,” Natasha adds with a playful smirk. “Staying by your side is always better than any kind of event, even if it’s my coronation.”

Her comment lightens the somber atmosphere, drawing a small laugh from you, which makes her grin in turn.

The action causes a dull ache to appear at your side, and unconsciously, your hand moves to brush against the bandages covering where the blade had pierced you, reminding you of your ordeal.

“So what happened after…” you trail off, unable to voice the memory.

Natasha's gaze shifts sadly to your wounded area as she begins to explain.

"Yelena arrived with the physician shortly after. They tended to Pietro and you," she recounts. "Meanwhile, Kate stayed at her manor to apprehend the attackers and helped Wanda to recover."

Concern flickers in your eyes, prompting Natasha to offer a reassuring grin.

"Don't worry, Wanda's fine. She just tired herself out when she took down Rumlow and his followers.”

At your puzzled expression, Natasha moves her hand pointedly, mirroring the similar action of Wanda’s whenever she uses her powers.

“Oh,” you say, at a loss for words in realization.

Natasha chuckles at your expression, raising her brows at you.

“You did say she had a special way with people.”

Sighing worriedly, you explain your reasoning for keeping Wanda’s abilities a secret.

“You know how some people are towards magic, Natasha.”

“Well, considering she saved our lives, I’ll make sure no one messes with her, though I’m sure she can protect herself just fine.”

You let out a small breath of relief at her reassurance before inquiring further, “What about everyone else?”

Natasha tilts her head in thought as she continues to recount the events afterward.

“Clint was able to warn my dad, Steve, and Carol in time to capture the ones under control here in the castle. And as for the ones that went after my mom…” 

She lets out an exasperated sigh before continuing, “...let’s just say that they shouldn’t have attacked her in her lab when she was in the middle of mixing certain chemicals and powders.”

You chuckle lightly at the thought, knowing about Queen Melina’s tendency to cause explosions in her lab during her experiments. 

However, the mention of explosions brings a grim reminder of another figure Natasha hasn't mentioned yet.

“And Dreykov?” you ask cautiously. “Did he escape?”

Natasha's hand clench into a fist at his name, her expression clouding with silent fury.

"No, he's currently in prison, awaiting trial. Along with the rest of the traitors," she responds, shaking her head with resolve. 

Taking your hand in a reassuring grip, she adds, "But you don't need to worry about him. I won't let him hurt you ever again."

Natasha lifts your hand to her lips, pressing a gentle kiss against your skin.

“I promise.”

You offer her a grateful smile, relieved at the information.

However, a sense of resignation settles in as you prepare to bring up the next topic.

“I guess all that’s left is to decide what to do about me,” you say with a heavy sigh.

Natasha tightens her grip on your hand as she urges gently, "Just concentrate on getting better.”

You chuckle lightly before your expression turns somber as you clarify.

"No, I mean about me being the Stark princess."

An awkward silence descends in the air, both of you acutely aware of the weight of the decision looming over you.

As much as you dislike it, the reality of your identity remains, and you need to officially address its involvement in your future eventually. 

“What do you want to do?” Natasha finally asks, breaking the silence.

You contemplate your options and remember your conversation with Bucky, finding that your feelings about your decision remain unchanged even now.

"Honestly, Natasha, I want to just leave it in the past," you admit. "Everything's relatively peaceful between the kingdoms at the moment. What's the point in bringing up troubling revelations from mistakes in the past?"

“Are you sure?” Natasha questions in concern before pointing out. “You’re essentially rejecting your title as a princess.”

You nod, giving her a content smile.

​​"I've never needed it in my life before,” you say as you tilt your head at her in question, a hint of warmth in your voice as you ask, “Besides, I already have a princess in my life, don't I?”

Natasha returns your gaze with an affectionate smile before intertwining your hands together.

"Yeah, I'm yours," she affirms softly.

Gradually, you feel more strength returning to your body as you remain awake, nodding confidently as you adjust your position carefully.

"I think I'm feeling better enough to go back to my manor this evening," you observe, suggesting, "If you could have the twins come and help me, then you can finally get a proper night's sleep in your own bed tonight."

Before you can sit up any further, Natasha’s hand moves to your shoulder, gently holding you in place, her expression filled with disbelief.

Glancing at her hand, you give her a questioning look, causing Natasha to shake her head exasperatedly.

"If you think you're going to leave this bed anytime soon, especially after being stabbed for my sake, you need to think again," Natasha says firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Meeting her gaze, you both engage in a standoff, locked in a silent challenge. After a moment, Natasha raises her brow at you.

“If the situation was reversed, would you let me move?” she asks pointedly.

You open your mouth to reply before deflating in resignation, knowing you would do the same as her if you were in her position.

“Fine,” you concede, though a small pout forms on your lips, before adding, “But I should still return your bed to you and move into one of the guest rooms.”

Natasha tilts her head in thought as she traces a pattern on the blanket on your lap before commenting.

"Is that really necessary? It's not like we haven't slept in the same bed before," she reasons, her tone light.

Then, with a teasing smirk, she adds, "Unless this is your way of avoiding me after I confessed that I love you."

You pause, taken aback by her casual declaration, and you feel your cheeks heating up as you finally process her words. 

When you see the victorious smirk on her face, you roll your eyes and shake your head, giving her a chatising look.

“You’re unbelievable,” you mutter, frustration evident in your tone, though there's a hint of fondness.

“I believe you’ve always called me charming,” Natasha retorts, her smirk widening.

Frustrated, your hands grip the collar of her tunic tightly, pulling her closer to you.

"Natasha Alianovna Romanov," you begin, your voice tinged with both exasperation and affection.

She smirks, amusement dancing in her eyes as she catches herself with her hands against the bed on each side of you, encasing you between her arms. 

Gazing at you with a teasing expression, she prompts, "Yes?"

With a small smile, you finally gather the courage to voice the words you've been longing to tell her.

"I'm in love with you," you confess softly, your heart pounding in your chest.

"That's good..." Natasha replies, her voice tender as she leans in closer, "...cause I'm deeply in love with you too."

Her words brush against your lips softly, and without hesitation, you tug her closer, closing the tiny distance between the two of you.

The kiss feels both new and familiar, a perfect blend of passion and tenderness, as you lose yourself in the moment, savoring the warmth of her lips against yours.

Natasha is the one who pulls back first, resting her forehead against yours and letting out a happy sigh.

"You have no idea how many times I've wanted to do that," she admits, her voice filled with sincere longing.

Unconsciously, you lightly bite your lip to keep the warmth and feeling of her there for a little longer, before noticing Natasha's gaze drifting down to the subtle movement. 

You recall the countless times you've witnessed that look of desire in her eyes, prompting a small chuckle to escape your lips as you pull her in closer.

"I think I do," you tease, brushing lightly against her lips. "You're not exactly subtle, princess."

Natasha lets out a tiny huff, her lips curving into a playful smile before she leans in for another kiss and then another, each one gentle and delicate, never leaving your lips for more than a second, as she steals your breath away and makes you melt against her.

Your hand, still lingering on her collar, instinctively seeks more contact, slipping beneath the thin layer of her clothing to clutch at her bare shoulder.

The warmth of her skin beneath your touch only intensifies the longing between you as you try to pull her closer.

As you go to deepen the kiss, the moment is suddenly shattered by an unexpected interruption.

“Oh my—Nat! Let her breathe! She just woke up!”

Startled, you pull back from Natasha, breaking the kiss, as your gaze shifts to the doorway where Yelena and Kate stand. 

Natasha groans in frustration, her head falling against your shoulder.

Kate quickly steps in to cover Yelena's mouth, offering you an apologetic expression.

"Sorry! We just wanted to check on you two. We didn't mean to interrupt," she explains, as Yelena’s objection is muffled behind her hand.

Still pressed against your neck, Natasha responds in an annoyed tone, "Then leave."

Yelena rolls her eyes at her sister's bluntness, pulling Kate's hand away to respond, "Alright, alright, we get it."

With a warm smile directed at you, Yelena adds, "It's good to see you awake, Y/n."

"Yeah, we're glad that you're okay," Kate chimes in, relief evident in her eyes.

You offer them both a grateful nod. "Thank you two for coming."

“I guess we’ll visit you later then,” Yelena remarks, moving to take Kate's arm and guide her away from the door.

As Kate closes the door behind them, you catch snippets of their conversation.

"Should we really, though?" Kate's voice holds a hint of hesitation. "I don't want to interrupt them again while they're...you know."

Yelena hums thoughtfully before responding, "I mean it's a good thing we did this time, or else Y/n would have probably pulled out her stitches trying to undress Natasha."

Your face flushes with embarrassment as you instinctively cover it with your hands, feeling a wave of mortification wash over you. 

Natasha chuckles lightly, adjusting her tunic as she shoots you a playful smirk, a teasing glint dancing in her eyes.

“Don’t even start,” you warn, noticing her mischievous expression.

Natasha holds up her hands innocently, adopting a nonchalant tone as she suggests, "I was just going to say we should have the physician come and check your condition."

She then adds with a teasing edge, "After all, you may have overexerted yourself from being so eager to kiss me."

You huff in disbelief, raising a skeptical eyebrow at her.

"I'm the eager one?" you ask, a hint of amusement in your tone.

Natasha nods with mock seriousness. 

"If you say so."

Rolling your eyes, you playfully swat at her shoulder, then turn away with a small pout.

"In all seriousness, though, let me go get the physician," Natasha says, amusement evident in her voice at your behavior.

As she turns to leave, you call out to her.

"Wait, Natasha.”

She turns back to face you, curiosity in her eyes.

Leaning forward, you catch her off guard with a surprise kiss before pulling away.

"...okay, now you can go," you whisper against her lips.

Natasha's eyes fluttered closed at the unexpected contact, her tongue lightly tracing where your lips touched hers. When she finally opens her eyes again, they seem impossibly darker, filled with a mixture of desire and love that makes your breath catch.

“That’s unfair,” she breathes out, her voice husky with desire. “…doing that just as I’m about to leave.”

You pull away slightly, only for her to follow, not allowing the distance between you two to grow. A sly, knowing grin spreads across your face as you tease her.

"I just wanted to see who between us is actually the one who's more eager."

"I'm your princess, yet you're teasing me like this," Natasha says playfully, feigning disbelief.

"And you still love me anyway," you point out, a fond smile playing on your lips.

Natasha's eyes soften, and she closes the distance between you once more, whispering her next words against your lips.

“Yeah, I do.”

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

Upon hearing that you were awake, Wanda and Pietro arrived quickly just as the physician was assessing your condition. 

Soon after, a request from her mother to speak with Natasha in private causes her to leave the twins in charge of watching over you at your insistence.

Now, Natasha stands in her private study, a deep frown creasing her forehead as she examines the letters that her mother had handed to her.

“What is this?” Natasha asks, her voice steady but laced with a subtle hint of anger as she reads the contents of some of the letters.

Melina lets out a heavy sigh, rubbing her temples as if trying to ward off an impending headache, knowing that her daughter won't take the news well.

“Many of the heads of the other noble houses in the kingdom are asking for Lord Dreykov’s release,” she reveals grimly.

“He tried to kill me,” Natasha states incredulously. “And yet they’re still defending him.”

“I warned you that Lord Dreykov is influential among the other nobles. You need strong evidence if you want people to turn their back on him,” her mother reminds her.

She then places a stack of documents on the desk, and Natasha quickly realizes that these are the results of Steve’s investigation.

Her mother continues her lecture, as Natasha skims the contents.

“The staff from the Bishop manor provided witness accounts of Lord Rumlow and the others' betrayal, but there were no witnesses at Dreykov’s manor besides you and Y/n.”

“What about his guards?” Natasha suggests.

Melina shakes her head grimly. “Found dead in their cells by unknown means.”

“What about Barnes?” Natasha points out the presence of the old captain.

Melina gives her a look of disbelief, raising an eyebrow. 

“The other nobles are not going to believe the words of a known criminal.”

Frustration and disbelief cloud Natasha's expression as she processes the information. She searches for another angle, another way to bring Dreykov to justice.

“If we can’t prove attempted murder against me, then what about the fact that he almost killed Y/n?”

Melina grimaces, her reluctance evident in her expression as she braces herself to deliver the answer Natasha doesn't want to hear.

“What is it?” Natasha presses, her tone betraying a hint of impatience.

Melina taps the stack of letters pointedly before explaining, “Many argue that Dreykov’s actions against Y/n are akin to a father disciplining their child and is not a crime, especially considering she survived. They believe it's a family matter that should be resolved within the respective house and not involve any others.”

Natasha's frown deepens as she hears this, her hand tightening around the letters.

“I told you handling the relationships between the nobles of the court is delicate work,” Melina reminds her gently.

“Yeah, I’m starting to see what you mean,” Natasha concedes, her expression resigned in anger at the twisted parts of the kingdom.

Melina offers a comforting gesture, placing a hand on Natasha's shoulder and giving her a proud look.

“Don’t worry, Natasha. Lord Dreykov can still be forced to face trial if you want. And I’m confident that you can convince the others to be on your side. In this matter and the future.”

Her mother’s encouragement does little to ease Natasha’s mind of the difficult task ahead for her once she becomes the queen.

Despite the troubling news, Natasha still thanks her mother for the warning before taking her leave.

Returning to your side, Natasha finds you resting once again, exhaustion evident in your features. She watches you with a tender and affectionate gaze, remembering her promise to protect you from any further harm. 

If there's one thing Natasha is certain of for the future, it's her unwavering commitment to fulfilling her vow to protect you.

With that resolve in mind, she later finds herself standing at the entrance of the most secure cell in prison, her arms crossed as she fixes a steely glare on the person seated in the shadows.

"Well?" Dreykov's voice cuts through the stillness of the chamber. “Is that girl dead yet?”

Natasha's jaw clenches at his callous words, refusing to be baited by his cruelty. 

A click of his tongue signals his understanding before he speaks again, his tone laced with a hint of mockery.

“No, you wouldn’t let that happen. So, then, are you here to finish what you started?”

Dreykov's eyes finally meet hers, his form emerging from the darkness as he tilts his head, his injuries still evident in the flickering light.

His face bears the remnants of bruises, one eye swollen shut—a testament to the beating Natasha had inflicted upon him when she first learned of the severity and uncertainty of your condition from the physician.

Unconsciously, Natasha's hands clench into fists, the memory of her rage surfacing as she recalls the moment she unleashed her fury upon him, her knuckles bruising and bleeding until Yelena intervened to pull her away. 

Dreykov catches her movement, a knowing glint in his eyes as a smirk tug at the corners of his lips.

“I see, so you’re mad because you can’t kill me,” he says confidently, accurately guessing her current predicament. “Tell me, how many of the other nobles have interceded for my release?”

Natasha grits her teeth in irritation at the extent of Dreykov's influence over the court and the fact he already knows that some nobles would rally to his defense. 

“They’ll abandon you once they realize what sort of person you truly are,” she retorts, her tone firm.

Dreykov chuckles in amusement, unfazed by her words.

“Feeling pressured already?” he taunts. “It’s just going to get worse from here on. After all, I’m not the only one in this kingdom who wants a war.”

“And you already know that I would never let that happen,” Natasha counters, her voice tinged with resolve. “That’s the whole reason why you didn’t want me as the queen in the first place.”

Dreykov eyes her critically, considering her words before a smirk dances across his lips.

“Perhaps I was wrong about you. You have potential. You just need the right…” he waves his hand dramatically. “…motivation.”

Rolling her eyes at his attempt at manipulation, Natasha turns to leave.

However, before she can reach the exit, Dreykov's voice calls out to her, stopping her in her tracks.

“Do you know what causes war the most, Your Highness? More than greed or vengeance?”

Natasha turns back to glare at him, irritated by his continued insinuations.

At her silence, he answers his own question.

“Love,” he spits out the word in disgust. “Such a foolish emotion, but you’d be surprised at how much destruction it can cause.”

He raises his brow at her, gesturing pointedly. “And it seems you have plenty for that pathetic girl.”

Natasha slams her fist against the bars, anger erupting, as she glares daggers at him.

“You better hope you don’t get to leave this cell, Dreykov. Because if I ever see you free…” she pauses, her voice lowering to a dangerous tone. “…I’ll kill you myself.”

Despite her threat, a pleased smile forms on Dreykov’s face, as if her words confirmed something for him, infuriating her further.

Turning swiftly to the door, Natasha indicates to the guards to let her out, but Dreykov's voice interrupts her again.

“I do have one more question for you.”

The door opens for her to leave as he continues.

“If that girl ever ends up in the way of you and your so-called peace, would you still choose to avoid war then…or would you fight for her?”

Natasha clenches her hand, finding herself unable to respond, her mind consumed by the weight of his words.

With a determined look, she decides not to entertain his question further, swiftly leaving the cell and slamming the door shut behind her.

“I look forward to seeing what your choice would be when that time comes, Your Majesty,” Dreykov's voice echoes tauntingly down the corridor as Natasha makes her way back to you.

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

The unsettling exchange with Dreykov from that night a week ago still lingers in her mind as Natasha sits at her desk, lost in thought.

She ponders his cryptic words, bothered by his confidence that trouble was coming, and especially at the implication of having you in the middle of it all.

Her main concern is for your safety, prompting her to consider every possible scenario where you might be at risk.

After all, she had come dangerously close to losing you during the recent conflict, a thought that sends a shiver down her spine every time.

Leaning back in her chair, Natasha’s gaze falls on the small opened box resting on her desk, illuminated by the soft moonlight filtering through the window.

The red gemstone embedded in the golden band glimmers with a silent promise, one that she hasn’t dared to ask you yet.

Pushing aside the unsettling thoughts of Dreykov's words, Natasha closes the lid of the box with a gentle sigh, tucking it away in the drawer for safekeeping. 

One day, she promises.

When she can guarantee your safety and ensure that she can provide you with a peaceful future, she’ll give it to you then.

A knock at her door draws her attention, and Natasha looks up to see you poking your head inside, a playful smile dancing on your lips.

"Don’t tell me you’re hiding already?" you tease, your voice laced with amusement.

Natasha's lips curve into a fond smile at the sight of you, her worries momentarily pushed aside by your presence.

Chuckling softly, she shakes her head before asking, “Did my mother send you?”

“She wanted me to make sure you wouldn’t be late,” you reply, walking over to her with cautious steps, mindful of your injury.

Leaning back against her desk, you give her a pointed look.

“After all, it’s your last ball as the princess before you become the queen tomorrow.”

Natasha smiles gently at the reminder before glancing down at the area of your dress where she knows the bandages are hiding underneath. Her expression softens with concern as she meets your eyes.

“How are you feeling?” she asks.

“Better,” you assure her. “I’ve been able to move around by myself without any help.”

Standing up, Natasha intertwines her fingers with yours, drawing you closer as she gazes at you.

“You look beautiful,” she compliments softly, her eyes reflecting genuine admiration.

“So do you,” you respond, your hand reaching up to gently brush against her cheek, slowly losing yourself in her gaze.

Then as if remembering your original goal, you clear your throat and nod towards the door. 

“We should go. Your mother’s expecting us,” you remind her.

At your suggestion, Natasha moves closer to you, enclosing you between the desk and her body.

“I’m sure we can spare a couple of minutes, can’t we?” she asks, her voice lowering suggestively, caressing the air as she leans in.

Raising a brow skeptically, you tilt your head slightly, your lips barely grazing hers as you ask, “Only a couple of minutes?”

The moment your lips touch hers, Natasha's eyes darken with desire, her breath catching in her throat.

Absentmindedly humming in agreement, she whispers, “…yeah, just a couple…” before closing the distance between you.

Arriving at the ball later than expected, you and Natasha are greeted by her mother at the entrance, who gives you both a reprimanding yet knowing look.

“I’m sorry,” you apologize, offering her a genuinely apologetic expression. “We lost track of time talking.”

Melina raises her hand in a stopping gesture at your explanation.

“No, don’t apologize, Y/n. I’m sure I can guess what happened,” she says, shooting a pointed glare at her daughter before turning her attention back to you.

“Would you mind giving us a moment alone?”

You nod in understanding, softly excusing yourself.

Natasha brings the back of your hand up for a gentle kiss goodbye before releasing it, and you turn to leave the two women to their private conversation.

“Hold on, Y/n,” Melina calls out to you before you can go too far.

Stepping up to you, Melina carefully examines you before adjusting the strap of your dress on your shoulder slightly.

“Do try to direct Natasha to a less visible area the next time you two decide to ‘talk’,” she advises with a raised brow.

A flush spreads across your face in realization, and you quickly place your hand atop the area she adjusted, before giving a reprimanding look to Natasha, who looks away, barely concealing the satisfied grin playing on her lips.

You offer a quick, polite thanks before swiftly making your exit, eager to leave the embarrassing situation behind.

Turning back to her daughter, Melina meets her gaze with a raised brow.

“I guess it’s safe to say that your relationship with Y/n is still going well?” 

Natasha smiles softly at her observation, her eyes still following you as you go to join the others.

“Yeah, it is,” she replies honestly.

“That’s good,” Melina comments, handing her a cup before taking a sip of her own. “It’s important to show the other nobles how good the two of you are together so that they can have more confidence in the future with you as the ruler.”

Natasha nods in understanding, taking a sip of her drink in preparation for another lecture from her mother.

“Even if your relationship started as a ruse in the beginning,” her mother adds nonchalantly.

Natasha chokes on her drink in surprise at her mother’s words, coughing lightly as she gives her an incredulous look.

Melina raises a brow at her in challenge, daring her to deny her claim.

Looking away, Natasha glances over to where you are, oblivious to you and her arrangement being revealed at the moment.

As if feeling her eyes on you, you glance up, meeting her eyes and giving her a soft smile. She returns it before returning her focus to her mother.

Knowing there’s no point in trying to convince her mother otherwise, Natasha asks instead, “When did you figure it out?”

“Oh, I’ve had my suspicions since the beginning,” her mother reveals, swirling the contents of her cup in thought as she recalls how the events all started. 

“That morning, Y/n mentioned in passing about her meeting with Lady Maria as a potential partner, so I knew I had to do something to make you act.”

Natasha's brows furrow as she pieces together her mother's words with her own memories. She was right to think it was odd that her mother would suddenly take an interest in her love life, especially with such a ridiculous ultimatum given in such a short time.

“Wait, let me get this straight,” Natasha interjects, holding up her hand as she processes the information. “You're saying the only reason you pressured me to find someone was because you found out about Y/n’s date with Lady Maria?”

Melina nods before offering Natasha a sympathetic pat on her back.

“Let’s be honest, Natasha, you can be quite oblivious when it comes to your feelings for Y/n. I only pushed you to pay more attention to your love life because I didn’t want you to miss your chance with her.”

“No, you said that if I didn’t find someone, you were going to choose someone for me,” Natasha reminds her mother, her tone tinged with frustration.

Melina waves her hand dismissively.

“I was confident that you would come up with something before it ever got to that point, and you did. This charade that the two of you concocted worked out much better in the end, wouldn’t you agree?”

Natasha gapes at her mother, blinking in disbelief. She pinches her brows, feeling a headache forming at her mother’s antics.

“Please, go meddle with someone else's love life,” Natasha pleads, her patience wearing thin.

“Don’t be so dramatic, Natasha,” she says, chuckling, before pressing on, undeterred by her daughter's exasperation. “Now, tell me, have you thought of a plan on how to propose to Y/n yet?” 

Meanwhile, after leaving Natasha with her mother, you join the pair at one side of the ballroom. Stepping in front of the twins with a warm smile, you admire their new formal clothing that you had arranged for them to attend the event. 

“Well, don’t you two look beautiful and dashing?” you compliment, ruffling Pietro’s hair playfully. He swats at your hand lightly with a pout, then tugs at the collar of his shirt.

“I think you and Wanda are just trying to choke me in this,” he comments.

A red mist envelopes his topmost button and undoes it, granting him some relief.

“Better?” Wanda asks, returning her hand to cross her arms at her brother’s exaggerated behavior.

“Yes, I can actually breathe now,” Pietro responds with a teasing smirk, nudging his sister in thanks.

At the corner of your eye, you notice some nobles nearby shooting disapproving glares at your group, their attention mostly focused on Wanda, and then they begin to speak to each other, their voices intentionally loud.

“So disgraceful that they allow such people in here.”

“Did you see her eyes? They say it’s red like a demon.”

Pietro scowls at their words, moving protectively in front of his sister, but you stop him before he could confront them.

Then placing a comforting hand on Wanda’s shoulder, you check up on her. She gives you a reassuring smile, truly unbothered by their harsh words. 

You’re glad to see her adjusting okay to the fact that her powers are now known by others in the kingdom.

Still, you will not stand idly and let them talk about people you care about like that. The twins may not be in a position to say anything, but you can always defend and protect them.

Before you can confront the rude nobles, however, they are suddenly pushed off balance, stumbling to the ground, as the pair of canines rush through their legs towards you.

Their respective owners follow swiftly after them, with the younger princess giving the people a glare and challenging look, causing them to avert their gaze in embarrassment, looking elsewhere.

Yelena turns to your group with a satisfied grin.

“Don’t mind them, Wanda. They’re always judging everyone,” she says.

Kate nods in agreement, adding, “Yeah, intolerant people like them are not worth your time. There’s plenty of people in the kingdom who already know you’re amazing.”

Pietro chuckles and places his hand atop his sister’s head teasingly, remarking, “Careful with the compliments now, we wouldn’t want her getting a big head.”

Wanda rolls her eyes in response, shoving his arm off and commenting pointedly, “Your head is already big enough for the both of us.”

As the four of them continue their playful conversations, your eyes spot a familiar face hovering in the shadows at the edge of the ballroom.

Excusing yourself, you make your way over to the lone captain.

“Not one for parties?” you ask as you step up next to Bucky.

He sighs and shakes his head as he observes the surrounding guests joyfully engaged in celebration.

“It’s been a while since I attended events like these, but then again, I’ve never enjoyed them before anyway,” he admits.

Curious about something that you’ve been wondering about him, you finally ask. 

“Why did you decide to come to this kingdom? You know, after hiding away for so long.”

A silence follows, and just as you think he’s going to leave your question unanswered, he finally responds, nodding toward the distance. 

“To visit a friend.”

You follow Bucky’s gaze and realize he’s looking at Steve, who’s currently in conversation with Clint and Maria.

As if feeling your eyes, Steve glances up toward your direction, giving you two a welcoming smile and waving his hand in invitation.

A small smile forms on Bucky’s face, surprising you, and you find yourself asking curiously, “Then why not just stay? Enjoy life without constantly looking over your shoulder for danger and having to run away.”

He chuckles ruefully, giving you a look of disbelief. 

“I’m the most wanted criminal of the Stark Kingdom. Nowhere is safe for me or for those who help me.” 

“Well, at least consider the option,” you say, nudging him gently and giving him a pointed look. “Because you do have more than one friend here.”

He examines you carefully before giving you a silent, noncommittal nod, and you understand that this will be the most you’ll get from him.

“Y/n!” 

At the call of your name, you turn to see Carol coming towards you. As you turn back around to excuse yourself, you're not surprised to find Bucky has sneaked away.

Carol stops in front of you, the happy smile fading slightly into a serious expression as she examines you critically.

"How are you feeling?" she asks with genuine concern.

The familiarity in her question makes you laugh lightly as you shake your head.

“You and Natasha. Why do you two keep asking me that?”

Carol raises an amused brow at you.

"It's because we both care about you, Y/n," she answers softly before tilting her head in thought. 

"Maybe the fact we both like the same things is why we're always competing with each other," she muses aloud before extending her hand in invitation.

"Speaking of, would you like to join me for one dance before Natasha decides to keep you all to herself?"

You give her a playful warning look, raising your brow at her.

"No extravagant twirling, lifts, or dips?" you ask, knowing her tendencies.

Carol nods in reassurance, answering firmly, "I promise."

As she leads you in a slow dance, keeping an easy pace to avoid tiring you, you seize the moment to ask her something.

“Are you leaving after the coronation tomorrow?”

Carol nods in confirmation.

“That’s the plan,” she responds. “I want to do as much exploring as I can before my own coronation.”

A tiny, sad smile forms on your face at Carol's words. You've honestly missed her since she started her travels. Poking her pointedly, you give her a serious expression.

"Still, you should come visit more often," you tell her. 

Her eyes soften, and she gives you a small nod.

“For you, I will,” she says, a hint of affection slipping into her tone. "If you ever need anything, Y/n, just let me know, and I’ll have my ship practically fly back to you."

Her eyes glance at something behind you before she shrugs, adding with a sigh, “And I guess the same applies to Natasha if she ever needs my help again.”

“How generous,” Natasha remarks dryly, her voice tinged with sarcasm, as she comes to a stop beside you.

Carol gives you a small bow in thanks, her expression teasing as she remarks, “Looks like my time’s up.”

“Natasha,” she greets, giving her an acknowledging nod.

Natasha returns the sentiment, her demeanor cool as she replies, “Carol.”

Carol gives you one last smile, before pressing a chaste kiss on your hand goodbye and whispering sincerely, “Be happy, Y/n.”

As she leaves, you glance at Natasha and notice the small displeased pout on her face.

Unable to resist teasing her, you nudge her gently, remarking, “Jealousy looks cute on you.”

Natasha huffs in disbelief at your statement before offering her hand to you.

“May I have a dance?”

As Natasha leads you in a slow dance, you can’t help but feel nostalgic, leaning your head against her shoulder.

“This feels familiar, doesn’t it?” you ask softly.

Natasha hums in agreement and nods against you, responding, “Last time we danced like this, we decided to be a couple.” 

You chuckle at the memory, reminiscing about how clueless you were back then, never imagining how things would turn out for the two of you.

The soft music creates a serene atmosphere, cocooning you and Natasha in your own world, away from everyone else.

Recalling the details of your original agreement, you meet Natasha’s eyes, a mischievous glint dancing in your gaze.

“You know, according to our deal, our fake relationship is supposed to end after your coronation tomorrow,” you point out.

Natasha raises an intrigued eyebrow, curious about your intentions.

“So, what should we do about that then?” she asks, her tone playful.

You tilt your head, pretending to ponder before flashing her a teasing smirk.

“Didn’t we agree that if anything were to happen between us, it would be the princess who confessed her feelings first?”

Understanding dawns on Natasha’s face, and she grins in agreement, a fond smile playing on her lips. 

“Y/n,” she begins softly, her gaze filled with affection. “From the moment I met you, I knew you were amazing…then I learned that you were really stubborn.” 

You roll your eyes at her teasing, but Natasha just chuckles before continuing. 

“But you're also kind and smart. And truly the strongest person I know.”

She leans in closer, her breath mingling with yours. 

“My heart and my life have always been yours, Y/n.”

You feel warmth spreading through your chest at her confession, and you can’t help but cup her face gently with your hands.

“You’re my best friend,” Natasha continues, her voice barely above a whisper as she covers your hand with hers. “But I would be honored if you are willing to have me as more than that.”

Your heart swells with love, and you nod happily as you respond.

"I want that too, Natasha," you whisper sincerely. “I want to continue to stay by your side and be yours too. Always.”

With those words of promise, Natasha closes the distance between you, her lips meeting yours in a tender kiss.

The sound of cheers and applause surrounds you, but you pay no mind, lost in the moment with Natasha.

You don’t know what the future holds, but you’re not afraid. As long as you’re together, you know you can overcome anything that comes your way.

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

Epilogue

In another kingdom, far away, inside one of the workshops of the castle, the king’s assistant waits patiently by the doorway for a pause in the king’s pastime of tinkering.

“What’s the matter, Jarvis?” Tony Stark asks without looking up from his careful concentration.

“A letter arrived for you, sir.” 

“Is it about the next shipment of parts?”

“No, sir, this came from a nobleman in the Romanov Kingdom.”

“Oh…you can just toss it in the fire then.”

There’s an awkward silence as his assistant makes no move to do as he asked, causing Tony to glance up in question.

The assistant hesitates before explaining.

“Counselor Potts strongly advised us not to do that anymore, under the warning of severe punishment should she find out. Also, the messenger stressed that the contents pertain to an urgent matter.”

Tony stops and furrows his brow. After the war and the deaths of his whole family, he preferred to keep contact between the kingdoms to a minimum. Just because there’s a peace treaty between them doesn’t mean he has to like or care about anyone there.

On the other hand, facing the wrath of his most trusted advisor for ignoring this letter is not something he wants to deal with in the foreseeable future.

“Just leave it on the table then,” he sighs with a roll of his eyes. 

If anything, it’s probably more news about the coronation of their upcoming queen. He’s already sent his decline to attend the event and a decent enough congratulations present that Pepper picked out.

He doesn’t understand why they can’t just keep the indifferent relationship between the two kingdoms as is instead trying to make them into something closer.

Shaking his head as Jarvis closes the door behind him, Tony attempts to return to his flow of concentration, picking up his tools as he continues to tinker with the parts in front of him. 

Unfortunately, as time passes, his eyes keep glancing at the letter sitting in the corner, something about it gives him some sort of unnerving feeling. 

Slumping with a resigned sigh that he can’t keep his focus anymore, he places his tools down again and swipes at the letter, sitting at the edge of the table.

Opening it, he skims the contents quickly before his posture suddenly straightens with tension, his expression turning serious.

The door of the workshop slams open, and Tony strides out purposefully, calling to his assistant.

“Jarvis!”

They are at his side in an instant, following him and listening for the next orders.

“Tell Vision to prepare the carriages and let Pepper know I’ll be away a bit for some business.”

“Yes, sir. May I ask where you will be traveling to?”

“The Romanov Kingdom,” Tony answers, glancing at the letter in his hand before tightening his fist, crumpling the paper slightly.

“Looks like it’s time to pay this new queen a visit after all.”

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

Series Masterlist : Boundless Devotion

a/n: Thank you to everyone for reading all the way to the end of this series! (especially this long chapter) It's been a journey, and I'm happy that many of you enjoyed it and showed up for every update (all of your comments and reactions are so sweet and fun to read and honestly helped to keep me motivated).

This is the final part of the series, but it's not the end yet. There will be a sequel for Boundless Devotion, and it's called Everlasting Devotion (title mention in prequel Fateful Encounter 🤗).

I’m still in the middle of working on it, so the first chapter is not going to be released right away since I also want to finish some other one shots that I‘ve been working on and maybe take a little break.

That being said, for those currently in the taglist for Boundless Devotion and anyone else who's interested, if you also want to be added in the taglist for when the sequel starts, please let me know. (I prefer to ask again just in case instead of just assuming and forcing you along on another series that you didn't sign up for)

Again, thank you to all of you for reading!

Taglist: @lightwhoranoutoflight, @taliiiaasteria, @romanoffprentiss, @canvascoloredin,  @silentwolfsstuff, @blacklightsposts, @arcturusseer, @presser24, @dvrkhcld, @jujuu23, @screechcat, @vivs46, @cd-4848, @youneversawmehereooooooo, @pancakefan7529, @confusedspaceotter, @natbelovasblog, @izzy-b09, @iamheartless, @mrsrushman, @fxckmiup, @natty-taffy, @2silverchain, @traveler-at-heart, @autorasexy, @natsxwife, @mviswidow, @slut4johansson, @automaticdinosaurtaco, @jono723, @mousetheorist, @tofu9162, @natsbiggestfan1, @iheartjohansson, @nothanksbye07, @midastouch013, @dvrkhcld, @red1culous

[woodsborostabathon]

what having a mother who’s insanely overly critical of you and fucks up your personality so bad you end up friendless for the better chunk of your life and desperate to feel loved by anyone so much so that you latch onto the first person who wants you even if they treat u HORRIBLY and unfortunately said first person was literally amber satan freeman does to a mf

how it feels to listen to a song i literally put on my own oc’s playlist bc it fits her situation so bad except her situation is godawful and i did ts to her:

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Lalita Pawar (Shree 420, Mr and Mrs '55)—look at her 1930s swag in this photo i found [first photo below the cut]. stunning

Melina Mercouri (10:30 P.M. Summer, Phaedra, Topkapi)—no propaganda submitted

This is round 1 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

[togrowoldinv]

The Beach House

Natasha Romanoff x Female Reader (and some Yelena Belova x Female Reader)

You spend your summers at a beach house with Natasha and Yelena. You’ve always had a crush on the oldest girl, but what happens this summer when Yelena starts crushing on you?

Note: This was fun to write! It’s partially based on the show The Summer I Turned Pretty, so if you’ve seen that you know things get messy and juicy 😂 It’s mostly Nat x reader, but Yelena can’t be ignored here. Enjoy it and let me know what you think!

Natasha Romanoff Masterlist 1, Natasha Romanoff Masterlist 2, Main Masterlist

For as long as you can remember, you have spent every summer at the beach house with Yelena, Natasha, and their parents.

Your parents had been friends for a long time and growing up together you have always been close with Yelena and Natasha. Especially Yelena.

The blonde girl is close to your age, and you’ve clicked since day one. Running around the beach and baking cookies together before watching movies have been some of your favorite pastimes every summer.

Natasha used to join in, but last summer you noticed a change in her. She is older, and fresh out of college while you and Yelena are only in your second year. Natasha started acting like she was too old for your antics.

But you missed her. During those moments, you kept wishing she was there. And you had to admit to yourself that you liked her. There had been a summer a few years back when you realized that you were attracted to her, but the crush continued to blossom.

And now, this summer, it’s in full effect. You arrive at the beach house with your parents and hop out of the car to find Yelena waiting for you.

“Y/n! You’re here!” she shouts, pulling you into a hug.

“I missed you so much!” you tell her, burying your face in her neck.

Yelena pulls away from the hug and looks you over.

“Damn, you got hot,” she says. A heat rises up your neck. Nat may be the one you have a crush on, but Yelena is far from unattractive. “Alright come on in. My mama wants to see you.”

You follow the girl inside and Melina is waiting by the kitchen counter.

“Ah, dorogoy, come here!” Melina says, her accented voice sounds nostalgic. “My goodness, you grew up even more than last year!”

She pulls you into a hug and you greet her happily. She has always been like a second mother to you.

“It’s good to see you, Melina. Where’s Alexei?”

“Oh, he’s out with Natasha. They are fishing today,” she says.

“Sounds fun.”

“It’s not,” Yelena says. Her head is buried in her phone, and you make a mental note to ask her what that’s about.

After all the greetings, you go upstairs to put your luggage in your room. It’s the same one you’ve been using since you were a little kid, and it feels like coming home every time you step inside. The walls are lined with pictures from every summer before. And the dresser is littered with movie tickets, seashells, and a stuffed bear that Natasha won for you at the summer carnival.

You were only 10 at the time and wanted it more than anything. She spent over an hour playing a game to get enough tickets to cash them in for the bear. You miss that version of her.

“Y/n,” Yelena barges into your room and interrupts your thoughts. She plops onto your bed. “Let’s go to the beach.”

“I’m just settling in, Yel. Maybe another time,” you tell her.

“Come onnnnn,” she begs. “I haven’t been today, and I waited for my best friend to go with me. Please, please, please!”

“Fine,” you relent.

“Yes! Meet you downstairs in ten,” she says.

You grin at her antics and get changed into a swimsuit. Most summers you have been modest, but this year you decided to try out a new bikini. Your friend Jane had convinced you that it was about time. You slip on a Hawaiian button-up shirt and go downstairs.

As you open the front door, you are met with two people on the other side.

“Y/n!” Alexei yells. “I would hug you, but I smell like fish!”

“Nice to see you, Alexei,” you say.

He moves inside and reveals Natasha standing behind him. She doesn’t look like she’s been fishing all day. She looks perfect.

“Hey- hi Natasha,” you say.

Her eyes rake over your body and land back on yours.

“You grew up,” Natasha acknowledges.

“Yeah, I guess,” you reply, not really knowing what to say. “I’m going to swim with Yelena, so excuse me.”

“Have fun,” she says. You walk by her, and she watches you go. She kicks herself for not saying something better to you, but she didn’t know how to react. You were always beautiful to her, but something felt different when she saw you this time.

You spend the rest of the day with Yelena on the beach laughing and catching up with each other. She tells you about this new girl she’s talking to, Kate, and how she doesn’t know if the girl feels the same. Yelena explains that Kate is going to be at a party and practically begs you to say yes to going.

The first day ends like every day at the beach house does, watching the sunset with your friends and family.

The next morning, Natasha and Yelena are up early to go help Alexei at the docks. They tried to convince you to go with them, but you got out of it. One time of getting seasick years ago and they accept your excuse that it could happen again.

Instead, you go to town and buy drinks for the party tonight. At the store, you run into a beautiful girl.

“Are you new around here?” the girl asks.

“I’ve been coming here since I was a kid actually. But this,” you gesture to the drinks in front of you, “is new.”

The girl laughs gloriously and sticks her hand out for you to shake.

“I’m Wanda,” she says.

“Y/n,” you reply. “Are you going to the party tonight?”

“I was thinking about it,” Wanda answers. “If a pretty girl like you is going to be there, then I think I’ll make an appearance.”

“I’ll see you there then,” you say. You’re not sure where the sudden wave of confidence comes from, but you’re satisfied with yourself.

You bid Wanda a goodbye and drive back to the house. Later when Yelena and Nat return, they get dressed and you tell your parents you’re going out. They don’t love the idea, but Natasha promises to keep a watch on everyone.

Natasha drives to the other side of the beach and there’s already a good number of people at the party. A bonfire rests in the middle as everyone talks and music plays from the speakers.

“Don’t get into any trouble,” Nat says, taking her own bag of drinks and disappearing into the crowd. You try not to feel disappointed that she’s not going to hang out with you and Yelena.

“Oh, god, okay there she is,” Yelena says. She turns towards you to avoid staring directly at Kate.

“She’s cute,” you tease her. “Go talk to her.”

“No way,” Yelena says.

“Why? Don’t you text her like all the time?”

“Yes, but that’s different.”

“Fair enough,” you say.

Yelena takes a long sip of her drink, and you laugh. Out of the corner of your eye, you see the girl from the store today. Wanda.

“Oh shit, she actually came,” you mumble.

“Who?” Yelena asks.

“I forgot to tell you,” you begin. “I met a girl today at the store and kind of invited her.”

“Well, well, well. Y/n, the smooth talker,” Yelena teases. “Where is she?”

You point to the girl who’s standing by the bonfire and talking to a guy.

“Fuck,” Yelena mumbles.

“What?”

“That’s Wanda Maximoff,” Yelena says.

“Am I supposed to know who that is?”

“She hooks up with like everyone, including Natasha.”

“Oh,” you say. The idea of someone else hooking up with Nat breaks your heart.

“Trust me, you don’t want to go down that path,” Yelena says. Her usual funny nature fades into a serious voice.

“I won’t,” you say. “Oh, look here comes Kate. You look great.”

The tall brunette approaches you and Yelena. She smiles at Yelena and the blonde’s legs threaten to give out.

“Hey I’m Kate, I don’t think we’ve met,” she speaks to you first.

“Y/n. It’s nice to meet you,” you tell her.

“Hey Yelena,” Kate says. Both girls blush.

“I’m going to grab another drink,” you excuse yourself.

Walking towards the drinks, you run into Wanda.

“There’s the prettiest girl here,” Wanda says. “I was looking for you.”

“Oh, hey yeah I was with some friends,” you say. You try not to sound too interested, but the woman is compelling.

You don’t notice Natasha’s eyes on you and Wanda.

“Nat? Are you even listening?” Maria asks the woman.

“Hm? Yeah, yes, I’m sorry,” Natasha says. She kisses the woman on the cheek quickly. “I’ll be right back.”

Natasha makes her way over to you and Wanda. Yelena notices and tries to interfere.

“Nat, I already told her to not get with her. She’s fine. They’re just talking,” Yelena says.

“I don’t fucking care. She needs to stay away from y/n,” Natasha says.

The redhead barges past Yelena. She places a hand on Wanda’s shoulder.

“Well hello Romanoff,” Wanda says with a grin.

“Don’t. Why are you talking to y/n? I thought I told you to stay away from these parties,” Natasha says.

“Natasha, hey it’s fine. I can handle myself. We were just talking,” you try to cut in.

“You heard the girl,” Wanda says.

“Leave her alone,” Natasha grits out. “Or I swear to god you will regret it.”

“What are you going to do about it?” Wanda asks, getting in the girl’s face.

“Alright, let’s just calm down here,” Yelena tries to diffuse the situation. “Why don’t you just leave Wanda?”

“I have a right to be here,” Wanda says.

The girl is taller than Natasha, but Nat doesn’t back down. Not even slightly.

They stare each other down for what feels like forever before Carol, whose party this is in the first place, comes over to the group of you.

“All of you have to go,” Carol says. “Come on, Natasha, I thought you were better than this.”

“Whatever,” Nat mumbles. You and Yelena follow her to the car. Yelena apologizes to Kate.

“Hey, you can’t just do that shit to me Nat! I was just talking to her!” You yell.

“Just get in the car,” Nat instructs.

“Get in, y/n,” Yelena says.

You relent and get into the car.

The next morning you see Natasha sitting on the balcony overlooking the beach. You take a deep breath and walk toward her.

“Hey Natasha,” you say. She lifts up her head from the book she’s reading. “Can we talk?”

She doesn’t reply but she pulls out the chair next to her and gestures to it.

“I don’t think it was cool that you interrupted me and Wanda last night,” you say. “Nothing was going to happen.”

Nat shakes her head. “You need to stay away from her.”

“I can handle myself.”

“I know. I know- it’s just that I have the urge to protect you,” Nat admits. “Maybe I did overreact though. I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright,” you say.

“So, are you going to the carnival tonight?” Nat asks. It’s the first effort she’s made at small talk all week.

“I think so, yeah. Yel wants to go,” you say. “What about you?”

“Maria wants to go, but I would rather just stay here and read,” Natasha says.

“Are you- um- dating Maria?”

Natasha seems to think about it for a moment. “No, but we’ve gone out a few times. She’s pretty and nice, but it’s nothing serious.”

“Right,” you say. You see Yelena come towards the balcony, so you excuse yourself. “I’ll see you later.”

Before Nat can reply, you’re out the door and Yelena fills the empty seat next to her. She sits in it sideways, and half of her legs end up in Natasha’s lap.

“I’m sorry about last night,” Natasha says.

“I know you are,” Yelena says. “But I do want to ask you why you got so defensive of y/n. We’re not little kids anymore, you know.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Nat says. She looks out over the water and the morning sky.

“You do know.”

“I don’t.”

“Natasha,” Yelena says sternly.

“Yelena,” the redhead matches her tone. “Fine. I may possibly be somewhat into her.”

“I knew it!” Yelena says. “Ever since last summer you’ve been weird about her!”

“Shut up,” Natasha says. “It’s just a crush. It’s stupid.”

“I don’t think it’s stupid,” Yelena says. “She’s beautiful. I’ve even had my moments this summer where I think about her.”

“Yeah?”

“Yep,” Yelena says. “But liking your best friend is a shitty idea.”

“I don’t know about that,” Natasha says. “Odds are she doesn’t like either of us.”

“That’s probably true,” Yelena says.

The two sisters laugh and start talking about other stuff. You didn’t mean to overhear their conversation. And you definitely shouldn’t have stayed once they started talking about you, but you did, and you can’t believe both girls like you. You don’t even always like yourself.

For the rest of the day, you mostly avoid the girls. It wasn’t too hard since Melina and your mom asked you to go shopping with them. Melina always does too much and buys you more clothes than you could ever need. But it’s a fun day, nonetheless.

When you get back to the house, Yelena is waiting for you by the stairs. She is wearing a swimsuit and you can’t pretend not to notice. You never let yourself think of her like this, but God she is beautiful. She follows you up the stairs.

“Are you still down to go to the carnival tonight?” Yelena asks.

“Yeah. Who else is going?” You ask.

“I was thinking just us. Like old times,” Yelena responds. A cute smile is on her face.

“Sounds perfect. I’ll get changed.”

In your room, you wonder what you should wear. It’s just two old friends going to the carnival, you remind yourself. You slip on a dress and go to Yelena’s room.

You knock on the door frame. “You ready?”

“Yes,” she says, turning from her vanity. “You look good.”

“Thank you,” you reply a little shyly. “So do you.”

She’s wearing high-waisted blue jean shorts and a green crop top. Her eyes are perfectly accented by the color.

Yelena drives to the pier and you two enter the carnival. You play all of the usual games and eat way too much food. She asks you to go on the Ferris wheel with her.

“I’m scared of heights,” you remind her.

“It’ll be fun! I promise I’ll keep you safe! Please!” the girl begs.

“Alright, fine,” you relent.

You wait in line and sit in the seat together. It starts going up and you hold her hand.

“You’re good, detka. You’re good,” Yelena says.

“What does that mean?” You ask before you bury your face in her neck in fear.

She laughs and soon you come to a halt at the top.

“Y/n, look,” Yelena says. She uses her hand to pull your head from her and you peak out at the view. “Look how beautiful it is.”

“Oh, wow,” you say, looking at the way the moon falls over the ocean. You accidentally glance too far down and scare yourself again.

“Woah, hey you’re alright, malysh. Relax,” Yelena says. “Just look at me.”

And you do. You look at her eyes. And her perfect lips. Her hands on either side of your face brush softly against your skin.

“Yelena-”

You’re cut off by her lips on yours. They’re so soft and gentle. It doesn’t feel odd at all to kiss your best friend, but you’re not sure if sparks are flying either. The kiss breaks when the Ferris wheel starts moving again.

“That was-”

“Yeah,” you interrupt Yelena this time. “I didn’t know you- um- liked me like that.”

“I honestly didn’t realize it until this summer,” Yelena explains.

“Look Yelena, maybe we should just be friends?”

“Oh.”

“Not that that kiss wasn’t amazing or anything! But I just don’t want things to get fucked up, you know,” you explain.

“Right. No, you’re making sense,” Yelena says. She wonders if maybe Nat was right.

“You should text Kate,” you tell her. The ride is over, and you hop off. “I’m going to head out.”

“I’ll drive you,” Yelena says.

“That’s okay. Kate is here and you two should hang out.”

Yelena pulls you into a long hug. “I love you, y/n.”

“I love you too, Yelena,” you say.

You catch a ride with another friend of yours, Monica. She takes you to the beach house. You thank her and catch sight of Natasha in the pool.

“So, you didn’t make it to the carnival?” you ask her.

“Nah,” Nat says. “You did?”

“Yep,” you say.

You sit on the edge and put your feet in the pool. Nat swims over to you. Her red hair looks beautiful as it falls over her back.

“How was it?” Natasha asks.

“Eventful,” is all you supply. “How was your night?”

“TBD,” she says.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. Join me?” She asks.

“In the pool?”

“Where else?”

“I’m not in a swimsuit,” you say.

“So? Like old times, come on,” Natasha says. The alluring smile on her face doesn’t leave you room to argue.

You let her pull you into the pool. She holds you under the water like she did when you were kids.

“Hey!” you splash her with water when you come up to the surface. “Meanie!”

“Meanie? What are you seven?”

“Shut up,” you say.

Natasha tries to grab you to pull you under again, but you escape her grasp. She pushes you against the wall and you’re pinned by her. Her legs intertwine with yours. Natasha’s lips hover just inches from yours.

“You’re so beautiful,” Nat says. Her voice is barely above a whisper. “Can I kiss you?”

Your heart is screaming yes, but your mind is in dilemma.

“Y/n?” Nat tries.

“Yeah- yes please,” you say. Fuck it.

Natasha smiles and pulls you by the neck into a kiss. It’s rougher than the one with Yelena. It’s hungrier and more handsy. Nat’s hand slips under the neckline of your dress.

“Wait,” you say into the kiss.

Natasha pulls away and looks at you. “What’s wrong? I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. I just- I can’t do this right now,” you say.

You get out of the pool quickly and leave Natasha there confused. And Yelena was watching the whole thing from the driveway.

God, what kind of mess have you gotten yourself into?

[obi-wokenobi]

Regardless of what some think about Life is Strange: Double Exposure, its undeniable that Hannah Telle once again proved to the damn world that nobody else can play Max Caulfield better than her.

She has deservedly been nominated in the "Best Performance" category at the Game Awards.

Let's see if the fandom at least agrees that Hannah Telle deserves an award that recognizes her acting talents. And hopefully she'll land more (voice) acting gigs.

Link to vote for Hannah Telle is included below:

https://thegameawards.com/nominees/best-performance

UPDATE: Actress Melina Juergens won. Well deserved and congrats!

BTW, I was told by someone in the know that the winners are not decided by fans at all (except those in the player's voice category). And that the whole voting thing is merely a PR stunt to help promote the event. The winners are always selected by gaming journos & people from the industry. Only about 10% of the votes come into play in case of a tie. Which is a rare thing to happen.

So, yeah. That's something to remember for the next time.

[katyspersonal]

Let's try to count female (?) characters in Elden Ring!

1) Marika

2) Malenia

3) Melina

4) Trina

5) Ranni

6) Rennala

7) Rellana

8) Moonrithyll

9) Finlay

10) Tiche

11) Alecto

12) Lansseax

13) Florissax

14) Sellen

15) Dolores

16) Therolina

17) Nepheli

18) Roderika

19) Fia

20) Vyke's Maiden

21, 22) Irina and Hyetta

23) that Finger Maiden who is found dead at Church of Anticipation

24) Enia

25) Tanith

26) Rya

27) Dancer of Ranah

28) Rakshasa

29) Tricia

30) Lhutel

31) Latenna

32) Phillia

33) non-respawning Albinauric woman behind Gaius' boss battle (it is still hysterical that she is the one who drops pants from his set btw fffkffkf)

34) Loretta

35) Adula

36) Leda

37) Freyja

38) Gloam-Eyed Queen

39) Romina

40) Hornsent Grandam

41, 42) Jolan and Anna

43) Hilde

44) Meera

45) Blue Dancer / Water Fairy

46) Devonia

47) Siluria

48) Formless Mother (?)

49) Metyr

50) Nanaya

51) Jori

52) Grandmother

53, 54) those Nox women whom puppetry originates from

55, 56) Aurelia and Aurelitte

57) the first Astrologer who discovered a Moon

58) Anastasia

59) Daedicar

60) Lanya

61) Lacrima

62) Boc's mother

63, 64, 65, 66) Gilika, Maggie, Margot and Marigga (named Demi-Human Queens)

67) Grana (it is a name of the one behind Witch Crown from cut content, but basically it is the woman among the portraits in Debate Parlour! I doubt this is Sellen because why would they keep face of enemy of the Academy?)

68) the woman whose body was used for Sellen to live in it again (she has Witch Crown too but it's crystal is not cracked like Sellen's, and given that 'witch' conspectus did exist.. yeah this is more likely a person another Seluvis's victim than not)

69) Millicent

70, 71, 72, 73) Mary, Maureen, Amy and Polianna (Millicent's sisters)

74) the sixth sister (there is a scarlet flower near Malenia but she is said to only bloom second time in her boss battle, and near that flower you find the same set as what other two are wearing)

75) Greyoll

76) Eleonora

77) Bernahl's Maiden

78) Miriam

79) Arghanthy

80) Twinbird

81) Cleanrot Knight in Stillwater Cave (what makes her stand out is that you find the set Gowry wears here! otherwise this set doesn't have connection with Scarlet Rot (which this cave is filled with) but is simply a set of sorcerers that got kicked for herecy. maybe this cave is where Gowry did something with his glintstone to be able to possess any Kindred of Rot body, and perhaps she helped him with it?)

82) single Nox Swordstress as a boss in Sellia

83) a Black Knife with unique wounded model unlike any other of them in Deathtouched Catacombs

84) wife of Garris

85) Jar Bairn

Potentially:

86) there is 'Gaia' mentioned as someone who studied Gravity Magic along with Gaius, and apparently it is not mistranslation of Ogha. the only one it could be is his BOAR xD this name sounds feminine though, so maybe boar is a she?

87) Fortissax's gender is not confirmed; Japanese description doesn't have any pronouns at all, so English just said 'it'! However, Godrick monologues to the dead drake that they're "both relatives of the dragons", which could be literal considering Godwyn and Fortissax were so close 🤔

88) Eiglay (Eglė is "the Queen of the Serpents" in Lithuanian folklore, and I don't think you need me to tell you the two names are similar ahahah)

89) Asimi (cut content but Mimic Tear was supposed to be the girl who bonded with us first, it is hard to tell whether we can count the final one as Asimi or not)

90, 91) two 'female' Mimic Tears from four of these hostile NPCs (I feel like Silverfolk origin for Tarnished descends from Silver Tears rather than Albinaurics, so they can become solid people! these two perhaps are just fleshed out in this form at this rate! these do respawn though, so it is hard to tell if they count, or if this is actually their gender and not just mimicry)

92) Miranda (in cut content it was the first floral Crucible known, for now this is the name of the big flowers, two of which are also Dungeon bosses! however, ALL of them are called 'Miranda flowers', so maybe the actual character Miranda whom flowers with the same name descended from is still palatable!)

[arlana-likes-to-write]

Lightning Bug - Chapter 25

Masterlist

Warning: mention of past trauma, self-hatred, fluff lots and lots of fluff, lying (but like it's for a surprise), almost first kiss

Word Count: 4.8k

“Could this have not waited at a more reasonable time?” Tony asked, sipping on a cup of coffee. Natasha fought an eye roll and a snarky comment that threatened to fall from her lips. It was 10:45 pm. Yelena snorted

“Please, Stark,” she said. “It’s not like you sleep anyways.” Her sister beat her to the comment she was going to make. Natasha wanted to have this meeting much earlier. Getting the young girl absent from this little get-together and who this meeting was about was challenging. The Black Widow blamed it on the candy Maria, who was slipping her candy during the movie. Sam, Wanda, and herself were standing in front of the team.

“We’ll keep this quick,” Sam said. “The three of us learned recently that Y/n has never celebrated her birthday.”

“She doesn’t even know the day she was born.” It made Natasha’s blood boil at the girl’s confession. She could tell it bothered her more than she wanted to let on.

“That is..”

“Not surprising,” Vision finished off Steve’s trailed-off sentence. “FRIDAY couldn’t find any official document of her birth. It’s no shock that her parents never disclosed that information.” Parents were a loose way to describe who those people were to her. Hell, Alexei and Melina were better parents to her and Yelena, and they were brought together for a Red Room mission.

“So,” America said, a smile creeping up to her face. Natasha had a feeling she knew the direction this conversation was headed. “When are we throwing her a party?”

“That’s what we wanted to discuss,” the Black Widow said. “Are we cool with throwing her a party?” Maria rolled her eyes with a shake of her head.

“Please, Nat, you could have said, ‘I want to do something for Y/n,’ and we would agree to help,” the agent smiled. “That girl has us all wrapped around her finger.”

“We would do anything to see her smile,” Bucky added. “What’s the plan?”

*

Somehow, Natasha and Wanda crept back into their bed without waking the teen. The young girl seemed to find her way into their bed rather than her own. Natasha couldn’t care less. At least now the couple knew she was sleeping. The bed shifting under the weight caused her eyes to flutter open. “Is it morning?” The teen groaned. Natasha chuckled.

“No, we still have more hours to sleep.” She flipped on her back and glanced between the couple.

“Why are you up then?” She asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Her lips were in a pout, which had Natasha biting her lip to stop herself from laughing.

“Just an Avengers meeting,” Wanda said. “Nothing to worry about, so go back to sleep.” It was a white lie, but Natasha hated lying to her even though it was for a surprise. She watched the cogs turn in the girl’s head, almost seeing smoke coming from her ears.

“Are you guys leaving for a mission?” Natasha shook her head. “Good, because I don’t want to lose my cuddle buddies.” Her eyes began to close, and she moved her body closer to Natasha.

“We aren’t going anywhere, molniyenosnyy zhuk (lightning bug),” Natasha promised, kissing her on top of her head. Overall, it was a good plan. Pepper was responsible for booking vendors so no one had to cook or serve drinks. Maria and Tony were sending out invites to the rest of the team. Kate, America, and Yelena had the most important job of getting their friend out of the tower while the party was being sent up; Wanda and Sam were doing decorations. There was some underlying fear that Y/n would hate the party and shut down on them. It was amazing to see the progress. Natasha felt her girlfriend’s hand on her hip and squeezed it reassuringly. Now, she had to figure out the perfect girl for her.

*

“Guys,” you whined as you followed your friends through the busy New York City sidewalk. “Guys, I have homework to do!” When you finished your lessons, Yelena dragged you to the elevator and down to the garage, where America and Kate were waiting. They kidnapped you for a lack of a better word and now were leading you to an undisclosed location.

“Not today you don’t,” Kate smiled, lopping her arm with yours. “We got big plans.”

“I don’t even know what those plans are.” America lopped your free arm with hers this time, and you were sandwiched between the duo.

“Just trust us,” she smiled. The last time you trusted one of them, you we were freefalling through the multiverse and throwing up in a wizard’s cauldron, making you a little nervous. They were acting odd. It was customary for Kate and America to be on another energy level, but even Yelena had a pep in her step.

“I trust you,” Against your better judgment, you did.

*

“What am I even looking for?” You asked Yelena as you pushed through racks of clothes. They took you to Macey’s, a store you never dared to enter when you lived on the streets. Now, instead, you were a little overwhelmed and lost.

“Just pick whatever you think you’ll like,” she said as if it was the simplest thing in the world. It took more work. You groaned, and Yelena chuckled at your misery. “Look, finding your style will take time and a lot of trial and error. There is no wrong answer.”

It was how you found yourself in a changing room with Yelena on the other side of the door. You had yet to learn where America and Kate ran off to. You were changing into camo cargo pants and a black shirt. The sizing was the most challenging part because you gained a healthy weight while living at the tower. “I heard Pepper asking Tony about missing people reports in the houseless community,” Yelena said. “I’m guessing that was what you were doing.” You checked the outfit in the mirror, liking the pants but not the shirt. You opened the door. “Yes to the pants, but no to the shirt.”

“I thought the same thing,” you said and closed the door to change. “And yeah, that was me. Two people have said something to me about people going missing, so I brought it up to Pepper,” you shrugged and changed out of the outfit. Next was a pair of jeans and a graphic shirt, cut shorter than you were used to. You liked both. Opening the door, Yelena glanced up from her phone.

“Yes to both,” you smiled, nodding. Again, you went back into the room.

“Do you know if they found anything?” You asked. Yelena sighed.

“Not sure, I think Tony is being,” she paused. “What’s the word? Stone floor?” You giggled and checked out the next outfit. You liked the shirt but the shorts were a weird cut to them.

“I think you mean stonewalled,” you opened the door. “Means to be uncooperative.”

“Nerd,” the blonde teased with no actual malice. She tilted her head as she looked at the outfit you were wearing. “Yes to the shorts, no to the shirt.”

“Really?” You questioned, looking in the mirror one more time. “I thought the opposite.” You closed the door and put the shirt in the yes pile and the shorts in the maybe. The final outfit was out of your comfort zone. It was a black and white plaid skirt (Yelena was excited that it had pockets) and a black-sleeved shirt that came down to your elbows. Yelena picked out a pair of black vans to complete the look. Before your mind spiraled, you put it on quickly and looked in the mirror. The cut of the skirt seemed too short, and all of your scars seemed to be displaced. “Okay,” you said. “Don’t laugh at this one. How do I-” You opened the door, and instead of Yelena, America was there with a little bag by her feet. “Oh, hi.” You watched as her eyes looked you up and down. Her gaze made you feel self-conscious.

“You look beautiful,” she said.

“Oh,” you squeaked and felt warm, embarrassed by the sound escaping your lips. “No one has called me that before.” You were ugly, a monstrosity, but never beautiful. America was quick to her feet and stood in front of you.

“It’s the truth,” she said, taking your hands. You couldn’t look at her when she was this close, so you stared at your connected hands. “I would never lie to you.” She softly spoke those words, and your head snapped to look at her. It was hard to keep eye contact with her as her eyes flickered down to your lips and then back to your eyes. There was no way she couldn’t hear how fast your heart was beating or the way your hands clammed up. Slowly, she leaned forward as if waiting for you to pull away. But you weren’t going to.

“Hey, are you almost ready?” you jumped back at the sound of Kate’s voice entering the changing room. “Damn,” she whistled. “You look good. You should wear that tonight.” She glanced between you and America, who immediately sat back in the chair. “Did I interrupt something?”

“Nope!” You quickly said. “Yeah, I’m ready. Let me change.” You slammed the door closed, cringing slightly at the sound. Your hands wouldn’t stop shaking as you tried to take the outfit off. America was going to kiss you. She was going to kiss you, and you would let her! Back in your clothes, you rested your head on the door. It took a few deep breaths to calm your racing heart. Wait. Pause. Kate said tonight. What was happening tonight?

*

After Macey’s, Yelena drove all of you to Kate’s apartment, which she still had in the city. They only used it when they wanted a break from the team, which America was slightly offended by. Pizza was waiting for the group, and Kate told you you had about an hour to get ready. She said the Young Avengers were throwing a party on Peter’s floor, and even Kamala was journeying to the city. So you ate pizza, watched the fashion show that Kate and America put on, and changed into the skirt and shirt combo.

The hour flew by, and you were riding the elevator up to Peter’s floor, anxiously biting your lip. “Hey,” America linked her pinky with yours. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” you smiled. “Just a little -wait,” you noticed the button for Peter’s floor wasn’t pressed, but the common floor was. “What’s going on?” You asked your friends; they were struggling to hide the smiles on their faces. The metal doors opened.

“Surprise!” The Avengers cheered, and confetti cannons went off and fell around you. The walls were draped in shimmering streamers of gold and silver, catching the light and casting a warm, celebratory glow. A large banner proclaiming “Happy Birthday Y/N!” in bold, cheerful letters hung proudly as the focal point. Balloons of various sizes and hues bobbed overhead, creating an ethereal ceiling of color.

The table was a symphony of presents, each carefully wrapped and topped with bows that sparkled in the light. The wrapping paper ranged from elegant patterns to vibrant designs.

“You little lairs,” you said, pushing the trio playfully. Your cheeks were beginning to hurt from the smile on your face. You never had a smile this big before.

“This was all them,” Kate pointed to the couple walking over to you. “We just played decoys.” You looked at the couple and ran over to them. Wanda and Natasha caught up in a hug.

“Is this okay?” The Black Widow asked. You saw the worried edge on her face.

“This is amazing,” you said. “You guys did all of this for me?” The couple smiled with a nod of their head. “Why?”

“Because you deserve a birthday party no matter how much you try to convince yourself you don’t need one.” Natasha tapped your nose, causing you to scrunch it.

“And look at this outfit,” Wanda grabbed your hand and spun around in a circle. The action caused you to dissolve into a fit of laughter. “You look so cute!”

“Thank you,” you smiled. “Yelena helped pick it out. She liked that it had pockets!”

“My sister does have excellent fashion sense,” Natasha mumbled. “Well, come on! You’re the star of the show, kid. You got some new people to meet!” There were so many people. Peter, MJ, and Ned hugged you and wished you a Happy Birthday. Kamala introduced you to Brunnhilde, but everyone called her Val, Carol’s girlfriend. You met Rocket and Nebula through Thor, and Shuri was excited for you to meet Riri. Meeting everyone new was fun, but you felt a sense of peace when you ran up to everyone you saw on a day-to-day basis. Sam picked you up in a hug and spun you around. Even Bucky hugged you, although he was a bit hesitant. Your heart was so whole that you couldn’t think it could improve until you saw two familiar figures from your family before the Avengers.

“Annie, Lucia,” Similarly to how you greeted Wanda and Natasha, you ran over to them, and thankfully, Paul was there to catch the two. “I can’t believe you came.”

“Easy there, sugar,” Annie said. “We aren’t as young as those two Avengers.” You giggled.

“Sorry, I got excited,” you looked at Paul. “Monsieur Breaux,” you said with a bad French accent and a slight bow. You saw the man roll his eyes, a smiling tugging at his usual stoic face.

“Cut it out, you whippersnapper,” he said, opening his arms for a hug. You gave him one. He smelt of cigar smoke and stale coffee. Similar to Annie, he was warm. “You’re looking good, kid.” He whispered and squeezed you tight.

“Feeling good, sir.” You smiled and felt an arm pulling you away from the man. It was Lucia who started dragging you towards the table of food.

“Mija,” she whispered, leaning close to you. “The Falcon. Is he single?” You stifled your laughter, which turned into a snort. Sam was leaning against the bar, waiting for his drink with Maria. You weren’t sure, but you noticed how he kept looking at the agent during movie nights or group dinners.

“I don’t know señora” you said. “Maybe you should shoot your shot as the kids say.” Lucia rolled her eyes.

“It’s nice to see you happy, mija. I’m very proud of you.” You grabbed a plate for her and looked around the common floor. Yeah, you were proud of yourself too.

*

“Hey, kid,” you looked at Tony. “Do you got a second?” You excused yourself from the group and followed Tony to a small table, a little off to the side of the party, where Pepper was sitting.

“Am I in trouble?” You questioned.

“Did you go something where you should be in trouble?” You shrugged at the CEO and sat in the empty chair. “We wanted to give you one of our presents before you opened the others.” You’ve been eyeing the table all night. You were very excited to open them. Tony set an envelope on the table, and you opened it carefully. It was a birth certificate with your legal name, and it was certified by the New York State Health Department, but there needed to be more information: your birth date and your parents’ names.

“I’m a little confused,” you admitted. Tony smiled.

“When Natasha first told us about you, I had FRIDAY do a search of who you are,” that made sense. Inviting a stranger into the Avengers Tower had a huge security risk. What was Natasha thinking? “We found no birth certificate.”

“Which means your biological parents never reported your birth to the health department,” you frowned. That was hurtful but not overall shocking. Pepper grabbed your hand. “We may never know your birthday, but we wanted to allow you to choose your new one.”

“It’s already signed and official, so the choice is yours.” Your choice. Your choice. You wondered if other kids would love to change their birthdays. Would they change it to summer instead of winter? Or away from a significant holiday. It was a lot of pressure, but you knew the day you wanted.

“The day Natasha found me. The day she saved my life,” Tony took the document and wrote the day, changing the year to match your age. “What about the parent’s spot?” You asked, taking the paper from him and putting it back into the envelope. “Who do I put there?” The billionaire rolled his eyes.

“Did you just ask that question?” He gestured with his drink behind you. Turning around, you saw who he was pointing to. Natasha and Wanda. They were playing darts against Yelena and Bucky. “They love you, kid,” Tony said, touching your shoulder. Loved you? Natasha and Wanda loved you? No one loved you even when you fought so hard for their affection. But they gave it to you without asking for anything in return. Natasha found your eyes immediately; she smiled and waved at you. You waved back.

“Sometimes that’s so hard to believe,” you said, turning back to look at Pepper and Tony.

“You are a wonderful person,” Pepper smiled. “Anybody would be lucky to have you as their daughter.”

*

Since it was your birthday celebration, finding a moment to talk to Natasha and Wanda was hard. Everyone wanted your attention. Thor wanted to discuss your ability and compare it to his. Shuri discussed your schooling, and Val wanted to know how your training was going and if you wanted her to take over. Kamala demanded you be her partner in the next ‘beer’ pong tournament. Even America, who you see every day, sought after your attention. You still needed to talk to her about what almost happened at Macey’s.

Once presents were opened, the cake was eaten, and a cringeworthily performance of Happy Birthday was sung, you finally had a free moment. Natasha pulled you over, the envelope that Tony and Pepper gave you still in your pocket. “Are you enjoying your birthday celebration?” Natasha asked as she sat down next to Wanda, and you sat in front of the couple. “I know Clint and Laura are upset they couldn’t make it. Lila had a school thing.” They gifted you a bow and arrow set that you were excited to test in training.

“Yeah,” you smiled. “Honestly, I am exhausted, but this has been the second-best day of my life.”

“Second?” Wanda questioned. “What is the first?”

“Is there something you wanted to talk about?” Natasha leaned on the table with her elbows on top and folded her hands.

“You’ve been a surprise addition to this tower,” she stated. “There is a light you radiate that draws all of us in.”

“Sometimes it’s dull, but other times that light is so bright and warm it’s beautiful to see,” Wanda added. You felt your throat burn as you tried to keep the tears that were forming in your eyes.

“We want to make sure that light never goes out, so,” Natasha smiled, glancing at her girlfriend. “We want to adopt you.” Still, you felt your stomach drop. They wanted to adopt you. You. You were constantly told no one would ever love you, that you were a burden to everyone. But they wanted you. Similar to how you choose your birthday, they choose you. “But we wanted to ask you before we moved along with the process.”

Instead of answering, you smiled and pulled the envelope out of your pocket. “I said today is the second best day because the day you found me was the best day of my life,” you gave them the paper. “So when Tony asked me for a birthday to use, I said that date,” Natasha held the paper in her hands. “You saved my life, Nat. I don’t know how I’ll be able to repay you.” The Black Widow let out a shaky breath and placed the paper down.

“It’s not complete,” she said, pointing to the spot where your parent’s names would be. “Who are you putting there?”

“You guys. I never got to experience life before you opened your family up to me. I know I’ve said it a million times and I'll probably say it a million more. Thank you for this incredible life I get to live.” With tears in her eyes, Wanda waved her hand, and a pen appeared. Without hesitation, you handed the pen to them. It was the best decision you’ve made.

*

“I think that’s everything,” Riri said, placing the leftover food on the counter. The party was dying down on the common floor, and you weren’t surprised when America came up to tell you the party would continue on Peter’s floor. “Your folks know how to throw a party.” You smiled. It was nice hearing everyone refer to Natasha and Wanda as your parents. It wasn’t weird or strange it felt right.

“Yeah,” you huffed a sigh as you placed a box of champagne bottles on the ground. “But the Avengers sure know how to party,” Peter asked the AI to play music to fill the quiet air. There was no need for that as everyone began to get more food and drinks that Yelena was making; you weren’t sure how smart that was.

A game of Would you rather broke out that had you wiping away tears from your laughter. You noticed Carol and Val joining, and no one seemed to bat an eye at the couple. You liked Val. You felt a tap on your shoulder and turned to see America. “Can I talk to you for a second?” Your stomach dropped at her question, but you managed to answer with a nod and followed her into the kitchen. “I wanted to give you your birthday present.”

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” you said, putting your drink on the counter. Your friend rolled her eyes.

“Of course I did. Now close your eyes,” you smiled and did as you were told. “Hands out in front of you.” When your hands were out, you felt a bag placed in them. “Okay, you can open them.” You put the bag next to your drink. “I still have the receipt if you hate it.” It was cute how worried she was. Inside the white gift box were two jewelry boxes. You opened one. Inside were two rubber rings; one had a lightning bolt, and the other had a star that matched the design of America’s powers.

“These are amazing! Thank you!”

“We match,” she showed you her hand. Unlike your rings, hers were made of metal, but the design was the same. “Open the next one.” You put the rings on and opened the second box. This time, the jewelry was metal; a dog tag engraved on it was ‘Stay Gold’ from the Outsiders. “It’s made out of bismuth. It’s the least conductive metal and electricity.” You were a little lost for words.

“Can you put it on for me?” You whispered, handing her the necklace. She took it, placed it around your neck, and snapped it into place. You spun around to face her. It was a significant deja vu moment in the changing room. “Thank you, America. These are perfect.” She scratched the back of her head.

“It was nothing,” she said. “I’m glad I could make your birthday special,” once again, you saw her glance at your lips. Unlike at Macey’s, she stepped back and created distance between you and her. You frowned. “About what happened at the store, I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” You questioned. “Why are you sorry?”

“Because I went about it the wrong way and should have asked before doing anything, so I’m sorry.” You smiled and held out your hand. Hesitantly, she took it.

“It’s okay. We’re okay,” you squeezed her hand. “We’ll figure it out, okay? Together.” America smiled.

“Yeah, together.”

*

You rubbed your eyes as you opened the door to your room. The presents you received were stacked on the wall to be dealt with another day. The only thing you grabbed from the pile was the blanket Wanda made you and threw it on the bed. You changed and got ready for bed. Before you lay down, you took the Polaroids with the camera Maria got you. It made you smile, capturing moments from your birthday celebration and the small party with the Young Avengers. You decided on two pictures to hang up on your wall: one with you, Wanda, and Natasha, and the other was a group photo with you and the Young Avengers. You hung up the two pictures following the newspaper clippings you had, your brother’s confirmation, and the fire that took your parents home. Well took Johnathan and Leah’s home. They were never your parents. They never deserved that title.

Climbing underneath the covers with Wanda’s blanket over you, you couldn’t help but smile. Your cheeks were still sore from the day. Reaching over to the newspaper clipping of the fire, you ribbed it off the wall. It was an article that you had memorized, and it was slightly tarring at the edges.

Tragedy Strikes as Beloved Pastor and Wife Perish in Devastating House Fire

In a heart-wrenching incident that has left a tight-knit community in mourning, a prominent local pastor and his wife lost their lives in a devastating house fire caused by an electrical issue. The fire engulfed the family home in the early hours, leaving behind a community in shock and sorrow.

Reverend Johnathan L/n, known for his inspiring sermons and tireless community service, and his wife, Leah L/n, a beloved figure in their congregation, could not escape the flames that consumed their residence. The couple had been married for over 20 years and were deeply involved in various charitable activities throughout the community.

The fire, which investigators believe originated from a faulty electrical connection, quickly spread throughout the home, making it difficult for emergency responders to contain the inferno.

Tragically, the couple’s only son, Caleb L/n, was away at school during the incident. He rushed home upon hearing the devastating news. Witnesses report that Caleb, in shock and desperation, was calling out for his sister, fearing that she might have been trapped inside. However, there was no evidence of a sibling at the scene, leaving many puzzled and concerned for Caleb’s well-being.

Friends and neighbors have rallied around Caleb, offering support and condolences as he copes with this unimaginable tragedy. The mystery surrounding the potential sibling has only added to the grief and confusion surrounding the devastating event.

The community has been deeply affected by the untimely loss of Pastor Johnathon and Leah L/n. Many gathered for a candlelight vigil outside the charred remains of their home to pay tribute to the influential couple. Tearful parishioners, friends, and neighbors shared memories of the couple’s kindness, compassion, and unwavering dedication to their faith and community.

Local authorities continue investigating the exact cause of the electrical malfunction that led to the fire. The tragedy serves as a sobering reminder for residents to prioritize regular home inspections and maintenance to prevent such devastating incidents.

Funeral arrangements for Pastor and his wife are currently being coordinated by the community, with details expected to be released in the coming days. As the grieving community comes together to support one another, the legacy of the beloved Pastor and his wife will undoubtedly live on in the hearts of those who knew them.

You fought back tears. Kindness, compassion, and dedication to their faith. If only they knew their beloved Pastor was a monster. You ripped up the article and shoved it in the drawer of your nightstand. You pushed the palms of your hands to your eyes. They were not going to ruin today. They’ve ruined so much of your life today, and it was not one of them. You took another photo out of the pile. It was of you, America, Yelena, and Kate. The tears went away, and a smile was once again on your face. America wrapped her arms around your neck while Yelena and Kate stood on either side. Your friends were everything to you. Friends. You had friends who cared about you, parents who loved you, and a family who would never lay a hand on you. You would have never thought this would be your life with the cards you were dealt. Closing your eyes, no nightmares dared invade your mind when surrounded by warmth, love, and happiness.

_

taglist: @aestruvx, @toouncreativeforausername, @modedddd, @julilamoment, @mythixmagic, @yourmamacom, @vicmc624, @cherlenovix, @liliesandrosies, @whitewidowsbite, @clintsbigtoe,   @blackbirdv98 @arualdcg@yoyo-w​  @natbelovasblog, @johnnyhulu, @blackwidow-3, @theenglishswiftie, @faith-olsen

[asleepinawell]

lingering questions and thoughts on the dlc lore

first off, some of these may have been addressed in item descriptions and i either 1) missed an item or 2) read it but it was 3am and my brain didn't retain some detail

all opinions are just opinions etc, i have no interest in getting in lore fights and block people who try and start them. I'm too tired for that shit. this is just fun speculation

one question i had that i feel must have been answered was what was the scadutree actually for?

what was the timeline regarding messmer and melina's birth? they're referred to together as if they're twins or were born close together. my assumption was that messmer at least was radagon's kid with marika, but the dialogue of the story trailer implies his purge took place shortly after marika's ascension. marika could have split off radagon fairly early (even as part of the process of becoming a god like miquella and st trina) but there was no mention of them having kids until after the rennala thing much later on. my assumption about his parentage is based on 1) hair color and 2) he has a special curse which gives him something in common with malenia/miquella. he is not an empyrean though so maybe radagon isn't the dad (did you fuck the god devouring snake marika????)

i don't want to touch on the miquella and radahn stuff too much since I'm not interested in The Discourse. (i found the parts of the story about marika and the hornsent to be far more interesting). i will say that while the radahn thing felt like it came out of nowhere, the reason miquella didn't choose malenia is probably because 1) she's another empyrean and therfore a candidate for being a god, not a lord, and 2) she's already been claimed by a god. godwyn would have been the more lore logical choice but he didn't even get a mention, like "miquella wanted him but his soul was gone". so weird choice (and bad boss fight) but eh

i'm not sure if miquella's two fingers is ever commented on but he and ranni both followed a similar path in abandoning their flesh to remove themselves from the greater will's influence except ranni then went feral and stabbed hers to death and then got engaged while still covered in its blood. 10/10 no notes

one thing I'd wanted but hadn't expected to get was the reason marika smashed the ring. the whole "woman went crazy because her son died" thing is very grrm and 😬 about what i expect from how his writing handles women, BUT! i think the dlc gives a more complicated possibility for this. marika gets her tragic backstory (which i was also dreading because grrm) and it's one that actually made a lot of sense in terms of the lore and did a good job explaining her actions without justifying them (she slapped the cycle of violence on the roof and was like this bad boy can fit so much perpetuation). the fact she removed death from the elden ring after having witnessed the brutal extermination of her people makes complete sense. and then her son gets killed. she obtained godhood to punish the hornsent and to protect what was left of her people (which seems to mostly be the children she had later) and the elden ring failed her and her kid died. it wasn't grief over her son, so much as past trauma mixed with extreme anger. she took on godship to prevent this and the elden ring had failed her. it had one job basically. radagon, who lacked her memories, was immune to this. overall i think that's a decent plot compared to what it could have been

the whole story with the hornsent also makes the story of morgot and mohg much darker (and it was already dark). marika must have been really pissed and upset to have omen children (maybe part of why she ditched godfrey?). since they were her blood she wouldn't have killed them (since protecting the last of the shamans/numen was her thing), but man. fucked up if true etc

marika probably would have gone apeshit about jarburg if she hadn't been off being crucified

also since ranni was not marika's kid (or wasn't raised by her per se) she might not have known anything about marika's backstory and not expected marika's reaction to godwyn's death. edit: this is not me being like ranni did nothing wrong. i support women's wrongs. i think they should do more of them. more like, imagine ranni kills godwyn and then suddenly marika smashes the ring and all the other demigods go nuts and start waging war and she's just like huh. wild. and then fucks off to her tower until they all get it out of their systems

the lgbtq community has forgiven mohg is possibly the funniest narrative choice they could have made. poor man didn't even get to yell sex in his fight 😔. at least he had some of the sickest looking moves in the game

rellana was the best boss in the dlc and possibly the whole game imo. the fact she may have been into messmer is really funny though because 1) if you go age of stars that is now your aunt in law kicking your ass and 2) your aunt in law who is into the brother of your wife. what a family. no wonder ranni wants to go to space

[cometblaster2070]

i beat rykard in elden ring today and like what the fuck what the actual fuck I'm still reeling over that bossfight.

elden ring's been out for ages now and I had seen rykard's bossfight before on streams and shit but DAMN PLAYING IT WAS WILD???

BECAUSE THERE'S THAT FUCKASS SNAKE FIRST OF ALL AND THEN THERE'S THE ABSOLUTE SHEER HORROR OF RYKARD'S FACE JUST BEING MELTED ON THE BACK OF THE DEAD SNAKE???? ALSO HIS ARMS???? AND LEGS??? TEAR OUT FROM THE SNAKE'S BODY???

i've heard people describe it as a spectacle and it did NOT disappoint oh my god I had SO MUCH fun with that fight it was actually unreal and it was genuinely such a cool fight.

morgott's fight was my favorite so far but I think honestly I'm going to put rykard in as a close second above radahn because that was INSANELY cool.

[vesanal]

₊˚｡⋆❆⋆｡˚₊The 14th Day of Writemas₊˚｡⋆❆⋆｡˚₊

Well y’all, officially it’s been 10 days since I joined this challenge! Absolutely insane that I committed to something for once. It’s like a Christmas miracle…or dare I say, a writemas miracle! Haha okay that was too corny, if you want to see the rules and invitation to the event here is the invite post and here are the prompts I will be using today! If you would like to still join, our lovely host is still adding late additions to the taglist. Everyone is welcome! If you just wanna chill on this break season and read creations for writemas then I highly encourage you to check out the invite page and look through other folk’s work and spread some love and holiday cheer! XOXO 

Prompts used:

Dialogue: "Leave this place. Leave me. I have had enough. I cannot endure another moment with you, so please, I beg you, leave."

Setting: A (stone) wall of thorns

I don’t know if anyone caught it yesterday but I actually had Perci with Nilus and Melina(although I forgot to tag her oops, it’s fixed now though)! It’s like a crossover episode. Now yesterday I focused more on Nilus and Perci, so today I will be focusing on Perci and Melina. Yay!

Read about the WIP here!!

Enjoy today’s stuff!! <333

------------------------------

Perci gazed deeply at the stone wall at a safe distance from him. He smiled to himself, feeling the nice feverish heat radiating from the magical rocks. It had been a week and a half since he looked at his winter coats, or even snow for that matter. Oh, the spoils of war. Mom exaggerated so much about Haukrosen, it’s very nice here. He thought to himself, tracing the gaps between where the stones laid down atop each other with his eyes. Perci was very eager to get his time’s worth of the bustling, yet warmly inviting city before they had to leave on their mission a week from then. 

Deciding that looking at the walls that towered over the capital like an insane person was not enough, Perci walked back inside of the castle his assigned Queensman and crew were in. He walked across the halls, admiring the beautiful architecture of the place. After a while of walking he saw a room with the door cracked open, with a strange kind of green light slithering out of the opening. He pushed the door open more to peak in, allowing it to creak wide open. Leaning on the smooth wilthstone edges of the door frame, he peeped in.

Inside, there was just a lone woman in the room, dressed in a long robe, working on something peculiar. She had dozens of different kinds of plants and equipment surrounding her. Creatures in cages lined the walls behind her. Some of the life she had in there to be imports, expensive ones at that, as Perci hadn’t seen anything of the like in Pytharios before. He was sure she was their Herbalist, since she had the coordinating colors to the division, but she never, ever spoke to anyone— other than reporting to the other Queensmen, of course—, so he couldn’t know anything about her for sure. Now, he has a chance to talk to the mysterious woman.

“Uh, hey there! I guess we haven’t ever formally spoken together, one on one, right? So, moving on to my point here, um, I’m not so sure of your family name, I might have heard it from Queensmen Hyde but I just want to be sure of it. It’s Harrier right? Like the family that started the city Elares? My family traveled there once, when my dad was around, that is. We definitely couldn’t afford a trip like that now.”

He could hear her swallow hard as she glanced up from the large book in her hands. 

“Yes.”, She finally answered, although pretty shakily.

Perci took a step into the room with her, taking his hands off the archway of the room, “Oh, well then. That’s really interesting to know.” 

Silence overwhelmed the room again, as the woman absentmindedly went back to finishing her work.

Another enthusiastic question appeared in Perci’s head, “Hey, didn’t they originally establish the city to hold prisoners there? Well, y’know, not anymore. Since, last time I heard of it, they tore the jailhouses down. Right?”

“The prison is still there, believe me.”

Perci nervously laughed, not sure what exactly she meant by that, and carried on with the questions, “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought they didn’t have another daughter”

“I am her.” She said in a monotonous distracted tone, almost as if she was dismissing him from speaking altogether. 

“Oh, I thought you overtook the city’s government, I didn’t think you would leave from such a good position like that. I mean, also, you just don’t seem a whole like her. She was quite the active person when I was there last.”

A quick noise of acknowledgement came right after Perci spoke that last part. He could tell she really wanted to change the subject, for whatever reason. Breathing in deeply to start over fresh, He tried to do exactly that.

“Wow! I sure haven’t seen anyone use…whatever that is, to do…whatever you are doing.” Perci awkwardly said, trying to break the ice with this strange woman.

Melina simply ignored him, still busy combining various strange herbs and substances in the pot before her. Nothing he tried seemed to break the ice again. 

“Where did you learn how to do all of this? There was nothing remotely close to this in the academy! This stuff is absolutely remarkable!”

Again, no answer came.

Perci noticed as he came closer to her she was making some kind of wellness potion. It was bizarre, he hadn’t known of anyone in ages doing this.

He tried to strike up conversation one more time, trying to help the older woman out, “Why can’t you just use magic? This kind of stuff is archaic! Magic is a much quicker and easier way to do all whatever position you are trying to make.”

Melina breathed in deep, “You give to make, child.”

“I know, but I don’t see the harm there, you don’t have to use your own life force, that would be just silly. You can always just use these plant’s lives here, they won’t mind it. You already are using them in another way, it shouldn’t be any different. It’s simple science! Anyone with life can use magic, so that means you can get magic from anything alive.”

Regret set in the moment he said that. He could see the intense feeling of anger settle into her skin in real time. The hairs at the back of her neck stood at their ends as she slowly turned around to face the young boy, her long, white coat whipping around a second after her body did. She slammed her book shut, sending echoes across the room of the loud bang. The wise lines on her face wrinkled further as her face shifted to pure yet quiet anger.

"You think I don’t know that? I—No, no, no. I can’t take it anymore, this is too much. Leave me. I have had enough. I cannot endure another moment with you, so please, I beg you, leave." Melina exhaled out, only snapping out of her usual trance-like demeanor for just that moment, then quickly returning back with tears in her eyes. 

“I’m sorry, but go on, please.” Melina said with sorrow filled words.Did I say something wrong? Perci thought, trying to analyze her odd behavior to the question. Even though it was an odd reaction, Perci realized he definitely overstayed his welcome with her. So, respecting her wishes, he left without another word. But still, as he walked back down the halls, he wondered why she was so adverse to a great thing like magic.

(PLEASE tell me if you wanna get added to a tag list here because I genuinely don't know who to tag lol. I'll edit this and add you in!! <3 )

TAGLIST SO FAR: @sunflowerrosy @seastarblue

@thebookishkiwi @viridis-icithus @corinneglass

Our wonderful host <3 → @agirlandherquill Have a lovely day everyone!!

[mosquito-queen]

stewing on a bishova au (as always!)

- kate (10) and yelena (15) first meet as kids. kate is on a travel hockey league and yelena is a junior figure skater with the expectations of an olympic gold.

- it’s a chance meeting. kate is practicing for a big game she has over the weekend at the same rink yelena is using to practice for her next competition. kate is in day dream land (imagining herself scoring the winning shot) and nearly crashes into yelena. yelena easily evades her, and kate slides on her stomach, stopping just shy of yelena’s skates. she clumsily gets up to her feet (yelena does not help her) stuttering apologies.

- “americans,” yelena skates off, goes back to practicing. kate is impressed how yelena glides over the ice like she’s flying. kate starts trying to copy her movements, is clumsy at first but starts to get the hang of it. she thinks she can use this type of skating to her advantage in hockey - she would definitely be faster.

- yelena halts, catching onto kate’s mimicry, “what are you doing?” her accent is thick, kate can barely understand. she shrugs, unfazed by the hostility, “you’re fast.” “what, you think you can keep up?” yelena is smug. kate rises to the challenge, “wanna race?” they’re smiling at each other: yelena’s is thin, kate’s is wide and full of teeth. yelena beats her the first time. kate says it isn’t fair, peels out of her hockey gear and races again, they’re laughing chasing each other across the ice. melina arrives, stop them dead, tells yelena she could be injured and ruining her chances of qualifying. eleanor arrives just after, sorry she is late in picking up kate and reminding her she isn’t allowed to skate outside of her allotted time. kate slinks after mother, gives a tiny wave to yelena, “bye, ice princess.”

- yelena qualifies for the olympics, but she never makes it. she’s in a car accident with her sister, who is able to spin their car so that it’s natasha’s side of the vehicle that is smashed instead of yelena’s. natasha dies on impact while yelena is put into a medically-induced coma.

- when she finally wakes up, she feels like her body isn’t hers. it’s jarring. she has to relearn everything. she’s told she’ll never skate again. except it’s two years later and yelena is kissing the top of her sister’s grave before wandering down a winding path to a frozen lake. and she’s lacing her skates and stepping out on the ice. and she’s wobbly and trembling (from the cold, she tells herself) but she gets into a groove. she’s always pushing herself, and tries for an easy trick. can’t find herself in the landing and spills out on the ice. she smacks her hand, open palmed and uselessly, against it. she screams, bursting the winter birds from their roosts, her frustration turning to the hacking sobs of grief.

- but yelena is stubborn and doesn’t stop. she’ll never medal again, but she’ll be damned if she can’t skate. so for the next few years she pours her life back into the only thing that has ever stopped her racing mind. yelena decides to permanently live in nyc (it was her sister’s dream).

- the anger is still festering, a wound she keeps picking that will never heal right. she comes across a post looking for hockey players on a recreational league. thinks about the ice. thinks about the hot flare of hungry rage. thinks about the way she’s been robbed of her future. takes her vengeance on fate.

- yelena goes through the mandatory training and is picked up by a team in the league. she isn’t as fast or agile anymore. but she’s making a name for herself: she’s brutal and strong-handed. she cuts through the other teams with fist and fury. her team rises in the ranks.

- there’s another team in the league with stats that mirror theirs. they have some kind of pro that plays in the off season. yelena thinks they all bleed the same. when they go to face each other, yelena can’t get a read on the player. it’s usually easy to know what kind of hit will leave a mark, loosen just enough space to find a way to the goal. but this player skates in a way… yelena tries to go around, finds herself blocked, makes another attempt, blocked, pulls back and shoves against this insufferable, arrogant pro: “what are you doing?” another block, followed by a toothy grin: “ice princess?” yelena finds the space in that question, fires the puck and relishes in the sound of the celebratory airhorn. her eyes though find her opponent’s lit up, she sees a bubble of word vomit practically bursting at the seams. but it’ll have to wait, yelena has a game to finish.

[just-aake]

Boundless Devotion - Part II

Pairing: princess!Natasha Romanoff x fem!reader

Summary: MedievalAU. Natasha is the eldest princess of the Romanov Kingdom. As the time of her coronation approaches, she is suddenly forced to make a decision – either find herself a partner or her parents will choose one for her.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15

Warnings: slight angst, violence, abuse

Words: 2582

The carriage leaves the castle gates, carrying the two noblewomen inside.

“I don’t understand why I can’t be outside with the other knights,” Kate pouts as she looks out the window at the guards riding their horses beside the carriage.

Her dog mirrors her position, resting its head sadly against the opening of the window.

Flipping to the next page of the book Queen Melina gave you earlier today after your meeting with her, you respond without looking up at her.

“Because, Kate, even though you chose to become a knight, at the moment, you are still the daughter of a noble family."

You finally glance up at her with a pointed look as you continue your explanation.

"That means you still need to have some form of protection until then.”

Kate groans in disappointment as she slumps back on the seat across from you, crossing her arms as she sulks. 

After numerous pleas and persistent requests to her mother about her desire to join the Royal Guard, she finally gained permission to begin her training, though under a lot of conditions and restrictions. 

Quickly bored with her sulking, Kate glances at the book in your lap curiously before asking.

“Chronicles of the Red Room? Why are you reading about that?”

With a nonchalant shrug, you reply casually, “I just wanted to learn more about my family’s involvement in the war.”

The book in question recounts personal stories from the previous war between the Romanov Kingdom and the Stark Kingdom.

More precisely, it focuses on a place known as the Red Room, which was apparently under the control of your family's house during the war.

According to your findings so far, this place was mainly used for interrogating captured enemies, and it appears that during the war, the Dreykov House gained considerable recognition for its effectiveness in infiltrating enemy ranks and securing strategic advantages for the kingdom through the Red Room.

The queen graciously provided you with some books on the subject when you inquired about it.

Kate hums in casual interest before commenting curiously.

“Wasn’t your old governess also a general during the war? What was her name again…?”

Kate snaps her fingers when she remembers. 

“Madam B!” 

Your hand pauses mid-flip at the name, but Kate doesn’t notice your sudden discomfort as she continues.

"She's always been by your side since you were young, but I haven't seen her around for a while now. Where did she disappear to anyway?"

You compose yourself quickly when Kate looks at you, giving her a faint smile before replying, “I believe she moved to the countryside.”

Kate nods in acknowledgment, accepting your words.

As you're about to return your focus to the book, Kate's next words cause you to tense once again.

“It's odd that she decided to leave you now. You'd think she'd want to stay close, considering what happened."

Kate looks at you cautiously, knowing how sensitive the subject of the incident is for you. 

You sigh internally at her words.

Despite her cheerful and carefree demeanor, you sometimes forget how observant Kate can be about certain matters.

“Madam B has been a part of my family's employment for many years. It was just simply time for her to get what she deserved,” you explain vaguely.

Noticing Kate nervously biting her lips—a telltale sign of her uncertainty—you anticipate there's something else she wants to say.

Eventually, she gives in with a sad expression.

“That wasn’t the only thing that changed.”

Letting out a deep sigh, you're already aware of what she's referring to.

“I already told you, Kate,” you reassure her gently. “Just because we don’t spend all of our time together anymore doesn’t mean Natasha and I are not still friends.”

Shrugging your shoulders, you return your attention to your book, commenting, "We just…each have our own responsibilities now.”

Kate sighs sadly, slumping back into her seat, “I know, but it just doesn't feel the same. We miss having you with us like before, especially Natasha.”

Choosing not to reply, you pretend to concentrate on your book, ignoring the tightness in your chest at her words.

The truth is — you miss Natasha too.

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

The carriage stops at the entrance of your family’s manor.

Your gatekeeper, Pietro Maximoff, waves at you as you enter. When he opens the carriage door for you, you see your lady-in-waiting, Wanda Maximoff, rushing down the front steps. 

“Welcome back, Lady Y/n.” 

The twins stand side by side when they greet you.

You give them a warm smile and nod at them graciously.

As orphans from the remnants of the war, Wanda and Pietro were brought into your family’s house by some of the staff members.

Due to their young age when they joined your household, the three of you practically grew up together.

As a result, you genuinely see them more like siblings than anything else, and they reciprocate the same sentiment.

However, in the presence of those outside the manor, they still try to maintain a respectful attitude toward you.

“Thank you,” you say before gesturing to the back of the carriage. “Pietro, can you help bring in the box?”

He nods at your request, moving to reach for the item.

When you’re about to go up the stairs, Wanda places a gentle hand on your arm, stopping your movement.

Her face holds a tense smile as she speaks.

“Your father has come home early from his meeting,” she states in a casual tone. Though, her eyes dart behind you with a meaningful glance.

The news causes you to freeze, your eyes slightly widening. Swiftly, you turn around and intercept Kate's path, stopping her in her tracks.

She tilts her head at you curiously in confusion. 

You offer her a reassuring smile, dispelling all the tense emotions that had crossed your face just moments ago.

“I think I’m just going to rest early today, Kate. It's probably best if you head home," you suggest.

Kate begins to examine you carefully, her expression turning worried.

“Are you okay? Do you feel sick?”

You shake your head, turning her around and lightly directing her back to the carriage before responding.

“I’m fine, just a little tired from reading during the ride.”

Kate casts a skeptical glance your way as she ushers Lucky back into the carriage.

“Okay…,” she says, her voice trailing off. She bites her lip again with uncertainty, remembering something. Then with a deep breath, she speaks again.

“Yelena and I plan to have a picnic at the usual spot by the lake tomorrow,” Kate hesitates briefly before continuing. “Natasha will be there too. I could come in the morning, and we can go together if you’d like?” she proposes with a hopeful tone.

You give her an apologetic look and shake your head, denying her offer.

“I can't, Kate. I have a meeting with Lady Maria tomorrow.” 

Kate acknowledges your response with a disappointed nod, retreating back into the carriage with a sad goodbye.

You wave as the carriage disappears through the gates. Once you're certain she's out of sight, you hurry up the front stairs and make your way into your family’s manor. 

Wanda and Pietro fall in step beside you. Together, the three of you move swiftly along the hallways, taking a less direct route to your room within the manor.

“Where is he now?” you ask, turning slightly to Wanda.

“He was in his study before you arrived,” she replies.

You glance at the box in Pietro’s hand, which contains other books that the queen gave you today. These books concern subjects that you don't want your father to know you are researching.

“Can you keep that in your quarters for now?” 

“Of course,” Pietro replies, nodding without hesitation.

You turn the corner toward the staircase that leads to your floor. 

“What do you think you are doing?”

The booming voice from above causes you to freeze, and you look up to see your father, Lord Dreykov, standing at the top of the staircase. His gaze is fixed on the three of you, examining you critically before shifting his eyes to the person behind you.

He points at Pietro, ordering, “You, take that box to my study.”

Pietro doesn’t move at the command. Instead, he turns his attention to look at you for direction. 

Dreykov watches the interaction with narrow eyes, and a flicker of irritation crosses his face. He descends the steps slowly, clasping his hands behind his back. 

You hold your breath nervously when he stops in front of you, your eyes watching him cautiously.

The sound of a sharp, echoing slap rings out in the room, and your head snaps to the side from the impact of the hit.

As you instinctively bring your hand to your cheek in shock, you cry out in pain when he harshly grabs your wrist and pushes you forcefully to your knees. 

You hear some movement from behind you. Glancing back, Wanda and Pietro both have shocked and concerned looks as they step towards you.

“Don’t move,” Dreykov commands threateningly.

Your father twists your wrist in a painful direction, causing you to cry out in pain again.

In response, Wanda and Pietro come to an abrupt stop, freezing in their tracks.

Dreykov chuckles darkly at them.

“So, the two of you can follow orders after all.” 

He observes your two obviously loyal attendants, seeing a mix of restrained anger and concern etched across their faces. Annoyance tinges his expression as he clicks his tongue in irritation.

“It seems that in my absence from the manor, some of the staff have forgotten who’s the one in control here.”

He turns to Pietro threateningly, his hand still holding your wrist in a deathly grip.

“Am I going to have to repeat myself?”

Pietro clenches his teeth in anger, his gaze shifting between you and your father’s vice-like grip on your wrist. With a reluctant bow, he hurries away toward the study with the box in tow. 

When Pietro disappears around the corner, your father finally lets go of your wrist.

You swiftly pull your hand back, cradling it protectively against your chest. 

Immediately, you sense Wanda’s presence behind you. Her hands grasp your arms, pulling you up and drawing you closer to her, creating a safe distance from your father. 

Dreykov sneers at you, turning to leave.

“Don’t ever disrespect me like that again, daughter,” he warns, his tone threatening.

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

“The nerve of that man!” Wanda fumes as she holds your injured wrist in her lap.

You could see the purplish discoloration on your skin, indicating that a bruise was already forming.

“He’s absent for most of your life. Now, suddenly, he decides to stay and terrorize you and everyone else in the manor!”

Though her words are angry, Wanda is gentle as she applies the medical salves on your wrist. 

She's also not wrong about your father. Throughout your childhood, he was rarely at home, always away on trips and meetings to other kingdoms.

Honestly, any memories of moments when he was actually at the manor are hazy to you. 

For some reason, he has chosen to stay in the kingdom for a full year now. His return happened shortly after the incident that unfolded on Natasha's birthday.

However, it's hard to believe that his presence is solely driven by concern for you.

Wanda continues, “Not to mention those creepy guards of his that hide in the shadows.”

You wince when she begins to wrap the bandages around a tender area.

“Which is why you should lower your voice, Wanda,” you warn her.

A familiar knocking pattern sounds at the door before Wanda can respond. 

Knowing who it is, she calls out, “Come in!”

Pietro slips inside quickly, his gaze immediately focused on your wrist in concern.

“How is she?”

You respond before Wanda can continue her rant.

“I’m fine. Both of you calm down.”

Wanda huffs at you, crossing her arms, before noticing Pietro’s slightly disheveled hair and asking, “What took you so long anyway?” 

Pietro's expression shifts into his usual mischievous grin as he pulls out the bundle of books from behind his back.

You recognize them as the ones the queen had given to you from the box.

“I ran to the library and switched these out with some of your geography books,” he explains proudly. 

“Pietro!” you chastise before reprimanding him with a sigh. “Thank you, but please don’t do something that risky again. Who knows what my father would do if he caught you.”

Noticing Wanda and Pietro communicating silently to each other with their eyes, you ask them knowingly.

“What is it?”

Wanda's gaze turns sad and uncertain as she speaks, “We can’t really help you much given our position, but maybe if you tell Princess Natasha…” 

Wanda gives you a knowing look before confidently stating, "She wouldn’t let this happen to you."

Sighing tiredly at the repeated reminder of the princess’ absence from your life, you adjust your sleeve to conceal the bandages as you explain.

“Her coronation is in a couple of months. I’m not going to burden Natasha with problems of a single noble family when she’s going to have to worry about an entire kingdom soon.”

The twins give you sympathetic looks, already aware of the real reasons for your reluctance to involve the princess.

With a sigh, you remind yourself of the decision that you made after that incident last year.

It was the best option.

The further you stay away from Natasha, the safer she will be.

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

The following afternoon, accompanied by Wanda, you go to meet Lady Maria Hill at her manor.

The purpose of the meeting was to see the compatibility between the two of you.

In other words, it was sort of like a first date.

The Hill family is renowned for their significant contributions to the kingdom's military. A majority of their family members hold distinctions as decorated soldiers or knights in the kingdom.

In fact, her cousin is the Captain of the Royal Guard at the castle. 

Even now, Maria wears her commander uniform while she sits across from you. Her posture remains perfect and attentive as she places her cup down on the table before addressing you.

“To be honest, Lady Y/n, I was surprised that you still wanted to meet with me today, given the recent news.”

Confused, you glance at Wanda in question, wondering if she knew what Maria was referring to. She shakes her head and shrugs her shoulders in response.

With a polite smile, you return your attention to Maria.

“I’m afraid we haven’t heard any news,” you tell her. 

“Well, it’s more like a rumor, just something Steve heard amongst the castle workers,” Maria comments casually before leaning forward slightly as if whispering a secret.

“Apparently, Princess Natasha disclosed last night that she’s in a secret relationship.”

You ignore the new uncomfortable feeling in your chest at the fact that there was something concerning Natasha that you weren’t aware of.

You manage to conceal the surprise and discomfort on your face as your hands cradle the cup in front of you, its warmth offering you little comfort.

“Oh? And did she mention who it is?” you ask, curious to learn more.

“That’s what makes this meeting so strange,” Maria pauses before nodding at you.

“She said that she was in a relationship with you, Lady Y/n.”

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15

Series Masterlist : Boundless Devotion

a/n: Thank you for reading! Hopefully the tags work, just let me know if you want to be added to the taglist for this series.

Taglist: @lightwhoranoutoflight, @taliiiaasteria

[ghostofashina]

So I saw a video on the YouTube about a theory that Messmer is the son of the gloam eyed queen and Marika stole him and I, a Godwyn-Messmer twin truther, went "no, no way. Messmer and Godwyn are twins, one of them can't be the GEQ's son.... Unless...."

And then I thought. What if it's not Messmer that is GEQ's stolen son, but Godwyn.

I have three pieces of.... Not exactly evidence because these are all speculative and circumstantial, but I am having fun with it.

1) Godwyn's name. Every other Marika child has the initials of their parents in their name. Mohg and Morgott of Marika and Godfrey; Radahn, Rhykard, and Ranni of Radagan and Rennala; Messmer, Miquella, Malenia, and Melina of Marika and Radaghan (this is a translation thing; Japanese kana use the same symbols for both L and R, so in the original Japanese, the names of Marika and Radagan's children did have both Ms and R's). But. Godwyn. He only has Godfrey's G, no Marika M. Out of her 10 children, only her specialist, most important first born prince son ISNT named after her? Suspicious.

1A: Yes, I realize he does still have Godfrey's namesake. But if Marika stole a son, whos to say she didn't steal a husband as well. After all, the DLC claims that she "seduced" the previous god before her with her "wanton strumpet" ways. Maybe the GEQ had her eyes (eye?) on Godfrey.

1B: Why on Earth would Marika steal the son of an enemy Empyrean and make him her most specialist prince? Well, Godwyn went hard for the golden order. What better way to rub it in an old enemy's face than by stealing her son and making him the literal poster boy of your Golden Order.

2) Godwyn's body got all fucked up when he died. Yes, that was explained by his soul dying while his body lived on, but like. Those Who Live In Death don't have the same transformation, after all. They have something similar, but they can still ambulate. Also, they can be killed for real--Godwyn can't. And sure, maybe it's because he's a demigod.... Buuut if he was the son of the GEQ, the creator of the Rune of Death, perhaps that explains why he became so powerful within death. Before, he was a standard golden boy--he did great things for the golden order, of course, but he didn't seem to have any specific connection to a certain type of magic or outer god like any of the other demigods. But then he died and became the Prince of Death. Not the King of Death, but a Prince. An offspring of a Queen. Maybe Marika.... Or maybe the Queen who made the Rune of Death.

Or it's all baloney and whatever. I still like the idea of twin Messmer and Godwyn more, but it's fun to theory craft. Though, hey, Marika had kids with Rennala, after all. Who's to say she didn't have a kid with the Gloam Eyed Queen too? We stan a bisexual queen.

Hello, hello ~

I am myself a GodMes twins truther LAKSLKAS So yeah, I stand with you. I saw this one and was exactly like that "that can't be uwu i cut their umbilical cord myself"

But, as you said, Godwyn being the outsider is just a very funny scenario. And it fits, it truly did. Especially for what we love the most: angst

@whyyouacknsocraycray made a post once, talking about a possibility of Godwyn being Godfrey's son with someone else — which would explain the G and potentially the GEQ — and it rented a house inside my thoughts, because it's really good just to see this perfect, golden son, being disowned of his reality.

It could work wonders that sort of scenario, perhaps even more than Messmer being the stolen kid. Because we all know about the "seduction and betrayal".

Let's consider two fun scenarios: Marika sends Godfrey to seduce GEQ and, once she births a perfect son, he is stolen — I can even go far weirder here and say she wanted this perfect son to be made so she could use him as the blessing for Messmer's maledictions. Marika once made a blessing for Messmer, but never again.

Or Godfrey was already promised to the GEQ expecting his child and Marika took it all from her — with the help of Godfrey himself, seeing more potential in Marika.

Now: I know shit about the GEQ, I must admit. Never dug into that part of lore. So I have no idea if these scenarios could actually fit in the current timeline lol but, just like you said, it's fun to think of different stuff from usual.

And, it's where the fun begins. I think every scenario that disrupts the "perfect" order is hella interesting. So if we have this golden prince, who grew believing to be the heir (even though he ain't empyrean), the champion of this empire, his mother's most beloved and perfect son... taking it all from him is just tasty.

To see his struggle with reality, considering himself a bastard, suddenly feeling an outsider. I can even see him disappointed with Messmer, accusing him of knowing the truth and hiding it from him. Just delicious angst.

And yes, I agree with you. Even when I don't agree with some theories, I think it's quite cool to invest in different scenarios just to explore all the possibilities — even when they are insane. That's the fun bit. I think these sort of things are more fun when you are invested in making them interesting rather than just right or true.