#i legitimately thought it was thunder

[salmonellaandcheese]

dunno what’s running across the roof but it seems the size of a large dog

[redflagshipwriter]

Check Yes ch 8

masterpost Danny did his best not to float through the building. His chest buzzed pleasantly with cheerful nerves. Jason had let him into his haunt and let him meet a family member: it was only fair to reciprocate with a little vulnerability. He was more than a little nervous that his interests weren’t cool enough. But Jason was actually listening to him, not rolling his eyes or hiding boredom at how many details Danny rattled off. It was really nice. It made him want to find out what Jason was passionate about, too. It made him want to curl under Jason’s arm. Like, lift it up and insert himself in the warm space between Jason’s body and arm. He could just sneak on in there-

Hmm. Wait. Danny blinked as he tracked his train of thought back. PDA? He stole a glance. Probably not a good idea so early into hanging out. It would come off clingy. Since Danny was legitimately a clingy motherfucker, he had to play it cool for a while to trick Jason into a false sense of security. He was trying to be on his best behavior still. 

“Oh hell yeah, we’re going to the Ring Nebula.” Jason was reading the signage, bright eyes tracking everyone moving around them and steering them effortlessly. Danny noted the multitasking with a sort of puzzled admiration. He could walk in a crowd or he could read, just one of the two. “What’s a nebula?” An incredibly subtle aura washed out from him with his self assurance and confidence. Jason just felt so in control. It was incredibly reassuring to be around. Crowds parted for him and all Danny had to do was keep pace. 

“It’s the remains of a star.  That’s a Messier object, actually. There’s a white dot at the center which is a white dwarf and then around it there’s helium, hydrogen, oxygen-” Danny cut himself off, embarrassed. He was so messy, oozing excitement all over the place. He reeled himself in and cleared his throat. “You can read about it when we get there.”

Jason frowned very slightly.

Danny felt his stomach twist. 

“What’s a Messier object?”

Oh. Danny relaxed. He talked with his hands as he explained the French astronomer, barely noticing the crowd swell that nearly bumped into him. Jason put an arm over his shoulder and steered him away. Danny absently recognized the assist but didn’t have any processing power to think about it right now. 

Jason let him go on for most of the date, which Danny would probably be embarrassed by later. In the moment, he basked in the attention. It was just nice, okay?

“I should head back.” Jason said with regret. His arm clenched just a little harder on Danny’s shoulder. His hand was warm where it hung down Danny’s chest. “Gotta get Duke his bribe and then get ready for work.” 

Danny waited for a moment. He didn’t want to step away. But maybe Jason didn’t either, because he didn’t take his arm off.

‘One of us has to move first.’

“Yeah, of course.” Danny regretfully disentangled himself, ducking out of the hold. He was a grownup or whatever. “Better get a move on. What are we getting for Duke?” They’d only snacked on ice cream while they were in the planetarium. 

Jason checked the time on his phone and let out a huffing sigh. “I don’t have time for my original plan.”

‘Because he humored me here for two hours…’

“Gimme a sec, I’ll call him and ask what he wants me to pick up.” Danny nodded in response and started jogging down the stairs out of the building, trying not to look like he was listening in. He didn’t want to listen in, he just had really good ears.

Ring once, ring twice. Then Duke picked up the call.

“Hey,” Jason said. “I-”

“Hey yourself,” said an unfamiliar voice that definitely was not Duke. It was sweet with malice.

‘Did Jason’s little brother get kidnapped while we were out?’ Danny wondered, struck still with horror. He stopped with one foot hovering over the next stair and wheeled around to look at his date.

Jason looked thunderous, brow pulled low and teeth showing. “Fuc- why do you have his phone?” Jason’s tone went high and aggrieved.

Danny prepared himself to beat the shit out of a living human. It wouldn’t be hard. 

“Because I am his favorite older brother. Obviously.”

Oh. The fight left Danny’s body in a rush.

“I am pressing X,” Jason snarked. He squeezed Danny’s shoulder and guided him into movement again. “Give it back to him and get out of my house.”

“Tu casa es mi casa,” said the man who had to be the infamous Dick, balcony infestation. “Why do you care?” His tone was so innocent that Danny sort of wanted to turn on his heel to escape whatever older shithead sibling fuckery this was. “Aren’t you busy making kissy faces at the summoning guy?”

Danny bounced off of Jason’s chest when he stopped walking midstep.

‘How does he know that? Jason didn’t say anything, right?’

“And, follow up question for Jay, does this make you a monsterfucker?” Duke howled with laughter in the background. Danny noted the betrayal. 

Dick sounded gleeful as he pushed on the topic. “He’s dead, right? What supernatural romance genre are you in? Is he going to take you to his creepy castle and keep you there? Does he have an ancient enemy who might kidnap you? Do you think he could carry you away when he rescues you? Are you looking forward to that?”

Danny huffed and yanked Jason’s hand down to bring the phone closer. He hit the speaker. “Of course I could carry him. But I would not keep him in my creepy castle against his will, you jerk,” he fumed. “And I don’t have any ancient enemies! At last, no one that I haven’t already beat up. It’s fine. Shut up and go away.” He crossed his arms.

Jason was bright red. Dick started laughing hysterically on the other side of the phone. “This is- hi, Danny!” he cackled. “You have a creepy castle, though? For the record?”

Oh no. He felt a rock form in his stomach.

‘I probably should have kept my mouth shut.’

He looked at Jason’s feet guiltily. Belatedly, he let go of his grip on Jason’s wrist.

“You sound great, wanna meet up? I need to hear about how you’re so sure you could carry my little brother away from danger. It sounds romantic.” Dick cooed. Ew. Danny bristled. This was bringing up all sorts of Jazz related trauma.

“He will not be meeting you.” Jason took the phone back. “Ever.”

“Ever?” Dick scoffed. “I really doubt that. I don’t think you could keep him away from me for one day.”

“Oh yeah?” Jason somehow puffed up his chest. “Then come find me, jackass.”

“See if I don’t.” 

Danny scoffed. “As if I need his help to dodge some nosy dweeb,” he sniffed. “Bring it, balcony creep.” He hit the end button before thinking about it.

The staircase suddenly seemed very quiet. 

Jason and Danny looked at the phone for a moment. Then Danny frowned as he realized what he’d done. “I was going to like, go back home,” he pointed out uneasily. “But that doesn’t seem in the spirit of this shitty brother challenge. And, uh.” He cleared his throat. “You had evening plans, right….”

Jason groaned and paced a few steps. He ran a hand through his hair. Danny idly watched it and wished it was his hand there. “Uh… Sorry. I can tell him to fuck off, that you’ve got better things to do.”

“...I don’t have better things to do,” Danny admitted. “I kinda want to see if he can hunt us. He’s just some guy, right?”

Jason made a face.

“Just a human guy?” Danny repeated slowly, because the hesitation there was uh, really interesting. 

“You remember how we met, right?” Jason sort of shuffled in place for a moment before he herded Danny down the sidewalk in the direction they had originally come from. “I wouldn’t say he’s a normal guy.”

…Oh, right, he’s a vigilante. Danny snorted. “That’s cute,” he said, not even trying to avoid cockiness. “I’m not worried.” He cracked his knuckles and didn’t pay attention to how bloodthirsty his grin was. “I am going to destroy your brother in a game of hide and seek so brutally that you won’t be able to look up to him afterwards.”

Jason opened his mouth. He closed it, with a considering expression. “That’s hot. Yeah, show me what you have. I can skip patrol for the night.” He gave Danny a roguish grin. “Where to, first? We have an hour before he’s out on the streets. We can get dinner, strategize?”

Danny closed his mouth on the boast that he didn’t need to strategize. This was a perfect opportunity to spend an hour batting his eyes at Jason from across a candlelit table. “Somewhere nice,” he said innocently. “He won’t immediately look for us at a date spot, will he?”

[lil-binuu]

If he hits you once

TRIGGER WARNING: manipulation, possessiveness, domestic violence.

I'm a little late to the yandere party (sorry @peppymintdreams i couldn't help it)

This is fiction, not canonically accurate, and not romantic. (I do NOT condone any romanticisation of any kind of abuse.)

If you're underage, be weary as this is quite heavy and not like my usual content.

It is a bit weird to write this stuff, but I wanted to explore the idea of what barista would do in a situation where they realise that their life is not, in fact, a wattpad story and sometimes you can mistake someone who is actually really dangerous and a horrible person, as someone who you love.  And while ofc, this is not Elias canonically, i still wanted to write what he could be like as a more realistic person - especially because the abuse from his father would have affected him regardless, whether it turned into his own aggression or not.

830 words

packing your things to move to another safe house has brought up the topic of your freedom.

“Elias-“

“I’m doing this to keep you safe.”

He already knew what you were trying to talk about. 

“I- I know, but- I want to have freedom. I need to have freedom.”

“You already do.” He replied, blunt and rude. 

“No, I don’t. I can’t speak to my friends, or family, I can't even go outside.”

“You can’t when it’s this dangerous. Do you have any idea how easily you could die if I’m not there to protect you?” 

You hesitated. “I-I know, but I-”

“You don’t stand a chance out there, not without me.” 

You swallowed. You knew Elias was protecting you in a way you couldn’t yourself, but he didn’t have to say it like that. 

Elias stepped towards you, taking your hand. “You know I just want to protect you.” 

You nodded, eyes dropping to the floor. “I know.” 

“So let’s not fight about this.” He wrapped his arms around you in a hug. “You know I’m right anyway. You’re weak, Y/n. You can’t look after yourself, you need me.” 

You frowned. Maybe it was true and you just couldn’t accept it. Elias was there to protect you, why would you try to argue otherwise? He only wants what’s best for you. 

Elias pulled back, facing you with his eyebrows raised, expecting. 

“I’m sorry.” You answered, fulfilling his request. 

But why should you be sorry? It was a legitimate worry, your freedom. Didn’t Elias want you to have freedom too?  

“Come on, we need to keep packing.”

Elias turned away from you, back to the bag he was packing full of clothes. You couldn’t  allow him to change the subject, not when your freedom was at stake.

“Elias,” you sighed, “I wasn’t done talking-“

“Well I am.” His raised voice thundering over your own.

You don’t think Elias had ever spoken to you like this before. Like he didn’t even care about you.

“You can’t make me live like this!”

“I can and I will.” His words cut into you like a knife. This was a side of Elias you had never seen. 

He had never spoken to you like this before. He had never argued with you, never disregarded your feelings, but all of a sudden your concerns were dismissed. Your voice was dismissed.

You could only stand there and stare at him. 

“It doesn’t have to be like-“

“Are you trying to get yourself killed? Elias shouted, shutting you down completely.

“You seriously think you would still be alive if it weren’t for me?” 

Your frustration got the better of you.

“I don’t need you to protect me!” You yelled. 

A hand came down quickly onto your face. 

You froze. 

The side of your face almost numb from the impact. You could hardly register what just happened. 

You slowly looked back to Elias, swallowing as tears began to flood your eyes. 

His chest rising and falling quickly, you could see how angry he was. But did he just hit you? 

After protecting you for so long, promising to keep you safe, you never thought Elias would be the one to hurt you. 

Maybe you shouldn’t have protested against him so much. You didn’t need to anger him, if only you just listened to what he said without complaining. 

But his anger was now imprinted on your skin. 

Elias took a step towards you, reaching out his arm. Instantly you brought up your hands in front of your face. 

“Baby, why’d you flinch?”

You looked at him through the barrier of your arms, bringing your defence down as you realised he hadn’t hit you a second time. 

“I- I..” You choked on your excuse, tears rolling down your face.

“Baby?” He exclaimed, his bittersweet concern almost mocking.  

“You know I would never hurt you, right?” 

You blinked up at him, confused and scared.

He wouldn’t hurt you? He wouldn’t? But your face was red and stinging.

“B-but.. You..” Your hand raised to the side of your face, gently touching the injury. 

“Ah, but I didn’t mean to. I just got so angry, babe. You know I can’t help it.” 

“W- what?” you whispered, searching his eyes. 

He leaned down to your face. 

“Don’t argue with me and you won’t get hurt.” 

You finally realised what you had gotten yourself into. Elias wasn’t some protector, no, he was just another man who made empty promises to keep you around. His words were just lies, sweet lips and a sweet voice in the hopes that you would believe his sweet facade. 

Now you just felt stupid. Why on earth would you think that putting your heart and soul into someone like him would work out? It doesn’t matter how much you like him, under all the leather and chains, he’s just another man with issues.  

And you knew you needed to leave. There was nothing else for you to do.

Silently, you continued to pack. But you weren’t going to a safe house or staying with Elias any longer. You were getting out.

yualll this is kinda shit but whatev

Remember; If they hit you once, they'll hit you again.

And to all of my beautiful people out there, if someone treats you badly in any way it's never ever because of you and you are not alone. Call me up i'll beat their ass. Stay safe <3

[mxtxfanatic]

The reoccurring theme of antagonistic characters using the deaths of their loved ones to legitimize their hate for people they already hated and are wholly unrelated to their loved ones' deaths is really an under-discussed one. Moments that stick out to me are how this happens with Madam Mo at the very beginning of the novel, but then we see it repeated almost bar for bar when Jiang Cheng is called in to the emergency conference to answer for Wei Wuxian's liberation of the Qiongqi labor camp, until finally we get a deep-dive into the entitlement behind this idea in the climax that is Guanyin Temple:

On the other hand, Lady Mo, both heartbroken and resentful to the extreme, thought only of the word “death.” Not of her own death, of course. She had no desire to accompany her son. Rather, she thought of the death of every other human being on earth, especially the people in front of her.

—Chapt. 4: Feral III, fanyiyi

Nie MingJue, “You owe them gratitude? Isn’t the QishanWen Sect the ones who caused the YunmengJiang Sect’s annihilation?” Within these few years, Jiang Cheng insisted on working late into the night every day. That day, just as he decided to rest early, he had to rush to Koi Tower overnight because of the thundering news. He’d been suppressing some anger under his fatigue since the beginning. With his natural competitiveness, he was already quite agitated since he had to apologize to other people. When he heard Nie MingJue mention the incident of his sect again, hatred sprouted within him. The hatred was directed at not only everyone who was seated in this room, but also Wei WuXian.

—Chapt. 73: Recklessness, exr

Jiang Cheng replied, “How much has my family given for you? I’m his son. I’m the heir of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect. But all those years, I was never enough next to you. Their love, their dedication, even their life! The lives of my father, mother, older sister, and even Jin ZiXuan! Because of you, all that’s left now is an orphaned Jin Ling!” ... “How much do you owe my family? Shouldn’t I hate you?! Couldn’t I hate you?! What gives you the right to suddenly make me feel like I should be the one that’s sorry?! What gives you the right to make me feel like some fucking clown after all these years?! What the hell am I?! Do I only deserve to be blinded by your glory, by your light?! Shouldn’t I hate you?!”

—Chapter 102: A Hatred for Life Part 5, boat-full-of-lotus-pods

"I don't actually want my death. I don't actually want to be with my loved ones. This isn't about remorse for the dead or honoring their memory. This is about my hatred and being able to hate at anyone I feel like because of it. This is about me and what I feel like the world owes me as compensation for my loved ones' deaths."

[selfawarecobalt]

uagh. it finally happened. the gray fight. its as bad as id expexted. accidentally woke up at 6am and im legitimately too angry to fall back asleep so here we are.

anyway yall remember the freed v mira fight? (of course you do its the best in the series) remember what a pivotal moment it was for both freed and mirajane? he’d literally been torturing and was about to murder her brother and yet she stopped. she caught herself after winning the fight, and it did wonders for her character, showing how truly empathetic yet powerful she was.

and NOW i get to talk about the thunder legion v gray fight. hooray. im only gonna focus on the freed bits for now because id need time to get my thoughts together but anyway.

i’m not sure if the parallels to the mira fight were intentional, but if they are, its pissing me off more. the beauty in the first fight WAS the fact mira stopped herself. she had every reason to pound his face into the dirt but she held back.

and now, when faced with a mind-controlled freed, gray decided to grab his arms, pin him down and punch him repeatedly in the face.

directly after the confirmation that freed’s magic wont work on gray. (bullshit, but we wont go there today)

and, after all that shit, gray has the NERVE to be like “oh boo hoo poor me it felt really bad to have to beat up my friends :(((“ DIDNT LOOK LIKE IT 30 SECONDS AGO

like they DRAG OUT the moment of freed being beaten to the ground (immediately after gray RIPS HIS SIDE OPEN AS THE FIRST HIT)

so yeah. not a fan of 100yq and if i see one more main character stan complaining im going to spontaneously combust

[rottenpumpkin13]

I legitimately want Angeal to make Sephiroth some real pumpkin soup in the story. Not only would it be cute but it would actually be enough to emotionally reach Sephiroth lol. He forever associates Angeal with warmth and safety.

Tbh that's not too far off from what I think might happen since pumpkin soup showed up in the story yet again. I think he might try it at some point and Angeal will be the one to make it for him 🥹

Sephiroth, eating the soup: This is delicious. It's everything I thought it would be and more!

Angeal: Thanks! My friend, Genesis Rhapsodos gave me the recipe.

Sephiroth: Who's Genes—

*VIOLENT CRACK OF THUNDER*

[aesteries]

⋆✴︎˚。⋆ ─ ❝sweetling❞ ─ aemond targaryen and original female character. ❝alicent hightower's youngest daughter, haera targaryen, has returned to king's landing after eight long years in old town and aemond finds himself inexplicably drawn to the girl kissed by the moon and with the eyes that seem to only look at him.❞

how could i not love eyes that see me in all my forms as beautiful?

〔incest, innocence and fantasies, fluff and romance, smut, virginity, events of blood and cheese, family rivalry, disabled main character, hints of book!aemond, modified show!timeline and events.〕

words: 1k. series' masterlist.

                 STORM'S END. 

Prince Aemond Targaryen, the second son of the late King Viserys I, arrived at the gates of Storm’s End under the peak of thunder, announced by the earth-shattering roar of Vhagar; his arrival was as unexpected as it was ominous. The storm that raged in the land mirrored the beginning of the burning turmoil within the real, preparing the stage for the battle of blood to come. Lord Borros Baratheon, though still clad in his nightclothes and with sleep clouding his thoughts, had no other choice but to welcome the royal visitor despite the late hour.

The household was thrown into a whirlwind of activity, with the servants rushing to light the lamps and prepare food, while the highborn members put on their finest clothes to impress the prince. The air changed, a mixture of anxiousness and anticipation as they gathered to take a glimpse of the dragonrider. Prince Aemond Targaryen presented himself as a friend of House Baratheon, as an ally, as someone to be trusted, and as the carrier of a very important message. He announced the passing of his father and presented his older brother as the rightful King of the Seven Kingdoms, urging Lord Borros and his people to pledge their alliance to the legitimate ruler. He assured them that by doing so, they would ensure the continued prosperity and peace of Storm's End.

However, Lord Borros was a calculated man and an opportunist. He needed more to be swayed and so demanded something in exchange for his alliance, arguing that the Crown had long overlooked House Baratheon and waved away the blood relationship to Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, brushing her off as insignificant for failing to establish a connection to Storm's End. Yet Prince Aemond persisted, sharing that being on the right side of history would be enough benefit for the House, but Lord Borros remained steadfast on his demands, insisting that a political alliance between a member of the Targaryen House and one of his daughters would be enough to seal the deal.

Prince Aemond's mind flashed back to the conversation he'd had with his grandsire, Otto Hightower, filled with threats and warnings of the dangers to come if he did not secure alliances to their causes, and he realised, with regret and resignation, that the older man had been right all along and he had been foolish to believe he would leave free from the Stormlands. He agreed then to a match between himself and one of the Lord's daughters, who lined them up to present them to him like cattle to slaughter.

The exact details of what happened next remain shrouded in mystery—too many words and too many people with contradicting stories. Some of them claim that the prideful prince, driven by entitlement, proceeded to sample the cunts of all three Baratheon daughters and ultimately chose the sophisticated beauty of Lady Floris Baratheon, the beauty of Storm's End. However, others claim differently and suggest that Prince Aemond refused the advances of the young women and only chose Floris Baratheon, as she shared the same disdain for the situation as him.

The excitement over the announcement of the betrothal between Prince Aemond and Floris Baratheon had barely settled when an unexpected arrival disrupted the cheerful atmosphere. Prince Lucerys Velaryon, the young son of the self-proclaimed Queen Rhaenyra, strode through the doors, followed by lines of guards and with a message of his own in his hands. It is reported that as his eyes met those of Prince Aemond, the golden envelope with his mother's sigil stumbled out of his hands and onto the floor.

When presented with Rhaenyra Targaryen's claim to the throne and summons of House Baratheon, Lord Borros repeated the same demands he had given Prince Aemond, a cruel smirk on his lips as he observed the smaller prince, face etched with shock. The boy, publicly betrothed to Princess Haera by decree of King Viserys I himself, struggled to form words at the audacity of Lord Borros. Unlike Aemond, who had yet to take a marriage pact, Lucerys was bound by the word of the King. Borros offered a tantalising proposition: if Lucerys were to break his betrothal to Haera and wed one of his daughters, he would pledge his allegiance to Rhaenyra's claim.

Lord Borros, recognising the potential for a catastrophic conflict between the blood of the dragons, ordered his men to intervene as Aemond strode forward with his sword in hand when Lucerys attempted to dismiss himself, preventing a tragic confrontation between the two young princes.

In the end, Lucery Velaryon's mission was a failure. He was ridiculed in front of the crowd at Storm's End, his pride shattered to pieces. Prince Aemond seized the opportunity, mounting his dragon to pursue the fleeing prince in a dangerous dance above the clouds and demanding for his eye. Lucerys was a skilled rider, but he was no warrior, so he pleaded for mercy on the back of his young dragon as he was chased through the sky by no other than the monstrous shape of Vhagar. His pleas fell on deaf ears, and the one-eyed prince's mocking laughter echoed through the stormy sky. It was only when Lucerys mentioned the name of Princess Haera Targaryen that the situation took a deadly turn.

The prince's dragon, Arrax, was no match for Vhagar, and as the chase intensified, Aemond's bloodlust fuelled his dragon's instincts, and sensing his need for vengeance, he acted accordingly. Her massive jaws opened around the smaller dragon and almost swallowed him whole. While some have argued that the tragic death of Lucerys Velaryon was an accident or product of adrenaline, the truth was far more sinister. With a twisted sense of satisfaction, Prince Aemond watched as the lifeless forms of Arrax and his rider plummeted into the sea, death and destruction, a testament to his victory and a reminder of the power he wielded.

And with his death, the war of ravens and envoys and marriage pacts came to an end, and the war of fire and blood began in earnest. 

[freesia-writes]

Ch 10: Storm on the Shore Pt. 2

~ Master List ~ Previous Chapter ~ WC: 2k

WELL THIS IS THE MOST ACCURATE BACKGROUND NOISE YOU COULD HAVE, LOL: 24Hr | Seaside Storm in a Cave / Ocean Waves, Distant Thunder,Fire and Rain Sounds for Sleeping (youtube.com)

And LOOK AT THIS FANART BY @perfectlywingedcrusade!!

As the fire grew into a satisfying source of warmth near the opening of the cave, just far enough inside to let the smoke out but still sheltered from the wind and rain, Hunter and Lyra huddled around it, shadows dancing across their faces as the contented crackling faded into the sound of the storm outside. He had removed his jacket, spreading it out nearby to dry as much as possible, and with quite a bit of protest from her, had also ventured quickly into the rain to fetch her own jacket, which he had to wring out at the mouth of the cave before bringing it in to lay it next to his. His thick flannel shirt stretched across his back as he hunched, rubbing his hands absently near the dancing flames. 

“I’m sorry we’re stuck here,” Lyra said, eyes darting to his for a split second before returning to the fire. 

“Eh,” Hunter shrugged, “It could be worse.”

“The office ladies are going to be heartbroken that you’re not in your shop for their ‘morning sausage run’ before school starts…”

Fixing her with a mockingly stern look that led them both to chuckle quietly, Hunter noticed her heartbeat speeding up again, and subtly watched her body language to see if she were in pain from the ruthless pinching her leg had received from the spiteful crablike creature she’d thought was just a shell. He was unable to discern other signs of distress, leaving him mildly confused as to the random chemical changes he could just barely pick up during many of their times together. 

“I’ll just tell them it was your fault,” he added, smiling as she quickly looked back up at him in horror. Her long brown hair still hung fairly damp, save for a little crown of frizz that danced on the very top of her head, and her dark eyes sent an unexpected jolt of electricity through his body with their simultaneous vulnerability and intensity. It threw him off for a moment, causing his grin to drop into momentary seriousness.

“What?” Lyra asked, anxious at his sudden change in composure. She glanced around the cave and toward the opening as though searching for a threat, giving Hunter time to recover.

“Nothing,” he said, following her gaze. “I… uh… Did you feel that breeze?”

“...No?”

“It felt like it came from the back,” he continued, legitimately (and gratefully) distracted by the slight sense of cool air on the side of his cheek that faced away from the entrance.

“Are you hoping to blow dry your luxurious hair?” she attempted, cringing inwardly as soon as the words were out of her mouth.

“Luxurious, eh?” Hunter echoed, tilting his head back toward her with a look that concealed the slight sense of flattery he didn’t want to admit he felt.

“Oh, I felt a little wind!” she exclaimed instead, and he laughed out loud at her thinly-veiled effort to change the subject. He hadn’t felt anything that time, but he let it slide. They’d had a few moments over the last number of weeks of innocent questions that seemed to touch a nerve or pry too far, resulting in withdrawal and awkward silence, so in response, they had both settled into a comfortable understanding that information was to be taken as it was offered instead of pursued through inquiry. He rose to his feet in one lithe movement, stretching out the stiffness that had formed in his time crouched by the fire. 

“I’m gonna check it out.”

“Why?” Lyra asked, so bluntly that he was momentarily taken aback. But her tone was one of apprehension, not challenge.

“Might be a way out of here.”

“But what if there’s… stuff back there?”

“That’s the point,” he said, smiling faintly. 

“Maybe the crab had friends,” she added, a breezy smile failing to conceal her trepidation. “Bigger ones.”

“Well, it wouldn’t be the first time…”

He could sense her anxiety as she followed suit, rubbing her hands over the fire one last time before getting up and hobbling to his side. She was torn in a way that surprised her – the logical choice would be to continue her enjoyment of the toasty little space he’d created, but she also felt nervous about him going alone. Not that she would be of any help in a crisis situation… obviously. Yet she was inexplicably compelled to join him. 

“Lead the way.”

“I can scout it out and come back to get you if there’s an exit,” he offered, unsure about her participation.

“That’ll take twice as long,” she pointed out, grabbing their clothing from the ground and shaking them out. “Besides, I think I can hear my fireplace calling to me…” Her jacket was still fairly damp, but Hunter had wrung out most of the water and its time by the fire had made it a good amount lighter. She tied it around her waist, passed his own to him, and nodded decisively. The corners of his lips lifted slightly, and he pulled his coat on snugly. 

He offered an arm to her, noting just how taken aback she appeared at the gesture. After a moment of internal struggle, she gingerly took it, laying her fingers across his forearm but carefully keeping a distance between their bodies. Again, his heart warmed slightly at seemingly nothing in particular, and they headed toward the back of the cave. 

It was a cavernous opening initially, with the dancing glow from the dying fire just barely illuminating the rocks that jutted at them from ground and ceiling alike. They walked wordlessly, arm in arm, with only the sounds of their steps, droplets falling from above, and the waves and rain outside. As the cave twisted and turned its way into the cliff, Hunter could feel Lyra growing more tense, her heart rate increasing and a light sweat breaking out across her body. Her eyes darted to and fro, and her hand tightened around his bicep as she slipped on a step. 

“You okay?” he said, the softness of his voice contrasted by a slight husk from not speaking for a while; it quickly captured her attention from all of the “threats” she’d been vigilant to scan for, and she nodded silently. “Are you nervous?” he finally asked, watching her expressions flicker from conviction to sheepishness. 

“Yes,” she whispered, lowering her head. 

“It’s alright. I promise. We’ll be fine,” Hunter said gently, his chest swelling with some feeling as he could see a grateful smile barely peeking out beneath the curtain of hair that concealed her face. He reached into his bag and pulled out the small light again, clicking it on and shocking their eyes with a bright little beam that illuminated the next few steps. As they began moving again, he noticed she had shuffled a hair closer to him.

“You’ve spent a lot of time in caves?” she asked, still tense with apprehension. 

“Some,” he answered, still not having shared many specifics about his past in the GAR. He’d focused mostly on their independent chapter of life, painting the picture of him and his family wandering the galaxy and taking various jobs to support themselves, which resulted in his wide skill set. “I’ve been in a lot of dangerous situations.” It could have come across as prideful or boasting, but he’d said it so factually and humbly that it seemed to drive the point home, and he noticed Lyra’s shoulders relax the tiniest bit. 

“Sounds stressful.”

“Yeah… You get used to it.”

“I don’t know that I could,” she chuckled, looking up as he came to a sudden halt. 

“Hm,” he said, casting the light all around in front of them. It appeared that they’d reached a dead end as all sides of the cave had closed in on them, and yet he could swear he sensed a large hollowness behind it. He felt around the edges, wondering if it was a large rock that had broken off from the rest to block the pathway, but despite his strategically-located pushes and shoves, there was no movement to be had. 

“Time to go back!” Lyra announced, proactively taking his arm again. They could barely hear the storm anymore; they may have been too deep in the cave or it could have stopped. Hunter furrowed his brow, taking a few last one-handed pokes around the wall in front of them, then nodded. 

“I guess that’s our only option.”

Upon their return to the mouth of the cave, they were pleased to find that the storm had indeed blown over, and the dark skies had lightened a bit to a morose gray canvas full of swirling clouds. They ventured out onto the beach, grateful for the slowness of the tide’s changes that meant it was still quite low, which allowed them to skirt around one of the rocky walls that formed the sandy inlet onto the next beach past it. This one had a much more gradual slope up to the cliffs above, and the pain in Lyra’s leg had receded enough for her to walk unassisted. 

It felt like a longer walk than usual back to their homes; Hunter couldn’t quite tell why. Nothing significant had happened and yet he felt a deepening bond between them, whether it was a sense of protectiveness, increased vulnerability, or something else. Lyra’s house was at a lower elevation, perched on a flat chunk of land near the edge of The Forest with a decent view of the seas below, while Hunter’s was farther up and deeper into the woods. He didn’t realize they’d taken the path toward her home, lost in conversation as they’d been, until she drew to a halt at the gate of a rickety fence made of random pieces of driftwood and tree branches. The property beyond the fence was lush, with plants and trees of every shape and size, and Hunter could see a white cottage tucked into it, the sea lying below the cliffs a ways past it. 

“This is me,” she said, nodding toward the cozy home. “I’m gonna comm the school to let them know I’m alive… and I don’t think I’m going in today.” She chuckled, and he could almost hear the plotting in her head of a decadent day of relaxation by the fire and, if he knew anything from their many chats over the last few weeks, probably some baking of delicious savory treats. 

“I might not open the shop today either,” Hunter said. “Perks of being self-employed.”

“Mmm,” she agreed, lifting her eyes to his for a moment. Brown met brown with softness and depth, and he felt that queasiness in his stomach that had made the occasional appearance lately. “Um… Thank you again… For everything. And I’m sorry.”

“It was nothing,” Hunter said. “In fact, I think I owe you one for getting me to take a day off of work.”

“So I’m a clumsy burden and a bad influence? Great,” she deadpanned. 

“Neither,” he reassured.

Lyra hesitated, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, and untied her jacket from her waist to instead fold it over her arm and clutch it tightly. There was a pregnant pause in the air, as though there were some kind of decision to be made. But neither words nor invitations were forthcoming.

“I… uh… I’m sure I’ll see you soon,” she said quietly, dipping her head and opening the creaky gate, slowly and almost hesitantly admitting herself. She left it open, turning back to give him a small wave as he said his own goodbyes, then continued on the pebbled path toward the cottage. 

Hunter remained at the entrance for a minute, watching her disappear inside the small white house, then heaved a great sigh. The air was filled with scent – the flowers, fruits, and vegetables in her garden; the contented clucks of the local ground-dwelling birds; the salty breeze of the sea; and the musky scents of the cows and horse-like creatures that roamed where they pleased. He felt as though he could stand there forever, comforted by the quiet nature symphony and the tranquil surroundings. But, after a few moments, he took one last deep breath and continued on his way.

.

.

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[jjasen]

hey babes! how do you feel about writting something inspired in taylor swift lyrics "i pictured you with other girls in love and threw up on the street" with maybe drew/rafe making fun of her in a cute? way? <3

of course!! i wasn't sure how to incorporate rafe making fun of her but i hope this is ok? characters are aged up as always ❀

Hand in hand with your friend Olivia, you swayed along to the electric beat of the thumping music. She had somehow persuaded you and Rafe to come check out the new club that had opened a few weeks ago, because apparently curling up on the couch with Rafe to watch Gilmore Girls for the sixth time did not count as legitimate Friday night plans.

It had taken a few drinks before you were able to fully immerse yourself in the crowd, shoulder-to-shoulder with complete strangers and a sheen of sweat shimmering atop your cheekbones. But now, with the rush of liquid warmth flowing through your body, you swung your hips, uninhibited, a smile floating across your lips.

Your vision hazy, you glanced over your shoulder, looking for Rafe, who had wandered off a few minutes ago to get you another drink. The familiar figure of the tall blond caught your eye and you opened your mouth to call out Rafe's name, but stopped as you saw the girl beside him, her arms slung around his neck as they shimmied to the music.

His wanton gaze devoured her as his hands skimmed over her lush curves. The sight, combined with the strobing lights of the club and deafening pulse of the music made your ears ring as your heart sank to your stomach, and time seemed to freeze.

A tap on your shoulder startled you and you whirled around to find Rafe right behind you.

"Hey, baby, sorry that took so long," he murmured into your ear, just loud enough to be heard over the crowd.

"What- I just-," you stammered, confused, looking back over your shoulder at the pair who had, for a moment, nearly shattered your soul. The blond was now facing you, and you realized that it hadn't been Rafe at all - the shade of his hair was not quite the sandy gold of Rafe's, the crescent of his mouth entirely wrong as he leaned down to say something to the girl, who erupted into laughter.

Still, the pit of dread that had settled in your chest hadn't dissipated, and all traces of the alcohol-infused carefreeness faded from your mind. The club now felt oppressively packed, the music overwhelmingly thunderous. Rafe must have sensed your unease, asking if you wanted to leave. At your nod yes, he quickly pulled aside Olivia to say goodbye and his hand settled protectively around your waist as you two walked to his car.

Your stomach churned and you felt feverish as you rolled down your window, needing to feel the cool night air. Hot tears brimmed through your lashes and you wiped at them angrily, a strange sense of humiliation bubbling up and burning your throat. It wasn't even him, you reminded yourself. Rafe wouldn't do that to me. Not ever.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" Rafe glanced over at you, his blue eyes full of concern, and reached over to squeeze your hand. You flinched away from his touch, almost imperceptibly, but still, Rafe noticed. He always did. Pulling over to the side of the road, he turned to you and dug through center console to find a pack of tissues.

You shook your head as you dabbed at your eyes. "It's stupid," you mumbled, looking down at your lap.

"Clearly, it's not," he said. "And even if it was, I don't care. Nothing is stupid when I'm with you."

A sound somewhere between a sniffle and a choking laugh escaped your mouth. "It's just- I saw this guy dancing with another girl, and I thought it was you, and I just about threw up picturing you with somebody else," you said, ducking your head. "There. I told you it was stupid."

Rafe frowned, a little furrow forming between his brows. "Well, first of all, that isn't stupid," he began. "But baby, I would never do that to you, and I hope you know that, and I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like- like you weren't enough for me, or anything like that."

"No, no, it's nothing like that," you said, smiling softly. "It just hit different, you know? Because it's you."

Rafe let out a low chuckle. "I wouldn't even look at another girl when I could be looking at you," he said, reaching for your hand and squeezing it. "But seriously," he said, his gaze burning into you intensely. He reached out to brush his thumb over your jaw. "I love you. You're the best thing that's ever been mine."

[greyskyflowers]

Listen, I fully support the whole idea of demon Zoro but I think a small part of me will always root for a more war god/goddess approach.

Hear me out because this goes in a few loops before tying together but my words wouldn't word right and my thoughts wouldn't thought right. So this is as good as it's gonna get and hopefully it kind of makes sense at the end. 🤷‍♀️

I listened to a podcast years ago that talked about how war goddesses always got portrayed as these terrible women, their stories warped until they were just bloodthirsty and vindictive.

But that's such a shallow, shitty take on them.

Yeah, war is bad. We all know that.

But war could be...

• defending your home

• fighting for the safety of your family and friends

• protecting yourself

• the only way to progress, justice, freedom, etc.

Point is, I love the concept of mother goddesses of war.

The ones that love their devotees with all their heart.

The ones that keep the fires going in the hearth and bring rain frequent enough to keep the soil wet

The ones that offer a full harvest and constant refuge

The ones that speak in gentle tones and vicious snarls

I love the ones that ride into battle beside their believers

The ones that wear blood like war paint and gently stroke your cheek with hands calloused from weapons

The ones that led the charge one steady feet and strong beliefs

The ones that howl like wolves, cry like ravens, and bring with them the wrath of a pissed off mother

The ones that stand in defense, tall and unmovable when someone has asked for safety, when called out for by those scared and desperate like all humans call out for their mothers when faced with death

The ones that say you will not die here because you are mine and I will come when you call

I love that.

I also think that type of role is very specific to the mother goddesses.

I also think that fits Zoro perfect.

The crew has not sailed without Zoro.

He's always been there, right next to Luffy.

He was the first, and that's important, meaningful.

He stands unwavering when they hide behind him, cling to his clothes or arms

He's safety when there's danger. Arguably, I'd even say more so than Luffy.

Luffy is kind of a wild card in a lot of situations and it's a guarantee he'll be dealing with the main big baddie, so it makes him a risky place to seek shelter.

It's a safe bet Zoro will be in the middle of the action too but he always seems more reachable than Luffy.

I also, personally, think Zoro knows absolutely everything that goes on in their crew and on their ship. He hears and sees it all.

I think the one of the worst situation someone could be in is having legitimately pissed of the strawhats.

Firstly, because they're all fucking crazy.

But more importantly, you're going to have Zoro and Robin looking for you.

Zoro carried the title of hunter. He regularly tracked people down for bounties before meeting Luffy.

Luffy strikes and strikes hard, but Zoro had to have patience, that relentless chase, hunting.

I think he lets himself be more loud and careless because of Luffy.

He settles under Luffy because he wants to. He has devoted himself to Luffy because Luffy is someone worth devoting himself to.

Zoro is fierce and strong but Luffy is a king, a god.

More importantly though, they balance each other, sometimes as opposites and sometimes as equals.

They provide something for each other that no one else quite can. They are the same breath in separate lungs.

Lightning and Thunder

Sun and Moon

Clouds and Stars

Sea and River

Blood and Bone

Skin and Steel

[matan4il]

Daily update post:

Over 8,500 rockets have been fired into Israel on Oct 7 and since. Over 10% of those malfunctioned and fell inside Gaza.

In the last twenty four hours, 13 Israeli soldiers were killed in battle with Hamas terrorists. One of them was fatally wounded yesterday, and died of his wounds today. His name was Pdaia Mark. In the pic below, you can see him on the right, with his sister. Both of them were in the car with their parents when Palestinian terrorists attacked in 2016. On the left is their father, Rabbi Michael Mark, who was murdered in that attack, in front of then 15 years old Pdaia, who was himself wounded in this terrorist attack (as was his sis and mom).

Pdaia's cousin was killed by Hamas terrorists on Oct 7. IDK if I have the words to explain how much pain and grief the death of these young men and women causes to a nation, whose people have been attacked by terrorists since before a state was established here. This is Pdaia at his father's funeral, 7 years ago:

I got to hear his family members talking about him. They said despite everything, they're winning, because Pdaia was fighting for his people out of love, not out of hate.

In Austria, the Jewish section of a cemetery in Vienna was set on fire, with swastikas drawn on the walls. This is again just a drop in the sea of antisemitic incidents rising since the start of the war.

The Iran-funded Houthis in Yemen confirmed and took responsibility for the rockets and drones they launched at Israel. This was known, but now it's official. Just as a reminder, Israel has been continuously fighting off attacks since Oct 7, and since the Houthis started attacking it, this has been happening on five fronts.

Over 11,00 Hamas targets have been attacked by Israel since the start of the war. I watched the other day an interesting interview with an ex pilot in the IDF, he mentioned that every target goes through a team of lawyers, who approve check the data to make sure that it's a legitimate one under International Humanitarian Law.

Hilary Clinton was asked about the idea of imposing a ceasefire immediately. This is what she had to say:

Through an agreement achieved with Israel and the US, Hamas and Egypt have finally started allowing wounded Gazans and those with foreign nationality to leave the strip through its border with Egypt.

On a personal note, it's winter, which is a season I love. I adore rain. Today I was absolutely terrified by the sound of thunder, because for a moment I thought it was a rocket that somehow hit Jerusalem without setting off the sirens. New level of trauma unlocked?

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[narrators-journal]

Seven minutes or twenty questions?

So, this isn’t a very romance heavy scenario, but I thought it was a fun take on a seven minutes in heaven scenario with Feitan. After all, he doesn’t super strike me as a very romantic man, he’s got some tsundere energy. So, I kinda leaned into that for this one. I hope you enjoy, and I hope Feitan’s energy is at least fitting, if not accurate.

The gentle pitter patter of the fat rain drops that fell onto the unprotected concrete of the long abandoned building your gang had taken up residence in for the length of the storm. So, you weren’t at all against the idea when the brick wall of a man named Uvogin had suggested a game of 7 minutes in heaven mixed with spin the bottle to burn the hours away. After all, you weren’t any sort of a prude, even if you weren’t a social butterfly, and had a good bit of familiarity with both games thanks to your teen years, so you had no issue with the game.

And, when it came to your turn to spin the bottle, you weren’t at all surprised when the half of a glass bottle that Shalnark had found landed upon the phantom troupe’s interrogator. A ravenette with permanently-annoyed stone-gray eyes, his dark coat’s collar pulled up to hide the lower half of his face, and a fairly short stature. AKA, Feitan Portor, who you had fostered a bit of a crush for despite the fact that you hadn’t legitimately spoken to any of the spiders, let alone him.

But, that didn’t stop either of you when Uvogin ordered you into the only nearby room with a door with a loud, booming laugh. “Just try to make any fucking quick, you two. You only have seven minutes.” He reminded as you followed the dark-haired sadist into the room and rolled your eyes along with him. Though, despite the muscular man’s jabs, once you and Feitan were in the room alone, you stuck close to the doorway, and Feitan simply paced the perimeter of the small room for a lengthy period.

Neither of you spoke, but you both seemed to size each other up. You may have been a bit taller than the ravenette, but he had a good bit of strength on you, nen abilities, and simple torture knowledge. And, while you weren’t an unattractive person in the slightest, you had no way to read Feitan’s opinions of you in his stone gray eyes as he circled the room like a restless predator while you just watched his smooth movements. Until, finally, the ravenette came to a stop right in front of you and spoke. “Why did you join the spiders?” he asked, and you simply rubbed your fingers together in a way to illustrate your monetary interest as a response, which got a hum. “And you stay because?…” and you could only really shrug and try not to let your eyes flick away from him to reveal the embarrassing truth of your crush on the short sadist or any other members. So, you could feel when the ebony-haired man began to study you with those pretty eyes of his. Until, after a lengthy, silent pause, he stepped closer to you to try and spot any lies buried with your face or body language. So, you were almost certain that he could tell when your heart began to pick up from the simple smell of the cheap cologne he used to hide the scent of old blood and spaced out showers. Not because it was a particularly good smell, but because it was Feitan’s scent.

Your assumption was right when you saw a glint of interest in his eyes and the dark-haired man leaned closer until the two of you were so close that you had to lean a bit away so that he couldn’t super easily lash out at you to try and get an answer. And, maybe to try and lessen the heat that flared up in your cheeks from the proximity. “Are you sure you aren’t still here for some equally petty reason?” He asked without his eyes ever leaving yours. But, you still refused to say a word, so the only reply the sadist got was the continued drum and splash of the rain outside of the busted-out, barely covered windows and holes in the walls. That, and maybe the thunderous pound of your heart against your sternum until Uvogin’s song rang out. “Alright you two~ Last minute warning, get dressed!” And just like that, the phantom troupe’s interrogator put distance between you and him. And, just like that, your oddly...flirtatious? Moment with Feitan was gone, and before long you were back out in the circle of other spiders. So, you could only question whether or not his last question was a joke or some sly probe.

[eegasleega-will-change-this-l8r]

you know what you know what, another thing that i've put too much thought into

this line on the earthbound wiki

hwha??? where? don't just leave it there!! show me!!!

so this sent me into a whole thing trying to figure out what this was talking about, since i love it when there's female grunts in things and i was reasonably confident that i had seen pretty much all developmental pigmask-related things there were to find

now, it's not like i need some vague unused sprite to justify myself imagining female pigmasks, since, like, there's only a couple explicitly male pigmasks too, but still, i wanted to get to the bottom of this

but try as i might, i could not freaking find anything about this anywhere else

so i started checking the history of the wiki article to see when that info was added it seems like it was first added on september 10th, 2010, by an anonymous user, in this form:

not very helpful

it received a couple tweaks to the spelling and grammar aftewards, but on october 30th, user Breakin'Benny added some more information:

okay! sick! i mean the baseless speculation is stupid, just gonna take a moment here and warn people not to use the earthbound wiki as a source, but it has an actual link to something concrete!! so let's check it out together!

okay welp that was a really disheartening bust no indication of what the video was, no images or anything

the line was trimmed down later on, first removing the video link, then the sexism part, and finally became its current form

so i decided to take a different approach i know pigmask stuff pretty well, so i figured i could try and deduce what it is they're referring to it's a sprite, of a yellow pigmask, seemingly with breasts hm

so let's see in the game, the only "yellow pigmask" is the mask boney wears in thunder tower, which doesn't really count the garbage collector pigmasks wear yellow vests that have a small line on the chest, but that's a pretty big stretch

for unused stuff specifically (i could imagine someone not remembering the vest pigmasks and confusing them for unused content, but let's give them the benefit of the doubt), we have this strange pigmask graphic

yellow, unused, and maybe someody's interpreting that line on the left as the shape of breasts, but idk there's an unused palette swap of a navy squeal, which is yellow, and perhaps someone could mistake the folds of the clothes for a chest, but i'm doubtful

and finally i thought of this picture from the 15th anniversary of the game, which features a yellow pigmask with a sort of weird-looking chest, but unfortunately the timeline doesn't match up

that's sadly where my search ended, my best guess is that they meant the weird-looking sketchy graphic, but i can't say for sure no idea if there ever was a legitimate source for that info, but they're not even trying to source it now and it really bugs me

don't use the earthbound wiki

[rainwingmarvel7]

👑 for Tristian Dormaire and/or Nadya Dormaire?

Thanks so much for the ask! You know I had to do both😉

Tristan Dormaire Targaryen

Tristan could feel the eyes of every observer on him as he approached the Iron Throne. It was a strange feeling, one he supposed he would have to get used to now that he would be king.

It still amazed him that he had been chosen to succeed Aegon. Most would argue that a bastard, even a legitimized one, could not rule. But in the wake of the Dance, everything had changed. The people of Westeros needed a leader, and the only other heirs were no more than children. The Small Council had named him the obvious choice. Although he did not want it, he knew that they were right.

Standing at the base of the throne alongside the High Septon was what remained of his family. Baela, now his wife. Lord Corlys, his Hand. His father and his children, Aemon and Elaena. His young brothers, Aegon and Viserys. His cousin, Jaehaera. His heart ached at the thought of those missing but wished to have with him. There were far too many.

As he reached the throne, Baela intercepted him, intertwining her hand with his own for the briefest of moments, her expression one of reassurance. They were in this together, after all. She would be his queen.

Tristan gave her a grateful smile, then turned to face the High Septon. He knelt down before the wizened old man, who held his crown, made of gold and studded with gemstones of red and black, in his hands.

Tristan met the man’s gaze, then bowed his head. He could hear his heart hammering in his chest and thundering in his ears. His breath felt tight in his throat.

He felt the sudden weight of the crown being set upon his head, as heavy on his brow as the burden of the Realm he now felt.

“All hail King Tristan of House Targaryen, First of His Name, King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm!”

The crowd erupted in applause and cheers as Tristan stood once more. Once Baela had been crowned with him, he finally took his seat on the throne. The metal was cool against his fingertips as he curled his hands around the arms of it.

It was a strange and powerful feeling. He wondered if this was how his mother felt. He hoped that she would have been proud of him now, following in her footsteps to rule.

Nadya Dormaire

(Since this actually happens in ATRF I’m omitting some things because spoilers)

“Jon Stark, First of His Name, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Six Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm.”

Tyrion’s voice rang out across the throne room, and his declaration was met with thunderous applause from the gathered crowd. Nadya beamed with pride as she watched her husband, a silver direwolf crown now adorning his head. He caught her gaze and smiled back at her.

Everything that they had been through had led to this moment. All of the pain and suffering that they had endured was for this.

Now Tyrion turned towards Nadya. He held out his hands toward Sam, who passed him her own crown of blades and ravens. She knelt down before him, the gray fabric of her gown spilling out at her feet. It was a bit hard given her growing belly, but she had dealt with it more than once before. Somehow, she managed it with grace.

With great care, Tyrion placed the crown on her head. It fit comfortably on her brow, as if it had always meant to be there.

“The Queen Consort, Nadya Dormaire,” he announced. As she rose to her feet to stand beside Jon, he continued. “Behold, your new King and Queen.”

The crowd continued to cheer and applaud as Jon ascended the steps to take the throne, no longer made of the swords of the conquered but by that of the lords and ladies now sworn to them. He took his seat, and Nadya moved to stand beside him.

This was their place now, and it was their duty to serve the Realm which was now theirs. Just as Helaena had told her, all those years ago.

[bonebabbles]

Assorted Path of Stars: Book 6, Chapter 3 thoughts

Spotted Fur is introduced in Chapter 3. I like this guy. Falling through the void like Plankton, screaming, and I take a short break to take a sippy of Funny Young Boy Who Likes To Hunt before returning to my descent.

Generating headcanon: Spotted Fur is a distant ancestor of Ashfur and Ferncloud.

I'm taking a picture of him in my mind to use for my own rewrite projects later <3

It's also a big shame btw, like... Spotted Fur is gonna show up again in Moth Flight's Vision as someone deeply in love with Moth Flight who loves her kittens, and she still ends up sending them all away. Ancient Thrushpelt energy, but worse because there wasn't a legitimate reason to give them up.

Speaking of Moth Flight, god. Wind Runner starts yelling at her for being bad at hunting and it's rough. Moth still has her personality in this book, she hasn't unceremoniously lost it by Becoming Mother yet, so it's hard to listen to Wind Runner start ripping into a child who seems to be struggling with ADHD.

I have so many complicated feelings on Wind Runner, many of them boiling down to how I feel like her WHOLE personality is "awful bitch" in the eyes of the writers.

It makes me like her out of spite, ESPECIALLY with how Clear Sky and Gray Wind ALSO treat their kids horribly but the narrative doesn't frame it the same way.

And I see a whoooole lot more people discussing how Wind Runner Bad apropos of nothing, probably because of the framing, putting her in all their "Top 5 Worst DOTC Characters" lists while no one even remembers the times Gray Wing started ranting at Thunder. Or posting "Clear Sky Made Some Mistakes But."

Summistakes Butt Posting.

Also, there's a LOT of focus on how this group is only agreeing to help Clear Sky because his kidnapped wife is pregnant. LOTS of talk of "unborn kits" and how she's carrying "my kits" and how they all have a duty to protect the kits. Good thing he knocked her up as quickly as possible, because if she wasn't a vessel for Clear Sky's babies then no one would give a damn, I guess.

Reduced to a reward wife, pregnant, immediately kidnapped. Again, I really hope all those "haha star flower girlboss steal-ur-dad manipulator" takes are coming from people intentionally rejecting the source material, or people who didn't read it at all. Because they're COMPLETELY made up. I worry for the reading comprehension of anyone who unironically had that as a takeaway.

Chapter ends on a cringe line from Gray Wing where he goes, "Thunder always listens to reason if I'm the one reasoning with him!" yeah like how he screeched at Thunder for not wanting to reconcile with his fucking abuser and forced him to go fetch him.

I hope Gray Wing shows up and Thunder punches his face inwards, creating the forest's first persian cat.

[shadow-the-crow]

why i would be an avatar of these fear entities:

got this idea from the lovely @totheidiot (who got it from @cult-of-the-eye) - basically experiences that could have marked me and stuff that connects me to the entities. (Disclaimer: I'm only in the middle of season 2 and only know the basic lore, so i don't exactly know what makes you become an avatar)

the Lonely: This is the one i feel most connected to. Loneliness has always found me at different points in my life - mostly because of my social anxiety. I often didn't have many friends, had difficulties connecting with new people, and mostly i even feel disconnected from my friends because i'm scared of opening up and being myself. At this point i feel like it's a part of me. Like it's continuously eating me up but by now i'm embracing it. Also, a close friend of mine says she's had a constant feeling of loneliness ever since she lived with me for a few months. (She says it wasn't my fault, that it's probably just because she was far fom her family and other friends, but still.) So i might already be an irl avatar of the Lonely lol

the Extinction (and maybe this is also a bit of the Vast?): This happened last summer during a holiday in Italy with my family. One night, the whole sky was suddenly lit up by lightnings every few seconds, they formed crazy patterns but stayed in the sky. Then there was also thunder, getting louder and louder, and at one point it just didn't stop anymore. At this point, i actually thought the world was ending. Then the hail started. The hailstones were bigger than tennis balls, and we were in a mobile home, so we were legitimately scared the roof would collapse. I stayed weirdly calm though. It kept going for maybe half an hour, thankfully nobody got hurt.

the Eye: I used to be pretty paranoid as a kid, i often felt like i was being watched when i was alone. I'm also a very curious person who loves learning new stuff, and i can't stand not knowing something, so i often immediately look up things i'm wondering about. Also people on here have told me i'm of the Eye because i can't stop listening to tma although it scares me, like i somehow feel compelled to continue, but idk if that means anything.

the Spiral: I'm not sure if this one counts, but i feel really drawn to the Distortion's weird existence and the whole "it is not what it is" thing. Also "there's no such thing as a real name" is a quote that deeply resonates with me, idk, i just think it's true - and i'm convinced i'll never find a name that feels like it's mine. Also i'm really good at lying, sometimes i lie about little things just for fun.

the Corruption: Corruption to a certain degree gives me comfort because my family's home has always been... idk, "dirty" is the closest word i can think of, but that doesn't really describe it. We regularly clean and all, the rooms look clean at first sight - but there's old, forgotten, sometimes moldy stuff in the cracks and under the furniture and on the kitchen sink, and a lot of walls are moldy in the corners. So it just feels like there's something rotting underneath, and that feeling is comforting to be by now. Unrelated to that, i also still remember that one time i climbed on a tree and suddenly there were ants all over my body and i just jumped and shaked my limbs for like a minute.