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cannoli-reader · 2 months ago

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Watching the Wheel of Time show, Season 2, episode 3

Originally posted on readandfindout.com on9/3/2023

3:00 We are this deep into a Wheel of Time episode, and I am stunned to report that the dialogue is not stupid, there are no ridiculous visual effects, and no canon rape so far. What a promising beginning. I am looking forward to the rest of this episode.

3:30 Okay, I should not be complaining because this IS canon, but a book saying someone is getting undressed is not the same as making a real person, i.e. Zoe Robbins, get undressed.

3:58 So she’s not actually getting naked. What is the point of taking off the dress in the first place? There was symbolism about being naked, which is lost when you strip her down to her undergarments. If she does not need to be bare-ass naked, why bother taking off the dress in the first place? Just have her change into an Accepted dress when she comes out of the third one, you can work the symbolic cleansing into the undressing part.

This feels entirely like they did not understand the work they are adapting at all.

5:46 I thought Nynaeve was brought to the Two Rivers as a baby by the Old Wisdom They Never Bothered To Name. Since when does she have a dad?

Book!Nynaeve had a father who raised her and taught her to hunt and track. But that’s a whole other story that has no relevance to this one unless you are a white supremacist or something.

6:18 I guess Nynaeve’s test is going to be that she can use her badass Warder swordswomanship to defend her “father” but the arch will appear.

I wonder if the lesson there is to leave behind hand-to-hand combat, or to put men out of her mind.

6:58 Of course Nynaeve’s mother was a badass archer (who needs to shoot from point blank range – do they realize bows are not pistols? ).

7:12 Okay, what’s the plan here? Trick the pursuers into thinking that the people they just saw run into the house are not in there?

7:38 Actually, I remember now, this is where she learned that stupid, mistranslated prayer – her parents hid her in a cellar during an attack on their village, so the conflict is actually in the first season, where we were told both this version of events and that she was brought to Emond’s Field as a baby and raised by the Old Wisdom They Never Bothered To Name.

8:00 Is the temptation to forget your real life and remain in the fake world supposed to be the chance to die pointlessly, or worse? Without stipulating that in Current Day Media no one is more effective in combat than minority girls, she can’t actually make a difference here. There is a reason that in every test we are shown of the White Tower, the participants are adults in every alt scenario.

8:48 Okay, that’s a bit of a dick move. It was a chalice, not a bucket, in the books.

9:24 Won’t that undercut any peril Nynaeve encounters in there, to know that even if she gets a lethal wound, it’s possible she’ll come out unscathed?

10:59 I like the recurrence of the crimsonthorn in the scenarios. This is also very close to her ITB second test (the first one could not be plausibly adapted, since it related to an incident that was cut).

15:54 I’ve actually wondered what would happen if a candidate came out of the last arch and refused to complete the ceremony. Would they actually be put out of the Tower or is it just that you can’t refuse until you have gone through the third arch?

17:27 That’s an extraordinary change. I can’t wait to see what they have in mind that they think is so much better than Nynaeve’s struggles as an initiate of the White Tower.

17:42 Fuck, this IS the test, isn’t it? Nynaeve’s happiest of happy places is one where she is with Lan and free of the White Tower forever and Egwene is going to be fine (note the lack of Elayne, who was hanging out with Egwene while this was going on, but whom Nynaeve has never met and does not know exists), so she is free to do her thing, and then the arch.

17:56 I keep forgetting they’ve already boned on this show.

18:43 Is all that bullshit fighting with Moiraine just there to make the audience believe Lan would not feel any compunction against going away with Nynaeve?

19:13 To paraphrase Jay Landsman as Lt. Mello on “The Wire”: ‘…this is clever. I mean, it isn’t clever if you went to college or, I don’t know, your mothers actually stopped drinking for a minute while they was pregnant. But for the Wheel of Time writing staff, this is clever.’

25:44 I bet they are so proud of themselves for being so daring as to off a recurring character.

25:53 If Suroth is going to finally speak, it should be for something important or significant, not to reiterate what has already been said, and what has just been graphically emphasized by a brutal execution. This is only fitting from a Doylist standpoint, as the end of a scene. It does not make sense from a Watsonian perspective, because the characters are not leaving the scene, they are going to still be here as the Seanchan go on with the ceremony.

27:47 Logain being allowed to use a metal spoon, for his own safety, doesn’t make a lot of sense on a show that just last episode featured a guy digging through a stone wall with a spoon.

28:40 Confirmed what I only speculated back when they showed the incident to which Logain is referring. That Logain was not laughing randomly, but at something he saw about Rand, as in the books. In the books, Logain could see Rand’s ta’veren nature. It’s possible that he might have retained this talent somehow, that it is, like Dreamwalking or Min’s thing, not necessarily connected to the Power. But the show has gone the extra step of stupidity, by showing that he was sensing Rand’s ability to channel. They might have been able to wriggle their way out of it with a bullshit excuse or redefinition of not-clarified rules, but they actually went all the way.

See, the problem here is, unlike in the books, where Logain retained the ability to channel and was being guarded and visibly watched for precisely that reason at the time when he spotted Rand, on the show he was already gentled! By the implied rules of the Power, his ta’veren spotting ability should not have been functioning, but his ability to sense a channeler should absolutely not exist at all. Setalle Anan, for instance, could not sense the ability in Nynaeve and Elayne.

31:19 Lanfear knows an awful lot about the current practices of the world.

31:27 I got the impression that she would have had trouble identifying Ghealdan at all, unless she had some specific interest in it.

31:45 She’s actually a business owner? She has been awfully busy since she got free. She actually set up and operated a shop in Cairhien on the off-chance Rand would go there, of all places?

32:10 Nope. Nynaeve. Never a nickname. Nicknames are familiar and diminutive and thus only applied to men, or are adopted by women who hate their birth names.

33:37 An Aes Sedai must be tough and not let grief bring her down, she must learn to cope with people dying on her. Okay. Oh, and Sheriam gives Egwene a bereavement day! :facepalm: Those two attitudes do not mesh.

34:05 Okay, fine! I tried to be your friend, but if that’s how you want to play, I’ll just go steal your boyfriend, get knocked up with twins and leave you to take responsibility for my retarded brother!

34:19 Suddenly, Egwene’s weeping was interrupted the a scraping chunk sound of a stone being pushed out of the wall, with Mat, Min and a half a dozen other White Tower prisoners crawling through the aperture into the room.

34:58 I honestly think I like this performance better than Barney Harris’.

35:04 She’s saying all this to draw Mat into making a disrespectful comment, so she can hammer him with the news that it’s Nynaeve.

35:58 The Accepted test is the greatest challenge a woman can face in the Tower? Not the test for full sisterhood? Not an actual Aes Sedai career?

36:67 I was actually surprised she did not end the speech with the name “Rafe Judkins.”

37:16 Are they NOT going to ever reveal that Liandrin is a Darkfriend, and thus, regardless of her Red Ajah issues, knows Mat is somewhat important for entirely different reasons, namely, that her homicidal bosses have an interest in him and she really shouldn’t be letting him run loose…

39:21 I suppose it’s futile to point out just how amazingly tolerant this iteration of Liandrin is, and how Egwene should be envying hemorrhoid patients their ease in sitting after the consequences of her words and attitude toward an Aes Sedai in this scene alone. That being said, I kind of like her more than any other Aes Sedai I’ve seen so far. I’d say she’s a closer match to Tarna than any of Book!Liandrin’s traits.

40:25 Is that Lindsey Duncan!? First Ray "Titus Pullo" Stevenson in the latest Star Wars crap show and now Servilia, from “Rome”!

42:20 It’s always hilarious when socialistic propaganda demonstrates the ignorance of the writers when it comes to economic and social matters. A disproportionate number of the Hunters for the Horn in the books were noble or claimed to be, because you need money to fund your search, to outfit yourself for the quest and to live off of while you are not doing anything productive. The cost of sponsoring a significant number of poor people on an undertaking like this would be comparable to the cost of a war, which was one of the financial disasters that afflicted kings in the medieval and subsequent periods. Furthermore, the sort of people who would embark on something like the Hunt would be fit and healthy folk in their prime. These were the type of people that kings and nobles did not want to get rid of, and in history, actually passed laws prohibiting them from leaving their lands, because they wanted to keep the labor market low. Nobles had rents and taxes that were set by charters and contracts and holy oaths. They could not raise their taxes and rents to cover their expenses, such as the rising cost of labor due to thousands of healthy young people heading off to foreign parts on legendary quests. If a real life queen was looking to relieve herself of the burden of feeding and supporting a mass of migrant poor, she’d be foisting the expense onto the nobles somehow.

43:53 Logain says Rand must be desperate because he’s back so soon. Dude. He’s asking for help controlling the One Power! Who would NOT be desperate in that circumstance? Would it be too much to ask the writers to recall the context in which they have characters say this kind of line.

47:02 Min’s sitting there with an expression on her face like “I could hear everything through that dresser. Took you long enough to let me out.” With that in mind, however, why could she not push it aside and escape herself once she could hear Mat leaving? Also, if they are leaving the hole open, A. what did they do with the blocks they took out and B. now someone in one room can clearly hear noises from the other room, and you might not be able to keep silent when someone is coming in to talk to Mat or Min. What if she was sleeping and unaware of a need for caution and woke up noisily while Liandrin was just standing in Mat’s room?

47:54 I knew this would happen! The writers have already forgotten about the very young sisters Mat has back home, for whom he is the sole means of reliable support, as opposed to the adolescent girls who are close to adulthood in the books. Mat in the books doesn’t worry much about his sisters, because his very competent and reliable parents are taking care of them and they in turn are old enough to take care of themselves if the worst happens. But on the show, they are little kids with a drunk mother and neglectful father, and much of the responsibility for their care devolves on to Mat. They even made a point that he wanted to get home ASAP to take care of them!

But after five months in a comfortable cell, Mat has no motivation anymore.

51:12 I could talk about how wrong this is compared to the established details of the setting, but you know what? The dumber portions of the fandom, to whom this show definitely caters, have trouble grasping the issues Perrin’s connection to the wolves raises with his sense of identity and his hold on his values. As with Mat, they want him to embrace his abilities and be a badass. Regardless of the truth of the matter, at least if Perrin has a reason to believe that embracing the wolf stuff will give Ishamael a hold on him, it should be very comprehensible why he would now be reluctant to dive into wolfbrotherhood.

53:14 What on earth kind of hold could Moiraine have on Min that requires going along with whatever plan of Liandrin’s is going on here? And how could Min and Mat possibly help with whatever she has on Liandrin? And what was the plan if Mat had decided to work on the bricks under his bed, instead of the wall shared with Min's cell?

Also, what exactly is the status of Mat with regard to the Tower? Is Liandrin allowed to just keep someone in a cell with no oversight? If the Tower authorities agree he should be locked up, how can Liandrin allow him to escape and arrange for him not to meet anyone in the corridors, all in aid of concealing whatever Moiraine can blackmail her with? What is the interest of the Tower as a whole here, either in letting sisters use the place as a private prison, or in letting them pull these shenanigans?

57:19 Okay, Elayne is smart, but this is an uncanny amount of knowledge for her to have and infer about someone she has never laid eyes on.

57:55 Book!Nynaeve’s fantasy world was one where she didn’t have to work, I would just like to point out.

58:43 A person who knows Lan and Nynaeve very well was unaware there was a blademaster in the Two Rivers? Or do the show writers not realize that Lan is, in fact, a blademaster, despite his family sword lacking the heron mark?

1:03:03 This test makes no sense. The scenario turned really, really unappealing before she was given the chance to leave. Now this happened in the ITB scenarios, but they went bad in a way that the subject of the test felt like they could fix but they had to turn their backs on loved ones in need of their help in order to return through the arch.

In her first test, Nynaeve’s choices had deteriorated to staying to face the bandits in a world where her parents were dead. Even the second, where they did a better job of emphasizing the personal betrayal of abandoning Tam in his suffering, it was still an awful situation, where an epidemic was hurting the village and there was nothing she could do. She came out demanding the Tower go to the aid of the Two Rivers, so the implication is that there was no temptation to stay at all, and Nynaeve felt in the moment that returning through the arch was her best chance of helping her people. And now she is in a world where her friends & husband are dead, Egwene is facing a serious threat, and as with the second scenario, believes she can help by going through the arch and taking her daughter to safety!

If these scenarios were supposed to tempt Nynaeve to stay, the first one should have been one where her parents are looking for Nynaeve or refusing to go without her, even though the bandits are closing in on the house, and they don’t hear her calling that she’s okay and they have to run, and finally she has to go through the arch, believing her parents are in danger out of love for her. The second one, her channeling should work on her first patient, and everyone should get excited and relieved at their imminent deliverance, and they’re all begging her to hurry up and Heal everyone, and that’s when the arch appears. Then in the third, the kid runs away, with Trollocs chasing, Lan and the guys are wounded, and everyone needs her help, but arch.

1:03:09 At least they did not have Egwene save Nynaeve from yet another certain death, three episodes after the last time she did so with a feat of channeling beyond her capabilities.

And can we just marvel at the fact of the Aes Sedai prematurely calling off the Accepted test with no way of knowing what is actually going on, and whoops, the arches simply had not opened for their candidate yet? Clearly they did not know this was possible, but is the show ever going to address why Nynaeve’s test had such aberrant timing? This is not even like her book test, where she missed the arch the first time, but somehow channeled herself another way out. The arch just aborted before it ever formed and came back after several years. Also, in the normal course of events, all the Aes Sedai are going to assume Egwene and Elayne activated the Arches.

1:03:22 Also, this is really fucked up. These are not some fake memories implanted of a life with a family, this was a whole alternate reality she lived through for years with a kid. She was not tantalized with a convincing lie, she was actually made to live through it and honestly, never really given a choice about accepting or rejecting it, it was just yanked away from her.

This is a hilarious introduction of Nynaeve and Elayne, and it would be equally hilariously in character for Elayne to dot the I’s and cross the T’s by dumping a bucket on her and reciting the words.

Now, recalling that the Amyrlin is supposed to show up when the new Accepted comes out of the third arch, I wonder if they did it this way because Sophie Okonedo was unavailable?

1:03:53 Liars!

So, what actually happened in that episode that matters? One extended and elongated Accepted test. A fake jailbreak from the Tower and a real one via wolves, and now I am thinking they might have cast a black guy as Elyas and focused on Perrin while ignoring the Shienaran captives, in order to have the so-satisfying imagery of a black guy freeing another one from chains. Rand, after spending all of last episode getting in to see Logain, spent this one getting a bottle of wine to bribe him, for no real return that I can see. And Lanfear probably tricked him into burning down her home as part of her genius plan to get him on her side. We are three eighths of the way through the season, and I have no idea what the arcs are for it.

#wot on prime #season 2 #timestamp annotations #book vs show

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yamatossideboob · 10 months ago

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ONE PIECE 1118 Spoilers!

This week's red hot moves:

Yamato!! you have to save your lunchbox!! you'll just be hungry again later!! Yamato noooooooooooooooo

I keep forgetting just how fucking huge the Giant Robo is, thats a big breakfast boy right there

"Say the line Iron Giant!"

*absolute crickets bc this is getting ridiculous now and not in the fun way*

"What's happening on Egghead?!" Sit down fella this is going to take a while

Sooooooo here we may have a major aspect of the Final War being set up, where a good chunk of, if not *most* of the OP world is going to believe Luffy is a violent anarchist who killed a beloved scientician, bc the World Gov & Marines said so and they wouldn't lie about thaaaaaaaaaaat. They may come into conflict with the steadfast believers who've met or seen Luffy and know he didn't do it. Whether this becomes full-on war remains to be seen, but I think at the least we can expect the world to be much less welcoming to the Strawhats and their allies post-Egghead :s

I forget if its public knowledge that Sabo is Luffy's brother, but since Sabo is credited in some parts with the assassination of Nefertari Cobra, my above musings don't feel that out-there unfortunately :y

Anyway good to see more of the Alabasta homies

ty for correcting that horrid little bug Rebecca

SPEAKING OF SPECULATION I think we'll probably end up with a Vegapunk satellite on each side here basically? York with the WG, and Atlas and/or Lilith remaining free to access the same knowledge (probably not with the crew, they'll likely shack up with the giants on Elbaf or maybe with the Rev Army?) we shall see.

lmfao i keep getting surprised by how big the Giant Pirates' ships are. who would have expected colossal viking-inspired humanoids to have similarly gigantic sailing vessels

LMFAO BABY VICE ADMIRALSSSSSSSSS Doll's so mad i love it

HOW MANY TIMES DO WE NEED TO TEACH YOU THIS LESSON OLD MAN!!!!! god auld fellas never give over

FUCKIN YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH GEAR 5TH IS BACK WITH THE BOOMBOXIN

I fucking love that giant meat has full restored Luffy so hard he's causing localised earthquakes AND its so loud that its getting the other giants ship dancing with the drums of liberation miles away, its so so so good

okay. I love Nika Bonney so much for multiple reasons:

This is Bonney after meeting the Sun God her father told her so much about, and getting the idea into her head that she can be this free too.

That little side panel where we're shown Kuma's body... I want to think that somehow, he knows. I need for him to know. I need for him to see Nika Bonney and know that she can finally be really free and doesn't need him to be afraid for her or watch out for her anymore. That everything he did was worth it after all. Pls Oda, somehow. I don't care how stupid the reason is.

I fucking love the troll physics energy this has. One is utter fucking chaos, two is chaos team up tandem and that spells big trouble for Elder monsters!!! Mars is gonna regret this!!!!!

As has all but been confirmed, the Iron Giant is powered by drum heartbeats, and the sheer racket of TWO Nika heartrates might finally be enough for Giant Robo to DO SOMETHING WHICH MIGHT STILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO BE HYPE LADS

If the Iron Giant manages to play a role in bringing Mars down or at least stalling the Elders enough for everyone get away, I really think it'll make all of the blueballing wrt the Robo this arc be worth it. In hindsight. Such are the perils of weekly engagement. I hope Robo sees Nika Luffy and Bonney too...

Finally, the vocal minority power scaling bros seem to be HATING Nika Bonney, and I live for fake fans getting mud flung in their faces lmfaooooo

In any case, we'll find out next week my nakama! See ye all there! 💪✖️

#live from ohara #op spoilers

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aggravatetheaxe · 4 years ago

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Hi there! I was wondering if I could request an imagine where a victim “escapes” from the slashers and hurts s/o in the process. What would the slashers do during and after? Thank you!!

Hi! I wasn't sure which slashers you wanted for this, so I put my list into a randomizer and went with the first 5!

Walter Sullivan

Thomas Hewitt

Jason Voorhees

Deacon Billings (OC Ghostface)

Erik ("The Phantom")

SLASHERS WHOSE VICTIM HURTS THEIR S/O

cw: mentions of suicide, reader being injured/in mortal peril, mentions of torture and killing etc etc

Walter Sullivan

Oh no. Oh dear.

You are possibly the only good, pure thing in this world or the Otherworld and someone hurt you? Walter is ... not happy, to put it lightly. The only person who should ever hurt you is him, and he won't do that unless it's for your own good.

This only enforces his belief that the world and everyone in it are monstrous. It drives home the truth he's already convinced of - this existence in terrible and torturous and needs to be destroyed if anything holy is ever going to be allowed to blossom again.

Whether The Victim is pre- or post- Walter's suicide, he's already stopping at nothing to go after them. He doesn't view it as personal, he doesn't hold any particular hatred for most (most) of his victims; they're simply links in a chain. But this person, the one who hurt you ... it's personal. They'll die in absolute agony.

If the victim in question is pre-suicide, Walter will bring them down and find somewhere to keep them for later. This will not be a quick death.

While they're bound/gagged or knocked out, he'll check on you. You're special, possibly even the Mother Reborn, and he can't let you die until the time is right. If you're seriously injured, he'll see to it that you're taken to the hospital, and pray to a dead God if he has to that you'll be alright. If you're not seriously injured, he'll do his best to patch you up - he lived on the streets for many years and had to take care of himself, so he knows basic first aid.

Once he's certain you're safe, he will put you somewhere where you won't witness what he's about to do. Even if you want to see it, he'll insist you stay hidden, saying the sinner doesn't deserve to be in your presence. You'll have to really convince him if for some reason you want to watch.

Their torture will depend on what they did to you. If it was just a few scrapes and cuts, he'll let them feel every ounce of pain before they die. If they really hurt you, their torture will be prolonged. In his mind, and according to his religion, death is a sacred sacrament, and this evil being doesn't deserve its release. If they did something to seriously traumatize and/or sully you ... the crime scene he leaves behind is going to be grisly, to put it lightly.

If the victim in question is post-suicide, the results will be similar, but he has absolute control over the Otherworld - and he will utilize that. He will have his creations take care of you and keep you somewhere safe ... they may be terrifying, but they won't hurt you unless he wills it. As for the victim, he can twist them into their worst nightmares over and over again before killing them. He will make them see their wrongdoings and pay for their evil. They will beg for mercy and there will be none.

After it all, he will simply move onto the next one, with you somewhere safe ... until it's time. Until it's time. You are so perfect.

Thomas Hewitt

Dammit. If he'd just been quicker or smarter, he could have caught them before they escaped and hurt you. He immediately blames himself.

There's no time to beat himself up over it, though. He briefly checks to make sure you're not bleeding from anywhere vital and sends you (or locks you up) somewhere safe before going after the victim. You're on your own for first aid for now - unless you're literally dying, he can't let them leave the property.

If you are literally dying, he's staying and doing all he can to help you. But if Hoyt yells, he may have to pawn you off on someone else and hope they do a good job taking care of you. He'll hold your face and give you tender kisses goodbye - whether you want them or not - because this might be the last time he ever sees you.

He chases the victim in a fever, much more erratic than you would expect from him. He's faster, less careful, more inclined to put himself at risk just to get a swing in at them. It's not generally anything personal when he kills someone - it's something he does for the good of his family, and because he was told to. This one he's not interested in saving for meat. They hurt you. You, his special person. He's going to grind them into the mud, and he's not even going to let Hoyt have a go at them.

Sometimes, sometimes, he struggles to see the animals in his victims. But this one ... he doesn't even feel the urge to twist them into an animal. That's a whole human, an evil one, one he wants to kill. It's a different feeling for him.

Once it's all over and everything's calmed down, he's rushing directly to your side. People don't come around all too often, so he's comfortable putting down the chainsaw for now. He neglects any skin projects he planned and lets someone else do the butchering, focusing on taking care of you, especially if you're seriously injured and put up in bed.

If you're not as seriously injured and tell him you're fine, he's still keeping an eye on you ... and making sure you're well-fed. You've been through a lot and it was all his fault. He doesn't want you to be exposed like that again. Next time someone comes around, he'll insist you hide somewhere.

Jason Voorhees

It's a toss up whether or not he'll actually notice you're hurt. Not because he doesn't care or anything, but because Camp Crystal Lake is a lot of ground to cover and there's a low chance he'll be in the same area as you at any given time.

For this imagine, though, let's assume you've found your way to him or he's sensed you're in trouble and has rushed to you.

You were supposed to be safe in the cabin, so he's a little irritated that you wandered out, but that's completely overshadowed when he realizes you're hurt. He stops everything he's doing and clinically and thoroughly pats you down, identifying every solitary injury.

Just like his mother before him, he is a vengeful soul, so he is not letting this go even if you're just scraped or bruised. If you are critically injured, he'll at least get you to the cabin and get a tourniquet on you.

Otherwise, he leaves you behind. Not very mindful, but you should know that he wants you to get back to the cabin or at least stay out of the way. He is no longer thinking of you - he has established his target and knows what he has to do. He's laser focused and decisive as he stalks after them, using anything at his disposal to get to them.

Their death is quick - he doesn't play around - but he has a lingering sense of irony and playfulness. If there's a particularly interesting weapon nearby, he'll take them out with that; or perhaps he'll hurt them in the way they hurt you, just, you know ... more fatal. And a lot gorier.

After that, he'll move onto their friends, until every last one is dead. Once his objective is completed, he is returning to you directly and finishing the job of patching you up.

He can't help but feel a little guilty that you were hurt. You shouldn't have left the cabin, true, but perhaps he should have been watching for you. He should have locked you up. Pamela might say rude things in his head. Then again, she might comfort him. If she doesn't like you, maybe she'll even wish he'd left you to die.

Deacon Billings (OC Ghostface)

Well ... you usually keep him around to scare off other Ghostfaces - something he's very handy at - but you don't usually run into trouble with his victims.

He doesn't really tell you to go anywhere in particular when he's killing. He knows you can take care of yourself. But now he feels stupid for not having a backup plan. Of course some asshole was gonna eventually identify you as his loved one and try to get cute. He should've had something prepared for that.

But, if he's good at anything, it's improvising. He skids into whatever room you're in, drops his weapon, and pulls his mask off right away to check you over. If you're only mildly injured, he's visibly relieved, and tells you to stay put while he deals with whomever hurt you. If you're more seriously injured, he'll grab your phone and shove it in your hand. "Get in the car, get the fuck out of here. Drive to the emergency room if you have to, just leave."

If you're unable to drive, he'll make you call emergency services - or call them for you, if he has to. The game is over, he's done playing; this isn't fun if he's not winning. Everyone in this place is gonna be dead and he'll be long gone by the time the ambulance shows up for you.

The one who hurt you is going to get an extra special surprise. A particularly grisly death, and a bunch of selfies/short videos of Ghostface with the corpse - taken with the victim's own phone, posted to their instagram, tiktok, facebook, sent to any discord groups, and any other social media they have. If he has the time, he'll even make them in meme formats (definitely posting with meme captions, the fucking troll). He'll probably send a copy to you as a "hey, look what I did!"

If there are survivors, especially if that survivor is the one who hurt you, you better believe he is immediately doxxing them. Since he's had a little time to cool down, he might even play the long game, maybe catfishing and blackmailing them. Ruining their pathetic little life even further would be pretty fun. In the end, though, they'll die like all the others.

When all is said and done, he's going to be there for you, helping you recover any way he can. He'd suggest rest (for an amount of time relative to your injury), some movies and candy, maybe some video games. And time spent with your favorite Ghostface, of course, right?

He'll never forget what happened, though. Even though the person is dead, he'll be stewing and pissed off about it for a long, long time. And he won't let something like that happen again, or at least, not without a contingency plan in place.

The hash mark/tally mark he stitches into his costume to symbolize this kill is gonna be twice as long and large as the others, maybe in the place you got hurt as a reminder.

Erik

You already know what's about to happen.

If anyone so much as hurts your feelings they're getting menaced and receiving a strongly worded letter - actually physically harming you? That's suicide.

If he can't immediately kill this person, or if you're seriously injured, his primary objective is helping/comforting you. He has to push down a lot of wrath to do it ... every instinct tells him to immediately dispatch the fiend responsible ... but you are more important to him than anything in this world, even revenge. He will administer any first aid you need and may even drug you with ether to ensure you rest.

Don't think that means your attacker is off the hook, though. As soon as he decides you're well enough, he will put you somewhere safe - lock you away if he has to - and kill them. His preferred method is the Punjab lasso, but if they did something particularly egregious, he'll knock them out and take them to his torture chamber. They have a lesson to learn before they go to Hades.

Another option is, like Deacon, playing the long game ... playing with his food, stalking them, making them live in fear before they die. But he has a lot of wrath in that skinny little body, so it's a toss up as to whether or not he'll actually be able to follow through with that for very long. It depends on his mood, really!

He will keep the killing and torture hidden from you, of course ... unless you express an interest in seeing the vengeance being carried out. He would be worried for you, however, and advise against it. Those sights are not for the faint of heart, and certainly not for someone as beautiful and good as you.

Once all is said and done, it's as if it never happened. As if that person never existed! What a happy thought! Sometimes you even think Erik has completely forgotten the incident ... until he's stalking another victim and he locks you away again, and you remember you are always on his mind. He will never, never let that happen to you again.

#imagines #walter sullivan #walter sullivan x reader #thomas hewitt #thomas hewitt x reader #thomas hewitt x you #jason voorhees #jason voorhees x reader #jason voorhees x you #ghostface #ghostface x reader #ghostface x you #erik the phantom #phantom x reader #slasher imagines #slasher x reader #slasher x you #slasher community

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bruhstories · 4 years ago

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Personal Demon

Summary: Because of a mistake, you're assigned a devil instead of an angel. Pairing: Demon!Eren Jaeger x Fem!Reader Warnings & Conent: oh boy, here we go - language, mentions of suicide, mentions of self harm, mentions of rape, fingering, unprotexted sex, alcohol consumption, mentions of drug abuse, mentions of reader in an asylum, sliiiiight dumbification of reader, slight corruption of reader, Eren's a little shit Word Count: 3.9 k

A/N: So I wrote this in, like, 3-4 days because I felt like it's pretty bad but not bad enough not to post it. I hope you still enjoy it, though!

You always felt it — breathing in your nape, moving in the corner of your room at night, whispering things you shouldn't dare think about. Your own personal demon. Most of the time you did a good job at ignoring it. Most of the time you abused substances to make it go away, at least for a minute. With the puff of weed or a bottle of alcohol, it stayed away, only watching from afar and never involving itself with you. Most of the time.

Keys clung in your hands, door shutting behind as you walked into your apartment, fingers wrapped around your grocery bags. Yet another night of drinking the voice away.

"Not today, Satan." You hummed, popping open a bottle of gin, nose scrunching at the bitter taste.

"I keep telling you, the easiest way to get rid of me would be to kill yourself." It spoke, this time outside of your head.

"And I keep telling you to stay the fuck away from me." You growled back.

"We both know that's not possible."

Another sip and you put the bottle down, hands digging inside the bag for a snack.

"You're gonna need something stronger than that."

There it was, the bar of chocolate you so eagerly starved for. The TV suddenly turned on. It was craving entertainment.

"Anything unusual happened today?"

No, it was craving attention and you were not about to give it any. You put the groceries inside the fridge and grabbed the bottle, plopping on the couch.

"How long are you going to pretend I'm not here?"

"As long as I need." You snapped back, eyes glued to the TV.

"Well, that didn't last long." It laughed. "Come on, Y/N, we've been together for, what, 24 years?"

"Can you just shut up? Disappear? Crawl back to Hell?"

"Nope. Waaaaait, I know why you've got your panties in a twist. It's because that Jean guy you like hooked up with Mikasa, right?"

It was impossible to deal with. Every single second, it was there. Since you've been born, it was there, always watching, always following you, always. You tried to go to a priest, a monk, anything, but nothing helped. The angel that was supposed to guide you happened to be a demon and there was nothing you could do about it. But you were not going to give it the satisfaction of ending your pathetic life, no matter how much you wanted to, because despite being a demon, it still had to keep you alive until your time came. It, however, did like to push you over the edge, push you until you grabbed a knife and slit your wrists, only for the knife to get shoved by some invisible force before you could finish the job. It tormented you and it loved it.

"I told you, not today, Satan."

"Ugh, my name's-"

"I don't care." Your head snapped into the direction of the voice, only to be met with a wall. "Let's face it, we shouldn't have been in this situation, so why don't you shut your mouth up and let me get on with my life?"

"What life?" It laughed and you could already picture the sneer on its face, flashing you fangs and a forked tongue. "That's not even what I look like."

"Get out of my head!" You screamed before grabbing the bottle and emptying half of its contents.

"Careful, Y/N, the neighbours might call the police and you don't want to end up like last time, do you?"

Last time... you were but a child, throwing plates at the wall only to make it stop talking when your parents admitted you to an asylum. You had to live with it for half a year before they let you out.

"Please, please stay out of my head." Tears pooled at your eyes as you clutched the bottle at your chest.

"Now why would I stay out when it's just so much fun in you?"

"God, I hate you so much!"

"Me or beardy up there? I couldn't quite get it." It laughed again, laughing at your damn misery as you got up from the couch and left the apartment.

The alcohol already made its way to your brain when you reached the ground floor of the building. Rain poured outside but you didn't care, you just ran as far away from it as possible and for the first time in years, it didn't follow you. Grateful and content, you slowed down, admiring the beauty of the city which you ignored because of the voice inside of your head. The smell of rain, the colourful buildings, the empty streets, everything felt new and refreshing, and you took it all in. Time seemed to slow down without itconstantly nagging in the back of your mind and you realised you were pretty far away from your home, an area unknown to you. Still, you knew how to get back, you hoped, but when you turned around, a man pushed you into an alleyway.

"Satan?" You whispered, dizzy from the lingering gin and smell of rain. The man pinned you to a wall and finally you were beginning to realise what was happening.

"Call me whatever you want, baby, just keep that pretty voice down." His hand moved up your thigh and panic seeped through your veins. "We don't want to draw any attention, now, do we?" He kissed your neck and you froze on the spot, eyes widening in fear and body shivering.

"L-let go of me!" You managed, the alcohol numbing your arms, rendering you unable to push the stranger away.

"Shhh, don't fight it." The man squeezed your arms, his fingers bruising the soft skin. Anger, sadness and pain coiled together in your chest and you couldn't breathe anymore. Oh, how you wished you never left your flat, how you wished you stayed back and listened to itconstantly yapping, like a maggot crawling into your brain. "Aren't you a pretty one?" He cooed, his hand travelling lower, lower, to the point where tears started rolling down your cheeks, mixing with the snot and rain on your face.

And then it happened — in the blink of an eye, your assailant was thrown against the other wall by the too familiar invisible force as you sank to the ground, eyes puffy and red, legs trembling.

"The fuck? What are you?" The man hissed at you, his hands holding his abdomen.

"I'm the devil." It spoke, voice inhuman and perilous, and you could only sneer at him. For the first time you were happy it was there. Sick, twisted thoughts invaded your mind and you wanted to watch him suffer, and itknew. It knew, because the devil was always in your head.

"You crazy bitch!" The assailant, now helpless and overpowered, did not know about your own personal demon, and he tried to get up, tried to leap forward at you and strangle the last bit of air out of your lungs, but he couldn't. Somethingwas holding him back.

"You want him dead?" It asked, but you know the devil took more pleasure in inflicting pain rather than swiftly killing.

"No." You grinned, eyes dark and dangerous. "I want him to suffer."

"That's my girl."

Blood-curling screams echoed in the alleyway. You didn't know what it was doing to him, but you knew for a fact that you were enjoying the sounds that came out of your attacker. His wrists contorted in a way you didn't think was possible, and the melody of broken bones reminded you that what was happening was wrong. For a moment, your brain was rational, telling you that it should stop, that you should both just leave and forget this ever happened. But... it also felt good, it felt like you've just been reborn, discovering a deeply buried part of you that ached to be exposed. Then, his legs twisted and the man winced in pain, so much pain, and your heart fluttered in your chest.

"More?" It asked and you nodded.

"More."

His arms looped, like a deformed puppet loosely strung, and it made him dance in the rain until his body gave up from fatigue.

"Aw, I was really hoping he'd be a feisty one." It mused, and you also clicked your tongue in disappointment. Before you left, you gave your assailant a good kick in the stomach, your boot stomping on his face with so much anger and force that what remained was unrecognisable.

Wet clothes piled on the floor, you wrapped your naked body in a blanket to warm yourself up. What just happened? What did you do? Why did you allow it to happen and more importantly, why did you love every minute of it? The questions jogged in your fuzzy brain, as you slowly sobered up.

"Why did I enjoy it, Satan?" You asked, lips quivering.

"I told you, my name's not Satan, it's-"

"Eren, I know. I remember." You could feel it quirk a brow, surprised and impressed by its name rolling down your tongue so naturally. "Why did I enjoy it? It's wrong and disgusting."

"Do you remember what happens when you say my name?" It sounded almost concerned.

"You physically manifest, I know. Now answer my fuckingquestion."

"What do you want me to say?" Itasked, fragments of muscle, skin and silk pulling together from thin air. First, its legs. Then, its upper body, draped in a charcoal-black robe. "That you're as sadistic as I am? Maybe it wasn't a mistake that you have a demon, not an angel." And finally, its face materialised in front of you — long dark brown hair falling down his shoulders and eyes so green, it felt like a forest was in them. It looked almost human, the hooked nose, the elongated ears, the deeply sunken emeralds and jagged mouth betraying its true nature.

"I thought you'd have fangs." Was your only response at the scene unfolding in front of you, blanket clutched at your chest. Any normal person would shudder at the demonic sight of Eren appearing in front of them, but to you, it felt comforting to finally assign a face to the voice you so desperately tried to ignore.

"And I thought you wanted to get rid of me." It scoffed, its facial features changing, becoming softer and resembling a human man, but those eyes didn't change an ounce.

"I don't know what I want anymore. If it weren't for you, I would've been raped and dead, probably."

"Just embrace it, Y/N. Just let go of that annoying voice in your head that tells you it's wrong." He encouraged. "There's no such thing as good or bad, right or wrong. It's just surviving, adapting or dying."

Eren looked unbelievably human and incredibly handsome in the dim light of your living room lamp. Maybe it was the alcohol that hasn't left your body yet, or maybe it was the fact that he saved you, again, but the truth was that the devil in your house was making you feel something you couldn't even feel for Jean — and you thought you were in love with Jean.

"Alright, let's pretend for a moment that I give into temptation." Your eyes found his and you felt hypnotised, the rational part of your brain slowly overshadowed by your instincts and feelings. "What then? Do you leave me alone? Do you go back to hell? Do Igo to hell?"

"Oh, I wouldn't call it hell. More like a demonic paradise." He shrugged, eyes bored and blank, devout of any emotion. You leaned forward trying to search for something in his darkened orbs.

"Why are you being nice to me? You're supposed to save me from death, not rape."

He clicked his tongue, your question drilling into his brain, repeating itself over and over again. Why did he save you? It's not like he cared, he only did his job, right? Right?

Wrong.

The demon you grew up with, the demon who tormented you, the demon who tried so desperately to ruin your life did, in fact, give two shits about you and your pathetic existence. Just not in the way you thought.

"Let's just say no one gets to touch you but me." Eren closed the gap between you two, his nose almost grazing over yours. He was absolutely intoxicating and you always fought with the constant need to let him control you. After all, he was always with you, he saw you hit your lowest points, he saw the best of you, he saw your naked body, he saw everything, ergo you were his. Your head quickly turned to the side before you leaned back, exhaustion written all over your face as Eren clicked his tongue. The thing about demons was that they couldn't physically interfere without their human's consent, only using invisible force to stop you from dying and he was just so close.

"Ah, but you can't touch me, though." You trailed off, brow quirked at his narrowed eyes. You've done your homework, you knew what he needed, but still, that side of you tried to prevail over the side that craved his touch.

"Yet." Eren snapped back before your drifted to sleep.

Once again you dreamt of it him, his cock buried deep inside your needy cunt as you screamed his name over and over again while you came undone. When you jolted up from your sleep, he was there, watching you, like a predator stalking its prey. Normally he wouldn't be there, but since you called his name, Eren was glaring down at your helpless body, famished for something only you could give him.

"What's the time?" You groaned, fingers rubbing your eyelids.

"Three in the morning." He answered, eyes glued to you. "Bad dream?" The demon sneered. You knew he'd been in your head again, you knew those dreams existed for a reason.

"They wouldn't be bad if you'd just stay the fuck out of my mind." You hummed with a fake smile.

"Alright then, look me in the eye and tell me, reallytell me you want me to leave you alone." But you couldn't and he knew it. "Stop fighting it, Y/N. For two decades you kept trying. Maybe you should stop being stubborn and just give in." Eren shrugged, his voice tempting and you only wondered if that's how Eve felt when the snake tempted her. You weren't a Christian by any means, but you knew the story well enough to figure out the consequences.

"I have work tomorrow. Please let me sleep." You got up from the couch, blanket wrapped around your shoulders.

And that's when Eren reached his limits. He followed you into your bedroom, something knocking the wind out of you as you fell on the mattress. Somethingpulling the blanket off of you. Somethingtravelling down your arms, goosebumps dotting your skin as he stood in the doorway.

"I can't touch you, but I can do so many things to you." He inched closer, his figure imposing and dangerous and you could feel your core burning. "I can smell your arousal, Y/N. I know you want it. You just have to say it." Eren demanded and you hated that he was right. Slowly but surely, the battle in your heart and mind was coming to an end the more he got closer to the bed. "Say it."

You whined and writhed in pain and pleasure, and in the blink of an eye your life flashed before your eyes as you came to the conclusion that you've tried so hard to stay away from the demon, but either he was too persistent, or you were too weak. Or you just simply wanted him to ravage you and you were okay with that. Your hands stopped moving, your body stopped fighting.

"Do it..." You half-begged, judgement clouded, vision blurry. "Please, do it! Touch me, break me, fuck me, please! I need you, need to feel you..."

Like some sort of spell had just been lifted, Eren felt relieved. The sight of your sprawled body, combined with the lustful look in your lidded eyes only fed his hunger and he was famished. Calloused fingertips grazed over your knees, up your thighs, sending chills down your spine as you arched your back, pulling the demon closer to your face.

"Kiss me?" You asked, voice sweet and needy and he crushed his lips onto yours. They were surprisingly soft, tasting of whiskey and honey and the flavour lingered on your lips after he pulled away. Your body quivered under his touch, yearning for more, hands tugging at his silken robe to expose the chiselled chest. Eren pressed his forehead onto yours, hot breath tickling your cheeks.

"I'm going to ruin you, Y/N." He dug his teeth into your shoulder, the imprint burning into your skin, all the pent-up frustration slowly being released with each movement. He dragged one hand over your breasts before settling on one nipple, fingers pinching it to earn a reaction out of you. A whimper escaped from your lips as you pushed your chest upwards, wanting him closer than the laws of physics would allow. Your slender hands tangled in his locks as Eren left a trail of purple marks and bites all over your neck and shoulder.

"Fill me up, please..."

"Patience." He mused. "I've waited so many years for this, you can wait a few more minutes." Head buried between your tits, his hand travelled lower until it found your wet cunt. Fingers grazed over your folds before he drove his index into your soaked pussy and that's when you knew just how much you craved him. Your silken walls clenched around his curled-up finger and your neediness made him add another one, moans drilling through his eardrums, into his brain. "Fuck, you're so wet..." Eren hummed, vibrations tickling your skin. You couldn't form a coherent sentence even if your life counted on it. All you could think about was that if his fingers stretched you, his cock would tear your cunt apart — and you reallywanted to feel that. Fingernails dug into his back and he hissed, his tongue flicking your nipple and all the build-up was too much for you.

"Eren, please..." You mewled, your chest rising and falling with each breath, with each touch, each lick.

"You want me to fuck you? Want me to tear you apart?" The demon growled. His sudden change in tone only further added fuel to the fire inside your core and you eagerly nodded.

"Yes, God — yes! But Eren, I want to see you, not this pretty face you put on." You pleaded, eyes teary and demanding.

"No." He simply answered and that instantly made you jolt up, forcefully pushing him off of you.

"Are you trying to screw with my mind again? You've literally been with me for 24 years!" You shouted, and even Eren was slightly confused. "You tormented me for two decades, put me in an asylum, constantly stopped me from killing myself and now I can't even see the real you?" You threw your hands at him and he caught your wrists with ease. "You owe me at least that, Satan." Tears freely rolled down your face and you could feel his hot tongue lick the salty drops from your cheek. Your pain was his pleasure, he was a demon after all, the embodiment of all evil, but he decided you were corruptedenough to at least see his true colours, which you only managed to glance at.

"You're right, Y/N," Eren kissed your forehead and you couldn't even notice the manipulative hints in his voice, "you deserve at least this." He pulled back, and slowly his face distorted, allowing you to look at his disfigured mouth, elongated ears and abnormally long tongue.

"Thank you, thank you!" You beamed with bright eyes.

The woman who battled her demon? Gone.

In her place stood only a shell of a person, whose sole purpose was to get fucked by the demon in front of her. You feverishly parted his lips with your tongue, touch-starved and desperate, and Eren threw you onto the bed, robe pooled on the floor. And you were right, his cock wouldtear you apart by the looks of it. Before he could do anything, you spread your legs for him, like a good little slut, mouth agape and nothing but lust in your eyes. The sneer on his face was unlike anything you've seen before, and it both terrified and aroused you.

"Eager to please, aren't you?" He climbed onto the bed, the velvety tip of his cock barely touching your wet slit.

"I'm begging you, Eren, please fuck me!"

The demon scoffed at your pathetic words, but he couldn't deny how much he loved to hear your needy voice. You wouldn't have to know that, of course. He ever so slowly pushed the tip in between your folds, your cunt greedily taking it all in while you whimpered at the foreign sensation.

"Shhh," Eren cooed at you mockingly, "you love it, don't you?"

"Y-yes, please, d-deeper..."

Was it really you speaking or was this another one of his demonic tricks? And more importantly, did it even matter that he made you say those things when his cock felt just so good inside of you? Your legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer to you as Eren thrusts became harder. Your tits bounced with every move, pleasure engulfing both of you and you never knew demons fucked so raw.

"Fuck, you're so tight." He hissed into your ear, the compliment only making you clench your walls around his impossibly hard cock. "Such a good girl." Eren praised you, knowing perfectly well how much you lacked appreciation from your parents, knowing perfectly well how your childhood traumas and frustration only aided him. He was your demon, after all. When your only response was to roll your eyes at the back of your head like a possessed woman, Eren picked up the pace, his abnormal tongue licking at your collarbone.

"D-do you l-like it?" You asked, concerned that he might not be satisfied with you. He wouldn't be fucking you so hard if he didn't, but you were so brainwashed that nothing made sense anymore.

"I do, doll, now be a good whore and rub that clit, will you?" The demon urged and with a shaky hand you complied, the friction mixed with his thrusts sending you into a frenzy. You were close and he knew it.

"Oh, f-fuck! Eren!"

His cock hit that sweet spot and you were done for, your legs loosened around his waist, falling onto the bed, but he kept on fucking you.

"My turn." Eren growled, his hands lifting your hips like you were some sort of ragdoll between his fingers. Your vision blurred, every word you tried to utter lost in your throat the more he buried himself into you, yet somehow you still managed to clench your walls. With one final thrust you felt him spill his hot seed, cum dripping out of your sore cunt as he pulled out.

Eren plopped next to you and you curled up in a ball, head on his chest. You were craving his attention, his care, but he responded by bringing his hands behind his head, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. He wanted to hold you tightly, he wanted to pet your head, but he couldn’t. And you were alright with that, because you knew that, no matter what, you would always have your own personal demon at your side.

#eren jaeger #eren smut #eren x reader #eren jaeger x reader #eren yaeger x reader #eren jaeger smut #eren yaeger smut #aot #aot x reader #aot smut #attack on titan #snk #snk x reader #snk smut #shingeki no kyoujin

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alirhi · 4 years ago

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10 Sebastian roles as boyfriends

Because... I'm bored and I feel like it. 😂 Probably some spoilers for, like... everything? So yeah... That.

Putting it under here for easy scrolling:

10: Chase Collins

Who doesn't love a goofball? In the first half of the movie, Chase is basically perfect. He's sweet, funny, not all caught up in his ego, and actually pays attention to what the girls around him are saying, not just to what he wants to hear. If not for the whole... it was all an act to get close to Caleb and try to steal his magic thing, Chase would actually be a damn good high school boyfriend. He's adorable and would be a fun date, but he's also only 18 so best not to start making long-term plans lol. Also, y'know... the whole psycho revenge/power grab thing.

9 Jack Benjamin

Y'all. Y'all. Words cannot describe how much I love Jack. Pretty sure I've made this clear. As a person/character in general, he's absolutely in my Top 3 - not just of Sebastian's characters, but any character ever. ❤ But as a boyfriend? Boy's got baggage. It's what makes me so protective of him, but seeing as how he's trapped in the closet thanks to his overbearing homophobic family and the insane expectations heaped on him, as the show left him, he can't handle an honest relationship. He's too easily influenced by all the wrong people, poor babe.

8 Chris (Destroyer)

On paper, undercover cop sounds cool and exciting, but even if you ignore the fact that he, y'know, dies... Chris got in too deep and kinda lost the mission, so to speak. Best case scenario, you're his sexy partner and in on it all with him and end up on the lam for the rest of your lives. Worst case, this man lies for a living, so can you even trust him? And... yeah. The whole dead thing. Chris is hot af but getting involved with him is a recipe for disaster.

7 Ben

Min and Hathor have mercy, I love Ben! He's smart, he's snarky, he's caring and loyal... he's an absolute disaster. He's another one who seems allergic to honesty, until his lying and avoiding nearly kill his girlfriend. Not exactly relationship goals lol. Everything before totally was, though! Ben's adorable, and I love how he stayed up all night to protect his girlfriend (from a ghost/demon thing... with a baseball bat. I said he was smart, not perfect, okay? XD points for effort lol)

6 Mickey Henry

I. LOVE. MICKEY. Oml I love Mickey. He's a spazz and - even more so than Ben - an absolute disaster of a human being, but I love him. Pros for dating Mickey Henry: he's fun, he's carefree, he'll cook for you even though he's kinda bad at it lol, he loves his son and wants to be a good dad, he wants his partner to be happy and to love life as much as he does. Cons, and the reason he's not higher on the list: He's a pushover; easily influenced by the toxic people in his life, and it gets him into a lot of trouble. Being easily influenced by toxic dumpster fire of a human being Chloe almost lost him the partial custody of his son that he barely even had. He's an absolute sweetheart, but he's a complete man-child, and dating him would often feel more like raising him.

5 Frank "Suffer Buddy"

Come on! You know he and Mickey had to be back-to-back - they're practically the same character! 😂 Frank is Mickey... slightly more grown up. He's still a disaster, but he's respectful of boundaries, he's caring, he's funny in a dry, witty way that I just adore, and hoo lordy that man is a giver! 🥴🥵 Honestly, if he didn't smoke and didn't ditch Daphne in the middle of a party hours away from everything familiar to her surrounded by strangers to go do drugs, I'd call Frank perfect. He listened, he respected her wishes, he tried to keep some distance between them when he found out she'd gone on a date with his best friend (it failed utterly and brought us to the "damn that man's good with his mouth" portion of the movie lmao but still)... I don't have a whole lot of experience with men who actually give a shit, okay? So Frank is like a goddamn unicorn to me lmao. But that drug thing... That keeps him at the bottom of the Top 5 for me. Sorry, bb

4 Bucky

I can already hear everyone on here raging at me for placing Bucky so low on this list, but hear me out: I love this man. I love all four iterations of this man. Flirty 40s Bucky was a doll (fun date, not commitment material). Post-POW camp 40s Bucky had a fire to him that set me on fire. The Winter Soldier can choke me any damn day. Unf. And TFATWS Bucky... Oh, lady above, 2023 Bucky is a gem! He's sweet, snarky, and broken. He feels utterly, wretchedly alone in the world, and everyone around him, including his only friend, is telling him to "man up" and "make amends" for shit that was never his fault to begin with, rather than helping him come to terms with all that he's suffered and all that he's survived. Bucky needs and deserves love. A relationship with him would be so solid, if he found the right person... But it would take a fuck ton of work. He needs someone strong, patient, and more stubborn than he is to prod him until he finds a better therapist and actually opens up, and to keep him on track because even good therapy comes with homework. He does have to "do the work," Sam was right about that much, but he was way off base with what that "work" is. Bucky needs help and understanding, and he would be an amazing boyfriend... if he found someone with the strength to help him weather his nightmares and flashbacks, and help pull him out of this PTSD pit he's been in since 1943.

3 Chris Beck

Big brains turn me on, okay? 😂This man is an astronaut and a surgeon! Yes, please! Come here, you sexy genius! He's smart, he's funny - pretty sure Sebastian is incapable of playing anyone who's not delightfully snarky lol. He's pragmatic when he needs to be but there's also nothing he wouldn't do or risk for the ones he loves. This man is husband material and I cannot be convinced otherwise! So why isn't he #1? Cuz of the whole... spending years in space, thing. Super cool job and I'd be his biggest fan on the ground, but god damn, I would miss him while he's away!

2 TJ Hammond

Look, I'm gender fluid and he's a little bit bi 😂😂😂 Let me have my fantasy, okay? TJ's definitely got a lot of shit to work through, but love brings out the best in him. Before that fucking closeted shitbag broke his heart and stomped on it for good measure, TJ was clean and sober for months, he was happy, he was playing piano again, he was pulling himself together. Not only would he be an amazing boyfriend, but his partner would get the extra joy of getting to watch their love and devotion to him be the thing that saves this beautiful man's life. It's not healthy overall to tie your self worth and will to live to a relationship, but if he found the right person who would be there for him through all of life's shit and stick it out, I think he'd be okay. Even after his lowest point and without the support of his family, TJ still had a dream and he still chased it. He's not just the sweetest person to ever grace our screens, but he's ambitious and business-savvy, too. Keep him off drugs and watch this man take over the world, I'm telling you!

So why is TJ only #2? Well, besides the fact that he's like 99% gay and I have no bits he'd be interested in lmao, there's also the fact that this guy owns my heart:

1 Will Franklyn

And not just because we get to see him wet and mostly naked lol. Will is fucking perfect. I would die for this man... because he's already shown that he would die for his love. He almost fucking did, and they weren't even together yet! He's smart and very aware, he's a writer so we'd get to bond/geek out over books together, he's not all full of himself (self-deprecating humor ftw!) and he's willing to help a total stranger despite actual mortal peril, just because it's the right thing to do. Fierce, intelligent, sassy, strong-willed, and a flawless moral compass? YESYESYESYESYES! Forget boyfriend - let me MARRY this man! 😍🥰

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queenoftheworldisdead · 4 years ago

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Blood of the King

Chapter 1

⚠️Warning: Talks of abortion, violence⚠️

Note: This is my second attempt at a Royal AU series. Inspired by Roo’s work. Don’t want to tag her to my garbage LOL... Not the best here at world building, but like i think i’m getting better each time. Any critiques are WELCOME.

Summery: Loki has a plan to be King.

Dark Loki x Black Reader, Royal AU

Chapter 1, Chapter 2

Today the palace was a buzz with festivities. His royal highness Stark decided on a whim to throw a celebration yet again. The occasion you couldn't recall as he had thrown so many just this month.

*Boom

The commotion outside was loud and eventful. King Stark's lavish party had no doubt gone out of control again. You remembered one evening the royal court drunkenly shot cannons into the royal shire using the sheep and cattle as targets. Scaring half the Kingdom into thinking it had come under siege.

Though something seemed very different then the sounds that you were accustom to.

*Boom

There was a faint whistle in the distance and crashing sounds. Suddenly the chamber shook and the walls rattled. Crumbs of ceiling splintered and bits trickled down leaving dust to coat the hall.

You were on your way back to the chamber with fresh sheets and a canter of fresh water when you heard struggling. The muffled cries of your mother bellowed out through the cracked door.

Peering in you see two men, one holding her in a choke hold while the other stood in front blocking your view and watched. Their armor unfamiliar to you, you watch them frozen in horror.

----

Your mother let out a loud shriek followed by a gurgling that decreased in volume the longer it went on. The man blocking your view stepped back that's when you saw it. Your mother's body hit the floor with a thud, her throat sliced open blood pooling on the floor around them all.

"Where is the younger one? There should've been two"

"We need her alive" the other said as he sheathed his blade.

Dropping everything a loud clanging drew their attention, turning away you ran down the corridor.

Immediately you were met with another body. Crashing into it, his arms secured you in place as you shrieked and screamed. In your frenzy you looked at him and to your relief when you saw Barron Obadiah, an alley to the crown.

"M-men your lordship...S-strange men have killed m-my m-mother" you sob out.

---

"Shit that bastard! Come with me." Obadiah ordered, wrenching your arm he dragged you through the hall. His touch pained your forearm, but it was a pain you would great-fully bare to escape those men.

There was a frenzy of servants running up and down the halls. Screams and the strong stench of smoke enveloped in every direction. You looked to him for answers when he stopped to survey a corner hall, but he said nothing then tread onward.

You were scared. The castle rocked and shivered. He marched you down the hall. Mail clinked and clacked from all around along with the familiar smell of copper. Known to you to be most definitely blood.

Was the kingdom was truly under siege?

*Boom

An explosion raddled the walls with such force that Obadiah almost fell to the floor taking you with him. Luckily he caught himself on a wall and hurried through the crumbling castle.

You could feel the birth of a bruise under the stead fast grip of Barron Obadiah. The pain mixed with the clouded air irritated your eyes and filled you will nausea and dizziness.

"You brainless cow hurry!" he barked at you.

He sprinted and turned down so many hallways you found yourself lost despite your tenure. Obadiah suddenly stopped short of a door, opening it thrusting you inside. Latching it closed behind himself. The room was spars, nothing but a table and map tapestries. The far wall held a Stark banner. He made his way to it moving the banner aside revealing a door. He passed through first and you followed after. The dimly lit passage whined down in a spiral pattern.

There was a dim light that grew the closer down you went. You huffed and panted with every step and he cursed your sluggishness. The ruckus could only faintly be heard the further down you went. You were a sweaty mess by the time you reached the last rung of the stone steps.

The stairwell turned into a narrow hall. Awaiting at the end of it a meek fellow with a horse drawn two wheeled cart.

You looked at Obadiah confused as to what was to transpire here. He sprinted down the corridor so fast that you would have found it humorous if you weren't so scared and confused. He reached the man and by the flailing of his arms you knew it could not be good.

Why was he yelling at this man? What was going on? Was he to ride in this meek two wheeled cart? Would he make you walk behind the it?

You could barely keep pace with him doubtful you could keep step with a mare. This whole thing was preposterous.

After the barrage of insults the man walked to the back of the cart and lifted the tarp. The cart was filled with barrels.

Obadiah called your name as he marched over to you.

"The castle is under siege we must hurry" he said flatly. There was no time for questions and even if you asked you doubt he would’ve answered.

"Keep your head down and follow close behind him. Do you understand." He barked as he loaded himself onto the cart.

Looking at him worried, you trembled as you shook 'Yes'. "As soon as you see the docks I want you to knock on this barrel." You watched as he pointed. The owner of the cart tossed the tarp over Obadiah once he seated himself. His broad frame mirroring one of the many barrels in the cart.

---

You were not royalty, but your clothes where of the royal brand. Even to the untrained eye you would surely be seen as a royal slave. Walking with this man would've been out of place. With the madness going on about the kingdom you only hoped that the invaders cared not for slaves.

The stranger said nothing, only leading his mare by its reigns. You lowered your head and followed behind him.

Quietly he marched past the markets and crumbled houses. The reign of Stark was coming to an end. There was fire and destruction everywhere. Blood painted the streets. Unfamiliar banners flew through the air.

The city was burning.

You kept your head down as the man lead his horse through town toward the gate. How the horse did not become skittish or fazed by the carnage was an amazement.

"AAAAAHHHHH" a man's screamed out. Your head sought to find its owner. Feet from you an unfamiliar soldier of Stark's lay as you cross the gates out of the Royal court. His throat slashed, convulsing on his own blood as he choked it up.

You trembled at the sight of it all. More horses with strange banners flew past. Wringing your hands in your chest you said a silent prayer for safe passage.

The kingdom did not reside too far from the docks. Eventually the smell of the salty sea mixed with the smokey air. When the docks finally where in your line of sight you knocked the barrels.

As you approached you could see a soldier posted up at the entry way to the docking ships.

"Oye cargo for the Laufeyson" the meek man announced.

The soldier was covered in armor, but it was not embroider with the logos you had seen about your kingdom. He grunted then side-stepped letting him pass.

The owner of the cart walked straight to a bridge leading up to a massive ship. Lifting the lid Obadiah exited. He handed the man a satchel and sent him on his way.

When you looked back at the horizon it looked as if the sun had set upon the town. The fire was so bright you were sure nothing could survive it.

"Do not dawdle" he grumbled. You kept your head low and followed him up the gangway.

---

As you two boarded the ship a crewman appeared on the deck. He called to Obadiah and beckoned him to follow. Leading you both through the ship, he stopped short of a massive open door.

Obadiah walked through with you following close behind. The crewman did not enter the room only retreating from which he came.

To the north of the room a wall made of windows, but with the moon already high, it offered barely any light. A thick melting candle added to the illumination. It flickered slightly from the air that seeped through the walls.

The candle planted on a table in the middle of the room and sat at it a man unknown to you. His garb was unlike any you've seen before. His pulchritudinous had you almost breathless.

---

"Prince Loki! I see the sea hath treated you well." Obadiah's voice boomed. At the mention of his title your eyes widen and you bow sharply, praying that he would not find insult in your insolence.

"Ah yes the Lord doth bless us with a safe passage. And howbeit your journey through this perilous night?" He spoke. The foreign intonation sent an unfamiliar heat within you.

"It was a trip taken sooner then expected" his annoyance shown through every word as he marched to the table.

"We agreed to wait did we not? So why pray tell do I find myself blind sided by your recklessness? I barely escaped with clothes on my back" he spat out.

Obadiah snarkiness didn’t go unnoticed. Through your lashes you caught the slightest tick of the Prince's eye.

If Barron Obadiah had been a servant surely he would have been laid out on the floor. Beaten within an inch of his life for such insolence. But he was so unaware of himself due to Stark’s own lax policies.

"I do apologize my brother is quite unalienable when it comes to war. His spontaneity is one of which I can not control. Your life should suffice for now surely." He quipped, but there was something to his tone that sent your nerves awry.

You could feel Obadiah control his ire a sight you were accustom to when he talked to King Stark.

"Let us partake in some wine and toast to officially solidify our alliance" The prince suggested. Barron Obadiah took his place at the wooden table across him.

The Barron had a hand in treason. Would you be fated to treason too?

"Maid do you forget your duties?" The prince called out to you.

You had forgot yourself, but how could you not. This was not your Prince, from what you knew this was not your king's ship. But you were being made to serve a traitor and the invaders royalty.

Looking about the room, wooden cabinets were built into the east walls. In your unfamiliar surroundings you prayed as you rushed to them, hoping to find something.

Opening the higher doors first you find chalices set atop a shelf and a decanter. Grabbing two and the wine you bring them over to the table you place them in front of the men. Shakily you pour in both cups to their fill and set back against the wall.

"To small victories" they rose their goblets and drank.

----

When he gulped down the wine Obadiah winced and shot up to his feet. Dropping his goblet to the floor, clawing at his neck as if to rip out the contents.

You looked at him in horror. Then your eyes sought Prince Loki for guidance, but his reaction was not what you expected. A smile was adorned on his face so pleased and joyous of the sight.

Baron Obadiah dropped to the ground foaming, spasming, puking and turning colors. Loki continued drinking his wine unfazed.

"You bastard!" Obadiah choked out as bile spilled from him.

You stepped back when Barron Obadiah's arm reached out to your skirt. His fingers barely missing the hem of your dress. The sight horrified you as he convulsed. When his gasping stopped you knew he was for the worms now.

Would whatever had bewitched him would possessed you too?

"Right" The Prince leered at you as you pressed yourself into the wall. You were normally slow, but this was quick to put together. It was his doing.

This must’ve been some test of loyalty to the crown you thought to yourself. Now because you escaped with Obadiah you would be seen as a traitor too. Even if you tried to explain your innocence, you doubted highly that the Prince would believe a slave.

Looking at the now dead Obadiah then to Prince Loki, you knew what was next. Death. Clasping your hands you fell to your knees, squeezing your eyes closed tight. You spoke your last rights to which ever god that would hear it. You were no fool. Begging would be pointless you rather speak to the gods to grant you safe passage to the next world.

"I do say dear that prayers like that would have you condemn as a heretic" he admonished as tears streamed down your face.

---

You could not hear him. You continued to pray.

Let it be swift. Let it not hurt. Forgiveness please I beg of thee.

Hoping against hope that this would wash away all your sins as tears burst through your tightened lids.

"It is said that Stark despite his rumored infidelity never had a whisper of a bastard." He recalled as he took a sip from his cup. The mention of a bastard broke through your prayers. A sudden sense of nausea bubbled up within you.

"Then... At my brothers wedding to your princess, our then queen, your king's lips became loose as the wine flowed through the night." As he spoke you looked up at him through your clasped hands. Your prayers lowered to a meager whisper so that you could hear him.

You swallowed deeply. You knew exactly what he was getting at. Your hands drop to your side and you quieted yourself. His steely eyes staring into your soul. He knew what you were and what you did.

Were you being brought to the high church? Why would a Prince be labored with such a task? Was the church the cause for the anarchy tonight?

To be brought before the high church meant death, that one should never wish upon any enemy. You had seen the burnings before, the screams of the unholy, the sounds of which would visited you at night. The way the writhed in agony as the flames lapped their flesh.

Looking over to the Barron's lifeless body the thought of his death seemed more humane. So you turn on your knees and jump to the spilled chalice. Before you knew it the Prince was on you.

Pinning you to the floor, your head bounced off the floor sending you into a daze, his hands engulfed your wrist. Looming over you his silken hair tickled your face, the tendrils brushing at your tears. Despite his overpowering your body strained and clawed for the spilled cup.

"Find yourself honored girl. I do not make a habit to lowering myself."

"Please your highness... I'm merely a simple chambermaid" you try and reason, still fighting his hold.

-----

He got up still with your wrist in hand and dragged you to Obadiah's empty chair. The more you pulled back the harder the grip he held on you. Pushing you down on it, he enclosed you, his hands resting on its arms forming your prison.

"Your highness I implore you I know not what you mean?" Your voice quaked. Your vision doubled as the salty tears pooled on your eyes.

His stare was paralyzing as he lifted to straighten himself, you could not bring yourself to move. Racking his fingers through his dark main, watching as he walked around the table, taking his seat again across from you.

"How did you come about this trade" his tone was flat an ominous, he cradled his chin with one hand, stroking it with his slender fingers.

Your shoulders sagged forward and stomach knotted. This Prince was here to interrogate you on behalf of the church you knew it.

Then he would take you to them to be burned. An example to be made in front of The High Church.

"I asked you a question girl." His tone lacking patients.

----

"My mother..." As he held your sullen gaze you knew he wanted you to continue. "The women of town would come to her pregnant and leave...." You swallowed thickly "virginal."

It was not a flawless procedure often women have bleed out. But they would be good as dead if they were to arrived home pregnant unmarried in the eyes of The Church.

"And how did you find yourself as a dutiful servant to Stark?"

"Lord Rhodery knew of my mother by means of his sister. She was carrying the king's bastard." You said looking down to tug at the loose string of your dress.

"A month later my mother and I were sent by cover of night to the Royal castle. From there on Stark had us stay under the guise as chambermaids."

"Who knew of this?"

"Very few just King Stark, Barron Obadiah and Lord Rhodery. They would bring the maidens to an east tower. People rarely ventured there. Our face was covered all throughout."

"So you know how to hold your tongue. A feature I admire.”

----

"When we dock you will be taken to the servants quarters in your new Kings castle" Prince Loki spoke so softly, his calmness somehow setting you on edge.

You wrung your hands together in your lap, tapping your heel as he pulled something from his clothes. It was a bit of folded parchment with a wax seal. You could not read, but you always were fond of the squiggles that decorated paper.

"A portly woman will be there to greet you when you arrive. Give this to her." He out stretched his hand that held a parchment to you. Reaching for it, but Prince Loki pulled it away suddenly.

"Hide it away.” He ordered, you hesitated as you thought of where to stash it. You jumped when he rose again and stood in front of you once more.

“If anyone asks where you are from. Tell them you are from a province just out side my domain.” As Prince Loki spoke you stiffened and gasped.

The Prince's hand glided down your collar bone tracing down to the crack of your bosom. The folded paper clipping your chin as he moved. When he shoved it forcefully down bypassing your breast with the parchment you yelped.

The paper edges poking at your softness made you fidget uncomfortably. Your eyes were larger than saucers as he caressed your breast when he pulled away.

"You will be a wall. A piece of furniture. An unassuming figure amongst the abysmal castle life. Listen for everything. Ears open at all times. The minorist of details commit them to memory as you never know when the slightest detail would come into play.”

You did not respond, still stunned and confused. If he wasn’t bringing you to the church you weren’t sure what he had planned for you.

Prince Loki called out to someone beyond you. The squeaks on the floor boards announced their entrance. Turning you find the man that guided you to this room. Bowing his head towards the prince.

"Take her and make sure she arrives to my brother’s safely."

XXX

Chapter 2>>

#dark Loki x Black reader #dark thor x black reader #dark!loki x black!reader #dark!thor x black!reader #dark loki x black!reader #dark thor x black!reader #black writer #dark loki x reader #dark!loki x reader #dark thor x reader #dark!thor x reader #loki x black!reader #loki x reader #royal au

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irondad-creator-awards · 4 years ago

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Nominations List (Updated)

This will be the final update before the nominatons have closed, but only a few nominations are missing now. I’d do it sooner, but it takes days each time and so wouldn’t be finished in time anyway.

Remember: Voting begins Saturday April 10th. The link to the form will be posted here.

1. THE ONE THAT MADE YOU GASP! — A story which had a plot twist you didn’t see coming. Something that caught you so off guard that you had to stop a minute and take a breath before devouring the rest. What’s the story for you?

A Beautiful Lie by Rayrox360

A Peter Parker Problem by Spagbol99

Archetype by Bean_Reads_Fanfic

Chaotic Peter Parker by Isnt_It_Pretty_To_Think_So

Cycle Through by Ambivalentangst

Ever In Your Favor by Iron_Spider

Fallen Angel by Musicheart08

Figure-Out-Able by Aimaim94

Flying And Flips by Myglassesaredirty

Give Him The Life, That I Couldn't Give You by Superherotiger

Inevitable by Annie_Walker

Irondad Ficlets by Ironxprince

Like Father, Like Son by An_Odd_Idea

Love Leaves A Memory No-One Can Steal by Ironmum

More Peril In Thine Eye by Iron_Spider

No Longer In Service by Starryknight09

Proof Of Concept by Flurrbee

Serenity by Jolinarjackson

Shock Therapy by Solstice

Spidey Tot by Kevy_Grayce

Stab Me In The Back (I'll Catch You From Behind by Lansfics7

Stop, Look, Listen by Forthenightisdarkandfullofterror

The Case Of The Sinister Spider by Ironfamjam

The Third Option by Uncertainty_Principle

Thunder And Attrition by Magniloquentchanteuse

Time Will Tell by Tonystarkissist

Unforeseen Circumstances by Jlmonroe1234

2. THE MULTI-CHAPTER YOU COULDN’T PUT DOWN — A story which kept you up all night or calling in sick for work so you were free to read. Who’s the culprit?

A Beautiful Lie by Rayrox360

A Parent Apparent by Happyaspie

A Peter Parker Problem by Spagbol99

A Sailor Went To Sea by by Yellowdistress

Acolyte by Macabre

Air I Breathe by Heartofcathedrals

All The Devils Are Here by Yellowdistress

All The Senseless Scars by Notapartytrick

And You’ll Blow Us All Away by Losingmymindtonight

Astronomy In Reverse by Pansley

Breathe, Then Repeat by Thesecretuchiha

Come My Darling, Homeward Bound by Iamirondad

Ever In Your Favor by Iron—Spider

Every Beautiful Lie (Always Has An Ugly Truth by Da_Moose

Exploding Head Syndrome by Foolscapper

Five Times Tony And Peter Chaotically Cleaned by Ironmum

Free Like A Broken Heart by Notapartytrick

I Will Carry You (Always) by Thestarvingwriter

Identity Crisis by Kitcat992

If They All Knew About You by Mshermia

In Unlikely Places by Looneylizzie

Irondad Ficlets by Ironxprince

Legacy by Docseuss

More Peril In Thine Eye by Iron—Spider

Mr. Parker Declined To Comment by Apisdn

Pain Will Always Come Back To Haunt You by Kevy_Grayce

Permanence by Theexhaustedalchemist

Petey And The Hermit by Eccentric_Artist_221b

Pieces Of Echoes by Geekymoviemom

Proof Spiderman Loves Clickbait by Mauvera

Rise From The Ashes; Just To See You Again by Mintstream

Silent Screams And Surprising Saviors by Normalisoverrated

Sins Of The Fathers by Geekymoviemom

Spider-Man: Avengers (And Midtown High) React by Gayplums

Stop, Look, Listen by Forthenightisdarkandfullofterror

The Definition Of Family by Queen (Ramble)

The End Of Infinity by Friendlyneighborhoodfangirls

The Haunted by Emily_F6

The Lost And Forgotten by Lizcraz

The Rattle Of Their Hearts by Iron_Spider

The Third Option by Uncertainty_Principle

Transitions by Neuropsych

Turn Back The Clock (And I'll Try Again In The Morning) by Madasthesea

We Accept The Love We Think We Deserve by Polaroid15

We Will Foresee Obstacles by Blackwatchandromeda (Avenris)

We're Gonna Have To Do This Together by edibna,

3. THE ONE-SHOT THAT THAT HAD YOU HOOKED — Some writers can cram more greatness into less words than a 100k monster. What’s the one-shot that did it for you?

5 Times Peter Sleepwalked And The 1 Time He Pretended He Did by Losingmymindtonight

A Different Kind Of Surprise by Winterturtle

A Little Gray Area (Where I Can Keep You Safe) by Divineprojectzero

A Lot Can Happen In Approximately Two Years by Soverysesual

Adventures In Babysitting by Victori

Blessed Be The Boys Time Can’t Capture by Killerqueenwrites

Born Anew From Dust And Blood by Superherotiger

Countless Ways To Say I Love You by Hopeless_Hope

Disappearing Bruises by Happyjuicyfruit

Everything I Wanna Say About You Is More Than Enough To Write A Novel by Magnetichearts

Familiar Faces by Happyaspie

Fitting In (Tiny Spaces) by Aloneintherain

For Good by Madelinedear

Give Hime The Life, That I Couldn’t Give You by Superherotiger

Guess How Much I Love You by Jack_Hunter

Hear You Me by Starryknight09

I Can Hold The Weight Of Worlds (If That's What You Need) by Bluesweatshirt

I Did It All For You (So I Can’t Lose You Now) by Another_Introvert

I Didn’t Ask To Be In This Family by Webtrinsic

I Have A Nephew! by Zimnokurw

I Just Wanted To Protect You by Sunflowerspideyy

I Promise I'll Do Better by 221broadwayiron

I Promise You Kid, You're Safe Now by Bstarship

I Will Soften Every Edge by Losingmymindtonight

In My Heart There Was A Kind Of Fighting by Iron_Spider

It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year by Freyaatterton

Keeping Watch by Oreoluvr13

Let Sleeping Heroes Lie by Attackonomelas

Move Back Home Forever by Chasingflower

New Dream by Writerllofllworlds

Of Flying And Falling by Polaroid15,

Parallels by Kianisabitch

Peter's Ghost And One (1) Obnoxious Orange Stone by Bean_Reads_Fanic

Petey And The Hermit by Eccentric_Artist_221b

Physics Class by Fictionalworldsareexquisite

Place In Your Heart by Potrix

Quantum Mechanics 5010 by Pipgraham

Quaranteens by Blueh

Someone To Want Me by Fritokays

Something Here Will Eventually Have To Explode by Madasthesea

The Case Of The Missing Museum Bea-Storer by Ironmum

The Lightning Strike by Covo728

The Primary Reason Tony Stark Would Throw Down With An Anti-Vaxxer In The Street by Caraminha

The World Is Not Kind by Trickster88

There’s A Fine, Fine Line by Faerialchemist

Til The Fight Is Done by Jinxquickfoot

To Be Like You by Polaroid15

Unauthorized Field Trip by Duskblue

Voices Carry by Ferretshark

Waste Not, Want Not by by Mttraspberrypie

What Do I Look Like To You, A Clearance Rack? by Peterstank

What You're Feeling Is Probably Normal by Finny3120

You Got Lost While Getting Older by Kuragay

4. THE BEST THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES — A drabble (under 1k) can pack in all the goodness that you need in a coffee break read. What’s that story for you?

A Scene In Space by An_Odd_Idea

Asthmatic Spider by by Inkinmyheartandonthepage

Buttering Me Up by Iron_Spider

Cramps by Thisrosehasanothername

Cuddle Bug by Marvelous_Writer

Food At Home by Aimaim94

I Feel A Filth In My Bones (Wash Off My Hands Til It's Gone) by Madasthesea

Insomniacs In The Dark by Littlemissagrifina

Irondad Cuddles by Lilacsoulw

Nice To Meet You, Peter by Loubuttons

Nothing Like A Fresh Cup Of Humiliation In The Morning by Madasthesea

Of Christmas Lights And Car Chases by Marvelous_Writer

Of Masks And Memories by Littlemissagrafina

Outsider by Pinkeastereggs

Place In Your Heart by Potrix

Quentin Knows Best by Undercover_Royalty

S.O.S. (Somehow Obtained Son) by Madasthesea

Safety Net by Baloobird

You’re Always My Kid by Cyn_Writes

Let The Mind Games Begin Ironmum

Outsider by Pinkeastereggs

F.R.I.D.A.Y, When Did I Get A Son by Iwritesometimes (Orphan_Account)

Sleeping At Last by Webtrinsic

I Don’t Want To Rule My Own Country, I Just Want To Pass 10th Grade by Andromath

Patterns by Nokurde

The Dangers Of Sleeping On The Upside Of The Bed by Honorable_Mention

Dressing Up As A Hero by Madam_Sunflower

Carry Me by Shitforbrains

Spider Cooties by The_Forgotten_Nobody

Home Is Where The Heart Is by Wentrinsic

5. THE BIODAD THAT TOUCHED YOUR HEART — Some of the greatest stories flip canon and make Tony Peter’s biological father. Be it baby Peter taking his first steps or Tony dealing with the fact his son is following in his superhero footsteps as Spider-Man, which is the one you loved most of all?

A Gift Of Blood by Theeclecticsoul

An Abstract Concept by Iron-Spider

Be Careful What You Wish For, You May Just Get It by Savana_Marlark

Blood And Iron by Aliciamirza

Built From Scraps by Peter Stank

Congratulations, It's A Boy by Capiocapi

Happy Birthday - And Merry Christmas by Thequeenofwhump

Happy Hogan Never Forgets A Face by Jen27ny

Hardest Lessons (Softest Results) by Mainstreamelectricalparade

I Love You More Than Anything by Iron_Spider

I Told You To Be Better(And You Became The Best) by Haru_K

If They Knew All About You by Mshermia

Little Demons Like To Play by Raccooncati

My Little Bambino by Maicaly

Return To Me, The One I Love So Endlessly by Superherotiger

Slow Down, Start Again From The Beginning by Cassiecasyl

So Many Things Left To Say (Series) by Sarcasmismyweapon

Sound Logic by Aytheria

Spiderson by Emily_F6

Stars, Hide Your Fires by Yellowdistress.

The Gift by Uskblue

The Less Than Secret Life by Yellowdistress

The One Where Peter Is Related To Tony by Marvel_Cinematic_Universe_Fan

The Ties That Bind Us by Winterturtle

They Say Boys Don't Cry (But Your Dad Has Shed A Lot Of Tears) by Tempestaurora

Tomorrow And Tomorrow by Yellowdistress

What We Are (Series) by Yellowdistress

What’s In A Name? by Geekymoviemom

Twist Of Fate by Karenninaaa

I Hold You Closer Than I Ever Knew I Could Do by Yourgaydad

Hydra’s Not A Home (Series) by Tempestaurora

Premature Love by by Seeingthoughtsthroughwords

Move Back Home Forever by Chasingflower

Rest Your Head Close To My Heart, Never To Part (Baby Of Mine) by 14million_Constellations

Let Me Pave The Path Until You Come Back (Series) by Elliahrose

Coming Home by by Inkinmyheartandonthepage

Made Of Iron Born Of Fire (Series) by Savvysass And Imgoingtocrash

Tony Stark Vs. Babies "R" Us by Mainstreamelectricalparade

Rest your head close to my heart, never to part (baby of mine) by 14million_constellations

6. THE ONE WITH THE FIELD TRIP — The field trip trope is one of the most popular in the fandom. What’s the story that you think pulls all the elements together to make it great?

A Different Take by Cyberwolfwrites

Academic Commitment by Underoosstark

Bullies, Interns, And Secret Things by Thecuriousclockwork

Constant Internal [Spider] Screaming: Semi-Connected Scenes From A Graduating Senior’s Life by Isadancurtisproduction

Everyday Superhero by Stoneage_Woman

Field Trip by Inkinmyheartandonthepage

Field Trip Flip by Happyaspie

From Your Perspective, The World Is Flat by Blueh

I Don’t Want To Talk About It Anymore by Bees_And_Wasps

It's Above My Clearance Level by Tsk

Living With Superheros? Not Cool by Groot_Is_God

Mr Stark Enough For You? (Another Field Trip Fic Bcs We Dont Have Enough) by Livinei

Neon Liar (Hiding In Plain Sight) by Isadancurtisproduction

No Reason To Go by Pokegeek151

One Fall Weekend by Marvelous_Writer

Patterns by Nokurde

Peter-Man - Oh, F*Ck - I Mean Spider-Man by Orphan_Account

Tower Of Donuts And Doubts by Platinumdollz

Who Is He? by Velarisstars

You're What? by Shewritesall

It's Above My Clearance Level by tsk

Peter and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Field Trip by cazei

Field Trip to Home, Joy by Every_Fandom_Trash

The Field Trip: Tony and Peter Reunion Edition by moreofareaderthanawriter

Ned Leeds and the Best Field Trip Ever by AriPotter

7. THE TIME AFTER TIME ONE — There’s some great time travel stories out there, but which is your favorite?

Be Careful What You Wish For, You May Just Get It by Savana_Marlark

Breathe, Then Repeat by Thesecretuchiha

Every Beautiful Lie (Always Has An Ugly Truth) by Da_Moose

Hero by Lady_Oneder

I Have Time by Peterparkr

I’ve Learned To Lose You by Peterparkr

It’s Me, Remember? by Nanixerka

Oh, Take Me Back To The Start by Theregularwriter

Peter And Morgan's 40-Year-Long-Day by Thismarvelouslife

The End Is Just A New Beginning by Tytach

The Other Mr. Stark by Jelly_Pies

The Time Traveler’s Mentor by Iamirondad

Time To Pretend by Rowan_M

Turn Back The Clock (And I'll Try Again In The Morning) by Madasthesea

We Will Foresee Obstacles by Blackwatchandromeda (Avenris)

Whatever It Takes by Starryknight09

8. THE ONE WITH ALL THE OWIES — Another massively popular Irondad trope is hurt/comfort, and there’s some amazing stuff out there. Which is the one that you love most of all?

A Beautiful Lie by Rayrox360

A Different Take by Cyberwolfwrites

A Peter Parker Problem by Spagbol99

A Scare In The Stark Household by Marvelous_Writer

Air I Breathe by Heartofcathedrals

Apartment 43B by Ironfamjam

Atlas by Polaroid15

Be Weak by Fluencca

Broken by My Own Hand (Put Back Together by Yours) by Gwenoakley

Built From Scraps by Peterstank

But What Is Grief? by Odd_1

Caught In A Lie by Krystalpomme

Contentiously Ambiable by Ktoon

Cycle Through by Ambivalentangst

Danger Pizza by Alice_In_Ink

Darkness Will Be Rewritten by Marveal

Dude, Do These Tacos Taste Funny To You? by First_Page

Five Times Peter Said "Sorry" To Tony Stark by Agentnerd

Follow The North Star Home by Fallingforbees

Foolish, Fragile Spine by Plnkblue

For Want Of A Dad (In Need Of A Son) by Ghostinthebau

Funeral by Mjscorner

Held On As Tightly As You Held On To Me by Itsreallylaterightnow & Killerqueenwrites

Lazarus, Come Forth by by Iron_Spider

More Peril In Thine Eye by Iron—Spider

Of Flying And Falling by Polaroid15

Outnumbered by Heartofcathedrals

Peaches by Peterparkr

Peppermint Allergy by Carpediem369

Peter's Ghost And One (1) Obnoxious Orange Stone by Bean_Reads_Fanic

Project Pride by Thesleepingowl

Seeing Without Sound by Astronomical_Alien

Shelter by Unluckyolive

Sometimes It’s Easier To Just Swim Down by Mjscorner

Stab Me In The Back (I'll Catch You From Behind) by Lansfics7

Statistically Speaking by Foolscapper

Stop, Look, Listen by Forthenightisdarkandfullofterror

Stuck by Jelly-Pies

The Adventures Of Spidy-Son And Iron-Dad (Series) by Eva7673

The Past Is Knocking On My Door by Maicaly

The Room Where It Happens by Notapartytrick

The Third Option by Uncertainty_Principle

The World Is Not Kind by Trickster88

Thirteen Minutes by Solstice

Wandering Child (So Lost, So Helpless) by Almond_Blossoms

We All Chase After A Few Dying Stars by Losingmymindtonight

What I Have, I Give To You by Aatticsaltt

What If There Is No Tomorrow? by Iron_Spider

When My Body Won't Hold Me Anymore (Where Will I Go) by Madasthesea

You Better Watch Out by Ciaconnaa

You’ll Always Get There First by Crowkag

Your Heart Changed (Mine Stayed The Same) by Loisselina

9. THE ONE THAT HURTS SO GOOD — We all like a bit of angst sometimes, so what’s the story that you wanted to hide from but you had to keep reading to get to the happy ending?

... And When You Can’t Crawl ... by Jolinarjackson & Shoyzzart

5 Times Tony Forgot Peter Was Just A Kid by Parkrstark

A Beautiful Lie by Rayrox360

A Peter Parker Problem by Spagbol99

Built From Scraps by Peterstank

Caught In A Lie by Krystalpomme

Cycle Through by Ambivalentangst

Dear God by Krystalpomme

Don't Worry About Me by Chvotic

Ever In Your Favor by Iron_Spider

Fifteen Years In The Making by Potts89

Goodbye Mr. Stark, Thanks For Trying by Jelly-Pies

Held On As Tightly As You Held On To Me by Itsreallylaterightnow & Killerqueenwrites

I Need You (To Be Free) by Marveal

I Promise I'll Do Better by 221broadwayiron

I Want Go by Chvotic

I Will Carry You (Always) by Thestarvingwriter

If They Knew All About You by Mshermia

If You Can't Catch A Breath (You Can Take The Oxygen Straight Out Of My Own Chest) by Losingmymindtonight

If You Listen You Can Hear The Ibis by Yellowdistress

Inevitable by Annie_Walker

Its Always The Little Things by Uncertainty_Principle

Jealous? by Chvotic

Let's Get On With Living (While We Can) by Almond_Blossoms

Love Leaves A Memory No-One Can Steal by Ironmum

May Parker's Complete Guide On How To Raise Your Spiderling by Embarrassing_Myself

More Peril In Thine Eye by Iron_Spider

Not So Friendly by Ramble_On

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) by Myglassesaredirty

Of Drizzly Skies And Saltwater Taffy by Eccentric_Artist_221b

Of Flying And Falling by Polaroid15

Peter's Ghost And One (1) Obnoxious Orange Stone by The-Reverse-Mermaid

Please, Understand by Jipseebree

Protect by Watermeloness

Reviving Peter Parker by Yellowdistress

Stab Me In The Back (I'll Catch You From Behind) by Lansfics7

Standing On My Own Two Feet by Minigigi

Stop, Look, Listen by Forthenightisdarkandfullofterror

Stuck by Jelly-Pies

Sunlight by Ardenskyeholmes221

The Art Of Losing by Fluencca

The Missing 92 Days by Yellowdistress

The Room Where It Happens by Notapartytrick

The World Is Wide (But I Feel So Small) by Buckets_Of_Stars

Thunder And Attrition by Magniloquentchanteuse

Turn Back The Clock (And I’ll Try Again In The Morning) by Madasthesea

We Will Find Our Way Through The Dark by Ashleyparker2815

What You Were Then I Am Today (Series) by Madasthesea

When My Body Won't Hold Me Anymore (Where Will I Go) by Madasthesea

When Trauma Comes Knocking by Kevy_Grayce

10. THE ONE THAT SOOTHES THE PAIN — What’s The Story That You Go To When You Need A Pick-Me-Up After The Angst?

5 Times A Spider-Baby Got Dad Smooched by Buckets_Of_Stars

5 Times Peter Made Tony Laugh Out Loud by Grilledcheesing

5 Times Tony Calls Peter Baby by Madasthesea

5 Times Tony Stark Protected Penny Parker by Emily_F6

Be Careful What You Wish For, You May Just Get It by Savana_Marlark

Bedside Stories by Wildwaveswhist

Bitch Better Have My Money by Neicy286

Career Day: A Short Story by Shewritesall

Congratulations, It's A Boy Capiocapi

Cuddle Bug by Marvelous_Writer

Early Childhood Education by Thedisneyoutsider

Five Times Peter And Tony Chaotically Cleaned by Ironmum

For Want Of A Dad (In Need Of A Son) by Ghostinthebau

Hardest Lessons (Softest Results) by Mainstreamelectricalparade

I Can Hold The Weight Of The Worlds (If That's What You Need) by Bluesweatshirt

Instant Kill Mode by Isnt_It_Pretty_To_Think_So

It's My Party And I'll Bite If I Want To by Whumphoarder

Leave Me Where I Am (I'm Only Sleeping) by Hopeless_Hope

Macho Macho Man by Iron_Spider

My Boy by Thisisnotourlasthunt

No More Lonely by Shewritesall

Peter Revs His Engine by Punkybunny

Petey And The Hermit by Eccentric_Artist_221b

Research And Disaster by Blueh

Storm by Parkerxheart

That's How You And I Will by by Frostysunflowers

The Reinvention Of Tony Stark by Losingmymindtonight

The Road So Far by Nicolemoon8

The Sun's Starting To Rise (These Are Beautiful Times by Jelly-Pies

Titan's Lullaby by Starstepper

What You're Feeling Is Probably Normal by Finny3120

Whatever It Takes by Starryknight90

Where You Never Would Have Looked by Jwriter819

You And Me Lying On The Tile Floor (Trying To Keep Cool) by Madasthesea

11. THE ONE WITHOUT A HOME TO GO TO — There’s some wonderful homeless Peter stories out there, so which is the one you were blown away by?

A Difference In Husbandry by Happy_Cloud

After The Landslide by Freyaatterton

Distracted by A Dime by Happyaspie

Hope Is The Strongest Power by Sarayin

I Told You I Had Issues by Bergen

I’m Lost (I Feel So Very Found) by Cold_Nights_Summer_Days

In The End by Annie_Walker

Is It Too Much To Ask For Home That Lasts? Ft. Peter Parker by Wakandaforever2357

Living With Superheroes? Not Cool by Groot_Is_God

Make Way For Tomorrow by Hopeless_Hope

One Step Unto The Lonely Road (Has Scarred Me For Life) by Hopeless_Hope

Paradise by Last_Of_Her_Kind

Reintroducing Hope by Fernandidilly_Yo

The Art Of Publicity by Xmypandabear

The Little Things (That I Miss) by Da_Moose

The Lost And Forgotten by Litcraz

The Third Option by Uncertainty_Principle

Thunder And Attrition by Magniloquentchanteuse

To Find A Home (Series) by Aceofstars16

Unexpected (Everything I Never Knew I Wanted) by Moonchild2593

Unexpected Finds by Snarkymuch

Unwanted by Agib

12. THE ONE THAT’S A WHOLE NEW WORLD — There’s lots of imaginative AUs in Irondad fic. Whether it’s Steve and Tony as baseball players or Pepper being Peter’s mom, which one is your number one?

A Beautiful Lie by Rayrox360

A Guardian Among Us by Superherotiger

A Just An Honorable Hand by Friendlyneighborhoodirondad

A Little Monument Of Stones by Yellowdistress

A Long Way Forward by Rxcrcfllptrs

A Soul's Best Friend by Superherotiger

Ain't My Blood; Still My Boys by Parkrstark

And The Band Played On by Bobee

Archetype by Bean_Reads_Fanfic

Blood On My Hands (Beast In My Heart) by Baloobird & Buckets_Of_Stars

Can’t Erase What I Wrote In Ink (Tell Me How Can I Change The Story) by Littlemissagrafina

Dear Fellow Traveler (Series) by Superherotiger

Ever In Your Favor by Iron_Spider

Have Patience, A Quick Wit, And A Gentle Heart by Ironfamjam

I Battle My Jerk Step-Dad by Andromath

I Will Carry You (Always) by Thestarvingwriter

In A Galaxy Far, Far Away (Series) by Madasthesea

It’s A New Life But Always The Same Love by Wisterispidey

Moulded Mind by Wingswithoutstrings

Never Tear Us Apart by Imeanthatsprettysnazzy

No Matter What (You Keep Finding Something To Fight For) by Rejectedmarvel

No Matter Where You Are, I'll Be There For You by X_Writingn_X

Nothing Left To Lose by Notapartytrick

Oh, Bite Me by Nanixerka

Once Upon A Reality by Bean_Reads_Fanfic

Only For A Little While by Eccentric_Artist_221b

Petey And The Hermit by Eccentric_Artist_221b

Pilot by Cold_Nights_Summer_Days

Quantum Mechanics 5010 by Pipgraham

Return To Me, The One I Love So Endlessly by Superherotiger

Sea Spider by Bean_Reads_Fanfic

Spidey Tot by Kevy_Grayce

The Boy Who Would Be King by Writerreadsstuff

The Day Peter’s Name Finished With Stark by Skyrocket25

The Phoenix Project by Geekymoviemom

The Will Of The Force by Madasthesea

Though Everything Is A Miracle by Overtures

To Continue Being by Censored

Tony Built A Son (Series) by Footloose_Poets

Until It Disappeared From Me by Ashleyparker2815

Unto The Breach by Melissabosquez

What If We Never Were? by Ladylangst

What Occurred In Raychester Castle by Fictionart

What We Grow To Be by Killerqueenwrites

When I Am On Your Shoulders by Ladyblackwater

Where Life Begins And Love Never Ends by Kitkatwinchester

You Got Lost While Getting Older by Kuragay

You Mispronounced Spider by Lliblo

13. THE TWEAKING THE SETTINGS ONE — There’s things we all wish we could change in canon — *cough* Endgame *cough* — so which canon divergence does it for you?

5 Times Peter Made Tony Laugh Out Loud By Grilledcheesing

Be Careful What You Wish For, You May Just Get It By Savana_Marlark

Beautiful Boy By Emily_Davison

Before, After, And Beyond By Mainstreamelectricalparade

Bittersweet By Kevy_Grayce

Breathe Again By Gwenoakley

Built From Scraps By Peterstank

Dear Mr. Fantasy By Iron_Spider

Exploding Head Syndrome By Foolscapper

Found Family By Thedisneyoutsider

Home By Patrochilles_Trash

I Did It All For You (So I Can’t Lose You Now) By Another_Introvert

I Will Restore All That Was Broken By Killerqueenwrites

I’ll Make This Feel Like Home By Ashleyparker2815

Invulnerable By Imgoingtocrash

Keeping Watch By Oreoluvr13

Like You'd Know How It Works By Mshermia

M&M Paradise (Series) By Galaxythreads

May Parker's Complete Guide On How To Raise Your Spiderling By Embarrassing_Myself

Moulded Minds By Wingswithstrings

One In A Million By Inkinmyheartandonthepage

One Thing I’ll Never Know (Is How You Could Be A Ghost) By Gwenoakley

Peter's Ghost And One (1) Obnoxious Orange Stone By Bean_Reads_Fanfic

Pieces Of Echoes By Geekymoviemom

Stop, Look, Listen By Forthenightisdarkandfullofterror

The Battle By Oblossom

The Burning In My Bones By Happyjuicyfruit

The End Of Infinity By Friendlyneighborhoodfangirls

The More You Say, The Less I Know By Forthenightisdarkandfullofterror

The Rattle Of Their Hearts By Iron_Spider

The Returned By Nicolemoon8

The Thrill Of Hope By Chasingflower

Titan's Lullaby By Starstepper

Up Came The Sun (Series) By Whimsicalethnographies

We Got Lucky By The_Muses_Summer_House

We Will Foresee Obstacles By Blackwatchandromeda (Avenris)

What If: Peter Had Been Injured In The Ferry Scene By Wolf5bane

What Makes A Family By Doctornineandthreequarters

What Was Missing Was You By Happyaspie

What Were The Words I Meant To Say Before You Left By Madasthesea

Whatever It Takes By Starryknight09

When Peter Forgot What Day It Was By Goldenambedo

Where He Belongs By Asherkoyal

14. THE ONE YOU GO BACK TO AGAIN AND AGAIN — Some fics deserve a re-read or ten. What’s the story you go find yourself going back to?

5 Times Peter Fell, And Tony Caught Him. And The 1 Time Tony Didn’t By Eva7673

A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood By Ambivalentangst

A Guardian Among Us By Superherotiger

A Parent Apparent By Happyaspie

Age Regression Was Impossible... Right? By Chvotic

All The Devils Are Here By Yellowdistress

Am I Just A Shadow You Drew By Ironxprince

Apartment 43B By Ironfamjam

Archetype By Bean_Reads_Fanfic,

Avengers Vandal By Awesomesockes & Whumphoarder

Baby's Firsts By Mainstreamelectricalparade

Back To Bed By Eccentric_Artist_221b

Beautiful Boy By Emily_Davison

Built From Scraps By Peterstank

Dreams Don’t Scare You (They Ain’t Big Enough) By Jumpfall

Ever In Your Favor By Iron—Spider

Family Is More Than Blood (It Is Light) By Moonchild2593

For Want Of A Dad (In Need Of A Son) By Ghostinthebau

Ghost Of Christmas Past By Ciaconnaa

Golden Boy By Sticksandinfinitystones

I Just Wanted To Protect You By Sunflowerspideyy

If They Knew All About You By Mshermia

I'm At One By Patrochilles_Trash

Into A White And Soundless Place By Weatheredlaw

Kangaroo Care By Tonystarkissist

Keeping Company By Whumphoarder And Xxx_Cat_Xxx

Keeping Watch By Oreoluvr13

Lean On Me By Parkerxheart

Let This Moment Be The First Chapter By Ephemeralstark

Moulded Minds By Wingswithoutstrings

Move Back Home Forever By Chasingflower

Mr. Misunderstood By Parkrstark

My Boy By Thisisnotourlasthunt

Never Gonna Let You Down By Emily_F6

Patient #2252 By Thesoulofstrawberry

Play By Losingmymindtonight

Reviving A Spiderling By Eccentric_Artist_221b

Rules Are Made To Be Broken By Ironmum

Sins Of The Fathers By Geekymoviemom

Spider-Man: Avengers (And Midtown High) React By Gayplums

Superheroes Get Scared, Too By Little_But_Mighty

The Darkest Hour Is Just Before The Dawn By Starryknight09

The Lost And Forgotten By Litcraz

The One Where Peter Is Bucky’s Weakness By Jinxquickfoot

The Rise And Fall Of A Spider By Spidersoning

The Spider-Man Conspiracy By Tempestaurora

The Stars The Moon They Have All Been Blown Out (You Left Me In The Dark) By Madasthesea

The Third Option By Uncertainty_Principle

The World Is Not Kind By Trickster88

Webcams And Webshooters (Series) By Losingmymindtonight

What You Were Then I Am Today (Series) By Madasthesea

With Great Care By Giggles96

15. THE SERIES THAT SWEPT YOU AWAY — Some of us love to go on a long ride with a series, so which is the world of multiple stories that you binged or waited anxiously for each update?

A Hero's Journey By Annie_Walke

Another June Day By Skeeter_110

Chaotic Peter Parker By Isnt_It_Pretty_To_Think_So

Dear Peter Parker, What To Say To You By Littlemissagrafina

Family Business- Supernatural Au By Killerqueenwrites

Home By Glwilliams97

Hydra’s Not A Home By Tempestaurora

I Love You More Than Anything (Bio Dad Au) By Iron_Spider

Identity Saga By Kitcat992

In A Galaxy Far, Far Away By Madasthesea

Irondad NSAP By Chvotic

Lactose Intolerant Peter By Whumphoarder

Learning To Parent By Bowtiez

Lights To Guide You Home By Jolinarjackson

Like You'd Know How It Works And What Comes After By Mshermia

Movie Aus By Imeanthatsprettysnazzy

Mr. Stark & His Kid By Writerstrash

Nice Work, Kid By Madasthesea

Once Upon An Adoption By Kevy_Grayce

Out Of Darkness By Starryknight09

Paint It Black Verse By Queen Of Crystallopia

Peter Parker: Future Hearts By Xseshatx

Pieces Of Echoes By Geekymoviemom

Single Parent Peter Parker By Prettymalfoy

Soul Stone Realm By Marvelmusicmystery

The New Normal By Baloobird

The Room Saga By Iamirondad

Tony Built A Son By Footloose_Poets

Tony Stark Is A Good Mentor By Happyaspie

Under Influence Writerstrash

Was That A Star Wars Reference, Dr. Stark? By Jen27ny

We Forgot Peter By Inkinmyheartandonthepage

Webcams And Webshooters By Losingmymindtonight

What Makes A Family By Doctornineandthreequarters

What You Were Then I Am Today By Madasthesea

Whumptober 2019 By Iron_Spider

16. THE IN-PROGRESS ADVENTURE — What’s the story that has you checking your email each day, hoping for an update?

- Is He Or Is He Not? By Omenthia_Arc

A Beautiful Lie By Rayrox360

A Difference In Husbandry By Happy_Cloud

A Perfect Storm By Grilledcheesing

A Stark Contrast By Melodicrunes

Ain't My Blood; Still My Boys By Parkrstark

All The Stars Align By Ashleyparker2815

And The Band Played On By Bobee

Be Careful What You Wish For, You May Just Get It By Savana_Marlark

Beautiful Boy By Emily_Davison

Come Undone By Capiocapi

Contentiously Amiable By Ktoon

Dream In Colors Borrowed From The Sea By By Buckets_Of_Stars

Every Beautiful Lie (Always Has An Ugly Truth) By Da_Moose

Fifteen Years In The Making By Potts89

Fire With Fire By Agentianlegend

Found Family By Thedisneyoutsider

How To Repair A Broken Heart By Influentialpineapple

If They Knew All About You By Mshermia

If You're Going Through Hell, Keep On Going By Baloobird

In Unlikely Places By Looneylizzie

Lets Get On With Living (While We Can) By Almond_Blossoms

Mr. Stark, Something Is Wrong By @Simping-For-Peggy

Not So Friendly By Ramble_On

Only Going Over Home By Eccentric_Artist_221b

Outnumbered By Heartofcathedrals

Permanence By Theexhaustedalchemist

Peter’s New Step-Brother By Bowtiez

Priorities By Jlmonroe1234

Return To Me, The One I Love So Endlessly By Superherotiger

Rewind By Losingmymindtonight

Sleeping Through A Rogue Winter Storm By Pogokitten

Spider-Man: Avengers (And Midtown High) React By Gayplums

Survivors Guilt By Ember_Darla And Marvel_Cinematic_Universe_Fan

Tech Of Nondestructive Yakking By Wabisabi

The Case Of The Missing Museum Bea-Storer By Ironmum

The Hero Of Our Own Story By Kingdomfaraway

The Many Adventures Of Iron Dad And Spider Son By Lbigreyhound13

This Warm Repair By Peterstank

Unforeseen Dangers By Starryknight09

Unto The Breach By Melissabosquez

Wanting To Be Better by Mz_Supermanfan

We Can't Have Faith For Everybody By Hale13

Webcams And Webshooters (Series) By Losingmymindtonight

What If We Never Were? By Ladylangst

What Occurred In Raychester Castle By Fictionart

What You Were Then I Am Today By Madasthesea

With Great Care By Giggles96

You Are My Sunshine By Iamconstantine

You Stay, I Go By Cinnamonrollstark

17. THE COMPLETE FIC THAT YOU CHERISH — Whether Or Not You’ve Got The Patience For An In-Progress Or Not, There’s A Wealth Of Complete Stories You Can Devour At Leisure Or All In One Coffee-Fuelled Binge. What’s Yours?

5 Times Peter Fell, And Tony Caught Him. And The 1 Time Tony Didn’t. By Eva7673

5 Wishes Peter Didn't Ask For And The 1 He Did By Alice_In_Ink

A Peter Parker Problem By Spagbol99

A Soul's Best Friend By Superherotiger

Always Silent, Peter Darling By Lliblo

And You’ll Blow Us All Away By Losingmymingtonight

Because I Said So: Adventures In Parenting (With Commentary By Peter Parker) By Teamironmanforever

Come, My Darling, Homeward Bound By By Iamirondad

Coming Home By Inkinmyheartandonthepage

Darkness Will Be Rewritten By Marveal

Engine 12 By Bethy_277

Five Times David Didn't Understand What Was Going On With His Girlfriend's Nephew By Bumblie_Bee

Five Times Peter And Tony Chaotically Cleaned By Ironmum

Five Times Peter Was Tony’s Son And One Time Tony Was His Dad By Zojnks

Five Times Tony Stark Got To Be A Normal Dad By Captainstarsong

Good Publicity By Bergen

Heart Made Of Glass, My Mind Of Stone By Princessironspider

HYDRA'S NOT A HOME (Series) By TEMPESTAURORA

I’m Here, Always By By Rosesandribbons

Identity Crisis By Kitcat992

If You’re Gonna Love Someone, Let It Be Me By Ianalystark & Scooter3scooter

Intern Spider By Emily_F6

Let Me Pave The Path Until You Come Back (Series) By Elliahrose

Man In A Can By Jinxquickfoot

On The Other Side Of The Door By Iron_Spider

Only For A Little While By By Eccentric_Artist_221b

Only For A Little While By Eccentric_Artist_221b

Pupper Parker By Bean_Reads_Fanfic

Starlight, Star Bright By Mainstreamelectricalparade

Stars, Hide Your Fires By Yellowdistress

Stop, Look, Listen By Forthenightisdarkandfullofterror

The 5 Times Tony Stark Helped Peter Parker’s Reputation. (And The One Time Peter Helped His.) By Deductioniskey

The Darkest Hour Is Just Before The Dawn By By Starryknight09

The Guardian By Emily_F6

The One Who Made It Out By Tiaylasglass

The Root Is Expectation By Yellowdistress

The Stars And The Moon They Have All Been Blown Out (You Have Left Me In The Dark) By Madasthesea

The Third Option By Uncertainty_Principle

Too Pure For Your Own Good By An_Odd_Idea

What Do I Need? By Scooter3scooter

Your Heart Changed (Mine Stayed The Same) By Loisselina (Loisselina)

18. THE ONE THAT GAVE YOU ALL THE LOVE — We all love Irondad, but some stories come with bonus bonds that give us just as much. Do you have a Peter & Bucky, or a Peter & Steve working alongside which delivers all the found family goodness?

5 Times Happy Hogan Nearly Had A Heart Attack Because Of Peter Parker By Thespydersargon

Be Careful What You Wish For, You May Just Get It By Savana_Marlark

Between How It Is And How It Should Be By Frostysunflowers

Brighten Up, Sunshine By Iron_Spider

Give Him The Life, That I Couldn’t Give You By Superherotiger

I Have A Nephew! By Zimnokurw

It Must Be Nice (To Have Mrs. Potts On Your Side By Sdottkrames

It Takes A Village (To Make Sure You're Okay) By Baloobird

Keeping Watch By Oreoluvr13

Kingdom Come Undone By Killerqueenwrites

Let Me Pave The Path Until You Come Back (Series) By Elliahrose

Parallels By Kianisabitch

Perfectly Parental By Bergen

Project: Get Bucky Barnes A Dog By Ruxian

Road Work Ahead By Toniwilder

Rules Are Made To Be Broken By Ironmum

Sea Of Expectations By Astro_Cat13

The Darkest Hour Is Just Before The Dawn By Starryknight09

The Definition Of Family By Queen (Ramble)

The Missing Lego Piece By Thedisneyoutsider

The Puzzle That Is Peter Parker By Neuropsyche

Titles By Aimaim94

When In The Dark By Kevy_Grayce

Will You Be My Found Family? By Frostyqueen

Worst Summer Vacation By Mysterycyclone

19. THE PROLIFIC WRITER AWARD — Irondad has some amazingly prolific writers. Which are the ones you’ve subscribed to get at that fic-wonder goodness of 10 works or more?

14million_Constellations

Aimaim94

Ashleyparker2815

Baloobird

Bean_Reads_Fanfic

Bowtiez

Buckets_Of_Stars

Capstar98

Cold_Nights_Summer_Days

Doctornineandthreequarters

Duskblue

Eccentric_Artist_221b

Emily_Davison

Emily_F6

Fictionalworldsareexquisite

Frostysunflowers

Grilledcheesing

Happyaspie

Hold_Our_Destiny

Iamalystark

Iamirondad

Icylightning

Imgoingtocrash

Inkinmyheartsandonthepage

Ironfamjam

Ironmum

Iron-Spider

Isnt_It_Pretty_To_Think_So

Jelly_Pies

Jen27ny

Jolinarjackson

Joyful_Soul_Collector

Jwriter819

Killerqueenwrites

Killerqueenwritws

Kitkatwinchester

Littlemissagrafina

Losingmymindtonight

Madasthesea

Magicalyss

Maicaly

Mainstreamelectricalparade

Marvelous_Writer

Marvels_Blue_Phoenix

Mshermia

Myglassesaredirty

Nanixerka

O0citrusee0o

Parkrstark

Rosesandribbons

Sandyk

Scooter3scooter

Sdottkrames

Softdadironman

Starryknight09

Summerwolf

Superherotiger

Tempestaurora

Thedisneyoutsider

Thedumbestavenger

Turtle_Bean

Webtrinsic

Whumphoarder

Wisterispidey

Wolfypuppypiles

Xseshatx

Yellowdistress

20. THE NEWBIE — New writers are joining the fandom all the time. Who’s the newbie (posting for 12 months or less) that’s delivering the good stuff for you?

107thinfantry

Anoddidea

Asherkoyal

Baymax_13

Bung

Canonismybitch

Carpediem369

Da_Moose

Eemolu

Emily_Davison

Fallingforbees

Forthenightisdarkandfullofterror

Freyaatterton

Frostyqueen

Imeanthatsprettysnazzy

Ironmum

Jinx_Frost

Just_Ppeachy

Kittybellestark

Krystalpomme

Lilacsoulw

Maicaly

Marvelousbutterfly

Omenthia_Arc

Patrochilles_Trash

Penny4yourThoughts

Peters

Peterspajamas

Polaroid15

Punkybunny

Revengewitch

Rosesandribbons

Silverdraconyx

Skiesbluetoday

Spagbol99

Sunflowerspideyy

Thedisneyoutsider

Theexhaustedalchemist

Theweirdpersonnextdoor

Thisisnotourlasthunt

Winterturtle

Wolf5bane

21. THE OG — Who’s the writer that’s been around for a while (12 months or more) that keeps you captivated?

Aceofstars16

Aimaim94

Almond_Blossoms

Ashleyparker2815

Baloobird

Bean_Reads_Fanfic

Blueh

Bowtiez

Buckets_Of_Stars

Caraminha

Cold_Nights_Summer_Days

Doctornineandthreequarters

Duskblue

Eccentric_Artist_221b

Emily_F6

Evotter

Frostysunflowers

Geekymoviemom

Gremlinsr

Grilledcheesing

Happyaspie

Iamirondad

Imgoingtocrash

Inkinmyheartandonthepage

Iron_Spider

Ironfamjam

Isnt_It_Pretty_To_Think_So

Jelly_Pies

Jen27ny

Jolinarjackson

Karenninaaa

Kevy_Grayce

Killerqueenwrites

Little_But_Mighty

Losingmymindtonight

Madasthesea

Marveal

Ms Hermia

Myglassesaredirty

Parkrstark

Rejectedmarvel

Scooter3scooter

Shoyzzart

Snarkymuch

Spooderboyandtincan

Starryknight09

Summerwolf

Superherotiger

Tempestaurora

Tonystarkissist

Trickster88

Webtrinsic

Whumphoarder

Wolfypuppypiles

Yellowdistress

22. THE WILD CARD STORY — The story that does (or doesn’t) fit into the above categories but you believe deserves the prize. Which one is that for you?

5 Times Peter Sleepwalked And The 1 Time He Pretended He Did By Losingmymindtonight

A Beautiful Lie By Rayrox360

A Fic Where Superior Iron Man Gets DECKED By Nanixerka

A Peter Parker Problem, By Spagbol99

A Pressing Emergency By Whumphoarder

Aliens Really Are Out To Get You Aren't They? By Some_Sort_Of_Trash

An Uncomfortable Issue By Summerartist

Bank Robber By Purplecat7

Born To Cherish By Ironfamjam

Career Day By Superhusbands4ever (Potterwatch97)

Chickpea And Bleach Curry By S0lstice

Doing Good By Thestubb

Everyday Superhero By Stoneage_Woman

Father’s Day Troubles By Willienillieflys

Five Time Faculty Members Had To Call Peter's Emergency Contact + 1 Time He Shows Up Anyway By Kingdomfaraway

Five Times Tony And Peter Chaotically Cleaned By Ironmum

From Mr. Stark To Tony By 1minute

Glittering Green By Aimingarrows

Guess I’m Not Good Enough By Freyaatterton

I Can Hold The Weight Of Worlds (If That's What You Need) By Bluesweatshirt

I Will Soften Every Edge By Losingmymindtonight

I’m Not Telling Him. Period By Scooter3scooter

Inimitable By Ephemeralstark

Irondad NSAP (Series) By Chvotic

Irondad NSAP By Chvotic

Kids Suck, But You're Great By Gymlily06

Long Gone | Marvel Au By Strangerlyparker

Nothing Wrong With Being Yourself By Kitkatwinchester

Play By Losingmymindtonight

Research And Disaster By Blueh

Secret By Aimaim94

Tall Skies By Black_Briar

Tech Of Non-Destructive Yakking By Wabisabi

The Case Of The Tyrannical Two By Ironfamjam

The Ghost Of Heroes By Enigmaris & Scarletnightfury

The Long Way Round By Undeerqueen

The Peter Parker Conspiracy By Tempestaurora

The Real Hero By Jilycslove

The Reinvention Of Tony Stark By Losingmymindtonight

The Right Call By Boleyn13

The Stark Family, By Tonystarkissist

Things That Make It Warm By Dredfulhapiness

This Ride Is A Wild One By Just_Ppeachy

We Are Family By Icylightning

What You're Feeling Is Probably Normal By Finny3120

Winterturtle By A Different Kind Of Suprise

Wrong Number Kid By Blackshadow030930

iexist in two places, here and where you are by mindshelter

ART 1 — DIGITAL MEDIA - Who has those PhotoShop skills, who makes the best mood boards? We have some wonderful artists in the Irondad fandom, and we’re here to celebrate them. Who's your favorite artist?

@blackchessknight (tumblr)

@broskepol (tumblr)

@itsybitsyspiderling (tumblr)

@kitcat992(tumblr)

@monireh (tumblr)

@spidey-art (tumblr)

@steviesboy (Tumblr)

@superherotiger (tumblr)

ART 2 — SKETCHES — Who has the skills with the original medium of art in sketches? Whose pencil can create the characters we love best?

@broskepol (Tumblr)

@dakt37 (Tumblr)

@monireh89 (Tumblr)

Ellarie.png (Instagram)

@dchanberry (Tumblr)

ART 3 — CARTOONS — Chibis, Manga, Anime, who can create the very best?

@Maryo274 (Tumblr)

@yes-i-am-happyaspie (Tumblr)

@maryo274 (Tumblr)

@akira-akatsuki (Tumblr)

@mjscorner (Tumblr)

Ellarie.png (Instagram)

Ironkrispies (Instagram)

ART 4 — FANVID — Some of the greatest creators are the ones that match the music to the mood, find the perfect scenes to make us laugh and cry. Who does that for you?

Emsxworld

all my life || tony & peter (father/son au) by akapotatogirl

tony stark & peter parker | ashes by mythicalroyalty

mblaqminoz

My Dad's a Hero to Me by MsMorganStark

You Are The Reason l Tony Stark & Peter Parker by Chocolala

Tony Stark & Peter Parker (Adoption Au) || Home by andrea d

Ellaire.png (Instagram)

Tony Stark & Peter Parker | A Stark Family AU | Home by Ineffable Films

ART 5 — BEST IRON FAMILY FANART — Who can create those feeling of Ironfam with their art? Who captures the characters we love in that iconic family.

@superherotiger (Tumblr)

@broskepol (Tumblr)

ellarie.png (Instagram)

@moonestaly (Tumblr)

@spidey_art (Tumblr)

@peterokii (Tumblr)

ART 6 — MOST HEARTBREAKING FANART — Art can move us to tears. Who captures those moments and brings tears to your eyes?

@cottoncandyofterror (Tumblr)

@eccentric_artist_221b (Tumblr)

@spidey-art (Tumblr)

@superherotiger (Tumblr)

Artinggrace (Instagram)

Ellarie.png (Instagram)

ART 7 — BEST HURT/COMFORT — Who captures the pain of the moment best for you?

@broskepol (Tumblr)

@chocolala

@spidey-art (Tumblr)

@tonystarkissist (Tumblr)

I will always love you (no matter what...) by @monireh (Tumblr)

ART 8 — THE WILD CARD ART— The art that does (or doesn’t) fit into the above categories but you believe deserves the prize. Which one is that for you?

@cainternn (Tumblr)

@Iwritedumbshit (Tumblr)

@rhymewithrachel (Tumblr)

Hannssm (Instagram)

#Irondad Creator Awards #irondad #spider son #irondad and spiderson #art #writers #fanfic #fanart #artists #fandom awards #spider-man #peter parker #iron man #tony stark

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mmvalentine · 4 years ago

Note

Will you do an Acotar scene lift from Rhys’s perspective under the mountain in between the trials? We only get vague mentions of what happens because of the wine Freyre and I think it would just be really interesting to see Rhys’s perspective. I love your writing btw it always makes me smile to see you’ve posted something ❤️

My darling let me tell you I really struggled with this, because these scenes hurt me a lot. Re-reading the scenes, it seems like Feyre spends the whole time really sick and wondering what happened while she was drugged and practically dissociating. BUT, I persist because I know you've been following for a while, and I so appreciate your support and wanted to make you something. I hope this is okay, it's not exactly the steamy stuff I usually write but it's my interpretation of what was going on (and let's be honest, my way of making sense of why Rhys was making not the best decisions).

In Between

Feyre was in danger. Again.

Aramantha's guards were dogs, and I wasn't surprised by this, but it was exhausting. Every time I turned my back there was something they were up to- taunting Feyre, giving her impossible tasks, threatening to torture her. As if being locked in a cell Under The Mountain wasn't bad enough.

I wasn't too proud to admit that I had become quite attached to the little human slip of a thing. She was so small, so fragile, so mortal. And yet here she was, a thorn in Aramantha's side the way that I... I couldn't be. Not if I wanted her eyes far away from Velaris.

So there I was, living vicariously through a human girl and secretly rooting for her like it's the only way I can defy Aramantha. I suppose it is.

For the last few nights, I'd taken to walking past the cell block to listen in on the guards. Nothing too alarming was happening for the first couple of days, but now that the next task was nearing, they had new orders. I was torn between exasperation that Feyre seemed to constantly be in peril, and a spark of interest. If Aramantha was trying to get Feyre killed between tasks, it meant some part of her was truly afraid she'd win. And I liked the idea of Aramantha afraid.

But the immediate situation on hand was that the guards were going to make her remove the salt from a high fae's bathwater, or else they'd pull the teeth out of her head.

For Cauldron's sake.

I would have thought it better for Feyre to sit quietly in her cell and be forgotten. At least she'd get a moment's peace between Aramantha's tasks. But in fact it seemed that Aramantha did not mean her to make it to the next task, and no one was watching her schemes.

So.

I'd have to keep an eye on her myself.

But how to do so, when I was also expected at Aramantha's revels every night? I'd just have to bring her with me.

If Under the Mountain was modeled after the Court of Nightmares, then at least I knew the rules of the game. I knew how to make people notice her.

And so the next night, before the guards could get to her again, I sent in spies to make sure she was going to be fit for a Nightmare revel. They brought clothes- but they were barely clothes. She'd be ripped apart in seconds with that much bare skin. Think, think.

There was one other way to cover skin. In the Illyrian tradition, with ink. I was sure enough of my reputation with the court that no one would risk touching her I was sure to find out. Okay. So Cerridwen and Nuala would paint her every bare patch of skin, and then no one could touch her.

The night of the revel arrived, and when I went to collect Feyre, she was trying to tear off her dress. Alarm flashed through me. Fool that I am, I hadn't considered the fact that of course she would loathe this role. Humans have such a low tolerance for wickedness.

"I wouldn't do that," I said from the doorway. Not willing to risk coming any closer, and scaring her into a panic.

"Our bargain hasn't started yet," she snapped. Hate flashed in her eyes, and I thought- good. She should hate me. I was Aramantha's whore, right? Fine. Better angry than scared. Better angry than vulnerable.

"Ah, but I need an escort for the party," I told her. Besides, I needed her haughty for the revel. Anything less, and they'd lose interest. "And when I thought of you squatting in that cell all night, alone..." Her eyes glazed hard, and her lips thinned. Perfect. "You look just as I hoped you would."

"Is this necessary?" she hisses at me, gesturing to the paint and silk ensemble.

"Of course," I say, letting cold soak into my voice. "How else would I know if anyone touches you?" To demonstrate, I ran a finger through the paint on her shoulder, and watched the paint fix itself. "The dress won't mar it, and neither will your movements," I told her. She needs to understand. "And I'll remember precisely where my hands have been. But if anyone else touches you- let's say a certain High Lord who enjoys springtime- I'll know."

But this was a serious point. I knew she'd want to go straight to him- Cauldron knows why, Tamlin is an insufferable pup- but I knew what she want. And I knew Tamlin had not a scrap of wit about him and would give it to her. And then Aramantha would tear us all to shreds. So.

I flicked her little upturned nose, noticing suddenly the smattering of freckles there and nearly getting distracted, and fed her the line I knew would stick. "I don't like my belongings tampered with."

If looks could kill, as they say in the Human realm.

"Come," I said. "We're already late."

Of course, that was entirely intentional. I needed all eyes on us- on her as we walked in the room. And indeed every head turned, some bowed but most just gawked at Feyre. We walked al the way to the dais, and stood before Aramantha. And Tamlin.

I'd once told Feyre that I'd wait to tell Tamlin about our little bargain. Wait until the right time. No point in exciting him into a rage while everything hung in the balance, I thought. Then again, if it were my beloved in Aramantha's cells... rage would not be an adequate word. But that was another reason I thought very little of the High Lord of Spring. Maybe a little rage would do him some good.

"Merry Midsummer," I said, bowing to Aramantha. Every time I did it, I wanted to vomit on her feet.

"What have you done with my captive?" she said, displeasure darkening in her eyes. Her tone was light, though, and I knew she'd not make a fuss in front of all these people.

"We made a bargain," I said. "One week with me at the Night Court every month in exchange for my healing services after her first task." I raised her arm to reveal the tattoo, dull next to the shining paint. "For the rest of her life."

I couldn't help it. I stared straight at Aramantha, and knew she understood my words. You tried to have her killed and I helped her. I see life beyond this mountain. I think she's going to win. It was only the thought of my family back home that prevented me from spitting the words in her face.

"Enjoy my party," was her only reply. And Tamlin? Tamlin did nothing. Didn't stir, just gripped the arms of the throne like the useless fuck he was.

I led Feyre away, and wondered if she was going to make it through the night. There was a lot of performing to be done, by both of us, if I was going to keep her out of the cells and away from the guards until the next task. Then my eyes lighted on the feasting table.

"Wine?" I offered Feyre a goblet. The perfect solution- if she drank the wine, she wouldn't have to act. Even more merciful- she wouldn't have to remember. But she shook her head.

I smiled, knowing that it did not make up for the cruel games I'd be playing this whole time. Knowing it'd do little to comfort her. "Drink. You'll need it." As much of the truth as I could tell her. Drink, I begged, kneeling at the doors of her mind.

"No," she said, and I gritted my teeth. Pushed against those doors, the flimsy shields that were far too easy to step through. I'm sorry, Feyre. I'm so sorry.

"Drink," I said, and her fingers latched onto the goblet.

As soon as the wine was gone, Feyre's body went loose. I caught her up in my arms, and her eyes were vacant. It horrified me. It was perfect.

I led her to a table and sat her down in my lap, scanning the crowd and knowing that fae all around the room were still watching us. I reached for my own goblet, and wished I could forget, too.

"Dance, Feyre," I said, as she started to slump in my lap. That would not do.

She stood unsteadily to her feet, right between my knees, and swayed to the music. Lifted her arms, trailed her hands down the sides of her breasts, and closed her gold-lidded eyes as she moved.

In any other setting, she might have been exquisite.

Here, she was hollow. She wasn't in her body, there was just a dress and some paint. And I wondered if she would ever forgive me for this. I doubted it.

A High fae came up to us, stood behind Feyre and started to dance with her. Feyre turned to him, reached for him. I grabbed her arms, and smoothed them back down to her sides.

"Mine," I growled at the fae, and his eyes narrowed, but he backed away. Cauldron. This was going to be my entire evening.

I let her dance until she started to flag, and then I set her carefully back in my lap. Couldn't let her sit anywhere else, couldn't let her out of my sight. Not like this. Not in this state.

And then when she started to droop again, I got her up to dance. Up down, dance, sit. Up again. A whole fucking routine that made me want to blow my brains out. The only upside was that Tamlin kept his eyes on us the whole time, and hated every moment. And yet still, he didn't move from his throne. Delightful.

When finally the night started down and everyone was disappearing to either their own beds or someone else's, I led Feyre back to her cell. Let her collapse on the pallet and sleep off the wine. By the time I got back to my own room, the self-loathing was enough to choke on.

But Feyre had made it through the night alive.

And if this is what it took to get her through to the second task, then I could keep doing it. After all. What was a handful of nights are fifty years Under the Mountain?

****

Agh I really don't know if this is worth anything, but I hope you get something out of it dearest, and if you don't you can always send me a different scene and I'll try again if I can x

#ask #prompt fill #acotar #idk it's not quite feysand is it #no idea what i'm supposed to tag this as #also not feeling confident enough about it to put the taglist on??#bit out of my depth haha sorry

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kingdarkstalker · 4 years ago

Text

brightest night ending revised

@queenabyss asked me how i would change the ending to arc one, so here’s a brainstorming post :}

like i said there’d be no eye of onyx, and while i think its very in character for blister to give burn a dragonbite viper, having it kill burn immediately was too much of an easy out especially when there was so easy for all of them to fly above the snake and set it on fire

so maybe it could be a red herring and a reason for peril to show herself and kill the snake for everyone. it would also keep blister and burn from fighting with a dragon with firescales standing there

then the dragons that had gathered there, all the dragons from the different flights should have gotten involved. tsunami said at the beginning of the chapter that the war was over bc “we ALL say so”, indicating the group of assembled dragons, and then they were never given a voice. i would have liked to have seen the dragons share their own trauma from the war and begin to empathize with each other through the idea there’s no real reason to be killing each other. blister and burn can’t do shit against what, hundreds of other dragons? the spectators had the TRUE power in this situation, and deserved a voice to their pain

plus, peril is there now, forcing blister and blaze to listen to the dragonets of destiny and the dragons of all the kingdoms. but itd be interesting if say, blister or burn tries to attack sunny which forces thorn and qibli into the courtyard

and instead of the immediate convenince of the eye of onyx, thorn would get into a verbal argument with blister, burn, and blaze, first about their unforgivable behavior and all the suffering they caused, then maybe blaze says something stupid which steers the conversation to what it means to be a good leader, and since thorn is actually a good leader she dragons all three of their asses through the sand with truth and empathy: that a leader doesn’t lead alone, that she cares for each and every dragon under her protection, that the vulnerable get the care and safety they need, etc etc

and while blister, burn, and blaze continue to argue who of those three should be queen, an outclaw sandwing would call from the wall that thorn should be queen instead. i think it’d be poignant if the first dragon to suggest this was the mother of the starving child in the scorpions den. shed explain how her dragonet would have died under the rule of any of the three sisters - blister and blaze who are cruel and soulless and blaze whos forgetful and vain. but thorn uses her influence to help and heal, and other outclaws join in to agree

other sandwings, having heard directly from thorn and those around her about the way she leads start to agree as well. someone who cares about peace sounds infinitely better than two warmongers and a self absorbed stoner. even the other flights cheer for thorn--she wouldn’t continue the war and might even repair alliances

burn and blister of course are enraged and not about to accept this. despite peril they both move to attack thorn. before they can pounce on her though, six-claws and the other outclaws surge down from the wall to protect thorn. encouraged, the other sandwings and even other flights join, fighting off burn and blister to protect the dragonets and thorn . i think the present seawings deserve to kill blister for what she did to their flight

burn escapes from the crowd and tries to flee, but peril keeps her in the palace and she’s overwhelmed by several triumphant sandwings. someone- we dont even get to see their face, which is poetic given how the soldiers were forced into no identity - throws a well aimed spear and kills her dead :} the weirdling tower is then repurposed into a memorial for all the dragons lost in war

the sandwings then insist on a coronation ceremony for thorn but she declines, instead insisting that they throw a palace-wide feast for every dragon from every flight that were there tonight. blaze gets to help coordinate the party (turns out she’s very good at that lmao) and food and water is offered to every last dragon, and even some dancing and singing starts

obviously its not all perfect and fine immediately--the dragons that are celebrating are trying too hard to forget, just for that moment, the trauma they will have to recover from. dragons from other flights would mostly keep to each other and their wartime allies--someone might meet someone they’d fought on the battlefield, or killed someone important to the other. this was not something to face in a crowd of strangers, though the second arc should have given these stories their deserved time

thorn speaks to queen glacier and agrees to give her the land up to blaze’s stronghold--it was already being used more by icewings than any sandwings who’d rather be caught dead than in that cold. as long, of course, they respect the border. glacier promises that she has no interest the desert--its too hot there even at night. she is first to leave with her icewings

eventually the other flights leave too after visiting and paying their respects to thorn. she tells each of them to pass along the message to their queens that the war is over, and the sandwings wish to offer peace to all phyrria

i’ll have to think more about this because i’d like to work it into my canon and i havent finished brightest night yet LMAO so thats it for now. feel free to offer suggestions!

#wings of fire #wof #the brightest night #rewrite #memories #dark thoughts

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claudiarya · 4 years ago

Text

Hey guys, I’ve written a post RoW fanfiction. I warn you that it has a death trope in it, so beware.

You can also read it on Ao3 as well.

Count words: 5990

Hope Suite

They didn’t know the moment when it all went wrong. Had it been when Kaz had accepted the job? Had it been when Inej had left Pekka Rollins alive, or when they had kept going despite all the adversities, they had encountered? The events of the last days were starting to become a blurring reel, that had done nothing but confuse them. What had started as a fairly easy job for the queen of Ravka, it then had turned out to be a major standoff with their enemies, which was putting not just one country, but the whole world as they knew it in peril. Maybe it had all gone downhill when Jarl Brum had managed to escape his prison cell at Hellgate, aided by one of his most trusted Drüskelle, his mind already too corrupted by the former General’s manipulations.

By the time he had been set free again, and had sought revenge against his detested neighbors, specifically against the witch queen and her monstrous husband, Inej, Kaz and his crew had already been too involved with their task to worry about it. How could they have known that once out, Brum was going to use everything in his power to bend Ravka? The Fjerdan man was aware that he couldn’t compete with its ruler, so he had worked out a different strategy entirely: if he couldn’t hope to win in a direct confrontation, he was going to annihilate her and her subjects from within, even if it would cost the destruction of his own country and more…

They didn’t know how Brum had gotten the information, but he had travelled to the mountains and had somehow liberated a certain shadow summoner from his sacrifice of eternal of pain, well before Zoya could do as she had planned. The shadow summoner in question had disappeared without a trace, only the Saints knew where he could have gone to hide away.

Needless to say, the darkness and its vampiric actions had started to spread again, at twice the speed. It looked like a ravenous beast had been set lose. It had extended in other countries as well, a silent and unannounced menace ravishing everything in its wake, that terrified even sailors at sea. If that wasn’t enough, Brum had also found out about Dirtyhand’s ‘involvement’ with the queen, and had made an ally with an ex Barrel boss, who had lost all his fortunes and power to a teenage crippled kid. Two powerful and dangerous men driven by their thirst for revenge had revealed themselves to be even more unstoppable than any of them had originally believed.

***

Inej remembered when Kaz had asked her to take a short leave from her sea voyages, to run one last time with him and the other crows in this task in which her skills at gathering information were going to be fundamental. Jesper had, of course, already accepted his friend’s proposition, and if at first Wylan had been skeptical, he had ended up joining the crew for the job. Perhaps for his natural instinct to follow wherever the gangly sharpshooter went, or maybe for the fact that he had made friends with the King consort, their shared love for science and ‘infernal gadgets’, as Kaz would call them, a fertile ground for common understanding.

“I won’t force you to do anything,” he had rasped to her while sitting on the roof ledge at the Slat to watch the tepid Ketterdam sun slowly blinking into existence in front of them; their intertwined fingers a testimony of how far they had already conquered together. The only thing that hadn’t won yet was their insomnia.

“Your particular set of skills is needed for this job, but I understand if you don’t want to be dragged into this,” Kaz had continued, and she had known he had slightly turned his head in her direction, as she had kept her eyes on the dawn.

After a while and still no answer from her he had sighed.

“Inej, what I’m trying to say is that we need you. I need you. I don’t think I can do this without you, so please tell me now, so I can send back a definite answer to Her Royal Pain.”

The Suli girl had marveled at his words: she didn’t think she had ever heard Kaz admit out loud that he couldn’t do something without the help of someone else.

“I’ll do it,” she had exclaimed, now turning her gaze on his stone-carved features. “But on one condition: I want Queen Zoya to help me fight against the slave trade in Ravka, and I want her to promise me that human traffickers are going to find the justice they deserve in her country.”

Kaz had squeezed her hand, the look in his eyes an oath to himself as well as to her.

***

Inej clutched her hand on her injured arm. She could feel the blood on her palm, as she watched Kaz keeping at cane point the last of the men who had tried to kill them. Their lead for the relic of Santk Feliks’s heart had taken them here, in an obscure abandoned, or so they thought, monastery on the Ravkan coast, right on the border with Fjerda. They had found out that centuries before, the order of religious men inhabiting the place had been the resting place of the only remaining part of the Saint. An easy reconnaissance job, an easy trail to follow. But ever since the spreading of the blight, of the Kilyklava, nothing had been easy. It was as if for every movement they made, their enemies were ten steps ahead of them. Inej had never seen anyone outsmart Kaz like that. Usually, he was the one who had everything under control, who could predict every outturn, every maneuver his opponents were going to make. But instead, everywhere they had attempted to gather information, they had encountered a setup of sorts: mainly the place they had intended to scout, burnt to the ground. Had they a spying traitor in their mix? Inej had never seen him more on edge than she had in the last month, but now they had passed the pretense of this being another job. It had stopped being that when the world hab been threatened by an unstoppable force and Pekka Rollins had entered the picture. It was personal. And she suspected that he was also trying to keep true to the promise he had made her.

Inej had thought they had planned this out so carefully, she was sure they would not encounter any unpleasant surprise this time. After the too many (not) coincidences, they had started scheming their way for the hunt of the heart with only the four of them and Nikolai and Zoya, who had had to, although begrudgingly, leave out the Triumvirate and their closest friends from this particular matter of international importance. How was it possible then, that their traces had been tracked even here? Kaz and Inej had offered for the job, a quick break in into the abandoned archives of the monastery, while Nikolai, Jesper and Wylan would wait for them on the Volkvolny to pick them up and leave after they had completed their task. Perhaps a smaller party was going to attract less attentions, their rouse of a devoted young group of people had served them well in the little town around the old holy building, and they had played their parts too well that Inej had forgotten for an instant that they had a bigger goal in mind. She was never going to forget the easy talk, the laughs they had shared around the table of the little tavern they had resided in, her hand clasped together with Kaz as a sort of lifeline for the both of them; her head resting delicately on his chest as they were lying down on the little bed they shared.

The four men that have been sent to kill them had caught them by surprise. Again.

Kaz had just uttered “We’ve got what we need, let’s go,” when the first thug that had tried to sneak up on him. Inej had made a quick work of the assassins, if her knives embedded in two of the men’s throats were of any indication. Despite that, one of the others had managed to graze her arm with a bullet, when she had momentarily lost her focus because the remaining one had kicked Kaz’s bad leg, eliciting a sound of pain from him. If only Jesper and Wylan had been there with them.

As she hobbled to where he was standing, Inej realized that Kaz was shaking from the effort of not to keel over in pain, his hand gripping the crow’s head of his cane so tightly, she feared he was going to snap it in half.

“Kaz...” she started

“You’re bleeding,” he rasped, diverting his gaze from the man to her, for the briefest of moments.

“It’s nothing,” she said. But she could see that he wasn’t really convinced, and with a soft grunt, he fished from his pocket a handkerchief and handed it to her, before asking to the person on the ground.

“How did you know we would be here?” his eyes two unforgiving coals.

The hired assassin didn’t answer at first but gave away in a little chuckle instead. Suddenly Kaz, still balancing his weight mostly on his good leg, brought down his cane on one of the man’s own legs. His scream of pain echoed around them in the old room.

“It doesn’t feel good, does it?” he said. This was Dirtyhands himself, any trace of the young man he had been with her at the tavern, vaporized.

“Now, tell me how you knew we were here, or I’m going to break every bone you have, and we both know how pleasant that is.”

The man chuckled again, but then he started talking.

“At times one shouldn’t look for spiders,” he said with a sickening grin. “At times, it’s the little insects nobody sees or cares to check because they’re believed to be harmless that tip the scales.”

Inej could see Kaz’s mind trying to figure out the man’s words, his gaze distant.

In that moment she realized that she was never going to tire to see that look on his face. Nor any other looks for that matter. Wobbly, the boy in question turned to her, he took the kerchief she had been pressing on her wound from her hand, and before she could realize what he was doing he tore it a bit and tied it around her bloody arm.

“Let’s get out of here,” he stated, wincing visibly as he made to move towards the door.

The man started laughing again as if Kaz had said something so funny he couldn’t control himself. Inej was on him before she could think. A knee on the thug’s sternum and her blade pressed to his throat.

“What’s so funny?” she inquired, looking down at him with disdain. She was tired, and she wanted to bring Kaz back to the Volkvolny, to get his leg looked properly after.

“In the end, you really are nothing but two delusional kids,” the man said, and Inej could feel his voice reverberate from under her knee.

“Stop speaking in riddles, or I swear to all the Saints known I’ll cut your throat right this second.”

He raised one hand in a gesture of mocking surrender. “Let’s just say that nobody is leaving this place alive,” he conceded.

“What do you mean?” asked Kaz from somewhere behind her, his tone menacing yet on guard. The tip of Inej’s knife scraped the man’s throat when he didn’t immediately answer back, two droplets of blood slid down the blade.

“This place and the whole town are about to be razed down by bombs and cannons. General Brum’s ships are approaching. They wanted to make sure our precious king consort and his flying machine didn’t leave this place unscathed. There’s no escaping your tragic fate now.” He snarled. His voice couldn’t conceal the hate he had for Nikolai, so he must have been one of those Ravkans from the West, unhappy with who was ruling over them now.

“No,” Inej said softly, and shaking her head in disbelief. “You’re lying!”

The man’s eyes lit with a manic light. “The world shall end in flames and darkness before being ruled by Gri –” He never finished his sentence, as Kaz brought down his cane once again, this time on his head.

The silence that followed could have lasted a minute or an eternity, Inej couldn’t be sure.

“Kaz,” she started again while standing.

“You need to leave. Now. I can’t walk, I think my leg is broken, but you need to leave me here and run from this place.” Kaz said, turning to look at her, the desperation palpable in his voice

“I’m not leaving,” she approached him. “We need to warn Nikolai. Tell them all to leave.”

“Inej – ”

“Either pick up the comm and call them, or give it to me, Kaz. We’re only losing time like this.” Her tone was unmovable.

Without any more protests on his part, he took out the little ingenious device Wylan and Nikolai had come up with. It permitted them to communicate even from quite long distances.

“Crow 1 and 2 to Too Clever Fox, do you copy?”

For the briefest of instants only there was only the sound of static, but then.

“Too Clever Fox here, I copy you. Kaz? What’s going on?” came the king’s voice.

“Nikolai, listen to me: you have to leave. Now. Get the Volkvolny and depart. This monastery, this town is about to be razed down by bombs. They knew we would be here; Brum’s ships are approaching. You – ”

“We’re coming to get you,” Nikolai interrupted him.

“No, there’s no time for that. You have to leave here now, or it will all be for nothing.” He looked at Inej then, his eyes searching hers in the dim light of the room with evident resignation.

“No! Kaz, Inej, no, we’re coming and we’re all surviving this.” Another protest from a different voice, Jesper’s.

“No! You have to listen and be quiet. I know where the thing we’ve looked for is. It’s hidden somewhere under the little place you train your soldiers. I also know how they’ve been able to predict our every move. Bugs. Check the war room for devices of the sort we’re using right now.”

“I will,” was Nikolai’s response.

There was another brief pause of static, Kaz spoke again, before he could be interrupted

“Jesper, Wylan,” he said. “The Crow Club and everything else is yours and Nina’s. You’ll find all the documents in my office back at the Slat. Do with them whatever you think it’s right.”

“Kaz, please we still have time, we can come and get you.” It was Wylan’s voice now that came from the other side.

Inej got closer and circled the hand in which Kaz was gripping the device with her own. “Wylan, you have to leave. Right now, ring the alarm bell of the town and go.” She started and then said:

“Guys… find my parents, tell them – tell them what happened, and that it was all for something better. We love you.”

Another anguished call for their names echoed around the room they were standing.

Inej took a breath a finished what she meant to say. “Nikolai the Wraith… take good care of her, and don’t forget our promise. When you see Nina and Zoya tell them – ”

She couldn’t finish the sentence the threat of tears pricking her eyes. Luckily the privateer answered back.

“I’ll tell them, and I promise everything we did by far will not be in vain. Thank you, my friends. We will never forget what you did for Ravka and for all of us.”

Kaz and Inej could also hear the subtle sounds of distress of their friends, their family. She realized in that moment how much all of them meant to her. Funny how life had a tendency to remind you how deeply you loved someone when you’re about to lose everything.

Kaz brought the device back on his lips and in a clear voice said: “No mourners…” and before they could hear an answer coming from the other side, he had already thrown on the ground the device and smashed it with the tip of his cane.

The movement made so that he lost his balance. He would have crashed on the ground if Inej hadn’t been there to prevent the fall. She brought his arm over and shoulder and steadied him.

Kaz looked at her intently, his face turned in her direction, his eyes scanning her features and she knew what he was about to tell her even before he spoke the words.

“Inej, you can still make it, you’re fast, you have to run and save yourself.”

“I knew you were going to say this, but if you think that I could ever leave you behind you’re sorely mistaken.”

He did not relent, and as stubbornly as ever he removed his arm from around her shoulder, he gripped his cane with all his might so as not to fall again and faced her.

“Inej, please. Run now. Live. You have so much you still have to give to this wretched world.” Kaz Brekker never said please, never. Yet here he was, a broken boy standing in front of the girl he had grown to love.

“I can’t do that,” Inej simply replied while shaking her head in denial.

“It was all my fault, and you can’t pay my foolishness with your life, I won’t allow it. It’s not worth it. I’m not worth it.”

She took the short distance separating them and put her hand atop his on his cane.

“None of this was your fault, you have to get that straight. We’ve done something good, we helped our friends, our countries. And you’ll always be worth it to me.”

At her words she felt his breath hitch, but still his eyes held behind them a strange resolution.

“I can’t be the reason why you die here today, why can’t you understand that?” Kaz’s voice cracked, perhaps with the effort of holding back his desperation. Inej brought her free hand up and gently cupped his face with her palm. Her thumb grazed his cheek in a loving gesture.

“I’m not afraid to die, Kaz. But I’m terrified at the idea of a life without you in it. So, no. I’m not leaving, not now, not ever.”

***

As they stumbled outside the musty room of the monastery, Kaz with an arm draped around Inej’s shoulder for support, the Autumnal sun had started its descent. The soft orange and purple hues of the rays reflected on the sea surface, and the waves created a gentle melody. Inej couldn’t help but think that this was the Saints’ way to lead them onto their next job, their next adventure…

They dragged their feet until they were near the shore and lowered themselves down. For a moment that felt like an eternity, they gazed to the horizon, the sheer but peaceful resignation palpable in the air.

When Kaz clasped her hand and looked at her, she remembered a conversation she had overhead between the boy and Zoya.

They had adjourned their meeting after having gone over their plan again, everyone had stepped out of the room except for Kaz and Zoya, who had prevented him from exiting with a question. Curious as to why he hadn’t joined her outside, she had stayed behind the closed door, waiting in the long corridor. She had known that Kaz, and probably the queen too, were aware that she was there, but she hadn’t cared much.

“Just out of curiosity, why are you doing this Mr. Kerch rat?” she had asked, her voice reverberating even outside.

“I thought it was pretty obvious, Your Highness. It’s for the reward.” He had replied in that wry tone of his that she knew drove Zoya crazy.

“Oh, but I don’t think it’s just that.” Even without having been inside, Inej could picture the other woman taking one of the positions she had learned the queen preferred. Arms crossed and a frowned expression to better look down on him. In the crows’ time at the palace, the two Suli women had formed an easy and quiet friendship. The captain of the Wraith had helped her queen to reacquaint herself with her Suli heritage and Inej had even told Zoya that once the situation was over, she was going to bring her to her family caravans, to spend some time amongst their people. They had become sisters at heart and by blood.

“Enlighten me with your glorious knowledge then.”

Kaz had always liked playing with fire, but he was always walking a fine line with the sovereign of Ravka. Perhaps he wanted to see how much she could take before she decided to strike him out of existence on the spot.

“When you saw that this was getting dangerous, that it wasn’t going to be an easy job, you could have easily dropped everything and return to Ketterdam with you crew. Why didn’t you? Why stay when you knew the risks?”

Inej had heard genuine interest in Zoya’s voice that didn’t bore any resentment.

“I don’t know what you want me to answer.”

“Try with the truth, I know it’s hard for you, but indulge me. I know you’re not doing this just for yourself and your own benefit, as shockingly as it may seem. You’re still here for Inej, for the promise we had sworn to keep.” The queen had said as if she had found out the deepest secret of the man standing before her.

“Let me get this straight,” he had rasped. “I’ll always do what’s best for me, but I’m also a man of my word and I made a promise.”

There had been a few seconds of absolute silence, in which probably Zoya had studied him with those piercing blue eyes of hers.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but under certain aspects we’re not that different you and I. Your prickly behavior can only last so long, Kaz, but eventually you’ll have to let go. I’ve learned that even the thickest thorns have their purposes.” The queen had said with a wisdom that at times made Inej wondered how many lives the queen had already lived.

“Ah, but here’s where your wrong, Your Excellency. In this scenario you’re comparing me to thorn wood, while actually I’m just barren land on which nothing grows.”

His lapidary answer would have been enough to render speechless anyone, but not Zoya the Grisha queen of Ravka. In her spectacular talent at having always the last word she told him: “You’ll realize that you can’t keep up this cold demeanor forever. I just hope it won’t be too late when you do.”

***

Inej squeezed Kaz’s hand tighter and looked him straight in his brown eyes, a shade lighter in the orange sun. From a distance they heard the sound of bells. Their friends had managed to give the alarm, she only hoped they were already on their way back to the palace. The tolls were shortly followed by another sound: propellers guiding the Fjerdan ships to face the town and the monastery. With a small smile grazing her feature she told him said.

“You were wrong. You were wrong that time when you spoke with Zoya.” If at the beginning of her sentence he had seemed confused, now she could see he understood what conversation she meant.

“You’re not just barren land, Kaz. You managed to build something from nothing, you survived all those terrible things in your life and in the process, you managed to grow, to thrive, to do something good for Ravka and your friends. I’m sure your brother would be proud of you. I know I am.” He didn’t reply.

The rumbling of the aircrafts was almost cacophonic, in contrast to the peace they had basked in not a few minutes ago. Despite that, it was as if the two of them had been placed in a protective bubble of their own, in which not even those machines of war could destroy.

Perhaps it was the lightening, but Inej swore those were unshed tears glinting in Kaz’s eyes. In all the years she had known him, she had never even seen him get emotional or choked up about something, but here, now, on this shore with her, Dirtyhands was doing just that.

“I’ve never wanted for it to end like this – his shoulders shook as he held back a sob – for us, to end like this. Inej, believe me when I tell you that if I could go back, I would do so many things differently. If I could go back, I would start to show you how much I admire you, how much I love you so much earlier than I did.”

Inej’s hand found his face again. The tip of her fingers skimmed his lips in such a tender gesture that they parted under her touch.

“There’s no need for that, Kaz, I already know. And it doesn’t matter how early or late you started. You show me you love me every day.” Her limb continued on her exploration: she touched his brow, his eyes, his cheekbones. “I propose a deal: I’ll find you in the next life Kaz Rietveld, and even there I’ll be waiting for you perched on your windowsill feeding the crows.”

Still looking at her straight in the eye, he let go of her hand, removed his gloves discarding them on the sand and rubbed her disheveled braid between two trembling fingers.

“The deal is the deal. I’ll find you there then.”

The rumble of the ship cannons had reached a deafening peak as their beams struck mercilessly on the monastery in an unescapable trap of fire.

Before the very end, the two held themselves up on trembling knees and embraced the other. A small smile of resigned happiness on both of their faces.

“Stay with me,” Kaz whispered, and unlike another and far time her answer was clear.

“Always.” Inej swore.

Saints protect us both, was the last thing she thought.

And then there was nothing but searing light.

***

In Os Alta the feast on Sankt Nikolai was fast approaching, but even if she was the queen Zoya didn’t feel much festive. The white, still landscape of her country at this time of the year was an accurate representation of what she had been feeling ever since they had managed to find the heart of Sankt Feliks, save Ravka from the plague and its enemies with another peace treaty and bring the Darkling – or Aleksander as he insisted to be called – back to the little palace where they could control him. She knew they were taking a risk, but it was safer to have him closer than not knowing where he was. It had been a hard decision, but she wasn’t going to murder him in cold blood, she was not going to turn into a monster, as he had in his lust for power. In his loneliness.

When everything had come back to a pseudo- normality, when she had had time to think and just be, it was then that everything she had been holding back for the sake of her country hit her with tenfold the force.

Zoya had understood that keeping emotions bottled inside you, was going to eat you alive in the longer run. It was something she was learning every day, and that she was willing to change, if only a bit. She had started letting go in the small gestures of affection she shared with Genya, in the loving words she had with Nikolai, in the playful banters she occasionally allowed herself to have with the rest of her friends. Her family.

And so, as the Grisha queen strode towards her garden, the winter sun barely a strip on the horizon of a new morning, she couldn’t help the tears that fell down in two cold streaks down her face. Zoya brought an arm up to dry them, the sensation of the thick wool of her winter kefta both prickly and a reassurance.

She opened the door of the little corner of her world. Nobody entered this sanctuary except for Nikolai, since she hadn’t allowed anybody else to see her soul from that close. The structure her king had built for her always managed to leave her speechless. The glass and iron were combined in perfect harmony, and when Zoya worked in it by day, the sun would cast and create a series of little mesmerizing rainbows. However, what would always speak to her were the walls, painted by Alina. The roaring dragon flying, the little fox, the ship resembling the Volkvolny mastering the sea, the colors and symbols of the Grisha orders were her most trusted companions during the solitary hours of her gardening.

It was there where Nikolai found her, tending to her plants and flowers. She heard him enter her safe haven, and she supposed he had come out to her when he had awoken and hadn’t seen her resting beside him. He approached her and kneeled beside where she was on the ground, a rather small pot between her hands. Nikolai knew that when she was working here like this, he would have had to let go of his privateer side, and just be the man she had fallen in love with and married. In short, he needed to be her anchor.

“Those are nice flowers,” he said, pointing to the little thing with red petals. A genuine interest coloring his voice.

“They’re wild geraniums.” Was Zoya’s noncommittal answer. Her eyes hadn’t looked up at him.

“And what is that other sprout beside the flowers?” Nikolai prompted her again, indicating the smaller, yet visible plant growing alongside the geraniums. It looked like it was enveloping the geraniums in an embrace, its green leaves a stark, yet so right, contrast with the red of the petals.

This time she raised her gaze, and her blue orbs found a pair of comforting hazel ones staring back at him.

“It’s ivy.” Again, she didn’t let herself go into any sort of explanation.

“I remember you with a vase like this when you left for the Suli caravans.”

So, he had noticed, of course he had. Zoya was always taken aback by the fact that when it came to her, Nikolai was even a closer observant than he already was.

As soon as everything had settled after the whole ordeal, she had decided that she was going to be the one to bring the news to the Ghafas. Her and only her with no escort and no Nikolai in tow. She had told him that she had to do this particular thing alone, and he had just hugged her and encouraged her to go. It had been a spiritual journey of sorts; one she had promised her other Suli sister they would take together…

“Yes,” she said in a whisper. “They were Inej’s favorite flowers. I brought a pot to her parents when I visited the camps. It was the least I could.” With her hand she showed him other three little vases with the same brightly colored flowers and green little sprout of ivy on the side. “Those are for Nina, Jesper and Wylan. It’s their present for Sankt Nikolai.”

“Zoya,” he started. She knew they’ve been over this before, and yet she couldn’t seem to let her sense of guilt leave her.

“They knew what they were doing, it was their choice.”

“Yes, but it doesn’t make it any easier, Nikolai. When I met her parents – she shook her head – they treated me like their own. Like I was family. I’ve never felt so accepted, so… seen in my life, except for when I’m with you. And yet I’m part of the reason why their daughter has been taken away from them. They both have been taken away from them.” A small moment of silence, and once again she couldn’t stop the little tear escaping the corner of her eye.

“I just don’t understand how there can be such kindness after so much loss.” Zoya wondered out loud.

“It’s the nature of human beings, and also our strength.” Nikolai said. “Even after losing everything, we find it in ourselves to get back on our feet and fight for something new, something worth all the suffering.” He dragged himself closer to Zoya with his arms and then raised a hand to cup her cheek, gently steering her face in his direction. His thumb brushing away the stray tear marking her face.

“As long as there is life, there is happiness, Zoya. There is hope for a brighter future. And that’s exactly what Kaz and Inej had brought us: hope to build something better from the ashes.” He paused and behind his eyes she could see the same emotions that had been haunting her, testimony of the fact that he too had been grieving his friends.

“Don’t let your sorrow squander the hope they enabled with their sacrifice, because you wouldn’t be honoring their memories in that ways.”

“Oh, Nikolai,” she exhaled before throwing her arms around him with such a force he momentarily lost his balance. “Thank you!”

“Any time, my queen. I’ll always be here.” He promised.

“And besides, you know how much I love when I’m being all smart and wise. I couldn’t let this occasion to show it to you slip by.” He finished with a much brighter tone. Zoya softly chuckled, something she hadn’t thought being capable of mere months ago and told him with fake exasperation.

“Of course, you couldn’t. It’s your modesty I fell for after all.”

They remained in each other’s arms for an indefinite amount of time. The only indication of the time passing was the sun which har finally risen, and now was beating on the glass panels of the garden. Zoya continued tending to her plants, all a part of her in some capacity, as Nikolai watched her in a comforting silence, seated on the ground and with his back against a small tree.

“Why the ivy?” he asked her all of a sudden. His eyes returning once again on the pots near him.

“It can grow even in poor soils and although it requires more time for it to bloom than other plants, when it does its resilience it’s unmatched.” Zoya saw Nikolai nodding in understanding.

“I also found the meaning behind it fitting,” She added.

“What’s the meaning?”

“It symbolizes the constancy of love.”

There was a brief silence in which she saw him taking in the information.

“It is as fitting as it is beautiful,” he said, while he rose to his feet and brought her closer once again, placing a soft kiss on her dark mane.

As they left to go back to the palace, hand in hand, Zoya thought to herself that in life there were people whose souls were connected and strung in ways that couldn’t be explained by logic. She looked at Nikolai walking alongside her and smiled softly to herself, sure she had found the missing piece of her complicated puzzle in the golden boy beside her.

Her gait hadn’t felt this light in months.

In a glass garden, in a country ruled by a powerful Grisha queen with the heart of a dragon, a plant of geraniums and ivy grew stronger by the day, forever entwined in their embrace of constant love for the other.

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