#ik he probably has other magic ways of stopping her

[cxlandine]

canon is ayda mopily wandering great planes and jungles witnessing the dawning of time itself trying desperately to pickpocket her father's watch so she can sneak off to see her gf. canon is also arthur aguefort conveniently spotting a diplodocus and swinging his hips in excitement just as her mage hand is about to grab it.

[vallettamango]

Camp Half-Blood Headcanons

Things that probably would happen at camp. (Also ik that its set in the 2000s but just ignore I wanted to include some newer pop culture)

They have a annual memory/yearbook for the summer 

Chiron will pick a few kids from different cabins and give them old film cameras to capture moments from camp

Chiron takes the “yearbook” committee  group into nyc for a weekend they develop the pictures and make a single yearbook which Chiron keeps a stack of in the big hall where any campers can look back at past ones in their free time

A few years back at the request of some summer only campers he has started scanning the books digitally and emailing it to campers/parents so everyone can have a copy

They take one big camp group photo on the last day of summer

 There’s a section at the end called “camps most likely to” and/or voted most ____

Here’s a few of them: 

Connor Stoll is most likely to win a pie eating contest

Will Solace was voted most helpful camper

Austin Lake was voted to have the best smile 

Cecil Markowitz was voted to have the best laugh

Alice Miyazawa was voted most likely to stay calm in a stressful situation

Drew Tanaka was voted best dressed (Piper and Leo still think that’s not true camp opinion and that the voting was tampered with)

Nyssa Barrera is most likely to shave her head

the stolls obviously sell contraband to other campers (snacks, weed, makeup etc) 

Apollo cabin has 1 of 2 CD players in camp. When their older siblings would go home for the summer they would burn CDs with requests from everyone in the cabin and bring them back the next summer 

The other one used to be in the big hall and used communally 

It got broken during an intense food fight, everyone blames Ares cabin because their the ones that flipped their table over 

The secluded area at the top of the strawberry field is known as the date spot for older campers 

Aphrodite cabin made an initiative to have the camp supply campers with sex Ed and started a bowl of condoms in the infirm for anyone to take 

Will Solace (and the other counsellors before him) will have dance partys to cheer up their younger siblings. like they'll just turn on music and jam n dance, they even have a specific CD for it. (Lee Fletcher started tradition)

Katie Gardner from demeter and Rachel Dare started baking as a new camp activity during free periods. They also teach about growing your own ingredients and nutritional value 

Hermes cabin (Travis probably) once tried to make slap ass Friday a thing, it didn’t end well.

Definitely at some point some older campers in Demeter were growing weed in the greenhouse and selling it to other campers (in partnership w the stolls who distributed it)

they were stopped after about a month or two by Chiron who was not happy at all 

Once Sherman yang became head counselor of Ares they all got matching pjs (I’m sorry I just love that idea)

Valentina and Mitchell’s from Aphrodite like to braid the mains of the Pegasus 

Athena cabin loves to compete amongst each other of who can do sudoku the fastest, do a crossword first or win scrabble

Clarisse used to take ares cabin on morning jogs everyday 

Once Hephaestus cabin built a giant nerf gun that shot meatballs 

Aphrodite cabin covers their walls in posters of fashion and pop culture icons like: vivienne Westwood, the devil wears prada, Marilyn Monroe, 10 things I hate about you, destiny child etc 

they’re currently obsessed with Sabrina carpenter. Lacy brought the CD of short n sweet and they’ve been listening to it non stop (Apollo cabin has been nice enough to lend them the CD player when their not using it)

A bunch of the younger ish campers were obsessed with the magic tree house book series (iykyk) because the camp had a box set in Ancient Greek (somehow?)

They thought it was cool how the magic treehouse was kind of like the human vs demigod world so relatable in a way

Kids from all the cabins would share them so they got pretty beat up but they were very well loved until the day the binding literally fell apart

For year round campers their end of school year Summative for social sciences (geography, history, Ancient Greek/english) they each research an event in American history then explain how it’s related to a specific god and the impact they had on the event 

They all present them and they can present the project in any form they want (an art piece, a speech,  a retelling of the event etc)

When campers go for their last summer they sign their bunks

After the battle of manhattan or a demigod dies before they get to turn 18 their sibling will sometimes write their names on the bunks for them

Once Aphrodite cabin snuck into other cabins during the day and hid a photo of Channing tatum's abs under the bed slats of all the head counselors

Everyone was just confused when they found this random photo months later  

 If you walk by the communal showers on Apollo cabins shower day and you’ll definitely hear all them harmonizing to baby by Justin beiber

[jime777]

For day one, I chose to draw “a missing scene” from the games! Micaiah and Soren supports that would very probably have existed if there were supports in Radiant Dawn <3

Both Micaiah and Soren are my favourite characters from the duology, the fact they have so much in common and it's left unexplored is a little sad. They had so much potential!

During the RD epilogue, we learn that the two of them were supposed to be the rulers of their respective countries, Soren being the crown prince to Daein (and a prince of Goldoa as well) and Micaiah, the future empress of Begnion.

Not only that, but they also descend from two of the legendary heroes that fought Yune during the Great Flood and defeated her; Dheginsea and Altina. And they are the ones that more than 1000 years later join her instead to stop Ashera.

But for different reasons, they end up growing up far from court. Though they both are raised by a woman early in their lives, the treatment they receive differs greatly and doesn't impact them in the same way. The motive for this being they are “one of the Branded”, laguz and beorc blood alike flow through their veins, granting them special powers and marking their body with a “brand”. Plus, Micaiah and Soren´s laguz side come from herons and (black) dragons, the laguz who live the longest amount of time.

Micaiah´s “mother” raised her more or less as anyone would raise a kid, but she led a reclusive life to keep her safe. She explained what her heritage means too, telling Micaiah that she should hide it to be safe.

Soren´s caretaker was disgusted by him and displayed a very abusive behaviour towards him, going so far as to sell him to an old mage who mistook him for a spirit´s charmer. This led to Soren not realising what he truly was until he was 19 years old!

Growing up, both of them had one person, specifically a beorc, that they trust with their secret and their life. I personally think that Micaiah and Sothe´s base conversation is a little of a parallel to Ike and Soren´s A support in Path of Radiance.

Micaiah: Yes, I’m sure of that. Muarim seems very trustworthy. But, what about everyone else? What would they think if they knew all of my abilities came from the mixed blood running through my veins? Blood they consider cursed!

Sothe: Micaiah, stop…

Micaiah: Right now, when they look at me, they have love and affection in their eyes, but would they look at me the same way if they knew? I don’t want to find out, Sothe. I don’t think I could bear the truth.

Sothe and Micaiah base conversation in chapter 8

Soren: It’s a cross between a beorc and a laguz. Such a taboo union violates every teaching of the goddess. And of society. We are untouchables. Abominations. Condemned to a life of hatred and shunning from both races.

Ike: Wait, wait. Hold it a second. Let me make sure that I follow you… You’re part laguz?

Soren: Yeah. This mark on my forehead is the proof. I learned about it while researching ancient books at the Mainal Cathedral. I always thought it was a birthmark. Others thought that it was the mark of a Spirit Charmer.

Ike: What’s a Spirit Charmer?

Soren: Magic comes from interaction with spirits. If you let one into your body, it will give you tremendous power…for a price. That’s why the old sage was so interested in me. He thought I had struck such a deal. But instead, I was just a filthy Branded.

Ike: All right. I understand. So?

Soren: …What do you mean, “so?”

Ike: So, you have laguz blood in your veins. So, you have a mark to prove it. So… What’s the problem?

Soren: What’s the problem…? Don’t you find me repugnant!? I work beside you, eat beside you. I’m nothing! I don’t belong anywhere! Doesn’t that sicken you?

Ike and Soren´s A support in Path of Radiance

Micaiah and Soren have very similar thoughts about what it means to be Branded and how others perceive them, though Soren´s tend to be much darker especially in PoR due to his childhood.

The distinction is that, while Soren has already met two other branded characters (Stefan, and Petrine if you make them fight during chapter 23 of PoR), Micaiah still hasn't met anyone she can relate to.

This is the reason she is so moved after encountering Soren for the first time, and why she is more upset to be forced to fight him than the others.

Soren: …Ah, that explains quite a bit about the stories that surround you.

Micaiah: Who are you? You’re… You’re just like me!

Soren: Yes, they call our kind the Branded. As the years pass, I understand better and better how others see us.

Micaiah: You are so… cold. It’s like you’re cloaked in frost. Is there even blood in your veins?

Soren: There is. Blood very similar to yours, in fact. Blood that teaches us what it means to be rejected and alone.

Micaiah: Your heart is frozen, but I feel a warm core trying to melt through that ice. I see… You have someone you cherish very much. Someone you rely on.

Soren: Do not presume to understand me, you ridiculous girl. You have no idea who I am and what I can do. None at all. Daein has no business in this war. I will defeat you swiftly and send you and your army back to Daein.

Micaiah: I finally meet my own kind, and he is an enemy…… I will not retreat. I won’t let you go any further!

Micaiah and Soren battle dialogue during Part 3 - Chapter 7 of Radiant Dawn

Micaiah is also the first person Soren tells he is Branded out of his own volition after Ike. Having passed 3 years since then, he feels more confident about it. And knowing she is the same as he, he's not scared anymore. In this scene, Micaiah openly uses her power to read his heart too, the power that comes from her mixed blood and that he has as well.

Not many people know this since this conversation is actually impossible (in my experience) to get in game, but they have another dialogue if you make them fight during Part 3 - Chapter 13!

Soren: Our last battle, in the valley. Was that your strategy?

Micaiah: …

Soren: That was impressive. You killed thousands of beorc soldiers with your little ambush. Well done.

Micaiah: I…

Soren: The Maiden of Dawn… What are you? One of the Branded, that’s for sure. But there is something else about you… Power. Yes, I can feel it in you. You possess great power.

Micaiah: Yes, and you would know. There’s something very different about you, too. Your energy feels so…ancient. You and I seem to have so much in common.

Soren: That doesn’t matter in the slightest. The only thing that does matter is that you are a dangerous adversary. You are also in Ike’s path, so it falls to me to remove you. It’s almost a shame. Farewell, Maiden of Dawn.

Micaiah: So, you fight for someone, as well. So very much alike… But I will defeat you. I will protect the ones I love!

Micaiah and Soren battle dialogue during Part 3 - Chapter 13 of Radiant Dawn

This one is even more surprising, Soren is PRAISING someone! Micaiah brings up how much alike they are and actually hints to Soren´s heritage with that “ancient energy” meaning dragon blood. They both are able to feel the other is not only Branded, but that there is something deeper.

This interaction also shows a slightly softer Soren with him regretting having to kill her, be it for how capable she is or the secret they share.

They have one more interaction during the RD Voice Drama that took place in the 2019 FE Expo, but it is more of a funny moment intended to be comedy than actually exploring them. It always takes me out though!

Micaiah: Around this arm, it will grow thicker and stronger.

Ike: Ah, no, please don't touch-

Soren: Wait right there. You don't need to touch his arm to do your fortune-telling.

Micaiah: Eh? You have some deep scratches right here...

Ike: Ah, come to think about it, just now...

Micaiah: Please do not move. I will heal it.

Ike: Eh?

Micaiah: Get healed-

Soren: Step away from Ike.

Micaiah and Ike: Ah?!

Soren: No healing allowed from amateurs. Hmm, that's right. Tell MY fortune.

Micaiah: Oh, um, okay. Then, your hand, please. Huh? You... You are... The same as me!?

Soren: Huh? What are you say-

Sothe: Micaiah!

Soren and Micaiah during the Voice Drama stage (“Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn Voice Drama Converging Radiance and Dawn: An Interlude Tale” Eng subbed in YouTube by “Fudgenuggets”)

This is placed somewhere between PoR and RD, just when she is about to read Soren´s future she realises he is Branded as well and is shocked by it, which results in Sothe escaping with her and not developing it further.

During the Tellius CD Drama that takes place in Part 3 - Chapter 7, they appear in the same scene but sadly they do not interact.

Now, going back to what I started with, the way they approach learning about their past and their family is vastly different too.

Micaiah on one hand, as can be seen in the epilogue, seeks a relationship with her little sister, Sanaki, and wishes to have a talk with Sephiran as well during endgame.

Soren on the other hand is hinted to understand that the “random lady” who asked for his name is his mother (Almedha <3, I could talk about her for hours too), but even then he completely ignores it and treats her as he would treat any other person. And then, leaves Tellius with no intention to come back. With how smart he is, he probably connected the dots to when he felt so uncomfortable in Goldoa back in PoR.

“As far as Soren was concerned, his past as the prince of Daein among other things was not really of any interest - because he had forged and travelled his own path.”

Soren´s profile in Tellius II recollection book (Translated by “Kantopia”)

Fits his character a lot, and makes me feel SO proud of how far he has come!

Although Micaiah had the same idea as him, she ends up deciding to stay on Tellius and becomes the new queen of Daein instead.

Ike: You mean the blood of the laguz?

Micaiah: So you knew. Did you find out from the boy who’s always beside you?

Ike: Soren. Yeah. I guess you both know how to recognize people with a similar nature.

Micaiah: Yes. He and I are both Branded.

Ike: …Don’t use that word. You and Soren are both people. Just like me and everyone else.

Micaiah: People. You’re just like Yune. You call both laguz and beorc people.

Ike: Why should I care about the colour of your hair, eyes, and skin? Or your ears, wings, or tail? No matter how long you live or what powers you possess, we’re the same. At the end of the day, we’re all people.

Micaiah: … Sothe talks that way, too. His time with you changed him. Thank you, Ike. I’ve made up my mind.

Ike: About what? I didn’t realise we were doing anything but talking.

Micaiah: I thought I might travel to a far-off place after all of this was over. But I won’t. I’ll go back to Daein. No matter what happens, I’ll have Sothe by my side. I have nothing to fear as long as he’s with me.

Micaiah and Ike base conversation in Endgame - 3

And in this base conversation, she mentions Soren too!

It is definitely a shame that Radiant Dawn was rushed in the end and they did not have enough time to implement all that was planned. The Branded are barely talked about in PoR, and though expanded much more on during RD, I always think there was much more going on with them.

Writing this was something I had always wanted to do and very much enjoyed. Hope it makes people more curious about the similarities between these two!

[callmedylan]

Idea I had for a Dungeon Meshi swap AU

(Farcille and Chilaios fans why are we yet to make a swap AU where Laios x Chilchuck and Falin x Marcille swap.)

(P.S I only recently got into dungeon meshi like a month ago + I’m going off the anime and a bit of character facts from the manga so beware I might get some stuff wrong 💔)

Recently I’ve been cooking up (pun intended) this idea for a swap AU, ofc I love when ppl swap Falin and laios’s places but I wish they’d swap more characters and their stories, so it got me thinking about different possibilities.

what if Chilchuck and Laios were the ones that met in Magic school and become good friends? (for the sake of the AU let’s just say half foots live a bit longer so they age more similarly to humans). Chilchuck learned magic cause he didn’t want to be seen as weak or greedy for his race, which led him to getting miraculously accepted into a prestigious College for magic (which leads him to later learn Dark magic). It’s not his fault he befriended the “weirdo” human boy from said school and now has to save him (he’s worried sick he’s just emotionally constipated as hell).

Along with all this, after being saved from that spirit as a child, Laios realizes he has a love for monsters and what not; which later leads to his love for magic. When hes able to work with his little sister in their group as a Cleric, he was super excited to travel with friends and see all the monsters they come across, it’s too bad he ends up getting munched on by the red dragon.

Meanwhile Marcille is a half Elf for hire who was never able to master magic; And since elf’s aren’t known for their physical strength, she learned to disarm and detect traps. Ofc she probably had trouble with business because of this, but Falin and Laios found her situation super intriguing and hired her almost instantly.

Finally theres Falin, maybe after saving laios from that spirit as a child she realized she enjoyed combat and instead of going on to do magic she instead took a similar path as Canon laios and left home around 12 and later became the leader of their group. Of course while shes much more “mature” than Laios and is better at picking up social cues, she still has that weird fascination with eating monsters; she’s just way less extreme about it (guess it runs in the family).

Senshi could probably stay the same, but I could see him and namari swapping places (still deciding)

Some other roles that would be swapped (there’s more but I’m too lazy to list all of them):

Shuro <—> Maizuru

Kabru <—> Rin

Izutsumi <—> Kuro

dandan <—> Mickbell

(Note I’ll most likely make Farcille and Chilaios canon in this AU)

In this AU Marcille and Falin would actually get to develop their relationship some more and I think it’d be rlly fun for them to have this kinda awkward little Romance, like “hey ik your brother (and our friend) is getting digested rn but you’re rlly cute…”

Meanwhile Chilchuck is annoyed cause his best friend could possibly not be saved and die if they don’t hurry up and stop worrying about eating monsters and forming relationships (as he totally pushes down his feelings for Laios).

I really need to draw something for this AU, I think it’d be rlly fun.

Anyways hope y’all enjoyed my stupid little idea ramble.

[journey-to-the-attic]

3rd anni req 20: [SPIDERKID] brothers / the exchange student's a spider!

ao3 link

note: requested by @.whensam! i'm so sorry i misremembered the details of the prompt when i wrote this, so rather than just the spidey sense this is the brothers finding out that she has the spider powers at all ^^; hopefully this is still alright! (this is in the spiderkid-comes-to-devildom version of the au!)

∎ ∎ ∎ ∎ ∎

“You knew?”

“You didn’t?”

“Can you guys stop fighting?”

Mammon whirls around and points at IK. “You keep your mouth shut! This is between us, understand?!”

“Yeah, but you’re in my room,” She says mildly. “If you’re not gonna stop, could you leave?”

“No! You shot— you have—” He gestures wildly, then finally says, “You make webs.”

“And I walk on walls,” She agrees.

“Why didn’t you tell us?!”

“Well— I didn’t think it mattered. You guys do magic.”

“That’s not the same thing! You’re human! You’re not supposed to do that! How d’you do that?!”

“You’re not going to believe this, but I got bitten by a spider—”

“A spider?” Satan repeats. Now this bit he didn’t know. “Just a spider?”

“You’re not going to believe this,” IK says, “But it was radioactive.”

Mammon all but collapses at IK’s desk, eyes still wide with disbelief. Satan gives him a disapproving look out of the corner of his eye.

After a long silence, Mammon finally asks him, “When’d you find out?”

“I found IK doing stretches on the ceiling."

“And ya didn’t think that was weird?”

“I haven’t met a lot of humans,” Satan says with a shrug. “I assumed it was something demons just hadn’t documented before. Maybe they evolved while we weren’t looking.”

“You don’t see Solomon doing any of that,” Mammon counters weakly.

The three of them sit around in silence for a while. IK clears her throat, then swings her legs off the bed. “...I guess I should make an announcement or something, then…?”

Satan gets put in charge of calling everyone except Lucifer down to the common room. Mammon is allowed to sit and process the entire situation for a little longer while IK herself attempts to coax the eldest out of his office.

To be honest, now that he thinks about it, maybe Satan should have been more alarmed. It’s just that something about the way IK treats the whole situation so nonchalantly that makes him feel like it’s completely normal, too. But, no, humans really shouldn't be doing all that...

“This had better be important,” Lucifer warns IK as he follows her into the common room, where the others are already waiting. “I have work to be doing.”

“It won’t take a second,” IK promises, proceeding to the centre of the room, hands folded politely behind her back. “Sorry, everyone. Can I just start this by saying I’m very grateful for your hospitality—”

“Hurry up,” grumbles Levi. Satan shoots him a warning look.

“—right, okay, sorry—” IK clears her throat. “It’ll probably be easier if I show you. Um, so I can do this.”

She trots over to the wall and plants a foot on it, glancing to the four demons watching her with varying levels of bewilderment (and the one watching with anticipation). Then she puts the other foot on it, too.

Asmo all but screams as IK very rapidly scuttles up the wall, then across the ceiling, and stops next to the chandelier - which is decidedly larger than her. “Oh, ew! What the— how’re you doing that?!”

“Hang on,” IK announces. “That’s not all.”

She sits down (still on the ceiling, and now she looks even smaller), extends an arm, folds down two fingers, and shoots a web onto the wall. Beel leaps about two feet into the air - the web flies within an inch of his shoulder.

“I’ll clean that up after, by the way,” She adds.

The others look downright aghast. Lucifer looks as if he's about to shut down entirely, and Satan amuses himself by watching all of his brother's preconceptions of the human they're housing shatter entirely.

It’s at that point that Mammon finally joins them. His recovery doesn’t last long - he sees IK on the ceiling, then immediately staggers to an armchair, looking shell-shocked all over again.

To be honest, Satan doesn’t think it’s that big a deal. IK’s barely been here a month, which doesn’t seem like enough time to have your entire understanding of someone change too drastically. After all, that’s hardly enough time to understand someone in the first place. They have classmates who can do far more grotesque things.

“What happened?” Lucifer asks, suddenly coming back to life. “Is this someone’s idea of a prank? Did you eat something you shouldn’t have? Did Solomon—”

“Whoa, slow down. No, I just do this.” IK gets up, presses a hand to the ceiling, and then hangs there from the ceiling for a moment, sticking by the tips of her fingers alone. “See? I could show you some cooler tricks, but we’d have to go outside.”

“Are… you sure you’re human?” Beel sounds a little faint.

“Yeah.”

“How do you…?”

“Well, you’re not going to believe this—”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Levi springs to his feet. “So you’re— what, you’ve got crawly powers? What?”

“Spider powers,” IK corrects, looking offended.

“What else do you do?”

“Um…” She thinks for a while. “...I spread good vibes? Oh, I can pick up heavy stuff. Really heavy stuff. Maybe every heavy thing ever.”

“So you mean to tell me that you could do this before now?” Lucifer’s doing the face that means he’s doing some extremely heavy mental file overhauling. “This was not mentioned in your application.”

“I dunno what to tell you, I didn’t make an application.” IK replaces her hand with a webshot, then carefully winches herself down from the ceiling to just about eye-level with Lucifer. “Hey, man. Relax. It was supposed to be a secret, anyway. I just figure it doesn’t matter down here, y’know? Cause you can grow horns?”

“Wait, can we go back to the heavy things?” Levi sticks a hand up in the air. The shock has worn off quickly. “How heavy are we talking?”

“I mean, I haven’t tried everything, but I haven’t not been able to pick up anything that’s not cemented down—”

“Try Lucifer,” Satan interjects, all but commanding it.

“Don’t you dare.”

“Okay,” IK says, then grabs him by the shoulder, and lifts him as if he weighs about as much as a grocery bag.

Lucifer struggles only briefly before realising that it’ll make him look even more undignified, and resorts to looking thunderous instead. “Put me DOWN.”

IK shrugs and drops him. Lucifer manages to catch himself as his feet hit the floor, but it’s a close call - close enough that Satan finds it appropriate to point and laugh as if he did fall. Oh, if only he’d been filming.

“Ooh, ooh - try Beel!” Asmo suggests, hand stretched into the air. “Or, wait, can you do two of us at once?!”

“I sure could try,” IK replies, adjusting herself. With one in each hand, and without so much as an ounce of effort, she hoists both Beel and Asmo clean off the ground too.

Beel makes a muffled sound of surprise, but otherwise dangles with an almost docile look on his face - Asmo, on the other hand, shrieks, then dissolves into helpless giggles, kicking giddily at the air. IK looks mightily pleased by the reception of her trick.

“So you’re a hero, right?” Levi asks, awed. “You can’t not be a hero with powers, right? Right?”

IK swings Beel and Asmo around a little, then finally puts them back down. (Asmo looks almost disappointed. Beel looks as if he’s still processing the fact that he got picked up in the first place.) “I guess? There aren’t a lot of bad guys around where I live - I can’t afford to get the bus to the city every day, either. I just help out. Getting dogs out of locked cars and stuff…”

“But you are a hero,” Levi insists, beginning to flush from the excitement of it all.

“Sure, I’m a hero,” IK agrees. “Oh! I did fight a guy once. But that was just because he was a jerk.”

“What did you do?”

“I just picked him up and threw him. I didn’t see where he went…”

“Alright,” Lucifer says at last, giving IK a rather cool look. “You can come down now.”

“Huh? Oh, okay.”

She disconnects her anchoring web and lands neatly on the carpet, then adds as an afterthought, “I’m pretty sure heights don’t hurt me any more, too. I had to jump out a window and—”

“Enough of that,” Lucifer interrupts, and Satan rather wants to punch him. That’s an impulse he’s used to controlling, though, so he forces himself to stick to observing quietly. “Why didn’t you make any of these… abilities apparent? Would I be wrong to assume that you could have simply fought us as soon as Diavolo summoned you to the Devildom?”

“Uh. Probably not?” IK looks a little confused.

“Do you believe you would have won?”

“...maybe? Does that make me sound really full of myself?” She sits next to Mammon (who’s still dumbfound and silent), and shoots him a slightly worried look. “I mean, never mind that. I didn’t fight you, so that’s good, right?”

Lucifer folds his arms and eyes her critically, looking for the fatal flaw in her armour. Personally, Satan thinks he’s giving IK too much credit. She doesn’t seem the type capable of any nefarious or sinister plots.

“Then why didn’t you?” Lucifer asks. “You were teleported into a room full of strangers. You didn’t think to defend yourself?”

“You’re not going to believe this, but I have this extra sense that goes off when there’s danger. And it didn’t go off then.”

Levi’s eyes practically shine at this new information. Lucifer, on the other hand, gives IK a look that says that no, he doesn’t believe that.

“That reminds me, though,” She continues. “I had a question for you, if that’s okay.”

“...fine. Go ahead.”

Satan suddenly gets an uneasy feeling. Like a sixth sense of his own that tells him that this human is about to get herself into trouble. Before he can say anything to stop the train powering forward, though—

“There’s a guy in your attic,” IK says. “Did you know that?”

[weirdraccoon]

Daddy Fig’s reaction to Em-Sea getting in a fist fight. Maybe she has a rival like Harry Potter vs Malfoy and they just start fighting in the hallway.

First it’s magic they use then it’s fists. Ik wizards don’t usually fist fight but I want it to be bad. Also all the students are egging them in chanting “fight fight fight fight!” Fig hears it outside his office and goes to investigate and he sees Em-Sea going at it hard core with someone. They just fucking each other up.

No one knows what started it or who started it. The Slytherins would claim the Gryffindor started it, while the Gryffindors would blame the Slytherin involved. Hufflepuffs weren't sure but some under-the-table bets were going around and Ravenclaws didn't even realize a fight was taking place.

It was finals week.

All Fig heard from his classroom was the chanting of "Fight! Fight! Fight!" and then Matilda's voice stopping whoever was fighting in the courtyard.

"That bloody mud-blood is a savage!" A boy's voice reached Fig through the open window. "She attacked me!"

"Oh, come on Greengrass, she didn't even have her wand out," Sallow's distinct drawl replied.

Now curious, Fig leaned over the desks he had by the windows and peered outside.

Of course.

Up from his office, he could see Em-Sea cleaning blood off her fists on her robes while Sebastian plucked dry leaves and grass from her hair. All in all, she looked like she had been wrestling around on the ground. Which by the sound of it, she had.

In front of her was Matilda, arms on her hips, looking like the powerful and intimidating witch she could be. And behind Matilda, was a Slytherin boy glaring daggers at Em-Sea over Matilda's shoulder. Fig wasn't fast enough to hide the smirk that formed on his face when he noticed the boy's nose was bleeding.

Matilda, however, looked ready to expel Em-Sea right then and there. So, Fig hastened out of his classroom, down the stairs, and through the doors that led to the courtyard.

"In all my years in the castle," Matilda was ranting, red-faced, and angrier than Fig had seen her. "Duels I can understand! But fist-fighting!? Are you a witch or some... brute that was raised in a barn?"

Em-Sea's eyes spoke of the anger she was feeling. fig knew those eyes. Before she could answer the headmistress he stepped in and waved his wand over the Slytherin's face. The boy grunted in pain, which caught Matilda's attention and she turned around to stare at Fig and his wand.

"There, all fixed," he said dismisively. "I'm sure duels cause more problems than just a broken nose. Easily fixable with magic if I say so myself. One wrong spell and who knows how many days young Mr. Greengrass would have spent in the infirmary."

Matilda's glare was no longer on Em-Sea but on Fig, but at least she was no longer yelling or scolding anyone.

"Come on, Em-er, Miss Seabough," Fig waved her over. "We'll talk about detention in my office."

Em-Sea shook her head at Sebastian when he made to follow and went by herself after Fig.

"I'm so very disappointed in you, Em-Sea," Fig shook his head. "Fist-fighting on Hogwarts grounds? I don't think anyone ever dared do that."

Em-Sea lowered her head. She didn't regret putting that snobbish racist pureblood in his place. He deserved to be shown what a mudblod such as her was able to do, magic or not. She did regret however that her emotions got the better of her. Again. That Fig was dissapointed in her and that he will probably in trouble with the Headmistress after interfering like he did.

"I'm sure Mr. Greengrass will be fine," Fig waved it off once they entered his office, grabbing her hands to carefully clean them off the boy's blood. "That was good hit, by the way," he winked. "I'm sure no one will call you names in your face without a second thought after this."

Em-Sea blushed.

"It wasn't that good. They're just weak," she shrugged.

"Extraordinary," Fig refuted, tilting her head to check for more injuries. "I'd be more disapointed if that was your blood."

Em-Sea snorted and pushes his hands away. She was fine.

"So... Detention?"

Fig shrugged.

"If anyone asks, I had you writing lines for five hours before tearing them and throwing them away."

"They do seem to like that," MC mussed, thinking about her last detention with Hecat.

"Now, any homework I can help with?"

[the-owl-house-takes]

ngl i rly love the idea of both philip AND caleb being evil assholes

imagine if caleb wanted to wipe out humanity bc his view of them had become so warped after growing up in a town full of witch hunters, so he had this twisted desire to protect witchkind by killing all humans (sound familiar?)

i also like to think caleb initially kept up his "whoa calm down bro" facade during the knife fight but then eventually dropped it and told philip "i shouldve killed you before i left" and went absolutely apeshit on him

(i dont think philip wouldve ever known abt calebs hatred of humanity tho bc imo caleb wouldve been smart enough to not tell him. so philip attacking caleb was still rooted solely on his anti-witch bigotry and does NOT make him a "hero" whatsoever lol)

ik (iirc) dana said evelyn chose caleb bc he seemed to be the nicest person in gravesfield but 1. caleb wouldve been hiding his hatred of humanity for obvious reasons and 2. we dont know shit abt evelyn herself, for all we know her standards couldve been "someone who wouldnt kill a witch on sight"

(speaking of evelyn i personally dont think she was evil in any way. i hc her as more of a batshit chaotic neutral character who did whatever she wanted as long as its fun anyways)

in this case caleb would be interesting foils to philip (anti-human vs anti-witch), hunter (who has an affinity to the human realm and is close to some humans like luz and camila) and the clawthorne sisters (both eda and lilith are flawed but still ultimately good ppl. both the clawthornes and the wittebanes subvert the "good sibling evil sibling" trope this way)

idk exactly what caleb and flapjacks relationship wouldve been like tho they had to have been close to some degree right? but at the same time i think flapjack had always disagreed with calebs anti-human sentiments but was afraid to actively oppose him, and ofc flap was happy that hunter was able to befriend a human and enjoy the human realm

speaking of hunter i. i was gonna say "imagine if hunter found out abt caleb wanting to wipe out humanity lol so angsty" but tbh i think that would just be TOO traumatic to him (even for an angst enjoyer like me) like he straight up wont be able to recover from that imo. or at least take a REALLY long time to recover but either way i dont think he should learn abt that kinda stuff. i do think it would be interesting if luz, eda and lilith found out tho

i also originally had the hc that caleb built the cat eye portal with the purpose of ambushing gravesfield once he was ready, but after the papa titan eye reveal in wad im not even sure who built that portal anymore- well either way caleb still wouldve wanted to build A portal ig (not the other one that led to the clawthorne house, i think that was probably evelyns)

also. the irony of both caleb and philip dying as smth that theyve hated (caleb died as a human and philip died as a "witch/demon", not literally the species in philips case but more luzs definition of "powerful magic user", and we can all agree that monster philip is demonic). i do think caleb was trying to find ways to turn himself into a real witch but philip killed him before he could succeed

uhh idk how to end this long ass post lmao- actually yk what im just gonna go ahead and say ik this will probably never be canon even if we get more official toh content in the future, its just a fun idea/hc i rly like!!! i have so much more to say abt this hc but imma stop here for now bc i dont want this ask to be TOO long lol

-

[dirtyoldmanhole]

guilty pleasure ramble about how i'd slot my self insert + zihark into fates since it feels inevitable after tellius/fe13(<where it got started)/feh

ironically mostly tellius & fates magic nerding, no worries. worldbuilding!

this is going to be incomprehensible without context lol, so: long story short i've spent the past uh. 20 years plopping those two in various FE worlds.

while tellius was naturally where it started, the story really solidified with fe13's spotpass characters and me trying to retcon (a) how tf they're viewed to the other living characters (shades, ghosts?) and how they got there, and (b) the avatar-tactician being all but a necromancer nosferatsu tank raising ghosts from her past and how the hell chrom + co would actually find that creepy.

(i need to name her at least for talking publicly. let's uh - bright eyes was ironically a name that a lot of dark mages started calling her way later on once she started hunting them down in tellius proper (the OG world) and she kind of likes that power trip. so let's go with that.)

anyway - bright eyes' (tellius) backstory is that she almost died as a kid from a sickness while growing up in begnion and unintentionally became a spirit charmer when making a pact out of sheer desperation of 'i don't want to die'. (-so be it, said the spirit).

so she gets regeneration and stunted aging at the cost of health.

a lot of the resulting tension of the story comes from playing with the dark sides of regeneration - not being able to die but still feeling pain, how can it be twisted into an advantage, etc. (if you've read the manga ajin, i loved how it really knuckled into the body horror and psychological horror of simple regeneration alone and how creatively it can be taken. are you yourself after being decapitated? if those two "parts" stay separate who *is* your true self? is the only way to stop somebody who can infinitely regenerate to cut them up in pieces and bury them alive? etc .... it gets dark yea)

anyway as time goes on, empress sanaki notices bright eyes during the mad king's war (being a simple mage that tags along with ike's army), and has her on retainer much like tormod investigating daein. (you can probably figure how things go when radiant dawn kicks off, and who she runs into again).

but while tormod's more there to investigate whether begnion's occupation is legit, bright eyes is there keeping tabs on dark mages and taking them out since she's gotten vastly better at combat.

since here's the thing - especially in tellius dark mages are much rarer/either begnion-sanctioned/branded/spirit charmers. there's a lot of fascinating social power dynamics i think are hinted in who gets sanctioned mage education and which kind of accepted mage training ... holy priests vs like, underground hedgewitches.

with the begnion empire and worship of ashera as monocultural? universal? as it is, i get the feeling that dark mages are seen as the "other evil" much like yune ("dark god" and all) - likewise, i am so fascinated by that one dark mage boss you get to see in p3 of radiant dawn. who'd he get trained by.

"dang bright eyes is a cop???" lol. yes, but rest assured that too is played with - when does it hit about hunting down kin, more similar than those who are your handlers? i love this kind of messy shit. consider it the ex-fundamentalist background of the author.

anyway, which! brings me to fates-verse.

nyx' whole eternal-youth-but-what-cost-curse-backstory instantly stood out to me as something similar (writing YRMR solidified my thoughts on how incredibly powerful and prestigious mages are in nohr compared to tellius; almost like minor nobles in their own regard) - but i also don't want to take that and copy it wholesale. that said bright eyes being nohrian feels patently obvious with the vampire background that nation has, lol; she'd always be the monster of the two.

zihark on the other hand feels easy; dead ringer for a hoshido mercenary - sort of like shura in he's willing to take on dirty jobs and crosses the borders into nohr unusually often for a hoshidan. almost frequently enough that a few folks mistake him for a nohrian at first (kind of like how no one in ike's army knew he was daein despite sothe himself also being daein).

but going back -

i kind of like the idea of bright eyes actually starting off in iago's mage guild; i want to explore how deeply fucked up nohrian's magic power dynamics are with the most emphasized bits of magic are mind wipes, faceless, sapping willpower, assassination via illusions ... simply controlling fire/ice feels positively tame in comparison.

anyway bright eyes basically trading health for regeneration as a way to survive in the mage's guild training feels remarkably on script there. all the baby mages trying to figure out how to "cheat" survival and the backstabbing until they graduate....

and well. can't kill a monster that just keeps coming back.

[dearestones]

Devin!!!!! Hi lovely!!!! :DD

For Key & the ask game...

-2 (do you have plans for anyone specific in the cast? can't say yet? someone from home? just cameron? lmao)

-7 (what club would she even be in? :D if she had magic abilities, would that change what club she would choose to join?) -8 (aside from the obvious suspects lmao. or you know what? yeah. complain about them more, perhaps.) -12 (events!!! :D ik we talked about them not being too relevant, but even just vibe-wise ;) what's the girl up to lmao) -15 (again, aside from the obvious lmao) thank you for your lovely words, devin :)) HAVE A BEAUTIFUL MAGNIFICENT DAY MUWAHHH!!!!! YEAHHHHH💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥🥳💪💥💥💥💥💥💥

Oh my gosh! Hi! :D

2. Who is your OC’s closest platonic friend?

So many good mini questions to go with the main question! I don't have any specific plans as of yet! Only an outline on which characters she can kinda get along with better than others. You gotta remember that she's in NRC in a professional capacity, so she isn't going to go headfirst into friendship right away. The reason why she's so close to Cam was because it was the summer, she was new, and Cameron probably didn't have many friends left in NRC over the summer break anyway.

I will say that don't be surprised that Key's relationships with the Housewardens will develop quicker than any other canon characters and that she may prefer friendships like with other support staff or the interns in the school. (Remember, she's there as a professional and she technically has a life outside of school and its students! I'm really hoping that Key gets a good female friend either in the interns or in the town below just because lol)

And don't worry! She does have friends at home! There is a flashback coming up... ;)

7. Why did they join their clubs? 

Ohhhh! A club! I think she would attend the same club regardless if she had magic or not. I think if the school offered like a club that focuses on history or aspects of culture like discussions on mythology and legends, I think she would excel in that. And not because she grew up with Disney hahaha!

Another club that I think she would do well in would be the Light Music Club! It's mention before that she knows a bit of piano! She's not a composer by any means and it'll take her a couple practices to perfect a piece, but she could definitely do it. Plus, she's also a dancer and her style is mostly derived from a certain King of Pop hehehe.

The one problem with the Light Music Club is probably the members? Key is more of a loner, but she doesn't mind getting to know other people. She's okay with it, but like... she needs time to recharge. So, we have Lilia, Cater, and Kalim... All of them somewhat sociable in their own ways. I think she would get along most with Lilia because he's both mischievous and willing to let her have her own space.

However...I feel like Cater would annoy Key because he would always badger her for selfies or stop practices to pick out the perfect playlist. You'll find in next question you ask that I'll delve into certain qualities a character might have... that could lead to her disliking.

And Kalim? Key appreciates Kalim, but he's way too sociable and there are times when he can be selfish. Yes, he's earnest and kinder than most other people in NRC, but he can be somewhat unaware that Key might like being alone or that she wouldn't feel sad even if she doesn't have expensive clothing or shoes. I think, over time, when Key finally overcomes her politeness and establishes her boundaries (that Kalim will agree to, but will take time to practice), they can be really good friends.

8. Is there a character your OC doesn’t like, if so why?

Crowley.

I'm mostly kidding! There's this... tension lining their relationship due to the very circumstances that they ended up knowing each other. I won't say anything too much, but more of their interactions are explored in Chapter 29 and there will be another interaction in a future chapter that will illustrate where their relationship could go.

And, I did mention that there are certain qualities that Key may not... be okay with.

She like to be punctual, professional, and above all else, pragmatic.

You'll find that Key gets irritated when she can't do her job properly because of someone's incompetence or because someone else can't be bothered to do their job, which hinders her role. It's not like she wants to be mean, but in a roundabout way, she likes routine. She can be afford to be spontaneous and fun when she chooses to be spontaneous and fun. If there's supposed to be an established routine or job she's supposed to do, she will do it and anyone who stands in her way is somewhat of an obstacle.

She also doesn't like it when people tell her what to do or compare her to others.

12. What is your OC’s favorite event(s), what was their role?

Ohhhh! I don't know much about the events, unfortunately. I've seen bits and pieces, but the one event that I'm fairly familiar with is Lost in the Book with Stitch. I feel like... Glorious Masquerade? I feel like Key would be enamored with the City of Flowers and she'd click with Rollo as well! Probably not in a good way, especially after he tries to kill the students (why can he do it, but she can't???), but in early interactions or after their relationship is repaired, but maybe they bond over expensive stationery sets and scrapbooking.

(Rollo probably looks down on scrapbooking, but he eventually understands that there is artistry inherent in the hobby).

Also. Stickers. All of the stickers :D

15. What is a secret not many characters know about your OC?

Hmmm... It hasn't been established outright as of yet, but Key is a dancer! She loves partner dances like swing and she loves the occasional line dance like the Cha Cha Slide and Cupid Shuffle! She loves shuffling (any type of shuffle) and back at home, she liked covering some of Michael Jackson's best dance moves.

She can following along with Billie Jean and Thriller fairly well.

Another secret... Probably not relevant as of yet, but she doesn't like looking at her reflection in Twisted Wonderland.

Ohhhh, and her true name is *gets shot*

Thank you so much for the questions and your kind words! I also wish you a wonderful day! :D

[llycaons]

ep6: oh shit, there’s women in this show!

the fact that nhs knocks with a secret code. lmao

every single time I see this scene I have the same thought and its ‘jc tells wwx to stop being gay for alcohol’ because that’s what wwx is doing here metaphorically

I LOVE when they’re all scrambling here and wwx crosses his legs and fixes his hair

mind-control talisman must be insanely powerful to work on lwj so it must have some kind of constraints, like it’s not a total mind control, the subject has to be caught off-guard, etc. I like to think wwx realized how unethical it was after this and destroyed it but it’s a very strong magic spell to just drop and never mention again (LIKE TIME-STOPPING)

cut-sleeve? is this an intentional nod? it seems deliberate enough. is wwx in-universe testing the waters? he seems to think lwj is straight later on

THIS SHOT. SO CUTE

how he says wife...

I think lwj def knows he’s gay he’s just resigned to being alone for life because he can’t fathom being allowed to marry anyone but a woman and he doesn’t want to do that obviously. also he’s isolated bc of the autism and reputation... god, this scene is so sad

I didn’t realize this happened so early in the series! it’s so cute!

wcz is wearing jiang purple

this kid is SO well cast, he looks so similar to wwx esp around the eyes

lwj’s posture is killing me he is so fucking funny drunk

this set is SO pretty

this scene REALLY jumped out to me on my first watch - wwx sees lwj not bend and is determined to match him. not to be outdone

HE IMMEDIATELY STARTS PLAYING UP HIS WOUNDS WHEN THEY MEET WITH LXC. god wwx is such a delight

aww, lxc. nobody else would talk about him to his mother. this is so kind bc obviously it means a lot to him

actually I think wwx is perfectly within his rights to be annoyed that lqr treats him differently based on something his mom did. come on, lxc!

SHOE FLYING AWAY. THERE IT GOES. LOVE THAT MOMENT

at this point I think wwx has a crush but he also just wants to be friends so if lwj isn’t interested in him that way (and at this point he def thinks lwj is straight)  he still wants to hang out. I don’t think he expects his feelings to be very strong and in fact, in the future I read him as avoidant and scared of his feelings precisely because they’re more powerful than he knows what to do with. but for now it’s just a crush that he thinks he’s okay with not going anywhere as long as they get to hang out

lwj’s hair is so pretty here. this shot of wwx does make me laugh

hm. this means nothing to me. they’re not at a point yet where it means anything to them either and it was done just to protect wwx so *shrug*

wwx sheepishly getting off the ancestral table and then makinh gestures to dust it off is so fucking funny he has so much personality and charm

ik this is supposed to be a romantic moment but the guy looks so head empty. nothing going on behind those eyes. what do they brits say? gormless? he’s gormless

that post like ‘he becomes excited and deferential at the sight of a lesbian’ very true.

lwj doesn’t interact with many women throughout the show but he’s always very polite to them. probably still misogynistic, as every man is in this series is, but arguably less so than wwx (calls jl a mistress to demean him) and jc (has that stupid list of ideal wife qualities, genuinely tried to marry wq away from her family). he clearly respects ly a lot as his elder and I would love to have seen more interactions between him and other women.

heyyy demon subdue palace

ly being the only female leader of a very conservative and patriarchal sect is so fascinating honestly. would love to see more of her

also the rabbits with headbands might be dumb, but I think they’re cute

every single thing ly says also applies to wwx. the show hitting you over the head with parallels: DO YOU SEE HOW WWX AND LAN YI ARE SIMILAR. DO YOU SEE IT?!

I fucking love parallels. they made those women lesbians together

personal highlights:

lwj slouched over when drunk

wwx playing up his wounds when they see lxc

that shoe flying into the pond

wwx making a show of dusting off the table he was sitting on

[dinolikes]

BOYS WITH AN S/O WHO HAS A MOODY CAT

pairings ❤︎ kirishima eijiro x reader, bakugo katsuki x reader, todoroki shoto x reader

content warnings ❤︎ cursing, slight angst if you squint during kirishima's

summery ❤︎ how the boys react to your cat having a less than loving response to them

a/n ❤︎ ik it was like. just before i left that i said i would start updating more frequently but that was before i got into a car crash and lost all motivation to do anything other then rewatch criminal minds so. laugh out loud ill get better

this is time skip au so you have your own apartment and everything!

when you told him your cat didn't like most -if not all- people he just shrugged it off, telling you he wasn't a huge cat person so he didn't mind

he swore he was telling the truth- it was just that he always woke up earlier then you when he slept over, and your cat was always resting on your stomach, waiting for you to wake up so giving her a few scratches wouldn't change anything

except the cat started waiting for him to wake up first, where he'd give her pets until you woke up, then both of them would go to demand your attention

it became your new routine, to the point where whenever katsuki didn't sleep over, your cat would wake you up earlier then usual just so she could get her morning pets at her new usual time

the next morning when you two were getting your usual cup of coffee, you teased him by mentioning she missed him

he only told you to shut up but swore you caught a glimpse of a smile when he took a sip of his drink

when you invited all of your old classmates over for a drink or two, your cat got startled by midoriya trying to pet her and ran towards katsuki

he continues to deny the fact that he and your cat have a relationship

he wanted your cat to like him, truthfully he wanted any cat or animal to like him, but if your cat liked him, he felt like that meant he was worthy of being your boyfriend

it bruised his ego a bit when he went to pet the cat cat was ignored

you told him beforehand your cat didn't like most people but he thought it was going to be a magical moment where your cat who didn't like people, liked him and it proved to you that kiri was the right guy

you felt bad but you couldn't help but laugh at the way your boyfriend 'subtly' chased around the cat

you had to drag him onto the couch, giving him a small kiss to momentarily throw him off

"let him come to you"

eijiro finally settled into you and sure enough, the cat approached him

you had to stop him from once again jumping for the cat

you got him to calm down and slowly pet your cat, who at first ran away

over time this became a routine and after each milestone (the cat not running away, the cat purring, going onto his lap, etc..) all got the cat a huge party, including gifts and a catnip cake

you're pretty sure that's partly the reason why your cat warmed up to eijiro so quickly but you weren't going to be the one to tell him that

he was more hurt then he let on, pretending he was fine with it but on the inside, he was analyzing every little move the cat did, trying to predict how to make it like him

the staring was probably apart of the reason the cat stayed away from him tbh

eventually he felt like he gathered enough information to properly engage the cat

your cat was obsessed with food, purring the instant you were bring out his food and whenever you ate something yourself, the cats head was always shoving his way into your space to try to taste the delicious human foods air

he decides that telling you to take a few extra minutes to nap, that he'd feed the cat instead, was for your benefit

not his and cats relationship. of course.

he bribes your cat with food, toys, anything he thinks your cat will like he buys

and everytime he walks into your house, before he even gives you a kiss, he leans down to let the cat sniff him

you swear he likes the cat better then you

he's treating the cat just like how he treats any human he wants to befriend so honestly it isn't as weird as you think it is, you're just unaware he did the same for you

he thinks hes being sneaky, but you always wake up to him 'pspspsps'-ing the cat, trying to coax him from your side of the bed onto his

the next time shoto leaned down to say hello to your cat, you told him to scratch its chin

"why would i do that?"

"have you ever met a cat before this?"

"no."

oh.

none the less, shoto tried it and almost instantly the cat was shoving against his leg, purring up a storm

you swore tears were shed that day when you eventually dragged your boyfriend to the couch to cuddle with you and not your cat

you think the cat knows this too, because sometimes when shoto is completely occupied with your cat, it'll stare at you with this smug look in its eyes

homewrecker.

[journey-to-the-attic]

if you don't mind,,, can you elaborate a few ideas with magic girl ik who can reset time and barbatos??

like,, the au i made a little while back with ik stuck in a time loop thingie???

i wanna make more headcanons but i jUST CANT SHOVE IT OUT OF MY BRAIN-

of course!!

in the aftermath of the little bit of writing you did - i imagine ik just kinda shuts down, and even though mammon wants to know just what the hell’s been going on with her that she’s died multiple times, he decides it’s better for her to just take care of her until she’s ready to talk on her own. in the meantime though, he goes and finds barbatos, because he’s the only guy he can think of who’d know what to do

barbatos has already noticed by now that there’s something funny about the way time affects ik, but he’s not close enough to her to ask about it, so he’s just kinda been maintaining distance and forming his own conclusions. after mammon gets him, he visits ik, who’s just kind of listlessly sitting on her own, soul gem sitting on the table in front of her

something compels barbatos to touch the soul gem, and then when he does, its magic interacts with his own time magic in such a way that he gets a sudden flash of all the different iterations of the same time loop ik’s gone through. at this point he fully realises that she has some form of control over time, and because he knows the burden, he knows the right questions to ask to get her to talk about it

so he finds out about the constant time looping, the many many deaths, her inability to escape the fate that kyubey condemned her to the moment she made her wish - and he finds out that something changed when ik got pulled to the devildom, the cycle sort of... changed for a second - this is the longest ik has lived in any of her loops without turning into a witch or being killed as a magical girl

and right now she’s desperately trying to stave off another witch transformation, because she doesn’t want to have to reset time to before she met all her friends down here, because what if it doesn’t happen ever again? maybe all this happening has just been an anomaly on this loop - she doesn’t want to lose all this, because it’s the happiest she’s been since the looping began

probably breaks barbatos’s heart into about a billion pieces - but, since he also has a degree of control over time, arguably greater than ik’s, he’s hopeful that he could do something about this. considering what an extreme case this is, he might even get permission from diavolo to just stick by ik’s side to make sure nothing happens that might force her to reset

in fact, going even further, he might break the rule about not intentionally looking into the future, and... each time he does, ik’s disappeared, because in each of these futures he sees she’s had to reset. he doesn’t tell anyone about this though, because he’s determined to change this future... and meanwhile, as he manages the time side of things, the others are on a witch hunt for kyubey and any information concerning him

not sure about the details of what happens - maybe they never find kyubey again and barbatos just manages a miracle of time manipulation, or maybe they do find kyubey and manage something that stops him and his species from making any more magical girls, as well as breaking ik’s contract. either way, eventually barbatos looks into the future and sees a perfectly content ik just living in the devildom, and he is so happy

[dimiclaudeblaigan]

Tossing some comments of my own in here since that's just what me and randomnameless do together lel.

I think Lehran is just apologizing for the agony Misaha lived through, just as a general apology and for not being there for her. The problem imo isn't whether he participated in the lie, but the fact that he stayed out of it completely and didn't try one way or another to change things. It's not his fault per se, but I think he's apologizing for his absence in her life and his lack of action overall.

As for why laguz lose their powers, I think the writers were trying to make something bad exist in the world outside of the villains, kind of like a thing you can't change and just have to accept is the reality of nature. It's not really a good thing to fit into the Tellius games when they preach things of an opposite nature, and really, I think that aspect of the games is so out there that I mostly ignore it while enjoying the games. It's just so left field for those games, and especially when those games are actually well written. It feels more like an attempt to make something bad happen for the sake of conflict but not really thinking it through fully.

Regarding the whole "returning to one race" concept, I think if you consider general species growth that that just isn't possible. Evolution probably would be the best thing to consider for why laguz lose their powers and why they can't ever truly return to being the one race they all came from. Once something has evolved, it can't go back to being what it was, because if it tries, it'll just be something still different. It may resemble the original thing, but it won't be an exact copy because the evolution already changed it and it adapted it from there.

Since laguz naturally feel something "off" about the Branded, I think that's why Dheginsea made the decree in the first place. It backfired, but I don't think he meant to do it with ill intent. At the very least, he did acknowledge his mistake after he's defeated during Endgame 3. Actually, I think he realized it a while before, but the lie had gone on for so long that he couldn't change the public perception of it anymore. By the time he realized he was wrong, there was no way he could fix what was started, so he kept up the lie because... it was that - tell people what they already believed - or try to be honest and face the backlash of potential conflict that he was wholly trying to avoid in the first place.

Ike can't solve the issue, which is why, imo, he's never really brought into it. We get his view on it from his A support with Soren in PoR, but that's all he can really offer for his side of things. He can't stop the fact that laguz will lose their power if they breed with a beorc (joke read: Ranulf and Ike are going to herald the new era of gay laguz/beorc relations bc laguz can't lose their powers that way!!!). It's not something he can solve, and ultimately nobody can actually "solve" it as it's something that just... happened during evolution, as neither goddess created that turn of events.

Like you said, I don't think there really is a solution. You could consider it a tragedy of sorts, but as you mentioned, it just feels a bit off and misplaced in this particular set of games. I fully understand that it's a tragedy and nobody can truly be blamed for it, but for the sake of a written story in a JRPG, it doesn't follow the message of the story or cause any reasonable conflict. Rather, it's a conflict that completely argues against the message of the game. Maybe that was intentional, but the specific chosen conflict just feels to me like it doesn't work.

Now, of course, maybe that would be reasonable in any other situation... but unfortunately it's a message about race, which is a very real topic and conflict. It's not a fantasy conflict that needs magic to be resolved. It's a real conflict just based in a fantasy setting, but then has a message in the middle of the good messages that's like ??? It kind of denies the rest of the games' messages.

I don't think the writers actually meant for it to be such a huge oopsie, but that's why I say it probably wasn't totally thought through. I think the message of that was supposed to be, regardless of these facts we all still accept each other, but obviously it's still a huge ??? because no matter what, even if everyone does accept each other, the laguz parents are still naturally, physically punished.

As for what your anon said, I do think it's meant to be ironic in that Dheginsea tried to protect a race at the cost of another... and very ironically, effectively denied the existence of his own grandson, regardless of the fact that he didn't actually know his grandson. Considering Kurthnaga finds out about his nephew at the end of RD if all the conditions are met, I'd like to think that irony isn't lost to Kurthnaga and that he'll make more of an effort for the Branded going forward.

The reason people weren't taught about Branded is because they feared that the beorc would take that as their proof of superiority and the laguz could have ended up being oppressed. Some laguz may have even thought they deserved it and that that was simply the way things were supposed to be, but Dheginsea wanted to avoid that because no, the laguz aren't a lesser species, but people may start to think so if they learned about the Branded.

So, like you said anon, he had to deny the existence of a race to save a larger race. It's not right, but there was no good, real solution to the problem. Either the laguz are at risk, and probably the Branded too by being half bloods... or only the Branded would be denied. In other words, he had to decide if two races would be denied or if only one would be. Obviously for minorities it's horrible and it's not right, but I think in Dheginsea's mind he simply had no right answer and tried to go with what he thought was better for a majority of living people. Maybe, yes, it would've been better to admit the truth and just do damage control from there, but that's only hindsight for him. He can never know the truth because he made a decision at the time that he later regretted.

Dheginsea's part I think was part of the tragedy... but the overall message imo is just a big oopsie and a huge oversight on how bad that message really looks when you consider what Tellius is about. I sometimes prefer to just ignore that aspect of the story in my own little happy headcanon world and such because it's a bonkers concept in a world of attempted acceptance, but yeah... it exists, it's just really opposite of what Tellius is supposed to stand for.

That is racist of Dheginsea. Othering the children who aren’t responsible for their parents choices and demonizing them so they have no place to go, and so those children end up with resentment to the Laguz for the way they’re othered and treat. Not to mention it wouldn’t stop Laguz from willingly being with a Beorc despite the consequences, which further leads to both sides hating the other. Of course the narrative of how both sides wrote history to say they alone are descended from the Zunanma rather than admit both are closely related sub species itself furthers the othering as well, as it means there’s no reason to view the other species as deserving to exist when they’re the Goddess chosen people.

I think Dheginsea at least meant well, but he never truly considered the idea that his actions to preserve his species at the cost of a new species(as that’s what the Branded are) caused the same problems he feared for an even smaller minority.

No pbs anon!

That's why I really really really hate the Tellius situation, it's a "divide by 0" equation where no matter what, some people will be screwed at the end.

And that's the issue!

Of course protecting a minority from being persecuted is an obvious step on a path to protect everyone - but it's the ultimate railroad dilemna where you have to choose who is going to be rolled over.

Sadly I've tried to find the chapter from which the Misaha quotes were ripped off on SF but it's not from the endgame?

It's those lines :

"Misaha: All of the apostles have borne this brand. It is our greatest secret. The senators must never know. Because of this brand, I thought that I had been born of some great sin. It plagued me always. Guilt tore at me every day as I hid my mark from my people, deceiving them constantly about my true nature. Lehran: Oh, child...how can I apologize to you? Misaha: And yet, now that I’ve met you, I understand. There is no shame in my heritage. None at all. I will not live in hiding. I will reveal to the world that I am one of the Branded. They must see there is no shame in who I am."

Misaha thinks she was born from a "great" sin because of her brand, most likely hearing the stories of Deghinsea about brandeds being "parentless" children and "sins against the goddess".

But why is Lehran apologising here?

Is he apologising because he participated in that lie, or more twisted- Lehran apologises because if Misaha has a brand and cannot pass as a beorc in Begnion, it's because of "him" for not being a beorc? Is Lehran actually apologising for being born a laguz?? For befriending Altina and getting their first kid?

Granted, when Lehran has his breakdown because of chaotic energies before making the decision to erase both Laguz and Beorcs, it goes like this :

Dheginsea: “You, who have lost your birthright?”

Misaha: “And yet, now that I’ve met you, I understand. There is no shame in my heritage. None at all.”

Ashera: “In deference to you, I will place my faith in your kind one last time.”

Altina: “You… are the gentlest soul of them all, my sweet Lehran…”

Lehran: “Why? Why did I lose my power? Why? Why was my tribe stolen? Why, why, why?”

More than 800 years later, Lehran is still "not over with" losing his powers. Lehran who is kind and gentle, but who wants to help - loses his birthright, he cannot fulfill his promise to Ashera anymore - thus cannot help - his descendant is proud to be, well, his descendant - but he cannot help/save her (as if he had the possibility anyways!) because he lost his powers - and Deghinsea who inadvertently (I think Deg had no malicious intent here) reminds him that he is powerless...

Imo, it encapsulates everything - there is nothing wrong about Laguz and Beorc accepting each other, but why the fuck Laguz lose their powers? ?

As for the lie in itself and crossbreeding...

What do you mean by "weren't taught properly"?

That's precisely the point of that lie, the truth, if taught to the world, would be unearable for both Laguz and, to a lesser extent, Beorcs. Like, telling the truth to Laguz? "Don't fuck Beorcs or you will end up losing your abilities forever" ? But for Beorcs it's just "you're free to fuck Laguz, you'll create another being with superpowers and cripple the laguz that way!"

(also, I think it is most likely taught around, there's the joke UST between Elincia and Tibarn, and Bastian cockblocks Tibarn because they remember this tale?)

Yes, each side think they are the ones who descend from the Zunama - instead of learning the truth of how they "both" descend from the Zunama, but if both sides try to return to, idk, Zunama roots and the original "we were both one" myth, well, one side loses all of its powers, while the other get away scot-free.

So, are they that "closely related" as sub-species as they are supposed to be, in one species "dies" when it breeds with the other? We know they are, as they both descend from the same "ancestor/species", but the result of the two breeding says the inverse.

Of course the lie wouldn't stop Laguz and Beorcs who like each other a lot to live together and get kids, but the Branded's sheer existence, regardless of Deghinsea's words and edicts, is something of an anathema to Laguz, as we see with Vika and Miccy's base convo :

Micaiah: You always run away from me… Did I do something to offend you? Vika: No, I’m so sorry. I can’t explain why this happens. I get so jumpy around you. There’s just… something about you. Micaiah: Oh… Vika: Oh, but please don’t be sad! It’s not you. It’s me. I get… confused… sometimes. I really admire you, and then I get a bizarre feeling, and… Micaiah: It’s all right. Sorry to bother you. Vika: …No. Wait. Micaiah: Hm? Vika: I want to overcome this. I don’t like that I feel I must avoid you for some inexplicable reason.

Why Laguz, in general, feel Branded are people "they must avoid"?

Is it because to Laguz, even subconsciously, a branded's existence means one of them "died"? Or in a more metaphysical sense, because Brandeds herald the end of the Laguz race (because if more brandeds are born, it means more laguz "die" ?)

Misaha didn't only want to end injustices and racism against the Branded, she wanted to stop racism in Begnion against Laguz (thus by proxy, against Brandeds).

In conclusion, Deginshea's lie created discriminations against Brandeds, but I think it's more nuanced than a general "to protect one race he put another under the bus".

When Soren goes :

Hate… That I could understand. This was denial. They made me feel like I wasn’t supposed to exist at all. That my simply being alive was an affront to the world.

It's painful to read, because no one should ever think they shouldn't have been born, or their mere existence is "an affront to the world".

Tibarn puts it this way, talking about "an old song" :

It is said that the goddesses forbid laguz and beorc to procreate. If a couple breaks the taboo, the punishment is dealt to the laguz parent. She or he loses the power of the laguz and becomes something that does not belong to either species.

Deghinsea created the "taboo" and the decree, but he wasn't the one who created the "punishment".

Heck, the punishment is the reason why the "taboo" was created, to reduce the number of "punished" people, but also, and maybe, to find a reason why those "punishments" are given?

The sitation becomes unbearable : we have people who are shunned hated and at times even killed for "existing", and we have people who "die"/lose their abilities/are "punished" automatically when the first people mentionned start to exist (iirc Almedha lost her powers when she became pregnant).

For what it's worth, per Nasir, both Beorcs and Laguz came to accept the concept of Deginshea's decree :

Nasir: Even so, the taboo was broken several times over the next few decades. Usually no child was conceived, but when there was, it was swiftly covered up. The parents soon learned what it meant to bear a child who possessed both laguz and beorc blood. After they learned of the consequences, none of these parents ever rejected the edict forbidding it.

Of course comes the obvious question of did anyone even thought about asking a Branded their opinion on that decree ? Miccy is part of that conversation too, and reacts when "honor killings" of brandeds are mentionned.

But afaik, we don't have Miccy's pov about that edict - after this conversation - and the game sure as hell doesn't want her to talk to Lehran (all of his convos are reserved for Sanaki!) - whose fault is it that Lehran lost his powers, thus direct line to the goddess, thus will to live? Hers because she was born (or her ancestor's)? His, for loving Altina? Whose fault is it that Brandeds are shunned? Deghinsea, who made that decree, or Laguz in general who can sense what they are and see through them the extinction of their race, or an unfair "punishment" from whoever ?

As always, with complicated questions, Ike is nowhere to be seen, but even without Ike, what would be the best solution?

Of course, stop persecuting and denying the existence of Brandeds would be a good start.

And then?

When Laguz and Beorcs will argue againt about something stupid, reject coexistence because, to Beorcs, Laguz are beings that "stop existing" as soon as they shag? And to Laguz, who will feel cosmically "cheated" because they are the only ones who receive "punishment" from miscegenation, to the point of thinking maybe Beorcs are really the superior race?

It's why Lehran's tale is so sad, he wanted coexistence but was punished for it by his very own world - why did he lose his powers?

What kind of solution can be found in a world that pushes for equality between races, but also reveals when they coexist, only one race is "punished"?

That's why I mentioned the divide by 0 equation -

The Tellius equation has no solutions.

[yourmidnightlover]

holding hands

never stop loving me part 2 :)

summary - after reader and spencer make it home safe and almost sound, spencer decides to show her just how much he loves her touch.

tw - smut, penetrative sex, unprotected sex (yea, ik i do this a lot), teasing?, fingering, oral (female receiving), soft dom!spencer, fluff

wc - 2,671

a/n - you could totally read this as a stand alone piece, just know that spencer is kinda in the doghouse rn bc he said mean things to reader abt her being all touchy and annoying (even tho she isn’t). happy reading 😌

masterlist

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spencer had said he was going to make it up to you.

did he know how yet? not really. would he figure out how? absolutely.

you had been rather distant after you had solved the case and on the plane ride back home. you still sat beside him, but you didn't make any move to touch him or lay your head on him as you normally would. maybe it was because you just didn't feel like it, but spencer knew better than to think that.

"do you want to order takeout tonight?" you turned towards him to ask the question.

"yea, of course we can," he agreed, his arm reaching around your body to pull you closer to him. he felt you stiffen under his touch. "are you alright?" it was his turn to look at you, you nodded up at him.

"i'm alright," you clarified, giving him a tight-lipped smile that wasn't very convincing. eventually, you settled into his arm, leaning your head on his shoulder and succumbing to the sleep you needed.

when you woke up, it was to spencer swatting away morgan's hand while shushing him.

"morgan, she needs her rest in order to heal properly!" he whisper-yelled while trying to move morgan's hand away but failing. "don't touch her, only i can!" he clarified, morgan threw his hands up in defense as he turned to sit back down.

"y'know you get more protective than i thought you would be," morgan shrugged with a chuckle.

"what's that mean?" spencer argued defensively.

"it means that princess there is well taken care of. you just don't seem like the possessive type of guy," he reiterated as he pulled out his headphones.

"i'm not being possessive," he defended himself. "i'm being a good boyfriend by not letting you wake her up just so you can ask her a ridiculous question," spencer looked down at you in your peaceful sleeping position.

you hadn't slept well in the hospital. spencer knew this because each time he went to sleep you were awake, and you would be awake when he woke back up. the night before you were in the hospital he heard you cry yourself to sleep and you woke up before him. so, in his mind, you needed as much rest as possible if you wanted to heal properly.

that, and he wanted to feel you cuddled against him as you slept for the first time in a week.

"i think it's more than that, genius," the bald man scoffed.

"what do you think it is?" spencer sassed.

"well, i think it has something to do with the fact that you and pretty girl there," he nodded towards you, "were in a fight and you missed her."

spencer sighed, "is it that obvious?" he used his free hand to move a piece of hair from your face, his hand lingering there for a second longer.

"look, kid, i may or may not have heard what happened thanks to a little someone. you should let her know how much she means to you, alright? she's probably feeling like you're doubting your relationship because of her, so make sure she knows that she's it for you," he advised his curly-headed friend.

"she's not 'it' for me, derek," spencer sighed once more. "she's my everything."

you stirred in your 'sleep' to alert them of your presence, slowly sitting up in an attempt to not hurt yourself.

"hey, princess," spencer whispered, moving that same annoying strand of hair from your face and tucked it behind your ear.

"mmm... hi," you stretched your arms over spencer so you wouldn't hit him. "how long until we land?"

"about half an hour," he informed you, whispering as the other team members slept. "if you'd like to go back to sleep i'll wake you up before we land."

"i'm alright, thank you," you smiled.

you could be mad at him while being a nice person. you just didn't know if you were ready to get over what he had said to you.

——————————

you had gone straight home after landing, permittable by hotch who saw how tired the two of you were.

both of you were laying together on the couch, you slightly on top of spencer because of your still bruised rib that slightly hurt, he angled his head down and started kissing your neck softly. your breathing got heavier, your breaths being few and far between as your hands reached back to grasp spencer's curls.

"spence?" you asked, more like whispered. he continued his actions, the only thing that signified he actually heard you being a small hum against your skin. "i-i... can we...?" you trailed off, not sure how to ask for what you wanted.

"can we what, princess?" he asked his hands reaching around to the front of your body, lightly ghosting over your bare legs.

"you know what, spencer," you huffed in annoyance as you rolled your eyes. he squeezed your thigh firm enough to know he had done it, but gentle enough to know it wouldn't leave any marks that were too bad.

"and you know better than to roll your eyes at me," he whispered in your ear, nipping gently at your lobe. "now... tell me exactly what you want."

"i want whatever you'll give me," you turned your face towards him, giving him your best puppy dog eyes before adding, "please?" you pursed your bottom lip into a pouty position.

that was apparently the magic word because as soon as they had left your mouth, you could have sworn you heard spencer growl in your ear before continuing to kiss and nip at your neck, leaving his marks all over your body. you felt his erection twitch in his pants as you whimpered from the touch of his lips on you which spurred you to grind your ass against his hips. he grabbed your hips to still their movement before sitting up with you, slowly as to make sure he didn't hurt your ribs.

"can you walk to the room by yourself?" he asked in his normal, sweet, non-dominating spencer voice, to which you nodded your head yes as you began to walk where he had asked.

you knelt by the door naked in wait for him, hoping he'd give you something to take your mind off of your injury. when he walked in, he could've sworn he felt his heart grow with even more love for you, something he thought was already impossible.

"princess, why're you on the floor?" he questioned, kneeling down to get eye level with you.

"why isn't your dick in my mouth?" you countered, a smirk growing on your face.

"i was gonna be nice tonight since you're not well so i wouldn't push it, doll," he gave you a stern look that told you to watch it. "i still have some making up to do, i believe?" your smile returned even brighter than before as he helped you back to your feet and into the bed.

once you were comfortable, he was practically worshipping your body with each kiss and hum against your body.

"i can't imagine never touching you again, y/n," he made his way down to your chest, his lips wrapping around your nipple. he gently tugged on it with his teeth before releasing it and doing the same to the other one.

"these tits," he sucked a hickey onto one of them before moving to the other.

"this stomach," he kissed all over your torso, being extremely careful of your bruises as your hands around through his locks once more.

"love the way it feels when i lay on it," he made his way down to your thighs, loving the way you squirmed underneath his touch. he hovered right over the place you wanted most and gently bit down on your thigh, your hips bucking upward subtly from the shock.

"god, these thighs," he huffed as he squeezed them once more. "love the feeling of them wrapping around my head when i'm between them."

"then how about you get between them, then?" you sighed sarcastically, your neediness getting the better of you

"so very impatient," he mocked before pressing one final kiss to your inner thigh. "but what the princess wants, the princess gets. for now, at least."

he licked a thick stripe up your slit, tantalizingly slow just to hear the whimpers that left your lips from the feeling. your hands flew to his hair, gripping it tight as he continued to lap at your pussy.

"so good, sir," you moaned out. "please don't stop. don't stop!" you cried as his lips wrapped around your clit. "uh- right there! yes!" you shouted as your thighs strained to remain still. "yes! oh fuck, yes!" you yelled as the high hit you like a train, his hands grasped your hips so they would stay in place, working you through that euphoria. "oh, thank you, thank you so much..." you trailed off, running your hands through his hair once more as he began making his way up your body, peppering kisses all around you.

"mmm, you did so good for me, y/n," he praised before connecting your lips to his in a passionate kiss. you whimpered into his mouth greedily. "someone's eager, yea princess?" he chuckled. you nodded your head as you bit your lip. "what do you want? i need you to tell me," he whispered, his hands trailing down your body once more and connecting with your sensitive center.

"pl-please," you whined, your hips bucking into his hand. "you, i want you," you informed him as if he hadn't already known.

"you have me now," he chuckled.

"no, no. i want you inside me," you pouted, your hands pulling the hair at the nape of his neck for punctuation.

"you want me inside you?" he asked as he pushed his fingers inside you, your mouth widening to form an 'o' from the surprise. "there, i'm inside you," he teased once more as he began thrusting his fingers in and out. you held onto his arm, a way to ground yourself so you could stil talk without sounding like a baby.

"your- i want your... shit... your dick. i want your dick inside me, please," you practically begged as his fingers began curling inside of you in that perfect spot.

"ohh, is that what you meant?" he asked like a smart ass, you couldn't find it in you to be a brat about it, so you just nodded your head as he worked you through your second orgasm of the night.

"yes! ohhh, fuck, yes," your hips rutted up against his hand from the pleasure. "please, please," you asked once more. "can you please just fuck me now? i want your cock..."

"aww, of course, princess," he said with a bright smile.

he got up from the bed only to remove himself of his remaining clothes before adjusting himself, lining his dick up with your center. he ran his dick through your already wet folds before slowly pushing himself inside of you, knowing you'd still need to adjust to his length.

"so beautiful, y/n," he grasped your hands, interlacing your fingers with his as he began to push himself inside you once more.

it might've been the feeling of being in submission for him, but you felt overcome with emotions. the intimacy of the moment you were sharing was more than just the sex you normally had. it was beautiful. the way he looked at you with awe each time he thrust himself back inside of you. the way you held onto his hands tightly in order to tell yourself that it was real... that he was real.

"god, i love you," he groaned as he kissed you fervently, his pace still set relatively slower than usual. "so much, y/n."

"i love- i love you," you moaned, removing your hands from his only so you could wrap your arms around his shoulders, pulling his body closer to yours. "spence, spence i'm so close," you whined in his ear, which only egged him on.

"i've got you, y/n," he pulled back to look at you as you came on his dick. "let go. let go for me," he moved a piece of hair from your face once more as your mouth flew open in pure bliss. your nails dug into his back as your pussy clenched around him, bringing upon his own orgasm, spurts of his releasing covering your walls. "fuck, y/n," he groaned, burying his neck into your shoulder before you pulled it out, wanting to observe him in such a vulnerable state.

"i love you," you whispered, only him able to hear it.

"i love you," he whispered back, pressing your foreheads together as he caught his breath.

when he managed to pull out, he found a new pair of underwear and pulled them on before going to grab you a fresh pair of his clothes to wear to sleep - you liked that they smelled like him, it helped you sleep better.

"where're you goin'?" you whined from the bed, trying to sit up abruptly but only finding a shooting pain going through your abdomen.

"shhh," he whispered, rushing to the side of the bed to guide you back to laying down. his hands found your shoulders and right before he was going to release them, you grabbed his hands.

"are you leaving me again?" you asked pitifully, tears welling in your eyes.

"no, sweetheart," he furrowed his brows. "i'm never going to leave you," he pressed a kiss to your forehead.

"i know... i know i can be annoying like you said and i'm working on it," you looked down at your hands, which were now in your lap. "just please be patient?"

"you don't need to work on anything," he wiped the tears from your cheeks. "i never should have said those things to you, whether or not i was upset. i'm so sorry i made you doubt yourself," you found yourself wiping his own tears away. "now let's get you into the bathroom, okay?" you nodded as he helped you get up, guiding you to the bathroom to relieve yourself.

while you were doing your business, he went and got you that change of clothes you needed and brought them to you once you were done. he used a damp, warm washcloth to clean up between your legs and made sure to wash your face for you. he helped you get changed, letting you use him as a balancing bar, and then directed you back to the bed. he rest his head on his pillow, looking over and seeing you still on your side of the bed, not curling up into him as you usually do.

"y/n," he whispered. "i know you're probably still mad at me, which is totally fine because just because we had sex doesn't mean i'm done making it up to you. but... it's kind of harder to sleep without you cuddling with me than i thought. so if you're alright with it can we just..." he trailed off.

"spence?" you asked with a giggle.

"hmm?"

"i'm not supposed to sleep on my stomach or side," you held back a laugh, knowing it would hurt. "i mean, i'm glad we're on the same page about you still making it up to me, but it's kinda doctor's orders that i don't sleep like that."

"oh..." he bit his lip, trying to keep himself from feeling too embarrassed. "right. can we hold hands while we sleep then?" he asked, acting as if he had found a loophole.

"now who's touchy?" you joked, hurting your stomach from the laughter but finding that it was worth it.

"ha-ha," he mocked. "very funny, y/n," he groaned.

"yes, darling," you joked once more. "of course we can hold hands while we sleep."

and you did.

and for the first night in a week, you slept peacefully.

taglist:

@averyhotchner​

@greenprisca​

@muffin-cup​

@emilyprentisslittlewhore

[dandelioncrownns]

random grishaverse facts/trivia (mostly tgt/kos, tbh), because i love useless details. Also, attempted organisation, because i like order too. + ft. my unwanted commentary

the darkling

has a sweet tooth

loves animals and nature in general

for those of you who have read demon in the woods, he got to meet the white tigers :)

his bedchamber walls are carved into trees bc he loves the woods

his favourite trees in particular are pine trees (or just evergreen trees in general)

he used to be afraid of the dark (many possibly worrying? interesting? implications to this; i won’t get into it here tho)

he likes bright colours, but wears black all the time basically for the aesthetic

he met his younger half-sister, Ulla, when he was a seer’s apprentice in Fjerda 

the darkling is a musician! He plays the fiddle, and growing up, he played the balalaika and oud (i wonder if he can read tablature,,) 

His father was a very powerful heartrender (maybe this is why the corporalki are valued so highly by him?)

genya

she got an amplifier between the end of R+R and the start of KoS (kestrel bones)

Genya used Dekora Nevich, the Ornamental Blade, to poison the King

It smells like cinnamon and is a warm golden colour

the royal family / nikolai’s bio family 

the King once cut himself on his own sword

genya named the queen’s dog 

until she was like 11, Genya was like the daughter the queen never had (omg i really wonder how Nikolai and Vasily felt about that? ik it’s not really mentioned, and Nik kinda acts like he just met Genya is S+S, but they must have been a lot closer, right?? I mean genya was almost always at the grand palace with Queen Tatiana, and nikolai just really wanted his parents’ attention, there must have been some kind of maybe one-sided jealousy/sibling rivalry thing, right?? I digress- for now)

also the queen in a dog person

p. sure Nikolai is a mommy’s boy

(possible explanation:) he looks exactly like his real father (except for his eyes). Nikolai even has the same laugh as Magnus

the queen was also fed up with Vasily and his horses

Vasily rides a white gelding horse and Nikolai rides a speckled grey horse (called Punchline)

speaking of, vasily is definitely a horse girl, but like... just the worst (darkling 🤝vasily)

Queen Tatiana’s letters to Magnus Opjer were “very racy” 

 She doesn’t approve of women in trousers

Linnea is ~1 year younger than Nikolai

she is good at math + studies engineering at ketterdam (I wonder if maybe she and Nikolai crossed paths when he was at uni- they’re around the same age, so maybe?)

The King and Queen hired a clown for nikolai’s 10th birthday (the worst birthday party he’d been to, inclusive of the night Vasily died, according to Nikolai)

Nikolai is afraid of spiders (and also clowns???)

nikolai:

he can juggle

Nikolai sucks at learning languages 

he once spoke Fjerdan so badly a man named Knut offered him a ruby to stop

his Kerch seems pretty good tho

Nikolai met The Darkling when he was 14

Nikolai is a baritone (as is Jesper!)

In his free time, Nikolai writes bad poetry (remember that time he got stabbed w/ a letter opener bc his poetry sucked?)

he went through an emo phase/ existential crisis before becoming sturmhond.

during said emo phase, he wrote rhyming poetry pretty much exclusively

He also took philosophy classes at uni (PPE?)

alina:

alina tried on the same rose dress that the Queen watched vasily die in

Nikolai gifted Alina a VERY low-cut cobalt lace gown (In the words of Nadia, “The bodice might as well be cut to the navel.” )

Alina hates herring, but Zoya and Nikolai love it

She is VERY sarcastic and snarky!! I feel like this gets glossed over so much in the fandom, and just why?? (she’s so gloomy and over everything 90% of the time, i love it so much)

So this isn’t technically a fact-fact, but there is no way Alina wasn’t at least a little bit into women. Did you read how she talked abt genya? Zoya? there’s no way she wasn’t into them

Alina doesn’t really like hard cheese

zoya + zoyalai:

Zoya’s horse is called Serebrine

Zoya can use her lightning as a defibrillator (I’m sure other squallers can do this too with the right training)

Zoya likes Nikolai’s hands (and Nikolai likes Zoya’s feet lmao)

she has ‘weird (long?) incisors’  

she definitely had a crush on Nikolai since Ruin and Rising

kaz:

Kaz grew up on a farm in Southern Kerch, in Lij

Kaz is a both a cat and a dog person  (he just likes strays)

Matthias is a dog person, obviously

All the other crows are cat people 

He likes hot chocolate

both he and nikolai like brandy

hates cereal

Kaz is obsessed with magic + likes puzzles

actually very funny if he wasn’t terrifying (honestly?? at leat 70% of his dialogue is just witty quips/jokes)

Kaz’s right leg is the one he broke, and the dregs usually get their tattoo on their right forearm

the other crows:

Jesper has been known to go line-dancing (and would like country music) 

Mal and Jesper were friends in S+S!! (Probably) Jesper has a not-really-secret crush on sturmhond. 

He also had a VERY not secret crush on Kaz before wylan, ofc

Matthias’ middle name is Benedik

Nina would win in an arm wrestling contest against Jesper

Inej has a thing for Kaz’s eyes

Nina was at the orphanage with the other grisha kids in R+R

In the opening scene of CK, Jesper was wearing a navy waistcoat with little gold stars (his fashion is just top tier honestly)

grisha- powers, etc.:

A solar eclipse would have no effect on the Darkling’s powers, but it would make it harder for Alina to summon.

Fabrikators can make flowers bloom

The twins have shark teeth amplifiers

Adrik and Leoni are saints

general world stuff:

Gay marriage is legal in Kerch!

there was a landbridge connecting Shu Han and Kerch but the council of tides covered it

Antimony is used as mascara

kruge is pale purple paper currency

ravkan currency has Nikolai’s face on it (ig not anymore tho?)

Hringkälla is celebrated on March 20th

the distance between Ivets and Os Alta is only about 100 miles? (i’m just going to willfully ignore this, because thats,, so small?)

Mermaids and dragons exist(ed) in the grishaverse

misc:

the daughter of the duke of ivets has a daughter who can play the harp

there is not fourth tale of krigi

The baroness Natasha Beritrova is fifty (as of KoS) and has lands near caryeva

Elke Marie Smit is from one of the most powerful Kerch families and is just 16 in KoS

Oncat is an orange tabby

Anya liked Joost a lot :( (I got way too attached to them at the start of SoC and was so sad + confused when they died lol)

david eats hard boiled eggs for his working days in the shops

‘Malyen’ is the Ravkan version of ‘Malcolm’ (very fitting)

Nikolai brought the kids at Keramzin toy boats + frequently sends Alina and Mal gifts 

The triumvirate would also visit them every feast of Sankt Nikolai too :)

star signs / birthdays (ik the gv constellations aren’t the same as ours, but idc):

Inej: Cancer (june 21st - july 22nd)

Kaz: Capricorn (december 22nd - january 19th)

Nina: Leo (july 23rd - august 22nd)

Jesper: Gemini (may 21st - june 20th)

Matthias: Taurus (april 20th - may 20th)

Wylan: virgo (august 23rd - september 22nd)

Kuwei: aries (march 21st - april 19th)

Darkling: aries

Nikolai is most likely either a gemini or cancer (but he could also be a Leo or Taurus). Whatever it is, he is a summer baby.

Alina and Mal have the same birthday (they were given the Duke’s birthday when they came to the orphanage)

heights:

Jesper is 6’2” - 6’3”

Kaz is 6′

Matthias is 6’4

Nina is 5’9”-5’10”

Inej is 5’3” - 5’4”

Alina is ’short’ (5’3”?)

Mal and the Darkling are ‘tall’ (tbf, like all the characters are tall >:( I want my short people rights)

Nikolai  (well, stumhond, but i think they’re the same height) is described by Jesper as tall (so 6’2”+?? why is everyone so tall??? I-)

Zoya is several inches shorter than nina (zoyalai height difference lets go)

Kuwei is slightly shorter than Wylan (who is about 5’8”?)

there’s definitely more, so if you made it this far and have any more, pls add to the list!

[pomegranates-and-blood]

νοσταλγία (Chapter 44)

νοσταλγία Masterlist

Pairing: Ivar/Reader

Word Count: 4.7k

Warnings: The usual.

A/N: Hi, hope you like this! Ik I still have a winter blurb request to get to, I’ll probably post it sometime during the week. Thank you!

Btw, ‘mḗtēr’ is Ancient Greek for mother, and barley is a symbol of Demeter. :)

You are sitting on your bed, already dressed for the night, when Ivar comes into your bedroom.

You lift your gaze from your failed attempts at embroidery patterns that Thora makes look so damn easy, and watch Ivar walk closer, his free hand reaching to tug off the cloak over his shoulders.

You don’t miss the angry way he takes it off, or the stronger-than-needed stabs of his crutch against the ground.

He sits down before you on the bed, and you do not hesitate to move close, your legs on either side of him as you rest your brow between his shoulder blades, enjoying the familiar movements of his back as he starts to work on the braces of his legs.

Your arm wrapped around his torso, you let your hand travel up and down his stomach, smiling when he reaches back to put a heavy hand on your leg.

“Will you tell me what is wrong?” You prompt.

“Jarl Olavson was defeated.” He tells you curtly. Your hand stills, and so does your breath.

“Defeated?”

“Yes, defeated,” Ivar bites out, a movement of his head as his shoulders rise and fall with an angry breath. “Considering how we met, you should be very familiar with defeat.”

“Hey,” You chastise, tugging on his hair as reprimand. After a moment, he breathes out through his nose, and his hand tightens on your leg. You take it as an apology, certain none will actually leave his lips. “By whom?

Ivar doesn’t answer.

He should know by now that he says as much with his silences as he does with his words.

If it were King Alfred’s army, he would tell you. If it were any other Vikings that were somehow stupid enough to battle Ivar’s lieutenant in York and lucky enough to defeat him, he would tell you.

He wouldn’t tell you if it were the man he admitted to having in chains and on a moment of irrational impulsiveness, he let go free.

“How did he win? I would think he didn’t have the numbers after Strepshire.”

“He didn’t, not then,” He accepts, finishing taking off the braces of his legs. “But he does now.”

“Do you think his King aids him now?”

“No, it wasn’t Alfred’s army. We would have known if it were.”

You swallow down the pit of worry in your stomach, and move back on the bed, settling under the covers and waiting for your husband to join you.

He does soon after, discarding his shirt without a care for the cold that still bites, and -for reasons beyond the obvious ones- you keep your eyes on him.

You watch as he grabs a fistful of the pants’ fabric to move his legs, and you cannot help but notice the furrow between his brows, you watch his wrist expertly trapped in the chains that dangle above the bed as he settles for bed and you cannot help but linger on the tension that strains his shoulders.

If Stithulf managed to grow in power in such a way during the winter, enough to defeat the commander of York’s forces, most likely forcing him to retreat to the formerly Saxon city, then…even if neither of you would like to admit it, it is Ivar’s fault, and maybe yours.

Ivar let Stithulf go because of the deal you have made, because he wanted more time. Before he left you had to bite your tongue to keep yourself from requesting that of him, and you didn’t bite it when it came time to ask the Gods for the same thing.

And now, warm under the covers and laying on your side as your Ivar lays by your side on his back, pale eyes searching the nothingness of the space above him, you feel the tinge of worry, of regret.

You ran from Fate once, when you decided to go to Eleusis even while aware that the Gods -your own or others, you aren’t yet sure which- summoned you to Scandinavia; and you burned for it. You fought, and you lost, and you died.

You dread to think maybe you ran, maybe Ivar ran.

“Their movements, their…formations,” He stops himself, a twitch of irritation in his nose as he debates with himself whether to speak or not. “They don’t fight like Saxons.”

“They never did,” You offer, quietly. “And if you are right, and most of the Arabs survived…”

He shakes his head, sitting up on the bed once again. You take a moment to watch the outline of him bathed in the low and warm light of the dim fires, before you sit up as well, shuffling closer and bending your legs underneath you.

“It is more than that, it isn’t just the foreigners,” His words die with a frustrated sigh, his left hand closing into a fist before it releases when it doesn’t find the familiar handle of the crutch he can grab tightly onto. Past the clear tell of gritted teeth, he admits, “When we sail back to England, we will be going in blind.”

“You still have time.” You say, but it seems it goes unheard.

“How can I prepare if I can’t…predict him?” He asks, and it isn’t really a question you think he wants an answer to. If he did, all you could offer would be that he would have to fight like the others do, the ones that don’t have his mind that seems to let him get ahead of his enemy’s moves, his eyes that seem to let him foresee his enemy’s plans. But, you don’t say anything, instead resting your chin on his shoulder and letting one of your hands trail down his back. Ivar grits his teeth, and stays silent for a long time. After a while, he turns his head slightly to you, “What would you do?”

“You’re asking me?”

A shrug of the shoulder you’re not resting on, and Ivar offers simply, “Why not?”

“I have never led an army.”

“Your commander did, and he obeyed you.”

You lift your eyebrows, and insist, “He died because of it.”

“I am not planning on doing that,” He clarifies, the beginning of a smile on his lips, “Obeying you, or dying.”

Your eyes narrow at his taunt, and you retort, “Why are you asking me, then?”

“I’m curious.”

“I don’t have any answers. I am not…” You take a breath, and mull over your words before you start again, “One of the things I admired Narses the most far was how he…” A small smile curves at your lips, and you look at the nothingness ahead, somehow able to see clearly in your mind’s eye the cocky smile of the young Strategus as he hooked the spear under his arm and bowed mockingly at you. “He was never caught off guard. He was foolish, and he refused to stick to a plan most of the time, but…with the passing of time I started to think he counted on that, on the lack of a plan. Back in Greece, the battles we won were because of his adaptability, as much as any strategy I could…suggest to him. I insisted on a plan, and he was smart enough to not defy me, s-…”

“I wouldn’t say smart.”

Your lips curve into a smile, and you lift your head off his shoulder to meet his gaze directly. Ivar leans back, falling back on the bed, and you follow, leaning over him as your hand travels up and down his chest.

“What would you say then, love?” You ask, a challenge and something else. You bring yourself closer, “Would you say bewitched?”

You remember being in that small hut in Aneridge, able and willing to forget either of you had names and stories, and daring ask him, are you one to believe Stithulf’s tales that I can bewitch men to their deaths? Blind them and have them follow my every whim?

And, more importantly than that, you remember the way his eyes remained on you, a slow blink as he considered his answer. You remember the tone of his voice that made a shiver run down his spine when he replied, not through magic.

His smile is challenging, mocking, but Ivar shakes his head instead of answering.

“You were speaking of how you won, back in your homeland.”

“He…adapted, a lot. Too often for my liking,” You furrow your nose, and your husband chuckles, his hand warm as it travels up and down the arm you’ve draped over his chest. “My pride kept me from accepting we had to change our tactics, I will admit that. Maybe that arrogance was my downfall.”

Your eyes fall from his, and you almost want to ask, order, don’t let your arrogance be yours.

The words are at the tip of your tongue when the voice of one of Ivar’s guards on the other side of the door startles you.

“Someone is requesting the…the Queen to, uh, meet with them.”

“Is it Rúna’s husband? Is it the baby?” You ask, already scrambling to get out of bed at the mere thought that she is to give birth now. It has been a difficult pregnancy for her, and you’ve given stern orders to her husband to come to you when the time comes for her to deliver.

“No, uh…your mother, my Queen.”

The air is knocked out of you with those words, and you stand unmoving for a few breaths too long. You feel the cold of the floor seeping into your very bones through your bare feet, but you feel rooted to the ground.

A quiet call of your name, and you turn wide eyes to Ivar. He searches your gaze, a strange sort of hesitation in his expression that is probably born out of whatever he sees in yours, and he says your name again.

You blink, swallowing hard.

“Go to her.”

You nod your head, but don’t move for a couple of heartbeats, until you have the cold startle you into movement. Wrapping the robe over your nightdress, you slip into your shoes and step out.

Letting the two guards lead the way to one of the back rooms of the -now deserted- longhouse, you try deciphering if what runs through your veins right now is thrill or dread.

Sieghild stands tall by one of the stone pit fires near that are lined up near the walls, surrounded by seats; her shield not at her back but, as always, close to her. At the sound of your steps, she turns around, the same almost-crooked smile on her face, the familiar face with traces of ink in the shape of the roots of Yggdrasil, the same green eyes of your childhood.

You stumble over your own feet as you run to her, and never before have you felt as time disappeared and you were suddenly a child again as you do then.

“Mḗtēr!”

Sieghild embraces you tightly, with the desperation of having thought you lost forever, the relief at having you back, the anger at your disappearance; strong arms wrapped around you and lifting you a bit off the ground. You breathe a relieved laugh that sounds like a sob, your own arms wrapped as strongly as you can around your mother.

“Little one, you are alright, you are alright.” She whispers, and even if she talks to her own fears and not you, you still nod against her shoulder.

“I thought you were-…”

“I am here, child. The Gods wouldn’t call me to Valhalla while you still need me.”

You look into familiar green eyes and offer a helpless shrug, “I’ll always need you.”

“Then I shall always be here.” She promises, pressing a kiss against your forehead like she did when you were a child.

But you weren’t, your heart bitterly wants to say, words you keep at bay by biting your own tongue.

For now, you close your eyes at the rough touch of Sieghild’s battle-worn hands on the sides of your face, you let her brow press against yours and the familiar scent of iron and the always underlying scent of those fields of barley you would run through with her as a child.

When you step back, you feel the months-old anger come back, you feel the uncertainty and resentment settle over you like a warm cloak, and you meet Sieghild’s eyes, unwavering.

“I would like a word with my mother.” You state, keeping your gaze on her. You watch as our mother watches the people leave the room, watching out of the corner of her eye as the last of the men closes the door behind him.

She turns to you with a smile that is in part mocking and in part proud.

“I always did say you were Fated to rule, did I not?”

Many times she told you that, usually angrily, when what she stubbornly calls your ‘Athenian nobility’ shines through.

Galla spares you a glance out of the corner of her eye, the faintest quirk of a smile on her lips, her words a tease and something else as she quips, “Born with a crown on her head, this one.”

Many others have implied the same, sometimes in praise and often in reprimand.

Ivar meets your eyes, an unwavering edge to his madness, a darkness to the curve of his smile, as he promises, “Don’t lie to me, Priestess. You were made to rule, to command. Don’t pretend otherwise with me.”

You shake your head, “Fate has nothing to do with it.”

“Doesn’t it?” She retorts, but it isn’t a question she expects an answer to. Instead, the shieldmaiden strides to the seats by the dimmest hearth in the room. She always has done that, ever since Eleusis, making sure you aren’t near open flames that make your skin crawl.

You walk to her, hands folded in front of you, and take a seat before her.

“You gave me up. You arranged for me to marry Ivar, and you never told me.”

A deep breath, like she was expecting this, and Sieghild leans back, a hard nod of her head.

“I did,” She offers no other explanation for a few moments, before adding, “I had my reasons.”

“Which are?”

Her eyes narrow as she looks you over, a quirk in her mouth that speaks not of a smile but of something wilder, and Sieghild’s voice is icy when she asks,

“Who do you think you are, to demand anything from me?”

Your answer is unwavering, and you don’t even think twice about the words that are to leave your lips, “Your daughter.”

Sieghild holds your gaze for a few breaths, before looking away with a grunt and the clear tell of gritted teeth. She was expecting something else out of your answer, the years alongside her let you see that in that small gesture.

A twitch in her nose, furrowed for only a moment, and Sieghild offers, voice unusually quiet,

“I told you since you were a child about the path the Gods, yours or maybe mine, had woven for you,” Green eyes pierce into yours, and for a moment you are saying goodbye again, in the outskirts of Aneridge and by the gates of Eleusis. She swallows, and continues, “You ran once, and I lost you, I had to leave you behind and let those damned Christians burn you alive. I couldn’t let you run again.”

“That is why you asked me,” You state, not even a question. The night she left you behind on the edge of that forest plays behind your closed lids with striking vibrance. “You took me there and told me we were at a crossroads, the…the world between worlds. I chose to stay.”

“It was Fate you did so.” She retorts with a sigh.

And that word grates at your ears. It always has, ever since you have had memory.

Your eyes fall shut, and you take a deep breath to remain calm.

“You know, with time passing I had forgotten how much I hate that word leaving your lips,” You grumble, mostly to yourself. Sieghild still chuckles, but it is dimmer than usual. The errant thought that maybe you don’t know what the usual is for your mother anymore crosses your head, but you dismiss it easily enough. Finding your strength, your anger, you meet her gaze and with your head held high you insist, “You cannot hide behind Fate, mother.”

For all the times she has accused you of your own fair share of arrogance, few times she has admitted you take after her in that regard. Now, more than any other time, her own arrogance, her own pride, are apparent in the way she bristles at your words, suddenly sitting straighter.

“I don’t hide, little one. You know that.”

You shake your head, at her resolve, at her unwavering certainties, at her abandonment. Your eyes wide, you lift a hand and point a finger at her, too late realizing that is a gesture you have seen often in the man you married.

“Fate didn’t chain me to Ivar’s side until you made a deal with him!” Your voice thunders at the same time it breaks and you do not care. Your lip curls into a snarl, or maybe something more fragile, something more broken. “You fulfilled what you were told was Fate, because you believed it was inescapable.”

“And you stayed behind to die in Eleusis because you wanted to fight Fate,” She retorts, green eyes blazing. “How is that any different?”

“It was my choice.”

“And it was my choice to send you to Kattegat.”

You hate the way your lower lip trembles, the way sorrow wants to overpower pride, and succeeds.

You furrow your lips, raising your chin as you insist, “You abandoned me.”

“I did what I should have when you were younger. I saved you.”

Your nails dig into your palms, and you stand up. The chair makes a horrible sound against the wooden floor, and you pace away from the table, shaking your head to yourself.

Your mother follows you with a challenge shining in her green gaze.

“You didn’t save me.”

“You are alive, you are safe. I wouldn’t ask for anything more.” She crosses broad arms over her chest, head titled to the side.

You feel your lip curling into a snarl, your hands trembling at your sides as the anger that burns in your blood demands you do something.

Voice thundering, you demand, “I would have!”

“And you would have died for it!” Sieghild barks back, voice rising as well. “You think you would have survived Stithulf if it weren’t for that boy, huh? You think that damn Christian would have kept you alive for much longer?”

You shake your head, feeling like a chastised child under her burning green gaze.

“Ivar isn’t the reason I survived.”

“He kept you safer than I ever could, even if he didn’t realize it, even if you don’t like accepting it, little one,” She retorts, standing and walking closer. “You are arrogant, but you are also smart. You know it is true.”

You shake your head, stepping back.

“You didn’t tell me, you just left me behind in that place, and I-I was alone, and…” Your eyes fall shut and you find yourself almost compulsively twirling your wedding ring as you try finding resolve again. Without opening your eyes, you take a deep breath and ask, “Why come back now?”

“I told you to survive until spring came, I knew we’d be together again after the winter,” She tells you, quietly, almost mournfully. “Even if you hated me, even if you hate me now…what I did, I did for you. To keep you alive, to let you have a future.”

“All my life, I-…” You furrow your lips, consider your words and start again, “You more than anyone knows how important it is for me to be…free. Free to choose, free to…be. You took that from me, you let Ivar take that from me.”

But Sieghild doesn’t falter, even if her eyes give away more than she would like to admit.

“It is a privilege to be able to live life in the way you have, little one. To never have your beating heart be the only thing that you can count on, that you can call your own. The truth is that there is no reason for freedom without life, not the other way around,” Strong arms crossed over her chest, your mother insists, “Between seeing you in chains and seeing you on a grave, I know which I prefer.”

“Does it matter which I prefer?”

Her silence is enough of an answer, and you sit back down on your chair, twirling your wedding ring on your finger. You notice the way your mother’s eyes travel to the movement, but if she has anything to say about it, she keeps it to herself for now.

“When you love someone, someone that you know will go where you cannot follow once death touches them…” She starts, slowly, deliberately. “Is there anything you wouldn’t do to keep them alive? Keep them with you?”

“I never tried keeping you, or anyone, from your dear Valhalla.”

A quirk of her mouth, humorless and challenging, as she sits back down as well, “I taught you to lie, don’t try it with me.”

“I’m not-…”

“Four years ago, on the outskirts of Circe, you did what you had promised you wouldn’t do. Do you remember, little one?”

You bite your lip to keep it from trembling, as you take in your mother’s pale features, “You could have died.”

“And what glorious death it would have been,” Sieghild retorts, not missing a beat. Her smile is wry, tired, but still irrevocably hers. “Better than whatever awaits me in this bed, that’s for sure.”

“You won’t die here either.”

“I better not,” She warns, closing her eyes. You are worried about the sunken look on her face. Your leg bobs up and down anxiously and you feel your fingers fidgeting as you itch to get to work on making something, anything, that will make it better. “To be robbed of a chance to enter Valhalla because my child is too stubborn t-…”

“Valhalla cannot have you yet!” You snap, blinking past the burning in your eyes when Sieghild opens her eyes to meet your gaze. “Your Gods cannot have you yet, I-I need you with me.”

“Of course I remember.” You retort, gritting your teeth. She has always had this infuriating way of hers of deliberately and obviously guiding you with questions to say what she wants you to, to admit what you refuse to.

“What I did was no different. You dragged me from the battlefield and insisted on delaying the inevitable by tending to my wounds, because you didn’t want to lose me. Even if it cost me what I live and fight for, you want-…”

“You Varangians and your glorious deaths,” You groan, rolling your eyes, “You lived. You lived to fight in another battle and die another day.”

“And you lived to see yourself free once more.”

“It is not the same.”

“Explain why, then.”

That gesture, it is the same as the life that once was all you had known, of her routinely throwing a stick your way, smoothing the ground with her boot and demanding an explanation for the newest battle you had witnessed, or the latest historical one that you had been drawn to.

You sigh, tired beyond what you think you could express with words, “Mother.”

Sieghild considers you for a moment, gaze travelling over your features, taking you in as if a stranger. Maybe you are, in some ways.

She softens after a breath, shoulders lowering as she takes a deep breath.

“I…I had a dream, the Gods showed me that when the ground was softened, when the earth thawed, you’d be returned to me. So, I was certain I would find you once spring came.”

There’s a part of you that tries thinking of it all and tries making all the pieces make something that makes sense, and that part whispers that the Gods let Sieghild see that spring would see you returned to her because it was when spring came that you would make your choice, that you would be free to leave Ivar. That part of you has a heart that beats along the cadence of all the prophecies and half-coherent visions that have plagued you and others, that part of you feels like blind eyes looking directly into yours and bloodstained lips whispering you will not find your belonging amongst flowers.

But that part of you is trying to accept a world where somehow what has happened, what you have lost and what you have suffered, has a reason. It cannot have a reason, it cannot be inevitable.

So, you search your mother’s gaze and ask,

“Why spring?”

“We can set sail away from here now that the season allows it,” She replies easily, and you lean back in your seat, irrationally stunned. Sieghild raises her brows, “Have you already forgotten all that was keeping you here was the harshness of winter?” Your eyes lower from hers, and Sieghild takes a breath, “Ah, but it isn’t the season what keeps you here now.”

You shrug, reaching for the bread and picking out a piece with your fingers as you mumble, “You were the one to tell me all my life that my Fate lied in Kattegat.”

“Many would say your Fate is to fight for Greece.”

You lift your gaze to hers, head tilted to the side.

“My Fate would be to rule over it,” You correct her, and the lines on your mother’s face deepen when she smiles. “But I have no interest in doing so.”

Sieghild looks you over, green eyes shining with something you could swear looks like pride. Eventually she leans back, an arm stretched over the back of her seat and her head tilted to the side.

“You will be staying in Kattegat then?”

You bring the piece of bread to your mouth, offering another shrug, “It is my home.”

“Kattegat is?” She drawls out the words, lifting her brows. Your eyes narrow as you are put on the spot, and there is no hiding the bite in your tone when you ask,

“Why do you ask questions you know the answer to?”

Your mother shrugs, “It entertains me.”

There’s a sigh making its way past your lips before you can stop it, an exasperated but fond one. In the look you and Sieghild share there are more words than either of you would ever dare to say aloud, and you lean back in your seat, picking another piece of the bread.

“Where were you all this time?”

“With King Angantyr of the Black Danes, mostly,” She chuckles to herself, “All the way in England they speak of Ivar the Boneless’ witch, you know.”

“As long as men have tongues to speak, they will speak lies,” You offer around a shrug, words that were of someone you met along the Silk Roads, and though you do not remember their face, you remember their wisdom, and you know your mother does too. Still, she narrows her eyes, almost suspicious, and you clarify, “I am no witch, mother.”

“But you are his.” She sentences.

“Only because he is mine as well.”

Her eyes shine with a glint you haven’t seen in years when she smiles, and you find yourself smiling back, heart lighter.

After a breath, your mother leans forward and quietly asks, “Do you trust him?”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“Of course I do.”

The shieldmaiden nods once, and takes a deep breath, “We have matters of war to discuss then, you and I. Your husband too.”

You frown, and when she stands up you do the same. Your mother simply starts walking, long strides towards the front of the longhouse. You scramble to catch up, asking questions as you go,

“What? Why?”

“I had a plan, you see. I didn’t come to Kattegat now on a whim.”

“You are hiding something.”

“Not for long. I had counted on using this…information to our advantage if you were to decide to leave, but…” She looks at you out of the corner of her eye, “Plans change, little one.”

____ ____ ____

Thank you for reading, hope you liked it!

I have a lot of fun writing Sieghild, she’s like the Priestess without the snobbiness lol. Main example of how much fun I have writing her being the length of this chapter lol, sorry. But yeah, they had (have) a lot of things to work through, though they are, much like the Reader and Freydis, on very different world perceptions when it comes to the issues they’ve discussed, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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