#it was stupid and predictable

[griseldabanks]

“So if Glaive and Gyvael are teaching us how to fight,” Shard said, “and Vesper and Vannasai are giving us flight lessons....”

“Our lessons will be about your soul-bond,” Legacy said, retying the bit of string holding her long black hair out of her face.

“Soul-bond?”

“My mother told me about that!” Shynael piped up eagerly. “That's the magical bond you make when you choose a mate, right?”

Linygae trilled softly, looking down at the smaller dragon with amusement. “Yes, but that's not the kind we're talking about.”

“It is similar, though,” Legacy said, crossing her arms comfortably over her chest and leaning against her dragon's shoulder. “The soul-bond between a human and a dragon is a magical bond that makes the two almost a single entity—not to be entered into lightly, not easily broken without...dire consequences. And just as between two mates, we cannot have more than one soul-bond at a time. Which is why none of us,” she swept a finger in a big loop to include all of the Ambassadors, even the ones not currently present, “can have a mate.”

Shard was sure his cheeks were as red as Linygae's scales, and he would have been more than happy to drop the subject, but Shynael was curious as always.

“We can't have a mate? But my mother told me that's what I would do one day, when I'm fully grown—leave the nest and find a mate. She said that's the way of things.”

“She was right,” Linygae said, humor still lingering in her voice, “for an ordinary dragon. But we Ambassadors are not ordinary dragons—or humans.” Her amber-colored eyes slid over to glance at Shard. “Was there not a moment when you accepted Shard into your soul? When you chose him for your own?”

Shard looked up at his dragon, remembering when he first held Shynael's egg in his arms, staring between it and the enormous body of the dragon who had ripped through the village. The desperation in her eyes as they met his, as he reached out a hand towards the egg...and then a moment of clarity, of peace, as if she knew somehow that he would never harm her son.

He wondered if that was the moment his soul had become bonded with Shynael's, that moment when he had chosen to cup the fragile egg in his arms and take it to safety, rather than dashing it against the ground like so many others would have. Or maybe the moment had been when he'd first seen the baby dragon struggling out of the eggshell, eyes bright and heart beating with life. Or maybe it was the moment he'd decided, once and for all, that he would protect the life that had been entrusted to him.

Shynael cocked his head to one side and looked at Shard thoughtfully. “I...almost forgot,” he said slowly, “but...I think I heard you. In my egg. I heard you talking, Shard. I don't think I could understand you yet, but...you said something, right up next to the egg, and it was like...I woke up. That's when I started to hatch, I think. Like I was trying to get out and see you.”

“Oh,” Shard breathed. “I'd forgotten all about that. People were starting to gather, and I was afraid they'd see your egg and take it from me. So I hurried into the chapel, and...I don't know why, but I said, 'Don't worry. I'll keep you safe.' I didn't know you could hear me....”

They looked at each other for a long moment and smiled. In that moment, Shard could feel the soul-bond between them without a doubt. It was like reaching out into the darkness, and another hand slid into his. The hand of a little boy with black hair and golden eyes, looking up at him with Shynael's toothy grin.

Then he blinked, and he was looking at his dragon once again.

The Chesterton Challenge: Day 20

Welcome to Day 20 of the Chesterton Challenge! If you haven’t already, make sure to explore the creations linked in the notes of yesterday’s post.

Today’s Optional Prompt is: Spirit

Because yesterday was Pentecost, but I didn't think of this word's Chestertonian prompt potential until today. There's the Holy Spirit, the spirit of each individual person, ghostly spirits, being in good/bad/holiday/etc spirits. If you want, there's even the alcohol kind of spirits (very Chestertonian). Pick whichever definition you like to inspire your creative works.

Whatever you create, make sure to show us or tell us about it by reblogging or replying to this post. (Don’t forget: anyone is allowed to join in the fun at any point during the Challenge.)

Now go forth and create!

[violetren]

Things that cannot defeat the TARDIS...

Being jettisoned into the Z-Neutrino energy core of the Dalek Crucible.

Being turned into a self cannibalising paradox machine by The Master.

Being shunted into a human body while it's own body gets possessed by a sentient TARDIS devouring asteroid.

Things that can defeat the TARDIS...

One cup of coffee with a splash of cold milk.

[daphnalia]

and they were galpals

[daranatsus]

If you’re interested- Siffrin experiencing rain for the first time after the loops?

I think it must be both really relieving and sad to finally experience the rain. On one hand it means the loops are over, but that means that Loop is...

[horreurscopes]

this is my brother and i need a shovel to love him (prints)

[fure-dcmk]

movie 27 delusion

[orbch]

guys funfact i thought the sides were semi-cannibals for like maybe a solid month or two back in 2018 because in the 12 days of christmas video when patton said the pasta had cumin i misheard…. as human… and didnt even question it for a second. i was like okay yeah… they eat humans. sure. they arent real humans so whats the deal. sure..

[millidew]

why did they do this

[beaft]

multiple people came by my stall yesterday at the art market and told me i was lowballing myself and i should be charging way more, and i'm like, on the one hand Thank You and you're probably right, charging £15 for a sculpture or painting is ridiculous when you factor in the costs of materials and how long it took to make. but on the other hand this art fair is mostly populated by gay twentysomethings who would not spend £100 on an original painting even if they had it to spend

[fictionadventurer]

My pitch for a High School musical sequel

Sharpay's musical theater career never went anywhere, so now she lives vicariously through her daughter. She terrorizes the East High drama department because she demands her daughter get all the lead roles, and she comes in and micromanages everything, etc.

Sharpay Junior is our sympathetic main character who wants to escape from her mom's control. She likes musical theater, but she's beginning to think that, gasp, she might have other interests! (Shocking, I know).

Gabriella is the school's science teacher, and she serves as a kind of mentor for Little Sharpay, teaching her that it's okay to like music and still do other things.

Troy's the basketball coach, of course, continuing the family tradition of men who cling to their high school glory days.

Maybe Troy and Gabriella's son could be the romantic interest? Little Sharpay has a connection with him, but of course Sharpay doesn't want her daughter involved with the family that stole her lead roles out from under her, and she doesn't want this boy distracting her darling from her theatrical career.

Of course, the process of deciding not to be in the musical requires Little Sharpay to take part in several heartfelt and elaborately-choreographed school-wide musical numbers.

[kuragesoda]

eh, close enough . welcome back sans undertale

[lemon-wedges]

Its been a while since I updated this little project but heres the dealio. I got "mysteriously" sick for the last 2 months and it kinda halted my work on getting this thing physically printed. BUT IM BACK and ready to start this up again. I'm really hoping i get everything done by Jan. or very latest feb (mostly anticipating for holiday slow down)

In the meantime i got a few questions on my interest check asking if i would offer a digital version of the zine. and the answer 2 months late is YES I WILL YOU CAN GET IT NOW ACTUALLY ON MY GUMROAD OR KO-FI HURRRAYYYYYY!!!! 🥳🥳 GO CHECK IT OUT ITS $3

GUMROAD | KO-FI

[cable-salamdr]

Okay okay here’s a more serious DRs2p2 bingo that I’ve actually taken a bit of time to consider with what I think it more or less likely to happen for real.

If I don’t get a full bingo I will krill myself

(I’m willing to answer any questions y’all might have on my predictions too in case someone wants to know)

[bidisasterevankinard]

Buck fucks with Tommy in 7x1 right after break up with Natalia and then starts dating him and that's his arc for this season

He and Tommy are in secret relationship and Buck likes when they kiss behind trucks of their teams, and likes to steal Tommy's helmet with "captain" during the kiss and that's how they were outed by 118 and Eddie being jealous and Buck talks with him in the gym

For people who don't understand it's a joke

[phantom-of-the-501st]

I'm Sorry

Echo has a lot of things he wants to tell his brother

Tags: @saturn-sends-hugs @inkstainedhandswithrings @the-bi-space-ace @floundrickthewayfarer

You broke your promise.

I trusted you and you broke it. But I guess I broke mine too. I said I'd never leave you. I'm sorry. I get angry at you sometimes, for leaving. I know it wasn't your fault. But you promised me that we'd be together 'til the end and yet you're not here.

I feel bad. I feel bad whenever I get mad at you. It wasn't your fault. And it's hypocritical of me. I left first. And I guess maybe you didn't break anything. You didn't leave me because there was no me left to leave. But I'm still angry. I came back and you weren't there. You left and you took a piece of me with you. I've never been whole since and I get so angry at you because of it. You vex me. You infuriate me. And I hate you for it. And I'm sorry. Because it was never your fault. I wish I could apologise to you but I can't. You're not here. But I'll keep saying I'm sorry. I'll store every apology until I can give them to you. Every single one. We'll make a trade. I give you every "I'm sorry" and you give me that piece of me back. Make me whole again.

I think about you. I think about you all the time. You're not here and yet I can never escape you. I see your sadness in the rain, your happiness in the sunlight between the trees, your anger in the lightning and your laughter in the wind. I see your frustration in the growing tide, your peace in the flowers in the meadows, and that twinkle in your eye reflected in the stars. I see you everywhere and yet I can't see you at all.

The others asked why I never grew my beard out. I said it was because it was too much of a bother to maintain. I lied. It's because I can't bear to see your face every time I look in the mirror, or at my own reflection in a pool of water. You haunt me. Every moment of every day, you haunt me. I hear one of our brothers laugh and I turn expecting to see you. Every time someone walks through the door I hope that I'll see that stupid tattoo of yours again, or that smug look on your face. But it's never you. It never will be.

Remember Rishi? I think about it often. Is it a bad thing that it doesn't hurt as much? We lost our whole squad but it doesn't feel the same. It hurt but we healed, we got better and it makes me sad but I'm okay. At least, just a little bit. But you? I don't know how I'll recover from that. You were my other half and now you're gone. The boys left a hole that could be fixed but you took a part of me with you and never came back.

I wasn't even there when it happened. He was. Sometimes I feel like I remind him of you and that hurts. Maybe I don't have the right to feel bad about this. It was a war. We made stupid promises and I broke mine first. I have no right to be mad at you for breaking yours when you couldn't control it. He was there. He held you as it happened. And he still doesn't get angry at you. He's a better man than me but he always was. He's a better man than all of us. Maybe he would have been happier with you here but there's not much we can do about that now is there?

People say that death is the worst thing in the world. Is it? Does it feel worse than this? I can't imagine it. I feel like my soul has been ripped from my body, like my lungs have been filled with lead. My heart burns with an immortal fire and yet I feel cold. I feel so cold.

You were my warmth. And you left.

She has the same laugh as you. I don't know how. I can't explain it but she does. And a twinkle in her eye. It's not yours but it reminds me of you. She would have loved you. And you her. I wish you could have met. Our younger sister. Our older younger sister. It's strange but when did life ever make sense? I ache knowing she'll never get to meet you. That you'll never know the joy that she brings. She glued a part of me together. Started picking up the shards and putting them back in place. I love her for that. I love all of them for that. For helping to hold me together, just a little bit.

But they'll never make me whole because you still have that piece of me with you.

We always joked about getting old, made bets on who would get grey hairs first, who would need a cane or glasses that hung on a chain around their neck. I always said it was you. You were the oldest. And yet I look in the mirror now and I'm the one who got there first. Not the cane, nor the glasses mind you, but the hair definitely changed. I watched each one. Each silver strand. Every one reminds me that I got here before you. And that you'll never get here. You broke your promise. And you won the bet. And I hate you for it.

I hate you so much for leaving and I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

You never wanted to hurt me and yet you broke me. I'm in pieces because of you.

And I'm so sorry, Fives.

[maruren]

Sorry, Ryoga, but, unfortunately, he is also your responsibility.

Inukai can't handle him, Shion doesn't want to handle him.

Since none of the prisoners sleep at night, I imagine this dialogue between Ryoga and Shion:

"Your problem child is going crazy again"

"Before the sun rises, it's your problem child"