#it’s just mad that it’s not the one doing the security breaches

[dead-pidove-do-not-eat]

I don’t think you can say that the rise in fascism and the rhetoric means that there isn’t a decline in the freedom of speech.

That’s what fascism does, it kills the freedoms of speech and censors people.

[chloesimaginationthings]

FNAF Roxy and Vanny have some girl time,,

[shiningstarr15]

Sooo.. Vi and Jinx got compared to Natasha and Yelena. And then Jinx and Isha got compared to Vanessa and Gregory.

…

Nobody talk to me I’m not fucking ok..

[gentlexmadman]

Okay I have some thoughts about the community’s reaction to the Secret of the Mimic trailer that I need to get out or else I’ll explode. Everybody is so upset for no good reason and it’s kind of exhausting that we can’t have a single FNaF release without people getting mad that it’s “not like the OG games”. Which is fair, but also, FNaF has undergone ten years of development, both technologically and financially and Scott now has ten years of retrospect with this series, and obviously everything is going to change. That’s not really what I wanted to talk about though SO I’m just going to ramble about a few things I’ve seen people say and spout some thoughts my friends and I have been having about it.

“Who even is the Mimic???” Okay. It’s completely fair to not know who the Mimic is (even though most people do at this point, as it’s not exactly information that’s hard to access), which is WHY this game is being made, and it’s why I’m so glad this game is being made. Important game lore being exclusively in the books is dumb, and I’m glad we’re finally getting the Mimic backstory in an actual game. This is a good thing!! They’re giving us information in the format they should’ve been giving it to us in all this time!! (Though, it being in the books first felt like a test run of these concepts they’re exploring in the games, as if they were trying to get us used to it? I guess it kind of worked? Still a weird move though.)

“It’s just Poppy Playtime /neg” Have we all forgotten that Poppy Playtime was made to feed off of the Security Breach hype? Have we forgotten that FNaF essentially created the mascot horror genre? SotM is the style it is because of SB, not because of the mascot horror games that copied the modern FNaF style. SotM would’ve existed in its current form with or without PPT, as PPT has nothing to do with the natural progression of FNaF games. PPT started with people calling it a FNaF ripoff and now I guess people are saying FNaF is a PPT ripoff?? Do you guys hear yourselves??

“Tales from the Pizzaplex isn’t canon because of [insert minor detail]” How on earth do you still think this even after the games have followed Tales’ Mimic lore time and time again?? Tales is how we know what we know about the Mimic, which lines up with what we have in the games. It’s all one story, just being told across different forms of media for some reason. And if SotM directly mentioning concepts from Tales isn’t enough, I do not know what you think they’re trying to do here. You guys are coping so hard. As for little details that are different: OBVIOUSLY the games are going to be different from the books, they’re entirely different medias with different requirements for storytelling and audience engagement.

TL;DR Your reasons to be mad about modern FNaF are stupid and don’t make sense. If you don’t like the way FNaF is going, simply do not follow it or interact. It’s that easy. Alternatively, accept you can’t do anything about it and just go along for the ride and at least try to enjoy yourself! Stop being angry about everything, it’s not helpful to you or anybody else.

[theinsanefoxwriter]

Gregory Deserves Better...

I never make actual posts to be honest, but I feel the need to right now, because I’m just so…tired of this. My favorite character in the newer FNAF era has been mistreated by both fans and the creators. So I’m making this in light of the new book coming that, at least from the description we have right now, sounds like it’s just Security Breach, except Gregory is replaced by Cassie.

I’ve said many times elsewhere how I suspected they wanted to boot Gregory for Cassie, and...I had no idea how right I actually was. It angers me, but…mostly, I’m just hurt and very disappointed, because it sucks to see a character I loved get so disrespected then practically replaced. The ending of Ruin felt like a slap in the face, and the sting is only getting worse. (And very quickly, in case anybody takes this from what I'm saying, no I don't hate Cassie. I just don't want her to completely replace Gregory.) I’m not here to talk about that situation, though.

If anyone for some reason leaves a comment arguing the points I make, I’m just going to ignore or even delete it. I’m not here to discuss or argue with people who disagree with me and/or think Gregory is a bad character. I just want to express an opinion that I don’t think is said nearly enough. And that opinion is the fact Gregory is severely misunderstood and mistreated by both the fandom and canon itself. I’m not going to get into everything, but enough that you can hopefully understand the point I’m trying to make.

Most of the Gregory hate at the beginning was due to him destroying the animatronics and then lying about it to Freddy. I don’t see how this makes him hateable or a bad person. “Why’d he have to go out of his way to destroy them?” “He’s a bad person for lying to Freddy and giving him the upgrades of his friends.” “The Glamrocks were so awesome. Why did Gregory have to do that?” What kid in danger would want to help or be nice to the scary robots trying to kill them? Or against the better argument, why would he have sympathy for them in a moment of intense danger? When they were actively trying to kill him? He did what he thought he needed to survive, which was destroying them and using the good parts they had to give him a better chance against them. If they had been nice, he would have liked them, but they weren’t. They were after him. And choosing to do that plus being able to do that doesn’t make him a bad person, and it doesn’t mean he's uncaring towards others or that he’s heartless. What I think people don't take into account is that Gregory did befriend an animatronic, the one who wasn't attacking him. He went to great lengths to help Freddy, and genuinely cared for him; that bear needed to be rescued on more than one occasion lol, and Gregory clearly wasn't just doing it because Freddy gives him a hiding place.

And in regard to the lying, I think Gregory hid that he was getting the upgrades from Freddy's friends, because he didn't want to make Freddy mad or hurt his feelings. That does sound like something a kid would do, and he is a kid. He's not gonna be perfect in this situation, and he doesn't even do anything that bad. I don't think Gregory gets enough credit. Everybody just sees a mouthy kid destroying animatronics they like (despite the fact they're hunting him, and the virus has made them basically mindless. Why wouldn’t he?), and they hate on him for it and other rather stupid reasons. Gregory is more than the “annoying” kid who destroyed your favorite animatronics. He’s a clearly guarded and defensive child who got stuck in a bad and terrifying situation, but…in the end, stayed anyway to prevent this and other bad things from happening to anyone else. Gregory cares. Yes, even if he destroyed some animatronics. The creators calling him the “darkness of the Pizzaplex” or whatever they said doesn’t make sense. On the surface, he might look like some child who destroyed Freddy’s friends, but look any deeper at all, and that’s not the case. There’s so much potential for his character, and I’m upset that he isn’t being given the spotlight or time to further explore his potential properly, especially since Security Breach ended up being a bit lacking in a lot of areas: perhaps another factor in why he’s so misunderstood.

In the end, I’m simply tired of seeing a character that I connected with treated like he was just a writing mistake that now needs to be replaced by a “better” character. I’m not saying his writing was perfect, but he deserves way better than this. I feel very passionate about the characters I like, which is why this has affected me so much, and I hope at least a few people see this.

Anything I missed I’m going to touch on briefly here:

GGY? A cool concept, actually, that I wish was utilized in the games. And Gregory is clearly possessed there, similar to Vanessa, so him being Patient 46 and causing people’s deaths can’t actually be held against him.

Dropping the elevator on Cassie? I firmly believe that was not him, and very clearly the Mimic’s doing. There’s solid evidence behind it, but I’m not going to get into it because it’s exhausting. Just know that no one can convince me otherwise. And even if the writers wanted Gregory to do that, it’s out of character and clearly an act of character assassination.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. Now go hug a misunderstood gremlin!

[foundmars]

Alright time for another dca theory rant at early am... bc im tired of the community sleeping on the dca lore implications and not talking about it.

So today I was playing Security Breach, I recently finished my first run and working on getting afton ending and/princess ending. And being the completionist as i am, i go to all the areas to get all the gifts and bags with notes. But some caught my interest.

I was going underneath the backstage tunnels (the ones where you see the "Freddy you're supposed to be on lockdown" scene with Vanessa) and i found a little ally you need Montys claws for, as i do, i open them and to find a small room filled with twisted looking trees and branches with a projector in the middle of the room to a large screen upon orange tarp covering circular objects. I find it more strange because it first reminded me of the Dredbear games in Help Wanted vr games, then it reminded me of Fall Fest but also of the theater room in the pizzaplex. Weird right? Well the present on top of the projector was a Sun figurine.

Does that count as Sun being more connected with Fall Fest? Far fetch for something of a vague room but it was just odd to put something like that in there.

Then as I got lost adventured along the hallways, I found the area were you get chased by Monty, Chica, and Roxy in those misty hallways near those same tunnels. Well. I found another Monty claw access room where it looked familiar. It was the same or VERY similar layout as the frankinstine mini game in Help Wanted VR where you put the bot pieces together. It was literally the same room. tvs, conveyerbelts and all. And thats where I found the Moon figurine.

And typically you find these character figurines in related areas, like alot of chica stuff will be in the kitchen or her bakery, Roxy stuff in raceway or near any chase sequences. Stuff like that, its relevant, it makes sense. So why put Sun and Moon, one of the most vaguest characters (that has collectable items mind you, i dont see any vanny or music man plushies anywhere) in spots that reference completely something else but also familiar to the player/fanbase?

Also, now knowing what we know now about fall fest? We have seen a lot of references to it at this point and who is the recurring character to show for it? Sun and Moon.

Moon (physically) in carousel games in Help Wanted 2

Sun (as a voice) in first carousel game as announcer in Help Wanted 2

Jack-o-moon in carousel on fire in Help Wanted 2

Jack-o-moon in secret level of Foxy's ride in Help Wanted 2 (and i point this out as like a maybe thing, I know this was in the Plex but i can also see this as a carnival game, but also, why Jack-o-moon? his clothing and look is so vintage, it would be more accurate if it was just moon because he was chasing us through the plex, not this jack-o character)

BB World arcade. It takes place in a carnival as well. And as one of the few playable minigames thats even tucked away and hidden that takes alot of effort to get to, has to mean something. You have the Sun and Moon in the background starting with Sun happy, then goes to Moon whos mischievous and evil looking, then back to Sun who looks mad and so on. Thats also where we make our first impression on Eclipse. Well maybe not so much its Eclipse...

When you follow the glitch line in the BB world minigame, what happens at the end? We found that the creepy looking sun/moon replacement covers the screen and prompts in purple "good night". We deemed this sprite Eclipse. Which fair. Thats what we knew at the time. Look at it again. Please. It does not look like Eclipse. It looks like Jack-o-Moon better. It has the correct coloring compared and even has an odd mouth coloring like who we see in Help Wanted 2 than to the Eclipse we see in Ruined. So the "Eclipse" we see in not Eclipse, it is Jack-o-Moon. Which makes sense because that may the dca was at the time of Fall Fest was.

Everytime we see Fall Fest, its Jack-o-Moon (vise versa).

I hope this made some slight sense or you saw where I was going with this because Im actually loosing my mind.

[ser3nityst4r]

Idia’s Backstory

From birth, Idia's life was predetermined. Born into the Shroud Family, he was destined to be "The Island of Woe's Gatekeeper," a role inextricably linked to their cursed lineage and the unique magical ability to control the Gate to the Underworld.

This destiny overshadowed any other possibility, a weight placed upon his young shoulders even before he could comprehend its implications. Despite this, Idia exhibited exceptional talent, his genius recognized by researchers who heralded him as the future of S.T.Y.X. Yet, amidst the accolades and expectations, a child's simple desire remained: to know what he truly wanted. Like any other child, he yearned for the freedom to dream, to envision a future beyond the predetermined path. 

The echo of a simple question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?", stirred a longing within him. It was a question that highlighted the stark contrast between his innate brilliance and the suffocating limitations of his predetermined fate. A glimmer of hope emerged in the form of a shared dream with his brother, Ortho.

It was all just a blur. Like dreams and stars, they eventually fade away back into the sea of the other side. Such innocent and naive worlds for they envisioned heroic adventures, inspired by the tales of Star Rogue, a world where choices were made and challenges overcome. This shared fantasy, however fleeting, was a testament to Idia's yearning for something more, a desire for agency in a life that seemed to belong to a relentless, external force.

However, their innocent adventure, born from childish curiosity, spiralled into a catastrophic event. Idia's exceptional hacking skills, meant to pave the way for their escape from the island, was wrongfully used for a chain reaction that led to a security breach and the release of a dangerous Phantom. The consequences of his actions were devastating, resulting in the loss of his brother, Ortho, to the Underworld. The weight of his unintended actions crushed him. He was the genius, the future, but he had failed to protect the one person he cared for most.

Oh how he wishes he could’ve been mindful on the disobedience of the barrier. As always, it meant punishment and the universe, the one in his mind, seemingly full of hope and ambitions, unveiled into an ugly tragedy born from cloths of uncontaminated souls. The curtains should’ve fallen ages ago but the show continues. The question becomes if it ever mattered had the memories and past been authentic if the present was everything he ever wanted and something he rightfully earned.

The hero he dreamed of becoming was a cruel illusion shattered against the harsh realities of his actions. The loss of his brother, the consequence of his own choices, became a deep wound that drove him head first into the study of technology and any method that would bring even fragments of his dear brother back. After all, the anguish of knowing the reason behind his own brother’s death, his accomplice in dreams and lost hopes, was unbearable. Enough for the blue flame to diminish and reminisce on the pieces of the past and yet still lock them away in the depths of his heart, just like how the phantom was locked away that night. Far too late for it to even matter.

The tragedy shattered Idia's youthful dreams. The guilt and despair were overwhelming. His inability to save Ortho, to fulfil the promise of their shared adventure, left him questioning his very essence. In the aftermath, a dark resolve took root. If the world wouldn't return Ortho, then he would create a replacement. His genius mind, once a beacon of hope, was now twisted by grief, a tool to rebuild what he had lost.

His final words before the beginning of the spiral towards madness, "Let Big Brother handle this," echoed with a chilling determination, revealing the profound impact his experiences had on his future. The boy who once dreamt of heroism was now consumed by a desire for control, a desperate attempt to rewrite a fate that had always seemed predetermined.

[abysshare]

I feel like this needs to be said but i feel like I'll just be talking to a brick wall for the billionth time.

The ableism of disabled villains in fandom is so beyond tiring. Its bad enough when a grey or protag character gets it.

Today I'll be using Curly from Mouthwashing and William Afton from FNAF as an example.

Curly, isn't really a grey character. Maybe more of a protag, but since we play as Jimmy for most of it, he is kind of an antag. But for this post i will be putting him as a protag. Which reminder.

Protag doesn't mean good guy exactly.

Anyway.

Captain Curly is a burn survivor as well as a disabled man, with no skin, no hands or feet, and is left with one eye. The damage is pretty bad, and the Nurse ( Anya ) has done the best she could with what she had, which is pretty damn good considering all things.

How does the fandom treat him? Its a mixed bag but of course. Ableism.

They either give him "dog buttons", or infantalize him, coquette-ify him, erase the situation just because "its easier" or whatever else. And then theres some people who genuinely try by getting him to a proper hospital so Anya or another doctor can try and fix what they can, as well as give him an AAC device or a wheelchair, so on and so forth.

Its either shit as unfortunately expected or good enough that makes people genuinely do research or call out ableism.

Now lets look at William Afton. A villain, murderer, mad scientist and so forth. For this post I'll be strictly talking about The Fourth Closet William Afton and Burntrap.

For those who are not into FNAF. The Fourth Closet is a seperate timeline from the games, an AU. And Burntrap is TECHNICALLY not William now, but when Security Breach came out, we didn't know this.

A bit more backstory for those who do not know. William has an Animatronic suit that he can go into to perform or kill, but it has these things called springlocks. If something happens, they can go off and hurt and eventually kill him.

Moving on.

William Afton is a Springlock Victim ( and even though no fire happens in the book before the ending of The Fourth Closet, i would argue and say he does indeed have burn scars as well in the graphic novel ) aka ragged Metal throughout his skin.

As Burntrap, he is a metal burned skeleton with leftovers of Springtrap/Scraptrap with burnt flesh.

How does the fandom treat both versions of him?

As Burntrap: some people like him, some don't. Its purely because at the first reveal we all thought it was William himself somehow even though he is supposed to be dead-dead for real. His design CAN be cool, scary and great in the right spotlight.

However.....

Most people took the "haha peepaw" route of memes. Some being ageist and some being ableist. Making him a senile old man in a wheelchair or a walker with Vanny being his caretaker. Most of the time throwing him down the stairs or beating him with his mobility aid or threatening to. Sometimes they would also draw him in diapers with poop in it.

Utterly disgusting, ageist and ableist behavior all because this is a villain.

How do they treat TFC version of William? Well.... i don't see much of him to be frank. But either its coquette-ifying him ( which is just as gross as coquette-ifying Curly ), genuinely calling him pretty or being absolutely being ableist/rancid, or removing his scars all together.

What is the point I'm getting at?

If its a villain, like William, to Darth Vader to Hordak from the She Ra remake, to Belos from TOH.......

They get mocked for their disabilities because abled folks ( and even some disabled folks ) thinks the Villain or whoever deserves it as punishment.

But these same people will turn around and infantilize and baby, or dogify or coquetteify "good guy" disabled characters.

I haven't seen this in the Arcane fandom, while i don't doubt people have been ableist to Jinx, Silco or Viktor , at least it isn't as "loud".

Ableism isn't cute or funny. And while i UNDERSTAND these are characters- and that they are not real.

It HURTs real people.

And I'm talking as a disabled chronic pain person, so don't even start with me.

Ableists and shit will be deleted, ty.

Edit ( 12 / 9 / 2024 ): to add to this, i still see people making jokes, especially to make self shippers feel bad ( those who self ship with springtrap ), about how William most likely passed human fluids and gasses as he died-

Yeah. News flash: you do that no matter how you die. Even later in a casket as you're rotting away.

Now.. the act of him doing that as he dies isn't ableist within itself. But the fact that these people using the bit of him urinating and defecating himself as a joke Is ableist as there are folks with disabilities that can't control it, and there is no shame in that.

Also if you're trying to say "Springtrap smells like literal shit". Consider people already know this and either ignore that ( which is valid ) or yk. Have their insert take Springtrap home and clean him up and fix him.

Or have Springtrap clean himself up ( i imagine he does by the time he become Scraptrap, as best as he can anyway ).

.

As for Curly, i am seeing a lot of Videos that are finally talking about it. Thank the gods, moon, whatever.

Mouthwashing is one of those things you really don't need to ship anyone with anyone ( if you must i highly suggest making an oc because thats awesome ).

On top of that though I'm still seeing ableist art of Curly and probably will for awhile 😮‍💨

[insanescriptist]

A test of your reflexes

(Written in response to all those JL members capture Hood fics. As much fun as writing Jason is as a damsel in distress can be and vaguely cathartic/traumatic for all involved, a lot of them diminish his skills and that of the JL itself. So, I just wanna have fun with this.

So set during UtRH-ish but a couple tweaks.)

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

Batman looked pissed.

To be fair, he always looked stoic or displeased, so it was actually much scarier to see him looking mad.

Wally was so glad he was not on the other side of that and he was allowed snacks as the data was reviewed in the emergency meeting.

And also, it was very much decisively proven that Batman did have the scariest and most capable rogues; how many others had actually gotten onto the Watchtower, in custody, escaped, hacked the Watchtower and then escaped?

There's a reason they had dusted off the Hall of Justice's meeting table and had Cyborg on the line. Along with most others who did have a secure line of communication. A Tele(scope)™ meeting.

With the zeta system having been hacked, it was considered unsafe to use until the entire system had been cleared. So he, Wonder Woman and Superman were in the Hall, looking at screens.

So far, only the team up of Braniac and Lex had done something similar and this one guy had not only done it, but done it solo?

Yeesh, and he thought Dick's beef with Deathstroke the Terminator was scary.

This Hood guy was Batman levels scary.

Wally shivered at that and the thought of, 'is he Batman-level capable as well?'

"With more thorough review, it's been discovered the camera footage on the Watchtower was manipulated," Cyborg stated. "Along with the Zeta system and it's record logs. Electrical consumption records show several extra zetas than are recorded but the log data once you dig into it is beyond salvageable. Discovering which receiving and outgoing zetas were used is going to take time and checking them individually, which will also need to be cleared of potential traps because it-"

"Hood has accomplices." Batman finished. "Accomplices I haven't had evidence for existing prior."

"Are you saying he's been running rings around Gotham's underworld and tugging your cape as a solo act?" Hal asked in derision, leaning over Green Arrow.

"I know he has backing. You don't get that sort of training from just anywhere."

"If I didn't know better, I'd assume he was a Bat," Green Lantern drawled. "Those on the Watchtower saw the domino mask, the confidence and how he moved. That's how the League moves."

"League training alone does not make a League operative."

"Suure. But it really does look like Ra's sent one to distract you in Gotham. And then when captured, he decided to fuck us all, because we still don't know how big of a information breech we're dealing with. Which can now be making it's way to Ra's al Ghul or the black market to be sold."

"To clarify," Wonder Woman interjected. "What evidence do we have that this Hood still maintains ties to Ra's al Ghul? As Batman said, League training alone does not make a League operative or else both he and Green Arrow would count too. None the less, we still need to act as if this Hood does, in order to properly defend ourselves from possible consequences. How much headway has been made on determining the scope of the breach?"

"Between the zetas and the cameras, that's plenty wide enough." Cyborg admitted. "He had access to the gamut and knows how to bury his tracks. As a temporary measure, I'm going to clone and isolate the data from all systems to another device to review at will. In order to restore system access and resume normal operations, everyone will have to re-register for zeta permissions and choose new passwords. But first, I'll be checking out all the zetas in the Watchtower with Martian Manhunter and Superman to ensure they're safe on our end."

Batman got a second call on his line. "Oracle?"

"Batman, we need someone at Arkham's. I'm sending you footage. Right now. Joker's cell from ten minutes ago."

Wally had not seen Batman move that fast in ages. Batman's frown got deeper, as he looked at cameras that they could not see.

"Hood took Joker. And then the Joker disappeared in a camera blank spot and Hood is also at large."

"Oh fuck." Wally cursed.

----

Meanwhile Jason Todd, looked at the bottle in his hand, half full of beer and half full of miniaturized Joker.

And then he shot that with the Phantom Zone Ray Gun. It was just a beer bottle after all. Disgusting contents and all.

Stirring up trouble with the Justice League would mean that he'd have to lay low for a good six months, maybe abandon the identity of Hood and the not so little crime empire he had been building. For a plan of practically impulse, it worked out well. Less so in how he wanted it to go -it wasn't the three of them, he didn't get answers or avenged- but it was something he could do now, so he did it. Because fuck the Joker for his continued breathing. Better for the world that Joker was gone.

Sure, it was good work and necessary work to remove the trash from any society, the worst criminals permanently but what about those big enough to have some notoriety that were also well-deserving of death criminals? Wouldn't that be the greater good done for less effort?

If he was actually going to be dedicated to taking out the worst of humanity, small and easy pickings were small time and petty in comparison. If he was going to take someone out, it had better be someone worth it.

And without the beer. That dulls reflexes.

And living a costume lifestyle meant a constant text of his.

[lucid-loves]

Taste Like Venom ~ Simon "Ghost" Riley Part 9

Pairing: Ghost x assassin!reader (fem!reader, callsign “Hex”)

Word Count: 4.7k

CW: angst, violence, blood, strong language, scars, enemies to lovers trope, slow burn, fluff, clear attraction and sexual tension, smut later on, reader POV and ghost POV, minors dni, Soap lives in this AU

Let me know if I missed any CWs.

Story Synopsis: After Makarov gets away once again, Laswell decides to force a favor from you, the world’s greatest assassin and best-kept secret. You are now expected to help the 141 with taking down Makarov in addition to playing nice with them. It’s hard to play nice when you have always worked alone. It doesn’t help that one of the team members, Ghost, gets curious about you in each interaction. 

Chapter Synopsis: After playing Makarov’s game, you finally have a chance to finish him once and for all. However, in doing so, you end up losing more than you expected. 

Part 1 ~ Part 2 ~ Part 3 ~ Part 4 ~ Part 5 ~ Part 6 ~ Part 7 ~ Part 8 ~ Part 9 ~ Part 10

Makarov waited patiently as you mentally prepared for your onslaught of lies and half-truths. Blending the two was easier to get away with the lies from a body language standpoint. Makarov was a sharp man. You had to be careful not to give anything away. No avoiding eye contact, no touching hair, nothing that can be a sign of deception. “I want to join your efforts as an assassin. My skill sets are advanced compared to many that you probably already know about. What makes me stand out is that you don’t know me.”

He quirked a brow at your confidence before waving his hand to call over the one he put in charge of his catacombs operation. Apparently, he wanted to test this. “Hand me her file.”

“We have no file to give. She isn’t found in any system. Not the US, not Europe, not anywhere.” The man confessed, feeling anxious over the possibility that this would be seen as incompetence. Luckily, Makarov believed him.

“That is impressive. An assassin that really knows how to keep a secret. Not many people know how to keep a secret nowadays. You seem to be good at keeping them and discovering them. Tell me, how did you discover this one?” He played along, his tone light as if this was all just a game to him. 

It made your skin crawl, looking at such wasted potential. Such insanity. An intelligent man tainted by arrogance. His genius had turned into madness, and it unsettled you. You had to fight through your urge to end his life immediately. “I grew interested based on what I saw from the news. I decided that my best chance of getting an interview was by going through the back door instead of the front. Your men in Italy handling your weapons shipment led me right here. Patience and planning.”

“How did you know that you could tail them starting in Italy?” He inquired curiously, eager to learn where the breach in security was so he could fix it.

You shrugged, a shutter running through you that you disguised as nonchalance. “The U.S. government’s hold on classified information is difficult at best, but not impossible. I pulled a lot of information thanks to their incompetence. Fools shouldn’t be in charge of nations.”

“That I can agree with.” Makarov nodded with a sinister smile. 

Before he continued, he called over one of his men again to fetch something to eat. “You haven’t given her food or water yet, have you? Right now, this is our guest. Not our prisoner. For now.”

The man nodded and swiftly went away like a servant serving a king. Afterwards, Makarov resumed. “You dislike the U.S. government?”

This was an easy one to get away with since it was actually the truth. You weren’t afraid to hold back on your opinion about this either. “I hate most governments. They always claim to be for the people and provide democracy, but the truth is, they have no idea what they are doing. They have no idea what the people want. Efforts to ‘keep peace’ are no more than just pissing contests for power. Someone more realistic needs to be in charge. Someone willing to make things happen despite the red tape.”

“You believe in direct action?” 

“I believe in true progress, regardless of what some people may want.” You corrected, knowing how to twist your words into something Makarov would want to hear and trust. 

Through your bobby pin, the 141 was hearing all of this go down. It took every ounce of their effort to not swoop in and get you out of there. They too could sense the madness oozing from Makarov with every word. How he questioned you, trying to figure you out. It was only your expert navigation through conversation that they were able to remain patient. 

It didn’t take long for a sandwich to be placed on the table in front of you along with a bottle of water. You eyed the sandwich, stomach rumbling for food after skipping breakfast. However, you knew better than to just eat without caution. You picked apart your sandwich, observing each ingredient carefully with the low light of the lantern. Makarov chuckled. “Paranoid that I would poison you?”

“Only idiots take what’s in front of them without thought. It’s always worth the extra time to be cautious.” You truthfully explained as you sniffed the bread. Finally, you reassembled the meal and pushed it away, refusing to eat. 

Half-hearted praise escaped your lips. “Clever trick hiding the poison in the bread. The almond smell blends in nicely with the rest of the nutty notes of the grains on the bread.”

Makarov grinned as you played his game quite well. His praise to you was genuine in contrast to yours. “Clever trick to use your nose too instead of just the eyes. You are the type to use all of your senses. A sign of a truly great assassin.”

The sandwich was whisked away, leaving you only with an unopened bottle of water. However, you opted to not take part in that either. Instead, you carried on with trying to impress one of the most dangerous men in the world. “You have assassins after you, Makarov. Though, they are pretty loud and proud about it. The 141.”

The 141 tensed up as you began to talk about them. This was one of the parts that they were dreading the most. Makarov already knew quite a bit of information about them including names and dates. However, it was your false insight that made them clench their fists. “Simon Riley, John Price, John MacTavish, Kyle Garrick, and Kate Laswell have been hunting you down, but their efforts have failed each time.”

Makarov seemed impressed by your knowledge, choosing to encourage you to speak even more. “It has been amusing and annoying to have them come after me. You sound like you have a solution to this. Is this the part where you offer your services?”

You nodded confidently, finally feeling that you were getting somewhere with the man. “Exactly. I kill off the 141 for you and I get what I want out of it.”

“What is it that you want exactly?” 

“I want you to pin the 141 assassination on Urizikstan. At the same time, I want you to kill Farah Karim, but the blame will be on the United States. Have the two countries point fingers at each other.” You elaborated your false story like a spider weaving their web. 

Makarov laughed, not expecting such a proposal from you. He found the plan incredibly entertaining and beneficial to him. You fascinated him. “You want war?”

“Nothing resets a country’s priorities like a war. Nothing lets a country’s guard down for attack from other places too. The world needs a reset, starting with one of the biggest global superpowers. When that happens, more suitable leaders will step up.” You explained further, each word coming out of your mouth more exciting than the last to him. 

He pictured the United States crumbling to dust from their own undoing. He wanted the 141 to choke on that dust. It seemed that you were one of the most capable people to make this happen. However, he was also cautious about taking things in front of him. First, he needed proof of your suggested loyalty to him.

He gave a bloodcurdling laugh, pulling a knife from his pocket to set on the table. It was brand new, clean. You made no attempt to reach for it, but you did look at its potential. It could be the knife you would stab him with when the time is right. Your fingers almost twitched with how much you wanted to plunge it into his neck. Instead, you left a compliment. “Beautiful knife.”

“A gift if you give me one in return.” Makarov offered, your blood running cold as your mind raced. What was this man thinking? This wasn’t a question exclusive to you either. The men you have come to know over the past few weeks were also racking their brains with what Makarov could mean. 

Simon himself was about to go on a rampage. He knew that Makarov would want you. It took Kyle’s hand on his shoulder to hold him back. 

Your stomach dropped as you looked at the knife. “House rules. Choose your gift.”

“Truly, a clever girl. You know how to play the game. My gift will be your right eye. Break in that new knife of yours.” Makarov demanded with ease, his men behind him raising their guns in case anything went wrong. 

From your pin, you could hear Price shout. “Hex! Abort mission! Don’t you dare give him what he wants!”

“You don’t have to do this, Hex!��� Soap yelled at the same time. Everyone was beginning to become loud and unsettled, the energy almost breaking yours.

Kyle couldn’t hold Ghost back anymore, his strength from anger and anxiety too much to contain. All Gaz could do was give a warning. “Captain, Ghost and I are on the move! Hex, you need to get the hell out of there!”

You stared at Makarov, trying to read any sign of a bluff. When you saw none, you sighed in disappointed acceptance. “It’s a good thing I have two of them. Do you have a mirror?”

“Y/n! Don’t you fucking dare!” Ghost threatened, using the name that he just discovered. Oh, how you wished you could hear it from his lips in a better circumstance.

Makarov accepted your request for a mirror, ordering one of his men to fetch anything that could allow you to see your final reflection. After a few minutes, a dull mirror was placed in front of you. Damn, you looked exhausted. However, no fear. If this was the price for saving the world from a madman, for a life outside the cabin, then it was a small price to pay.

Slowly, you picked up the knife, feeling the heavy weight in your hand. Makarov watched you carefully examine it, determining what would be the best angle to get the eye out without damaging it too much. Once you made that determination, you took a deep breath and rushed the blade towards your face.

Your hand stopped at the last second, the tip of the blade dangerously close to your iris. Makarov’s hand stopped yours, seeming to freeze time itself. He clicked his tongue in approval, now looking at you almost adoringly like an obedient pet. “What would an assassin be without both of her eyes? I approve of the dedication. You have earned yourself a job.”

Price and Soap nearly fucking collapsed in relief, their breaths labored from how long they help them. Ghost and Gaz felt the same, their warpath slowing as Makarov allowed you to keep your eye.

Finally, Makarov let go of your hand to allow you to put the blade down. Your heart hammered in your chest from the close call, your throat closing to prevent yourself from throwing up from the sick feeling. You passed the knife back to him. “You may have your gift back then. A gift exchange isn’t fair if only one is receiving.”

With pride, Makarov took it from your hand. “A fair play. What shall I call my new assassin?”

“Hex, we are in close position. Just say the word.” Gaz notified as he peaked around the corner, counting heads. For a massive weapons operation, there didn’t seem like many people here. Then again, the catacombs were huge and dark, no doubt hiding more that were lying in the shadows. 

You waited a beat before getting up, walking around the table, and stretching out your hand for a business-like handshake. “Hex.”

“A curse.” He took your hand, his grip so firm that it almost hurt your fingers. 

“Precisely. It will be a pleasure doing business with you.” You politely nodded and shook on it. 

Finally, you had him in your grasp to execute. With a harsh snap and a pull, Makarov’s wrist broke with ease. You twisted him to face forward, his back pressed against your front which stopped the men from taking fire. They could never possibly hurt their king. You felt the knife you gave back to Makarov go into your side, just narrowly missing vital organs. Or so you believed. There was too much adrenaline running through you to feel the pain.

“Now!” You called out, signaling for Ghost and Gaz to rain bullets. Gunfire echoed down the corridors, the men closest to the chaos grunting before death. The men in front of you and Makarov struggled to figure out if they should wait for the perfect shot on you or trust that their king could overpower you. You didn’t give them anymore time to decide as you removed the knife plunged into you and threw it, killing one of the men on impact.

The remaining guard, now alone as his comrades fought and one fallen dead, had no choice but to remain frozen to wait for a good shot. Makarov just chuckled, a wince coming across his face as his broken wrist surged pain up his arm. “You are indeed quite the formidable opponent, Hex. But you have trapped yourself. How long can you hold me here until you bleed to death? Not long enough.”

“Please, I have plenty of time.” You smirked diabolically, kicking the table behind you. The mirror and lantern crashed to the floor, glass shattering and light flickering out. Nothing but darkness in the makeshift room. 

Makarov felt you let go of him, a move that surprised him completely. For the first time in his life, he was taken aback. Almost scared. All because you have proven to him that you were just as smart as he was and could play his games. 

In the pitch black, you dropped to the floor, picking up the broken piece of mirror. With a shard, you cut into Makarov’s Achilles tendons, causing him to howl in agony as he fell to the floor. While he was down, the same shard entered his neck, the warm blood already flowing out to coat everything in sight. The guard, in a panic, fired his gun. You felt one of the bullets graze your shoulder, but you couldn’t stop now. Rushing forward, you swiped the blade from the body of the guard you killed and ran it up into the remaining one. Slowly, his body became limp before falling to the ground. 

Your skin was warm with the coating of fresh blood. The metallic smell filled your senses, a scent that you, unfortunately, missed. Perhaps early retirement wasn’t in the cards for you yet after all. 

The sound of gurgling and gunfire seemed amplified within the dark, Makarov’s pathetic attempts to recover proving to be for naught. Once your eyes adjusted to the dark, you managed to see his outline on the ground. It was a fitting picture, seeing the man that killed thousands lying in a pool of his own blood, surrounded by skeletons residing in the hell under Paris. You came up to him, the knife still in your hand, blood flowing from your side. “On second thought, I think I’m gonna keep this gift.”

With those final words, you slashed his throat, more blood dripping to add to his puddle. Even in the dark, you could see the light drain from his eyes. Gurgles and bubbles fought for final breaths until it was too late. Always one to confirm your kills, you felt for a pulse. When there was none for a few minutes, you knew that the job was done.

“Makarov is KIA confirmed. If the reinforcement is ready for a sweep, send them down.” You announced, taking the bobby pin out of your hair and holding it as close as you could to your ear. 

“Reinforcements going down now. Defend yourselves until the end. Good work out there, Hex.” Price confirmed, so proud of the fact that Makarov was finally dead that he could cry. The amount of turmoil he has caused made everyone want to celebrate immediately. However, the job wasn’t over yet. The rest of Makarov’s men had to be dealt their own justice.

Gaz and Ghost head the confirmation on their end, pride swelling in their hearts and giving them a whole new energy to fight with. As Gaz unleashed hell with his rifle, Ghost gave his own update. “Making our way through the operation at a good pace. We believe that some of the men are fleeing now.”

As you walked towards your exit, you suddenly became lightheaded. The sound of gunfire seemed slightly muffled and your body ran colder than before. On your next step, you collapsed to the floor. With just feeling alone, your hand swept against your side, feeling just how much blood you had lost when Makarov stabbed you. You gave a painful chuckle. “Good job, team. This was a good last job.”

“Last job?” Soap repeated, confusion in his voice clear.

“Hex, You need medical attention! We need to get her to a medic!” Ghost picked up the cryptic language quickly, a new fear taking over his body. Without thinking, we began running through the catacombs to try to find you. Gaz called for him to wait so he could provide cover fire, but there was no getting through to him now. Simon couldn’t hear anyone giving him orders through his earpiece. The only thing he could hear was the sound of his own terrified heartbeat.

You knew he was coming to get you, though. The voices through your communication device relayed this to you. You had barely registered it, but you heard enough to know that Simon didn’t plan on letting you bleed out if he could help it. The only problem was that perhaps he couldn’t.

“Hex! Y/n!? Stay with me! I’m coming to find you!” He tried to keep you awake, intuition telling him that you were slowly slipping away. Price hopped on his monitor on his end again, trying to aid Ghost in getting to you. As soon as he figured out where your positions were, he began to provide directions.

A few minutes later, Ghost was picking you up in his arms. Your body felt cool to the touch and wet with blood. However, he didn’t mind it one bit. He just held you close and spoke to you to try to keep you awake. It didn’t take long for Gaz to catch up in order to guard the both of you all the way back to the surface. “If you got her, let’s go!”

You slipped in and out of consciousness, losing more blood by the second. The adrenaline that was preventing you from feeling the pain was slowly fading. Now that you could feel your body again, you could tell that Makarov got you pretty good when he stabbed you. Damn, it really fucking hurt. At least it was better than losing a whole eye.

“Stay with me. We’re almost there.” Simon softly reassured you, praying to the universe that you will make it out alive. He couldn’t lose you. Not like this.

When the bright sun flashed on your faces as soon as you emerged from underground, it hurt. A medical team was waiting right there, rushing over as soon as they saw just how coated in blood you were. There was no telling which blood was yours and which one was Makarov’s. They were going to provide you with the best help they could.

Simon almost didn’t want to let you out of his hold. He held onto you tightly until Gaz coaxed him into handing you over to the medical team. As he watched them lift you onto a gurney and into the ambulance, he noticed you looking at him. You looked at him like it was the last time you would ever see him again. It damn near completely broke his heart.

When the ambulance began to pull away, siren pressuring cars to get the hell out of the way, Simon became determined. He spoke to Price through his radio. “Captain, permission to go to the hospital and wait for Hex.”

“Permission granted. The medical staff are probably going to be confused about her identity. Probably have a lot of questions.” He granted, understanding that this wasn’t coming from a place of professionalism. This was a personal request, one that Ghost never made in all the time Price has known him. Besides, you deserve to have someone by your side when you wake up in the hospital.

~

You woke up feeling groggy as hell, your vision blurry and aching from the bright fluorescent lights above you. Your mouth tastes like salt, a sign that an IV was working its way through you. The right side of you dully ached, no doubt painkillers making the stitches more tolerable. A headache began to set in as you tried to sit up, a groan escaping your dry throat.

“Kitten.” Ghost called out to you, noticing that you were finally awake. He wanted to reach out to you, but you stopped him for a few instructions first. You couldn’t handle a bear hug right now.

“Dim the lights and get me some water first. Call the doctor too.” You spoke, voice strained as you went through your mental checklist of things you needed. Simon had no issues following your orders, figuring that you deserved to be spoiled, especially after what you went through for them. 

Once the lights were dimmed down, your headache began to ease up. Simon opened up a water bottle for you and helped you drink. Hopefully you’ll get a meal soon too. Pretty soon after that, Simon brought back a doctor who beamed at you, her teeth matching the fluorescent lights that were on moments ago. She spoke English, but her French accent came through. “Hello! We didn’t expect you to wake up for much longer. How are you feeling?”

“Like shit.” You truthfully answered, earning a little giggle from the doctor.

“Normal then. That’s good. Do you remember what happened?” 

Your brain strained to remember how you ended up in the hospital, your memories showing you nothing but darkness. Seeing the strain on your face, Simon took your hand and held it. Suddenly, the memories began to flow back. “We were on a mission that led us to the catacombs. I assassinated Makarov. He got me with a knife before then. A bullet grazed me too. I lost a lot of blood. Right?”

She gave a gentle smile and jotted down a few notes on a clipboard. Simon looked at you, proud that you could remember. It seemed like you were still sharp as a tack even after everything went down. “Perfect. You were brought to the hospital for medical attention. We managed to find out your blood type for a blood transfusion. Examined your organs and stitched you back up. You are a very lucky lady.”

“Thanks. When can I leave?” You inquired, already itching to get out of the uncomfortable hospital bed. Simon glared at you as you expressed your eagerness to leave. You needed to rest, damn it!

“We want to keep you for another night just to make sure you’re okay. But, if you really are in a rush to leave, we can settle for a few hours. Your body has proven to be pretty resilient. Though, we recommend having someone help you out at home for a little while. You would still need to take it easy.” The doctor recommended honestly.

That was something you could work with. Accepting the compromise, you nodded your head and sighed, hardly believing that you could even sigh in this life still. Everything was beginning to feel more surreal. It felt like you were really close to death this time. Maybe if Ghost hadn’t found you as quick as he did, you would be dead.

The doctor put the notes on her clipboard and left to gather the things you need in order to go home early. Simon scowled at you under his mask, hardly believing how you could still be so frustrating after almost dying. “You better not be thinking about doing shit once you get out.”

You rolled your eyes at him, not missing the lectures that you thought were over with. “Relax, Simon. I just don’t like hospitals, alright? I would rather be in a comfortable bed with access to a full bathroom. Is that so much to ask?”

He huffed at you before grumbling under his breath. “No. It’s not. Sorry. I just. . . thought I lost you for a moment.”

Your gaze softened, guilt invading your heart. You shouldn’t be picking fights like this again. Not this soon at least. Hell, you should be showing him gratitude for getting you to medics in time. He risked his life to save you. “I’m sorry, Simon. Thanks for waiting for me. I would like to be able to recover back at the hotel for a while before getting back on my feet again. I would feel more comfortable there.”

At that, he gave an understanding nod and brushed your hair out of your face. You missed his touch. “You got it, kitten. We’ll make it happen.”

~

Kate flew all the way to Paris to help you navigate the intense questions on your identity when it was time to be discharged. You couldn’t remember the last time you saw her in person, but seeing her again made you realize just how much you actually missed her. She missed you too from the way she hugged you tightly, careful not to cause pain. She owed you big time for this. Helping you avoid questioning was only the beginning of her efforts to pay you back.

When you and Simon arrived back at the hotel, Soap, Gaz, and Price were waiting to see you again. They had bought plenty of food and drinks along with cake to celebrate your quick return and finally putting an end to Makarov. While you were still a bit closed off from them, you did begin to reveal more tidbits of information about you. Some of your other assassin stories, a little bit about your interests, and cracking jokes here and there. It was most likely the painkillers that were helping you feel a little more loose than usual.

At the end of the day, the men went back to their rooms, the men being granted permission to have a little vacation for a while for the good work they’ve done. Simon, however, stayed with you in your room. He showed no signs of leaving either. “What do you think you’re doing? Shouldn’t you be going to bed?”

“I am going to go to bed. We’re sharing the bed.” He answered like you just asked the stupidest question he’s ever heard. 

When you opened your mouth to protest, he cut you off. “Doctor’s orders. You need someone to help you around at all times. Someone to make sure that you take it easy. I’m that someone. Don’t even try to argue.”

You bit your cheek, holding back your stubborn protests that were threatening to spill out. With a deep breath, you tried to accept the fact that Ghost wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. “How long do you plan on sticking around for?”

“Two weeks. Doctor’s orders.” Simon revealed, a smirk playing on his lips that was revealed once he took his mask off for the night. His handsome face almost had you fall over. You didn’t think you would get to see that face again. 

You didn’t think you will be able to handle being pampered by him for the next two weeks as well. 

-

Taglist:

@eatingtheworldsoffanfiction @dory-98 @cum-tea-and-towels @completelymarveltrash @watersquirtpewpewboomm @thychuvaluswife @sweetheart-im-the-boss @anotherrickinthewall @bluewinter39 @fortunatelydecadentstudent @transparentsheepsheep @rhaenryawhore @randomlyblues @issssawrap @lachimolalaa3 @callsign-pyro @corruptcrybaby @kdadss @lexuria @dookiedanish@horagamu @bitchvxbes @aldis-nuts @hellhavevibes @annyis @lunaryst25 @xheera

[sol-consort]

pt.1 - pt.2 - pt.3

You thought of modding the game to get your savefile back on track. A simple trilogy save editor will do the trick. With the click of a button, your hard earned romance should be flagged correctly.

It's a small inconvenience in comparison to the tedious task of starting a fresh new playthrough, even if it meant having to endure these annoying constant bugs a little longer, all the recruitment missions were taken care of, just a couple more loyalty missions and you'd be set to head for the Omega relay in no time.

Unaware of the complete dread that overtook a certian Commander that day, as they woke up to a large sum of 9,999,999 Galactic Credits deposited into their bank account.

... Your eyes may have lingered a little bit while traversing the options menu of the save editor, leading to an impluse alteration or two, not like the ship models were going to pay for themselves.

If Shepard had ever doubted your presence's point of origin, then this action completely ereased any and all theories that you were a part of themselves.

Worse, they were face to the face with the exciting and equally horrifying realisation that your influence could breach from within the confines of their body. Somehow, someway, you managed to interact with the outside world on your own.

... But why the money? Was it a hint? A message? Through all of their walks through the Citadel, you only ever pushed them into practical purchases, armour, and weapon upgrades. Well, only recently did Shepard find out about your newfounded taste for aquatic pets and ship models for some reason.

Where did you get the money from to begin with? It couldn't materialise from thin air. It has to have stemed from somewhere. They need to follow the river to its source. Maybe, somehow, it will lead to them getting closer to you...

And there was only one person on this ship capable of such a task.

Throwing caution to the wind, Shepard marched towards Miranda's office on the lower deck. They knew the second Miranda sniffs wind of their predicament, their unruly contractor will as well, if not the entirety of the Cerberus division. Consequences be damned, Shepard just needed an answer, a speck of evidence of your separate existence. They're aware you're not part of them, but this might prove that you see and witness more of their world than Thane ever claimed is possible for a guardian angel. Since when did angels commit financial fraud?

Maybe Miranda had a history of dealing with madness-ridden people, maybe she has more respect for the chain of command than to openly express displeasure with her commander, or maybe just maybe her poker face is really that good.

Because she wasn't phased all that much following Shepard's longwinded explanation, a condensed summary of this presence hovering around them for the past years, the same so called spirit now having somehow deposited near a billion credits into their bank account without raising any security alarms.

The subtle shift in her demeanour once she saw the evidence with her own eyes wasn't lost on Shepard. Finally, she's considering taking this more seriously than a case of post-surgery psychosis.

She called the bank, she sent private investigators, and she even traced the serial code embedded into every single credit chip... all to no avail.

The more she digged, the more and more alarmed the authorities became. The bank itself never printed the receipt of any deposit this day, yet the transaction flags as legit in their system despite every single information box remaining empty.

It is as if the credits spawned out of oblivion.

Even the most expert money laundering schemes leave some kind of traces behind. Miranda wasn't convinced. This didn't make any sense.

So she asked to speak with the culprit themselves, inquiring Shepard about having a conversation with this so-called spirit they claim is attached to them at the hip. Only to be denied, you haven't even spoken once to Shepard before. How in the world would they secure a conversation between you and Miranda? You were a distant ghost on the best of days and a vague abstract on the worst.

Now came the consequences they so dreaded, Miranda requiring them to submit to a full brain scan and psychological evaluation. Maybe this is some advanced hacker they're dealing with. Maybe one of the scientists slipped a chip into their brain. Hard logic and empirical evidence is how the world functions. She's sorry, Shepard, but she can't accept the supernatural as a good enough answer.

Then how can she explain the credit transfer?

She can't. Which is why it's so important they hurry with these scans and tests. The ploy being played here might be the financial scheme of the century of some clever mastermind attempt to pin government money embezzlement on the already disgraced commander.

That's one ally down the drain.

Thankfully, duty called. The two of them couldn't stay in Miranda's office playing paitent and doctor all day. There were missions to be done, enemies to defeat, near-death instances to experience, clean armour to cover with blood, gore, and mud.

And most importantly, you.

Your presence washed over them the second they stepped in front of the galactic map. A soothing balm cooling off their heated nerves, a veil soft as the petals of pomegranate flowers drapped over their entire being, a guiding hand coaxing them along. No fear of the unkown ever remains with you nearby. Shepard would walk into a reaper's ship if it was your angelic presence tugging them by the strings of their heart along.

You urged them off the platform, and they abided by your whim. Going along as you directed them towards the lower deck, a change of plans as the mission selection process came to a halt.

Instead, heading towards... the main battery room?

"Shepard... need me for something?"

The words formed in Shepard's mind. You wanted to speak to him.

"Yeah." They weren't sure where this is going, "have you got a minute?"

The door to the battery room automatically closed behind them to offer a resemblance of privacy, leaving them and Garrus the only two people in this small room.

"Yeah, I've been thinking about what we talked about—blowing off steam... mmm easing tension..."

The speck of dread from earlier this morning reared its head again, the very same one Shepard buried deep down in order to focus on the more pleasent aspects of your influence, the possibility of actually meeting you.

The turian went on, unaware of the inner turmoil brewing within his commander's mind. "I've never considered cross-species intercourse... and the damn—"

"What are you going on about?" They interrupted. "Garrus, I've told you yesterday, we're just friends."

The confused look on the turian's face said something else entirely.

Is that... was that a sigh they heard just now? Not from Garrus, no. It was you. The sound was faint but it was definitely—

You closed the game, not bothering to save beforehand. Immediately checking the savefile editor, the romance flag checbox is right there, checked out.

This is exhausting, and it's getting late. Spending all night attempting to get this stupid romance route to work would just frustrate you more.

You'll call it a day and head to bed, mess with more mods tomorrow, and if nothing works. Oh well, you can always just watch the romance on YouTube.

-

"You sure you weren't dreaming? All those calibrations are getting to your head, Garrus."

"Shepard, I swear by the spirits, we had a completely different conversation yesterday. I'm not making this up."

They're not sure what to believe anymore.

You wouldn't attempt to force them into something they didn't want, would you?

Would you?

The billion credits sitting in their account tell a different story.

"Maybe I was dreaming, I... I'm really sorry, Shepard. I must be coming off as pushy and desperate."

They should feel betrayed, they should feel violated, cheated even... and yet.

"I'll lay off those midnight snacks and give Dr. Chakwas a visit... It can't be the calibrations' fault, can it?"

Guardian angels can't be malicious.

You're not one.

Thane's words ring in their ears.

"Even if it was, if spending less time near the battery means never experiencing another embarrassing conversation like this in my life ever again, then it's worth it... uh Shepard, you okay? You've been staring at the wall for a while. Is this another human thing?"

You can't have feelings for guardian angels, they'll never return them.

You're not ruled by a defined set of morals. You're capable of sin, of wronging Shepard, of leading them off the cliff, of having your own selfish desires to pressure them into.

You're flawed. You're not a spirit, not an angel, not an omnipotent god, not some eldritch horror.

But only a person.

And a person, they can love and be loved by.

[yanderes-galore]

Hii! Happy birthday!

I have a really interesting idea. What if, somehow, Williams darling and him share a Springlock suit as Springtrap? Like, both of their bodies and souls are inside? If that makes sense? I just want a concept :>

Sure! This essentially ended up as an aftermath to this fic right here

Yandere! William + Darling in Springtrap Idea

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Sadism, Death/Murder, Post-Springlock failure, Manipulation, Forced relationship.

Honestly, I love this idea.

In one of my Springtrap fics I actually had set up this idea.

At the end of one of my fics Darling was springlocked so Springtrap/William could keep them.

This concept would essentially be the aftermath of that.

You see, if William can persist in Springtrap, so can you.

In fact that's probably what William was aiming for.

He likes you so much he wants you immortal with him.

Two “lovers” sharing a rabbit shaped coffin.

I'd imagine there's all sorts of spirit interactions between you.

He brought you here because he's fallen for his prey while you were on the job.

Meanwhile you're simply the poor victim.

You see everything he sees… you hear his voice and his interactions.

Unfortunately you're also a passenger to his murders.

I'd like to imagine this is something similar to the Stitchwraith (even if I don't know much about it).

William is the dominant spirit in the suit, so you're mostly "allowing" him to walk around.

William no doubt teases you and taunts you.

There's probably some twisted form of flirting in there.

He calls you “love” and all sorts of pet names.

You can only seethe when he does.

You often express your hatred of him, something he ignores.

Sure, you can be mad, not like you can leave him.

I doubt there'd be any affection other than words.

You share the same body now… so all you can do is talk.

William is overjoyed by this situation.

Now you're both immortal.

He can have a companion during this situation… a cute one, too.

I expect you'd end up living through the first fire (FNAF 3) and only separated from him during the second fire (FNAF 6).

Thankfully you're long gone when Help Wanted and Security Breach roll around.

Until then you're forced to persist.

William offers company, you try to ignore it.

Unfortunately there's no ignoring a spirit who's stuck to you.

While William is the primary spirit, maybe your personality shines through in Springtrap at times.

You try to spare Night Guards but William manages to take control shortly after.

This is your own personal hell.

You're stuck with a lovesick murderer for… what, years?

It's only during FNAF 6 that you get your true afterlife.

While you move on, William will be given the hell he deserves.

You wait for that moment eagerly.

You can't wait to watch him suffer and laugh at him… the perfect karma for trapping you with him.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

ok i have GOT to make a halloween request. i don’t really care which characters (tho scarvio main cast + jacq or turo is preferred at the time of writing this) but how about them reacting to the reader having halloween as their birthday? bc ofc it’s MY birthday so i feel obligated to request this lol and ofc u don’t have to do this but i thought it’d be fun to make some kind of halloween themed request ESP after seeing the security breach one. anyways have a nice day!!! :DDD -galaxy

Happy birthday!!! I haven't written for Pokémon in a hot minute

(Sorry,,I couldn't think of anything for Turo or Jacq so I hope the main trio is okay!)

........

Arven

"Wow, little buddy..so does this mean we can only celebrate one or the other?"

He's joking, of course, but he finds it cool that your birthday also falls on Halloween.

Growing up, he never really celebrated either occasion himself....although that doesn't mean he can't celebrate them with you!

He gifts you your favorite sandwich (of course, it's what he does best) and sets up a picnic where you two hang out for most of the day.

By nightfall, you learn of a mass outbreak of ghost types and drag him around, trying to catch them all before dawn.

Although Mabosstiff has the clear type advantage should any of them wanna fight, Arven still gets spooked easily.

Especially as a mischievous Trevenant disguising itself as a normal tree scared the hell out of him.

Turns out you asked it to beforehand (with you promising to catch it should it succeed), and he's not amused in the slightest.

He doesn't stay mad forever, though. It IS your birthday, after all.

Nemona

Girl goes above and beyond tbh.

And by that, I mean she organizes a whole Halloween/birthday party for you in one of the classrooms (with the director's permission, ofc).

She got cute little outfits for her main Pokémon team and had them all surprise you when you walked through the door.

Honestly?

You expected nothing less from her.

So the rest of the day is filled with fun spooky activities that she (unwillingly) drags Arven and Penny into.

Her gift to you is a Dipplin!

Since it's like a candy apple and a super cool dragon type, she thought it was perfect (her connections in Kitakami came in handy this year).

She would def make sure to celebrate your birthday like this every year even after you all graduate.

Penny

She already knew long before you told her (girl does her research).

But she doesn't plan on making a huge deal out of it. Big celebrations were never really her thing, and you knew that too.

The most she'll do is send you a present and a card tied to her Umbreon (who shows up at your dorm in a cute little ghost outfit).

Team Star catches wind of your birthday being today and decides to throw together a little surprise-Halloween party, eventually convincing their leader to help them plan it out and get permission to use one of the old classrooms.

You love it, but poor Penny jumps like 10 feet into the air when everybody suddenly pops out wearing masks.

"Is this surprise party for you or for me?" You jokingly ask, although she just gives you an awkward smile before you all proceed with the festivities.

[passion-roses]

Ride The Cyclone x FNAF AU

now, i've been very hyperfixated on fnaf ever since it came out (but let's be real, its probably a special interest at this point), and you know, when you get a new interest, you can't help but merge it to your other ones and make a crazy au, so i've been thinking about assigning each animatronic with a ride the cyclone character, just for fun, but then i got to really think about it.

we all know that in five nights at freddy's we have the five missing children, and these children get killed by william afton, stuffed into the animatronic suits, and then they come and haunt the pizzeria because they're restless souls.

in ride the cyclone, we have six teenagers who die a tragic death, probably restless as well, as it seems like they haven't gone to the afterlife yet, at least not properly, as they've been "robbed of their individuality from a mass tragedy" as stated by karnak.

SO

of course, me being a noel gruber fanatic, i thought of who he'd be first, and well i was thinking, there's two parallel theories in these two medias that i like very much.

the deaths of them.

specifically, two kids dying at the same time, or well, with each other.

in fnaf, there's a well known theory/famous headcanon that freddy/gabriel and bonnie/jeremy were killed at about the same time and place, hence why there's a lot of imagery and stuff of the two together.

now, who else do we know have a certain theory in rtc that eludes to them dying with each other?

to be honest i just think freddy as misha is kinda funny..

but anyways, so we have two, how about the other four?

foxy as ricky.

idk, i just think it's neat. foxes are felines in a way. also him being a pirate (as stated by moni when i ws cooking this up) fits as well.

i also made a connection of foxy (animatronic) being out of order all the time because he keeps having malfunctions. with ricky having a degenerative disease.. you get it.

up next is chica.

well, this one's pretty obvious to me, constance!

ite the cupcakes, i swear. but also, chica's image has always been the bubbly one, this being more shown in security breach. she just fits

now, you might be wondering.. what about ocean? what about jane/penny?

hear me out on this

this one is the one comparison i am MOST confident about.

cassidy as ocean.

a vengeful spirit, one that is most restless, most determined, most mad about the murders.

don't you think that'd be fitting for ocean?

she'd be ambitious, she wouldn't just let go of william just like that. she wants to bring him hell.

also, as stated by ocean herself:

idk, just funny.

now, for the last one, you might be thinking oh, jane/penny must be the puppet then, because we're talking about the murdered children.

now, hear me out on this

the crying child.

"whyy in hell would penny be the crying child nymbus?"

you might be wondering

and i have one answer, a very definitive answer.

a kid, losing his head, or, well, getting his frontal lobe bitten off, but let's not get into the specifics here.

it would make sense, it makes the MOST sense, as equal of a sense as ocean being cassidy. GOD it fits so well.

so, we have the six main children now:

freddy - misha

bonnie - noel

chica - constance

foxy - ricky

golden freddy - ocean & jane/penny

(i also have a note about ezra being michael, and him being a human puppet to ennard, but yk)

soo, what do you guys think? :)

[alteredsilicone]

The Reunion

Loid is forced to reveal himself to Gomaitru.

---

Gomaitru believed that Loid was dead, a facsimile of his personality preserved in the little Cephalon drone that followed her ever since, soothing her mind when she was ravaged by nightmares. And now he stood before her, as she remembered him long before the infestation, before Father’s disappearance: a delicate but determined man, his head held high despite the visible worry in his eyes.

A different Gomaitru would have raised her great arm and brought it down upon Loid in a fit of rage and vengeance. The infestation had taken her name, her memories, but not her grudges, though it was the Ayatan of the Entrati that brought Gomaitru back to reason. Now she had found a place for compassion and pity in her heart. Father was just a man, and she could not go on forever stewing in her feelings of betrayal. Loid was just doing what he had to - serve the family, serve Father. Still, she needed answers.

They stood in silence and tension rose. The Cephalon floated idly, but Gomaitru could tell it was not at ease - strange -  had the Cephalon always been capable of such an emotion? Loid had not anticipated a meeting like this. Whatever Father had thrust upon his shoulders this time, he had not expected to return to this.

“Loid,” Gomaitru decided to break the silence. “Tell me, how is it that I see two of you? How did you survive the glassing?”

“I was never glassed. This… Construct is not a conventional Cephalon,” Loid glanced at the other him. The Construct did not speak, a silent witness to the reunion.

“I see. Very well. You will tell me everything. It is the least you could do, given the circumstances.”

Necraloid woke Gomaitru from her slumber suddenly, something had breached the Necralisk. Something that wasn’t the infestation, the Corpus or the Grineer. Shambling, void cursed things, made of limbs and sand and stone. They were coming for the Heart, the Necraloid shouted at her. Gomaitru called her husband, her children, and ordered them to protect the Heart. Soon, the Tenno came, as if they too knew of the threat beyond the Veil. The cursed things were vanquished and the Heart was secured, but something changed in the Necralisk. A secret room, unknown to the family prior, had been breached by the entities. Then came the truth. Of Loid, of Father’s secret endeavors, of the Tenno’s dealings with the Construct. All this time, Gomaitru had slept on a bitter secret. Did the family know? She knew Vilcor built things for Father, she knew Kermerros would sometimes talk to Loid in hushed voices. Grandmother, ever the silent but knowing watcher, even she could have known something. A different Gomaitru would have exploded in rage - her suspicions of the family conspiring against her validated, but she understood the truth now, she could swallow the bitterness. The threat was old as time, familiar and foreign at the same time.

The creatures that attacked the Heart were called the Murmur - foot soldiers of the Indifference, sent by the Void itself. The source of Father’s madness and despair for decades. The dark secret he and Loid had kept from the rest of the family and the world. And yet, Gomaitru’s heart ached - why did Father not trust her with this knowledge? He let the family sleep on a powder keg, thinking they would be safe as long as he was the one in control of the fuse. And here they were, moments from disaster, with Father nowhere to be found.

And now Loid had returned to her, forced to reveal himself to protect the family. It was no happy reunion, no tears of joy or arms thrown around one another in embrace. The Heart in peril - and the family was once again summoned to task. Funny, how some things just tend to happen over and over again.

“Now that the Necralisk has been breached, you aren’t safe here anymore,” Loid said.

“Safety has long stopped being a concern.” Gomaitru waved her great hand, gesturing to the infested masses pulsating on the walls and floors of the Necralisk. Whatever promise Loid had made to Father he was still trying to uphold, despite the clear futility of the act. “We can defend ourselves.”

“You don’t understand-”

“You think I do not know the Void? Loid, I was there. From the very beginning, just as you were.”

That accursed day was forever seared in her memory, not even the infestation could take away the sight of her father on the floor, bleeding, writhing, making noises that could only be described as nightmarish. Gomaitru remembered it all - the sound, the smell, the finger falling on the floor. For centuries the day of the dive lingered in her memories.

“We lived under the same roof, ate at the same dinner table. I too had to watch Father wither away into a parody of himself.”

“Euleria…”

Her old name, before the infestation. It did sound familiar when Loid said it. Gomaitru was feeling anger germinate inside her, yet this one word, this one name. It tugged at some old thread of memories, long dormant. Before the betrayal, before even the dive. Better times, long gone.

“Loid, please listen to me,” her voice softened. “Just this once. Please.”

Loid did not say a word.

“I know we did not part on the best of terms. I was angry at you, but I have found peace. I know what Father meant to you, I need to know why you did all of this, why you kept me in the dark.”

Loid collected himself, he fussed with his coat, straightened himself out and… sat down. He got comfortable, took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, then put the glasses back on. Gomaitru watched him quietly. He stared off into the distance. The Construct was still loitering around, it clearly did not want to disturb the moment, a complete opposite of his usual, chatty demeanor.

“I promised not to tell anyone. It was to protect you. All of it was part of his plan.” Loid looked up at Gomaitru. “I never glassed myself, the Construct is a copy of my brain, crafted to be a companion for both me and you. Albrecht believed it would… ease our minds, keep us company while he is away.”

Gomaitru grimaced. A copy of Loid, a digital clone. Vile. Why would Father do that to him?

“Where is he?”

“I cannot tell you that.”

“Loid, please.”

Loid sighed.

“Albrecht went back in time. To run away from that… Entity. The Void, the Indifference,” Loid tried his best not to fumble his words. “He ordered me to destroy the device and lock down the labs. The Construct was to take over my role as family servant and I was to go into cryosleep until the Tenno arrived to assist in the next stages of the plan.”

Gomaitru, Loid and Father wrote the very foundations of Void science and yet, the words coming from Loid’s mouth could not be more foreign. Still, Gomaitru knew Loid was not lying - what point would there be for him to spin fairytales now?

“I am sorry. You must understand this was…” Loid’s voice trailed off. He couldn't not bring himself to finish his sentence.

“Loid,” Gomaitru took the lead. “I relieve you of your duties.”

Loid’s eyes widened, he stirred and hastily got up to his feet. The Construct’s eyes lit up and for a moment Gomaitru thought it might say something.

“Euleria-!” Loid’s voice was full of despair, surely he thought that Gomaitru was rejecting him.

No, it was not so.

“As the current head of house Entrati, I, Gomaitru, declare you, Loid, no longer a servant. You have suffered enough and I will not see you suffer any longer. This is final.”

“But-”

“I do not want you to serve me, or Father, or anyone else in this house.”

“Mother,” the Construct finally spoke up. “What is the meaning of this?”

“I suffered for centuries, chasing the ghost of my Father in a vain hope that I might find him somewhere. I rejected my family, I rejected my colleagues, I rejected everyone but my own delusional fantasies. I cannot undo what I have done, but I can change going forward.”

Loid said nothing, the Construct floated nervously, swaying side to side, then looking at Loid, then looking at Gomaitru, desperately waiting for someone to speak.

“Euleria,” Loid’s voice was soft and weak. “I should be the one apologizing. I should be the one declaring that you no longer have to suffer. I am as much at fault as Albrecht is - I followed him every step of the way, I did not just do what he asked of me, my signature is on every plan he drafted.”

“Did you have a choice?”

Loid’s body stiffened, his hands balled up in fists. No words left his mouth. Gomaitru leaned down, stared deep into his eyes.

“We both were blindly led by Father, thinking him to be above the rest. We both loved him, thinking that one day that love would be returned two-fold, if only… if only we were worthy.”

Loid turned away from her, surely to hide his tears. Gomaitru knew. She knew how much Loid loved Father, but she never knew if Father loved him. He seemed to, but everything about Father was half-said. She believed it to be the sign of a genius, that she simply was too small-minded to understand him, but now she knew better. Father was not above the rest, was not above her or Loid. And now Loid was groveling before her, like any well-trained servant would, because of his duty to Father and his duty to her and his duty to the Entrati name. Loid’s body twitched as he was no longer able to hide neither the tears nor the sobs escaping his mouth. The Construct floated closer, attempting what Gomaitru could describe as a deft hug, only to be swatted away as Loid wrapped his arms around himself.

“Loid,” Gomaitru’s voice was soft. “Look at me.”

He hesitated, but eventually turned to face her and hastily wiped the tears off his face.

“I apologize,” he uttered, defeated.

“Don’t. I must have fallen into old habits with my harsh words,” Gomaitru said. “I did not mean to mar our reunion with tears.”

Loid chuckled at that.

“Euleria, you know how I am.”

“I do. Cephalon, fetch some tea. There is much we must discuss still.”

[zenkindoflove]

Elucien Parallels: Eddard and Catelyn Stark's Arranged Marriage/Marriage of Convenience Trope

I'm back again with more ACOTAR and ASOIAF/GOT parallels. You can go read this post where I breakdown my thoughts on comparing Elain Archeron and Sansa Stark as representing similar character archetypes in fantasy.

Today I want to talk about one of my favorite ASOIAF/GOT ships - Ned and Cat. What I want to do with this post is sort of breakdown the dynamics of their relationship and story arc and apply it to some common criticisms of Elucien and why in order to get the kind of tension Elucien have in canon, you need to have an understanding of how this particular trope works and the way these types of characters inhabit it.

So, a quick rundown on Ned and Cat and their relationship, just to get anyone reading this up to speed. Catelyn Tully was betrothed to Brandon Stark, Ned's older brother. Their betrothal represented a political alliance between the Starks of Winterfell and the Tullys of Riverrun - the liege lords of their respective regions. Despite being betrothed for political reasons, Catelyn fell deeply in love with Brandon anyways. And when he was tragically murdered by the Mad King, alongside his father, she was heart broken. Enters Ned, now the Lord of Winterfell, who has to secure this political alliance because he is about to wage a rebellion alongside his friend Robert Baratheon against the Targaryens. It makes perfect sense for him to marry his brother's betrothed. Ned and Cat get married quickly and off to war he went. When he returned a year later, he brought home his bastard, Jon Snow. He and Cat now have to figure out their marriage on top of not only being effectively strangers, but also with this betrayal looming over their relationship. When we enter the story of Game of Thrones, they have 5 children, the oldest Robb who was conceived just before Ned left for war, is 16. Cat and Ned are very much in love, showing open affection and devotion to each other. Cat is quoted later in the series telling her son Robb (show canon):

"Love didn't just happen to us. We built it slowly over the years, stone by stone, for you, for your brothers and sisters, for all of us. It's not as exciting as secret passion in the woods, but it is stronger."

Okay, so where does Elucien come into all of this and why should you care if you ship them?

Well, I think Cat and Ned's story illustrates a lot of things and disproves many doubts that are thrown at Elucien being endgame.

Betrayal

First is this issue of betrayal - that Lucien's involvement with Tamlin and his inevitable association with the situation in Hybern (though he did not know the extent of the deal with Hybern nor at all that Feyre's sisters had been kidnapped) will be such a huge breach of trust that Elain will never be able to get over it. That the relationship is dead before it even started.

Ned and Cat are a perfect example of how many anti-Eluciens are wrong when they think that Elucien are essentially dead before they start. By bringing home Jon Snow and raising him in his home amongst his trueborn children, Ned inflicted a huge betrayal onto his wife before they ever truly started their relationship. Although, at least in show canon, we know this ends up being quite a noble lie by Ned, this is never something that he reveals to Cat. So, Cat must swallow her pride and her jealousy and continue to be Ned's wife. This does not mean she has to fall in love with him, as it is not expected of her to, but she does all the same. Why? Because of Ned's inherent goodness and devotion to her. Cat sees that Ned is a good, honorable man - which is why she ultimately believes the rumors that Jon must be Ashara Dayne's son and that he is a love-child that Ned cannot bear to abandon. Because as she comes to know Ned, she sees his heart and his moral standing.

Which is all to say, that regardless of whether Elain begins her journey angry and blaming Lucien for association with her being Made and the end of her engagement, by getting to know him and spending time with him, she too will be able to see Lucien's inherent goodness. It is unavoidable and undeniable. Lucien, much like Ned, is honorable, loyal, and stands up to the face of evil, even if it will stupidly get him killed. He takes ownership over the people in the lands he runs and cares for that responsibility and their well being deeply. He commits violence when he must but he does not enjoy it. These are all traits that suited Cat well and why she ended up having such a loving marriage to Ned through many, many years. And likewise, suit Elain well and why she and Lucien will have a healthy and loving mating bond.

Reluctant Tension

Many anti-Eluciens do not understand the romantic tension presented in their situation. They see their distance, polite exchanges, and reactions as a sign of indifference or discomfort. It is a far cry from the explosive anger and deliberate pushing away that Nesta displayed with Cassian. Sometimes it's easier to understand Nessian's romantic tension because passion can exist both in anger and desire. But what about the stilted interactions of Elucien?

This is also where I will draw parallels to Ned and Cat. Ned and Cat did not go to the alter kicking and screaming. They were not political rivals or enemies. Catelyn did her duty with her head held high, living her house words (Family, Duty, Honor). Catelyn is often described as the picture of a noble lady - well-mannered, kind, diligent, dutiful, and respected. She held a high place of honor at Riverrun, effectively serving as Lady of the house after her mother's passing at a young age, and then taking over the role of Lady of Winterfell. She earned loyalty and respect amongst her subjects. We don't know much about the dynamic of Ned and Cat at the early days of their relationship. But what we can infer based on how Cat describes this time period, is that Cat hid her reluctance and anger behind silent pride. It was over time, as she grew to know Ned that this distrust and distance was thawed and she fell in love with him.

Similarly, Ned is not a hot head. He is grounded and stone-faced, a trait that Cat actually did not like initially because it was so different from his brother who she was in passionate love with. Brandon was a hot-head, charming, and funny. He was a showboat and is basically how he came to duel Petyr Baelish in the first place. But Catelyn eventually realizes the wisdom in loving a man like Ned, rather than the girlish love she had for Brandon.

Now Elain and Lucien are not mirror images of this. Lucien is certainly much more savvy and charming than Ned. And Elain is not forced into a romantic relationship with Lucien at all even with the mating bond. She has been given total freedom to choose, unlike Cat. But, my point here is that the presentation of their romantic tension, which is more quiet and understated and can confuse some readers who have a preference for the more passionate displays of tension, is very similar to Ned and Cat in the beginning of their relationship.

Now, as we learn both in the books and the show, Cat and Ned at the start of the series are well into their 16+ year marriage and are quite passionate now. They have many loving physical displays with one another, often passionately kissing or referencing passionate lovemaking they just had. They speak to each other with such warm affection others have to look away. It is clear they have deep love for each other that goes beyond duty. The passion certainly developed between them along the way. With Elucien I'm sure this will play out much differently given the presentation of the mating bond and how we know it affects people. It's very likely both of them are deeply desiring each other already, and very likely that they will have some dramatic rows between them, as it is likely Ned and Cat had as well, once they start really talking about the hard topics. But the point is that passion and the potential for passion does not have to be readily observable right from the start. If anything, there is something very delicious in the steady build-up to it through many of the tropes we see in historical romances where there are rules and etiquette to courtship (which many suspect Elucien will play with some regency era tropes).

Conclusion:

I really love finding parallels between ships of my favorite series, and there is of course a lot to draw from when its two fantasy series. In the end, my bigger point is that great love can come from Arranged Marriage/Marriage of Convenience Tropes which Elucien inhabit with the nature of their bond snapping right when they met. It's not for everyone, but for those of us who get it... we really get it. Fortunately for us, Elucien exist in a romance with HEAs and not the world of ASOIAF/GOT so they won't meet the same tragic fates as Ned and Cat *sobs*.