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sweetfire01 · 6 months ago

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It's a little shorter than I planned, but it was in my draft for too long and I wanted to post it, so I cut it the end. You'll read more in the next chapter. 👀

Baby dove pt.3 (Daddy!Howl)

It took you a while to calm down. Calcifer retreated to the back of the fireplace and you were grateful for the silence. You didn't know if there was anything else you should know, but surely you didn't want to now. Apparently, the only option available was what the demon said: waiting for Howl to get tired and hoping that it happens soon. The ringing of the doorbell startled you and you jumped up in fear, only to breathe a sigh of relief when you saw Markl, alone. You cursed yourself for getting so anxious just from the ringing of a bell, but you still didn't feel like facing that guy. You composed yourself and welcomed Markl, helping him carry in the groceries. You only got a fleeting glimpse of the city starting to light up for the evening before the youngest closed the door behind him, unaware of your problems.

Howl originally told you that he was the only one allowed to cook since the demon didn't like being used by anyone other than him. At first, like everything that happened to you these days, you didn't think about it too much. Now you wonder if it wasn't actually some form of infantilization towards you: you're too young to know how to cook, you could burn or cut yourself… In fact, now that you thought about it longer, he had never let you cook, if not sometimes "helping him pass the ingredients". Not wanting to get angry for the umpteenth time that day, you looked at what you placed on the table: delicious-looking fruit and vegetables, an already gutted cod and a new bottle of oil. "Howl asked me to buy some fish." Markl said with a rather disgusted expression, taking a stool and approaching the table. "It was the last thing I took. I didn't want to keep that smelly thing around all the time." Moving it away from him, he grabbed the cutting board and a knife. He held a turnip in his hand for a few seconds before starting to cut it, still pouting. "I hope at least these cover the disgusting taste." You wondered if Howl saw you the same way you saw Markl. A sulking child complaining about food he doesn't like while standing on a stool because the table is too high for him. You thought that at least the wizard didn't have to see you so short. Then you remembered that this kid at least could go out freely and be more useful than you in the kitchen. You started looking for a knife to help him as you listened to him complain about how he didn't want to eat fish for dinner. The implications of this hit you. "Wait. We don't…have leftovers right?" "No, the soup for lunch is all gone. Unfortunately." Yeah. Unfortunately. Having no leftovers meant he would be back earlier than usual to cook. You had hoped that you would be able to go to bed and pretend to be asleep when he returned. Now you were hoping that he would have some accident and wouldn't be able to make it home for a few more hours. You started to open the cabinet after you only found spoons and forks in the cutlery tray. The castle was cleaner since you arrived, but still very messy. You spotted a cutlery handle sticking out from behind the pile of plates, only to realize it was another fork. "Hey Markl, where are all the knives?" It was your only chance to do something useful in the kitchen, you weren't going to waste it. "Aren't they in the cutlery tray? I got this from there." "No, not even in the drawers." "In the sink? Howl was cutting some herbs for potions when I left. Maybe he left onethere." You checked but, apart from a cup and a bowl, there was nothing else. You looked through the shelves above but couldn't spot a single one. It didn't help that they were higher than your head. You wouldn't ask Markl to lend you the stool. The library? Nothing. You huffed in annoyance. "They are not here." Oh, if this was one of his tricks… "Well, you know how he is, he always leaves things lying around. When he comes back we'll ask him. Is there anything else missing to set the table?" You took 3 glasses scattered around, placing them on one side of the still clear table.

Then you pulled 3 plates out of the cabinet… and saw it. Behind the pile was a knife sticking out of a cup. A butter knife, sure, but still a knife. You grabbed it and triumphantly returned to the table, next to him. There were still some vegetables and you got ready to cut a carrot. Too bad the knife didn't cut. It simply rubbed on its surface. You tried using more force but the blade wasn't sharp enough. "Um, isn't that a butter knife?" Markl must have noticed your struggle with that damn carrot. "Yeah, I'm trying to cut it anyway." You snorted. You were almost tempted to break it in half. With bare hands. The boy took on a confused expression "Do you know that the butter knife…is used to spread butter? Have you never used it?" Oh god. Not him too. Not him too who treats you like a fool. “I know what a butter knife is for, thanks.” You gritted your teeth as you brought your attention back to that orange thing. You started cutting - no, rubbing - that fucking knife on that fucking carrot again. "But-" "I can do it." You cut him off. He shook his head, sighing "Come on, pass it to me, I'll take care of it." "No." "C'mon-" "No. I'll do it." "Now I understand why Howl never lets you help us in the kitchen." "What?!" You dropped the knife on the table and the moment you turned to look at him, he stole your vegetable. "Yeah, you'd probably just screw up." He stuck his tongue out at you before quickly cutting it off. That little…Now you were really getting offended. "That's not true! I'm capable of helping, you know?" “Yes, cutting vegetables with a butter knife.” "It's not my fault, there weren't any others." "But you can't use that!" "I wanted to try!" "Sure, next time you'll try it with a fork?" "Stop teasing me!" "You're the one doing stupid things." "It is not true!" "Yes." "No!" “Shall we talk about when you went out the other day and got lost? "What?!" You honestly didn't expect him to bring that topic up. But you couldn't accept that a brat younger than you was still putting you down. "There were just a lot of people, that's all. And then I bet you'd get lost too. In fact, you'd end up crushed because of how short you are." Now it was your turn to stick your tongue out at him and tease him. "Actually I left before you and returned safely. Oh, and I didn't need anyone to take me home." Or maybe not. Dammit. Losing an argument to a child about you not being a stupid child. "Well, I…I…I didn't need Howl!" You slammed your palms on the table and Markl flinched at your outburst. He looked at you with wide eyes as you continued to squeal. "I don't need him or you! Nobody!" He continued to stare at you in fear, shaking his head, but you didn't care anymore. "I want to get out of here! I've had enough!" "And where would you go?" You froze, two large hands resting on your shoulders, pulling you towards his chest. Markl wasn't looking at you. Slowly raising your head, you met Howl's smiling face.

#age regression #forced age regression #daddy howl #howls moving castle #howl pendragon

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adobe-outdesign · 2 years ago

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a while back I mentioned The Muppets Sex and Violence pilot and seeing as most people haven't seen it I wanted to bullet point out some of the insanity in it for everyone

This was the second pilot produced, with The Muppets Valentine Show being the first

The entire thing USED to be freely available on YouTube but Disney decided a pilot from 1975 that you can't watch on Disney+ anyway was losing them money so I had to cobble these notes together via memory and YouTube clips

The setup is a bit different from the actual show. There's no guest star (this idea was instead used for the aforementioned first pilot), there's very little backstage story and more focus on unconnected skits

There's no background music throughout most of it and pacing is sluggish at best, leaving periods of silence behind. about halfway through you WILL start to wonder if you're in Muppet Purgatory

Instead of Kermit the host is a guy named Nigel. I'll probably make a separate post on him later but for right now all you need to know is that he has the personality of wet cardboard and looks like he wants to lie down and take a nap 24/7 which like. same

For some reason the main three characters are Nigel, Sam the Eagle, and Floyd(???). Kermit shows up for like 30 seconds

Crazy Harry is in. the ceiling??

Animal is there but he's literally so feral he's kept locked in a dungeon that they have in the conference room (as you do)

Janice has a line and sounds absolutely nothing like herself (as Fran Brill is her performer here instead of Richard Hunt)

There's a wiseman in the backstage area and nothing about him is ever explained. they're just like "oh and that's our wiseman"

The seven deadly sins are there. that sounds like a joke but it's not

Their version of Lust is a Muppet made entirely of tongues that flirts with the female secretary then proceeds to say "love you, sweetheart" to Nigel after giving him a full-body look-over. To date this is unironically the best depiction of Lust I have ever seen

Actually a few of the sins have cool abstract designs. for example, Vanity is a literal vanity desk and Avarice is a cash register

Their proposal for an eight deadly sin is "wearing funny pants to a funeral"

at least one of the female Muppets that Kermit briefly dances with looks like This

There's a sketch just called "Aggression" that's done entirely in gibberish and about halfway through I wondered if I was having a stroke

There's also a sketch involving living pencils and puns

The Electric Mayhem perform a song and it's just straight up 90% innuendo

Statler and Waldorf have a few scenes but they're just sitting in a room instead of heckling and come across like they're Literally Dying

at one point the grandfather clock in the background stops ticking and Statler just says "either that clock is stopped or we've just died" and that's the last we see of them

The Swedish Chef segment has Chinese subtitles under it and honestly that kind of makes it funnier

also at the end of the segment the Chef takes out a blunderbuss and shoots a sandwich with it

During the credits the camera pulls back to reveal all the Muppet performs running around. Disney would NEVER

Sloth shows up fifteen minutes late with Starbucks

#muppets #the muppets #the muppet show #pilot episode #outdesign posts things #'these notes are scattershot and incoherent' congrats! now you know what watching the special is like #I don't know why I bothered typing all this other than a need to bring semi-obscure muppet trivia to the masses #greatest hits

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jenflirts · 1 year ago

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my lovely, jenna

𝙿𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 : Jenna Ortega x Fem!Reader

𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚎 : Angst

𝚂𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢 : you have been adoring Jenna since you were little

𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 : mention of homophobia and Language & also my bad writing

A/N: kings and queens era. listen to the song if you ever want to feel what I felt while writing this lol.

“Jenna, can I tell you something? Promise me you won’t run away or freak out” You said as you sat down under the tree where the two of you often sit just for shade.

Jenna nodded and sat down beside you looking at you adoringly.

Jenna and You have been friends since you can remember—the two of you did everything together whether it’s good or bad—it’s been a few months since she turned eighteen and you thought about asking her for a marriage proposal. You never ran this down to your parents nor hers, but you will once you get her consent.

“Jenna, we’ve known each other since we were kids and I’ve been adoring you since then. I knew what I was feeling is all wrong, I knew that I won’t be accepted for being who I am, but to hell with that—I would go through the depths of hell just to love you freely, I would course through war and have my heart pierced just to make you mine—I love you, every part of you I would be on my knees and worship you just so you could feel how much I appreciate you. I want you to be mine for eternity, I would love to have you by my side and rule this kingdom with me”

Jenna’s look softened when she looked at your hopeful eyes, all her what if’s and worries for what other thinks faded away. As long she’s with you she knows that everything will be fine.

“I love you too, I promise you that you only have my heart and no one else can have it” Jenna replied.

You were content, you have her and no one else can.

It’s the day that you’ve been waiting for, the day that the both of you are waiting for, it’s Jenna’s and Yours special day. Jenna’s practically trying her best to calm down and not panic, overthinking if she did the right thing, if her dress looks good on her, her saying yes to this marriage, and her being a good queen to this kingdom. She wanted you here, but you can’t see her just yet. A knock interrupted Jenna’s panicking mind and told the person to come in and help her calm down.

Emma saw the girl’s state and went to her and gave a box of tissues and tried to calm her down, but to no avail. Emma thought of giving her the letter that you gave her earlier this morning with a light-weighted box.

“Y/n told me to give you this, she said read the letter first then open the box” Emma said as she handed Jenna the envelope and the box.

Jenna hurriedly opened the envelope containing a letter with some tear stains.

My lovely, Jenna

I hope this letter finds you well, I want to apologize for my inappropriate behavior and not attending your special day. I know you want me to be there and I want to be there too, my love, but I want to be the one waiting for you at the end of the aisle. I want to be the one holding you, I want to be the one appreciating your beauty, I want to be the one sacrificing my life just to save yours and I want to be the one assuring you that I love you every single day.

My love, I know you’re doubting yourself and every decision you have made, but I’m here to assure you that you did not. You will be an amazing queen to this kingdom and my brother is lucky to have you as his wife.

I know this is too late to give to you, but once you finish this letter open the box that Emma gave you and read one poem. All of them are about you, my love. If you ever need to let yourself know that you’re appreciated, just read one of my poems because every single one of it is about you.

Jenna, I just want you to know that this is also my last letter to give to you as I will be joining the knights for the upcoming war. Father instructed me to lead them and as a child that wanted to go to the fields I’m honored to lead them. I promise you that I’ll be back and still love you, and if not, I will be waiting for you and hope that I could love you again like I did before.

Congratulations on your wedding, my love.

I love you so much.

Sincerely your loving friend,

Y/N Y/L/N

Jenna was stunned, she dropped the letter at the table and opened the box hurriedly and to her surprise it was full of folded paper—she never knew that it would be full of paper because of it being light-weighted—she picked up one paper and read.

Your eyes, like stars, in the midnight sky, Hold secrets and dreams that make my heart fly. Your smile, a beacon, in the darkest night, Fills my world with warmth and light.

In the curve of your lips, the softness of your gaze, A beauty that leaves me in endless amaze. A secret admiration, I can't help but feel, In your presence, my heart's secrets I conceal.

Though silent, this love in my heart resides, In friendship's embrace, it sweetly abides. For you, my love, are a work of art, A beauty that's etched within my heart.

Jenna knew she fucked up by accepting your brother’s proposal, she knew she hurt you, but she was too blind for it to see, she wanted to let the remarks of her relationship with you to subside that’s why she accepted this. She wanted you, she wanted to be with you for eternity too like the one that you both promised.

#Spotify #jenna marie ortega #jenna ortega x reader #jenna ortega #wednesday addams x reader #jenna ortega x you #vada cavell #vada cavell x reader #jenna ortega x y/n #jenna ortega imagine #jenna ortega x female reader

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sparrowseagles · 8 months ago

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The terror 2018 & religious symbols in storytelling and character development

Religious themes are widely used in cinema mainly because religion is an inherent part of our culture. The story of the bible is told using tropes and storytelling devices that are still prevalent to this day. It can help the audience recognize themes, character archetypes and offers the storyteller/director an opportunity to play with those common ideas and reshape them to create a unique piece of art.

We will be looking at first season of The terror series and how that applies to it. I have not read the book on which it's based, so I'll be focusing on the show's version.

(Disclaimer, I was raised catholic but never went to catechism class, so my knowledge of the subject may be flawed as it dates back to my childhood. Also, I am awfully uneducated and don't know anything about other religions or how they may apply to any of this. Therefore I'll be sticking to what I know here, but you're welcome to add to this and enlighten me!)

Episode 6 "A Mercy"

This episode quite obviously relates to religion as Fitzjames names the event they organize after the Catholic season of Carnival. All the episodes after it also follow the events that come after Carnival in the catholic faith, fasting for 40 days and then the resurrection of Christ.

Fitzjames orders this Carnival to keep the crew's spirits up and to "prepare them for what's to come". The walk home and/or the Lent season.

In the catholic faith, Carnival is a celebration of worldly pleasures. People eat in abundance, expensive and unhealthy foods, lots of sweets and fat. This is a time of celebration, with dancing, music and playing games. And of course lots of alcohol consumption.

We see the event through Francis' eyes, still afflicted by withdrawal. There is a fever dream quality to the place. The abundance of everything, the time it must have taken the men to not only build the place but their costumes as well, it all feels exaggerated and far too elaborated for the resources available to them.

This furthers the idea of abundance that Carnival represents.

Francis congratulates them on their skills, their creativity, and their cooperation in building this place that he calls a 'temple'. Again, the word is significant in the sense that a temple is a church.

He goes on to tell the men what's awaiting them. A long walk, to get back home. After Carnival comes a season of fasting in the Catholic faith during which people atone for their overindulgence. They eat sparingly, no meats, sweets, dairy, and liquor and everything else they did at Carnival.

This fast lasts 40 days. A parallel can easily be made with the imminent starvation the men are about to go through.

One of the most important things that happen at this Carnival is its end. Dr. Stanley foresees these horrors awaiting them all and opts for mass murder, in his eyes it's the gentler end, 'a mercy'.

He attempts to save the men from this otherwise inevitable fate by setting himself on fire and walking out with his arms spread out like a burning cross.

There is a tradition at the end of Carnival where the Carnival King is burned, it represents the end of the festivities and the beginning of lent. It's a scapegoat for all this excess.

Also, before Carnival Kings were puppets or floats, they were an appointed person. During Carnival, this 'king' was allowed to speak freely, even against their own government and would not be punished or imprisoned for it afterwards. They were meant to advocate for the people and bring up potential issues. Where Crozier tries to be honest with the men and make them feel brave to face the task ahead, Dr. Stanly, knowing the truth about the cans, goes against that directly, to him there is no hope. He advocates for the crew through an extreme act, which looking back on by the end of the season can indeed look like the lesser of two evils.

The 40 days of fasting are a call back to the 40 years the Hebrews spent in the desert, before reaching the promised land. When looking at the visuals from the episodes following the Carnival, the landscape is strongly reminiscent of the desert. The rocky hills look just like sand dunes. It's just as barren, nothing grows and nothing lives there. Where one is hot, the other is cold.

Dr. Goodsir as a Christ figure

First off, Goodsir's nature and personality can be compared to that of Jesus. He is a man who acts out of compassion and who believes in the goodness of human nature. He doesn't project racist beliefs onto the Netsilik people, like most of the crew does. He treats Silna as an equal and a friend, not a captive. He is the one who brings her her food, symbolically breaking bread.

He even continues to believe in the good of the British people despite the horrors he realizes they are responsible for, he claims this is not all his people are. His profession itself is reminiscent of Jesus, as they both heal the ill.

But his Christ-like metamorphosis really shines through in the latter half of the season.

As we established, the 40 days of fasting relate to the 40 years of wandering in the desert. However, it most importantly relates to the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and being tormented by Satan's temptations.

Many times in the 4 episodes that follow the Carnival we see Goodsir refusing to eat, because he knows of the cans. Later Hickey's group stops eating the cans as well, but they don't fast, they resort to cannibalism. Where satan tempts Jesus to turn the stones into bread, Hickey makes Goodsir turn men into food. Still, despite being hungrier than any of them because of his fast, Goodsir does not yield to the temptation Hickey lays in front of him.

Furthermore, the only way he can be coerced into participating in this horrible act and preparing the flesh to be eaten, is by being threatened that harm could befall Hodgson if he refuses.

Witnessing Dr. Stanley's suicide planted the idea for Dr. Goodsir's own early on, but what triggers it is Hodgson's story about attending papist mass.

He describes the vivid elated feeling of being purified through eating the body of Christ. In the Catholic faith Jesus died for our sins and by doing so, absolved us of our wrongdoings. By consuming him, we become a little more like him ourselves. If you attend Mass on Easter Sunday, the lights will be off and then turned on to symbolize the resurrection of Christ, then you are called to eat the wafer. It's Christ's body that you first consume after your fast, it gives you life again.

But even dying on the cross, Jesus continued to love people, even the ones who put him there and asked God to forgive them. Goodsir, captive in Hickey's camp and pushed to his limit, takes another route. He only lets Crozier know of the plan, therefore sentencing Hickey's followers along with him.

Hodgson told Goodsir that if he were a braver man he'd kill Hickey, implying not Hickey's group. Francis tells Hickey that he forgives everyone, except for him. Goodsir, however, is starting to embrace his former colleague's point of view, and opts for mass murder as well.

He tells Crozier that even through all of this he still finds beauty in the environment that surrounds them. As he bleeds to death, it is not loved ones that welcome him, like he had told David Young in the beginning, but symbols of nature.

In many ways, Goodsir represents an alternate path Jesus could easily have taken, one in which he lost his faith in the goodness of people and his faith in God.

"Any God?"

Still, Goodsir is a martyr and makes the ultimate sacrifice, like Jesus did, dying for the sins of others. But by eating his flesh Hickey will not be washed of his sins but punished for them.

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valyrielwrites · 11 months ago

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As The Heavens Move - Chapter VII

Chapter 7/9 (full fic available on Ao3)

Relationship: Zhongli (Genshin Impact) / AFAB Reader Word Count: 4387 Summary: The Archon war rages across Teyvat, leaving untold chaos and destruction in its wake - as you earn the ire of a Chi that has stolen your home and all you hold dear, you take solace in a contract that the Lord of Geo offers. Warnings: Smut, 18+ themes

Pink and amber hues stretch along the horizon while the wind gently carries you through the skies above the river, an unusual quiet settles across the landscape as if the world already knows of the impending battle to come.

You sit atop Morax in his dragon form, the fingers on one hand woven loosely through his dark amber mane whilst your other hand softly strokes circles against the smooth scales of his neck, the mountains growing ever more distant behind you as the Adepti finally approach your stolen home.

“I will leave you a short distance from the boundary line, and go on ahead,�� He tells you as he begins his descent. “The Chi will not notice if you enter on foot whilst I trespass the skies above. Remain here until I signal otherwise.”

“Be careful.” You warn.

“I ask the same of all of you.” He replies.

“As always, My Lord.” Skybracer gallops elegantly through the air beside you with ease, as if the clouds themselves were solid stepping stones and not just swirling mists. He keeps pace, despite carrying Madame Ping on his back. “We shall find Cloud Retainer and bring her safely home.”

Unease settles in the pit of your stomach as Morax lands at the centre of a large ruin a short distance from the road that lined the shore, your legs shaking as you slip down from his back and feel the rubble of a collapsed wall crunch beneath your boots. It hits you then, just what you’re getting yourself into - that the safety you felt at Morax’s side was not guaranteed, that you might be returning to find that there was no longer a home to return to…

People had lived here once too, you thought. Families, friends, neighbours.

Would there ever be a time when that could be possible again?

“We shall cleanse the path as we go,” Madam Ping’s voice pulls you from your trail of thought. “Look for any signs of a struggle, things on the path that are out of the ordinary - Skybracer and I shall protect you, but you must flee if we command it.”

“Yes,” You nodded. “I understand”

Your chest tightens as Morax leaps into the air without a second glance, the fear that this might be the last time that you ever saw him gripping you so tightly that you could barely bring yourself to breathe or think beyond his ever shrinking figure in the distance.

He flies low across the water. A threatening hiss ripples from his throat that seems to shake the very earth beneath as he crosses the boundary of Qingce’s domain.

You take a few steps forward, craning your neck to see the end of his tail follow the bend in the river before he disappeared from your sight completely.

“He will be fine, Mortal.” Skybracer says. “He is the strongest of us.”

You had seen him broken before, yes, but undeterred - and he had swore to you that the Chi would be destroyed. You had given him so much of your heart, your body, your admiration… What good would a God of contracts be if he did not keep his word?

“I know.”

You swallow the lump in your throat and accept that no matter what, fate will have its due.

An unnatural thick black fog obscures the air as Morax makes his way along the shoreline alone, almost as if it were clinging to the still waters in order to mask his approach - or to conceal something that dwells in the depths below.

The familiar taste of old ash lingers in the air, the scent of ancient blood and dirt that sullies the lake, it triggers the muscle memory of a thousand battles that he has won but is destined to repeat if he wants to see his dreams realised by the heavens.

Morax lets his power flow freely as he flies through the smoke, releasing a threatening growl and heavy huffs of breath in order to attract his opponent, his righteous fury sending shockwaves through the stone in challenge.

He takes a moment to think of you, to imagine your family and friends that he has never met, the common people of your home… what may befall them if he fails as he did at Guili, what may happen if he does not live to face Osial one last time.

He does this for them now, for Liyue, for you.

The rumble of thunder beckons him deeper into the Chi’s lair, passing the battered bamboo lined path where the two of you fatefully met, towards a break in the fog that reveals a small island in the middle of the lake. A long shadow snakes around it beneath the surface of the water, twitching, distorted by the waves as it begins to thrash and jolt when it finally breaches the surface.

Qingce screams as it sees Morax, its jaw unhinging itself wider as it dives towards him, the hunger as insatiable and all consuming as the unending void behind its blackened eyes. It had spent too long in the corruption, picking on the flesh of the fallen and rotting, to resist the urge to claim the prime of Adepti as its next meal.

But Morax would not flee.

The Chi’s needle-like teeth crack against the barrier that Morax summons, black blood oozing from its festering gums as it screeches and bellows again and again, slamming its head against the golden screen of light as Morax simply hovers above the water and watches.

“You have terrorised these people for far too long.” He hisses. “This ends now!”

Just as he wills it, the silt and earth below bends and breaks, a dozen stone pillars jutting up beneath the beast to scrape its slimy grey scales as it struggles against the land like a caught fish desperate to escape back into the water.

He would trap it here, make things quick - or at least he hopes to.

But Qingce lets out a blast of hydro against the rocks from its foul mouth, cracking them under the pressure of concentrated water and giving itself enough room to wriggle free and slip back into the river - diving underneath the barrier to burst forward and lunge for Morax.

A foul wind whips past as he barely manages to move away in time, his heart racing as he quickly summons another barrier at his right side and sails out of reach to try to trap it again - letting out a frustrated roar when the creature simply dodges and weaves past his defences and attacks.

There's no time for this, He frets. Cloud Retainer could be in serious danger, the people of the village could be caught in the crossfire, but if he couldn’t save his power to spare them in the clash how would he be able to kill the Chi fast enough?

He soon realises that he has no choice but to stay and wear the beast down, or put events into motion quicker than he would’ve liked - for an easy victory is nothing compared to the lives of all that he cares for.

Morax shakes his tail at Qingce as he flees, taunting, tempting him to follow as he swerves to avoid torrents of hydro shot in his direction, slowing his pace just ever so slightly to ensure that he keeps its attention before he whips his body around to catch Qingce’s neck between his own teeth and claws - ripping and biting, desperate to tear through to the flesh as he ascends.

The distant screams and the clash of battle makes your stomach turn, remembering the way that it had looked when you saw Morax fight for the first time, your imagination filling the gaps with each terrifying roar that echoed from the north.

“Look!” Skybracer lifted his antlers toward the heavens, his little nose pointing in the direction of a comet that flashed across the horizon. “That’s our signal.”

Your sense of awe briefly cuts through the fear you felt - the marvel that the man, the God, that you cared so deeply for was able to do something so beyond yourself… you wish that you’d get to see this again, see him again… that you would have the chance to learn the very limits of every wonder that he could do.

“Let's make haste.” Madam Ping says, and that is what you do.

The three of you make your way out of the ruin and head up toward the road, watching closely for any signs of Cloud Retainer’s presence along the path, taking care to watch for any monsters or areas that are corrupted.

The thick fog that covers the landscape is easily dispelled with a ring of the cleansing bell, although the darkness fades not an inch further than the sound travels, you know that home lies on the other side of it - that Morax does too.

“Adeptus Cloud Retainer?” You call out as loud as you dare, although you doubt that Qingce would hear it over the battle that rages on ahead.

“She is nearby. I sense it.” Skybracer confirms.

“Alive?” You ask.

“Yes - although her aura is faint.”

You pause. “Do you know where exactly?”

“The fog is distorting everything!” Madam Ping lifts the bell high again and whips her arm back down as if to ring it as hard and as loud as possible. “I’m struggling to pinpoint Morax and the Chi as well. It's almost as if it's intentional.”

“It wasn’t like this before,” You explain as the fog shrinks again. “There was some smoke from the other side of the river but the rest of the area was clear.”

“She must be using it to disguise herself from the Chi.” Skybracer concludes and then gallops on ahead.

You and Madam Ping jog behind, calling out for Cloud Retainer and scanning your surroundings until you come across the shallows where Morax had fallen that day. Half washed away blood still stains the shore in some areas, but all other traces of the two of you seemed to have been swept away with the current.

“This is where you found him?” Madam Ping asked.

Perhaps not all traces then, perhaps not the ones that the Adepti could still see.

“I thought he might die.” You whisper, shuddering at the memory of his charred and bloody body lying in the silt.

“But he didn’t,” She reminds you. “He won’t.”

“Thanks to you.” Skybracer bows his head and you suddenly feel yourself choke up.

You avert your gaze for the briefest of moments to collect yourself, looking toward the bamboo culms that line the path ahead until a small flash of white catches your eye against the sea of green.

“Wait.”

You alert the Adepti and step forward, carefully following the breeze that coaxes you along until you reach the edge of the cleared fog, crossing the stone bridge to see a single dirty white feather stuck to the side of a rock as the stream gurgles below.

You reach down to pick it up, fingers trembling as you touch the quill and gasp as a disembodied voice fills your mind.

“Help…”

Your head snaps up toward the nearby waterfall, to the hidden cave where you had tended to Morax, and your heart begins to race.

“She’s here!” You yell as loud as you can, leaping from the bridge to land on the rocks and clamber your way up the entrance. “Adeptus Cloud Retainer!”

Within seconds the two Adepti are already at your side, crashing through the veil of water to find the Crane lying in an awkward and unnatural position - her coat of feathers soaked through with dirt and blood.

“Wing… broken.” She wheezed with what little strength she had left.

“Don’t speak.” Madam Ping hushed and knelt down beside her.

“There’s things that we can use as bandages in the back.” You rush toward the crates, pulling out a stretch of fabric and tossing it towards the pair.

You watch as she tends to Cloud Retainer, wrapping her wing and transferring some of her power to speed the healing up, and feel a wave of relief wash over you. Morax would not lose another friend today.

“She’s strong enough to move?” You ask. If she could leave, she ought to.

Although this cave had provided Morax with a safe place to recover, you weren’t quite sure that Cloud Retainer would have the same luxury of time and space whilst the battle raged on downstream, and her condition seems much less dire than his had.

“Soon, once the bones have set.” Madam Ping said as her careful hands hovered above the Crane’s body.

“I shall remain here and accompany her to safety,” Skybracer began, “If you wish to find your people Mortal, now would be the time.”

“But the fog-”

A deep rumble in the distance interrupts you, shaking the foundations of the earth so suddenly that for a moment you believe that the ceiling might cave in as dust cascades from above.

“Go with this one’s gratitude, ____.” Cloud Retainer did not make an attempt to move as she addressed you by name now, but slowly extended her wing to confirm that the healing had worked. There was warmth and recognition in her usually cold blue eyes. “Save your people as you have already saved Rex and I.”

Madam Ping stood now, breathing deeply as if to recentre what was left of her energy, and turned to you one last time.

“The fog can be cleansed, but it is you that must forge the path ahead.”

You feel the sting of tears behind your eyes, a mixture of relief and confusion washing over your exhausted brain as you blink and try to mask the emotions on your face. You had always thought of your contributions as nothing more than trying to make the best of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but they meant something.

Your choice to leave the village that day, to stumble across Morax - to help him, to trust him, to fall for him … Your small human choices have made all the difference and brought you all to this point.

“Then we go now,” You would not waste your chance. “I shall see you again when my people are free.”

Cloud Retainer nods in approval as you bow deeply and make your way out of the cave.

Morax finds himself reeling as he crashes into the dark waters, Qingce dragging him below the frigid surface as he thrashes and resists under the weight of the Adepti’s locked jaws. All of the light and joy in this world is suddenly gouged from his soul, leaving behind a gnawing void that was empty, wrong and endless.

For a moment he forgets himself and what he was meant for, forgets his light and ambition in the face of the intoxicating nihility on offer - there would be no more loss, no more fighting if he gave himself over to it - but the distant toll of that familiar bell cleanses his mind of all doubts.

He feels his blood heat as he clamps his jaw down harder, ignoring the pained screams of the creature he is desperate to destroy, and uses all his strength to throw his opponent back against the jagged rocks that line the far shore.

Qingce let out a terrific wail as the stone shreds its sailfin and rips through scale to cut into its flesh again, a thick cloud of festering black blood pooling around it in the shallows as it wriggles away to recover.

Morax violently shudders as he rises, his celestial body itching and caked with sludge as the filthy water drips off him with every laboured breath.

He’s tired, and can feel the pollution lingering on his skin, but it isn't over yet.

In the distance he can sense the panic of the people, their frantic footsteps in the earth as they scramble in their homes, he can sense you running through the bamboo forest with fear at your back and purpose in your heart.

The water that promises oblivion could never give him the peace that he longed for.

It was nothing to the man that was everything.

“Morax!”

You stop and scream his name until your voice is raw but he does not turn his gaze to you as he hovers still against the water. You want to tell him that you found Cloud Retainer, that she is alive and safe, that you believe in him, but his focus is still fixed on Qingce.

He can’t afford to be distracted just yet, even if the news might strengthen his resolve.

You take a moment to brace yourself, to catch your breath, to trust that he knows that your hopes are with him until the end, and when the cleansing bell rings you start again - racing towards home.

The clouds burst open at the breaking of thunder as you find yourself back in your village.

You had left Madam Ping behind with Morax to focus her efforts on stopping the fog from spreading, although it now seems as if the skies themselves have joined you in wanting to wash away the last of the filth and ash.

The rain feels fresh against your skin, cooling the sweat that soaks your brow as you double over and let out an exhausted groan when a dull pain shoots through your side. You have never run so hard and fast before, pushing your body to its limits just to make it to this point - with no thought of what comes next.

Nobody notices your arrival in the panic - the usual hustle and bustle of the market increasing tenfold as some of your neighbours frantically try to load carts to chance an escape, whilst others search for their loved ones so that they might spend their final hours together.

Nothing is how you left it.

“Mother?” You call out, voice breaking toward the end as it's lost amongst the crowd. “Mother? Father?”

You frantically scan your surroundings for your family, for anyone that might know where they are, but can barely register who any of these people are through the worsening wind and rain. They look haggard - at their breaking point - as it begins to pour relentlessly and the sound of fighting grows closer and closer.

You force yourself to push forward, attempting to weave through the crowd to your home at the centre of the village but your boots lose their footing in the mud. You slip and fall into someone, stumbling to the ground with a pained yelp as your wrist bends at the wrong angle and takes the full weight of the impact.

“Are you alright? Wait -” A familiar voice speaks as you feel a pair of strong arms slide around your ribs to pull you up. Your uncle brings his muddied hands up to cup your face. “____? You’re alive? My sweet child, we thought you were dead! Your Mother is beside herself!”

“I brought help!” You immediately sobbed, the pain in your wrist and your reunion less important than making sure that everyone makes it out alive. “Where is she? Where is Father?”

“At the shrine on the mountain, making offerings to the ancestors… to you -”

Relief shot through you like lightning as the storm continued to rumble overhead. They were safe.

“Gather everyone! We must leave now - to higher ground before the village floods.” You explain. “Morax has come to free us from Qingce.”

His face pales. The Prime of Adepti’s reputation as a God of war precedes him. “Morax? You brought him here?”

You hear screams as the river bursts its banks, water rushing across the market to wash over your ankles, submerging your feet in filth and sludge.

“I don’t have time to explain - Uncle, please… help me get these people to safety.” You plead that he sees reason, that he lives long enough to see all the good in Morax that you have come to know. “I made a contract with him to save our home.”

The ground shakes as Morax and Qingce crash around the bend in the river, wrestling and clawing at each other again as they come into view. They’re so close now. Dangerously close. There’s no more time to delay.

“Everyone!”

Your voice strains as you push away from your uncle and make your way towards an abandoned cart that has caught in the mud, heart pounding as you pull yourself up with your remaining good wrist and clamber on to gain some height.

“People of Qingce village, Listen to me!”

You scream over the panicked wailing, stomping your feet against the wood to make yourself as loud as possible despite the fear that has infected the crowd as they wade through the rising waters.

“____ has returned!” You feel the cart shake as your uncle joins you with his bellowing male voice. “Stop panicking and listen!”

“Leave your belongings, head to the mountain shrine,” You roar over the sound of the torrential rain. “Any able-bodied man must carry the sick and injured - if you want to live, go now!”

Qingce releases an ear-splitting shriek as a blast of hydro intended for his opponent comes careening toward the town, cleaving through the rockface of a nearby cliff - uncaring as the stone comes tumbling down to crush the people below.

A wave of screaming goes up to the heavens - but the rocks never come down.

A screen of golden light suddenly illuminates the sky above, flashing with every impact as the rockface collides with, and then bounces off, the barrier that Morax managed to summon to protect the village.

Your heart almost gives out in relief - but not for long. You were all lucky that he had been able to react in time, and there was no guarantee that it would happen again.

Your presence here was a distraction from the fight and now Qingce knows it.

“Rex Lapis protects us so that we can make our escape!” You call out again with a newfound resolve. “Everyone must leave now, while we still can!”

You cradle your wrist as you jump back down into the water, wincing in pain as you and your uncle go to gather the people and shepherd them toward the mountain path. This time there’s no hesitation as the villagers rapidly move into action, picking up stragglers as you all march ahead with little more than the clothes on your backs - helping each other, working together to make sure that elders and children alike aren’t left behind.

The further up the mountain you climb, the more intense the fighting below becomes. Eventually, you steal a glance over your shoulder to see Morax has pulled back, dodging Qingce’s blows rather than attacking - as if to try and avoid causing further damage to your home, or to buy you more time to get as far away as possible before he loses his edge in battle.

But you can’t bring yourself to leave him, to not see the outcome, especially after that first time you had seen him fight and fall so broken against the shore.

So you step to the side of the path, allowing your friends and neighbours to pass you as you turn your whole body to face the rain. This is not like last time, you tell yourself, But if it is… I’ll be there to find you again.

You watch him dance through the air to avoid each strike, to lure the beast onto land, but with every passing moment the waters rise to wash more of the earth - more of Morax’s advantages - away. He had expected this though, prepared for it, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t hope that he wouldn’t have to take such a risk.

But your words on Mount Aocang echo in his mind, and he knows what must be done.

If it won’t be pushed from the water, he thinks, I shall have to drag it out kicking and screaming.

So that’s exactly what he does.

He knows that you watch him from the side of the mountain, he knows that you see him as he rears his proud head back and surges forward, claws outstretched to grab his opponent one final time, wrestling with and snapping his jaws shut around its neck as he leaps up into the air.

Qingce’s screeching intensifies as Morax climbs back up towards the skies, soaring higher and higher until he passes through the torrential rain and cooling mists, stopping only when they reach the space above the cloudbank.

He struggles against the Chi for a moment, biting down harder as if to stifle its violent convulsing, but then he feels it… a small spark in the distance that fills his entire being with fire when he closes his tired eyes and allows it to flow - a single dream that you had entrusted to him, now echoed across Liyue in all of the hearts of people below.

“You’ll build a more peaceful and prosperous Liyue as an Archon,” You had told him once, and he was determined for you to see it.

Qingce stills suddenly then, its strength finally failing as Morax uses that borrowed power to pour elemental energy into its broken body, submitting only when its scales begin to calcify and its insides turn to stone - frozen in every aspect.

Morax’s jaw opens at the same time as his eager eyes, releasing the defeated Qingce as he looks toward Celestia and makes his triumphant vow.

“To build our safe harbour, I will be the law of everything in this land,” his commanding voice echoes out in every direction, travelling through the earth and skies as easily as he breathes, “And as the heavens move, everything in this world shall bow before me.”

Half a heartbeat later he descends beneath the clouds, pursuing the petrified creature as it plummets to the earth, the air cracking in his ears as he whips his tail down and strikes the stone with all the strength he has left.

Radiant heat bursts forth from the impact, releasing a gilded light that evaporates the rain and fills the sky with brilliant gold as Qingce’s form shatters into a thousand scattered pieces on the wind.

#zhongli #zhongli x you #zhongli x y/n #zhongli x reader #genshin zhongli #morax #rex lapis #genshin #genshin impact #原神 #dragon zhongli #part dragon zhongli #afab reader #reader insert #my writing #as the heavens move #athm #ao3 #ao3fic

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presidenthades · 10 months ago

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Once again, I am doing a series of my behind-the-scenes thoughts for The Golds while I do light edits for formatting, typos, and continuity. Here’s Chapter 9!

For this chapter’s title, I went with the final stanza of “The Song of the Seven” when the lyrics talk about all the gods, because the chapter ends with Jace and Aegon arriving for the anointment ceremony.

I kinda feel sorry for Jace and Aegon discovering the true hardships of parenthood (night feedings! Sleep deficit!), but they also have a castle full of servants to do all the chores. Raising a baby is hard, but at least they don’t have to worry about laundry or cooking. Can’t blame Jace for delegating diaper changes, though.

I have no idea how long a dragon’s gestation period is supposed to be. No reason it can’t be comparable to a human’s? They’re fictional anyway 😛. But I wanted Vermax’s gestation to align with Jace’s pregnancy to highlight that dragon/rider bond, since the show has cuts of Syrax reacting during Rhaenyra’s labor in Episode 10.

There’s a fandom theory that dragons seem to thrive more roaming freely on Dragonstone than chained in the Dragonpit. But one disadvantage of the Dragonmont is the Cannibal, who I imagine is quick to hint down new eggs and hatchlings. So when a claimed dragon is expected to lay eggs, I think the Dragonkeepers are very alert about when it happens. It might be harder to keep tabs on unclaimed dragons like Silverwing, who probably do their own thing without a rider to keep tabs on them. But otherwise the Dragonkeepers are trying their best to save the eggs from getting eaten.

There’s also probably a narrow window after Vermax lays eggs when she goes away to hunt or something, and that’s when humans are able to get the eggs. Otherwise Vermax might not be so happy about them taking her eggs, and Jace is in no shape to go up the mountain and tell her to calm down.

There’s some debate whether Sunfyre was a cradle egg or a dragon that Aegon claimed as a kid. The strong bond makes me want to say cradle egg, but Sunfyre seems a lot larger than most dragons his age if so, and there are lines in F&B which indicate that Aegon, Helaena, and Aemond might not have even received cradle eggs. There might not have been eggs available when the genre born, or maybe Viserys chose not to give them eggs because he was showing favor to Rhaenyra’s line. Daeron is the youngest so he’s a special case because of the timing; there might have been more eggs when he was born, or, in the book (where Daeron and Jacaerys are of similar ages), Viserys may have felt obligated to offer an egg to Daeron since he gave eggs to Rhaenyra’s kids.

I’m leaning toward Aegon claiming Sunfyre (who could have been a young dragon in the Dragonpit). In that case, it’s extra important to Aegon that he gets an egg for his son, especially if you go with the headcanon that Viserys deliberately didn’t give Aegon an egg. By personally choosing an egg and placing it in the cradle, this is another way Aegon can demonstrate his love and approval to his own son, which Viserys didn’t show to Aegon.

In the last chapter’s commentary, I mentioned that I made Aegon minimally affected by the glass candle since he’s not inclined toward magic. But Joff is very interested in magic and has actually used the candle, so it has a much greater effect on her. Kinda like how the One Ring in LOTR affects different people differently.

I think we can all agree that generally, it’s an asshole move to a) purposely create sudden loud noises around a newborn and b) shove a woman who just gave birth. Joff is not entirely herself and she shows remorse, so she gets some sympathy. At the same time, I think it’s clear why Aegon is so angry. From his perspective, Jace is bleeding on the floor and screaming for Joff to stop whatever she’s doing, and he catches Joff with her hands literally in the cradle. He believes he came just in time to stop something terrible from happening, and who knows what would’ve happened if Joff hadn’t snapped out of it? So Aegon is not going to immediately forgive Joff for hurting Jace/almost hurting the baby. And if it were anyone else (not Jace’s sister, not the person who just saved Jace and Cheeseball), he probably wouldn’t have forgiven them at all.

As for Jace, despite her own fear and pain, her first instinct is to try to protect Joff by lying for her, because that’s her sister and Aegon is pretty pissed. As usual, Jace sets her own needs and comfort aside in favor of her loved ones. But now Jace has a helpless baby to think about. She might still put her sisters above herself, but Cheeseball comes before her sisters now.

I allude to the glass candle in the Handbook, first when Daeron blabs about getting Joff something from Oldtown in Chapter 7, then in the final scene of the fic when Daemon catches the two of them examining the candle. The Citadel doesn’t officially acknowledge the existence of the candles (although it seems to be an open secret in Oldtown), so Daeron must’ve been very sneaky and creative to be able to “borrow” it.

“Joff won’t like it” is one of Daeron’s mantras when he decides what to do or not to do. He’s probably going to have to grow out of this eventually 😅.

“Joff is going to have to do a lot of things she doesn’t like. That’s life.” Aegon learned this life lesson a while ago, but he truly absorbs and embodies it in Chapter 10 when he steps into the game.

Vermax laid three eggs. The mysterious wet nurse said Aegon and his wife would have three children 🧐.

Jace dresses Cheeseball in Targaryen red knits for his first day of being paraded around the family!

Baela, Rhaena, and Helaena are basically the fairy godmothers from Sleeping Beauty. They’re even color-coded the same!

It’s revealed in Chapter 10 that Helaena has no interest in pregnancy/childbirth, but that doesn’t mean she’s opposed to children entirely. She just doesn’t want to carry them. Hence her and Rhaena’s little chat about Garmund, who would hypothetically be the medieval equivalent of a sperm donor while Rhaena and Helaena raise any kids. It’s also why they picked Daemion Velaryon as Helaena’s potential husband in the Handbook; Daemion is implied to be gay and he has no holdings to bequeath, so his wife doesn’t need to have kids, compared to, say, Kermit Tully.

It’s OK Baela, your gift to Cheeseball was your midwifery skills.

Aegon hovers a lot over Cheeseball right now because the birth was a very fraught experience, and the Joff incident didn’t help his nerves. Also he’s just in the “newborn dad” phase. When Cheeseball gets older and is a bit less fragile, I think Aegon will let Cheeseball run around and get in age-appropriate trouble.

Cheeseball is literally one day old but I couldn’t resist infusing some personality into him. He enjoys feminine attention, likes boobs, and instinctively thinks Aemond is kinda weird. Definitely Aegon’s son 😂.

Luce was about to say her kids are gonna be named after historical figures, because Aemond’s a history nerd 😢.

Aemond is trying to be cool and pretend he isn’t super interested in the baby, but this man spent a small fortune on that Valyrian steel dagger 😭.

“Aemma” is the magic word when it comes to Viserys. Although he shipped Luce and Aemond at the end of the Handbook, he’s putting on his king hat and doing what he thinks is necessary (but also Elenda invoked Aemma). Viserys wants to be a peacemaker (although he fails miserably in canon), and he wants people to like him (can't remember which episode, but he asks Lyonel or Otto if they think he'll be remembered as a good king). Breaking up Luce and Aemond is a price he's willing to pay. He doesn't care about Aemond's feelings, and while he does care about Luce's feelings, he doesn't think a young girl's romantic affections are worth destabilizing the Crown. And since there isn't any official arrangement between her and Aemond, Viserys thinks there isn't much shame for her in being jilted, since there's no betrothal to be jilted.

Borros Baratheon is gunning hard for power and a royal marriage. In F&B, he seizes every opportunity to advantageously betroth his daughters, and he tells his wife to name their unborn son Aegon after Aegon II. The Baratheons also claim Targ blood through Orys, a more recent infusion of Valyrian blood through Queen Alyssa, and kinship to Rhaenys (and Jace and her sisters by extension). If any great lord thinks he "deserves" a royal marriage, it has to be this guy.

In F&B, Elenda seems like a cunning woman who balances the desires of her daughters with the welfare of House Baratheon as a whole (considering how she dealt with Cassandra's marriage in the book). She is grieving for Floris, but she has three other living daughters to think about, and she's too smart/ambitious to let this opportunity slip by despite her grief.

Aegon has a very cynical view of Viserys, but honestly he's pretty close to the truth IMO. I always side-eye the show writers/actors when they say Viserys is a good person just trying his best because…uh…I don't think so 😅. There are already tons of blogs and opinions out there explaining why Viserys is kinda terrible so I won't parrot them. But ultimately, it seems Viserys is driven primarily by the prophecy (his desperation for a son, then him believing the PTWP will come from Rhaenyra's line) and by guilt about Aemma. So that taints my opinion of his love and affection for Rhaenyra, and her children in turn. Rhaenyra's kids are more important than Alicent's kids, but they aren't the most important thing either.

Aegon is also kinda right about hiding the info from Jace during the pregnancy. She probably would have stressed herself even more if she knew the truth, and that wouldn't be good for her health or the baby's. So the temporary information diet was probably the best call Aegon could have made in that situation.

When Rhaenyra arrives, she's frowning at Aegon who's freaking out in the corridor. He stays there like that until Alicent makes him get lunch for Jace.

Joff feels very guilty about last night, so she decides to remove herself from the situation out of fear of a repeat.

Even though Rhaenyra generally has a good relationship with her daughters, no mother-daughter relationship is perfect. Jace and Rhaenyra have pretty different personalities, and arguably different values, but Jace is a people-pleaser and Rhaenyra is on the chill side for a Westerosi mom, so they get along most of the time. But when they clash, they really clash (like that argument in Chapter 6 of the Handbook that Daemon slept through, about Jace's elopement to Aegon).

Jace thinking that she would throw herself off a tower if she'd been presented with her baby torn up is a reference to Helaena and Maelor

I honestly don't think Rhaenyra has really forgiven Viserys for Aemma's death. She just moved on, because what other choice was there? He's her father and the king.

Rhaenyra really didn't like Aegon growing up (for reasons already included in past commentaries), but she was more neutral about Aemond. There isn't the same baggage about Aegon claiming everyone's attention/replacing her, and Aemond was much better behaved. And I think Luce was spoiled more while Jace was the responsible one making sacrifices and doing her duty, so there is different treatment in that regard.

I was going to elaborate more in earlier drafts before I rewrote some subplots, but Alicent had perinatal depression during her pregnancy with Daeron. It got bad enough that even Viserys noticed, and after the maesters advised a respite from court might help, he decided this meant sending Alicent to Oldtown for the rest of the pregnancy—without her three older children 🙃. That’s why Alicent was away in Oldtown, and that’s why she can empathize with Jace’s current mess of emotions. If I ever write that Alicent & Rhaenyra POV fic of the kids’ childhood, this subplot is definitely going in there.

Rhaenyra ultimately resigned herself to Jace/Aegon for the sake of her child’s happiness, and Alicent did the same re: Luce/Aemond. Parallels!

“All your children will be precious to you, but it is your firstborn who changes you the most.” Of course Alicent is thinking about Aegon when she says that. She might not always like him very much, but that doesn’t make it any less true, and she loves him anyway. She just isn’t great at showing it, and she has hurt him physically and emotionally, and that’s left its mark on Aegon.

Just like in Chapter 5, Jace and Aegon reconcile quickly because they don’t like being at odds with each other. Again, Jace is a people-pleaser, and Aegon is a Jace-pleaser, which helps a lot when they need to be honest with each other about their mistakes.

Aegon’s joke about commissioning a giant gold statue for Joff is a reference to Aegon in F&B wanting to commission giant gold statues for his brothers.

Aemond 100% cares what other people think about him. He supposedly wears the eyepatch so his sapphire eye doesn’t scare ladies at court (even though it’s gorgeous??), and he gets triggered by Maris’s purported taunt about his balls in F&B. He has a lot of internal motivation to excel, but I think he wants external validation that he’s good enough (see: his whole “‘tis I who studies” speech). So even though he’s impulsive enough to suggest eloping (the Storm’s End chase was one big impulse in the show, the roast pig triggers him into making the Strong boys toast), he would care a lot about the gossip and his reputation afterward. And TBH Aemond is not a very emotionally stable guy, so I can totally see him lashing out against an easy target who doesn’t deserve it—like Luce. But hey, that’s what a character growth arc is for!

The Faith is supposed to be based on Catholicism, so I figured they have an in-world equivalent of a baptism. The religious lore is different so instead of water, they use oils; we see Aegon being anointed by oils during his coronation in Episode 9. And seven is THE lucky number in the Faith/Westeros, so babies are usually anointed at seven weeks old.

Typical Viserys forgot that Jace might have some trauma related to the Grand Sept 🙃.

At this rate the Dragonpit is going to become a symbol of Jace and Aegon’s marriage. And it’s a nice blend of Targaryen power as well as a nod of respect to the Faith. Jace is very conscious of the importance of the Faith’s support and the need to assimilate into Westerosi culture while retaining icons of Targaryen superiority.

“You’re thinking like a statesman.” Jace is right though, Aegon could be good at it if he tried…

Cheeseball was born on the small side since he came early (and stress during pregnancy can lead to smaller babies too), but he is definitely a chonker now.

A commenter once suggested that Aegon might have a lactation kink and now I can’t get it out of my head

Deep down Jace knows that Baela had feelings for her, but Jace tries not to think about it/pretends she doesn’t know. Jace prefers her sisterly relationship with Baela, and acknowledging non-platonic feelings would affect that. Also, Baela has more or less moved on (most likely?), so Jace thinks there’s no point acknowledging it anyway.

Is Aegon being extra when he uses dracarys on a dirty diaper? Probably yeah, but what else is he going to do with it?

I like to think the Garden girls are part of the crowd waving gold flags when they fly back to KL.

Aegon says he hates playing politics, but he puts on a show without thinking about it. He even gives the crowd a Lion King moment when he holds up the baby.

Chapter 10 commentary here

#my writing #meta #house of the dragon meta #hotd meta #fanfic meta #aegon ii targaryen #female jacaerys velaryon #the golds

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skzloversblogsposts · 2 years ago

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HOUSEMATES [k.s.m] [f][m] MDNI***

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Warnings: cursing , smut , alludes to sex

Content: moving out for the first time is hard but it’s even harder when your apartment seems to be double booked and that too with a man like Kim seungmin

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“Yes mom I’ve checked everything it’s safe don’t worry… no I haven’t met my neighbors I just got here- yes I know -I will “ you spoke as you walked the hallway of the apartment complex , it was your first time moving out and the nerves and tension was high not for just you but for your parents too “ mom it’s fine - yes I’ll show you what it looks like when I move in “ you said approaching the elevator “ hold the lift please” you called out phone pressed to your ear as you scrambled with your box waving whoever was in the elevator to keep it open .

You smile curtly at the man in the lift thanking him for holding it open for you , he was handsome to say the least , brown hair , glasses that fell just on the bridge of his nose and pretty hands however you were cut out of your dazed state by your mother screaming at you from the other end of the phone . Your eyes squeezed shut as you moved it further away from your ear her voice booming on the other endangering both you and the man in the elevators hearing

“Yes I get it don’t worry mom it’s going to be fine “ you said rolling your eyes her worry was understandable but it seemed she was pushing it a bit too far teetering on the end of being overly worried ,you sighed listening to her ramble about inexpensive markets near you and places that sold fresh vegetables as the elevator stopped on your floor you walked out first the man shortly following behind you .

Weird you thought probably just a coincidence but one too many turns later leading you both to the same door proved that this was indeed not a coincidence. Apartment 32D that’s what it said on your key and so did it on his , you stared at him in awe “ I uh rented out apartment 32. “ you said watching his confused face grow even more confused “ I rented apartment 32 D too …” He said showing you his Keys .

The landlord waved you both off telling you to just settle and work something out , live togther or don’t stay here at all she didn’t really care but neither you nor seungmin could afford to live elsewhere so it was decided that you and Kim seungmin would share the apartment for as long as your lease held up . Kim seungmin wasn’t a terrible housemate , he was clean and neat , often did the grocery shopping making sure to stock up on snacks you like and doing his own laundry, his only downfall was his snarky personality that he seemed to let flow so freely . It started off with small remarks , funny ones really but soon grew to absolutely annoy you leaving you with no resolve . “ Seungmin can you take out the trash “ you called from your room hoping he was somewhere in the apartment “ it’s Thursday “ you bellowed” we can’t miss trash day again “ you said ensuring your camera and microphone was muted during your online lecture “ Kim seungmin “ you whined “ I know you’re free “ you said now trying to Stick your head out the side of the door but being met with no avail.

You stood up walking out clad in your sleep shorts and sweater finding a very comfortable seungmin perched on the couch bowl of cereal in one hand tv remote in the other playing the latest reruns of some soap opera he was way too invested in . You sighed snatching the remote from his hand “ are you deaf or are you just ignoring me “ you started . His eyes never leaving the tv as he replied “ I’m busy “ .. busy? Busy was the last thing he was distressed tshirt , messy hair and pajama pants didn’t seem very busy .

“Seungmin it’s Thursday please take the trash out I’m in the middle of class “ you whined stomping around like a kid throwing a tantrum “ not my problem “ he replied in a taunting tone , your ears perked up at the mention of your name from you lecturer dashing to your room leaving seungmin plopped infront of the tv . You huffed and heaved as you pulled the large trash bag out of the apartmyfoor and too the shoot in the hall, dusting your hands off it was finally done , all the whining was for nothing seeing you had to do it yourself , you approached the apartment door twisting the door knob only to be met with retaliation as Your body bounced back from the force … locked , it was locked “ SEUNGMIN “ you howled fists clanking agaisnt the wooden door , seungmin stuck his head out the gap only big enough for just that as he smiled at you

“Something wrong” he asked flashing you a smile as your eyebrows knitted together “ seungmin let me in I’m not even dressed properly “ you said watching as his eyes raked over your legs landing on your thighs “you look fine “ he said smiling brightly before resuming to lock the door “seungmin please “ you begged as you noticed the elevator bell dinging off loading people into the building

You smiled awkwardly greeting the people who eyed you up and down like a charity case “ I live here “ you said smiling politely after being met with a scoff from one of the residents . After much retaliation seungmin caved and opened the door “ do you have any idea how embarrassing that was “ you started off watching as he walked away with you trailing behind him “ they looked at me like I’m crazy “ you said watching as he resumed his comfortable position on the couch looking oh so cuddly and oh so soft . Stupid seungmin. Stupid handsome seungmin . “ serves you right for wearing those slutty shorts around the house “ he said eyes never leaving your thighs “slutty !? These aren’t even that bad “ you said feighing an exaggerated sigh . Seungmin stood up inching closer to you watching as you walked pressing your back Into the wall “ do you think they’re appropriate” he asked pulling on the band of your shorts as his fingers trailed against the flesh of your hips “ I mean they are really short “ he spoke bitting his bottom lip watching the way your thighs caused the bottoms to roll up as you squeezed them together , seungmin backed away leaving you pressed against the wall “take Keys with you next time “ he said walking into his room leaving you plastered and flustured agaisnt the wall .Seungmin always bugged you he made it his personal mission to annoy you at any given moment throughout the day regardless of the circumstances. Breakfast he was there meddling with the settings in the toaster ulitmately leading to you burning your toast tutting at you when you sulked “poor thing , can’t even use the toaster right can you “ , during your class he was there rearranging the apartment causing loud scraps and grunts to be heard in the background of your lectures usually leaving you to be met with a sweaty seungmin “ you’re staring “ he��d say as he collected the bottom of his shirt to wipe his forehead leaving his tummy on display and ..even when you showered seungmin was there running the hot water in the kitchen draining it from the bathroom leaving you’re surrounded by spurts of ice cold water “ be nice and maybe I’ll stop if you beg well enough ” became the sentence he raked through your brain often leaving you in the cold water longer just so he could hear you beg on the verge of tears as you pleaded with him. Seungmin loves annoying you it was his favorite task of the day that and his trips to the coffee shops downtown in winter , he couldn’t find joy like that anywhere else although it confused him as to why you never caught on , surely you didn’t think he was doing this for nothing? I mean you couldn’t be that dense .Today was your final straw after letting the hair dye you’ve been talking about recently sit on the roots of your hair in an attempt for a touch up to your terrible dye job courtesy of seungmin you thought you would be in the clear for a nice hot shower , you stepped in rising the product out of your hair watching as it disappeared down the drain when the pipes rustled, cold water overcoming your body ruining your once hot shower surrounding you in waves of cold . You cursed out grabbing your towel wrapping it around you as you stormed into the kitchen “ seungmin what the fuck” you said watching the culprit leaning against the counter top as if he was innocent , the reminents of water dripped down your legs , and your arms leaving your skin with a sheen in the light surrendering seungmin completely speechless . “Can I take one fucking shower where you don’t fuck shit up” you said your tone harsh , you were angry, who wouldn’t be . Seungmin tilted his head in confusion he never meant to make you angry you never did get angry before was this your end point?did you hate him?

Seungmin couldn’t cast away the way you looked at him earlier eyes dark and angry as your hands balled into fists , he thought you looked delicateable , skin so soft and hair perfectly coating your shoulders but he couldn’t help but feel bad , laying in bed that night restless and upset at his own actions and what they caused you , lugging himself out of bed he walked to your room door knocking briefly to be met with a groggy “ come in”

Followed by a “ it’s 3 in the morning seungmin” as he waddled towards your bed sitting on the edge of it

“ I’m sorry “ he started the words seemed so foreign to his mouth that he almost couldn’t bare to say it “ I’m sorry I took things too far “ you sat up rubbing the sleep from you eyes , your outburst long forgotten as you looked at him confused “ what..” you mumbled your words slurring together “ what are you talking about “ you said squinting at him in the dark trying to make ,

Out the features on his face “I upset you and I’m sorry “ he said head held in his hands as if he committed the biggest crime ever and was now repenting for his sins you sighed crawling over to him gently placing your hand on his back” I was upset but I’m okay now you don’t have to apologize “ you said drawing light circles on the expanse of his back ignnightinv the skin underneath him in a wave of warmth as you touched him “it’s not yn” you shifted closer to him “ it’s not I do these things because I like you “ “I’m an idiot “ he sighed

Rubbing his temples as your hand stilled “ you like me ?” You asked the words coming out of your mouth hushed and quiet barely heard by either of you .seungmin tensed up he let it slip he didn’t plan on letting it slip but it just flowed so freely out of his mouth that he now had no where to escape to “yea I do a lot actually since I first saw you to be honest “ he said now smiling at you , he might as well commit worst that could happen is you moving out calling him a creep and never wanting to see him again

You were lost for words all these months you thought seungmin bugged you just because he didn’t like you but here he was hunched over your bed in what looked like the comfiest sweater hair tussled and his hands slightly sweaty , you laughed , a smile tugging on your lips as you threw your head back . Seungmin looked up at you a pained look on his face , we’re you laughing at him? At his confession he couldn’t believe it , his eyes searched wildly across your face for any signs of interpretation as to why you were laughing

You wiped a tear from your eye looking at seungmin throwing your arms around his neck engulfing him in a hug “ you’re right you are an idiot Kim seungmin” you said holding him as close as you could “ I thought you hated me , I thought I was going crazy for liking you I can’t believe it I was so dense “ you said watching as seungmins cheeks coated with a light flush “ you like me too?” He asked his eyes wide

You nodded cupping his face between you hands “ I like you too … a lot actually “ you said kissing the expanse of his forehead as his eyes fluttered shut . Seungmins breathe ragged , unstableness taking over as he stares into your eyes , they were warm and inviting under the blue hue of the moon that crept in through your curtains , he smiles bring your face closer to his latching his lips on to yours moving them across the witdth of your neck , your head fell back his lips pressed against the sensitive skin too soft causing your brain to short circuit . Your hands gently threaded through his hair as he placed his mark on you moving and alternating between your shoulders and your collar bones “ min” you sighed basking in the feeling of his lips he hummed against your skin the feeling overwhelming you as you held him closer his hands running across your thigh gripping and squeezing as much as he could .

His hands hovered over your core , the wet patch catching his attention seungmin slipped his hand between your thighs , your arousal coating his fingers as he laid his fingers on your clothed covered clit . You moaned out seungmins presence engulfing you completely leaving you feeling like he was everywhere but no where all at once “please ..” your words were mumbled into the darkness of your room as seungmin crawled between your legs “please what .. use your words or have you forgotten how to “ he teased placing a kiss at your hip before sliding your shorts off of your legs discarding them somewhere on the floor. “ please touch .. “ you spoke breathless and panting from the feeling of his breath against your wet core he hummed “ poor thing you’re so gone you can’t even form a proper sentence “ he said watching your lust filled eyes glisten in the light . “Don’t worry ..I’ll take good care of you “

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baileys-3 · 1 year ago

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NEW CHAPTER ONLINE on AO3 - CHAPTER 14

I can't say it enough...and I'll say it again before every chapter...thanks to Cookies93 for beta reading. The chapter is always much better afterwards.

So, we're still in the week-long dating era between episode 5x10 and 5x11. I can reveal one thing. I have completed Chapter 24. And here we are in 5x11. So, you still have a lot to read and I hope you continue to do so and enjoy it.

I don't know if I'll be able to stick to the one-day update schedule until the end of the story. I'll try it. It's quite a lot of work and spend hours writing. And sometimes things go more smoothly and the chapter almost writes itself. And sometimes you hang. I'm a little stuck right now. Maybe because I have to incorporate 5x11. I always find it easier when I can write freely. But it will be okay. And then I popped up another story in my brain and it almost wrote itself. That's why I simply wrote 13,000 words on this one in the last two days. And that's really a lot. But this will only be available once Secret Datin Era is finished. One after another. All I can say is that it will be tearful. I have to cry while writing this.

______

Sneak Peak after the link

_____

Tim is standing in his bathroom, about to hang up his towel to dry after his shower. He really had forgotten about the basketball match against the LAFD. This was clearly because his only thought was about finally seeing Lucy after spending the last two evenings separately. He had completely forgotten that it was the first Thursday of the month. And as much as he enjoys playing basketball with the boys, he would have loved to meet Lucy instead.

At least they won the game. And Gillespie was right. If the firefighters had won, it would have been a shame for the LAPD team. As usual, they celebrated with some beer alongside the LAFD guys – since it’s tradition.

Throughout the day, he has exchanged several text messages with Lucy. As expected, Lucy had sent the first message right after their lunch break, and she had to hit a nerve, of course.

He goes into his bedroom and puts on a T-shirt and his pajama pants, then lies down on the bed, takes his phone and starts reading through all the messages again with a huge grin on his face.

Lucy: You forgot your 🏀 -match? 🤣

Tim: I was confused when the garbage bins were collected one day later than usual. Basketball day is always two days after paper waste collection day.

Lucy: Of course 🤥

Tim: What are implying?

Lucy: Nothing. What are you implying???

Tim: You're driving me crazy!

Lucy: I know 😉

Tim: That's not what I meant.

Lucy: Oh yes it was! It was!

Tim: Texting with you is no fun.

Lucy: Miss you 😘 Better?

Tim: For a start. Still a bit skimpy.

Lucy: Miss you a lot ❤️

Tim: Better, but still room for improvement

Lucy: Uh oh Bradford. Slow down.

#archive of our own #chenford #chenford fanfic #lucy chen #the rookie #tim bradford x lucy chen #tim bradford #chenford fic #tim x lucy #chenfordsource #lucy x tim #lucy and tim #ao3 link

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spongebobafettywap · 9 months ago

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like why did [Nightcrawler] even fight Azazel and Mystique if all he had to really do was make a wedding for them!!

I've spent a solid minute laughing my ass off at this because I just imagined Nightcrawler threatening to marry Azazel and Mystique if they were to keep doing their criminal activities and escaping jail time and it just backfires

Nightcrawler : "You two are insufferable! Look at all the damage you've done ! Every single criminal of Ryker's island is now out because of you ! Mein gott, I swear if you keep at it I'm going to marry you to one another-...!"

Azazel: "What."

Nightcrawler: "Nothing. I said nothing. You're getting old- more ancient and are hearing voices. Now, en gard- !"

Mystique: "He said if we kept at it, he would officiate our own wedding ceremony."

Azazel: "So I did hear it right... Not that it changes much. Son, I'm used to people jumping to conclusions. You, on the other hand, teleported to them. How would that do anything to solve your problem and fix the situation ?"

Nightcrawler: *getting flustered from both embarrassment and anger* "It doesn't matter, just forget about it. You're going-"

Mystique: "Knowing him, he probably thinks the shackles of matrimony would change the deal and getting every criminal out here to be part of the attendance would better us as people all together."

Azazel: *turns to Kurt* "Is this really what you're thinking ? Titles, promises and a piece of paper don't fundamentally change a person, son, or alter their worldview to the extent you're hoping for."

Mystique: "A divorce or widowhood, on the other hand, ..."

Azazel: "Now, that is a life-changing or life-ending situation depending on who you're dealing with."

Mystique: "Setting the gains strategically, nibbling for extras thanks to a good lawyer, winning a few long lasting favors if you seem heartbroken or desperate enough to people, getting a few confessions out of those who have 'went through the exact same thing', ..."

Azazel: "Having a few mysteries and conspiracies surrounding your death, writing your own will, putting together all the paperwork, being free of your old life forever with no way of being traced back to it, ..."

Mystique: *sigh* "It's so annoying you need to be married to go through all that..."

Azazel: "Good thing it's the easiest and fastest step to take : How often do you have a priest available right away to do the job ? It must a sign. Perhaps we can even have a discount."

Nightcrawler: "Ach nein. Now they're thinking about it. Nein, they're just messing with me-"

Azazel: "Kurt, your mother wishes to stab me with one of the swords you're currently holding to take the insurance money related to 'unusual deaths'. It requires extensive planning and she wants to adjust what she has in mind depending on the model." *Azazel freely takes the sword away from his hand while Nightcrawler remains flabbergasted* "I heard of 'shotgun wedding' and expected a 'shotgun divorce' with Mystique but she wants it to be more of a 'blade divorce' to fit our particular situation. Very thoughtful of her."

Nightcrawler: "What have I done."

pahahahaha I love every bit of this please can Marvel hire you? You get these characters more than their current team

#Maz answers #X-men #Nightcrawler #Azazel #Mystique

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linkemon · 8 months ago

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Asymptote (Axel/Lea x Reader)

Friendly reminder that English is not my first language. You can check my Masterlists both in English and Polish here. Consider supporting me on Ko-fi. You can also check out my commissions if you’re interested.

Other oneshots can be found here.

ɪꜱ ᴀxᴇʟ ʟᴇᴀ ᴀɴᴅ ɪꜱ ʟᴇᴀ ᴀxᴇʟ? ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇᴏʀʏ, ʏᴇꜱ…

ᴀᴅᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ɪɴꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ: 1. ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅʟʏ ʀᴇᴍɪɴᴅᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋꜱ ɪɴ ᴇɴɢʟɪꜱʜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʀᴀɴꜱʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱ. ɪ ᴛʀʏ ᴍʏ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ʙᴜᴛ ᴀɴʏ ᴛɪᴘꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ᴡᴇʟᴄᴏᴍᴇᴅ.

Asymptote - line that a graph approaches but does not intersect.

As soon as I had some time for myself, I decided to spend it at the top of the clock tower. I was definitely asking for melancholy.

The day was coming to an end and the sun was slowly disappearing below the horizon. I watched the traffic die down. Several children were just leaving their playmates and running to their homes. The image of young Isa flashed before my eyes but it quickly disappeared when I heard a voice from behind me:

— Lea, can we talk? — asked [Reader].

— Call me Axel. I think we've already established that. — I laughed.

[Reader] mounted with slight hesitation.

I had company, the only thing missing to complete the picture was blue ice cream.

The girl, as if guessing my thoughts, took two packages out of the bag.

The strange, salty-sweet taste brought back memories. I looked around for Roxas, as if he was going to appear next to me at any moment.

Sometimes there was another, unknown figure wandering around in my mind, which I tried with all my might to dig out from the recesses of my memory. So far, to no avail.

I looked away from the sunset to glance at [Reader]. She looked wonderful with her hair slightly flowing in the last rays of light. However, her eyes seemed to wander somewhere far away.

— What's with the long face? — I extended my hand to her, which she didn't take.

— How should I put this so that you understand me correctly... — She tightened her fingers on the stick.

— Just shoot, it's probably the easiest way. — I felt nervousness growing inside of me.

I saw her gathering courage. She took a deep breath. I had the impression that I wouldn't like what she was about to say at all.

— We won't be able to go back to what was before.

I was right.

A simple sentence but it sent panic into my recently regained heart.

In an instant, everything around me faded away. I stopped hearing the singing of birds and the wind around us. It was replaced by tinnitus. I stopped paying attention to what was happening below us. I just stared hypnotized at her face, trying to process the words again and again. My voice refused to listen to me when I tried to form any sentences.

I was only brought out of my trance by the melting salty ice cream that flowed freely between my fingers.

— I know this might not be the best time considering tomorrow, but...

The tone of her voice betrayed remorse but I couldn't listen to it.

— Why? We talked about it recently... — I couldn't finish the sentence.

I was surprised by the sound of my own voice. It seemed strangely weak and silent.

— I can't accept you like this, Lea. — That name again. — You are so similar and yet so different. I thought maybe it would work and with time I would get used to it. Now I'm sure it's impossible.

— I do not understand you. Are you saying he was better than me? — I shook my head, unable to organize my thoughts. — I was the first, he was just a part of me, my shadow.

— But it was this shadow that I fell in love with. Axel was everything to me!

Her eyes misted over, as they always did when she talked about him... about me.

— He's still here. Axel is Lea and Lea is me.

— You're wrong. For me, he left when he sacrificed himself for Sora and the others. I'm sorry I gave you false hope. I believe we will become good friends but nothing more.

It felt like my chest wanted to contract, even though I knew it couldn't. Apparently that's the beauty of being human — for every moment of happiness you pay with bitterness.

— Axel and I have one thing in common, [Reader]. We don't give up easily. That's why I'm going to fight for you. You know he would do it too.

— See you tomorrow. — She got up and left.

Just like that.

She expected me to forget everything.

But I've got it memorized.

#axel x reader #lea x reader #kingdom hearts x reader #oneshot x reader #kingdom hearts #roxas

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pickletrip · 1 year ago

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When I started watching Stay Still I had my doubts because episode 0 was quite confusing. But as I kept watching this tiny little beautiful show I was mesmerized by its beauty, the atmosphere, the love, and the characters. As the show ended today, I felt sad that it's over, but happy with how things turned out

We learn about Hayden and Damien and Kelvin and Archie from a story narrated by this woman. She's getting married the next day, but clearly it's not something that would make her happy because he's not the one she's marrying but here she is with him the night before her big day. As they talk and smoke we slowly see how their dynamic changes as the story progresses. I really thought she would leave and he didn't seem like the type to hold on to someone. But things turned out otherwise. The lighting for their scenes was always warm and comforting even if the atmosphere seemed dense and sorrowful in a way. But we see how the light breaks through that invisible barrier to bring them together and to the realisation that they belong together.

Hayden and Damien met in the most unusual way but there was nothing unusual about the way their relationship develops. They both clearly have feelings for each other even though they were at different points in their life - Hayden moving on from his ex, Damien dealing with his grandmother's death. Through the rough patches they were there for each other, even though the gestures were small (Damien taking care of drunk Hayden and keeping him company on his birthday; Hayden buying food and leaving notes for Damien to help him deal with his loss). These are very real situations and experiences and the actors did a fabulous job showing that to us.

Now Kelvin and Archie faced such an unfortunate tragedy as high school lovers torn apart by this woman's jealousy. She outed them to the whole school (or class, I'm not sure which) forcing Archie to leave the school because he became the root of all jokes and verbal (maybe physical, not sure) bullying. Does she get what she wants? In a sense, yes. We see that they are married and they have a son. Are they happy? Well, that's a whole other situation. After Archie returns we see that Kelvin really lights up and becomes a whole different person. But of course that doesn't last long, because the ever meddling witch has come to threaten Kelvin with their son. So Kelvin does what is expected of him, he pushes Archie away. Only after losing him the second time does he finally realise what he really wanted.

Finding love in this ever broken world is hard. And we see how these stories depict the reality of these experiences we go through every day.

What a beautiful and touching show. I look forward to more from Jupiter Entertainment. This show is their inaugural production under the "Love Spread" program. So, I have hope that there's more to come in the future.

I highly recommend this show and it's freely available on YouTube. So, why not give it a shot?

#stay still the series #stay still #hong kong bl #bl series #Jupiter Entertainment #Jeremy HO #Louis LAM #Chun Hin TO #Bosco TSE #Hayden x Damien #Kelvin x Archie #Love Spread program #to many more beautiful shows to come

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zaharya · 2 years ago

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Scrivener 3 to AO3 – expanded export format (with download link) P2

I hope you find this guide and the provided export format to download useful! To enable me to make more such resources, and make them available for everyone, please consider supporting me via KoFi! I love sharing my stuff freely and don't want to paywall anything, but I also have to eat – every contribution helps and is greatly appreciated!

Hello friends! This is a continuation of this post here, for people who use more complex formatting than just italics, and still want to export their fics into AO3 directly from Scrivener without losing that formatting.

Now, it should be said first that there are levels to this, and depending on what kind of formatting you are using, you'll need to go through more or fewer steps.

You only want italics and a horizontal rule between scenes (requires manual line-spacing by using empty lines in your draft)

You want all the above, as well as automatic line-spacing (without having to keep empty lines in your draft)

You want the above, as well as existing paragraph styles such as centered or right-aligned text and blockquotes

You want the above, as well as not predefined paragraph and character styles such as bold or underlined text and strikethrough

The first two can be achieved by following my previous post about this (or by downloading and importing my format – import instructions in the other post). The other two expand the same principle that is used to achieve 2, but are more "sensitive" to inconsistencies. This post here is going to provide the additional steps to achieve the paragraph and character style HTML formatting on compile. It will also include further explanations of certain steps where people often tripped up.

Let's go then. Follow this previous post up to the heading Assign Section Layouts, or download and import the provided .scrformat file that is linked there.

If you import the provided .scrformat file, and you have not deleted/renamed Scrivener's built in text styles, two paragraph styles (Centered Text and Block Quote) should already work for you! I recommend reading the explanation of how to set it up anyway though, in case you want to add a different paragraph style to the format at some point.

Existing (Paragraph) Styles

Alright, so in the last post, we went into the Styles tab of the Format Settings, added a new paragraph style (Regular Text), and defined the Paragraph prefix/suffix. Now, Regular Text wasn't based on any of the existing Project Paragraph Styles, which is also why it didn't matter what you called it. This matters now!

While you're still in the Styles tab, click again on the + in the top right corner to add a new paragraph style. However, unlike with Regular Text, this time you choose one of the existing Project Paragraph Styles and override it. (Don't worry about losing anything, you're in a plain text format anyway.)

This will create a Style with the same name as the Project Paragraph Style you chose. This is important, if they're not named the same it won't work. If you rename one, you have to rename the other as well.

Anyway, there are four fields again: Prefix/suffix and Paragraph prefix/suffix. Put the HTML code required for your desired style into the Prefix/suffix fields – e.g. the HTML code for block quotes is < blockquote > and < /blockquote >. For Paragraph prefix/suffix, put the same code as you did for Regular Text!

Why isn't the blockquote code the Paragraph prefix/suffix? Well, paragraph styles may span multiple paragraphs, right? You might have a whole letter in block quotes, which contains several line-breaks. We want the style to include all of it, and we want our line-breaks within the style to still function properly. Therefore, we still want every individual paragraph to be surrounded by the p and /p code, whereas the blockquote and /blockquote code should go at the very beginning and at the very end of the whole section in this style.

Prefix/suffix go where the style begins and ends. Paragraph prefix/suffix goes at the beginning and end of every paragraph within this style.

Based on this principle you can now add any paragraph (or character) styles you want that are already defined in Scrivener.

Important: In order for this to work, you need to actually apply these styles within your editor as well. So if you're wanting centered text, do not just hit the center-align button in your format bar! If you do it like that, the style of that paragraph will still be No Style, and it won't add the HTML code you just defined. Instead, select the style Centered Text from the project text styles to center your text.

This goes for all styles! If you want it to actually be applied on compile, it must also be applied in the editor. Makes sense I'd say.

New (Paragraph or Character) Styles

"But V, what if I want a style that isn't already defined in Scrivener?"

Yes, let's say you want right-aligned or bold text – but there's no preset Paragraph/Character style for that. The solution is simple enough: We'll define it then!

At the bottom of the drop-down menu for the text styles in the format bar, choose Show Styles Panel. This opens, you guessed it, the Styles Panel with all available styles in this project. To define a new style, format your paragraph as you want it in the editor (e.g. hit the right-align or bold button) and then click the little + at the bottom left in the Styles Panel. This will open a little window where you can define a new style.

Now, note here that you can choose which attributes are saved, which brings us to a quick explanation of Character vs Paragraph vs Paragraph+Character Styles.

Let's take three examples: Bold text, right-aligned text, and centered italic text (e.g. for a letter).

Bold text is a character style; all relevant attributes (i.e. the boldness of the font) work on a character level. You can make a single letter or word bold without affecting the rest of the paragraph – which is also how bold text is commonly used.

Right-aligned text is a paragraph style; all relevant attributes (i.e. the text alignment) work on a paragraph level. You cannot right-align a single word within a paragraph – it's the whole paragraph or nothing. The font itself is unaffected.

Centered italic text is a paragraph style with specific character attributes; the relevant attributes are on both paragraph and character level.

This distinction is mostly relevant when you're trying to define Character styles, or paragraph styles with specific character attributes. If you save all information on a paragraph style where there's no particular character attributes applied anyway, it'll turn into a normal paragraph style. For Character styles, however, this is important! Let's say you want to define Bold text – if you save all formatting, it'll always apply bold text to the whole paragraph rather than the specific word(s) you want.

Anyway, as you might've figured, you can now define all the styles your heart desires. Bold, strikethrough, underlined, specifically formatted block quotes – if you can achieve it with your editor, you can save it as a style.

"But V, that's just in my editor, I thought this was about the export format?"

Well, technically you already know how to apply the HTML code to these styles – the same way as for the preset styles. Go back to editing your export format, into the Styles tab of the Format Settings. Just like we selected Block Quote to override earlier, we can now also select any of the new styles we created in the project, e.g. Bold Text.

Again, you put the required HTML code for the respective style into the Prefix/suffix fields. Note that Character styles do not allow you to put anything into the Paragraph prefix/suffix fields! This is because the beginning and end of character styles are usually within one paragraph.

Assign Section Layouts

And here we are again, back with the previous post. In order for any of this to actually be applied, you need to assign your section layout to the section types you are exporting.

Since this step apparently caused some confusion for many people, I'll try to explain why we need to do this.

In your draft, you have different files and/or folders. Based on their structure, Scrivener assigns certain Section Types to those files; e.g. folders are Chapter Headings, files within folders are Scenes. When you compile your draft, each Section Type is assigned a specific layout within the compile format you're using. For example, if you compile a Paperback PDF (preset), the folders will create chapter headings based on the folder name, and the files will create the scenes containing the text in the file itself. [Details about this can be found in the Compile Tutorial, here.]

With Scrivener's preset export formats, these section layouts are already assigned. Since we made this format new, our section layouts are not already assigned – we gotta assign them ourselves.

When exporting for AO3, we generally don't need any headers. All that matters is that your Scenes have the Section Layout "Text Section" assigned to them. This is necessary to actually apply all this HTML formatting we defined.

And that's it!

Here's a link to download my updated format that you can import as explained in the first post. It includes the most common paragraph and character styles already added to the export format – note that you will still need to create the text styles for some of them if they are not Scrivener presets!

❗️IMPORTANT: After importing the format, you still have to assign the section layouts!!!

–––

A continuously updated Masterlist with all my Scrivener 3 tutorials can be found here.

Part 1 | Tutorial Masterlist | KoFi

#scrivener #tutorial #instructions #ao3 #format #export format #html #fanfic #writing

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gladstones-corner · 9 months ago

Text

Let's Talk Divination

This was originally going to be a much more specific post, but I decided to take in in a different direction. Today, I'm going to cover divination as a general topic, including how to practice it.

Like my post on ritual magic, let's get started with a definition. What exactly is divination? Merriam-Webster nails it, I think:

"The art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge, usually by the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers."

I dig this definition a lot. It tells us that:

Divination is both an art and a science

It is both natural and supernatural

It can be used to uncover information

It can be used to tell the future

That's all well and good, but why is divination important? Let's take a look at those last two points there: uncovering information and foretelling the future.

Uncovering information spans a wide range of applications. Did you misplace your phone? A crude map of your home and a pendulum can help you remember where it is. Had something go worse than you were hoping? A tarot spread can help you examine why.

Foretelling the future seems self-explanatory, but it's more complex than that. Divination can certainly tell you likely outcomes, but it won't set your fate in stone. If anything, it's part of being a proactive force in your own destiny.

Alright, cool. We have some ways divination helps us out. But how do we practice it? The good news is, that's up to you!

If you're new to the skill, I suggest starting with a pendulum. These are great because they're portable, versatile, discreet, and easy to make. All you need is about 8-10 inches of string and a small weight to tie onto the end.

To use a pendulum, hold it by the non-weighted end and let it swing freely. Before divining, I tend to ask my pendulum to signal to me the following:

Yes

Maybe

Answer unknown

That helps me calibrate the pendulum so I can clearly understand its responses.

If you're less comfortable with freeform interpretation, there are plenty of divination mats to try. Some are simple, others are more complex and mimic spirit boards. I encourage you to make a couple out of paper and see if you like them before purchasing one.

Mastered the pendulum? Try something a little more complicated, like Elder Futhark or Ogham. These are rune sets that are rich in symbolism but easy to make and learn. You can use wooden coins, index cards, or anything of regular size and shape to make your own and get started.

Runes not really your thing? Or maybe you've mastered them too? In this case, I can't recommend Lenormand highly enough. It's a 36 card deck with beautiful, easy-to-understand art on every card. The best part? Each card has a playing card equivalent; you can purchase a set of poker cards and draw your own!

Where do we go from here? I'd say oracle decks! These are unique in that they're non-standard. Each deck is highly personal to its creator and differs from all others. I suggest doing a lot of research to find one you like, and really taking the time to learn its methods and meanings. A good oracle deck will carry you very far.

And now we come to the final divination method I'll discuss here: tarot. I kept this one for last because I consider it the hardest to learn.

Despite the consistent 78-card requirement (22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana), there is considerable variation between decks. Finding one you like seems impossible at times, and trying to find resources can be a pain if you're not reading a RWS or one of its variants.

But don't let that get to you. Finding a good tarot deck and learning at least the Major Arcana will net you a lot of experience in divination. Is it any more rewarding than the other methods? No, not really. But besides the pendulum, it's my favorite.

Are these the only divination methods available? Absolutely not. Geomancy, augury, bone-casting...the list goes on. There are as many ways to divine as there are people divining—and I didn't even cover scrying, which is a topic all on its own.

Give these methods a try! Let me know how they work for you.

As always, blessed be~

#glad's thoughts #divination

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askthepsychic · 10 months ago

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Chrysalis sighs, sitting off to the side as the ponies before her and her daughter eat breakfast. She too is feeding, sipping from the ever present love these ponies have for each other. She can’t help but think how the love tastes different somehow. She thinks it’s because she’s not forcing it to come to her, instead just sipping from the freely expressed ambient love. She lowered her gaze to think on this, and when she raises her eyes again, she sees Twilight looking at her and smiling.

“There’s an open chair, Chrysalis. Come, sit with us.” Twilight invites.

Chrysalis blinks, then stands and goes to take the offered seat. “I apologize if I offend. I… I’m struggling to feel comfortable here.”

Twilight nods “perfectly understandable. Your last peaceful interaction with ponies didn’t end well at all. You’re worried we’ll turn on you.”

Chrysalis nods, then realizes what Twilight just indicated knowledge of. She looks at True Heart and gives a rueful smile. “You told them that story, didn’t you.”

True Heart nods. “I figured it would help if they knew why you did what you did.”

Chrysalis nods, then looks at Twilight again. “Twilight, may I ask you something?”

Twilight nods. “Of course, Chrysalis. What do you want to know?”

Chrysalis sighs, taking a deep breath before saying “take a moment to disregard what you have learned about my past. Think only of how you felt directly after the invasion. Did you ever hate me? I know it isn’t very important in the grand scheme of things, but I’m curious.”

Twilight nods “curiosity is something I understand perfectly. I’m always trying to learn more about everything. As for what you’re curious about, no, I don’t think hate is the right word for how I felt back then. I think I was mainly afraid of you. I know we defeated your invasion, but I could never figure out how much of that was managed simply by luck. In fact, I think a lot of victories of that sort are managed by luck. And I knew based on what happened that you could be at least powerful enough to overcome Princess Celestia, who was the most powerful individual in Equestria at the time. So yes. I was afraid of you. That’s probably what drove me to create my new security devices and come up with an argument to have them made cheap and available to every locale in Equestria. That being said, I would now desire to turn that same question back upon you. Did you ever hate me?”

Chrysalis sighs. “I wish my answer was as charitable as yours. But it isn’t. Yes, I did hate you for a brief time following my defeat. I hated that your cleverness had been sufficient to overcome my strategy. I hated that my attempt to secure a food source for my hive had failed. I… I spent at least one month hating everything. Then I laid the egg that would become True Heart and sensed the gift of true born royalty forming within. My anger vanished, overcome by confusion. It takes a special connection between a changeling queen and her mate to create a true born daughter.”

Twilight blinks “a special connection? Is it a particular kind of special connection?”

Chrysalis nods “yes. Only one kind of connection can produce a true born daughter. A queen can feel love for any number of partners. I won’t deny that I have loved more than once over the course of my life. But love isn’t enough to produce a future queen, though it is sufficient to produce a child. But then… um, there’s really no other way to say this. Though I bedded Shining Armor over the course of the invasion… I didn’t love him. It was one of the ways I kept him thinking I was Cadence. I had to act fully as she would as much as I could to keep him convinced long enough for such to no longer be necessary. Looking back, I wonder often what would’ve been different if I had noticed what had to have existed between us.”

Across the table, an amused sounding voice says “you’re referring to the fact that you two are soulmates, aren’t you?” Everyone turns to look at Cadence, her eyes twinkling merrily as she smiles at Chrysalis, showing not a hint of malice.

Chrysalis swallows nervously, then nods. “I’m honestly still confused by it a little. I’m not surprised you can tell, being the princess of love, and I doubt you’ll be surprised that I can tell you are also Shining Armor’s soulmate. Your ability to identify such comes from what you are titled for, and I can identify that connection because my emotion affinity is love.”

Shining Armor chuckles “Chrysalis, why are you worried? Do you think we are angry that you, like Cadence, are spiritually bound to me? I can guarantee that isn’t the case. In fact, we’ve discussed it at length, and neither of us would be opposed to you joining our herd.”

Chrysalis blinks, her mouth falling open. She was surprised to learn the two of them didn’t hold a grudge for the invasion, but this? “I… I don’t know what to say. You’d both really be okay with it?”

Cadence nods. “Chrysalis, a soul bond isn’t something I at least would ever want to deny. You may not love Shining Armor right now, but your soul bond tells me you are meant to. And having met True Heart and realized how well you raised her, I would love to get to know you as she does. I would love to have you as a herd-sister.”

Chrysalis blinks, then lowers her head, body starting to shake a little. True Heart asks if she’s alright and she responds “just mourning what my lost innocence prevented from ever coming to pass. I won’t deny that I had no faith in this plan having a good outcome, but now… what could’ve been if I tried the diplomatic option for a second time back then, instead of choosing violence as the black unicorns did. Could things have truly been different if I had broken the cycle of violence myself? Instead of leaving that task for you? Why do we have to be such foals in order to grow wiser?”

Twilight sighs “because the Allmother wants us to make mistakes so we learn how to be better, and then pass that knowledge on to our children. The ancient wars that almost brought Equeus to an end were fought at the height of our foalishness. We collectively learned from that era that diplomacy was far less dangerous and far more effective at working out our differences. But that doesn’t mean we individually understand that lesson. That’s why we have to be reeducated from time to time. Your time to learn is now, Chrysalis and may I say that I feel honored to share this time of learning with you.”

A small smile blooms on Chrysalis’s face at the thought of that, then she gasps as two sets of forelimbs wrap around her from behind, her new herdmates embracing her in welcome. She looks first to Cadence, the Princess of Love’s smile proving infectious as Chrysalis can’t help smiling back at her. Then she turns to look at Shining Armor and instantly, confusion replaces happiness. Looking at him this closely, feeling actual true affection rising in her chest for him… it feels familiar. Far… too… familiar. Chrysalis angles for a closer look, and what she sees has her wearing a shocked look as tears begin streaming down her cheeks. “Could… could it really be? Is it really…?”

Cadence laughs behind her. “I knew it. I absolutely knew it.”

True Heart blinks “mother, what’s wrong?”

Chrysalis blinks “wrong? No, this is… right. It’s… him.”

True Heart tilts her head in confusion. “Who, father?”

Chrysalis shakes her head. “No. And at the same time, yes. This is your father, but he’s also… looking deep into his eyes, I know it. I can see it. The shadow… of a love long lost. This is…”

Cadence chuckles once more, then says “the reincarnation of the lover from the story True Heart told us. I knew it. Immediately after I heard that story, I realized where the soul bond between you two came from. That changeling guard, who gave his life so you could escape, has come back to be with you again, Chrysalis. And though this part might be a little presumptuous, I think he’s also come back to help us find peace. I mean, if not, it’s a little too much of a coincidence that he’d be your soulmate as well as mine.”

Chrysalis chuckles. “I think you’re right, Cadence. Now, I know you and Shining are already holding me, so I think I should warn you. This load of flesh and blood is about to get much more unwieldy. All these swirling emotions are catching up with me and I’m about to faint.”

Cadence nods. “Understandable. You can feel secure in our embrace, Chrysalis. We’ve got you.”

Chrysalis sighs, her eyes starting to unfocus. “I wonder if having herdmates is always going to let me feel safer.” That’s the last thing she says before losing consciousness in the embrace of her new loves.

#askthepsychicofponyville #ask me anything #ask blog #original character #mlp #rey #ambrosia #true heart #aaron

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