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bones4thecats · 8 months ago

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Their S/O Is Related To Their Enemy

Type of Writing: Random Idea Name: Their S/O Is Related To Their Enemy Characters: Toffee of Septarsis, Bill Cipher, and Lord Hater Idea-Giver: Random Thoughts

A/N: Much like with my Vivziepop pieces, I will have the species of the reader underneath their header images. I had no ideas for HIM since I couldn't find a good connection for a reader and him in the relation to the girls context. I hope you do like this first creation of mine! Have great rests of your nights/days!

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Mewman! Reader ; Big Sibling of Moon Butterfly and Aunt of Star Butterfly

☄️ As the eldest child of Queen Comet Butterfly and Count Lazlo Marmalade of Lushreach, you were always held into high regards when it came to political affairs

☄️ While your parents mainly handled the more detailed affairs, you would watch over Moon as she aged. From looking over her when she was a toddler till when she grew old enough to organize herself into the many issues your kingdom faced

☄️ During those many years, you had held her hand throughout every single hardship that came her way. And you planned to hold her hand throughout this war that the Mewmans and Monsters faced

☄️ And even during these kind of dire situations, you always stayed strong to your family. But, when your mother and father decided to pass you up for your sister, saying she would fit better as the ruler, you snapped

☄️ You knew the only reason they chose her was because she was more like them; close minded on Monsters and Mewmans regaining trust in one another. While you were far more accepting and willing to work with the Monsters

☄️ Jumbling up all your stuff and jumped down from your room's window before sliding and sneaking outside with expect parkour practice, you landed by the woods and looked back at your sister's window, seeing the light turn off

" I am so sorry, Moon... but I cannot stay in such a corrupted land any longer... "

☄️ During your expedition to find some kind of Monster civilization, you had dodged many forced from your kingdom, each speaking of how your family needed you back home, much to your annoyance

☄️ It was during this travel that you came across an injured Septarsis, one that you learned the name of, Toffee. And, during your many years of living alongside one another, you shared your life stories, from your childhoods to your wishes, it was all out in the open to show your trust

☄️ Toffee wasn't very big on the royal family, viewing the abuse of power they held as illogical, and eventually viewing the magic they hold as overkill. But, for some weird reason, you didn't bother him

☄️ And he had to admit, watching the little offspring of his enemy Moon Butterfly look at you in shock as she tried fighting her blood made him smirk

" Uhm- Toffee? Why are you smiling at this? Isn't Y/N supposed to be just grabbing the wand and coming back here? " " Oh, you'll understand in a few seconds... "

☄️ Star was trying not to harm you, sending minor spells at you, trying to just knock you on your butt so she could just ask you why you had left and why you were siding with Ludo and the rest of his gang

☄️ Once she did, she was shocked to see that the markings on your cheeks, the ones that matched your mother's, but they were faded and covered with thin-lined x's

☄️ You then burst up and kicked the young girl away, bidding farewell as you pocked your cheek and stuck your tongue out mockingly before winking at where the camera laid for Toffee and the forces to see

" I-Is she...? " " I told you. You would find out soon... now! Y/N, I would like to congratulate you on retrieving such an important tool; Star's mistrust of her mother. Good job, my royal. "

☄️ Smirking at your husband, you pecked his cheek and looked at the boys as you handed Ludo a small portion of magic sealed from Star's wand, and just this amount would be good for now

☄️ Toffee then looked at your marks, which slightly glowed with magic... how troublesome could it be if that little brat got to your mind? He didn't want to even think of that...

Human! Reader ; Older Cousin of Dipper and Mabel Pines (Early-30s)

👁️ Being only a baby when the incident occurred between your father, Stanford Pines, and your uncle, Stanley Pines, you had often questioned the point of why there were so many weird things happening in your small town

👁️ Gravity Falls always had small details that made no sense to you, and as you grew up being raised by your money-obsessed uncle, you had written these things down in a journal that you had numbered 4 with a hand-print that, by what your uncle said, was your father's

👁️ You always had these small visions growing up, from seeing some kind of weird gnomes around the woods to seeing a kind of large minotaurs (which were supposedly called 'MAN-otaurs for some reason?)

👁️ But none of those compared to the small triangle man that appeared in your dreams and would mess around with you from time to time as you grew older

👁️ And, when your little cousins, Dipper and Mabel Pines, had come by to spend the summer at the Mystery Shack with you and your uncle, these visions seemed to happen more often and get more and more vivid

👁️ This 'demon' has you labeled him, had been caught by you staring at your cousins as they slept for weeks, and because of the worry you felt for the two, you began to lose sleep, alarming your family and friends

👁️ Eventually, after being scolded by Stanley and having been forced by Mabel and Wendy to lay down for at least a couple hours, you had fallen into a deep rest as Mabel's pig, Waddles, laid beside you

👁️ You had awoken inside of a dark field, one that you had been in multiple times beforehand, and hearing the very light-sounding maniacal laughter of a triangle demon you called a 'friend', you turned around

👁️ A flaming yellow triangle appeared and allowed the 'one-eyed Dorito' as you called him to be summoned

👁️ He adjusted his bowtie and floated with his cane leaning against literal air as you groaned and motioned for him to come nearby, making him laugh and ask if you missed him

" Oh, I didn't miss you par say... I just missed doing THIS! "

👁️ Wrapping your arms around his frame you wrestled the three-sided demon into the grass and made him laugh at your actions, his arms and legs flaying about to try swatting you away without any use of his powers

👁️ Once you finally stopped wrestling the demon, or rather, stopped wrestling Bill, he had popped his hat of his head and began to ask you the questions you always said you had no comment on

" So, about the two flesh-bags your related too. " " You mean my cousins? Dipper and Mabel? " " Yeah! Pine Tree and Shooting Star! They've been getting far too close to my plans, and you know what happens to those who get too close. They go- "

👁️ Holding his palm up to the sky, he made a small figurine of an unknown man before lifting his opposite hand and smashing it, making a paint-like substance flay onto yours and his 'faces'

" SPLAT! And, I know how much you care about those life-forms. Now, since your father and uncle aren't in my reach anymore, I figured that you could talk to them about maybe taking a couple days off from monster-hunting, y'know, and allow me to work on this more~ " " Bill. We've talked about this once and we've talked about it a million times- " " Actually more like 7, but go on... " " A million times. Anyone with a somewhat functioning brain like Old Man McGucket's can notice how stubborn they- well, Dipper is on unraveling this town. It'd take a miracle to show him enough to get him to back away from his mission. " " Yeah, a miracle. Interesting point, human. "

👁️ Cocking an eyebrow and holding your hand out as if to grab something, Bill narrowed and widened his one eye largely as a small cat with silver hair and yellow highlights appeared in your hands, obviously with one eye that's colors were opposite (white <--> black)

👁️ Smiling and petting the demonic-looking feline, you looked back at Bill and held the cat as he made a ball of yarn to play with the animal, underneath his eye a small pink flush growing

👁️ You were by-far the most entertaining human he had ever met- even if you were related to that traitorous man you had to call your father

Alien / Star-Nomad! Reader ; Wander's Older Sibling and Main Guardian

⚡ Your younger brother is a very energetic being, and if you were for certain, you'd call him the most energetic being in the whole Universe

⚡ You had spent most of your life watching over your brother as he and his friend, Sylvia, spread themselves around the many different worlds during their travels. With you being the one who had to get them out of many bad situations

⚡ But, a few years prior, you had given the two permission to travel on their own, meaning they could not afford to get into massive trouble since you wouldn't be there

⚡ They had been doing well as you traveled on your own, and during one of your more random leaps to another world, you had met a small eyeball with a tiny body who called himself 'Commander Peepers'

⚡ You had stared at the guy and cocked an eyebrow and heard a yell of Peeper's name, making you both look up in shock, though yours was hidden far better

" L-Lord Hater! To what do I owe the pleasure? " " You owe everything to this pleasure! Also, we're out of cheese dip. "

⚡ The cloaked man had looked up at you and lightly tilted his head before looking down at you and furrowing his eyebrows in both frustration and confusion

" Who is this, Peepers? " " I'm not sure myself, Sir. They had just appeared out of nowhere. " " You! Who are you?! " " I'm Y/N. Intergalactic Traveler. "

⚡ Lord Hater looked at you up and down, you looked like what the average Star-Nomad would appear, but you had a height advantage, maybe being a couple heads shorter than the Lord himself

⚡ You looked right back at him and scoffed lightly before asking him such a bold and broad question that not many would dare ask on that planet

" Why do you look like some kind of rock-emo with a deep voice? "

⚡ Commander Peepers looked at you in shock and back at Lord Hater, fear consuming his soul as he wondered one thing and one thing alone; How in the name of everything did you just ASK him that?!

⚡ Lord Hater began to chuckle and smirk at you, his skeleton eye glaring at you as they glowed lighter green in irritation

" Why do you look like some kind of wannabe villain? "

⚡ So, to sum it up, your first meeting wasn't the best one...

⚡ But, after a few more attempts to be civil to one another landed you a part as a new member of the Hater Army, your spot laying alongside Commander Peepers, though you were more of a spy than anything

⚡ And life was doing pretty well, you and Lord Hater had begun to court and try getting your traits to collide and mix well with your new lives together as Peepers had to keep you from snapping the hot-head's neck every week

⚡ When Wander, the brother that you had sent away, came back and found you alongside Lord Hater, his eyes sparkled; had you found someone that you loved like him?!

⚡ Sylvia and Hater do not get along at all, only putting up with one another for you and Wander, since they both knew how dear you guys were to one another

⚡ Commander Peepers and you always have to keep Hater from jumping up and trying to kill Wander for his antics, such as trying to play tag with him, resulting in you taking the day off and heading to a nearby planet

⚡ He and Wander see each other far differently

⚡ Wander adores your lover, whenever you ask him what he thinks of the Lord, he always laughs and gives you an honest and optimistic opinion as you smile and laugh at his small story of his last game with him

⚡ Hater on the other hand, does not share well things. Instead, it results in him whining about how annoying your younger brother was, and that turns into a sob story of a failed accomplishment, which led to him being curled in your lap with a large pink blanket around his frame

⚡ While they may not have the best bond, Hater can put up with your brother if it means you'll stay by his side. You're the best thing he had ever held to himself, alongside his planetary conquers of course!

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jonsnowunemploymentera · 1 month ago

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I rarely speculate on Patchface’s seemingly prophetic jingles because, unless they refer to past events, it’s always a challenging exercise to parse out what they might mean. However, a few things stuck out to me as I was revisiting the ACoK prologue, especially when considering how this chapter works as a narrative mirror to Dany X, the AGoT prologue, and other chapters that come later in the series.

ACoK’s prologue takes place in Dragonstone, where Maester Cressen looks at the red comet in the sky and considers it an omen—"prophesies in the sky", as he calls it. This in itself isn’t particularly remarkable, as most characters who see the comet interpret it as a sign of something supernatural. Then, Shireen and her bizarre fool, Patchface, enter.

Shireen wants to see the raven that recently arrived from the Citadel—a white raven that marks the end of the longest summer in recorded memory. This, Cressen acknowledges, is certainly noteworthy.

And yet . . . and yet . . . the comet burned even by day now, while pale grey steam rose from the hot vents of Dragonmont behind the castle, and yestermorn a white raven had brought word from the Citadel itself, word long-expected but no less fearful for all that, word of summer’s end. Omens, all. Too many to deny. What does it all mean? he wanted to cry.

And Cressen is right; all of these are omens connected to prophecy. According to prophecy, the end of a long summer precedes the rise of a hero destined to wake dragons from stone and fight the darkness.

“In ancient books of Asshai it is written that there will come a day after a long summer when the stars bleed and the cold breath of darkness falls heavy on the world. In this dread hour a warrior shall draw from the fire a burning sword. And that sword shall be Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes, and he who clasps it shall be Azor Ahai come again, and the darkness shall flee before him.” Davos I, ACoK

It is written in prophecy as well. When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone. The bleeding star has come and gone, and Dragonstone is the place of smoke and salt. Davos III, ASoS

“He is not dead. Stannis is the Lord’s chosen, destined to lead the fight against the dark. I have seen it in the flames, read of it in ancient prophecy. When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone. Dragon-stone is the place of smoke and salt.” Jon X, ADWD

The omens that unsettle old Master Cressen foretell the birth of a hero of fire. Daenerys Targaryen, in the chapter that directly precedes this prologue (Dany X, AGoT), became that hero when she emerged from Drogo's pyre as "the Unburnt" and "the Mother of Dragons".

It is important to note that Dany X is a direct narrative parallel to the AGoT prologue, where creature of ice were seen again. The return of ice demanded the birth of fire, as all things must remain in balance. And Maester Cressen makes note of this as well,

The smallfolk said that a long summer meant an even longer winter […]

As a mirror to the AGoT prologue and Dany X, the ACoK prologue is full of references to Azor Ahai and the Long Night—too many to ignore. What’s particularly interesting is how this prologue circles back to a motif first introduced in Dany X: the birth of dragons. This comes to the forefront when Patchface utters his first prophecy in the series, which leads to an intriguing conversation between Cressen and Shireen about dragons coming to life; this conversation is occasionally interrupted by more cryptic jingles from the fool.

The fool turned his patched and piebald head to watch Pylos climb the steep iron steps to the rookery. His bells rang with the motion. “Under the sea, the birds have scales for feathers,” he said, clang-a-langing. “I know, I know, oh, oh, oh.”

Before I proceed, I want to address my thoughts on the phrase "under the sea". I subscribe to the theory that Patchface's prophetic ability was awakened because he drowned and was brought back to life. After his "death" at sea, he became an emissary of the Drowned God.

The boy washed up on the third day. Maester Cressen had come down with the rest, to help put names to the dead. When they found the fool he was naked, his skin white and wrinkled and powdered with wet sand. Cressen had thought him another corpse, but when Jommy grabbed his ankles to drag him off to the burial wagon, the boy coughed water and sat up. To his dying day, Jommy had sworn that Patchface’s flesh was clammy cold. No one ever explained those two days the fool had been lost in the sea. The fisherfolk liked to say a mermaid had taught him to breathe water in return for his seed.

Thus, “under the sea” could refer to the process of dying and being reborn; note that this phrase often appears narratively as an accompaniment to talk of death. More generally, "under the sea" could represent a state in which suspended life is reanimated. Keeping this in mind, the image of birds having scales for feathers “under the sea” refers to dragons, which exist as suspended life forms encased in stone until they are brought to life

The conversation between Cressen and Shireen that directly follows Patchface’s first jingle continues the theme of stone dragons coming to life.

“Sit with me, child.” Cressen beckoned her closer. “This is early to come calling, scarce past dawn. You should be snug in your bed.” “I had bad dreams,” Shireen told him. “About the dragons. They were coming to eat me.”

Though Cressen tries to assuage her fears by telling her that dragons carved from stone cannot be brought to life, Shireen aptly remarks on the significance of the comet in the sky.

“What about the thing in the sky? Dalla and Matrice were talking by the well, and Dalla said she heard the red woman tell Mother that it was dragonsbreath. If the dragons are breathing, doesn’t that mean they are coming to life?”

Dany X proved that stone dragons have indeed been born. But Daenerys is the least of Shireen's worries. While her dragon-related nightmares are tied to Azor Ahai and the prophecy of his coming, it is her own father she must truly fear.

What’s truly puzzling, however, is Patchface’s next jingle, uttered as Cressen and Shireen turn their discussion toward the end of the long summer.

Patchface rang his bells. “It is always summer under the sea,” he intoned. “The merwives wear nennymoans in their hair and weave gowns of silver seaweed. I know, I know, oh, oh, oh.”

In a word, this is nonsense. "Nennymoans" don’t exist and are never mentioned again after this chapter. The term doesn’t refer to anything in the real world either. So, what exactly is Patchface talking about? I’ll have to take some liberties here to try and tease out the meaning behind this.

"Nennymoans," as a few fans have suggested, could refer to anemones. An anemone could be one of two things: a multicolored flower in the buttercup family that blooms in spring or fall, or a multicolored sea creature that resembles these flowers and grows in the depths of the ocean. Given that this chapter centers on the Long Night and dragons, this jingle likely plays into those themes.

Anemones, in whatever form, are tied to the cycle of life and death:

Greek legends say that Anemos, the Wind, sends his namesakes the Anemones in the earliest spring days as the heralds of his coming. […] Greek myth gives the anemone two meanings, the arrival of spring breezes and the loss of a loved one to death […] (Flower Meanings: Anemone)

This cycle of life and death is central to the Ironborn belief: “What is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger”. With spring winds—or flowers—in their hair, the mermaids become agents of this process.

This cycle of life and death is also closely related to the waking of dragons:

She heard a crack, the sound of shattering stone. The platform of wood and brush and grass began to shift and collapse in upon itself. Bits of burning wood slid down at her, and Dany was showered with ash and cinders. And something else came crashing down, bouncing and rolling, to land at her feet; a chunk of curved rock, pale and veined with gold, broken and smoking. The roaring filled the world, yet dimly through the firefall Dany heard women shriek and children cry out in wonder. Only death can pay for life. Dany X, AGoT

Dragons are also tied to the Lands of the Long Summer, which mirror the Lands of Always Winter—a place of death. Ice versus fire, death versus life, dragons or Others. This is the essence of the Long Night.

Other clues in the text help us understand the mermaids’ silver gowns:

On the crown of the hill four-and-forty monstrous stone ribs rose from the earth like the trunks of great pale trees. The sight made Aeron’s heart beat faster. Nagga had been the first sea dragon, the mightiest ever to rise from the waves. She fed on krakens and leviathans and drowned whole islands in her wrath, yet the Grey King had slain her and the Drowned God had changed her bones to stone so that men might never cease to wonder at the courage of the first of kings. Nagga’s ribs became the beams and pillars of his longhall, just as her jaws became his throne. For a thousand years and seven he reigned here, Aeron recalled. Here he took his mermaid wife and planned his wars against the Storm God. From here he ruled both stone and salt, wearing robes of woven seaweed and a tall pale crown made from Nagga’s teeth. The Drowned Man, AFFC

The only other time seaweed is woven into cloth is in Aeron’s thoughts, as he reflects on the Grey King, the legendary figure who slew the fire-breathing sea dragon Nagga. The Grey King wore gowns of seaweed and decorated his hall in a similar fashion. This was where his warriors feasted:

But that was in the dawn of days, when mighty men still dwelt on earth and sea. The hall had been warmed by Nagga’s living fire, which the Grey King had made his thrall. On its walls hung tapestries woven from silver seaweed most pleasing to the eyes. The Grey King’s warriors had feasted on the bounty of the sea at a table in the shape of a great starfish, whilst seated upon thrones carved from mother-of-pearl. Gone, all the glory gone. Men were smaller now. Their lives had grown short. The Storm God drowned Nagga’s fire after the Grey King’s death, the chairs and tapestries had been stolen, the roof and walls had rotted away. Even the Grey King’s great throne of fangs had been swallowed by the sea. Only Nagga’s bones endured to remind the ironborn of all the wonder that had been. The Drowned Man, AFFC

Aeron believes that those who serve the Drowned God will be taken to feast in his halls when they die (The Prophet, AFFC; The Foresaken, TWoW). This evokes imagery of Valhalla and its inhabitants, the Einherjar—dead warriors who are destined to be reborn to fight in the final battle during Ragnarok. The Valkyries, who take the dead to Valhalla, parallel the mermaids mentioned in Patchface’s jingle. Both partake in the cycle of life and death, acting as agents of an apocalypse.

If we associate “under the sea” with the cycle of death and rebirth, then gowns of silver seaweed might symbolize either armor or the more spectral funerary garments worn by the dead (or ghosts). The latter seems more likely, given Shireen’s next line:

Shireen giggled. “I should like a gown of silver seaweed.”

This is a child’s innocent wish—but tragically, it will come true. Shireen will receive her silver gown, her funerary garment, soon. The next line seals her fate and is what inspired this post in the first place:

“Under the sea, it snows up,” said the fool, “and the rain is dry as bone. I know, I know, oh, oh, oh.”

It puzzled me for quite some time what Patchface was referring to here. But given that this chapter focuses on the Long Night and dragons, this jingle is clearly referencing the latter—especially considering it directly follows Shireen’s unwitting prophecy of her impending death for the sake of a dragon.

On the surface, this third jingle doesn’t seem connected to the birth of dragons at all. However, remember that Azor Ahai will be born after a long summer, amidst “smoke and salt". And remember, this prologue is set on Dragonstone, which sits on the Dragonmount—a volcano where dragons once lay, where ash and smoke billow up (this detail will be important later). The jingle seems to describe the conditions that breed dragons! “Snow falls up… rain [is] dry as bone” clearly refers to “smoke and salt".

Up until this point, you’d likely think this jingle refers to Dany and her dragons—and you’d be right, but only partially. From this point forward, we see that Patchface’s jingles align closely with another character who is being positioned as Azor Ahai—Jon Snow.

Let’s revisit the second jingle about mermaids with “nennymoans” in their hair. It’s noteworthy that although Patchface often uses the sea as the backdrop for his prophecies, mermaids only appear twice in the entire series. The first instance is in this prologue, where they seem to evoke imagery of life after death. The second instance occurs just before a pivotal moment—before a Targaryen prince, a dragon, is put to sleep.

Patchface jumped up. “I will lead it!” His bells rang merrily. “We will march into the sea and out again. Under the waves we will ride seahorses, and mermaids will blow seashells to announce our coming, oh, oh, oh.” Jon XIII, ADWD

For context, this prophecy follows Jon’s announcement of his intent to lead the ranging beyond the Wall—a ranging that would surely lead him and his men to death’s door. Patchface’s assertion that “[they] will march into the sea and out again” could symbolize the process of wight-ification—a perverse form of new life springing forth after death.

The mention of seahorses is also intriguing. It could refer to serpentine sea creatures, which ties into the broader theme of dragons and their role in the cycle of life and death. Dragons serve as vehicles for new life after a period of death, a theme that is mirrored in Daenerys’s campaign in Slaver’s Bay. However, I’m also inclined to think of Kelpies—grey or white sea-horses that lure men and women to their death under the sea. The imagery of grey or white sea-horses calls to mind part of Patchface’s second jingle, where mermaids wove gowns of silver seaweed.

While I won’t speculate too much on the point about riding seahorses, it’s worth noting how Patchface’s third jingle relates to Jon Snow. This particular jingle, which references snow falling up, has two narrative parallels—and they complicate things quite a bit. The first parallel comes later in this prologue, just before Cressen meets his end:

Patchface sprawled half on top of him, motley fool’s face pressed close to his own. He had lost his tin helm with its antlers and bells. “Under the sea, you fall up,” he declared. “I know, I know, oh, oh, oh.” Giggling, the fool rolled off, bounded to his feet, and did a little dance.

The dichotomy here is fascinating. If the first mention of snow relates to the “smoke and salt” that provide the necessary elements for the birth of dragons, what does it mean when the focus shifts to Cressen himself? “You fall up” evokes the image of a person being lifted from the ground—resurrected. Where the first instance of snow falling up might reference the birth of dragons, this second instance could refer to the rise of their natural enemies, the wights.

That this second instance of “falling up” refers to the creation of wights—perversions of life after death—is further reinforced by the unsettling tune Patchface sings in the preceding paragraph.

Over the clatter of knife and plate and the low mutter of table talk, he heard Patchface singing, “… dance, my lord, dance my lord,” to the accompaniment of jangling cowbells. The same dreadful song he’d sung this morning. “The shadows come to stay, my lord, stay my lord, stay my lord.”

But this isn’t the first time Patchface sings this. When Shireen finally sees the white raven, Patchface unleashes his prophecy:

“Clever bird, clever man, clever clever fool,” said Patchface, jangling. “Oh, clever clever clever fool.” He began to sing. “The shadows come to dance, my lord, dance my lord, dance my lord,” he sang, hopping from one foot to the other and back again. “The shadows come to stay, my lord, stay my lord, stay my lord.” He jerked his head with each word, the bells in his antlers sending up a clangor.

I think it’s clear that the shadows Patchface refers to are the Others, who are often described as “white shadows” throughout the text. Remember, this chapter mirrors the AGoT prologue, which featured Waymar Royce’s confrontation with an Other—“dance with me, then", Waymar challenged. That was just before he died at the hands of the Other and rose as a wight. Shireen also states that Patchface began signing this tune only recently—perhaps once the comet became visible in the sky.

Jon Snow, a narrative parallel to Waymar, begins his twelfth chapter of ADWD fighting the dead atop the Wall. Though his dream and its immediate aftermath suggest he will be victorious, the specter of death follows him until the next chapter, when he is assassinated by his own brothers. This sense of death lingers as he meets with Queen Selyse, Shireen, and Patchface in Jon XIII.

They found Her Grace sewing by the fire, whilst her fool danced about to music only he could hear, the cowbells on his antlers clanging. “The crow, the crow,” Patchface cried when he saw Jon. “Under the sea the crows are white as snow, I know, I know, oh, oh, oh.” Princess Shireen was curled up in a window seat, her hood drawn up to hide the worst of the greyscale that had disfigured her face. Jon XIII, ADWD

Other than the ACoK prologue, this is the only time snow is mentioned in Patchface’s prophecies. And this second instance is even more puzzling than the first. What does it mean for Jon, the crow, to be “white as snow”? If the first instance says “snow falls up", does that mean Jon, who is the snow, will rise?

The entirety of ADWD is centered around Jon’s impending death.

You are wrong. I have dreamed of your Wall, Jon Snow. Great was the lore that raised it, and great the spells locked beneath its ice. We walk beneath one of the hinges of the world.” Melisandre gazed up at it, her breath a warm moist cloud in the air. “This is my place as it is yours, and soon enough you may have grave need of me. Do not refuse my friendship, Jon. I have seen you in the storm, hard-pressed, with enemies on every side. You have so many enemies. Shall I tell you their names?” “I know their names.” “Do not be so certain.” The ruby at Melisandre’s throat gleamed red. “It is not the foes who curse you to your face that you must fear, but those who smile when you are looking and sharpen their knives when you turn your back. You would do well to keep your wolf close beside you. Ice, I see, and daggers in the dark. Blood frozen red and hard, and naked steel. It was very cold.” Jon I, ADWD

But, a key point is that Jon will return, for Melisandre has seen it in her flames.

Death, thought Melisandre. The skulls are death. The flames crackled softly, and in their crackling she heard the whispered name Jon Snow. His long face floated before her, limned in tongues of red and orange, appearing and disappearing again, a shadow half-seen behind a fluttering curtain. Now he was a man, now a wolf, now a man again. Mel I, ADWD

But what’s interesting is that the language surrounding Jon’s death and rebirth mirrors the birth of dragons—“smoke and salt”, “snow fall[ing] up”, and “rain dry as bone” mirror the “ashes and cinders” in Mel’s visions of the boy.

And keep him away from the red woman. She knows who he is. She sees things in her fires.” Arya, he thought, hoping it was so. “Ashes and cinders.” “Kings and dragons.” Dragons again. For a moment Jon could almost see them too, coiling in the night, their dark wings outlined against a sea of flame. Jon VIII, ADWD

Mel is the first and only person in the series to recite the prophecy of Azor Ahai being born amidst salt and smoke to wake dragons. In fact, she always precedes it with “I have seen it in the flames”. Though Daenerys fulfilled those requirements in her last AGoT chapter, it’s still noteworthy that the narrative continues to present this prophecy as something that is yet to reach full completion. From a Doylist perspective, you don’t repeat a motif if it is no longer relevant to the ongoing narrative, especially when it is presented in a particular context; in this case, as it’s continuously presented in Jon’s Dance arc.

Mel is the primary person in the current timeline who links the waking of dragons to Azor Ahai, and every time she looks for this hero, she sees Jon!

Yet now she could not even seem to find her king. I pray for a glimpse of Azor Ahai, and R’hllor shows me only Snow. Mel I, ADWD

It’s striking that the last time the idea of dragons waking as part of Azor Ahai’s rise comes up in Jon X, just three chapters before his death.

Melisandre’s face darkened. “That creature is dangerous. Many a time I have glimpsed him in my flames. Sometimes there are skulls about him, and his lips are red with blood.” A wonder you haven’t had the poor man burned. All it would take was a word in the queen’s ear, and Patchface would feed her fires. “You see fools in your fire, but no hint of Stannis?” “When I search for him all I see is snow.” The same useless answer. […] “Would you know if the king was dead?” Jon asked the red priestess. “He is not dead. Stannis is the Lord’s chosen, destined to lead the fight against the dark. I have seen it in the flames, read of it in ancient prophecy. When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone. Dragonstone is the place of smoke and salt.” Jon had heard all this before. “Stannis Baratheon was the Lord of Dragonstone, but he was not born there. He was born at Storm’s End, like his brothers.” He frowned. “And what of Mance? Is he lost as well? What do your fires show?” “The same, I fear. Only snow.” Snow. […] “You are seeing cinders dancing in the updraft.” “I am seeing skulls. And you. I see your face every time I look into the flames. The danger that I warned you of grows very close now.” “Daggers in the dark […]” Jon X, ADWD

This passage not only foreshadows Jon’s impending death, but once again, we see “cinders dancing in the updraft”—a phrase that echoes “snow falls up, and the rain is dry as bone". Both the ACoK prologue and this chapter discuss the waking of dragons, and in both, “snow” is linked to the conditions necessary for such an event. This raises interesting questions about Melisandre’s visions of “smoke and salt”—what exactly did she see?

Regardless, Jon is quite firmly wrapped up in the mysteries surrounding Azor Ahai and the waking of dragons. Not just in this chapter, but a common motif that comes up in his Dance arc is the aspect of sacrifice to wake dragons.

Burning dead children had ceased to trouble Jon Snow; live ones were another matter. Two kings to wake the dragon. The father first and then the son, so both die kings. The words had been murmured by one of the queen’s men as Maester Aemon had cleaned his wounds. Jon had tried to dismiss them as his fever talking. Aemon had demurred. “There is power in a king’s blood,” the old maester had warned, “and better men than Stannis have done worse things than this.” The king can be harsh and unforgiving, aye, but a babe still on the breast? Only a monster would give a living child to the flames. Jon I, ADWD

Much of this revolves around the sacrifice of a living child. Jon sends Mance’s son away with Gilly, believing he’s bypassed such a tragedy. But GRRM has confirmed that Stannis will sacrifice his own daughter, reinforcing the theme of royal blood as a powerful magical catalyst. The prophecies set in stone in the ACoK prologue through Patchface and Shireen are thus mirrored in Jon’s Dance arc.

What’s particularly interesting is how the idea of burning dead children to wake dragons is paralleled by Dany X, when Rhaego was placed in Drogo’s pyre, bringing dragons into the world and “rebirthing” Daenerys as Azor Ahai. Dany had her dragon eggs waiting to be brought to life, but at the Wall, there are no such eggs. So where will the dragon come from? Jon himself questions this:

“That I would speak to Stannis, though I doubt my words will sway him. A king’s first duty is to defend the realm, and Mance attacked it. His Grace is not like to forget that. My father used to say that Stannis Baratheon was a just man. No one has ever said he was forgiving.” Jon paused, frowning. “I would sooner take off Mance’s head myself. He was a man of the Night’s Watch, once. By rights, his life belongs to us.” “Pyp says that Lady Melisandre means to give him to the flames, to work some sorcery.” “Pyp should learn to hold his tongue. I have heard the same from others. King’s blood, to wake a dragon. Where Melisandre thinks to find a sleeping dragon, no one is quite sure. It’s nonsense. Mance’s blood is no more royal than mine own. He has never worn a crown nor sat a throne. He’s a brigand, nothing more. There’s no power in brigand’s blood.” Sam I, AFFC

As of Jon XIII, ADWD, there are no dragon eggs at the Wall. But what we do have is a Targaryen prince—Jon Snow—bleeding out in the snow, growing hard with cold as all memory of warmth flees from him (Bran III, AGoT). Jon himself is the dragon waiting to be woken, a “sleeping dragon” not of stone, but of blood and prophecy. Exactly how he will be woken remains a mystery, but we see a fascinating thread running from ACoK through ADWD regarding Jon’s role in the series’ central conflict.

In the ACoK prologue, Patchface sang of mermaids with spring in their hair, weaving funerary gowns. In ADWD, he sings of these same mermaids blowing seashells to announce the coming of those who have descended into the sea’s depths and emerged alive once more. How intriguing that both of these jingles are framed by discussions of dragons.

“A grey girl on a dying horse. Daggers in the dark. A promised prince, born in smoke and salt. It seems to me that you make nothing but mistakes, my lady. Where is Stannis? What of Rattleshirt and his spearwives? Where is my sister?” “All your questions shall be answered. Look to the skies, Lord Snow. And when you have your answers, send to me. Winter is almost upon us now. I am your only hope.” Jon XIII, ADWD

The first two prophecies have already come to pass. The third, however, still looms over the narrative. Yet, it too will soon reach completion. A crow has now become white as snow—dead. But as in Patchface’s prophecy, he will emerge from under the sea—a dragon reborn, the promised prince who will save his realm.

#this was really only gonna be a one pager that was like: isn't it interesting how patchface's acok prophecies mirror jon in dance?#and then it just spiraled out of control 🫠#anyway its finally out of my hands rfnruifne;ndxwioux #asoiaf #valyrianscrolls #patchface #maester cressen #shireen baratheon #the long night #dragons #azor ahai #jon snow #daenerys targaryen #melisandre of asshai

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romerona · 4 months ago

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Stellar Veil

In which a star jumps.

Cregan Stark x reader????

Word count: 2K

The massive gates of Castle Black loomed behind Lord Cregan Stark and his retinue as they entered the fortress, the weight of their recent journey visible in their weary steps. The evening was growing colder, and the ancient walls of the castle seemed to echo with the murmurs of those who had gathered to witness the unfolding events.

His normally stoic expression strained with disbelief, Lord Cregan glanced sharply at Commander Ulric Rivers. “Shining?”

Ulric Rivers, still bearing the weight of the evening’s revelations, nodded gravely. "Aye, ma lord. The men who found her said she was glowing when they discovered her at the site of the comet's impact. And while it may seem a foolish claim, you must see her for yourself. She is—”"

"And you say this… woman is still inside the castle?" Cregan interrupted, his voice tinged with scepticism and irritation. His patience was wearing thin after the two-day trek to Castle Black. His voice carried an edge of annoyance, as though the very idea of such fantastical claims was an affront to his sense of duty. “Forgive me if I seem sceptical, but this sounds more like a tale from old wives’ tongues than a matter of import.”

Ulric Rivers met Cregan’s gaze with unwavering seriousness, the weight of his duty pressing upon him. “I assure you, ma lord, the report was given to me by reputable men. We found her at the crater, and the circumstances of her arrival and appearance warrant a thorough inquiry.”

Cregan’s brow furrowed in frustration, but he allowed himself a moment to consider the commander's words. The cold air of Castle Black seemed to press in on him, amplifying his weariness and scepticism.

“Very well,” Cregan said begrudgingly, his tone softening slightly. “Lead the way. I will see this for myself.”

Ulric Rivers nodded, gesturing for Cregan to follow. As they moved through the dimly lit corridors of Castle Black, the castle's ancient stones seemed to whisper of old secrets and long-forgotten tales. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation, the air heavy with the scent of burning torches and the faint hint of frost.

The heavy wooden door of the chamber where the woman was being kept stood firm, flanked by two solemn guards who stood at their posts with an air of vigilance. The torches on either side cast long shadows on the walls, creating an atmosphere of heightened tension.

Lord Cregan Stark, his eyes narrowing slightly at the sight of the guards, turned to Ulric Rivers with a curious frown. “Guards?”

Ulric Rivers, clearly feeling the weight of the evening’s developments, pursed his lips before responding. “For her protection, ma lord. Her arrival has stirred quite a reaction among the men. As you can imagine, most of them haven’t seen a woman in a long time. We even had an incident with the maester—”

Cregan’s gaze sharpened. “An incident?”

“Aye,” Ulric confirmed, his voice low and strained. “The maester attempted to examine her more closely than was wise. It seems the presence of the woman has unnerved him, and his curiosity got the better of him.”

Cregan’s eyes narrowed, his expression hardening like the ice-coated landscape outside. “I assume you’ve taken care of him?”

Ulric Rivers met Cregan’s cold gaze without flinching. “Indeed, ma lord. The maester has been... restrained for the time being.”

Cregan nodded, his demeanour one of grim satisfaction. “Very well. I will speak with her myself. I trust that the guards will continue to maintain their vigilance.”

“Of course,” Ulric Rivers replied, though his voice carried a hint of caution. “But speaking to her might prove to be a challenge, for she has yet to awaken.”

Cregan’s brow furrowed slightly. “Was she in bad condition when you found her?”

Ulric shook his head. “No. She was found intact. There were no signs of injury or distress. She simply hasn’t roused herself since we brought her here.”

“Very well,” Cregan said, his tone brooking no argument. “I will see her nonetheless. Perhaps there is something to be learned even from her stillness.”

Ulric Rivers nodded solemnly, stepping aside to allow Cregan to enter the chamber. As the Lord of Winterfell crossed the threshold, the two guards at the door gave him a respectful nod before resuming their watch.

Inside the chamber, the cold, hard walls seemed to close in, casting long shadows that danced with the flickering light of the lanterns. Cregan approached the bed where the woman lay, his heavy boots barely making a sound on the stone floor. As he drew closer, the full impact of her presence became evident.

The woman’s beauty was transcendent, beyond mere words. She lay as still as the night, her delicate features framed by cascading blue hair that seemed to shimmer with the faint light. The gown she wore flowed around her with almost liquid grace, its fabric catching the light in ways that defied the natural. Despite the stillness of her form, there was an undeniable sense of elegance and mystery that surrounded her.

Cregan, accustomed to the harsh realities of the North and the stark simplicity of Winterfell, found himself momentarily lost in the contrast of her otherworldly grace. The word “beautiful” seemed inadequate to describe her; it fell short of the reality of her presence.

He found himself reaching out tentatively, his fingers brushing the edge of her gown, feeling the unusual texture beneath his touch. There was something profoundly otherworldly about her, a mystery that beckoned to be unravelled.

As Cregan Stark tentatively reached out to touch the edge of the woman’s blue hair, his fingers barely grazing the delicate strands, a sudden movement caught him off guard. Her eyes, once closed in serene slumber, fluttered open, revealing eyes of an ethereal white that seemed to pierce through the dimness of the chamber.

Before Cregan could react, the woman’s eyes locked onto his with an intensity that took him by surprise. In a fluid motion, she sprang upright, her gown flowing around her like a cascade of moonlight. The suddenness of her movement was startling; Cregan barely had time to brace himself before she pushed him away with surprising strength.

Cregan staggered back, caught off guard by the force of her push. His hand instinctively reached for his sword, but he remained still, watching as the woman darted towards the closed doors with a grace that seemed to defy the physical limitations of the world around her. Her movements were swift and purposeful, driven by a clear, unspoken urgency.

"Stop!" Cregan called but was ignored as she reached the doors. She flung them open with a force that left them swinging wildly on their hinges.

The two guards stationed outside the chamber, alerted by the commotion and sudden opening of the door, sprang into action. They rushed to intercept her, their own training and reflexes barely matching the woman’s speed.

Cregan’s mind raced as he watched her flee down the corridor, her form disappearing into the shadows with a haunting grace. He turned to Ulric Rivers, who was just as startled as he was after witnessing the lady flee.

“After her!” Cregan ordered, his voice cutting through the chaos with the authority of a man used to commanding in dire situations. “We cannot let her escape.”

Ulric Rivers, though momentarily stunned, quickly recovered. “Of course, my lord,” he said, signalling to the guards and rangers who were already moving to follow the woman’s trail.

And Cregan Stark, his mind racing with a mix of frustration and confusion, followed the men. He moved through the winding corridors of Castle Black with purpose, his sharp eyes scanning for any sign of her.

He moved swiftly through the dimly lit corridors, his heavy boots echoing off the stone walls. The woman’s speed had proven a challenge, but the persistent pursuit of Cregan, Ulric Rivers, and the gathered rangers gradually began to bear fruit.

The woman, though swift, soon found her path narrowing as the men of the Night's Watch cut off her avenues of escape. The labyrinthine nature of Castle Black began to play its part; her attempts to evade capture grew increasingly frantic. The sound of her footsteps echoed off the cold stone walls, mingling with the shouts of the guards and the stead.

Cregan Stark, catching up with the group, took in the scene with a mixture of grim satisfaction and concern. The woman stood in the center of a wide, echoing hall, her form illuminated by the flickering torchlight. Her eyes, still a brilliant, otherworldly white, scanned the faces of those who had closed in on her. Her gown, now slightly disheveled, fluttered around her like a ghostly shroud.

“Step back,” Cregan commanded, his voice authoritative and firm. “Give her space.”

The men obeyed, creating a larger circle around the woman while maintaining their vigilance. Cregan approached her slowly, his expression a mask of controlled intensity. He needed to understand her intentions and the nature of her mysterious abilities.

“Listen to me,” Cregan said, his tone steady but imbued with a quiet authority. “You are safe now. We mean you no harm, but you must remain calm. We need to talk.”

The woman’s gaze met his, the ethereal whiteness of her eyes reflecting the dim light. For a moment, the intensity of her stare seemed to hold Cregan’s own gaze, as if challenging his command. Her breath came in shallow, rapid bursts, and despite her apparent weariness, she stood tall, her beauty undiminished by the exertion of the chase.

As the tension in the hall reached its peak, Cregan Stark was intently focused on the woman. The flickering torchlight cast eerie shadows, and he was about to address her once more when he noticed something that made his heart skip a beat: she was glancing at...

Without warning, the woman made a beeline for the nearest window.

Cregan's eyes widened in disbelief as she launched herself through the open window, her movements so graceful and sudden that he could almost hear the whoosh of her departure.

Cregan rushed to the window, his eyes straining to follow her movements as the icy wind howled through the opening. He looked down, noting with a grim sense of relief that the drop wasn’t too far—a few yards at most—and the snow below would likely cushion her landing. The sight of her disappearing into the snow-laden darkness filled him with a mix of frustration and concern.

"By the gods," Cregan exclaimed, his voice filled with both surprise and vexation. The night’s cold seemed to mirror his growing frustration.

Without wasting a moment, he turned to Ulric Rivers, who had arrived beside him. “Get men ready to follow her,” he commanded, his tone sharp and urgent. “We cannot let her vanish into the night. Mobilize the rangers and prepare horses if necessary. We need to be swift.”

Ulric, his face etched with determination, nodded quickly. “At once, my lord.”

As Ulric went to rally the men, Cregan took a deep breath, his gaze lingering on the snowy landscape below. The woman’s unexpected flight had revealed something deeper—a challenge that intrigued him more than it frustrated him...

A/N:

Where do you think Y/N going????

I hope you enjoyed this chapter lots of love ❤️

Constructive comments are always welcome 🩷

Tag list: @dracaryxzs

#the house of the dragon #the house of the dragon fanfic #winterfell #hotd imagines #Stardust #cregan x reader #house of the dragon x you #rhaenyra targaryen #daemon targeryen x reader #aemond targaryen x reader #aegon targaryen x reader #jace targaryen x reader #team black #westeros

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enbyzutara · 8 months ago

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Aang x Luke Skywalker Parallels: How Aang’s Hero’s Journey Wasn't Properly Finished

I read this post by @lovegrowsart and I couldn't get it out of my mind how Aang and Luke Skywalker's journeys have so much in common, yet only one of these arcs feels like it has come to a properly finished conclusion. Meanwhile, the other one feels like the character didn't learn what he was supposed to in order to fulfill his Hero's Journey arc. So, in this post, I want to expand more on why “Aang was supposed to be the Luke Skywalker of Avatar: The Last Airbender”, but the creators of A:TLA failed to properly finish his story.

Firstly, it’s important to point out that the Star Wars saga and universe are widely famous in pop and nerd culture, including Luke Skywalker, the Jedi protagonist, who himself is one of the most famous and beloved characters from the saga. So, it’s not really a reach to assume that the creators and writers of Avatar: The Last Airbender were - at some level - inspired by this famous universe and character. By doing a quick research, we can confirm this assumption, because Bryan Konietzko, one of the co-creators of A:TLA, said in a podcast that Dave Filoni helped to shape A:TLA and its story. Also, both creators said that Joseph Campbell’s writing about mythology helped them to create the Hero’s Journey and the other storylines for their show, and George Lucas was also heavily inspired by Campbell when he was writing Star Wars.

(I will refer to the Star Wars episodes of the original trilogy as one, two and three - even though, nowadays, they are the numbers four, five and six).

Bryke (Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, the co-creators of Avatar: The Last Airbender) and George Lucas share a lot of tropes and narratives in the stories that each one of them created. Both protagonists of the sagas are the '"chosen one" of their universe: both are the last of their kind (even though in the Star Wars universe, initially there were two more older Jedi) who have the weight of the world’s future on their shoulders. Aang needs to fight against the Fire Lord and Luke, initially, against Darth Vader. By doing this, they would bring balance to the world/galaxy.

It’s also important to emphasize how Luke Skywalker and Aang are not only the saviors of the story, they are also the last of their kind. In A:TLA and in Star Wars, we have populations that suffered genocide: the Airbenders were brutally exterminated by the Fire Nation during Sozin’s Comet, and initially, it was revealed in the original Star Wars trilogy that the Jedi were wiped out of the galaxy when Order 66 happened. So, Luke and Aang not only have the destiny of the world/galaxy on their shoulders, they also are the only ones who can continue the legacy, the culture, and the survival of their own kind.

Another parallel between Luke Skywalker and Aang is that both have a Mentor From Beyond. Luke Skywalker was able to seek knowledge from the Jedis who had passed away in the original trilogy. Firstly, it was Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was his first mentor; Luke was able to communicate with him, and Obi-Wan would give him advice and directions to follow. Later, Yoda also appeared to him. For Aang, due to the fact that he’s the Avatar (and to be the Avatar means that you are the reincarnation of someone who already died), he was able to contact the Avatars from his past incarnations. In the show, Roku is the past Avatar with whom Aang most often connects, but he also seeks knowledge from Kyoshi, Kuruk, and Yangchen.

In Book One: Water and A New Hope, both characters are presented as more naive, and the narrative is not as tense as in the later seasons/episodes. However, the sequel presents a "darker" version of its universe as both characters grow and face emotional dilemmas and more hardships. The Empire Strikes Back and Book Two: Earth explore, even more, the ongoing war in their respective universes, and by the end of these sequels, things go wrong for the heroes. And what I really want to discuss is the similarity between the second episode of Star Wars and the second season of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

At some point in the second episode/season, Luke and Aang had to separate from their group of friends in order to learn more and to train. They had to seek knowledge of what they are and what they represent, because by doing this, they would be a step closer to fulfilling their duties and saving the galaxy/world. At this moment in the narrative, Luke and Aang have an older and wiser mentor who will try to help them achieve this: Yoda and Guru Pathik.

But neither Luke nor Aang finish these training sessions that they started, because during their training, they have a vision of people who are special to them currently in danger. So, even though Yoda and Guru Pathik advise them not to leave and to finish what they started, they leave. Luke goes to Cloud City to save his friends (Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and C3PO) and Aang goes to Ba Sing Se to save Katara. And as stated before, in this episode/season finale, things go wrong for the heroes, including to the protagonists who are supposed to be the saviors of both universes. Luke and Aang left their training even though they were advised otherwise, they went to fight without properly learning what they needed to learn. So when they faced the enemy, they lost. Both at the end were defeated: Aang quite literally dies and Luke has a metaphorical death when he learns about his parentage and loses one of his arms. He also "commits suicide" when he decides to jump instead of aligning himself with the Dark Side.

Now, something really important here is to talk about how Luke and Aang's attachments to people who are dear to them made them run away from what they should have been doing, instead of bringing them closer to their duties and destiny. It was understandable the reasons why they left their training, but it still was wrong in the sense that things went wrong and it ended tragically for both characters. And, it’s never portrayed in both sagas that loving someone is wrong, but being attached to someone is. Both of their Hero’s Journeys required them to learn the difference between what is love and what is attachment, because both concepts are different and one of them (attachment) is portrayed in both sagas as wrong, especially for the protagonists.

Although I’m not Buddhist, nor was I raised as one, it’s clear that Star Wars (1) (2) and Avatar: The Last Airbender (1) (2) both were inspired, to some extent, by this religion and its philosophy. (I tried searching for articles and videos made by Buddhist people, but, unfortunately, I couldn't really find many, so if anyone wants to link more content, please, feel free). And one thing that appears to be inspired by this religion and philosophy in both sagas was the concept of attachment in contrast to love (1) (2). Before delving into the topic of attachment in the show and movie, it’s ideal to understand what attachment means from a Buddhist perspective:

In Buddhism, attachment is called upādāna, which means grasping or clinging. It refers to the human tendency to cling to people, things, or ideas in the mistaken belief that they will bring us lasting happiness and fulfillment. Attachment arises from our desire to feel secure, comfortable, and control of our lives. (...) Attachment to people: Attachment to people can become a source of suffering, as we can become overly dependent on them for our happiness, identity, and sense of security. This attachment can take many forms, from romantic relationships to friendships and family bonds.

While searching for what would be the difference between love vs attachment in Buddhism, this quote also brought my attention (I'll definitely come back to this later):

Any kind of relationship which imagines that we can fulfill ourselves through another is bound to be very tricky. Ideally people would come together already feeling fulfilled within themselves and just therefore appreciating that in the other, rather than expecting the other to supply that sense of well-being.

George Lucas seemed to understand this concept better than Bryke. In Return of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker a) trusts his group of friends way more than he did in The Empire Strikes Back, b) he was also able to let go of his anger for Darth Vader because he genuinely loved Anakin, his father. George Lucas was very vocal about how he wanted to portray attachment as a bad thing, and when it comes to this topic, he never intended to make the Jedi philosophy something wrong. Strict? Maybe, but not wrong. And in the end, as the episode’s title suggests, Luke "returns", as he also returns to Dagobah to contact his master, Yoda, one last time. (The title of this episode can also refer to Anakin returning to the Light Side, but art can be interpreted in different and many ways).

In contrast, Avatar: The Last Airbender presented Aang’s attachment to Katara in a bad light. The Guru episode shows that Aang's attachment to Katara, not his feelings, is what is making him fail to open his chakra and not being able to enter into the Avatar State.

Pathik: The Thought Chakra is located at the crown of the head. It deals with pure cosmic energy, and is blocked by earthly attachment. Meditate on what attaches you to this world. [Images of Katara appear before Aang.] Now, let all of those attachments go. Let them flow down the river, forgotten.

It’s even more important to understand that what Aang feels for Katara is not genuine love, at least in this episode, it’s pretty much stated that he is attached to her in a way that he needs to learn to let go. To expand a little bit on this, it’s necessary to analyze two Avatar: The Last Airbender episodes and how they portray what Aang feels for Katara:

Firstly, 'The Fortuneteller' episode portrays Aang’s feelings for Katara as just a childish crush. There's nothing wrong with a childish crush in general, especially because Aang is, in fact, a child, so he's bound to be childish. But in this episode, what he feels for Katara is paralleled with what Meng feels for him: something that was one-sided and lacked "emotional maturity and self-awareness". Both Aang and Meng viewed their crushes in an overestimated and hyper-idealized way, which again was portrayed as silly and in a bad light.

Secondly, in 'The Guru' episode, it shows that yes, Aang does love Katara, but is it in the right way? The Air Nomads' genocide deeply affects Aang, and he still loves the people that he lost, obviously. But in the show, Guru Pathik states that the love that Aang felt for the Air Nomads was 'reborn' in a new love - his love for Katara. So, Aang is projecting his feelings of love for the people who were brutally exterminated onto the girl who, at this moment in the narrative, was only his dear friend who shows him support and fights alongside him. Aang needed to get closure and heal from this traumatic event; it’s a huge trauma that he should work through. But instead, he was coping by projecting his feelings onto something, or better, someone.

I personally think that Aang loves Katara to some extent, but he needed to work through his trauma first. This goes along with something already shown before, quoting: "people would come together [in a relationship] already feeling fulfilled within themselves and just therefore appreciating that in the other".

The chakra/Guru plotline in Avatar: The Last Airbender is not about Aang needing to stop loving Katara; that's a huge misunderstanding. It was about how Aang was attached to something (or someone, in his case) that he needed to learn to let go of, so he could progress, grow, and heal. After he fulfilled this arc about what's love vs attachment, two things could happen: a) maybe Aang would realize that his love for Katara was more platonic and that he was projecting a lot onto her because he sees her in an idealized way, or b) that he indeed loves her but he needs to realize that he's too much attached to the comfort that she gives and brings to him, so his feelings for her need to have more emotional maturity.

And in the end of season two, Aang actually let go of his attachment to Katara, and he was able to achieve the Avatar State. But unfortunately, after this, he was brutally attacked by Azula and had his chakra blocked.

But in Book Three: Fire, not only does he not return to see or contact Guru again, as Luke did (returned to see his older and wiser mentor, Yoda, in the third and final episode), but Aang also appears to still be attached to Katara in the same way that he already was, if not worse. In the Ember Island Players episode, he: 1) gets so mad and frustrated with the Players portraying his relationship with Katara in a non-romantic light that he says that he could go into the Avatar State over this, and 2) rushes things with Katara and kisses her without her consent, disrespecting her boundaries, after she just avoided his romantic questions and advances.

Point 1:

Aang: [Angered.] No, I'm not! I hate this play! [Yanks his hat off and throws it on the ground.] Katara: I know it's upsetting, but it sounds like you're overreacting. Aang: Overreacting? If I hadn't blocked my chakra, I'd probably be in the Avatar State right now!

Point 2:

Aang: But it's true, isn't it? We kissed at the Invasion, and I thought we were gonna be together. But we're not.

Katara: Aang, I don't know.

Aang: Why don't you know? Katara: Because, we're in the middle of a war, and, we have other things to worry about. This isn't the right time.

Aang: Well, when is the right time?

Katara: Aang, I'm sorry, but right now I'm just a little confused. [Aang tries to kiss Katara.]

Katara: I just said I was confused! I'm going inside. [Exits the balcony.]

All of this shows how he still lacked emotional maturity, and how he still was attached to Katara, in a way not much different from what was shown in Book Two: Earth. Overall, this shows how his feelings for her weren't properly developed and didn't grow from where they previously were – because it was still bound by an attachment that he needed to let go of in order to grow, heal, and learn.

Unfortunately, the Guru/Chakra plotline was completely brushed aside in Book Three: Fire; Aang doesn't even seek to see Guru again or continue his unfinished training. And in the end, when he was fighting the Fire Lord, what he was always meant to do, he managed to go into the Avatar State. Not because he trained or learned how to achieve this goal; actually, it was because a rock saved him by triggering the Avatar State. So, in the end, an entire plotline was ignored and forgotten. Aang didn't learn what he needed to learn with Guru, nor did he finish the training that he was meant to do, and he still was rewarded by the narrative with achieving the Avatar State and saving the world (and also, "getting the girl").

[(...) and Aang protects himself with an airbending shield but is pushed back by the force of the attack, crashing into a rock pillar. The scar on his back is hit with a point of the rock, causing him to flashback to when he was shot by lightning. (...) Aang jumps out, now in the Avatar State, and grabs Ozai by his goatee.]

And that's why Aang is the Luke Skywalker that we could’ve had. Luke finished his Hero's Journey; he learned what he needed to learn and because of it, he saved the galaxy and his father. Meanwhile, Aang didn't learn about love vs attachment, yet he still achieved what he needed to achieve from the beginning: the Avatar State and winning against the Fire Lord. And he only achieved that because the narrative chose to give him a final new solution to resolve all his problems instead of him directly dealing with and facing the problems, difficulties, and dilemmas that the narrative initially proposed to him.

(I don’t actually mean quite literally that Aang needs or should have been the Luke Skywalker from Avatar: The Last Airbender, because Aang is his own character who has his own story. What I mean is that: Luke Skywalker is a character who is similar in some ways to Aang, and he had his Hero’s Journey properly fulfilled. I believe that Aang also deserved the same treatment by the creators of ATLA).

#atla critical #aang critical #anti bryke #atla meta #anti aang #anti kataang #kataang critical #(not really anti aang/KA but.. just in case)#george lucas #star wars #luke skywalker

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hanyjar · 2 years ago

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traverse the stars.

lilia vanrouge x time traveller! reader

summary: three times you meet: once for love, another for vengeance. a third for new beginnings.

notes: [1.8k words.] i’ve always loved the immortal x time traveller trope :(( reblogs/interactions highly appreciated!

disclaimers: lovers to enemies to friends, semi-angst & open ending, mentions of mortality, life & death, part ii is set in war so mentions of blood & mc ends some lives, mc time travels (duh)!!

masterlist.

Hello, dearest.

Once upon a comet, you and he were in love.

“You’re wrong about that, dearest.” He smiles at you with the brilliance of a thousand stars. “I am not the world, but the moon.”

The sky wavers in a way that only a millennia ago could. This was back then. Back when he wasn’t the general of the Thorn Lord, back when you weren’t cursed to live and see everything the universe has to offer. Back when he was simply Lilia, and you were simply [Name]. You, and a boy.

“What... Do you mean?” The timbre in your voice wavers incredulously.

“You are the world. And I revolve around you." Your eyes glisten at his words. Urging, no, begging him to continue. “I am forever watching you, after all.” The starry beings are beginning to settle their bodies above the skylines; the aurora borealis above is beginning to make way for the descent of Halley’s comet.

Couples all around you are star struck. Children and adults alike are applauding with joy.

And yet, even though the beautiful sight is so compelling within the winter sky, you had your eyes set on a different beauty.

The moon cascaded a glow so beautifully incomprehensible against Lilia's face. His eyes held the glow of the moon itself - sparkling with a youthful joviality and wisdom far beyond your own.

“If you feel that way towards me, why do you refuse to reciprocate my advances?” You tear his attention away from the shooting star back to you. His world, his dearest.

“Because,” he pauses. “Although I may wish upon this comet, and many more to come, we cannot be. You are a mortal. I cannot bear to watch you pass one day.”

You want nothing more than to shrivel up into a ball and cry.

“So, feel free to think of me as whatever you wish. But do not forget, young one,” A hand comes up to your face, wiping the tears away. “I love you. And I will continue to, forever and evermore. But that is exactly why I must go.”

Amongst the cheers of joy and gaiety, there remains the wish of a star crossed lover. One which reaches the heavens above.

Let me see it all. Let me live through the past, present, and future. Maybe then, I can stay by his side.

But even so, he leaves. Leaving remnants of a shattered you.

A you which is no longer the world, but the traverser of the universe.

The second meeting.

The next time you see him is amongst the bloodshed.

What is left of your kingdom is nothing but rubble, the grass soiled by the blood of humans and faes alike. And there, standing in the midst of it all, is - no - was, your lover.

Lilia Vanrouge.

Or as his men call him, General Vanrouge.

You've seen it all. And you can choose to see whatever you wish to. You’ve watched countless beginnings, and countless ends. Of kingdoms, of wars, of people, and then some. But never once did you take a glimpse into a future or past that holds Lilia in it. It will, it would, it does hurt too much.

But although you hold time in your very palms, as much as you can control the present, changing fate is out of your reach.

Destiny is time's enemy, after all.

You read his eyes from across the battlefield. You should have died, his eyes say. And yet there you stand, against the testimony of time, and on a pile of his now fallen men.

A sardonic laugh escapes from your mouth as you plunge your sword into a nameless fae's chest. This is for leaving me, you think. This is for cursing me with love; for making me foolishly wish the heavens to turn me into something inhuman. This is your fault, Lilia.

You step down the man-made throne you created back onto the soil, raising your golden-laced sword beckoningly. "Come, murders of my kingdom." The venomous tone in your voice breaks the cool of the winter air. "Come at me with all your might. I will still remain victorious."

“General Vanrouge, call for a retreat.” A Briar Valley soldier appears by Lilia's side. “We do not stand a chance against the one who has the universe on their side; we are no match for the time traveller."

His face turns grim. How did his beloved turn into a fearsome bloodhound? One that delves fear into the hearts of faes?

"...You dare to give me commands and underestimate my strength?" Lilia sends a glare towards the soldier and the others, as if challenging them to stop him. “They and I have history. If anything, we are on equal footing.”

One moment he is by his men's side, and at the next, he is by yours. Not lovingly, as it once was, but with a fervour that is only seen between ex-lovers, now foes.

"My dearest, what happened to you?" The general adjusts his stance to mimic yours. On guard, and a weapon pointed towards your heart. But there is something about his demeanour.

It is as if he does not want to fight.

"You. You happened to me, Vanrouge." A scornful smile makes its way up to your face. “Once upon a time, I wished to be by your side. But because of my naivety, the celestials have stripped me of my mortality.” You pause. “Because of you, I am forced to walk upon this land. Through the past, present, and future.”

The moon casts a glow upon your face. A view all too familiar to him. “…Because of that, I will kill you.”

“So end me.” His proclamation catches you off guard. “I refuse to retaliate.”

You waste no time to pin him to the ground, your sword lingering dangerously close to Lilia's neck. It is a situation you found yourself in countless times before. Bait the enemy. Trap them down. Kill.

But then the memories come. His moonlight-soaked stature; sharing hushed kisses beneath the bridge; you two pursuing a forbidden love that only historians can dream of. It is enough for you to hesitate. Enough for him to reach out for your hand, with the same tenderness he had a thousand years ago.

“It is not too late to yield, my dearest.”

You hate him. Truly, beyond words. You despise how your heart still flutters when his hand touches yours; loath how he makes it easy to blame him for your own naivety. You detest him for making you adore him.

But above all else, you hate yourself for still loving him.

That is why you cannot bring yourself to seal the deal.

But, isn’t his death what you wanted? It would finally put an end to the love that torments your heart. Isn't that what you dreamed of for centuries on end?

You bring your sword closer towards him.

…No. You couldn’t do it.

Not like this, anyway.

Pushing his outstretched hand away, your sword lands ungracefully onto the blood-stained soil below. “I do not wish to kill a man who does not want to fight back. That is simply unmerciful.” You turn, whispering an incantation to the constellations above, ready to escape from the battlefield. Ready to escape from him. “I will let you and your men live to see another day.”

A multitude of stars awaken from the one empty sky; the celestials above have responded to your call. It is time to go.

“Next time we meet, if we ever do, let us start anew.” He says, an unreadable expression growing on your face. “Not as lovers, not as enemies. But just as the immortal and the traveller.”

You do not respond.

And this time, you are the one to leave. Amongst the stars once more, off to traverse wherever your heart leads.

Countless centuries pass by before Lilia sees you once again.

Life goes on.

“You’re here again, traveller.” An all too familiar voice breaks you out of your reverie.

Lilia Vanrouge.

The world has granted him many titles since you have last crossed paths. Those in the past remember him as the loyal knight who vigilantly served the Briar Valley lord; civilians in the future will acknowledge the name Vanrouge as the right-hand man for king Malleus Draconia. But as for the present? People associate Lilia and his troublesome demeanour as the vice-housewarden of Diasomnia.

You? You recognise him as the one who lives through it all.

And he simply knows you as the traveller who leaps through time.

You and he, the once star crossed lovers, are now mere strangers. Distant, yet familiar.

“Vanrouge.” A solemn smile breaks out of your face. “We meet again.”

The tired teenager next to him eyes you wearily. He’s heard of you before - his father tells stories about you: the one who bends time to their will. But the boy who holds auroras in his eyes never thought you’d be so beautiful. The stories that he’d once hear his father tell, the ones where he’d gaze at the teller all starry-eyed, could never do you justice.

You’ve heard of him, too. Silver is his name. You recall seeing him amongst your many fleeting dreams. A boy whose fate is not yours to change, but whose life is yours to impact for the better.

“I must say, sire,” You gaze at the now small man with scrutiny, beneath your cloak woven by the celestials. “I never thought I’d see you play school boy.”

“And I never thought I’d see you look so sullen.” He pauses to remove the hood from your head. “Tell me, little traveller. What brings you back to me?”

The sun coats his face with a sheen of beauty that you’ve never seen before. Lilia looks gloriously different in the sunlight; he looks like second chances and new beginnings. No longer like love or retribution, as he once did in the moon’s dusk.

“Why, is it such a sin to say hello to a familiar face?” The smile that grows on your face is nothing but the epitome of longing.

And that was enough for him to know.

Lilia knows. He knows the life you live is tumultuous, one of which is shrouded in misery. You know the past, the future, the present - a burden he cannot bear to carry. You continue to live and breathe, while others come and go. Just as he does.

You two aren't so unalike, after all. Not anymore.

So when he gazes into your eyes, he knows you will be here for a little bit longer. To not merely linger, but to stay. “Come, my dearest.” He smiles. Genuinely. “Stay with me in Diasomnia. I’m sure the prince will be happy to meet you.”

And this time, when he lends you an outstretched hand, you don’t deny it.

#twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #lilia vanrouge x reader #lilia x reader #lilia vanrouge #lilia #twst lilia #twisted wonderland #twst imagines #twst fanfic #lilia x you #lilia x y/n #honey pot !#twisted wonderland collection !

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emeraldskulblaka · 1 year ago

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Rules: Spell out your name or url with songs!

Thank you for tagging me, @curiouselleth (x) and @maellor (x) !

E - Empty Chairs at Empty Tables (Les Misérables)

M - Moscow (Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812)

E - Everything Else (Next to Normal)

R - Raindrops (Eurielle)

A - A Spoonful of Sugar (Mary Poppins)

L - Losing My Mind (Follies)

D - Dos Oroguitas (Encanto)

S - Star of Eärendil (The Lord of the Rings)

K - Kitsch (Elisabeth)

U - Under the Sea (The Little Mermaid)

L - Lord of Nothing (The Last Trial)

B - Blossoms (The Amazing Devil)

L - L'assasymphonie (Mozart l'Opéra Rock)

A - Angel of Music (The Phantom of the Opera)

K - Knoblauch (Tanz der Vampire)

A - All I've Ever Known (Hadestown)

Not tagging anyone, just say I tagged you if you feel like doing this! Can't remember who has already done it 😅

#tag game #tagged #curiouselleth #maellor

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a-typical · 1 year ago

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Modern popular astrology runs directly back to Claudius Ptolemaeus, whom we call Ptolemy, although he was unrelated to the kings of the same name. He worked in the Library of Alexandria in the second century. All that arcane business about planets ascendant in this or that solar or lunar “house” or the “Age of Aquarius” comes from Ptolemy, who codified the Babylonian astrological tradition. Here is a typical horoscope from Ptolemy’s time, written in Greek on papyrus, for a little girl born in the year 150: “The birth of Philoe. The 10th year of Antoninus Caesar the lord, Phamenoth 15 to 16, first hour of the night. Sun in Pisces, Jupiter and Mercury in Aries, Saturn in Cancer, Mars in Leo, Venus and the Moon in Aquarius, horoscopus Capricorn.” The method of enumerating the months and the years has changed much more over the intervening centuries than have the astrological niceties. A typical excerpt from Ptolemy’s astrological book, the Tetrabiblos, reads: “Saturn, if he is in the orient, makes his subjects in appearance dark-skinned, robust, black-haired, curly-haired, hairy-chested, with eyes of moderate size, of middling stature, and in temperament having an excess of the moist and cold.” Ptolemy believed not only that behavior patterns were influenced by the planets and the stars but also that questions of stature, complexion, national character and even congenital physical abnormalities were determined by the stars. On this point modern astrologers seem to have adopted a more cautious position. But modern astrologers have forgotten about the precession of the equinoxes, which Ptolemy understood. They ignore atmospheric refraction, about which Ptolemy wrote. They pay almost no attention to all the moons and planets, asteroids and comets, quasars and pulsars, exploding galaxies, symbiotic stars, cataclysmic variables and X-ray sources that have been discovered since Ptolemy’s time. Astronomy is a science—the study of the universe as it is. Astrology is a pseudoscience—a claim, in the absence of good evidence, that the other planets affect our everyday lives. In Ptolemy’s time the distinction between astronomy and astrology was not clear. Today it is.

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zvdvdlvr · 2 years ago

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𝐊.𝐉.'𝐬 800 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐮𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 <33

𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒 : 𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒐𝒎𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒊 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓! 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒊 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒇 𝒊 𝒂𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒕.

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒 : 𝒇𝒆𝒃. 24 - 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉 18.

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒 : 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 <3

🪐 -> saturn! friends to lovers trope, roommates to lovers trope. send me up to four people - not including reader - and specify reader pronouns please! ( ex.: college!au marauders x female reader. r's bf breaks up with her so the boys comfort her )

🌕 -> full moon! angst. send me an angsty song or quote along with a character! ( ex.: lights are on by tom rosenthal, bucky barnes x male reader )

☄ -> comet! 100-120 word angsty blurb. send a character, song/quote, and reader pronouns.

🌑 -> new moon! platonic relationships! send fluff platonic asks with up to three characters.

🌙 -> crescent moon! spicy. send spicy requests for any outsiders character! ( i will not be writing any actual smut, however )

☀️ -> angst to fluff! send one character and reader pronouns for a blurb!

👽 -> lovers to strangers/lovers to enemies! harry potter/marvel requests only. ( ex.: regulus black x female reader. regulus breaks up with reader to keep her from being killed by the dark lord )

🌌 -> milky way! royal!au. send in a character from any fandom i write for with a plot idea.

⭐ -> star! ships. send your sexuality, gender, and a description of yourself and what fandoms you're in. ( as long as i'm in said fandom lol ) ill ship you with 1 or 2 characters!

🛸 -> flying saucer! 100-250 fluff blurb. send a character, song/quote, and reader pronouns.

#jules's celebrations 🥳#jules's 800 follower celebration #x reader #fluff #x female reader #angst #male reader #celebration

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cymorilcinnamonroll · 1 month ago

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The Cry of the Perseids (Lucifer x Michael One Shot)

Lucifer is lost, they say, he wandered astray at the fork between the Milky Way and the Perseid’s, hitched a ride on a comet with his manifold silver white wings and landed in darkness, far from the light of the furthest star. His halo of golden hair glowed like a jellyfish in the depths of deep space, bioluminescent divinity oozing out of flaming keratin like a song heard by no one, for in the outer rim, there is no sound.

Just silence.

Lucifer’s compass broke – don’t you know men that are birds and birds that are men have magnetic bits in their skull like geese and migrate always North? The Fall scrambled the pieces of lodestone etched in Lucifer’s skull and now, he wanders the wastes that have become Pandemonium over time, fractals of fallen angels finding a lightless abode in the void and populating it with lost dreams.

They say if Lucifer could fix the broken map of his mind, he would come roaring back into Heaven and accuse Michael. He would lay every mishap caused by the Angel of the Lord at the Prince of Heaven’s feet and throw vitriolic acid that would turn leaden pinions to gold, coal to diamonds, and rain to splinters of ice.

Lucifer would sob into Michael’s arms, ranting and raving, clutching at the broken ribs of his damnation like a madman as they poked through his papery skin and say, “Brother, look what I have become, this wasted thing. Why did you let me go? Why did you cast me out? We could have reigned together.”

And Michael would run his scarred fingers through the cornsilk of his older twin’s hair and warmed his Kelvin zero demon with the mercy of God. “Because, brother, I had to let you know God, and the only way you seem capable of comprehending the love of the Lord is by shunning it, running from the very thing that gave you life, and then mourning the loss of Someone that would welcome you back into His arms without a word. You were the one who cast us out, Morning Star.”

And Lucifer would bite his lip, and he and Michael would share a bitter kiss, like day old coffee grounds and the rind of an unripe pear, and that would be the end and beginning of Lucifer’s questions.

Silence.

#archangel michael #lucifer #gay romance #short story #original fiction

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dilemmaontwolegs · 2 years ago

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Catch A Falling Star

Dream of the Endless/Morpheus x fallen star!reader Summary: This is a Stardust/Sandman crossover. When a fallen star arrives in the Dreaming, Morpheus takes it upon himself to protect her but it quickly becomes something more. Warnings: fluff, love at first sight-ish/quick to fall in love, witch attack, reader hurt, smiting. WC: 4.46k

The Sandman Masterlist

“Careful you don’t burn too bright, little sister,” Andromache warned, sending her consciousness across the cosmos and into your orbit. “It would break my heart to watch you burn out and fall.”

You were young and reckless, barely 5000 years old, flaunting your light so it could reach the farthest forms of life hurtling through the universe. “You worry too much. I will live for a million years, you’ll see.”

Countless sisters sparkled with you, dancing and skipping around the asteroids and shivering in the wake of icy comets, watching the worlds pass by. Like you, they were born of the Galaxias Kuklos - the Milky Way - keeping each other company through the eternal revolutions of the Centre. There was beauty in your endless travels, bringing hope to those who saw your light and wished upon it. It was also deadly.

When a star burned too bright she could lose control and explode into a supernova, the light flickering out and the fall began. Or, if one were like poor Yvaine, an object crashed into her - throwing her from the burning core to fall like a supernova without the big bang.

You had seen it twice during your life and your sisters had wept along with you, the tears falling with her so that she didn’t fall alone. The tears were like diamonds raining upon the galaxy, turning to dust as they burned through the atmosphere - becoming stardust.

A darkness spread across the universe in a way that you had never experienced, not even Andromache could explain the change. It was as if hope had faded and the wishes upon your shimmering light came few and far between. Whispers came from other galaxies, tales of a blight that consumed the consciousness and left trillions sedated and slumbering. You couldn’t let the darkness consume your sisters.

Your heart burned brighter until all worlds were bathed in the silvery glow of your light. You pushed yourself harder, hotter, combusting at a pace you were not meant to burn with. With each rotation of the Centre you felt your control slipping but you kept your heart burning still, a glimmer of hope in the endless dark.

Even during the day while your sisters slept, you kept your light glowing.

You felt the moment, a shift within your molecules, and a light flared from inside your core. It whipped out, streaking across the void of space before another escaped, then another. Pure white light dispersed in all directions until you were no longer a compressed being of energy but an explosion.

“Thank you, little sister,” Andromache whispered softly. “Your light gave us hope.”

You wanted to call out to her, to all your sisters, but you were already falling. No energy, no mass, you had no path of orbit remaining and began to tumble down and down towards the pull of the closest planet.

A billion tears fell with you, their shimmering light comforting you in the final descent, and you reached out for Andromache’s. You cradled the precious drop to your chest, as your sisters faded to pinpricks of light on a black canvas, and let your own wish be heard.

–

“Did you say something, boss?” Matthew asked, his head tipping inquisitively.

“No, Matthew, I did not,” Dream uttered, peering around the throne room as he tried to decipher where the voice had come from.

The fabric of Dream’s cloak rustled and the raven took to the air with a squawk, something about finding Lucienne. Dream was too stunned to deny the order as he heard your voice, gentle and warm, pleading in a language he did not recognise. He was Endless, there should have been no language that he couldn’t understand.

“My lord-” Lucienne lost her words as she stepped into the throne room and saw Dream lift the long tail of his cloak and your body tumbled out.

Matthew hopped across the stone and flapped his wings against your kin “Tell me she hasn’t been trapped in your cloak this entire time.”

“I, I don’t know,” Dream admitted as he took the cloak off entirely and draped it over your naked body. “I don’t know where she has come from.”

“Yeesh.” Matthew shivered. “Wonder what else is hiding in there.”

“My lord,” Lucienne interrupted quietly as he stood contemplatively over you. “I think I may know what she is.”

His head turned halfway to Lucienne, one eye kept on your unconscious form. “And what might that be?”

“She fell from your cloak, sir, could she not be a fallen star?”

Dream’s lips parted as he turned his attention back to you, your eyelashes splayed across your cheeks in what he would have thought would be sleep but your mind was not in the Dreaming.

A glimmer of something iridescent caught his sight and he knelt at your side, gently opening your fist to see the large teardrop diamond you had protected from the destructive descent. His voice was sombre at the truth and he placed it back into your hand, “You are correct, Lucienne, she is a fallen star.”

Lucienne bowed her head in sadness. “She looks young, too young from what the old tomes have mentioned of their kind.”

“Return to your library,” Dream said as he lifted you from the cold stone. “Bring everything we have on the Astral beings to my chambers.”

“Of course, my lord, but are you sure you are ready for this responsibility?” Lucienne asked after a moment's hesitation. “We have only just got you back and many beings have gone to war to win her sister’s hearts. I fear this will be no different.”

“What choice do I have, Lucienne?” Dream said as he stared at you in his arms. “I will not cast her beyond the gates to have her heart carved out.”

The Head Librarian kept her thoughts to herself as she bowed her head and made her exit to begin her task. The Dream that she knew before he was captured would have tossed the young star out without a second thought but he was no longer cold and removed from his feelings. It was the first time she thought that it might be a bad thing.

Irritation woke you, the scratch of something across your surface. Skin. That was what coated you, what remained when your blinding light had peeled away and turned to vapour. You opened your eyes and slammed them shut from the harsh light that burned them, a painful sound clawing from your dry throat as you turned away.

“It will take a moment to adjust,” a quiet voice soothed. “Open them slowly.”

You followed the instructions blinking slowly until the burn faded and the room came into focus. You didn’t recognise your voice as you used the tongue of man and not the song of your sisters, “Who are you? Why is everything so loud?”

The fire crackled and popped, a heavy repetitive thud echoed in your chest and even your voice hurt to hear.

“I am Dream of the Endless, but you may call me Morpheus,“ he said as he rose from the chair in the corner of the room. “You are no longer in the void of space, sound travels differently here. It will take some getting used to.”

You looked at your empty hands and sobbed as you remembered holding onto your dearest sister's tear, the last piece of home you had. Morpheus crossed the room, his robe swishing with each step, and placed the precious gem into your palm.

“Thank you,” you whispered gratefully. “I don’t know what I would do if I were to lose this.”

He waved his hand over yours without a word and a thin silver chain wrapped around the diamond in delicate swirls. His fingers were cool against yours as he lifted the chain and draped it over your head, the gem coming to rest against your heart.

“You do not have to thank me, Astra.” Morpheus stepped back and reached for his own chest but caught himself before it could touch the empty space, where his own precious gem used to hang. “It is I who should thank you.”

He gestured to the mountains of books that filled the corner of the room where he had sat while you rested. “You appeared a surprising amount of times in the Library of Dreams. Your light brought hope to many during my imprisonment - brought them comfort when the darkness no longer embraced them in welcome.”

“You…” you gasped and shifted further away from him, “you were the darkness that threatened to consume my sister stars!”

“No,” Dream denied firmly, draping himself back into the chair and pressing his hand to his forehead as if there was an ache forming. “My absence caused the darkness you speak of, I have been trying to repair the damage of that darkness since I returned.”

You relaxed slightly at the admission and sighed with relief that your sisters would be safe. It didn’t make the pain of losing them any less but you knew your burnout had not been in vain.

“There is something I want to show you, Astra,” Morpheus said after watching your emotions play across your face. Another wave of his hand created a beautiful gown that looked as if it were made from starlight, and it drifted along an invisible current to drape across the foot of the bed.

You rose from the bed, feeling his eyes on your body that you had yet to see for yourself. “My name is y/n.”

You stepped into the gown and immediately enjoyed the silken texture across your skin, much softer than what lined the bedding. Turning your back to Morpheus, you looked over your shoulder and silently requested help with the pearl buttons that traced your spine.

It took him a moment to move from the stupor he found himself in, but then he closed the distance with two long strides. A knuckle teased the curve of your spine with each button he closed until he reached your nape and he smoothed his thumb over your bare shoulder.

“How do I look?” you asked, nervously running your palms over the material.

“Radiant.”

A low glow shimmered beneath your skin when you smiled and he swallowed at the sight, something akin to fear making him step away. “It’s only light, it won’t hurt you.”

“It is not me I am worried about,” Dream said as he saw the hurt on your face. “I fear someone will try to take that light away from you.”

He began to lead the way from the room and through the palace explaining why your light was so coveted.

“So there are creatures out there that mean to cut out my heart and eat it?” You shivered at the thought and unconsciously stepped closer to his side. His billowing cloak rubbed against the sway of your silken dress and you realised you were quite the opposite to him. Where his cloak was black as a starless night, your dress shimmered with the ethereal glow of a thousand twinkling stars.

“I would not let that happen,” Morpheus swore as he looked across at you. “You are under my protection here.”

You smiled at his kindness before taking in the sight of his land that spread under the night sky. It was peaceful. “Why? Why protect me? You don’t know me.”

He chewed on the question as you followed the stone path beyond the palace gates and the giant winged creatures that perched above them. “You fell from the skies after giving your all, your burning core, so that others may have hope during my imprisonment. You fell out of the galaxy within my robes. I cannot believe it was mere coincidence. I suppose I should contact my eldest sister, Destiny of the Endless, to see if it is her I should thank.”

“I have seen your kind before, two of them actually,” you admitted, seeing his interest pique at the quiet words. “The Endless.”

“Oh?” he prompted when you fell silent.

“There was one who travelled through our space, destroying our playground - leaving inhabitable planets in his wake.”

“The Prodigal,” Dream said surprised. “My younger brother hasn’t been seen in centuries.”

“The stars see all, hear all. He was hurt.”

Dream’s large hand wrapped around your wrist, a shock passing through you at the touch, and he pulled you to a stop. “You know where he is. Wait, you said he was hurt? How could he be hurt, he is invulnerable.”

You shook your head. “No being is invulnerable if they can love. Unfortunately, his lover was lost to the other Endless’ embrace. He does not wish to be disturbed and we promised to keep his sanctuary a secret.”

“Desire?” Dream asked with a deep frown. “They have crossed a line taking another sibling's lover as their own.”

“Not Desire, whoever that may be, it was Death,” you said, placing your hand over his and uncurling the grip that had grown tighter. “Why do you people love so freely when it so often ends poorly?”

The terrain shifted beneath your feet and it was only the hold you had on Dream that kept you upright. Suddenly the flat path had risen and you found yourself at the top of a mountain peak. The air was thinner and the drop in temperature had your breath misting in front of your face but you were too stunned to complain.

“Andromache,” you choked as you looked up and found the brightest star in the sky that sparkled with a wave. The urge to reach out and see if she were as close as she looked almost had you let go of Dream’s hand, but you knew she was still lightyears away.

You broke away from her light to look at Morpheus, who was once again watching you, and you lost yourself to the stars that danced in his own eyes. “Thank you.”

“We are lonely,” Dream said when he looked back at your sister stars. “We have a function that will endure for all of time. If we were to grow cold and neglect our roles then all worlds would suffer for it. Love keeps us…compassionate, and the loneliness from destroying us.”

“That is a poor reason to love,” you gasped, clutching your chest in surprise, while the cool air seeped through the thin dress and sent a shiver rolling down your spine. “Love should bring you joy and it should be irrational and unreasonable.”

Morpheus quietly contemplated your impassioned outburst before waving his hand and a fur lined cloak fell over your shoulders. “The love you speak of seems to only exist in dreams these days.”

You looked around the cold mountainside, void of life except for the two of you. The cloak had chased away the chill and you curled it tighter around you as a breeze blew across the peak. “Where?”

“Where?” he repeated back in confusion.

“Where is this love? I would like to see it.”

Dream offered his hand and you were once again shocked by his touch as you placed yours in his. In a flicker of star the scenery changed and you found yourself spinning in awe at the setting around you. Joy and colour saturated every molecule of the carnival and a laugh bubbled from your chest as your skin began to glow.

“This is wonderful!” You gripped Dream’s hand tighter and towed him towards the big top tent where music and cheers were erupting from, your smile so wide it hurt your cheeks. Dancers with ribbons spun their way across the grass path and you felt the silken strands tease through your fingers when you reached out.

“Close your eyes,” Morpheus said as he stopped you and held something hidden behind his back. You trembled with excitement as you slammed your eyes shut. “Now, open your mouth.”

You froze at the gentle command but took a deep breath and trusted him as you parted your lips. Sweetness filled your mouth, the odd texture turning to liquid on your tongue, and you opened your eyes in surprise. “What is that?”

A small smile twitched at his lips as he revealed the fluffy pink cloud on a stick. “Cotton candy.” He plucked a piece off and popped it into his mouth, the colour leaving a trace of brighter pink on his lips.

You giggled as you stole some for yourself and marvelled at how it disappeared on your tongue again. “You should smile more.”

“Should I? And why is that?” he asked as he leant forward and brushed your ear with his warm breath, his voice full of cool amusement. “Does it bring you joy?”

You tilted your head with a teasing smile of your own. “It does, and you are quite handsome when the morose masquerade is removed.”

“It is no masquerade,” he chuckled, taking your hand and leading you closer to the tent. “Lucienne often reminds me how sullen I am.”

“You should share this side of you with her too.”

“I don’t think she cares for how handsome I am.”

You nudged him in the ribs with your elbow and he huffed a laugh. “I meant smiling, silly! You are denser than my sister Calvera.”

“I’m not sure who should be more insulted, your sister or I.”

You leaned into his side and placed your head on his shoulder as you tried not to laugh. “She is a Neutron star.”

A deep laugh rumbled from his chest before yours joined him. “Are all of your sisters as amusing as you?”

You shook your head and looked up at the stars that filled the sky, the bright point of Andromache barely visible in this place. “No, most of them are very serious. Andromache was constantly telling me to grow up but I think she gave up after I completed my 2nd millenia. I was supposedly mature by then.”

Another smile grew freely on his face before he caught sight of another food vendor. “You have to try a Toffee Apple.”

He slipped from your fingers as he crossed the path and you were distracted by a kind face waving you towards her tent. “Dare to see what your future holds, my dear?”

“You can see the future?” you asked in wonder, stepping closer to the curtains she held aside.

“I can,” she said with a wink. “I see a very bright future indeed.” You turned to look for Dream but the woman grabbed your hand with a smile and pulled you behind the curtains. “You can find your boyfriend again soon.”

The tent glowed at the term before you felt your face heat and looked away with a nervous laugh. “Oh, he’s not my boyfriend…”

She waved her hand towards the velvet stool and you took a seat as she shuffled around the low table to sit across a crystal ball. “From the glow about you, I’m sure that won’t last for much longer. You have snared him with your light, little star.”

Your stomach lurched and you tried to stand up but found a silver chain had silently threaded around your ankle and leashed you to the table leg.

“Tut-tut-tut, no need to be afraid.” The witch rose from her seat to reveal an obsidian blade in the folds of the table cloth. “You’ll waste all that precious light.”

“Morpheus!” you screamed, the strength of the sound piercing your slowly adjusting hearing. “Help!”

“Shut it, impudent wretch,” the witch hissed as she raised her hand to your face, a harsh sound snapping the air before your cheek began to burn from the slap. “You dare call on the King of Dreams for help. The Dream Lord would not meddle in our affairs I assure you, there is no helping you.”

Tears were quickly filling your eyes as she spoke with such certainty that you almost believed her. You had never felt such physical pain before, it was still dull compared to the pain of falling from the stars but it ached in a vastly different way. The pain consumed you as she pushed you off the stool and onto the cold woven mat that covered the floor, dirt and muck from the shoes of patrons smearing across your beautiful dress.

“You cannot have my heart,” you whimpered as you clutched your hands protectively over your chest.

A wind whipped through the tent, the curtain flapping open sharply before a larger gust tore the fabric away - hefting it up into the sky and baring the stars to witness your pain. There, in the absent entrance stood Morpheus.

You light flared brightly as he stalked across the floor, his face a hard mask of fury as he approached the witch. “This star is under my protection, Tabitha Three-Eyes, and by attacking her you challenge me, your King.”

“I’m sorry, your Majesty,” she stammered as she bowed her head. “I didn’t know she belonged to you.”

Morpheus curled his fingers and the chain unravelled and slithered away from your legs. You scrambled to your feet and scuttled away from the witch whose face had changed since he had arrived, as if the spell that made her kind and welcoming dissolved in the acid of her personality. The perfect image withered to a crone with gnarled fingers and blackened teeth bared in a snarl.

“Don’t try me, spellcaster,” Morpheus warned as he noticed the gleam in her eyes.

Like a woman possessed, she lurched forward with claws and screamed as black tendrils exploded from her hands. Morpheus threw his hand up and the wave of power shot back tenfold, hurling her back to shatter the table and the crystal ball too. He reached blindly behind his back, a soft sigh slipping from his lips when he felt you safely tucked away.

“Are you alright?”

You weren’t quite sure how to answer that as you trembled at his back. “She tried to kill me.”

“A fatal mistake of hers,” he growled as he eyes the smouldering outline where the witch had landed before turning around. His face was full of concern as he gently cradled your cheek that was swollen from her slap. “She got off too lightly.”

“She is dead.”

“She hurt you.” Dropping his forehead to yours he closed his eyes and exhaled, his breath mingling with yours. “She deserved something far worse than death.”

He opened his eyes again and winced when he looked at your cheek. You gingerly touched the spot and asked, “How do I look?”

“Still radiant,” he smiled sweetly as he leaned, those mesmerising eyes that reminded you of home holding you captive, “still beautiful.”

Your breath caught in your lungs as his lips brushed yours, that familiar spark shocking you back to life. You pressed yourself closer, opening yourself to his exploration and moaning when his tongue took the opportunity. Hands reached for each other, yours lacing into his silky hair while his snaked beneath your cloak to splay across your lower back.

Shimmering dust drifted from the skies above as your glow illuminated the night. You pulled apart gasping at both the intensity of your first kiss and at the sight of the stardust. They were like bright bursts of fireworks casting a myriad of colour around the empty field that had held the carnival, not the dull grey dusting of sorrowful tears.

“My sisters’ blessings,” you whispered with a smile as you found their tears of joy catching in Morpheus’ hair, the colours stark against the jet black strands. Taking his hands, you placed them on your chest, over the diamond teardrop that hung from your neck. “Having a heart is dangerous.”

Dream wanted to deny it but it was the truth so he settled for the next best thing. “I will protect it.”

“I know you will.” You closed your eyes against the bright glow that radiated from your entire body. Slowly that light shifted until it was concentrated beneath your palms and you released the hold you had on the diamond. The gemstone had changed, taking on a dark red hue that pulsed with a steady beat. You stared at the stone in wonder for a moment longer before slipping the chain over your head and lifting it towards Morpheus. “It is yours if you will have it.”

He bowed his head so you could drape it over his neck, the blood red gem pulsing over his own heart. He felt its warmth as he picked up the stone hanging from the chain, raising it to his lips to place a tender kiss on its surface. You swore you could feel the softness of his lips on your skin before he tucked it beneath his shirt to rest against his skin.

“I shall cherish your gift until the end of time,” Morpheus promised as he brushed his thumb across your kiss-swollen lips and pouted. “But I have no gift for you.”

You nipped at his thumb and it brought a smile to his forlorn face. “You have given me hope, Morpheus. I thought it was lost when I fell. And you saved my life. I think that is more than enough.”

Dream shook his head and the walls of the palace rose around you, the high stained glass windows behind his throne telling you exactly where you were. “I have offered you protection and sanctuary within my realm…but how about a home?”

“A home…” you mused as you circled the cavernous room and the stairs that lead to a single throne, “with you?”

His lips twitched at your teasing tone and he nodded. “Yes, with me.”

“You would have to smile more,” you warned as you climbed the first step and rose to eye level with him.

He lost the internal battle to remain impartial and a smile parted his lips. “I’m sure I would have more reason to smile with you here.”

You took another step higher and looked down at Dream, his pretty eyes following your every move as you shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ll have to think about it.”

Those eyes narrowed as you failed to hold your giggle and you couldn’t remain apart any longer, wrapping your arms around his neck and leaning down to taste those pouting lips. “Yes, Morpheus.”

“Really?” he asked half excited, half uncertain he heard you correctly as he closed those two steps and pulled you flush with his body.

You kissed his chest, where the rapidly pulsing gem rested, and looked into his starry eyes. “I already gave you my heart because that is where home is.”

Taglist: @endlessly-entertaining @damndonner @remusismyhousewife @juxtaposeddreamer @hedwigprewett12 @depressooexxpressoo @jesllianaquilesrolon Tagging from interest in my stardust/sandman crossover post: @ahsxkatano @lorosette @pinksirensong @lostinthedreaming @intothesoul

#the sandman fanfic #sandman fanfiction #sandman x reader #the sandman imagine #the sandman x reader #the sandman x you #morpheus fanfiction #morpheus imagine #morpheus x reader #morpheus x y/n #morpheus x you #dream of the endless #dream of the endless imagine #dream of the endless x reader #stardust/sandman crossover fanfic

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bearsficrecs · 2 years ago

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Bucky Barnes Fic recs!!

Authors note: NONE of these fics are mine!!! these are just some of my comfort reads, all credits go to the amazing authors that wrote them <3 Go show them some love!!!

In the blink of an eye - by @stardustdreams-andcaffeine (mob!bucky x reader)

Summary: With Bucky Barnes, the mafia lord of New York, as your boyfriend, you’re usually safe from any and all harm. With a date night gone wrong and your boyfriend distracted, though, anything can happen in the blink of an eye.

More By @stardustdreams-andcaffeine (mob!bucky x reader)

Summary: You’re the secretary to one of the most powerful mob bosses in the country, and that’s what he was supposed to stay—your boss. The heart often has other plans. Now, you’re in a race against time to save the life of James Barnes, the mob boss who has become so much more.

Mob!bucky and his fairy! - by @kinanabinks

the adventures of bucky and his fairy.

H.C.M.C - by @vibraniumcollar (biker!bucky x reader)

Summary: Reader is new to Brooklyn and after an incident at the garage belonging to Howling Commandos Motorcycle Club, her life is changed forever.

Sunrise - by @wkemeup (modern!bucky x reader)

summary: After an explosion takes his arm and his only sense of belonging, Bucky is discharged from active duty and sent back to civilian life. Left with a storm of unchecked guilt, Bucky is content to live out the rest of his days in the hollow comfort of the dark. This is, until Sam drags him down to the local VA and he meets you. (Modern AU)

Howlin' for you - by @invisibleanonymousmonsters

Summary: When Y/N gets an unreal deal on her first home, she wonders why her neighbor scared away all the other buyers. Despite being cautious, she wonders why the town has given Bucky Barnes a bad name.

Astrophile - by @all1e23 (firefighter!singledad!bucky x reader)

Summary: Orion Rebecca Barnes’s favorite thing in the whole world (besides her daddy of course) is spending hours after school in the bookstore by her house and the owner GIVES her any book she wants; she’s the coolest girl Orion has ever met. It doesn’t take long for Bucky to notice his daughter’s sudden interest in constellations and the large stack of astrology related books piling up in her room. He’s spent her entire life trying to teach her about the stars and where her name came from with little interest from his little comet and all of sudden she’s in love.

Something domestic - by @fandoms-writings ( ex-military amputee!Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader)

Summary: Needing an escape from the loud and busy city life, Bucky comes to stay with you on your little farm. He didn’t expect you, a hardworking and beautiful woman with struggles of your own, to take his breath away and make life a little less dreary.

Sweet as cinnamon sugar - by @ofstarsandvibranium (cop!singledad!bucky x waitress!reader)

Summary: The love story of an insecure divorced, single father cop and a good-hearted, sweet as sugar, diner waitress.

in the embers - by @foreverindreamlandd (Firefighter!Bucky x Fem!Plus Size!Adopted Rogers!Reader)

Summary: Bucky Barnes. The boy next door. Your brother’s best friend. The guy you’ve been in love with for as long as you can remember. Unrequited, that is, seeing that he only thinks of you as a sister (at least, that’s what you always thought). It’s been about a decade since you’ve returned home and reunited with the boy - now man - with stunning blue eyes and a smile that still puts a million butterflies in your stomach. You never expected to come back, thinking that you’d spend the rest of your life as a famous artist in Los Angeles with your boyfriend/manager. But things change, life gets messy, and now you’re back in your childhood bedroom living with your mom and working at the townie bar to make ends meet while you try to figure out what the hell to do next. The one thing that hasn’t changed? Bucky Barnes is still the boy next door, and there’s no running from him this time.

Delicate Edges - by @wkemeup (biker!bucky x reader)

summary: Your family’s beloved flower shop was not the only thing you inherited when your parents passed. Trapped under a mountain of debt to the Hydra club, you bear the cost of your father’s desperate bargain. It’s only in moments when the charming Bucky Barnes walks into your shop that you can forget the cruelty of the biker clubs of this town. But a war is brewing. The border is crumbling. You’re trapped in the middle. And Bucky will stop at nothing to keep you safe. (Biker!AU)

Charlie's angels - by @buckysknifecollection (Bucky x reader)

Summary: Charlotte Barton is an agent of SHIELD who through her friendship with Sharon Carter gets involved with the famous Alpha Team. Friendships, banter and a bit of a crush on a certain super soldier occur.

The witness - by @wkemeup (detective!bucky x reader)

summary: Owner of a bar full of criminals, maybe you shouldn’t be surprised when you’re the sole witness to a hydra hit. In comes Detective Barnes, the quick-witted, flirtatious cop who somehow became a regular at your misfit bar. When he takes it upon himself to ensure your safety off the books, you learn to rely on someone else for a change and find you don’t mind it at all. Not when it’s him.

Under the tree - By @barnesmurdock (Beefy!Chubby!Bucky x Fem!Reader)

Summary: You and your husband have a picnic under a tree

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #biker!bucky barnes x reader #mafia!bucky x reader #singledad!bucky x reader #firefighter!bucky barnes x reader #bucky x rogers!reader #bucky fic rec #bucky fic recs

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gaypirate420 · 2 years ago

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Préstame tu sueño y duérmeme,embrújamevolvámonos eternos. // Dream*

Dream of the endless* x gn!reader.

A/N: I had this song on loop while I wrote this so I would recommend to listen to it while reading!.

He was magnificent, breathtaking.

The beauty transcended human kind, he was truthfully a being.

One that looked so pretty.

His pale skin shining and star-like eyes glowing.

Stars looking at you.

The night sky above his head and eyes filled with love and adoration, his finger brushing your cheek.

Nobody would walk in the King's room and be witness of the most tender and intimate moment of the Dream Lord.

It was a sight only you could see.

"You have a book to read, Oneiros." You spoke, he looked at the book that was on his right hand but your body laying on his bed was more attention grabbing.

"There is no rush for me now." He remarked meeting your gaze once again, you smirked discreetly.

"I missed you, my dear. A century without admiring your beauty." He remarked before leaving a tender kiss on your lips.

"I missed you too, Morpheus. Every night I would stare at the night sky and call for you." You whispered, he takes your hand and kisses it slowly.

"Oh, darling." You whispered stroking his cheek.

"I could feel you but I couldn't touch you nor see you." He whispered, you cupped his cheek.

"I ached for your touch, for your glare and for your voice. I just wanted to be back in your arms, to be held once more." Said Morpheus low, his voice breaking along with your heart aching.

He stared at you again, he wasn't aware of the comet rain that was happening on the ceiling of his palace.

Everything stopped for both of you.

It was only him and you.

You leaned over and kiss him.

The book was transformed into sand and the Dream Lord's hands wrapped around your waist.

It felt so perfect, your bodies united again, his hands touching you so desperately but so carefully.

Morpheus fingers brushed your body. remembering his favorite spots. You lay down with him on the soft bed.

He hugged you, tightly. His face buried on your neck, kissing softly your skin.

So desperate for not letting you go again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So afraid of being apart from your side.

You closed your eyes and stroked his raven hair, you whispered the sweetest words for him.

Not for the Dream Lord but rather your lover, your companion. Morpheus.

Just you and him loving each other under the stars once again.

A/N: VIENTOOOOO AMARRANOS, TIEMPOOO DETENTE MUCHOS AÑOS.

Translation:

Lend me your comb

And comb my soul

Untangle me

Away from this world

Tell me I'm not

dreaming of you

Show me

What we're made of

I want to orbit planets

Until I see an empty one

I want to go live

But I want it to be with you

Wind, tie us up

Time, stop for many years

Wind, tie us up

Time, stop for many years

Lend me your comb

And comb my soul

Purify me

Don't abandon me

Lend me your dream

And put me to sleep

Bewitch me

Let's be eternal

I want to orbit planets

Until I see an empty one

I want to go live

But I want it to be with you

Wind, tie us up

Time, stop for many years

Wind, tie us up

Time, stop for many years.

#Spotify #the sandman imagine #the sandman x male reader #the sandman x reader #the sandman #morpheus x male reader #morpheus x reader #morpheus #dream of the endless

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natromanxoff · 3 years ago

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Credits to Roberto Macchi.

Daily Express - April 21, 1992

(x)

Liz leads tributes to Angel Freddie

By MICHAEL SWAIN

ACTRESS Elizabeth Taylor last night led the eulogies to Queen star Freddie Mercury, saying: "He sang like an angel."

She told a 72,000 Wembley crowd at his tribute concert that Mercury, who died from AIDS in November, had been “an extraordinary rock star who rushed across our cultural landscape like a comet shooting across the sky".

Urging the fans to protect themselves against AIDS she told them: "You are the future, the shining light that will illuminate a better world tomorrow."

Miss Taylor, president of the American Foundation for AIDS Research, left in tears after being heckled by part of the crowd.

But after recovering backstage she said she hoped the event would be “a great turning in the tide” in the awareness of the dangers of AIDS.

Stars including David Bowie, Elton John, George Michael and Liza Minnelli joined the remaining Queen members at the show, which was hoped to raise £10 million to fight the disease.

[Photo caption: QUEEN OF THE SHOW: Actress Elizabeth Taylor on stage last night]

Mercury memorial concert raises cash for a new AIDS hospital in Britain

Freddie’s £10m rhapsody of hope

By ANNIE LEASK

[Photo caption: BOHEMIAN LOOKALIKE: It's not Freddie in the crowd last night, it's a fan in a forest of hands]

FREDDIE would have loved it.

The aristocracy of rock, pop and Hollywood tumed out to pay him tribute in front of the world.

And last night’s Wembley concert became a rhapsody of hope for thousands of AIDS victims.

The drummer in Freddie's group Queen, Roger Taylor, revealed that a clinic for HIV and AIDS sufferers called the Freddie Mercury Hospital will be built in Britain from the concert proceeds.

Freddie died aged 45 last November after losing a long battle against AIDS.

A large part of his fortune was donated to AIDS charities.

And it is expected that the total amount raised from last night's rock spectacular will top £10 milion.

Tragedy

“This is something we feel strongly about and we are sure Freddie would approve,” Taylor said.

“It’s a means of using the tragedy to some good effect in bringing a greater awareness of the fact that AIDS affects all of us.”

Taylor told fans and stars: "Cry as much as you like.”

They did. Thousands in the audience broke down.

"You can't be here and not cry — it's impossible,” said Mary Clothier, 23, from Manchester.

“Just to think that Freddie is gone and all this is for him.

“Everybody here loved him and loves him now. I feel so emotional I can barely see the stage for tears.”

Queen guitarist Brian May's girlfriend Anita Dobson also wiped tears from her eyes as rock band Extreme did a medley of Queen’s Greatest hits supported by May on guitar.

Mercury's lover of seven years, Mary Austin, broke down within minutes of arriving and leant on her boyfriend Tiers Cameron for support. But actress Liz Taylor was booed as she gave a speech about AIDS.

A vicious fight broke out a fans set on the hecklers. The incident shocked many in the crowd.

“This concert was being beamed to the States and they will be appalled at the way Liz was booed,” said American tourist Lisa Greer. “To us, it's like heckling Princess Diana.” Liz carried on but left the stage trembling. Out of sight she was comforted in the wings.

Apart from that it was a glittering night of celebration as the cream of rock and pop talent joined forces to pay tribute to Freddie.

Bowed

Stars included David Bowie, who said the Lord's Prayer at the end of his set.

Bowie, dressed in a green suit, sat on the edge of the stage with his head bowed as he spoke the words. “This tribute is to remember my friend — your friend — who has died of AIDS," he said.

The 72.000 fans Wembley paid £25 or more a head.

It was also broadcast live and attracted a larger global audience than Live Aid, going out to a billion people.

Some fans fell prey to touts charging up to £250 for tickets.

Even so, hundreds were prepared to fork out.

“I supported Freddie throughout his life and I will support him in death,” said Steve Parkin, 22, who travelled from Liverpool with no ticket.

"Не was the greatest and I couldn't miss a concert like this,” Jayne Browning from Sheffield added, "I came with £100 and I would be willing to spend all of that.”

Just before the show volunteers handed out red ribbons to fans, symbol of AIDS Awareness.

Liz Taylor presented singer George Michael with a brooch with red rhinestones set in silver in the shape of the AIDS symbol.

Jewel

And Elton John gave Liz, 60, a £50,000 diamond ring in recognition for her work fighting AIDS.

Elton presented Liz with the jewel as they walked together in the grounds of his Windsor mansion before the show.

“Thank you so much, she said. “I don't know what to say, but thank you again.” In her speech half way through the concert, Liz urged the crowd to practise safe sex and use condoms.

“You are the future of our world, you are the best and brightest," she said.

“You are the shining light that will illuminate a better world tomorrow.

“Protect yourselves. Every time you have sex use a condom. Every single time. And if you use drugs, don't share the needle.

“Just last week it was reported in the U.S. that there are 9,000 actual cases of AIDS among teenagers and young adults, with thousands more who probably don't even know they are infected.

“There are 72,000 people in this stadium tonight. Look at yourselves, look at how many you are.

"In two short weeks there will be as many new infections as there are people here tonight. Please, don’t let it happen to you."

She added: "We are here to celebrate the life of Freddie Mercury, an extraordinary rock star who rushed across our cultural landscape like a comet.

“We are also here to tell the whole world that he, like others we have lost to AIDS, died before his time.

"The bright light of his talent still exhilarates us, even now that his life has been cruelly extinguished.

“It needn't have happened. It shouldn't have happened. Please, let's not let it happen again.

"Protect yourself, love yourself, respect yourself, because I will keep telling you until you do.

“I won't give in and I won't give up, because the world needs you to live."

Heavy metal band Guns'n’Roses were one of the surprise bands in the concert. Four years ago lead singer Axl Rose wrote a song saying: “Immigrants and faggots spread disease."

Their shows have been dogged by protests from gay activists ever since.

Just before the show Axl seemed to be suffering stage fright.

He falled to turn up for rehearsals and missed a sound check, preferring to stay in his Mayfair hotel suite.

But he turned up and yelled his way through two numbers.

Singer Annie Lennox dressed Freddie Mercury-style in a rubber ball dress.

Lisa Stansfield came on like a housewife in curlers and pushed a Hoover as she sang I Want to Break Free, in memory of the video in which Freddie dressed as a housewife.

On stage, the stars poured out tributes to their friend.

George Michael said: "This concert is a strange mixture of honour and sadness.

“Hopefully it will also serve as one more opportunity to fight against AIDS.”

[Photo caption: KING FOR QUEEN: Spinal Tap’s David]

[Photo caption: BROKE DOWN: Mercury’s ex-girlfriend Mary Austin]

[Photo caption: AIDS AID: Bob Geldof back live at Wembley]

[Photo caption: WE WILL, WE WILL, ROCK YOU: Queen’s Brian May, right, with assistance from Def Leppard]

Moving tribute has stars and fans in tears

FREDDIE MERCURY would have […] […] […] that the highlight of last night’s tribute concert was his most famous song — Bohemian Rhapsody.

The audience to leapt to their feet and waved lighters in time to the famous refrain, sang by Elton John and Axl Rose.

The unlikely duo hit the high notes in a totally different way from Freddie, but the rasping notes were all the more touching.

Lisa Stansfield and George Michael in a duet of one of Queen’s most recent hits — These Are The Days Of Our Lives — had fans in tears as they swayed in time with the melody.

Freddie always loved a party. The bigger the better, and the more extravagant and self-indulgent, the more he enjoyed it.

Last night the music world gathered to give him a celebration he would have thoroughly approved of.

From the moment his famous profile appeared on huge video screens at either side of the stage, a tremor grew around the stadium. Thousands of hands and feet clapped and stamped in time to a short burst of Bohemian Rhapsody as the show opened.

Energetic

Among the most emotional moments were video excerpts of the flamboyant Mercury at his best in outrageous costumes and dance routines.

Who star Roger Daltrey stepped brilliantly into Freddie's shoes as he performed I Want It All with surviving Queen members in an energetic set.

Brian May gave a performance which so eerily echoed Freddie’s clear vocal style that he broke down in an unashamed display of grief on stage.

He continued singing as his voice waivered.

The rest of the night belonged to the superstars of the music world who, one by one, stood where Freddie used to, in front of the remaining Queen musicians to perform cover versions of the band's most famous hits.

Among the highlights was Under Pressure featuring a memorable duet between Annie Lennox and David Bowie.

Liza Minnelli brought Hollywood glitz to the concert as she led the rest of the stars for the finale […] Queen's anthem, We The Champions.

The show came to a close with Freddie taking his own bow — a […] him walking the […] dressed in his regal […].

The crowd and […] alike watched in tears […] Freddie held out his […] and bowed.

ANNIE LEASK

Freddie’s male friends were so jealous of me

By DAVID WIGG

• QUEEN singer Freddie Mercury turned to Mary Austin for support when he was dying from AIDS. He rewarded her dedication by leaving her the bulk of his fortune and a £4 million mansion in his will.

• But her inheritance has included the jealousy of many of his friends. Here Mary tells us how she deals with the bad feeling and what she feels about their 16-year friendship.

Mary Austin tells of bitterness over fortune he left her

MARY AUSTIN hasn’t only had to cope with the tragic death of Freddie Mercury, “the love of her life", but the jealousies of some of the rock star’s male friends.

The fact that she has inherited a large portion of his multi-million pound estate and his luxury London home, has left many people feeling angry.

Some of them have fallen out with her over it, particularly Freddie's last lover Jimmy Hutton, a 44-year-old Irish hairdresser, who used to share his house and look after the garden. The 45-year-old

Queen leader did buy him a house in Ireland and Ieave him a substantial amount of money, but Jimmy still feels hard done by.

"It's sad that it has spoilt my friendship with a few of his pals,” say Mary. “We went through a lot together.

"There's no way we can think of the last year of Freddie's life without remembering each other. But all of a sudden the friendships have fragmented.

“It was always going to be awkward. And it would have been impossible for Jimmy to stay.

“I think it is a terrible shame. Unless someone hurt Freddie, I wouldn’t feel badly towards anyone. Jimmy's relationship with Freddie was not one I could totally appreciate, so it left me at an advantage.

“If Freddie was having another heterosexual relationship then I would feel jealous. But I could never feel like that over something I didn't understand.”

Because of her long-standing and close relationship with Freddie — they had a six-year love affair — some of his male friends felt intimidated by her.

“I was terribly feared and that's not what I wanted to be,” she says. “I only wanted to encourage Freddie to be happy.

“I realised that I couldn't have him physically anymore, but I could go on loving him mentally. I was strong enough to accept that he was bisexual or gay, it didn't stop me loving him. I never saw his boyfriends as a threat.”

APART from the six-figure donation Freddie privately made to AIDS research while he was alive, royalties in excess of £1 million from Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody Best Days Of Our Lives recording have gone to AIDS charities.

Last night's star-packed Wembley Stadium Freddie tribute concert, which Mary attended, raised even more funds.

One clear example of Freddie's generosity came the Christmas before he died. On being told by a male murse tending him at his home that there was a group of AIDS sufferers in London who couldn’t afford even a Christmas lunch, he anonymously sent them a full Christmas meal along with a gift for each of them.

While Mary, pregnant with her second son Jamie, cared for Freddie, her 35-year-old boyfriend of three years, Piers Cameron, a special effects artist and designer, remained at their flat to look after their two-year-old son Richard.

Her relationship with Freddie would have been difficult for most men to come to terms with, but Piers knew it would have been pointiess to ask her to stop seeing him.

Having control of his life was very important to Freddie. He flatly refused to be pressurised into announcing he had AIDS until a few days before his death and he never told his parents the truth behind his terrible illness — but they eventually guessed.

“I think it took a long time for him to come to terms with it,” says Mary. “He announced it when he felt he should.”

When it came to finding a loving relationship, Freddie often talked of feeling lonely and betrayed — even though he had many losers.

“He liked a permanent relationship and I think all the time he was looking for someone to love,” says Mary. But I don't feel he ever really found it."

SHE adds: “He was let down a lot by boyfriends. He'd become star and people went for the trappings rather than looking at the heart. And Freddie had an enormous heart.”

Mary intends to continue as company secretary to Freddie's companies, Goose Productions and Mercury Songs, operating from the home she has inherited. But how does she feel about going from a modest salary to suddenly having lots of money?

“It’s awesome. But I get over it by thinking that it still belongs to Freddie and I’m just using it.”

[Photo caption: SO GENEROUS: Freddie]

[Photo caption: A NEW LIFE: Mary Austin and her baby son Jamie / PICTURE: RICHARD YOUNG]

#oh god that is really horrible #the fact that nobody spoke ill of her couple months after freddie's death #but she did about others shows a lot tbh #queen #queen band #freddie mercury #queen scans #daily express april 1992 #mary austin

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