#love how every single baby bird looks like it’s just witnessed The Horrors

[violetsandshrikes]

6 week old kākā chicks hatched at the Dunedin Botanic Gardens (x)

[fortheloveofwonderland]

Under Silken Skies [Spencer Reid x fem! Reader]

A/N - just an angsty little oneshot I needed to get out of my head. Fufills my Break Up Square on my CM Bingo Card for @cmbingo​ . My permanent Tag List is open. Find my CM Bingo Masterlist Here. Find my full masterlist here.

My request are also Open for prompts/reqs/headcannons/aesthetics or just to say hi.

CW - major character death and lots of angst. Very vague mentions of smut and virgin! Spencer, vague mentions of Maeve and what happens to Spencer in the S15 finale (if it had ended differently). This does not have a happy ending.

WC: 4K

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He was eleven and you were thirteen. You didn’t know his name, only he was smart and awkward and got teased because of those things.

You found him tied to a flagpole as you’d left detention one night on your way across the soccer field. He was naked aside from his underwear and blindfolded. 

He cried as you untied him, his skin like ice. You insisted you were there to help, whether he believed you or not you weren’t sure. 

You stripped off your oversized jumper and slipped it over his head, helping him guide his arms in the holes. He didn’t thank you. He didn’t ask why. He just wrapped himself in the warmth.

He told you his name was Spencer. Spencer Reid and he’d been tricked by a girl and stripped of his clothes and tied to the flagpole. 

He’d been there hours before you found him. 

You sat together on the dewy grass, no more than a handful of words passed between you. He asked why you’d helped, why you’d stayed but you’d simply shrugged. 

Maybe you’d felt bad for him or maybe you’d felt drawn to him. You knew all about school bullies. 

He seemed so small and unsure of himself, as though the mere act of sitting with you was cause for panic. 

He didn’t make eye contact. You saw him glance in your direction a few times when you weren’t looking. 

He was so fragile you didn’t understand how anyone could do that to such an innocent creature. He just wanted to fit in, isn’t that all we really wanted? 

He couldn’t help being smart. 

There was a sadness about him that went further than what the bullies had done today. You could tell it was the kind of air that followed him around, a permanent dark cloud. 

It hurt you to know someone so young could carry so much pain. It didn’t seem fair that at his tender age he already seemed defeated by the world that surely had so much more to throw at him. 

What if he wasn’t strong enough to cope with the terrors of the world? You hoped maybe these formative years would make him stronger against what was to come. Maybe it was helping to build up those walls early, making him stronger for the horrors he would no doubt have to face later in life.

You weren’t sure, but one thing you were sure of was Spencer Reid had sad, sad eyes. You could tell he needed a friend and maybe you could be it. Maybe you could protect him.

So for now the two of you sat side by side on the soccer field, under the moonlit silken sky.

***

He was twelve and you fourteen and he was finally getting out of the hell hole that was high school. 

It was his graduation day and his gown drowned his small frame and his cap was too big for his head and kept falling to the side.

You straightened it for him again and gave him a soft smile. 

He was going to CalTech in the fall and you were so proud of him, but gosh were you going to miss him. 

It had only been little over a year since the night on the soccer field but the two of you had become friends. He helped you with your homework and you kept the bullies away from him. 

You’d become his protector, he looked up to you and although he would never tell anyone this, he had a crush on you. A big one. 

He was excited about CalTech but he was sad to leave you. 

There were a lot of mixed emotions in the air. You’d stay in touch and he’d come back and visit but it wouldn’t be the same.

Who was going to keep him safe at college? Who was going to keep an eye on him? What happened if the bullies at CalTech were even worse and you were hundreds of miles away not being able to do anything about it?

He’d told you not to worry about him, that he’d be fine but it was hard not to. He was still so tiny and fragile, like a baby bird and if truth be told you were scared for him. 

“I’m proud of you Crash.” You straightened his tie. 

He rolled his eyes under his thick glasses. One time you’d heard his mom call him that and you hadn’t stopped calling him it since. 

“Thanks Y/N.” He smiled but it was a sad smile. 

You placed your hands gently on his shoulders, knowing what he was thinking. You’d gotten really good at reading his mind.

“Me too.” You whispered. You leant close and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

His face turned crimson and he chewed his lip. His cheek felt like it was on fire where your lips had touched him. 

“Come on Crash, it’s time.” You slid your hand in his and started leading him towards the stage he was going to walk over and accept his diploma. 

Within a matter of weeks he would be gone and you’d be alone again just as you had been before you’d met him. 

So for now the two of you walked hand in hard across towards the stage, under the sun soaked silken sky.

***

Spencer was sixteen and you were eighteen and you’d just witnessed his second graduation; this time from CalTech. 

The gown fit him a lot better this time than it had at his high school graduation. Over the last year or so he had sprung up in height, now towering over you. He had grown up a lot over the last few years. He was slowly becoming a man. 

“Look at you.” You nudged him in the arm. “So grown up.”

“Shut up.” He batted you away with a shy smile. “I wouldn’t have asked you to come here if I knew all you were going to do was embarrass me.”

“Sorry Crash.” you smirked. “I am so, so proud of you kid.” 

You gently tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear. His cheeks burned in embarrassment. 

He was coming back to Vegas and you would have been thrilled if it wasn’t for the fact in a few months you were going off to college yourself. 

It seemed unfair life had brought you together only to tear you apart over and over again. There seemed like there was never a right time for the two of you. 

“You ready?” you asked him softly, trying not to focus on the thought of being torn away from him again. 

“Almost.” he nodded, taking a few deep breaths.

You assumed he was trying to calm his nerves before taking to the stage for his graduation ceremony but it wasn’t that. 

His hands were shaking when he came close to you and placed them on your hips.

“What are you doing?” you tilted your head at him in confusion.

Before Spencer could change his mind about his next move he closed his eyes and moved in close to you. His lips were so soft as they pressed against yours, barely ghosting your lips. You could have been convinced it hadn’t even happened. 

He chewed his lip bashfully when he pulled back, looking at the floor.

“Sorry.” he whispered. “I uhm...lets go.” 

He walked past you, leaving you staring in his wake.

Had that really just happened? 

You brushed your fingers against your lips in disbelief. But your lips were tingling, it had definitely happened. 

Eventually you followed him in confusion but there was no time to ask him about it. Hopefully you’d get a chance to later.

So for now you walked behind him, watching him adjust his cap, under the Californian silken sky.

***

Spencer was now eighteen and you were twenty, in your final year at Georgetown. 

Spencer now had a doctorate in mathematics and was working towards one in chemistry. He kept talking about doing another doctorate in engineering when he was through.  

He had grown even more so and was really starting to grow into his looks. He’d always been cute, but recently when you looked at him you saw a handsome man looking back at you. 

Hanging out in your dorm that night it was hard to say how it started. One minute you’d been engrossed in a movie, your head on Spencer’s shoulder and the next you lips were pressed together, his tongue exploring your mouth. 

He hadn’t kissed you again since his CalTech graduation and you didn’t know where this had come from now. But you did know you’d been thinking more inappropriate thoughts about your friend as of late and they were seemingly materialising in front of your eyes. 

Spencer was a virgin, you were not. In that moment you wished he could have been your first time. 

It was slow and gentle and Spencer was a bag of nerves the whole time. He groped at your body with seemingly no purpose other than to feel every part of you. 

He didn’t last long, the feeling of being inside of you was too intense, too sensational. But it was nice. It felt right. It felt like home.

Afterwards he held you in his arms in your small single bed too nervous to look you in the eye. You stroked circles on his bare chest feeling the most content you’d felt in a long time. 

You both stared up at the ceiling which you’d painted midnight blue and was peppered with glow in the dark stars. 

“Spence?” You whispered softly.

“Yes Y/N?”

“You know I love you, don’t you?”

He exhaled and pulled you into him closer.

“I know.” He kissed the top of your head. “And I love you.”

You didn’t know what would happen tomorrow. You didn’t know if this was a one time thing or if this meant you were together now. You suppose it didn’t much matter right now. The only thing that mattered right now was Spencer holding you in his arms.

So for now you laid there together on your dorm room bed, under a mural of the silken sky.

***

He was twenty two and you were twenty four, and he’d just been offered a job at the FBI. 

In Quantico, Virginia.

You were sure you’d spent your whole relationship out of state from one another. The past three years Spencer had been away while he worked on a second BA and then his third doctorate. 

Since leaving college you’d stayed put in Vegas, getting a job as a curator at a local art gallery. 

You saw Spencer when you could but it never seemed to be enough. At least not for you. 

And then he’d dropped the bombshell about his job offer and told you he was moving to the other side of the country. 

It had been hard enough over the years to maintain your relationship but you were sure this would be the death of you. And so you’d told Spencer it was time the two of you went your separate ways.

He’d tried to argue that you could make it work but you weren’t willing to find out. The four years you’d gotten had been amazing but all good things had to come to an end.

And maybe you and Spencer had never been destined. It had always been just a little too difficult. You’d finally thought once you were in the same state it would be easier, but he was leaving again. 

It was hard but he supposed he understood. He would miss you with every fibre of his being but this job was too good for him to pass up.

You told him if you were meant to be, you’d find your way back to each other one day, although you weren’t sure you believed that. 

You sat on the swing set in the desolate park together, hands entwined together as you swung back and forth on your separate swings. 

He was leaving tomorrow. He was packed, his flight was booked and he had an apartment to go to in DC. 

He was leaving and you were staying and it broke your heart. 

“I’m gonna miss you Crash.” You squeezed his hand.

“I’m going to miss you too Y/N.” 

It felt like the end of an era but an era that had never really had a chance to begin.

He was supposed to be your one true love, your greatest love story. But this story didn’t get a happy ending.

You swung back and forth into the night, just revelling in being with him one last time. You couldn’t think about tomorrow. Tomorrow was a world away.

So for now you swung, hand in hand, under the midnight silken sky.

***

You were twenty nine and you loved him, you really loved him.

He had turned your whole world upside down and made you feel things you’d never thought you’d feel again.

You loved him, you really did.

But he wasn’t Spencer Reid. 

Maybe you’d gotten lucky and got to have two great loves of your life. Your life with Spencer was over long ago, it was only fair you were allowed to move on.

You wondered what twenty seven year old Spencer was doing with his life. Was he still at the BAU? Did he get a fourth doctorate? Was he happy?

God you hoped he was happy.

It was a small ceremony in front of your closest friends and family. No frills, no fuss. Just you and him being joined in matrimony. 

He was a good guy, a nice guy; he treated you right and he loved you. At the end of the day, that’s all that mattered right?

So you didn’t get butterflies in your stomach when he kissed you. Maybe you didn’t go weak at the knees when he looked at you or felt like you were coming home when you made love. And so what if you’d felt all those things with Spencer? That didn’t matter, did it? It didn’t mean you didn’t love your new husband.

It was just a different kind of love. You weren’t in your teens falling in love for the first time. This was the kind of love you had when you grew up and got older. It didn’t mean it meant any less; that he meant any less to you.

He led you outside by your hand as your friends and family showered you in confetti. He turned and smiled at you brightly. He looked the happiest you’d ever seen him, you didn’t know if you could match his happiness. 

You smiled back at him, probably not quite meeting his enthusiasm but if he noticed he didn’t say as much. It was only now that you looked down at the ring around your finger did it suddenly feel like a noose. You couldn’t allow yourself to think about how wrong it suddenly felt.

So for now you allowed your new husband to kiss you, under the Vegas Springtime silken sky.

***

He was thirty one and she was thirty. Her voice was like honey and he yearned to be able to hold her in his arms.

Her name was Maeve Donnovan and she had a stalker which was preventing them from meeting.

It was the first time Spencer had felt anything akin to love since you. He was sure he would never love again, you were the only person that could take that place in his heart.

And then had started having headaches and sought out the help of a geneticist and he started falling in love with her. For the first time in years you weren’t the first thing on his mind when he woke up in the morning. He didn’t spend all his waking hours pining over you. 

Maeve was slowly but surely replacing you in his heart. And Spencer really needed that. He needed you finally gone from his mind. 

“I think the stalker’s gone Spencer.” she’d told him that Sunday on the phone. 

A huge weight had been lifted from her voice, he could hear the smile in it down the payphone. He couldn’t help but smile in return.

“Are you sure?”

“Pretty sure yeah.” she was smiling brightly. He knew she would have a beautiful smile. 

“That’s great Maeve.” he smiled, gripping the phone in hands. 

Did that mean what he thought it meant? Could they finally meet now? Have a normal relationship?

“I want to meet.” her words were rushed as though she weren’t sure she should be saying them. But he caught them.

She wanted to meet. She wanted to meet him. 

He didn’t care what she looked like because she was already the most beautiful woman in the world to him. But what if she didn’t like him? What if he was too nerdy, what if his hair was too long and messy? What if she took one look at him and turned and ran?

He swallowed those nerves, trying to push them aside for another day. 

So for now he smiled shakily down the phone, under the blustery DC silken sky.

***

You were forty and recently divorced. You knew on your wedding day it would end this way.

You loved your husband but you would never love him the way you loved Spencer. You managed ten years before you’d called it quits. He’d always known your heart didn’t fully belong to him.

You missed Spencer everyday and it was so unfair how he could still take up so much of your mind. It was a cruel world you supposed. Maybe you just weren’t supposed to be happy.

You’d had your happiness and it had been short lived. But you were thankful for the brief happiness you had been given. It was more than some people got you supposed.

He was thirty eight and home visiting his mother. He didn’t work full time at the BAU anymore since his reinstatement after he was incarcerated and lectured at Georgetown part time. It allowed him more free time to fly out to Vegas to see his mom.

Lecturing at Georgetown brought back so many memories for him. Georgetown was the place he had lost his virginity, the place he’d told you he loved you for the first time. Georgetown held so many pleasant memories for Spencer but they were all bittersweet.

After spending some time grieving Maeve after she died, his mind landed right back on you. It seemed he was always pining over someone. It wasn’t fair. 

He was getting coffee on his way back to the hotel he was staying in when a familiar face materialised in front of him.

You weren’t there one moment and then suddenly you were, as though you had just appeared out of thin air. 

You held your own coffee cup in your hand, your eyes wide and jaw slack. He watched you swallow a lump in your throat.

“Hi Crash.” you couldn’t help his old nickname tumble out from between your lips.

“Hi Y/N.” his voice croaked, still trying to comprehend how you could so suddenly be here in front of him after all these years of absence.

He felt like that twenty two year old swinging with you side by side in the park counting down the hours until he left you. 

He felt like the sixteen year old young man who was falling hopelessly in love with you.

He felt like the eleven year old boy utterly grateful for you untying him from the flagpole. 

“It’s been a long time.” you spoke, your mouth dry.

“A really long time.” he agreed with a stiff nod. 

“Uhm...do you want to...coffee?” you ignored the fact you both had coffees in your hand. 

“O-ok.” he nodded stiffly again.

After all these years you had so much to say to each other but no words would come out. 

So for now you walked in silence down the Vegas street, under the cloud coated silken sky.

***

He was thirty nine years old when the explosion occurred. He’d thought it was just a concussion and didn’t pay it much mind. 

You were forty one years old when you received the phone call from Penelope Garcia to inform you that Spencer was in the hospital.

They called it intracranial bleeding, his brain was swelling, bleeding; shutting down. They’d told you there was nothing they could do.

How cruel this life had been to you. It had stolen Spencer away from you when your relationship barely had a chance to blossom. It had brought him back into your life, for the two of you to fall back in love with each other only to have one final year together.

It had been the greatest year of your life and you had to try and focus on that as David Rossi read his eulogy. 

He spoke all about Spencer’s life, the life you’d barely gotten to be a part of. Hearing it second hand and not from Spencer’s lips was tragic enough in itself. 

You didn’t really feel as though you belonged here. You didn’t know him the way his team members knew him. You felt like a stranger in this place now. 

You’d jumped at moving to DC when you and Spencer reunited because there was no way you were making the same mistake twice and letting him get away again. But now DC seemed like a suddenly very lonely place. 

As the brilliant man you knew and loved was being lowered into the ground, his final resting place, the heavens opened. The rain cascaded down from the sky and you couldn’t help but think how apt it was on this already bleak day. 

Garcia came to you at his graveside when the ceremony was over. The rain disguised your tears. She nudged you with her shoulder, her own tears falling.

“The world is going to be a very different place without boy genius in it.” she sobbed as she spoke.

“You’re telling me.” you chewed your lip, your eyes locked on his headstone as you spoke. 

“He loved you know? He always loved you.”

You nodded statically not looking at the other woman. You knew he loved you, that much you were sure of. You only wished you had more time. 

Maybe if you’d know what life had in store you would have come with him to DC all those years ago. Had you known you didn’t have all the time in the world, that your love only had a finite number of days you might have been more inclined to cling to them.

That was hindsight though you supposed and dwelling on it didn’t change the past. What was done was done. You didn’t go to DC with him, you stayed in Vegas. You spent years pining over him only to have the universe throw you back together again. 

And then he’d been snatched from you once more in the most horrific way. And now it was over for good.

“Come on Y/N, you’ll catch a cold if you stay out here.” Garcia placed a gentle arm on your shoulder.

“I’ll be right there.” you told her, still not looking away from where the love of your life was buried beneath the dirt.

You heard her leave as more tears started to fall from your eyes. Your knees gave out and you fell to the grass in the rain. 

You sobbed into your hands, cursing life for being so unyielding. But there was nothing you could do about it. The wheels had been set into motion long before you and Spencer had even met. This was always the way things were going to end up. Fate was a cruel mistress. 

And so you knelt in the dirt sobbing next to the grave of the love of your life, under the grey, weeping silken sky.  

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Yugioh S5 Ep 19: Yugi and the Only Neck Accessory He Didn’t Really Want to Wear

Been busy! Hopefully stuff will open up soon as I’m taking a hiatus on a different quarantine project and will be finishing painting the entire roof of my car this week? One can hope. Sanding the rust off the whole top of a car takes a long time it turns out?

Also, fun Yugioh fact, I recently painted a book cover for an author who is older so she’s never seen the show, and she looked at my tumblr, saw my Duke Devlin fanart and was like “That’s him. That’s my main character. OMG. You captured him perfectly!” and I was like “Ma’am that is Duke Devlin, hence the single dice earring on his lobes there, but we can work with this.” and now a spiritual Duke Devlin is on the cover of a Wuxia-style fantasy trilogy on the Vella. Had to give him a top knot and delete the eyeliner for Wuxia reasons but uh, that’s just Duke.

So long story short, fanart can get you work, don’t even worry about posting that stuff online because most people don’t even know it’s fanart anyway and older ladies freakin love it.

Back in Yugioh, the team was doing their best to navigate a map through the woods and they do about as well as they normally do.

And inside Tristan lifted up the floorboards and was like “I found the only way out, this is it, this is the only way.”

And they ended up in something that has a color scheme I would actually associate with a jungle. Finally. We have finally left California (in order to go to another Hell.)

Youknow, when we went to California, we visited Hell, and when we went to India, we also took a stop at the nearest death destination. There’s just so much death on this show and sometimes I forget because there’s been a ghost in our party for so freakin long it’s been normalized.

(read more death imagery under the cut)

Joey freaks out at a flock of crows and reveals in this episode something I never realized about him before.

Like I’m not always the perfect observer as I’m sure you’ve noticed, but I love that this is canon for probably only this episode, but I will never forget it for the entirety of this series.

You go on hating birds, Joey.

Bro was like “Maybe it’s a deep cut about Mai Valentine because she’s a harpy lady” but eh...pretty sure we spent like an entire season of Joey telling us that Mai was a good experience? Would be incredibly funny if immediately after all of S4, Joey was like “You know what? Screw Mai, guys.”

So my thoughts...it’s probably just a literal bird experience. Like I had a friend who hated deer because once she went to a petting zoo, got some pellets to feed the deer, but her finger was sticking up, so when the deer came over to nibble on some pellets her finger went up it’s nose by accident. She was so disgusted by this event that was entirely her fault, that she brought up how much she hated deer basically whenever we saw one.

So like...maybe Joey fed a bird wrong at a petting zoo. I can see him getting bit by a parrot because he was too Joey Wheeler.

But now that we’re in a graveyard neighborhood, Pharaoh decides to hop out because there’s a lot of ghosts here and he needs to practice socializing with his peers.

So that’s just a Yugioh monster doing the ostrich dance, right? Like this is a meme from like 2010 but on Yugioh in 2003(4?)

Good to see the Ostrich dance here in the land before Vine.

So they pull out their Pokemon to do some antics, Tea looked like she was about to do something useful, and Yami does a yump across time and space to get her as far away from playing (not)cards as quickly as possible and y’all...sure was a position these animators animated.

Holy crap.

And I was going off about that scene last season where they woke up in the same bed like...

...have these two been together this entire time? Like together together?

They’re like...way more comfortable than you’d figure they’d be considering Yugi nearly passes out every time he gets a hug. But Yami just like....How long has this been going on? As long as Joey’s fear of birds?

Like obviously this show would never cover what the hell Yugi may be thinking about this overreaching move here, because we’re gonna gloss right over that, and just run away up a flight of stairs. No one mentions this ever again. Which is mind blowing for an anime to do. I think in most anime I watch, the kids would be like “ahh ahhhh I bumped into a booooob!” like it does for I want to say every other episode of My Hero Academia. But in Yugioh, they saw that low hanging fruit and they were like “we expect a higher level of maturity out of our audience. Now here’s a fleet of ostrich dancing tree monsters with faces for crotches.”

They decided to sprint up this flight of stairs, and it enough of a slope to deter the monsters who are only unbalanced weird legs.

I want us to take a moment and admire this background painting. I can’t unsee the rocks that are all the same size, just piled on top of eachother. Did Alexander the Great just plop rocks here--or was the mountain made up of tons of similarly shaped boulders?

Like there’s a lot of nice bg’s in this arc, don’t get me wrong, but this one...I’m just trying to wrap my head around the logic of it.

At the top, they meet a pantheon, that is immediately blocked by this wall, because if this arc had a tagline, it’s “Yugi gets inconvenienced every 4 seconds.”

Bro was like “Clearly they would have pushed it over if Tea wasn’t slacking off” and like...she is actually. Look at her. Only used one hand? Slacker.

Joey was disappointed he couldn’t push over a massive wall, and the team decided not to analyze how much Joey Wheeler thinks of his own strength and instead fixate on these statues.

Usually in anthro characters they kinda look birdlike but act human. But what about an anthro that’s just a bird? Like human torso, but can turn his head 180 degrees? Yugioh made me ask this question.

And then Joey was like “wait, there may be a solution that isn’t just to use brute strength!”

Youknow it is a bummer that Kaiba couldn’t witness Joey own a dragon while he himself only has a robot jet dragon. Although, the jet is probably faster, stronger and overall...better than this baby dragon. It would have been great for Kaiba to witness Joey under-utilize this dragon and forget he has it for like huge swatches of the episode.

And then Grandpa pulled some body horror out of nowhere.

Wow.

I mean that is really gross.

I guess Grandpa can’t use Blue eyes, because Kaiba ripped it up, Grandpa can’t use Exodia because Weevil tossed it off a boat, and grandpa can’t use the card that’s just a building because...it’s a building.

So instead Grandpa has a bunch of meat and bones that look like something out of Doom. It’s probably from a more obscure Konami property, but I forget which.

I’ve seen Tristan hold back Joey in this hold, first time it’s been Tea.

So much shipping in this episode, it’s wild.

It’s also wild how low my standards are for what could possibly be shipping when it comes to Yugioh because of how freakin tepid all of these characters are, which as I’ve brought up before, I really don’t mind.

So Yugi decides that because Grandpa was folding his arms like one monster and it made a gem light up or something, to just do the video game thing and use the giant ass statues as clues.

Why was this arc not a video game? Like parts of it really feel like it was meant to be.

So Yugi falls down a hole, where the walls cave in like it’s that dumpster in Star Wars but like...it barely phases him.

Also...Yugi might be able to see in the dark. It’s never been brought up but like...the more I think about it...has Yugi ever struggled to see without the lights on?

After Joey disappoints everyone, he confronts death.

And Pharaoh and Yugi decide to solve the puzzle of “how do I get out of this trap dungeon room” which, honestly, is probably what they’re doing every time they hang out in the brain pyramid.

So they summon their mascot monster, and surprisingly the show decided its ability to fly cannot help them out here.

Kuriboh manages to become enough of a doormat to push Yami up to the stone and they end up in a set of weird cuts that ended in this?

Like seriously it was like flashes of light and then they were just...up here like this.

Hey like...

Alexander the Great, my man...

Were you planning to put that stone in the middle of a exhaust vent hoping someone would touch it? Because there’s no way anyone would rationally have done that. You would need to fly to do it. This is the world’s worst DM.

Like Yugioh pulls a lot of fantasy nonsense but this arc is a lot more like a “it’s a kid’s show, just go with it.” arc than most of them. It’s not a bad vibe, necessarily, it’s just not the vibe I’m used to.

So once I witnessed maybe the most boring conversation I’ve ever witnessed about corn (this was on a twitch stream, by the way, a guy was playing an interesting game, and then a guest came on and started talking about corn and plants for 2 hours) and they would not shut up about how all taxonomy is wrong because there are no such thing as trees and how all animals are labelled incorrectly, and then they started comparing it to like all sorts of mushrooms and phytoplankton as you would if you clearly got a little bit high before dumping your corn knowledge on a twitch stream.

Anyway, after that bizarre experience I suffered so I could learn how to play an obscure video game, I think I can safely say, that while I know everyone here thinks a bird can’t be a dog. If you’re a high biologist: a bird is absolutely a dog. Apparently you can just do that if you’re the most boring biologist alive and no one will argue with you because to do that would involve talking to you. We’ll just say a bird is a dog and no one can fight me or I will talk about the corn book that this guest on this twitch chat was thinking about renting from the library about the different types of corn mutations inherent in freakin Indiana. Therefore, Joey’s fear of birds and dogs is same.

So they use Dark Magician to save them from the statues, and Yugi busts into the pantheon again because they got to open this casket before a time limit that I kind of forgot about, tbh.

And inside the casket, is...this thing!

(enjoy this line on the bottom of the image I don’t feel like fixing it)

And you may say to yourself...it looks like it’s just floating in mid-air, that’s silly, and so I want to introduce you to the next panel where you can see that it is...quite literally...just floating in the air like a video game.

and it just slurps itself onto Yugi before he can be like “nonono.”

Wasn’t there some horror movie where you were stuck in some sort of body brace that slowly tortures you (was that Saw?) This has that vibes. Like man that looks uncomfortable to wear over a jacket and two belts and a collar that is another belt.

That and I...I gotta appreciate that Yugi popped his collar while wearing body armor and chunky necklace. What 00′s fashion appreciation right there.

Bit like...this isn’t breathable, right? Like Yugi’s gonna finally take this thing off and his jacket will just be completely soaked in sweat?

Anyway, that’s it for this post, next week we’ll see if Yugi can walk through a doorway in that thing.

Also, I can’t bring up the ostrich dance without sharing the vines of my generation

[boop-le-snoot]

PARTY FAVOURS I CHAPTER 30

First time reader click here

TRIGGER WARNING! This chapter is a horror movie. There's blood, gore and psychological horror elements. Lemme know if it was actually scary - I'm desensitized to this shit. This was written to come out on Halloween but I was too slow with writing.

Wooden floor creaking behind me, I couldn't feel the cold of it, not even a single splinter piercing the arches of them, I ran like my life depended on it. The darkness behind me was alive; it breathed, pulsated, spreading along the walls of the hallway like mold. The hallway seemed to be endless.

As soon as I realized that, I noticed that it, in fact, did have an end and not a door was in sight; that quickly proved to br also just a trick of the eye - there were doors, the hallway was riddled with them, each one dark, identical and placed neatly about five feet apart. With shaking hands, I turned the knob, slamming the door behind me with a loud bang.

Panting, I let myself slide against the door, eyes closed, sheet landing in a puddle of white fabric on the floor around me. First five seconds passed quietly; then, a noise interrupted my panicked thinking and my eyes flew open as the scene in front of me produced more confusion.

The familiar scene of the pond behind my grandparents' stables, the poppies - a splash of blood red against the dull greens and browns - swaying in the breeze. A Dora the Explorer bucket hat and a six-year-old me, hair in pigtails, poking at a spot of moist soil with a large stick.

I knew where this was going yet I couldn't pull my eyes away from the scene that was going to unfold. A stallion my parents had recently bought, ill-tempered and moody, jumping over the low fence and galloping noisily right at mini-me. The terrified animal was screaming yet I was oblivious to it's distress, too busy trying to fish out earthworms out of the wet ground. Almost in slo-mo, mini-me noticed the running, screaming animal and bolted for safety, its hooves missing my little body barely by a feet.

I felt the cold water of the pond on my skin. It was dirty and blooming at the time, musky smell assaulting my senses, murky water choking the life out of both versions of me. In the distance, I noticed a much younger and slimmer dad sprinting full-speed towards the splashing child in the pond. He was screaming something and I leaned in, trying to hear him better.

The scene vanished into thin, wispy smoke. My head was once again clear and the suffocating dread and panic subsided, letting me take in several deep breaths and try to assess the situation calmly. I had survived that accident, even successfully overcame my fear of swimming later on.

Hands shaking and heart fluttering like a frightened bird, I recoiled from the locked door when it began to rattle, the noise deafening in the eerie quiet of the house.

The shadows were taunting me. Trapping me in my worst fears, making me relive my worst memories. The artifact needed something from me - what was it? I wondered, tucking the sheet in some semblance of a toga and standing up to explore the room. Save for a few outdated pieces of furniture, it was cold and empty, void of life. Nowhere to hide.

I paced the room, coming to a halt next to the heavy, thick velvet curtains. Expecting to see a window behind them, I was surprised with another old wooden door with a bent handle that had gathered an impressive layer of dust. With rattling behind me increasingly growing in volume, I had no other option but to press it down and quickly dart into the next dark room.

Clint. Lifeless eyes wide open, his body laying at my feet, sheet-white and rust coloured stains adorning his mouth, nails black and broken as if he'd been clawing at the dilapidated wooden floors. I backed away from him, further into the room - the archer's body began to move and tremble, tiny little gashes appearing on every inch of exposed skin. The thing that was breaking out of him glowed, pale blue and sickly.

"That's not..." I whispered to myself. "Clint is alive," As if I had been doused with cold water, the images of MAFS incident seeped into my mind, the what-ifs of my past actions weighing heavily and clouding my mind with guilt.

"Come on, we don't have much time," Steph's voice appeared behind my back, loud and out of nowhere. I was rightfully sceptical about the reality of him - while his face was the usual, tense expression of boredom, he stood differently. I couldn't describe the difference if I tried; it just felt wrong. Like a puzzle piece was missing.

"I don't think so, demon dude," Squaring my shoulders once again, I prepared myself for the inevitable pain.

"Who?" The copycat asked, faking concern surprisingly well. "It's the artifact. It's making you see things that aren't real," With a wave of his hand, the door flew open, exposing the hallway filled with the void that was chasing me previously.

"Oh what I saw was real alright," I countered, tilting my head to examine the entity. Unknowingly, it had given itself away - Stephen's magic always glowed gold and orange, in the sense that he wasn't like Loki - Strange's spells were always visible. "I'd rather you kill me then spread your vile disease beyond this... Space," With none of the bravery I actually had, bluff came surprisingly easy. Perhaps, I really was ready to die so my friends and family could live.

Not-Stephen tsked and grinned maliciously, once again waving his hands about. "Killing you? So barbaric and an absolute waste of potential." The shadows pushed something into the gaping hole of the doorway, something curled up in a fetal position and whimpering. The entity picked up the man by the shoulders, forcing him to kneel in front of it, teary baby browns staring back at me, wide with terror.

Tony. My feet took an involuntary step forward, where my Tony was trembling, whimpering in the creature's grasp, unseeing eyes looking straight forward. As if I wasn't there.

"Submit and I will let him go. Right now, he's relieving the worst memories of his life," The entity raised an eyebrow, a mock imitation of Stephen's expression. I could hear Tony mumbling faintly, something about his chest and Afghanistan and bombs and Obadiah.

It pissed me off. Firstly, how dare this wannabe-Pennywise, this LOST-fog-monster-reject to lay his filthy metaphysical fingers on my Tony. And secondly, for the sloppy intelligence job - I had been woken up by Tony's nightmares more than enough to know his biggest fear wasn't Afghanistan. It wasn't Obadiah and it wasn't Bucky killing his parents, it wasn't even the vast, consuming black emptiness of the space behind the wormhole.

Anger burning my throat, I lunged at not-Stephen with a bloodcurdling scream, feeling my nails dig into the cold, clammy flesh of the thing's throat. Taken by surprise, both of us stumbled, falling into the abyss of the hallway, me kicking and scratching and screaming all the way, fingers squeezing deeply into the lifeless imitation of flesh. His screams mixed with mine and Tony's into a shrieking cacophony.

The darkness was laughing, cackling, noise sharp like nails on a chalkboard. It hurt, but the thing's grip on me hurt even more. "He'll never love you like you expect him to. They don't care about you. The mage said he'd help you and now you're dying here, alone," Black smoke began leaking out of the impostor's mouth along with the words, both acrid and venomous.

My head was pounding as more and more of the stuff came into contact with my body. My vision swam, bordering on unconsciousness. "If I'm dying, I'm taking you with me, bitch," I screamed out, squeezing and squeezing and squeezing until I exploded together with my surroundings, in a short of white, blinding light.

And then, there was darkness. My limbs were once again filled with concrete, mouth dry and skin burning like I'd been branded with a hot iron.

I opened my eyes to the familiar sight of the room with the fireplace. The fire was roaring, crackling and and shooting noisy sparks, accompanied by heavy breathing to my left. Disregarding the nausea that followed my every movement, I hung my head over the side of the car coming to witness both sorcerers laying haphazardly on the floor, a thin river of blood seeping into the carpet from Wong's head.

Confused, disoriented and terrified, I called out for them, voice barely audible and terse. Had I been screaming?

The sorcerers' chests rose and fell rapidly; my panic subsided but not by much. I crawled out of the cot only to land ungracefully on my face, body refusing to cooperate and feeling about as well as after I'd ran a marathon. Inch by inch, I crawled over to the chair I had left my things on, fighting with my body for every movement I made.

Fumbling, l pulled out my phone and pressed the green call button on the one person one would call in this situation. My best friend.

"Yes, dear?" His baritone was tense but nonetheless calm.

"Help, some-something happened," I managed to say, no louder than a whisper. "Sanctum," I clarified, hearing a noise of things falling over and several distressed voices shouting in the background.

"I am coming, do not end the call," Loki replied immediately, barking out several commands I didn't quite catch. There were more noises of distress as I obediently stayed on the phone. "Darling, can you tell me what happened?"

"I- Killed?" I tried to articulate my thoughts, tongue becoming more and more uncooperative by the second.

"Oh my God, who's dead?!" I heard Bruce yell, probably, right in Loki's ear.

"The Thing," I clarified, hoping to calm him down.

Loki cursed in his native language, I heard him trying to wrestle the phone from someone - unsuccessfully so, I might say, as Tony's distraught voice was the next thing I heard. "Princess, listen to me. Are you okay? Where's Strange? We're gonna be there in 10 minutes. We're coming."

An avalanche of information for my overtaxed brain and aching body, I struggled to keep up with Tony's rambling and filtering out Loki's screeching in the background. So much noise. My head hurt. "No, Steph and Wong are down. Alive." I managed to convey the most important part, a terrified sob leaving my chest burning. "Please, talk," I begged Tony, not wanting to be left in that terrifying, consuming silence ever again.

And Tony talked. He babbled nonstop, things that I didn't really catch neither care about, having enough strength to give a hum of approval every few seconds or so. It appeared to be as calming to him as it was to me, I didn't hear any more complaints from the team, only brief increase in volume as one of them got closer to the phone. A part of me conceded I should've made at least one joke about being put on loudspeaker, however, my brain was exhausted.

Burnt out, rather. The emptiness settled in my bones, chilly, like the blood had been sucked out of me, making my body just a vessel for the darkness that stalked my nightmares. I dug my nails into the soft flesh of my bare thigh, feeling none of the pain, just the relief when blood seeped through the cuts, crimson and warm.

That's how they found me. Loki threw open the door, breaking one of the hinges, eyes immediately darting between me and the laying sorcerers, as he swiftly cast a bright golden spell on the room, warming us from the inside out. Carefully stepping over the two men, Loki kneeled in front of me, green eyes staring right into mine.

I heard cursing and thudding but all I could focus on was the shining emerald of Loki's eyes. "Oh, child," He whispered, reaching out with both arms to pull me into his chest. I couldn't have resisted even if I wanted to, my body was utterly drained of fight.

"What happened?" Tony asked, a hysterical pitch to his voice.

"I can assume there was a failsafe left behind by the artifact, it took out both sorcerers and attempted to finish the job it started," Loki spoke up, hand gently petting my hair, still clutching my limp body like I was dying. "She fought it off, I don't know how, but she fought it off. It has entered a dormant state again."

"What do you mean took them all out?" In his distress, Tony seemed to have lost all sensibility. "What happened to her?!" He was getting impatient, angry.

"With an artifact like that, it's a blessing they are still alive. It is ancient and unpredictable," Loki explained patiently, none of his usual vitriol present. "And she... You could say she was mind-raped," He stated, quieter.

I groaned in protest. Loki's spell of gold did what felt like a wonder: the light was slowly coming back into the room, into me, filling me with warmth I didn't know I could lack. "As if," I slurred. "As if that Pennywise wannabe could ever," My body was, nonetheless, exhausted. "I've swallowed more kids than he could ever," My eyelids dropped, the comforting noise of Tony's and Loki's combined chuckle amplifying the surplus of warmth within me.

Last thing I saw was Tony's watery smile, tears crinkling at the corners of his eyes as he lifted me from Loki's arms, hot rod red of his suit saturating the room with color. Feeling safe for the first time in what felt like forever, I let my eyes close voluntarily, a smile crawling onto my face. I was right. Tony was alright, it wasn't really him that was getting tortured in the nightmare-verse.

"What..." I heard Stephen croak from somewhere. "Baby?!" His voice raised a whole octave; Thor's fond chuckle followed the rustling of fabric and a few stronger choice words from the sorcerer as Loki briefed everyone on the situation at hand.

"How is she, Tones?" Bruce asked quietly from above me.

"Pretty out of it but on her way back to health," Tony replied with another watery laugh. "Cracking jokes and whatnot clownery."

Bruce exhaled in relief, stroking my face with the side of his fingers. It was almost palpable, the general atmosphere of respite in the room, the sudden free flow of oxygen to my lungs.

"I am so sorry," Stephen's whisper was more felt than heard by me; the spice of his cologne and copper of blood reached my nostrils, burning them, keeping the warmth from leaving my body ever again.

My fingers weakly held out to him, finally coming to grasp his more-than-usual shaking hand. "Not your fault," I breathed. "Persistent cursed box," Were my last words before my consciousness gave out. Sleep sweet sleep.

THE TAG LIST IS NOW OPEN! @another-stark-sub ​ @mostly-marvel-musings  @vozit ​ @littlegasps ​@pilloclock ​ @shereadsinquiet @downeyreads ​ @hermione-grangers-wife ​ @individualistfem ​ @sleep-i-ness @capbrie @lillsxd @agustdowney @dee-vn @justanotherblonde23 @fanngirl19 @persephonehemingway @softie-socks @schemefrenzy @letsby @cutenessloading @romeo-the-cactus @jelly-fishy-babie @mikariell95

[beyond-the-mirror]

The Blue Eyed King’s Gift

Welcome back to another chapter of this story! Have you already guessed which fairy tales is it inspired by? You can find one of the answers in the tags below.

Tagging @v-vic​, if you wish to be tagged you can let me know at any moment.

I also want to give special thanks to @thottyonmainsquid​ for beta reading and offering her great and brilliant advice, as well as our discord server for their support and inspiring shenanigans.

Pairings: Vergil x Fem Reader

Warnings: War and violence. Mild gory descriptions, nothing too explicit.

Part One - Part Three - Part Four

……………………..

Part Two

Once upon a time, there existed a vast kingdom ruled by a great and powerful demon who possessed a heart as merciful and gentle as that of a human.

At the beginning of his reign, the Demon King bestowed upon all the humans of his land the ancient magic of his kind, quite unlike his predecessors that kept said magic to themselves selfishly alongside a few nobles of demonic heritage. With this wonderful gift, the inhabitants were able to access greater knowledge, developing more advanced technologies that greatly improved their lives. Soon enough the kingdom grew larger than ever before, making alliances with neighboring countries in order to selflessly share their magic and science with those who needed it most. Such was the will of the Demon King, who reigned over the peaceful land for centuries.

One day, the king fell in love with a human woman, and took the ultimate decision to renounce his immortality in order to spend the rest of his days with her as his beloved queen. From this union, two children were born, twin little boys with pristine white hair and blue eyes. The entire kingdom was overjoyed at the news, a long lasting celebration was held in honor of the newborn princes. As time passed, the twins grew up to become well respected nobles among the people, as well as skilled swordsmen just like their father. The younger one had a spirit like the sun, warm and vibrant; the older one had a spirit like the moon, calm and piercing.

……………………..

Many years later, the Demon King and his beloved queen passed away at their shared bed due to old age, both with a peaceful smile on their faces at the fulfilling lives they had shared with each other. At their passing, the elder brother was crowned as king of Fortuna in a most luscious ceremony which hosted many representatives of their allied countries. The Blue Eyed King was able to reign as benevolently and wisely as his late father; however, he would often question his trust in some of Fortuna’s allies, concerns that he kept even after his crowning.

During a festival at the town square, someone caught the monarch’s attention, a beautiful maiden with a heart of gold lively dancing and twirling to the cheery music. At the end of the song, their eyes locked for a few moments that seemed almost eternal, and he knew he just had to meet her. Love blossomed between them, which some time later led to a joyful marriage between the two. The king and queen lived together with great happiness, their love as profound as the immensity of the universe.

Such happiness wouldn’t last long.

……………………..

After a medical checkup, the couple was informed that the young queen could not bear any children. The news absolutely devastated her, driving her into a severe depression that kept her isolated in her private chambers for months to come. In his despair to help his wife, the king did everything in his power to aid her in her malady. Every single medic was summoned to the palace, doctors, healers, therapists… the young king prayed every day and night for the recovery of his beloved, always tending to her side and holding her close as many times as she allowed him too.

One day, after many painful months, the queen finally gathered some energy and emerged from her chambers, much to the relief of all the servants and the young king himself. She made one single request to her husband.

She showed him a small bag of seeds “My beloved. Allow me to plant these seeds in our royal garden, and tend to them with my very own hands. I don’t wish to be helped by our servants and gardeners, who have already done so much for me these past months. Please, let me be the only one to nurture these seeds.”

As much as he wanted to protest her decision to work despite her health condition, the king obliged. Whatever it took to make his love recover her lost happiness, he would gladly accept.

The next months, the queen would be seen tending to the seeds she planted in the garden, which eventually grew into many exquisite blue roses thanks to her love and dedication. The king was filled with joy knowing that his wife had finally started to smile again, little by little did she recover and soon she was back into her usual cheery self.

None of them would have expected the tragedy that was about to fall upon the kingdom.

……………………..

They attacked at midnight while everyone slumbered. Loud explosions from their cannons shattered the calm atmosphere of the night, reducing buildings and homes to rubble and dust. 

Nobody would have expected that this particular allied country would ever consider the benefits given by Fortuna as simply not enough for them. Envious and greedy, they wanted the great kingdom’s power and riches all for themselves.

As his twin rushed to take care of the siege engines surrounding the city, the Blue Eyed King and his army fought valiantly against the enemy who planned to infiltrate the grand palace. He had struck down another group of soldiers with a graceful cut from his demon sword Yamato when an all too familiar scream made his blood run cold. Looking around frantically, he spotted through the corner of his eye the queen running towards the royal garden. The king immediately bolted after his beloved, only to stop dead in his tracks at what he saw once he reached her.

The queen laid lifeless on the exact same roses she had planted months ago, the blooms now crushed and their petals painted red with her blood. Towering before her, the very own general that commanded such an act of treason against Fortuna, standing victoriously arrogant at the murder he had commited.

At that moment something broke inside the king. Everything happening around him became mere white noise as pure rage and sorrow drowned his rationality. A blaze of blue fire enveloped the king as he embraced his demonic heritage, and with a mighty roar that shattered the night skies above and the earth below, he unleashed his fury at the ones that took his love away.

……………………..

Everyone watched in horror as a dark atmosphere consumed the entire city, even the soldiers stopped fighting and froze on their sports as the heavy darkness wrapped around everything it could touch.

And then, it happened.

It was strangely beautiful, the way thousands of light beams shot instantaneously through the air like fractals of blue energy, followed shortly by a delicate hum that resonated everywhere, not unlike the chirping of birds at breaking dawn. The lights illuminated the streets as if it were a sunny day despite being in the dead of the night. All who bore witness to the otherworldly display found themselves hypnotized by its beauty, the sight so alluring, so alluring... 

And just as it had begun, it ended, like a lightning breaking through the storm in a matter of seconds. During that time nobody dared make a move, too stunned at what they had just witnessed.

The Blue Eyed King sheathed his sword.

One by one, every single soldier from the enemy country fell to the ground in unrecognizable pieces, a sickening sound as their remains sploshed and bloodied the streets. It was a nightmarish sight, how an entire army was eradicated in just an instant and in such a grotesque manner.

Silence reigned over the ruined kingdom once more, as if a war had never happened in the first place.

……………………..

The prince rushed to the palace, knowing something must have happened to his older brother after realization had hit him. His imposing red wings pierced the sky as he flew, a twisted feeling that tugged at his heart telling him that something must have gone terribly wrong.

As he landed at the now rundown garden, he saw his brother’s true demon form thrashing around in torment.

Overwhelmed by his grief, the king kept ripping and tearing down the now mangled body of the opposing general. Even his own demon sword laid forgotten on the ground as he preferred to discharge his wrath with his very own claws.

The prince immediately seized him, trying his best to calm down his brother. However, the beast inside him had completely consumed him, leaving only a primal creature thirsty for blood and revenge.

Suddenly, an unexpected cry resonated through the garden, interrupting the fight between the twin brothers.

Both demons stood bewildered as the high pitched wailing continued, breaking the silence that permeated the garden. The Blue Demon quickly scanned the area, looking for the source of the strange noise, his breaths slowly evening out as he started to recover some of his lost clarity.

His blue fiery eyes widened as he noticed the sound was coming just next to the corpse of his long lost queen.

Without losing a minute the beast prowled towards her body. Upon closer inspection, her arms seemed to be enclosed around something, as if protecting it and keeping it safe until her very last breath. Ever so carefully, the Blue Demon pried her arms open, minding the sharp talons that had replaced his human nails.

In her embrace, a single intact blue rose laid. The bud was abnormally bigger than the rest of the blooms that laid broken around her, gigantic even. As the king focused on the bizarre flower, he realized that the cries were coming from inside it, just as he too observed a few slight movements on its soft inner petals

In the most gentle and careful manner, the beast opened the rose bud. What he found inside brought tears to his eyes.

Two newborn babies were cuddled inside the unnatural flower, flailing their tiny limbs and crying in distress. The infants had pale rosy skin, soft white tufts of hair crowned atop of their heads.

The king turned beast stood astonished at the sight, not expecting to find such innocent lives at the now crumbled ruins that were once his and his wife’s garden.

Scales turned into flesh, talons transformed into lithe fingers. The king slowly reached for the children with shaky arms, pulling them out of the rose and cradling them against his chest. The babies nuzzled after the warmth he exuded, one that soothed their alarmed cries little by little. It was then that they finally fluttered their eyes open, and the king let out a startled gasp.

One had light blue eyes like an endless ocean at peace, very much like the kings’ own. The other had mesmerizing green eyes like a lively forest, very much like… His heart swelled with both joy and melancholy. The child’s eyes were very much like his beloved queens’.

What the monarch failed to realize at that moment was that this was his beloved’s last gift. Unbeknownst to him, amidst the doctors that had been summoned to treat her infertility, there was an elderly woman who was praised for her unique medicinal practices involving a combination of magic and science. Knowing this, the queen begged for her help as soon as she had recognized her presence in her chambers. 

The elderly woman gifted her a small satchel full of magic-imbued seeds, instructing her to add a drop of her own blood as well as one of the king’s into the satchel before planting them, warning that the seeds would only grow by the hands of the queen herself. According to her words, one of the roses would bear a child after 9 months, an heir with the same blood used to soak the seeds at the beginning.

After offering her heartfelt gratitude to the healer, the queen set to work as soon as possible, one night even pricking her husband’s finger while he slept in order to follow those same instructions. She worked day and night, tending to the roses while ignoring the worrying looks of the servitude and those of the king himself. Above all, the queen prayed to the gods every morning she would get up to keep gardening. When she noticed one of the roses growing much more than the others, the smile she thought long lost had finally returned.

The infants stared at the man holding them before raising their small hands, reaching for his face as they giggled ever so sweetly.

For the first time in his life, the Blue Eyed King broke into tears, now understanding why his beloved was in such a rush making her way to the garden.

These children were his sons, his and his queen’s very own flesh and blood.

She had given her life to save their children.

The king hugged the little boys in his arms tightly, tears after tears cascaded down his face. His younger brother, now back into his human self, fell to his knees and embraced his brother, hoping to alleviate some of his brother’s pain as he too broke down.

He could barely hear his brother’s words as he spoke between heartbreaking sobs. “No mortal shall ever cause you pain, my beautiful children. I am your father, and until my very last breath, I shall protect you.”

……………………..

As dawn broke, all the surviving Fortunians were gathered in front of the palace gates. By order of the king, every single inhabitant of the kingdom had been relocated to the citadel which will later be rebuilt and occupied.

Before everyone, the Blue Eyed King vowed and swore to protect his people by all means necessary. And if it meant cutting ties with the rest of the world, then so shall be his will and command. Fortuna had been betrayed by who they considered an ally, and he will make sure a tragedy like this one would never happen again. 

For the sake of his people. For the sake of his sons.

The king unsheathed his sword, and with an all-powerful cut, he split the land around the great citadel and the surrounding villages, severing all cuts with the outside world and enveloping it in a magical barrier.

In the blink of an eye, the Great Kingdom of Fortuna was gone.

……………………..

Once upon a time, there existed a vast kingdom ruled by a great and powerful demon. However, every remnant of its existence vanished without leaving any trace behind. As ages went by, nature grew and reclaimed the unoccupied land, eventually forming a thick forest where all kinds of wild creatures lived in harmony.

For the rest of humanity, Fortuna had been long lost. This, however, couldn’t be further than the truth.

The great kingdom still stood proud and prosperous, albeit in another plane of existence cut off from all mundane ties to our world. A plane of existence where even time itself behaved in the most different and unexpected ways possible.

It was a bit difficult at the beginning, but the inhabitants soon adapted to their environment without any more trouble. In no time they managed to rebuild their homes and return to their normal lifestyles, now convinced that the decision made by the Blue Eyed King was the best for everyone.

Peace once again reigned over the kingdom. And as long as its existence remained a secret to the outside world, nothing shall ever take it away.

[setsuna-maru]

Chapters: 3/? Fandom: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale, 半妖の夜叉姫 | Hanyou no Yashahime | Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon (Anime) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Rin/Sesshoumaru (InuYasha) Characters: Rin (InuYasha), Sesshoumaru (InuYasha), Zero (Hanyou no Yashahime), Riku (Hanyou no Yashahime), Jaken (InuYasha) Additional Tags: Pre-Hanyou no Yashahime, Canon-Typical Violence, Established Relationship, Dreams and Nightmares, Angst, Pregnancy, Horror Elements Summary:

Rin and Sesshoumaru have embarked on the life of expectant parents to hanyo twins but not everyone is happy for the devoted couple. In the shadows awaits a spider whose venomous bite will both rekindle old nightmares and create entirely new ones.

Zero, still resentful from the Inu no Taisho's rejection and death hundreds of years earlier, schemes to bring down his son Sesshoumaru and his human bride.

All the while, the ill-fated pair will make the most of their fleeting time together, forging a unique path and dancing to their own rhythm.

Chapter 1: the night bandits/venus; the star love, who waits for the moon

nocturne one: the night bandits

(in the darkest point of night, I want you to be here like before...)

 It’s as though Rin has been sent back in time, for she finds herself walking around her old village; a small child once again. She's having trouble coming to terms with the sudden reversal. Looking down at her body she sees tiny, bare feet and a distinct lack of womanly curves. Her kimono is one she remembers well but hasn't worn in many years. A pinkish-red garment that wraps around her lithe, diminutive frame as she brushes her now child-sized hands across it in confusion and disbelief. Her view of her surroundings is that of a child’s too; once more knee-high to the rest of the world, she must gaze upwards at seemingly everyone and everything she comes across. 

  This isn't right  , she thinks. We're all those years just a dream? Had she never really grown up? Had  Sesshoumaru-sama  been merely a dream? All of her adventures? The time spent living with Kaede-sama in the miko's village? It's heartbreaking to think that the entire life that she lived since leaving this place might never have actually happened at all. She wonders, sadly,  what about her babies? An expectant mother—the last she remembered—at the age she's regressed to, motherhood could be enacted only with dolls and her own imagination.

 She idly wanders the village, re-visiting all the old landmarks of her childhood. She passes the paddy fields, the fish preserve, the drunken old hermit who always sat beside the same rock with a bottle of sake clutched in his hand. When he drank he liked to sing songs about the good old days and he sings the same one each time she passes. “ That’s the sound of a million ships/ just sailin’ away/it can feel like before/comin’ through, either way.”  At one point, Rin even comes upon the dilapidated shack that she'd lived in after becoming an orphan. She enters it and there’s a wolf, curled up asleep on her bed of straw and she swiftly but silently backs away until she’s on the main pathway again.

 She remembers how to get to her childhood home; knows the path like the back of her hand. She chooses to avoid it; backtracking or taking a sudden swing in the opposite direction when she realizes she’s getting too close. It’s as if returning there would mean accepting that her life since the death of her family had been nothing more than an illusion. She’s not ready for that. She’s still in denial, thinking that if she turns the right corner she’ll end up back under a tree; her head in Sesshoumaru’s lap, their hanyo twins growing in her womb. It’s as if the village itself is waiting on her to accept her retrogradation; the villagers do not speak to her or seem to even acknowledge that she’s there. It’s like she’s caught in some strange limbo; unable to rejoin this world but prevented from moving on. She floats through the village like a spirit who does not belong there anymore. A stranger in a body she can't accept as her own; merely the puppeteer of it's bird-like, underdeveloped limbs.

 Eventually, the world gets tired of waiting for her while she wanders around in circles and Rin is deposited into her childhood home. She had taken a left at the singing hermit (“ That’s the sound of a million ships/just sailin’ away/it can feel like before/comin’ through, either way.”) and walked directly into the cozy wooden house of her youth. Her mother is sitting in the middle of the room,  tending to the fire pit. Her brothers play a game in the corner. Her father has dozed off on the straw mat, exhausted after a long day.

 Her mother adds another log to the burning flames and addresses her daughter. “Rin, don’t be lazy. You’ve been mucking around for years now. Enough is enough. Come help your  Oka .”

 Rin’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Her mother  knew; knew Rin had been gone for  years. How could she have let her mother think she’d abandoned the family like that? What kind of daughter was she? Why would she ever—

  None of this makes any sense. She’d had every reason to believe that her family were dead and gone forever. She’d  watched  them die. It had seemed so real; her most painful memory. The one that had continued to haunt her for long after. She'd watched these people  die  but here they were, nonetheless.

 She looks at her now-living family and wants to feel happy. That horrible night; the screaming, the stabbing, the blood—It had all been just some terrible dream. And now, they’ve been given a second chance. She could look forward to the future where her family was alive and they could all be together again.

 But, despite telling herself this, Rin can’t muster up a single feeling of happiness at the sight in front of her. It was like looking at ghosts. Ghosts that don’t even realize they’re ghosts.

  Dead dead dead.  All of you are  dead, she thinks.

 A bright, orange light starts to emit from outside. Rin turns around. There’s light emitting from the lone window at the front wall and from a bright square that has formed around the doorway.  She goes over and pushes the doorway curtain aside to see what’s going on but the light is so bright it nearly blinds her. She reaches an arm up to cover her eyes as she lets the curtain fall.

 When she opens her eyes again, everything is dark. She's still in her family's old house but it’s almost pitch-black and she struggles to make out the forms of her parents and brothers, asleep under their covers. The orange glow begins to peek through the window again and the room is gradually illuminated with the color—the color of flames, she realizes.

 Against the far wall, the orange light begins to morph into distinctive shapes. Hulking men in armor with weapons in their grasps. Behind her she can hear the stomping of horse hoofs and the cries of the neighbors. The orange glow illuminates the entire room now, in a mockery of daylight. The light is oppressive and overly luminescent and makes it seem as though the house could explode into flames at any second.

 The stomping noise is now dangerously close and Rin dives out of the path of the doorway moments before men on horseback crash through the front wall of the house. It's instant chaos as the horses neigh loudly, the men shout and her family screams as they scramble out of bed.

 Rin’s only instinct is to escape. It makes her feel like a terrible coward but she knows she'll surely be killed if she stays. The bandits have already started on her parents. One of them roughly grabs her mother, yanking off the kimono she'd been sleeping under and stabbing her with a long spear. The painful howls emitting from her mother’s mouth are even more awful to hear than the sight is to witness.

 She needs to get away. Praying the chaos will be enough to allow her to get out of the house unnoticed, she props herself up on her hands and knees and crawls as quickly and quietly as she can to the doorway. As soon as she makes it outside, she climbs to her feet and breaks into a run.

 Her escape doesn't bring safety though. It did, once. In a memory she no longer trusts was ever real.

 The bandits are everywhere. 

 There's no direction she can run to avoid them. While she stands immobile in the middle of the village, desperately considering her dwindling options, the bandits begin to notice her. They point and yell. "The little girl, let's take her too!"

 "Grab her before she gets away!"

 "Kill her if she tries to resist!"

 "Kill her anyway!"

 They begin to advance on her and Rin can think of only way she could possibly be saved.

 "Sesshoumaru-sama!" She screams. But it's too early. He doesn't know her yet. If he ever really existed at all. If he wasn't just a dream she'd made up in her mind.

 "Sesshoumaru-sama!" She screams again. She screams his name over and over again until she feels the bandits blade in her side and the moist flow of blood as it drips down her skin.

 tarantella one: venus; the star love, who waits for the moon

(when you go, do you miss me?)

 Rin's eyes snap open and in her first few manic moments of consciousness, Rin bolts to a sitting position and pulls her kimono up to examine her leg. The sensation of something wet on her thigh is still there. A quick exploration with her fingers confirms this and her heart drops. She pushes more of the fabric out of the way to get a better view and her eyes land on the trail of blood running down her leg.

  Real, real, it was real, she thinks as she frantically searches for a wound. Something had really hurt her,  stabbed her,  and now she was going to bleed out on the forest floor. In her distressed state, she ignores what should be the curious lack of pain if she had indeed suffered a flesh wound. Instead, she continues to look for evidence of the deep cut she’s convinced is somewhere on her body.

 "Rin," a low, deep voice breaks into her panicked thoughts.

 "Calm yourself.” Sesshoumaru leans down on one knee beside her, his clawed hand coming to cradle her chin.

 “The bleeding just started. I smelled it and was about to wake you." The voice is measured but laced with concern. She was one of the few people who have recognized the nuance.

 It’s such a relief for Rin to hear that voice. Just hearing his voice and being in his presence grounds her and she allows herself to accept that the experience had only been a nightmare and she's now safely back in the real world.

 She  was  bleeding, though. Rin examines her leg closer. She's calmer now but still disorientated from the nightmare. Not completely back to reality just yet.

 "Rin was having a nightmare," she says. "Someone stabbed me in my leg. There was so much blood," she explains.

 "There's no wound," Sesshoumaru reassures her. "It was just a dream. The bleeding; it’s from your cycle.” His keen sense of smell meant he could accurately judge the difference.

 She gulped nervously. “Do you think the babies are alright?”

 “It’s probably nothing to worry about,” he reassures her again, although they’re both well aware that he’s hardly an expert in the subject.

 This isn’t the first time this has happened to her. Rin had been a midwife-in-training and knew that women were supposed to cease bleeding during pregnancy, so when she’d bled the first time after knowing she was with child she’d panicked, believing she was having a miscarriage. Sesshomaru had had to rush her to the nearest human village so she could be told by a jaded local midwife with an obvious distaste for human-yokai relations that she hadn’t suffered a miscarriage. Apparently, continuing to bleed even while pregnant was normal and didn’t necessarily indicate a problem. Though, even with this information, Rin still found herself becoming anxious each time it happened subsequently.

 “Rin is going to the pond to clean up,” she says, rising to her feet. “Will you wait here until I come back?” Her nightmare had greatly disturbed her and she really doesn’t want to return to find herself alone.

 Sesshoumaru nodded and Rin began to walk toward the pond. Another stream of blood rolls down the length of her thigh and she holds her kimono and her underlayer up and away from her body. They were already slightly bloodied and she doesn’t want to risk staining them further.

 It’s still very early in the morning. The sun has yet to come up and Rin has to strain her eyes to tell where she's going and walk slowly so she won’t trip over anything. Treading barefoot across the lush field at such an ethereal hour, she’s able to relax slightly. The stark, cool sensation of dewy blades of grass catching between her toes is refreshing compared to the warm, sticky blood that drips down her legs.

 Rin wonders if the nightmares about her family’s death will ever go away completely. They had become significantly less frequent over the years and she’d gotten to the point where she could go months without having one at all. But they always returned. There seemed to be no comfort in the entire world, not even the devotion of Sesshoumaru-sama himself, that could keep them at bay.

 She reached the pond and stripped off her kimono, leaving herself clad only in her hadajuban. She carefully rinses the blood out of the cloth and then sets it aside. Splashing some of the pond water onto her legs, Rin cleans the sticky liquid from her skin. Once she finishes, she picks up her kimono and begins to walk back before pausing to admire the sky. Dawn would be breaking soon; the first hints of sunlight were peeking out over the horizon, leaving only the brightest stars still visible.

 “Beautiful, isn’t it,” a man’s voice, unfamiliar to her ears, breaks into her reverie.

 Rin jumps a little, startled. She’d had no idea anyone else was even out there. Even though it’s still quite dark, she pulls her dampened kimono back on. It would be improper for a married woman like herself to be seen in her hadajuban by someone who wasn’t her husband. Once she’s convinced she’s decent enough, she darts her head around in search of the voice's origin. Blinking into the fading darkness, she spots a figure perched atop a rock at the edge of the pond.  Had that person been there the entire time?

 Rin could just make out the man’s appearance. He was fairly tall, with chin-length hair and wearing a dark kosode under a lighter colored haori and a pair of striped hakama. Despite addressing her, the man wasn’t looking towards her. Instead, his gaze was fixed on the lightening sky.

 “That bright planet that hangs up there on early mornings like this; do you know the name of it?” he asks her.

 Rin looks back to the sky, where one star burned bigger and brighter than any of the others.

 “Oh,” she says, “‘that’s ‘the metal star’ isn’t it?” That was the name that Rin had known it by, although Miroku-sama had told them other names for it he had been aware of, like Jīn-xīng and Shukra Graha.

 “Venus; the morning star,” the man says, eyes transfixed on the celestial object in question.  “The star of love.”

 Rin was intrigued by the man’s description. She could understand why it would be called ‘the morning star’ but...

 “Why, ‘the star of love?’”

 “There exists a far-off land called Rome,” he tells her, “where they ‘do as the Romans do’ as they say!” He says this with a laugh but Rin doesn’t get the reference and isn’t sure what about it is supposed to be funny.

 “The ancient Romans worshipped Venus as their goddess of love and named the brightest star in the sky in her honor.”

 “Ah!” he continues, “but the Romans aren’t the only ones who associate this star with love. Travel west towards the continent and you’ll find those who refer to it by two names; sao Mai, the morning star and sao Hôm, the evening star. Because they’re considered distinct entities, existing at different times, they’re likened to separated lovers. They also have another word for the same star, sao Vượt—The climbing star.”

 The sky was becoming lighter and lighter as the man talked and Rin could make out his physical appearance more clearly now. He looked young and not really like any human Rin had encountered, with his auburn-colored hair. But he didn’t look like a yokai either. Perhaps he was a traveling foreigner; it would explain how he knew so much about far-away lands and cultures.

 “The climbing star?” she inquires.

 The man nods. “They have a poem about it; ‘When you go, do you miss me? I am the climbing star waiting for the moon in the sky .’”

 “That’s beautiful,” Rin says. It reminds her of a song she used to sing.  ‘I will wait, all alone/For Sesshoumaru-sama’s return.’

 That was what she was, Rin thinks. A climbing star. A morning star. Venus, with all her love, who waits for her evening moon.

 “It is?” the man asks. “Beautiful?”

 “Yes,” Rin nods. “It reminds me of a song I used to sing.”

 “Oh?” he says, finally turning to look at her. There’s a peculiar expression on his face. “What did it sound like—Your song?”

 Rin feels a sudden sense of unease at the tone in his voice.

 “Was it…” he hums a brief melody, “the sound of a million ships, just sailing away… ”

 Rin can feel her heart sink. She  knows  she’s heard that before. But  where had she heard that before? It sounded so familiar to her but try as she might, she just couldn’t place it. She racks her brain, trying to come up with the memory.

 The man continues to stare at her, vacantly. All the friendliness from before has been drained away.

 “Rin,” Sesshoumaru’s voice says from behind her. “Is this man bothering you?”

 Rin turns around to see him standing there, eyes slightly narrowed.

 “No, Sesshoumaru-sama, everything is fine. This man was just telling Rin about—”

 She turns back to the mysterious stranger but there’s no one perched atop the rock and the man is nowhere to be seen.

[fountainpenguin]

FOP Scenes That Always Make Me Lose My Mind

No matter how many times I watch them.

Vicky staring as a hospital bed transforms into a robot and remarking, “Wow, that’s one cool bed.”

Mark describing the scars Vicky has given him as “love markings” and listing where and why he got each one.

Wanda hiding under the table while she checks Da Rules to see if it’s illegal for her to murder Timmy’s parents after they tormented her and Cosmo at dinner (and sighing when it is).

Timmy’s parents waiting for C and W to come out from under said table, deciding they’re dead, and scrambling off to “establish an alibi.”

“Well, if your math is as good as Dad’s spelling, I may have turned 21 for all you know!” // “You can make fun of my math skills until it’s 13:00, but you do NOT act like a smarty pants!”

A.J. tackling Chester away from a laser, explaining his parents set it up, and Chester saying “But your parents love me” followed by dead silence.

“Slow down, Hunchback-of-Never-Dated-a-Dame!”

Cosmo comes flitting by with Poof in a basket and Wanda just flies up to him and says, “Cosmo, where have you been? I got arrested!”

Gary and Betty solving the problem of a crying child by putting him in a soundproof dome and walking away.

Wanda waving at Cosmo from the other side of the street while flying and promptly crashing into a pole.

Cosmo showing up at his mom’s house after eloping 10,000 years ago and all she says is, “Did you get the milk, Cosmo?”

Timmy still having heat vision four seasons later because he never unwished it.

You can’t kill cockroaches with magic.

Mama Cosma kidnapped a crime boss and he was kind of into it

“You sunk the city of Atlantis NINE TIMES??? Where was I when this happened?”

Anti-Cosmo and the Head Pixie baking pizza for Timmy because sometimes they don’t have evil plans and just want attention.

The Head Pixie’s hat is also a pen and the only time we see him use it is when he absolutely had to write down a pun before he forgot.

H.P. unhesitatingly gambling away a magical world because some punk 10-year-old human bragged he could beat him in mini-golf.

Sanderson stripping to his underwear on international Fairy TV.

“Fairies aren’t good with naming things. For crying out loud, we named our kid Poof!”

The Grim Reaper runs the Anti-Fairy World pet store because “Death doesn’t pay the bills and I’ve got student loans.”

ED FREAKING LEADLY ANY TIME HE DOES ANYTHING

Cosmo moving the doorknob to the other side of a door and re-opening it because it didn’t show him what he was looking for the first time.

Cosmo saying “There’s your car,” and straight-up dropping Chet Ubetcha into a volcano because Chet said something mean about him.

Cosmo putting his hands on his hips when he’s mad, then noticing Wanda has her arms crossed and copying her pose instead.

Cosmo’s face when Timmy crawls under his bed and wishes for a toaster and you can just tell he’s questioning if he heard that right.

Cosmo showing Juandissimo to the “room” he can use while staying over before promptly hurling him in the freezer and slamming the door.

Foop legitimately looking confused and hurt when Poof didn’t want to hug him during their playdate (and Poof’s furious face when Foop drags him around by the hand).

Wanda trying to get Poof hyped about Cosmo making a nice family dinner and the dinner is just chicken nuggets.

Crocker’s heart breaking when he accidentally catches Poof in his fairy trap and he lets him go because he is only baby.

Vicky insisting the kids she’s babysitting should tell her she’s pretty and Sammy sobbing because “My mommy told me never to lie!”

Sammy: “This may not sound very sweet, but... Break Vicky like a 2x4!”

Literally every Schnozmo moment

Kevin Crocker: “Your idea is so much better. It’s no biggie. I just kind of wish I was never born.”

“His name is Foop! ... Spelled backwards! <333”

Timmy’s Mom having an entire conversation with him while holding his fish. Not his fishbowl literally just Cosmo in goldfish form.

Cosmo tying Timmy’s Mom up like a marionette, smearing on lipstick, screaming “I’M GORGEOUS!” and promptly dragging her across the floor.

“Pumpkin taxi. Orange on the outside, seedy on the inside.”

Cosmo designing a board game that requires you to get the car you play with registered at the DMV.

Chloe helping Timmy nail Crocker’s bed to the ceiling.

The massive size difference between Kevin’s and Chloe’s hands when she helps him off the floor.

Chloe getting cut off before she can swear.

Timmy standing up for Chloe in front of her parents when she starts having an anxiety attack.

Chloe as a parent upsetting her kids to the point they were assigned fairy godparents and she has to reevaluate her happy-go-lucky life.

The whole concept behind “Timmy’s Secret Wish.”

The implication that Chloe spent fifty years of the frozen timestream raising herself on “Fair Bears” cartoons.

Timmy’s Dad, who has never liked Mr. Crocker, calling him progressively worse names like “Mr. Crayons” and “Mr. Crawlspace.”

“What are you going to do without a house?” // “That’s easy. I wish I had another house.”

Foop’s alternate personality inviting Foop to lunch.

Cosmo pointing out that making someone disappear is sort of illegal and Timmy’s Dad just points out he can’t get arrested if he wishes for the police to disappear and Cosmo just :\

Juandissimo melting Iceland and then glancing awkwardly at the witnesses.

“Scientists are mystified as to why this is happening! In unrelated news, a giant purple baby is blocking the sun.”

Mrs. Crocker hitting on Dr. Rip Studwell and he responds by writing her a prescription for “Get real, lady” and Poof was there for all of this.

Foop designing a play with the plan of tormenting Poof but Poof fakes sick and Foop, his understudy, is forced to endure the horrors of the play while Poof eats popcorn and mocks him the whole time.

"You picked the right square blue baby for the job! I’m super irritating.” “You certainly are.” “You’re the worst.” “Everyone hates you.”

Anti-Cosmo sneaking Foop a file so he can escape prison but Foop doesn’t know what it’s for and just uses it to file his nails.

Wanda breaking into a stranger’s house to do his dishes.

Dark Laser betraying Foop and Crocker when it dawns on him that they were the reckless hooligans who nearly ran over Flipsie.

Timmy’s Dad asking him if he wants to “Come for a ride to get a ham.”

Crocker explaining that his mother’s bird was named “Pile of Goo” even before he accidentally flung it into the sun.

Chloe deadpanning “Oops, I have tripped on my cape” before deliberately shoving Mr. Crocker over.

“Everything is so green here. Even the stoplights!” //Massive crash noises //Cheerful scene change

Timmy literally bulldozing Dinkleberg’s living room and Dinkleberg just “Oh hi, Timmy! No need to explain yourself; I don’t want to pry.”

“I’ll tell you what’s a great comedy word: AUGHAWAGAUGH! Watch me use it in context.” //Poofs up a beehive

“Did you know there are over 250 species of owls in the world? My goal is to see ALL OF THEM! Not just the species, but every. single. owl.”

“I still don’t know where you found six kids with eye patches.”

Foop nervously agreeing with the Anti-Fairy Council, “Yes, that’s what I am, a genius. Not the guy who spent six hours toilet papering a house when in fact he has a magic bottle that could have done it instantly.”

[trihearts-bull-corner]

Prompt Challenge

So this is my writing prompt challenge. It is a very long list, and some of the quotes are very long. Every line is from my favorite author, Sherrilyn McQueen (previously known as Sherrilyn Kenyon). Quotes that inspire fluff, romance, and/or angst

[[MORE]]

You have the optimism of a child. (Julian) Peter Pan all the way. (Grace)

Life isn't finding shelter in the storm. It's about learning to dance in the rain.

But as the Roman playwright Terence once wrote, From many a bad beginning great friendships have formed

I don't suffer from my insanity -- I enjoy every minute of it.

I marvel at the fact you’ve lived to your age and no one’s taken those rose-colored glasses and shoved them up your ass.

Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

Oh contraire, mon frère. I’m able to annoy anyone in ten syllables or less. Sometimes, I don’t even have to speak at all. I just walk into the room and it rankles them.

It's easy to look at people and make quick judgments about them, their present and their past, but you'd be amazed at the pain and tears a single smile hides. What a person shows to the world is only one tiny facet of the iceberg hidden from sight. And more often then not, it's lined with cracks and scars that go all the way to the foundation of their soul.

You’re not done with me entirely, human. I’m the mother of his daughter. (CharacterA) You’re right. You are ____'s mother, poor her. But you’re wrong about one thing. (characterB) And that is? (CharacterA) I’m no longer human. I’m the Atlantie Kedemonia Theony – the guardian of the Atlantean gods. And right now there’s only one of them walking about and to save him from one more bad memory created by you, I’d bathe in your entrails, bitch. As for ___, she’s a big girl – I know, I used to live with her. She’ll survive the death of her mother. Trust me, I have firsthand experience with the subject. (characterB)

"How can anyone be afraid of love?" (CharacterA) "When you love someone... truly love them, friend or lover, you lay your heart open to them. You give them a part of yourself that you give to no one else, and you let them inside a part of you that only they can hurt—you literally hand them the razor with a map of where to cut deepest and most painfully on your heart and soul. And when they do strike, it's crippling—like having your heart carved out. It leaves you naked and exposed, wondering what you did to make them want to hurt you so badly when all you did was love them. What is so wrong with you that no one can keep faith with you? That no one can love you? To have it happen once is bad enough... but to have it repeated? Who in their right mind would not be terrified of that?" (characterB)

Aren't you an enigma wrapped in a thick coating of contradictions.

Sometimes things have to go wrong in order to go right.

Do you want my input or is this just an angry tirade you need to vent? (CharacterA) Both! (characterB) Okay, you rant and I’ll add my comments at the end. (CharacterA)

We have three kinds of family. Those we are born to, those who are born to us, and those we let into our hearts

I assure you, princess, if you saw the real me, you’d run for cover. (CharacterA) Only if I knew you’d be waiting under that cover for me. (characterB)

"Oh God, I just kissed a vampire!" "Oh Gods, I just kissed a human!"

I have a computer, a vibrator, and pizza delivery. Why should I leave the house?

Bitch please...you haven't seen mean yet.

"____! I won’t leave you here to die." (CharacterA) It’s okay, princess. I don’t mind dying for you. (characterB)

Life is a tapestry woven by the decisions we make.

If brute force doesn't work, you aren't using enough

You know the incredible thing about hearts is their unbelievable capacity for forgiveness. You’d be amazed what people will overlook when they love someone

my balls if you crawl inside a bottle and pickle yourself solid. I’ve got other things to think about now. But let me remind you of something a good friend once said to me when I was being eaten alive by feelings I didn’t understand. ‘Even when my marriage was bad, it was good.’ I had no real idea what you meant that night, but now I do and I’m grateful to the gods I can finally believe in that I took a chance on something that almost killed me. The life I have now…no, the woman I have now is worth every rotten moment of my worthless existence that led me to her door, and I would relive it all to have one kiss from her lips. You’re the one who told me that the right woman was a shelter from the storm

I wasn't born, I was unleashed.

She couldn’t very well let him join her in bed like that. Sure you could. No I can’t. Please? Hush, self, let me think.

We almost made it to thirty seconds without an insult. I think we set a new record

Get off me, you lard-ass, halitosis, flea-infested horror-movie reject! 

I thought only a wooden stake through the heart killed a vampire. (CharacterA) A wooden stake through the heart will kill just about anything. And if it doesn't, run like hell (characterB)

You’re the only thing I’ve ever done right in my entire life and if anything ever happened to you, they’d have to dig two graves ‘cause I couldn’t live a single day without my baby beside me. (parent to child)

You know, I would date, if I could find a man worth shaving my legs for. 

C'mon, Tabitha. You stabbed me the night we met without even blinking. (CharacterA) Yeah, but you were a dirtbag then. (characterB) I think I'm offended. (CharacterA)

I learned a long time ago not to judge people by what they look like, sound like, or by the clothes they wear. Just because a house is nice and shiny out front doesn’t mean it’s not rotting on the inside.

you're right ___. I am a selfish bastard. I had to be, because no one else gave a single shit about me except me

I have found my star. She is beauty and grace. Elegance and goodness. My laughter in winter. She is courageous and strong. Bold and tempting. Unlike any other in all the universe, and I cannot touch her. I dare not even try

I’m here because I know the sadness inside you. I know what it feels like to wake in the morning, lost and lonely and aching for someone to be there with me

What are you doing? (CharacterA) I'm getting into my car. (characterB) You own this?! (CharacterA) No. I'm stealing it with the key in my hand. (characterB)

So, does this make you visibly challenged? (CharacterA) No, but if you don’t lay off me, I’m going to make you breathing impaired. (characterB)

I'm the top of the food chain and well...you're the food

___ says that tragedy and adversity are the stones we sharpen our swords against ao that we can fight new battles.

Sure. My ego's had enough time to recover a modicum of dignity. Let's make sure we crush it again before I mistake myself for a god

Human will is the strongest will ever created. There are those who are born to succeed and those who are determined to succeed. The former fall into it, and the latter pursue it at all costs. They won’t be denied. Nothing daunts them.

You know when people say fine, it generally means ‘leave me the hell alone because I don’t want to talk about what’s really bothering me

Baby, I ain't trash. Trash is something you throw away. My people keep me.

We're not the damned, folks, we're the categorically fucked. 

So is there any part of you that’s not a lethal weapon? (CharacterA) No. Even my wits are sharpened. (characterB)

The worst wounds, the deadliest of them, aren't the ones people see on the outside. They're the ones that make us bleed internally

The past is dead. Tomorrow will become whatever decision you make it.

Strength through adversity. The strongest steel is forged by the fires of hell. It is pounded and struck repeatedly before it’s plunged back into the molten fire. The fire gives it power and flexibility, and the blows give it strength. Those two things make the metal pliable and able to withstand every battle it’s called upon to fight.

Love is deceitful and sublime. In its truest form, it brings out the best in all beings. At its worse, It's a tool used to manipulate and ruin any one who is stupid enough to hold it. Don't be stupid

Forgiveness is the best part of valor...Discretion is easy. It's finding the courage to forgive yourself and others that is hard

Even if I were lying on the sun itself, I would be freezing there without you

I learned the bad guys are not always bad, the good guys are not always good, and to quote Captain Barbossa, the parameters are like rules, mostly guidelines. And that it takes a little bit of bad boy to fight the evil in the world.

Laugh it up, asshole. But she who laughs last laughs longest, and I intend to belly roll tonight

I think infatuation is like a garden. If tended and cared for, it grows into love. If neglected or abused it dies. The only way to have eternal love is to never let your heart forget what it's like to live without it.

What? It's not my fault I stab all the fanged people. They shouldn't look like vampires. (CharacterA) I didn't look like a vampire, but you stabbed me. (characterB) Yeah, well, you looked like a lawyer so I had to kill you. It was a moral imperative. (CharacterA)

Where are you anyway? (CharacterA) I don't know. I hear some godawful kind of music from outside, horns blaring, and I'm in a house with a Mohawk cuckoo bird, a transvestite, and a knife-wielding lunatic. (characterB) Why are you at ____'s? (CharacterA)

You’re selfish and you’re cold, and I’m tired of getting frostbite when I touch you

He who lets fear rule him, has fear for a master

Be kind to dragons, for thou art crunchy when toasted and taste good with ketchup

If you have any care for ____ at all, don't leave him in darkness. It's not fair to show someone the sun and then to banish him from it. Even the devil may cry when he looks around hell and realizes that he's there alone

Have you ever wanted something that you knew was bad for you? Something that you ached for so much you could think of nothing else?

Gee, thanks Dad. I promise to be a good boy and play nice with the other kids.(CharacterA) Smart ass. (characterB) Better than a dumb ass.(CharacterA)

I'm too young, too smart and too good-looking to die.

You're so afraid of being hurt that you attack first. Only those who really care about you will weather the assault of your verbal attacks and stay. The rest will fall away.

Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live

The most beautiful heart of all is the one that can still love even while it bleeds, and especially after its been broken into thousands of pieces.

Just how many sisters do you have? (CharacterA) Eight. (characterB) Eight? (CharacterA) What? (characterB) I'm just pitying whatever poor males lived in that house with all of you. It must have been truly frightening at least one week out of every month. (CharacterA) Was that a joke? (characterB) Merely a frightening statement of fact. (CharacterA)

There, there, baby. We'll hide her body in the trunk later.

Sorrow spares no one, and scars respect no person.

Yeah, it never fails to amaze me how a single lie can undo an entire lifetime of good

Is he a good boy? (CharacterA) No, Mom, he’s Satan incarnate. In fact, once it’s over, we’re going to get liquored up and tattooed, then find some cheap hos and have a good time with his trust fund. (characterB)

Oh no, no, no! Are you going to suck my blood? (CharacterA) Do I look like a lawyer to you? (characterB)

Hey, yummy leather guy? Can you hear me? 

Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss other people. Life's too short to worry about what other people do or don't do. Tend your own backyard, not theirs, because yours is the one you have to live in

It would have really cramped my future plans had I died. 

No power from above can make one human love another. Love comes from within the heart.

There are always three sides to every memory…yours, theirs, and the truth, which lies somewhere in between the two

You don’t knock on the devil’s door, boy, unless you want him to answer.

Take care of him, ____. And remember it takes great courage and heart for a man who knows no kindness to show it to another. Even the wildest of beasts can be tamed by a patient and gentle hand.

To infinity then. (CharacterA)  What’s that mean? (characterB) It’s something my dad used to say when I was a kid. To infinity, meaning you’d see something through to the end. (CharacterA) Infinity is never-ending. (CharacterB) That’s right, which means you keep going and going no matter what happens or what obstacles you meet. Over, under, around or through. There’s always a way. And if you have to chase something to infinity, strap on your big-boy pants, hiking boots, and go. (CharacterA)

Whoa, what is this? Battle of the Sarcastic and Pissed? Should I make popcorn? Forget American Idol, man. This is much more entertaining

Life is serious. (CharacterA)  No, life is an adventure. It's thrilling and scary. Sometimes it's even a bit boring, but it should never be serious. (characterB)

You can take my life, but you'll never break me. So bring me your worst… And I will definitely give you mine.

Just remember, anger is always your enemy. You must keep your emotions in check. The moment you lose control of them, you lose the fight every time.

It’s a responsibility that I take most seriously, so excuse me for banning you from killing them because you have reverse PMS. (CharacterA) Reverse PMS? (characterB) Yeah, unlike a normal woman, you’re cranky twenty-eight days out of the month. (CharacterA)

You are the only warmth in my heart. The only sunshine my winter has ever known

I wonder why no one called the police about the rocket launcher? God knows my neighbors usually report it if I so much as fart in my backyard.

I am a socially awkward mandork. 

What else can I do to piss you off? (CharacterA) You can leave me. (characterB) I would never do that, ____. No one can live without their heart and that’s what you are to me. (CharacterA)

What planet are you from? Obviously Planet Insanity was missing a local, long-term resident.'

Actions that sometimes seem mean aren’t. Rather they are done by the ones we love in order to protect us without our knowing it.

Knock, knock. (CharacterA) Now, ain't this a bitch. Here I am, trying to kiss my girl, and you have to interrupt us. What, were you raised in a barn? By the way, touch the woman, or the Lamborghini, and you're a dead man. (characterB)

The wealth of a soul is measured by how much it can feel... its poverty by how little

You’re human. No one cares if you sleep with a whore. (CharacterA) (characterB did something she’d never in her life done before. She slapped another person.) You ever insult ____ again and so help me, I’ll do to you what you allowed your brother to do to him. I’ll cut your tongue out for it. ____ is the man I love and no one, ever, takes issue with him without having issues with me. (characterB)

Your destiny is shaped by choice, never by chance. Beware the decisions you make, no matter how small, for they will be your salvation...or your death.

Wake up, ____. Your psychotic criminal is playing with knives.

I accept you as you are, and I will always hold you close in my heart. I will walk beside you forever

Words are easy to say, but emotions betray the best intentions.

Because I have no boobs. My ears stand out, and I have freckles all over me. (CharacterA) Boobs? (characterB) Breasts. (CharacterA) You have very nice breasts. (CharacterB) Thanks. What about you? (CharacterA) I have no breasts. (characterB)

I love you, I love you, I love you! And if you ever die on me again, I'll kill you so dead!

I'm old enough to make you look like an embryo. 

How did you get me here? (CharacterA)I have my evil Jedi ways. The Force is strong with this one. (characterB)

Have you ever noticed that salvation, much like your car keys, is usually found where and when you least expect it?

The man may not be dead, but he was certainly stiff. And this had nothing to do with rigor mortis

He was like some wild, untamed creature that you could keep and feed for a time, but in the end you knew you'd have to let it go for its own sake as well as yours

I will fear no evil for I am the baddest bitch in the land

Ironically no one ever wants to hear what I have to say about anything. They usually argue with me to the point I want to put them through a wall. Hopefully you won’t be so dense

So you're the infamous ____. (CharacterA) Lord and Master of the great barbarian horde that roams the night. (characterB)

No one should have to pay for love in flesh or blood. 

Should I ask about the handcuffs? (CharacterA) Not unless you want to live...otherwise if anyone asks, tell them I died of a heart attack during a wild sexcapade with her. (characterB)

A flower can't grow without rain. (CharacterA) Too much rain and it drowns. (characterB) And yet the most beautiful of the lotus flowers are the ones that grow in the deepest mud. (CharacterA)

I’ve spent my entire life listening to people tell me why I can’t be loved and how I’m nothing but a worthless piece of shit. I always told myself that I didn’t care, that I didn’t need anyone else. It was a lie, you know. I do care and I want ____. If it costs me my life to be with her, it doesn’t matter. I’ve already lived past my prime, anyway. I get up every morning with more pain in my joints than the day before. If I have to die, I’d rather die knowing someone cared about me, just once. Is that really too much to ask? (CharacterA) For us? Yes. It is. We are the gutter and the gutter is all we’ll ever be. Don’t reach out for the stars. They’ll burn you until there’s nothing left. (characterB) Then let me burn. (CharacterA)

Should I warm the oven and bake you a batch of hero cookies? 

I don’t even know what to say to you. (CharacterA) Me, either. I guess we’ll just stand here and cry at each other, huh? (characterB)

Everyone cries sometimes, ____. There are some pains that run too deep for even the strongest to take without breaking. I don’t think any less of you for it.

Please nothing, she’s a vicious piranha. She looks all cute and cuddly, then she opens that mouth and lets loose so much venom she could double as a nest of scorpions

Don't worry, ___. I'm an acquired taste. Most of my best friends had to know me for years before they could even stand my presence. I'm like mold, I usually grow on you very slowly

You know, I've walked this earth for over eleven thousand years, my lady. I have seen things in my life that are unimaginable to you, and you ask me if I doubt you? Lady, I doubt the very air you breathe

(CharacterA) "You are naked."......"You are so naked" (characterB) - "I know" (CharacterA) "You are naked!" (characterB)  "We've established that." (CharacterA) "You're happy and naked." (characterB)"What?

Please don’t let it be another cop. I’m outta bail money. Wait a minute…I could sell you on eBay and make a killing. (CharacterA) Not in my current condition. You’d have to sell ___ or ____. I’m sure there’s someone willing to buy two perfectly good white boys. (characterB)

Hey!" (CharacterA) snapped as he realized (CharacterB) was about to lock him on the outside with their attackers. He pushed the door open and glared at him. "No man left behind." (characterB) scoffed. "This aint' the army, boy. It's every man for himself. Fall behind. Get eaten!"

I marvel at the fact you’ve lived to your age and no one’s taken those rose-colored glasses and shoved them up your ass.

Because I don’t feel broken when you look at me. (CharacterA) How could you feel broken? (characterB) I was shattered as a child and thrown away, like a piece of trash no on wanted. But you don’t treat me like that. You see in me the human bit and you touch that part of me. You make me feel whole and wanted. (CharacterA)

Fate is a bitch with a wicked since of humor and today I'm her punchline

If you're going to hell buddy, I'm driving the bus

I'd rather be judged by twelve than carried by six

If I am to be judged it will be for who I am. Not for who I'm trying to become

I will count the heartbeats until I see you again

It's official take a psycho to work day. Why else would I be here?

The bitterest pain of all is when you can only hold someone in your heart who you used to hold in your arms

Pain baptizes us all without prejudice or mercy

Whatever doesn't kill me better run like hell

True love will always find it's way through paths where even feral lorinas fear to prey

So goes my incentive to fight fairly. You want fair, play with kids. You wanna come at me, make out a will.

People who don't know me, think I'm quiet. People who do, wish I was.

Shall I show you to the door... Or would you rather go out through the wall?

Before you rattle my cage, you'd best make sure I'm padlocked in it

There are two ways out of this room. The window behind you and the door behind me..... You might survive the window.

Everyday do one thing that scares you. Or one thing that scares other people

The truth spills as quickly from furious lips as a lie. The trick is to learn which is meant to wound and which is meant to enlighten.

We all have out burdens... Just some of us have the ones that strike to kill us vindictively

If you want to see exactly how angry someone can get, tell them to calm down when they're already pissed off!

Don't be afraid to love. Yes its a weakness, but it's a source of greatest strength you'll ever know.

Because you are taking the most important parts of me with you, ___..... My heart and my soul. You are not just my wife. You are what sustains me.

Talk is cheap. Pain is free and I'm peddling the shit out of it. So you come and get some.

Why be difficult when with a little bit of effort you can be impossible

The lies we tell ourselves to survive seldom bring peace to our hearts

Destruction is good for my soul, but it sucks to be you

Family isn't perfect, just perfectly ours

[fenrys-moonbae]

Lily of the Night - Prelude

Summary: I was named after the night lilies that bloomed on the far side of the Sidra.The large pale, cream colored flowers with veins of plum midnight that entwined paths through their velvet soft petals. The same flowers that were said to grant wishes on Starfall. Father always said it was those flowers that gave him me...I never meant to resurrect that bird in the garden that evening and never meant to start the chain of events that nearly lead to the destruction of not only Prythian but the world.Post-Acowar following the life of Feysand's daughter and her journey to find her way home and stop the wrath of the Mother and the Cauldron. Includes numerous OC's and canon characters. Story will follow both the main characters and OC's. Prologue--Mourning the Lost I was named after the night lilies that bloomed on the far side of the Sidra. The large pale, cream colored flowers with veins of plum midnight that entwined paths through their velvet soft petals. The palm sized blooms whose aroma mimicked the sweet caress of rain and the sharp tinge of sodden earth.

The same flowers that were said to grant wishes on Starfall—that is, if you were lucky enough to witness one blooming under the light of the traveling spirits that passed through Velaris that night.

 The lilies were said to only bloom every few hundred years and only on the night the dancing spirits passed.Father always said it was those flowers that gave him me, that he’d wished on a single bloom he saw open in the glittering light that night and it was precisely a year later that he got me.

The heavenly star gifted to the Court of Dreams. A beacon of hope after the dark night that had encompassed Prythian, the darkness that had stolen so many lives but had carved a path of hope.

Uncle, however, said heavenly was the last word he’d use to describe me, “heathen” and “bossy” were more suited. In hindsight, I’d be inclined to agree.

Brother had been born before me, the heir to the throne of the Night Court and arguably one of the most powerful beings to grace Pyrthian. It was said that Mother would not be able to bear children after him, after the sheer hell it had been bringing such a powerful being into the world and the fact it had nearly cost her life. My birth had been nothing short of miraculous in light of it. My birth had been milder, one might almost venture to have called it peaceful. My power did not rattle to the ends of Pyrthian as my brothers did. I was born with no power that could rival that of my brother or parents, or so they had thought. It was believed that I was just a precious flower given as a gift of peace to the Night Court, a child born in harmony and as a symbol of good fortune. How wrong they had all been. It wasn’t long before my power manifested itself and proved to be far more frightening than anything my brother or parents possessed. I hadn’t meant to bring that baby bird back from the dead that evening in the garden, didn’t mean to scare my brother and didn’t mean to reverse the scars on uncle Azriel’s hands when Mother asked me to show her what I had done. The ability to undo what had been done, the power the resurrect the dead and return time to a state it existed at previously. I didn’t know how I was able to even do such things, but somehow I could. It scared the Court of Dreams to say the least.

They began scrambling to understand where such power could originate from, to understand just how such power could have manifested. There were whispers and fear, so much fear, of what enemies would do to me, what they would do to obtain my power if they knew what I could do. Harsh whispers and mention of safety plans, protect her, it was spoken over and over, protect, protect, protect. Hide and protect. Mother told me everything would be okay, that we would figure out and, above all else, they would protect me at any and all costs. How wrong she had been. It was that same night that things changed ten years after my birth. The night the darkness encompassed the Court of Dreams and the shining star they’d all come to love was stolen away in the night. The night the celestial blooms given by the mother to those who had earned her blessing began dying.The same night that I died. ————- “PAPA!!!” The young girl cried, large violet eyes brimming with tears and voice cracking as her hands shoved hard against the thick cords of the muscle of the arms, MY arms, pinning her, “Please PAPA!!” No… Wind tore at my face and jacket, the powerful wings at my back sending us flying for the coast, the smell of the sea bombarding my senses, the scent of fear entangled with it. I felt the dark chuckle rip from my throat, the hideous sound that didn’t belong there, the body I had no control over-- as I fought, thrashing against the bonds, the heavy chains blocking me from moving my own body. I felt my hand dig harshly into her side, hard enough to tear skin, earning a scream of agony from the small child as she thrashed trying to escape, pleading to be released.

The wind ripped her long black locks away from her face, knotting the silky strands into tangles. Those violet eyes, my eyes, stared up at me, terror and panic reflecting back in the pale light of the moon as she whimpered another plea.

Bargains of never misbehaving again, promises of never instigating fights with her brother, saying she loved me and she what sorry for whatever she had done…

The freezing air bit into my skin painfully, but more painfully into the girls face, flushed red from the biting cold and her sobbing. The hoarseness of her voice became more profound as she whimpered yet another plea.

“I thought you wanted to fly?” I heard my own voice mock the child, my child, as she screamed into the night for her mother, for Cassian, Azriel, anyone.

Stop.

I screamed and threw myself harder into the walls blocking me, her words tearing my heart down its seams. I was helpless and useless, unable to do anything but watch as the scene of horror unfolded before me.

A blood curdling scream tore from her throat as I felt my hands wrap around the delicate membrane of her wings, the gift of her Illyrian blood, my Illyrian blood-as I tore them off.

Tissue screamed as it severed, popping sickeningly as it tore free. Blood gushed in every direction, splattering across my face and hers.

Numbness cascaded through me as I fruitlessly fought against it, against the wrongness of what lay before me, of what I’d been useless to stop--

It was too much to handle, I’d destroyed it, the beautiful gift from my mate and the Mother herself.I felt myself drop the child, her body limp having lost consciousness from the pain and trauma. I screamed in agony for anything to stop it, to cease the sin I’d just committed unable to stop myself--

----————

I shot up in a blind fury, scrambling for anything in the darkness to tether to, but there was nothing.

Celeste, Celeste, Celeste. The name thrummed through me like a drum, nausea reared up to meet me, I felt my stomach tighten, preparing to empty itself on the floor.

Black shadows engulfed the room, so dark and dense that I couldn’t see anything before me. The house trembled beneath the might of it.

Soft, cool hands were on me instantly, gentle words of comfort were murmured as those hands worked soothing circles on my back. A dream, not your fault, I’m here. Those words....Truth to those words, truth except one. It wasn’t alright. Celeste, my daughter, my precious child, stolen in the night right from under our noses.The same little girl who we had searched for in a blind panic in those critical hours following her capture. The same little girls who’s precious, so small and precious, wings had been found torn from her body near the border of the Day Court, violently and viciously ripped from her small frame---

I lost it, couldn’t contain it. I emptied the contents of my stomach on the floor, tears blindly running down my face.

Heaving I propped myself on my hands, sorrow and blind rage coursing through my system as I realized I hadn’t been able to save her. As I heaved the final contents of my stomach I felt the soft patter of droplets on my back, tears from my mate.

“Feyre,” I gasped, glancing on my shoulder to look at her, to try and comfort in nightmare made real-

“Don’t,” her words were clipped, forced to be calm as she held tightly onto me, “Just don’t. We….there’s….please.”

The last word came out in a broken sob as I felt my High Lady bury her soft face against my back, her thin arms wrapped around my back and chest tethering us both.

It’d been almost thirteen years since we had lost Celeste and still the nightmares would not cease.

The nightmares of seeing myself kill my daughter over and over. The pain of losing her hadn’t faded. They had been so sneaky, so quick when they took her. We’d had virtually no time to respond to find her. We’d torn the world apart looking for her, racing against all odds.

Those odds had run out.We’d been too late.

We’d failed.

No, I’d failed.

So no words came to me as I flipped over and tucked Feyre into my arms, her frame so small and fragile against mine, and held her. Our tears entwined as they fell freely, as we lay prone on the soft carpet of our room, the world too quiet, too serene. We’d never found her body. Just her shredded wings- A sob escaped my chest.

This hell just wouldn’t end.

[romanticsuspense]

The Birds and the Bees

This episode should have come with an emotional whiplash warning.  It was so intense and my emotions were swinging from happy to sad to anxious and then back to happy.  Here are the highs and lows for me...

Heartbreaking: “Ye have my hand here, and my ear if ye need it.”  In the book, Lizzie Wemyss mostly serves as a plot device, setting in motion everything that happens to Roger.  I sometimes forget that she’s more than that.  She’s a frightened young girl and what she did was out of concern and affection for Brianna. In this scene she was nothing but a true friend, offering what little comfort she was able to give.  It was excellently acted by Caitlin and Sophie, especially considering this is the first time we’ve actually seen them interacting.  Brianna in a shocked daze.  Lizzie confused and anxious and unsure of what to do or say.  Brianna trembling and flinching from Lizzie’s touch.  Lizzie trying, but unable, to look away.  Brianna shedding a single tear.  I hope Lizzie isn’t shunted into the background in future episodes now that she’s served her “purpose.”  I want to see more of her and Brianna and I want to see if Young Ian ever realizes she has a crush on him!

Heartbreaking: "I love you a little, a lot, passionately, not at all”  These two just can’t catch a break, can they?  I’m really glad they showed them both trying to find the other.  Although, it makes me really sad that Brianna believes Roger has truly left her for good.  For a second there I was worried she was going to throw his bracelet into the water!  I’m curious about how that mistaken belief will play into the next episode, when she’s trying to decide what to do about the pregnancy.  Abort the baby?  Go back through the stones?  Try to find Roger and tell him about the baby?  Maybe everything will be revealed sooner rather than later.  I need Brianna to know that Roger came to Fraser’s Ridge looking for her and he didn’t abandon her.

Heartwarming: “My name is Brianna.  I’m your daughter.”  Perfection.  I don’t have much else to say, except Sam and Sophie nailed it.  And Brianna and Claire’s reunion was just as amazing.  

Heartwarming: “When it comes to ye, Auntie Claire, I’ve learned it’s better not to ask too many questions.” Young Ian gets the best one liners.  After learning that Jamie and Claire have a 20-something year old daughter they never told anyone about he’s just like, “Okay, cool, hey Cuz.”

Heartbreaking: “And now he’s headed to Scotland.  And back through the stones.”  “Over one argument?”  Same, Claire, same.  Did anyone else feel like this conversation was a little awkward?  I liked it because Brianna admitted she’s in love with Roger.  And I’m surprised she told her mom they were handfast, when in the book she keeps that a secret.  I think it was an important conversation because the audience needs to know that Claire knows about Roger.  But, the whole thing just felt like “here is some information you need to know.”  And honestly, I hate to criticize because she was superb this whole episode, but Sophie’s acting was subpar in this scene.  Maybe it was just the way it was written?  I don’t know.  Something about this scene just felt off. 

Heartwarming: “Ah, it’s good to have family around the table again.”  This scene around the dinner table was exactly what I wanted from “Down the Rabbit Hole.”  FAMILY.  Murtagh telling stories about Jamie as a wee lad.  Brianna witnessing Jamie and Claire’s affection.  Young Ian being “chided” by his mother from across the ocean.  Ugh, so good.  

Heartwarming: “You have Danu, I have Eros.” I had no idea who Eros was when I watched the episode, I assumed he was the Scottish equivalent of Bonnet’s Irish Danu.  But, then I read this review and the author astutely observed that Eros is the Greek god of love, so when Roger evokes Eros: “he’s really communicating to us, in the most succinct way, that every action he takes is because of love.”  Oh, Roger, you hopeless romantic.  I love you.

Heartwarming: “Sure I’m not a bree?  Disturbance, huh?  Murtagh told me” “Aye, ye are.  As was yer mother before ye.  But ye’re one I welcome.”   I absolutely loved how they incorporated this one little quote from the book, about Bree meaning “a great disturbance,” into the episode.  Jamie doesn’t really know Brianna, and Brianna doesn’t really know Jamie.  So they’re tiptoeing around each other not just because of Frank, but because they are Father and Daughter and don’t know what that means for them yet.  This whole conversation under the bee hive was great because they’re finally addressing the elephant in the room: Frank.  But, I also think Brianna is looking for a little affirmation here from Jamie that he actually wants her there and is glad to see her and she’s not an unwelcome intrusion in their lives.  All of this was really cleverly written.  

Heartbreaking: “Brianna!  Oh, Brianna!  No, it’s not your fault!”  So much emotion is going on here.  Brianna’s relieved at finally confiding in her mother about what happened; but then also devastated about her situation.  The confusion, then sheer horror, on Claire’s face when she realizes what Brianna is telling her is just gut-wrenching.  Poor Brianna.

Heartbreaking: “Good day sir, could ye tell me if Fraser’s Ridge is near-”  Roger’s just chillin’ by that tree, minding his own business, politely asks for directions and then BOOM.  He’s knocked out.  It all happened so fast that I’m sure Roger has no idea it was Jamie Fraser who attacked him, right?  I had to cover my eyes, it was too gruesome.  Poor Roger.

[signify-nothing]

Ranking All 61 Movies I’ve Watched So Far This Year From Worst to Best

So this would work better as a countdown but I’m too lazy so 1 is the worst and 61 is the best.

1.       Tomorrow is Forever

It is a testament to my love for my grandmother that I even finished this godawful excuse of a movie.

2.       Flower

If there’s one thing I love it’s stories about teenage girls who are characterized by their quirky desire to give blow jobs to gross men for fun... said no one ever.

3.       Savage Grace

Even Hugh Dancy couldn’t save this dry, stale train wreck of unsexiness.

4.       Hellraiser

There’s a thin line between classic and stale and this movie treads right over it.

5.       The Devil’s Candy

Forgettable.

6.       Night of the Living Dead (Remake)

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

7.       Eighth Grade

I wanted to love this movie but it seemed too devoted to being realistic to actually tell a satisfying story.

8.       American Psycho

One of those movies you feel like you’ve already seen even if you haven’t.

9.       Vicky Cristina Barcelona

I wanted to like it. I really did. But it had all the charm of a wet sweaty sock.

10.   Thelma

Great premise but it just felt kind of mediocre in execution. Maybe I was just too tired when I watched it.

11.   Lady Bird

I HATED THIS MOVIE. It was so bad that I honestly can’t even rate it as the worst because it was so actively terrible I almost enjoyed it in retrospect. I love Greta but honestly it was such a mediocre piece of basic white girl shit I can’t even review it properly.

12.   To Have or To Have Not

It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t particularly good.

13.   Professor Marston and the Wonder Woman

I wanted to love it. Who wouldn’t? But it was just weird and unsexy and creepy.

14.   The Big Sick

Actively lacked charm.

15.   Dracula (the one with Winona)

I mean, it was creative enough to almost save itself from its own stale take on the novel.

16.   White Zombie

The film itself wasn’t interesting but I watched it for a class and the criticism was really eye-opening.

17.   The Unknown

Joan Crawford plays this woman who falls in love with a supposedly armless Lon Chaney in a sideshow because he can’t touch her with his dirty hands, not knowing that he’s lying about being armless to hide from the law. The novelty of the plot alone makes it worth a shot.

18.   Possessed

Joan Crawford plays a crazy woman. Somehow this is surprising to no one.

19.   Saw

It just felt dirty and not in a fun way.

20.   Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte

Another movie I watched with my grandmother. I’d seen it before which made it lose its bite.

21.   Stepford Wives

I found the book more enjoyable.

22.   A Quiet Place

There’s something cringe-y and self-indulgent about watching John Krasinski direct himself as the self-sacrificing macho-male hero in a movie he literally starts in with his wife. Pass.

23.   Babysitter

I have a crush on Samara Weaving, ok?

24.   The First Time

I honestly don’t even know why I watched this movie but it filled a teen comedy shaped whole in my watch list so I’m not about to complain.

25.   Rosemary’s Baby

I liked it more than I thought I would.

26.   Ingrid Goes West

I thought it would rank higher honestly.

27.   Apostasy

Jesus. This is a tough, ugly movie on every level, and all its characters feel totally un-redeemable. With that being said, it’s a pretty accurate portrayal of Jehovah’s Witness life.

28.   Disobedience

Sexy light.

29.   Killing of a Sacred Deer

I just didn’t feel it the way I felt The Lobster.

30.   Equals

It had Kristen Stewart, ok??

31.   Princess Cyd

Cute.

32.   The Importance of Being Earnest

Cute again.

33.   Hour of the Wolf

A bit disturbing but well done, I think? I don’t know, I was tired as hell when I watched this.

34.   Gaslight

Wasn’t as great the second time around but still ok.

35.   The Exorcist

Much better than I thought it would be.

35.5 A Star Is Born

Good music but fucked up plot.

36.   Into the Wild

Note to self: this is not a good movie to watch during your first nine-to-five job.

37.   Cleo from 5 to 7

The aesthetic is strong with this one.

38.   Phantom of the Opera

Rewatched it for the first time in ten years. Realized the phantom was a fucking creep.

39.   The Greatest Showman

I liked it so much more than I thought I would?

40.   Mamma Mia 2

Judge me all you want. I watched this movie with my mother and grandmother in the theater at the end of summer. It was a good memory.

41.   Crazy Rich Asians

I just liked it.

42.   Obvious Child

Similar to The Big Sick but just felt like a few steps up.

43.   Ritual

Fun and very creepy.

44.   Assassination Nation

I honestly don’t even know what the fuck to mentally do with this movie. It defies categorization and is undeniably bad but in a can’t-look-away-from-the-car-crash way you have to almost admire.

45.   What. Bo Burnham

I love Bo.

46.   Kid Gorgeous John Mulaney

I also love Mulaney.

47.   La Pianist

I like sadomasochism occasionally in my feature films, ok?

47.5 (Sorry, I forgot this one in the original count) The Miseducation of Cameron Post

I was admittedly in an altered state watching this. If I wasn’t, it might’ve ranked higher.

48.   Hereditary

It made it this far on the strength of a single scene which was my favorite of the year. The movie as a whole wasn’t the strongest, though.

49.   The Purge

Enjoyable horror.

50.   Nanette – Hannah Gadsby

I’m a simple girl. I like long walks on the beach, pina coladas, and comedy that makes me ugly cry.

51.   Frances Ha

I actually watched it twice this year and loved it both times. Greta is perfect.

52.   Thoroughbreds

Stylish and just ultimately well done and enjoyable. Flirts with Sapphic content which is an added bonus.

53.   The Shape of Water

I have a crush on this movie. It’s basically like that kid in class who is a little bizarre and probably not that intelligent but attractive enough to make up for that deficit.

54.   Phone Call From a Stranger

I fucking loved this little old black and white soap opera.

55.   God’s Own Country

Almost Brokeback.

56.   Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party

I’m a sucker for gay Christians and uncomfortable comedy.

57.   Creep 2

SO. MUCH. FUN. It’s like gazing through the Casual Encounters section of Craigslist times 100.

58.   Cam

Madeline Brewer invented acting in this movie.

59.   Creep

This movie restored my faith in horror.

60.   Make Happy - Bo Burnham

This “comedy” show gave me an existential fucking crisis and ruined my life forever. 10/10 would recommend.

61.   Call Me By Your Name

This movie melted my ice-queen heart and reminded me what it once felt like to fall in love. I can’t even stand how much I love love love everything about it.

[kpopyourcherryy]

Primal Instincts - (M/H)

We’re so sorry for the delay, but we really hope your wait was worth it~  Here is the first of the Halloween smuts- brought to you by myself and my lovely @dont-run-up <3 P.s. leave some comments so we know how we did ^^

Genre; Smut with a fun swirl of Horror~ 

Length; 6,600+ words

Kinks; primal kink, predator/prey, creampie, dirty talk, breeding/mating kink, pregnancy risk 

AU; Werewolf

“Run.” The deformed command that fell from Jaebum’s mouth had Y/N running for the back door out of their cabin. Fear had overridden logic as she bolted past her shoes and off the deck. The soft earth beneath her feet was a mild comfort as she ran for her life. Forest leaves exploded in color as the sunset washed over them. Oak and maple leaves littered the forest floor forming a radiant carpet of yellows, reds and golden browns. Y/N’s barely covered feet ran over them, uncaring of the wonders around her. She looked to the sky only to see the sun slowly dipping below the horizon. Birds screamed warnings of impending danger above her. Quickly they flew overhead leaving her in their dust. The young woman whimpered wishing she could take flight just like them, to leave and return to Seoul.

Sokcho was supposed to be a beautiful weekend destination for Y/N and her beau. They’d gotten some time off for Chuseok and decided to spend it alone for the first time. Everything was planned, their stay, the touristy shit they’d wanted to partake in and even their last day of lounging. Jaebum was the one to suggest the mountains this far north, said it would “bring them closer to all the natural parts of themselves.” Y/N had to laugh at the irony of that one. Is this how her ancestors felt, running from larger things that wanted to eat them? Fear was a powerful thing, it kept her legs pumping despite the fire in her chest. 

As she ran deeper into the woods the trees became closer, the roots thicker and more untamed. Thump. Thump. Thump. Y/N blood rushed in her ears, the birds long gone, all she could hear was the sound of her heart. She swore it was going to pop out of her chest at any moment; until then she kept going, bobbing and weaving through the underbrush. Thu-thump. Thump. Thump. That wasn’t her heart. Y/N broke out in a petrified sweat. She wondered how he’d caught up so fast and whether she’d collapse before he caught her. 

When the sun bid its final farewell Y/N’s eyes stung with tears. Her throat tightened as she sighed with frustration. She’d stopped running who knows how long ago. Her feet throbbed in complaint from the effort they’d put in earlier. Somewhere along the way, She’d lost her hunter and for that, she was supremely grateful. She sat with her back against a towering oak tree, coughing as air filled her burning lungs. Tears still trickled down her face as she thought about the predator that was once her beloved. Though relief filled her to the very brim, knowing he was far behind her, she had this gut-wrenching feeling that he wouldn’t let up. He would stop at nothing to have her in his grasp once again.

Her tears came to a halt as her breathing steadied out. The cold sweat that previously drenched her hair and clothes slowly dried up as the delicate, cool autumn winds brushed against her. Exhaustion began to consume her as her mind raced, Y/N wanted this to be some sort of long, twisted nightmare- one that she’d eventually wake up from and be in her bed next to the loving man she once knew.  The thoughts, or hopes, that burdened her quickly dissolved as the sound of dried twigs and leaves crunching interrupted the small moment of peace the heavens had given her. Tucking her knees into her chest, she buried her face between them; hoping and praying that he wouldn’t find her. 

Jaebum twisted his neck, cracking it loudly while a loud roar escaped him. With a single sniff in the air, her divine scent invaded his nose; giving away her position. It would be child’s play to just drag her away from her hiding place, but where was the fun in that? He wanted to lull her into a false sense of security. He wanted to hear that lovely relief filled sigh as she slumped back, before ripping that away- replenishing her fear.  He stalked closer to her hiding spot, just to warn her of his presence while simultaneously starting his cruel game of hide and seek as he walked right passed her. A devilish grin sprawled across his face, baring his knife-like canines knowing damn well that her petrified gaze was glued to him. 

The game had begun. 

Y/N watched with her breath caught in her throat as his tall form disappeared into the trees and darkness ahead. Despite not being able to see him anymore the sound of the ground crackling beneath his feet still rang throughout the woods but the further the sounds became, the safer she felt. 

Scooting as close to the base of the tree as she could, she rested her head against the rough bark; allowing soft breaths to leave her. She needed to think of a plan. She needed a foolproof way to escape her horrid fate, but she knew even with the distance they had between them now he’d catch her with ease. As she kept her eyes fixated in the direction she last saw him, her mind seemed to lose track of her surroundings. Her relaxation, in a way, disconnected her from her reality.  

Her exhaustion made her limbs tremble like a leaf blowing in the breeze. Y/N kept her arms tucked into her chest hands under her armpits. The cold started to roll in with a fog covering the forest floor. The young woman wished she had a coat and some damn shoes. Her body tensed with every shiver and shake. Her fear was burned in the pit of her anger. Y/N could no longer afford to cry, afraid the tears would freeze on her face. She lifted herself off the ground, peeking beyond the tree. Her feet were stones, careful to not rustle any leaves, Y/N rubbed herself with fallen pine needles and soil. If she could hide her scent and move in the fog bank, maybe she could escape back to the cabin and get the hell out of dodge. Maybe she could get Jaebum some help.

Jaebum’s words from earlier deafened all other thoughts. Maybe he was right, maybe this did bring her closer to nature. Y/N walked on her toes, whipping her head back and forth as she looked for any sign of his presence. She felt raw, all things besides her wits has been ripped from her in a matter of seconds. They’d been lounging on the floor, watching the sky through the skylight overhead. She’d been laying on Jaebum’s chest listening to his heartbeat as he lazily ran his fingers over her hip. The couple murmured honey sweetened words back and forth-- discussed their itinerary for visiting the national park nearby.  

The moon was faint in the sky, an outline of the celestial body hung ever so just above them when things went awry. Jaebum’s gentle caresses on Y/N’s skin became rough, kneading the flesh. 

“Jae, Baby, you okay?” She sweetly hummed.

“Yeah, fine.”  The singer rearranged them, burying his face in Y/N’s stomach as he lay between her legs.

He nipped and licked at her making noises of discontent as if he was searching for something. Jaebum’s heavy breath so near her core made Y/N squirm. She could feel the lust cresting and breaking within her. She tensed the muscles in her legs and back, arching off the floor, a temporary reprieve. Jaebum continued to nose at her and rub his hands along her thighs. It was rare that he gave so much thought to clothed touching. Y/N carded her hands through his hair playing with the floppy strands.

“More. Please,” Jaebum groaned leaning up into her hands.

Y/N ran her nails along his scalp- played with the hairs at the base of his neck, enjoying the quiet intimacy. The pinks and oranges of the sky burned brightly, a tapestry of decaying clouds against a soft, warm background. Y/N looked down her body to see Jaebum’s squishy cheek pushed against her abdomen. His eyes were closed as he breathed in her scent, her heartbeat in time with his own.

“You smell mouthwatering, you know,” he sighed.

Y/N pulled herself up onto her elbows, “I smell normal. Same perfume and everything.”

“No, you don’t. I want to eat you,” Jaebum confided sucking on Y/N/’s skin.”I want to eat you so badly..” 

His teeth began to rake against her skin as he took harsh little nips, her sweet scent enticed this primal heat inside him. He knew what was coming. He lived with this curse all his life and always had it in control until he met her. She brought out the monster that was caged inside him. Wrapping his hands around the backs of her thighs, Jaebum continued to trail further down his lover’s body; ghosting his plush lips over her lower abdomen before stopping just above her core.

“God..��� He rasped, peering up at her through his lashes as he deeply inhaled the heat that emanated off her. “Your scent drives me insane. I don’t know if I can control myself much longer.” 

She shivered at his words, lust gradually consuming her; dissipating any confusion they brought, “Take me, Jae..” She airily replied, biting down on her lower lip as her hip instinctively bucked toward him. “Show me how insane I make you.” 

Dipping his head low, her boyfriend’s shoulders rose in an inhumane way as these demonic growls slipped him. Her heart race as she scooted away from him, propping herself up on her knees. 

“J- Jae?” She stuttered, resting a hand on his shoulder. “What’s wrong? Are you okay? Are you sick?” His movements came to a halt as his head rose from his slump state. Her heart practically stopped in her chest as he bared wolf-like canines, “J- Jae, what’s happening to you?” 

The man scoffed, licking his lips as he turned his fatal stare towards her; fixating his yellow orbs on her startled form.  “Run.”

As Y/N recalled her last pleading sentences to him and his heart attack-inducing command before shit hit the fan, she couldn’t help but shake her head at the overwhelming irony of it all. This is what she asked for, though, isn’t it?  Crawling through the fog back, she rubbed the damped soil and decaying leaves on her body every few feet she moved. She couldn’t risk the chance of her scent coming through, even if it were only for a moment. 

Jaebum followed close behind though, staying high in the trees; watching as she cleverly attempted to camouflage herself. His kind were excellent climbers and their stealth was unlike any other predator. He remembered hearing his human friend’s listening to their parent’s scare them with stories of how his kind, 늑대 인간, would move so silently that you would never guess they were behind you unless they wanted you to know.  Moving from branch to branch with grace, his sharp gaze never left you. Parted of him wanted this game of cat and mouse to go on, but his craving for her was slowly becoming too overwhelming for him to control. 

“My silly little Y/N..” He hummed to himself, smirking as he made his way down the trees while you remained clueless to his presence. 

Y/N panted as she tried to keep her body low, staying on her knees as elbows as she continued to move. Her body ached more than she previously thought, her biceps throbbed and her knees stung as the small scraps that the rough ground under her gave her beaded with drops of blood. She stopped for a second or so, catching her breath while lifting her head to peak over the thick blanket of fog just to see if by chance she had gotten close enough to the cabin to make a run for it. She could see the tip of the slanted roof. It was a beacon of light in this hellish darkness.  She ran toward the cabin in reckless abandon. This was her only chance, one straight sprint would get her there. With her mouth open, gasping for air, she pushed her legs to carry her to safety. The distance disappeared beneath her feet. 100 yards melted into 50, into 25, she could make out the door, it was still gaping from her frenzied scramble. Y/N could already feel the tears of relief stinging at the corners of her eyes, a small hysterical giggle fell from her mouth. 

Jaebum licked his lips as his darling took off again. They were much closer to the cabin now. He followed, whizzing through trees, catching branches with his claws. The scent of Y/N’s tears cut through her feeble camouflage. He could see the top of her head as she dashed for their door. A growl rumbled in Jaebum’s chest as he closed in on Y/N, the hunt was over. He descended upon her quickly wrapping his arms around her chest and hips. 

Y/N felt the air leave her lungs when those hands wrapped around her frame. Time slowed to a crawl- her eyes focused on the door, as she was lifted off the ground. Just a little farther. She was so close. She hadn’t heard him behind her, was sure that he was still searching in the other direction. A screech ripped itself from her throat as she struggled to get away from Jaebum, she wasn’t going to die here.

Y/N’s wail rung in Jaebum’s ears. As much as he liked hearing her scream, he’d preferred when it entailed his name. The way his sweetling struggled in his arms made him all the more aroused. The scent of his own heady lust rubbing against Y/N’s scent made Jaebum groan. The chase was complete and he’d caught his little prey. Her heart was pummeling her ribcage as they stood there.

“Baby, it’s just me,” Jaebum rasped, nipping at her jaw and rubbing his hand along her waist. “It’s just me…”

Y/N’s only retort was a broken whimper as she went lax in his arms. Her muscles burned and her head was cloudy with exhaustion. The werewolf continued to soothe his beloved the best he could. He’d gone a little overboard and scared the daylights out of her. Gently, he rotated Y/N, picked her up and proceeded back to the cabin. Her breaths deepened as curled into Jaebum for warmth. His chest puffed out as he strut through the cabin door. The heat in the house had all but dissipated, leaving a chill in the air. Jaebum closed the door with a swift kick. 

The washroom was designed in a “honeymoon suite” style  Most things were overwhelmingly opulent and plated in gold. The smell of water stained metal assaulted Jaebum’s nose, its sharp scent making the werewolf scrunch up his face. A gargantuan standing tub sat along the far wall, its sleek minimalist design made it every so slightly less tacky Jaebum thought. Y/N stirred in his arms as he deposited the both of them on the plush foot mat in front of the tub.  Carefully, he removed her tattered clothing as he looked over every bruise and scratch. Her knees had garnered a couple scrapes as did her hands and feet. Her ankle felt a bit swollen in his hand but nothing a hot bath and an ACE bandage couldn’t fix.  Heat rose up on the back of his neck and settled in his cheeks. He’d let his instincts get the best of him. Even now, the soft scent of earth and the sweat that clung to Y/N’s skin made his head fuzzy.

Y/N could smell lavender and chamomile, her favorite soap. The sound of sloshing waters reached her ears next. Was she dead? The last thing she could remember was Jaebum catching her right before she reached the door. Slowly she peeled open her eyes to see what she believed to be the afterlife, only to find herself in her bathroom. A pair of broad shoulders- Jaebum’s shoulder’s blocked her view of everything but the ceiling.

“You’re up, that’s good. I was starting to get worried,”  Jaebum began, “I ran you a bath, it’s got some witch hazel, and all that other stuff you use in it.” The sound of Y/N’s heart clanging in her chest made Jaebum grip the edge of the edge of the tub.“I’m not going to hurt you, despite what you may think. I-I should apologize. I chased you when you weren’t ready and that wasn’t fair. Let me help you into the tub and I’ll let you be.”

Y/n shivered as Jaebum scooped her naked form off the floor and set her in the tub. The small grains of Epson salt washed against her arms and sank between her toes. Water lapped at her wounds as she set her head back on the edge of the tub. Her eyes wandered to where Jaebum shuffled about, gathering the remnants of her dirty clothing. He’d yet to look her in the eye, or explain what exactly happened.

“J-Jae, what happened out there?” Y/N questioned mousily, sinking deeper into the comforting warmth of her bath.

Stopping just before reaching the door, Jaebum sighed, running his fingers from his shaggy jet black hair as he attempted to think of the best way to explain everything to her, but he couldn’t think of anything. He just needed to tell her the truth, the whole truth- no matter how bizarre it sounded. As he opened his mouth to speak, he found his words caught in his throat. He began to fear that she would run out of his life and he’d lose her forever. 

“I’ll explain everything if you really want me to, but..” He began, turning back ever-so-slightly as his voice trailed off for a moment. “..but I just need to know you won’t run away from me afterward.” 

Her heart instantly ached as he sensed the intense fear that radiated off him. In a way, it seemed more intense than the terror she felt in the woods.  “Tell me,” Y/n boldly replied, her eyes climbing up his toned figure as he turned to face her completely; their gazes locking. “I need to know what happened. I swear I won’t ever run from you, but I need to know. I felt like I was going to die out there..” 

Y/n’s eyes stayed glued on her boyfriend, just watching as he made his way over to her. His eyes flickering up and down; from you back to the floor. He was so handsome it made her heart flutter and body ache for him. It was so hard to believe that he was the predator that chased her through the forest just moments before.  Jaebum sighed, as he knelt beside the tub. His arms resting on the edge, then laying his head against them. 

“I’m, obviously, not a hundred percent human.” He said, still avoiding eye contact with her. “I come from a long line of others like me, but I guess that’s not what you want to know right now…” 

As his voice anxiously trailed off, her hand slowly rose from the water. “Just tell me what happened to you tonight..” She sweetly replied, gently running her slender fingers through his untamed hair. “This has never happened before, why now?” 

That honey-sweet smile of his appeared the second he felt your comforting touch. “Well, we live in Seoul. I guess my senses were just really dulled by the smog and the number of people constantly around us, but being here-” He immediately began, relaxing into the palm of your hand as your nails raked against his scalp. “-being here just heightened it all. It makes me feel everything that I’m normally not able to.” 

“Well then,” She said, his vague words only fueling her curiosity. “What are you feeling? Or better yet... What feeling had you acting so damn nuts?” His soft smile gradually dissipated as he once again searched for his words. 

“I- I’m..” Jae stuttered, finding confidence and comfort in your caress. “I’m in heat, y/n. I didn’t know it until we got here though- until we laid together. I could just feel this intense need to mate consume me the more I sensed how fertile you were. It was fucking maddening, and it still is, but after the scare I gave you…” Slowly he turned, pressing his cheek into your palm before planting apologetic kisses from the center to your wrist. “...but after the scare I gave you I’m trying my hardest to contain myself.” 

Her thumb gently brushed against his cheekbone, watching as his pillowy lips continued to plant the sweetest of apologies up her arm. Biting her lower lip, she began to feel this attraction- this need inside her coil up as Jae’s enticing words filled her head. 

“Why?..” She faintly began, scooting closer to him. “Why didn’t you just explain all of this to me before?” 

Jaebum huffed, shrugging as he finally locked eyes with her, “I was just really scared I’d lose you. That you’d be completely freaked out about who- what I really am, and you’d run off and find someone, ya know, normal.” 

Y/N’s eye softened at his admission. Truthfully, she couldn’t blame him. Anyone normal would probably have run for the hills. His eyes were still the gorgeous mahogany they’d always been. Rich in color and depth, they always drew her in. His lips were a rosy pink, shapely with perfect cupid’s bow. The two moles above his eye and just below his eyebrow remained, a favorite place to lay soft kisses. Y/N’s body warmed at the thought of kisses, particularly Jaebum’s kisses. They never failed to be sensual and arousing.  Jae’s groans and gentle nips on her throat pulled Y/N from her thoughts.

“What are you thinking about,” Jaebum let out another throaty whine “baby, please yo-you smell fantastic.

Jae leaned over the edge of the tub and sucked at the juncture of Y/N’s throat and shoulder. He knew he should stop, he didn’t want to scare her again but it was too much. Her heady scent filled the bathroom and Jaebum happily drowned in it. Their hands gently began to explore one another. Jae’s calloused fingertips tenderly drew hearts against her glistening breasts, lightly pinching and tugging at her pert nipples. 

“Y/n, babygirl..” He hungrily purred, his warm breath brushed against the crook of your neck; sending chills down your spine. “I want you so badly. I want to feel you from the inside-” His words seemed to grow frantic, desperate, as your nails dragged across his toned chest and your delicate whimpers left your redden lips.  “I need you, princess..” His tone turned into a deep growl while he slowly rose from his spot beside the tub. “I can’t take it anymore..” 

Y/n’s eyes fixated on him as he hooked his fingers around the hem of his shirt, pressing her thighs together as he pulled the offensive material off in a quick motion before getting to work on his jeans. Within seconds he was naked and stepped into the tub with her; wedging himself between her legs. 

“Come here..” He hummed through gritted teeth, pulling her up onto his lap. His large hands tightly held her hips as her heat grazed his hardening member. “You’re so beautiful-” He mewled, pressing his lips against her supple breasts while his arms began to snake around her waist. “I just want to destroy you, and fill you up..” 

Lust automatically clouded every part of her mind, it consumed her until nothing was left. His sinful words seemed to entrance her, and his touch had her body craving more. 

Her hips instinctively rocked against his manhood, filling the room with a lewd mix of their sounds. “Do it..” She whimpered, resting her head against his shoulder; gasping as he bucked up towards her wanting heat. “Use me, Jae… Fuck me any way you want, I just want you to use me.” 

Jaebum couldn’t help but to chuckle at his princess’ request, “You shouldn’t say that, little one,” He faintly warned, nipping at her collarbone gradually making his way down her chest. “I’ll lose control, again. I don’t want to scare you..” 

Y/n halted her movements while lifting her head off his shoulder, her dilated eyes scanned his face- admiring the way his lips pressed together in an attempt to contain the starved predator inside him. Leaning down, her lips stayed less than an inch away from his as she rested her forehead against his. Their wet bodies stayed entangled in one another causing the tension between them to intensify. 

His hands trailed up her back, grazing the nape of her neck before gripping her hair. “I want you to though,” She murmured before delicately kissing the corners of his mouth. “Lose control, my love… Mate with me..” 

Mate with me.. The instant those words left her lips, he could feel the heat inside him become a wildfire. His fingertips pressed into your scalp before his blunt nails raked down her back. Without a word he flipped the script, next thing Y/N knew, her back was against the tub, legs wrapped around his waist.  

Jaebum grasped his manhood at its base while running the tip along her slit, adoring the way her mouth opened as faint whines broke free. He wanted nothing more than to just slam his lengthy member deep inside her and feel her sweet, intoxicating warmth. Y/n had a fun little idea of her own, a less frightening version of their previous game. 

“N- Not yet, babe..” She airily stuttered, untangling her legs from around him- gradually rising from the water. “First,” she impishly smirked, feeling his prying eyes fixate on her figure as she stepped out of the tub; grabbing one of the many fluffy white towels, wrapping it around herself. “First, you’ll have to find me.” 

Jaebum stared stunned as Y/N dashed from the bathroom, faint giggles trailing behind her. A growl emanated from his chest, she was going to get it, one way or another. Her scent filled the cabin, top to bottom, it would be a little more difficult to find her inside.

He crept along the bedroom wall listening for any sign of Y/N. The television hummed in the background, muting the noise of outside.  His heart leapt in his chest, she was somewhere close, he could still feel her warmth.

“Baby, where are you,” Jaebum called out, honey dripping from his words. He waited for a shuffle, a giggle, anything and only received silence. He had to laugh a the situation. How could she have hidden herself so well? A smile carved its way into Jaebum’s face as a plan formed in his mind.

“Sweetie,” he drawled, “When I find you, and I will, I’m going to take you on our bed in every position you can think of… and then some. Can’t you see it? Your legs wrapped around my face as I slide my tongue over your clit. I know you love it when I spell my name.”

Jaebum spoke of the nastiest thing to get Y/N riled up enough to pinpoint her heartbeat. Instead, he was gifted with the sound of a faint moan and scent of her soaking heat. Jaebum quietly tiptoed to the panel being the bedroom door. They’d noticed it when they first arrived but didn’t think too much of it. It was colored like the rest of the wall but, jutted out just a bit. He crouched in front of it and felt along the edges until he found the latch. He jingled it a few times, pretended to miss it with his nails just to keep Y/N’s heart rate up.

She knew her boyfriend was playing her for a fool as he jingled the small latch. His grumbles were laced with husky laughter and thickened with lust. Still she hoped he would just open the tiny door and take her like he’d promised. The throbbing between her legs came faster and harder as she thought about his words from moments before. Images of them sweaty and tangled flashed before her eyes. Jaebum would be grinding into her slowly, watching as she came around him again.  Y/N’s eyes would roll back as he fucked her through an orgasm and straight into another one.

The latch came open promptly. Y/N squinted as she readjusted to the light in the bedroom. Jaebum kneeled in front of the hole, staring at her with a smirk on his mouth. “Found ya.”

Wordlessly, Y/N removed herself from the crawlspace and dropped her towel. The time for games was over. Circling her arms around Jaebum’s neck she whispered, “Take what you want. Give me what I need.”

Jaebum pulled her naked flesh flush against him as he bent his head to kiss her. He ran his tongue along the seam of her lips, teasing. The feeling of her fingers tangling in the hair at the base of his neck pushed Jaebum over the edge. He opened her mouth with his own and kissed her deeply. He nipped at her lips, licked into her mouth making Y/N groan into his kisses. Jaebum took his time, gave her sensuality as he rubbed his hands along her ass.

“That’s my girl,” Jaebum panted between kisses, “all wet and ready for me.” His hands traveled over Y/N body smoothing fingertips on every crevice and expanse of skin. Jaebum moved his hand between them to feel Y/N’s core. The werewolf groaned into his lover’s neck, “Oh fuck, you're dripping down your legs. Baby, let me taste you.”

Jaebum's words had Y/N clenching around nothing. Y/N’s flush had grown, covering her face and chest. She was melting at the feel of his hands. He palmed her pussy, making her even more drenched. The empty feeling inside was maddening. Y/N ground down in feeble hopes that at least one finger would slip inside of her. 

That pompous grin of his sprawled across his face as he watched her desperate attempts to find some friction. His tongue licked along her throat up to the side of her face, “You’re so fucking needy for me, baby,” He groaned, curling his fingers just enough to drive her wild. “Look at you grinding your sweet little cunt against my hand like a bitch in heat.” 

His words were dangerously sexy, every single one that left his kiss-swollen lips, left Y/n dying for more.   “Pl-Please don’t tease me anymore, Jae..” She whimpered, her lips quivered while still rocking her hips. “I’ll fucking explode if I don’t have you inside me soon.” 

“Is that so?” He asked, tilting his head ever-so-slightly as his sharp gaze burned holes into her heated body. Without warning, he retracted his hand from her core then gripped the backs of your thighs- lifting her in a fluid motion.   He tightly held her in his arms, walking towards the bed. “Then, maybe I’ll give you what you want,” He lowly added, tossing her down onto the mattress. “Only after I have a taste.” 

Grabbing her ankles, he harshly yanked her towards the edge of the bed. “Mhmm, your scent is so fucking intoxicating..” He purred, pressing his lips against her inner ankle slowly inching his way down her calf; stopping just as he reached her thigh. His blunt canines scraped along her alert flesh, “I’m going to fuck you until you can’t take it anymore, then once I’m done I’m going to pump you full of my cum. I want it dripping out of this pretty little pussy..” 

Y/N moaned at the mental image. She knew Jaebum would be true to his word. He tossed her legs over each shoulder and bent forward, taking a broad tongue to Y/N’s pussy. The heat of his mouth pushed Y/N closer to the edge of orgasm. She propped herself up to see Jaebum staring at her as he gave a particularly savage suck to her clit.

“Still with me baby,” Jaebum chuckled into Y/N thigh. 

“O-Oh God! Jae, please no more,” Y/N begged, “Fuck me.”

Jaebum snarled at the neediness in her voice. It drove him completely insane. He wished he could verbalize how the scent of her arousal made him dizzy with desire, how he swung between wanting to devour her forever and fucking her full of his cum. He opted to continue lapping at her cunt. Y/N’s screams and moans were the sweetest music to his ears. She thrashed about trying to escape the sensation of Jaebum licking into her. He held her still with a forearm as he stroked her insides with his other hand.

“I can feel you clenching around my fingers. Cum for me, Y/N,” Jaebum rasped.

The coil in Y/N abdomen unfurled rapidly. Her back arched off the bed with the intensity of her orgasm. She keened as euphoria washed over her, “Ah! Yes! I- I’m coming~.” 

Jaebum lifted her limp body back onto the bed crawling in right behind her. The hunger in his eyes was illuminated by their changing color. His once deep brown eyes had become a luminescent gold. He smirked at Y/N’s awed expression, crawling over her. 

“Here, let me help you,” Jaebum murmured placing soft pecks on Y/N’s collarbones. He rubbed his hands over her breasts thinking of how swollen the would be when she was pregnant with their children. His dick twitched at the thought. He swirled a rough tongue around one nipple and then the other. Y/N groaned as he lapped at her chest. The wet heat of his mouth and the roughness of his tongue had her ready to cum again. 

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as the empty feeling came back. She’d decided to take control and pulled Jaebum up from his ministrations by his hair.

“I said, fuck me.” She aggressively mewled. 

Jaebum’s face broke out into a crooked, sinister smile. “Of course, Angel. I just need to on your hands and knees.”

Y/N eagerly flipped over, pushing her ass out and wiggling it taunting what she believed to be the man behind her. Little did she know he’d been replaced with a feral beast. Jaebum admired the woman before him The curve of her hips looked like made for his hands. 

“God-” He snarled as a hefty growl erupted from his throat. “I love seeing you like this…” 

His hands automatically ran up her sides, grazing her breasts before moving back down to her bum. 

Smack! 

His hand harshly connected with her ass causing Y/N’s to jolt forward- her pained whines filled the room as he struck her again and again. 

Smack! Smack! 

As his short assault came to an end, he bent over and peppered sloppy kisses against the afflicted area. “Mhmm you’re ass always looks so pretty bright red, babygirl..” He snickered while lifting one foot onto the bed; preparing to fuck her like never before. “How badly do you want my cock?” He jeered, gripping his thick member at its base. Lining it up with her sopping entrance, he repeated his question, “How badly do you want it, baby? Hm?” 

The tears that threatened to break free before poured from her eyes. She couldn’t take his teasing any longer. “I want it so fucking badly- I need it..” She huffed, perking her ass nice and high- wiggling it once more in an attempt to entice him further. “Please, Jae, I want to feel your cock stretch me out and your cum fill me up. Please, I’m be-” 

Before she could even finish her plea, Jae started off easing the tip of his swollen manhood inside her tight velvet. As he sunk deeper into her, the two of them harmonized with relief filled sighs. Saying they simply wanted this was an understatement, they needed this. He didn’t even give her a second to adjust to his size before he began savagely pounding into her. Part of him wanted this to be gentle and sweet, but his animalistic side just couldn’t hold back any longer. The sound of slapping skin echoed off the walls with each thrust. His fingers dug into Y/N’s sides as his grip began to slip. 

Y/N/s eyes squeezed shut as she took each of his beastly thrusts. Her mouth hung open with moans and pleas spilling forth continuously. She begged for Jaebum to keep going, to fill her to the brim with cum.  

Jaebum leaned over Y/N panting into her ear, “ Mine.” She nodded, turning her head to the side to make eye contact, “Yours.”

Y/N watched as his eyes glowed brighter still.  As Jaebum pumped into her his words began to fade into growls and snarls. Every slam was punctuated with the word ‘mine.’  His thrust became sloppy, untimed and overwhelming for Y/N. Her body sat on a razor’s edge, moments away from coming again. Her arms wobbled from the effort of keeping her steady and with one hard push she was face first into the mattress.

The depth of this new angle had Y/N screaming to the heavens. Jaebum continued his loud groaning while snapping his hips faster. In the haze of his lust, Jaebum could feel his own orgasm reaching its apex. The tingle in his spine became a shiver as it licked over his back and into his groin. Y/N clamped down on him making them both sigh. His hair stuck to his face as sweat rained from his forehead and slicked his chest. 

“You're going to look so good filled with babies, Y/N. Oh shit, that's it baby squeeze me. Take all of my cum,” Jaebum roared. His orgasm was white lightning snapping through his body. His eyes rolled back as he fucked through the feeling. 

The feeling of Jaebums seed sinking into her body tipped Y/N over the edge. She hollered into her fist, “Yes, Jae! Fucking fill me. You fuck me so good~”

Jae’s panting snarls and weakened grunts filled the room as a euphoric air swirled around the two of them. Soft hisses left him as her cunt continued to spasm around his member, milking him of every last drop of his warm cum. 

“F- Fuck..” He airily purred, licking his lips as he watched her trembling body still before slowly pulling his cock out of her. Another groan escaped him as he watched strings of her juices and his cum connect his member to her entrance. “Mhmm,” He hummed, collapsing onto the bed before pulling her into his arms. 

His feral side automatically dissipated and his gestures became sweet again. His free hand tenderly ran up her thighs, ghosting over her mound before finally resting against her lower tummy. “I didn’t hurt you too badly, did I?” 

Shaking her head, Y/n snuggled into his arms; resting her head against his toned, reddened chest. “Not uh..” She weakly muttered, relaxing at the feeling his rubbing her stomach. 

“Good,” He chuckled, kissing each high point of her face as that impish smirk of his returned. “Now get some rest, my love. We’ll be mating again tomorrow,” He purred, laying one last peck on her lips, “as well every day after that until we go home, so you’ll need your energy.”

[jakelace]

2017 IN FILM - FINALE (TOP 10)

10. Molly’s Game

“I was raised to be a champion. My goal was to win. At what and against whom, those were just details.”

Let’s not beat around the bush on this one. My love for this film comes almost exclusively from my love for Aaron Sorkin’s dialogue. Sorkin’s quick-witted way of writing is certainly not realistic by any stretch of the imagination, but allows for great lines and a thrilling way of telling a true to life story that might otherwise come off as a bit bland. Molly’s Game follows Molly Bloom (expertly portrayed by Jessica Chastain) who became a target of the FBI after running an underground poker game for years. It’s a truly larger than life story, which, knowing Sorkin’s penchant for twisting facts for a better story, probably is. But in the moment that doesn’t matter. I was fully engrossed by the fast paced dialogue, the top-notch performances, and the thrilling pacing of this outstanding story.

9. The Disaster Artist

“Greg, you have to be the best. You have to be the best you can be. And never give up.”

When I first heard that a film was being made all about the making of one of the best so-bad-it’s-good films ever made, I was on board. Although I would have never predicted the end product would be something so inspirational. The Disaster Artist follows Greg Sestero who, after meeting the infamous Tommy Wiseau, moves to Los Angeles to star in The Room. While the comedy and performances surrounding this retelling of a cinema-changing event are certainly very well done, it’s the inspiration I found in Wiseau that made me love this film. It’s easy to laugh along at The Room for its utter incompetence as an example of the entire medium, but when I took a step back to look at the passion and love for this story that Wiseau so obviously had, and his uncompromising dedication to making sure his directorial vision shone through, I began to see the man behind the film in a much different light, and one that inspired me to ‘be the best I can be. And never give up.’ ‘What a story, Mark!’...okay, I’m done now.

8. The Big Sick

“I’m guessing it’s a young, single Pakistani woman who just happened to be driving by our house, which is on a cul-de-sac.”

I shouldn’t have waited to watch The Big Sick as long as I did. It became instantly clear as soon as the credits began to roll that this would become the new standard that all romantic comedies are held to. Kumail Nanjiani’s performance is one of the most hilarious and heart-breaking of the year as he plays himself in a dramatization of the time Emily V. Gordon, Nanjiani’s girlfriend at the time, went into a medically induced coma with a mysterious disease. The writing is what really stands out here, with the entirety of it being written by Gordon and Nanjiani themselves. The laugh-out-loud moments mixed with the emotionally moving plot, affected me in a way few films have, making this one of the greatest rom-coms to ever exist. Oh, also, Holly Hunter is hilarious in this.

7. Get Out

“Now you’re in the sunken place.”

Get Out’s position has fluctuated the most out of any other film this year. Unsurprisingly though, it has always stayed quite high. Jordan Peele’s debut film is one that even veteran directors would be proud to have made, considering there are so few movies that even come close to how clever this film is in both its horror and social commentary. Every frame is so jam-packed with details that, though they may feel arbitrary at the time, provide us with a deeper look at characters, their motivations, and even their deeper psychology. Every moment is important with no time being wasted. Every performance (especially Daniel Kaluuya’s) is layered and nuanced with excellent characterizations. Get Out is a horror masterpiece that I am certain will be looked back on with the highest regards in years to come.

6. Star Wars: The Last Jedi

“Let the past die. Kill it, if you have to.”

I would have never guessed that putting a Star Wars film this high on an end of the year list would warrant so much controversy, but here we are. While I can understand a few of the complaints surrounding a few moments in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, I honestly cannot wrap my head around calling this an objectively bad film. It is quite possibly the most expertly shot and cleverly written film in the entire franchise, and the directions Rian Johnson decided to steer the franchise are some of the most exciting yet. It takes everything we thought we wanted out of a follow up to The Force Awakens and turns it on its head. It delivers wonderful characters to us, both new like Rose Tico, and old like Luke Skywalker. Most importantly, it gives me a story that makes me proud to be such a fan of a galaxy far, far away. Also, I’m now a huge fan of the space battles. I’m not really sure when or how that happened.

5. The Killing of a Sacred Deer

“A surgeon never kills a patient. An anesthesiologist can kill a patient, but a surgeon never can.”

Once again this year, we have another Colin Farrell led Yorgos Lanthimos film as my number five film of the year. While The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a different genre than last year’s The Lobster, his truly unique style of direction and dialogue remains. Lanthimos is a master at creating the cinematic feeling of an idyllic utopia, whilst making nearly every moving part feel off at the same time. His style is very ‘uncanny valley’ in that way, and while that may turn people off from his films, I can’t help but be glued to the screen. I was riveted by his off-kilter method of storytelling and his purposefully wooden dialogue. Farrell gives another great performance here, with Nicole Kidman stealing the show as she injects a small amount of actual emotion and fear into the picture. For those looking for something unconventional and disconcerting out of their cinema, I can’t recommend The Killing of a Sacred Deer enough.  

4. Dunkirk

“If we go there we’ll die.”

Dunkirk is, without a doubt, Christopher Nolan’s most masterfully crafted film. Inception may still stand as my favorite, but when it comes to the sheer skill and effort on display, it’s nearly impossible to see this as anything less than a technical masterpiece. Nolan’s knack for creating emotional moments, intense heart-pounding action sequences, and non-linear stories perfectly works its way into the setting of World War 2, while also introducing me to an inspiring story I had never heard before. And yes, I still like to call this Anxiety: The Movie. If you’d like to read more of my thoughts on Nolan’s magnum opus, you can do so here.

3. Baby Driver

“The moment you catch feelings is the moment you catch a bullet.”

Though I don’t normally set up my rankings with subcategories in mind, if I did, Baby Driver would win Best Soundtrack without a single hesitation. Edgar Wright’s creative vision for this music-based heist film is absolutely stellar. Each scene is interwoven with music of all different sorts of genres and time-periods, with each of the heists and action sequences in the film playing out in-time with each song. It’s honestly a marvel that it was done this expertly. From the very opening scene I was smiling ear-to-ear and tapping my foot along with every backbeat and wheel-screech I could hear. Baby Driver, though fairly played-out in its story, survives and even thrives on the style that is oozing out of every frame. Edgar Wright is a directorial genius, and I can’t wait to see what he has up his sleeve next. Oh, and it you didn’t want to drive around listening to John Spencer Blues Explosion’s “Bellbottoms” directly after listening to this...you’re lying.

2. A Ghost Story

“I don’t think they’re coming.”

Rooney Mara eats an entire pie for four and half minutes in this film, and I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t bawling with every bite she took. That’s just A Ghost Story for you though. By the time the credits began to roll my face hurt because of how long I had been ugly crying. Though I’m certain not everyone will have this strong of a reaction to the film, David Lowery’s deeply introspective film about loss and the inability to stop time from slipping through our fingers struck a massive chord with me. Every small motion, every flashback to happier times, and every major life event that flashes by left me emotionally devastated. It tapped into my own personal fears about love and legacy and whether or not we’ll be remembered when we pass, all the while providing one of the most compelling stories about the supernatural using barely any dialogue at all. A Ghost Story is a fantastically made and deliberately paced film that will haunt me for years to come...sorry, that pun was just too easy.

1. Lady Bird

“Don't you think maybe they are the same thing? Love and attention?”

Here we are, my number one favorite film of 2017. It’s been a long time coming, and we’ve discussed many other great films from the year, but in the end it could have only been Lady Bird, couldn’t it? There’s a certain undeniable love and connection I feel to coming of age films, and Greta Gerwig’s semi-autobiographical masterpiece is no exception to that. Lady Bird follows a young woman (Saoirse Ronan) in her last year of high-school as she struggles to make a place for herself in the world. Ronan is an absolute delight as Lady Bird and has a chance to show her range as one of the greatest up-and-coming actresses through outstanding comedy and emotionally heartfelt moments. It’s honestly hard for me to describe what it is I love about this film so much though. Like most coming of age films, everything I took from Lady Bird feels so personal to me. Gerwig’s writing is so uncannily realistic and resonant in my life because she is able to capture the wild absurdity of growing up while also handling complex issues and relationships in such interesting ways and through her weaving of nostalgia and comedy, she creates one of the greatest films about growing up that I have ever seen. I don’t want to spoil any larger character moments or fantastically written emotional climaxes, so I will leave you all with something I can say with the utmost confidence. Lady Bird is one of the few film experiences that everyone should have. 

[laceygreymist]

Flight

(( The last I could find of these old backstory posts (for now, at least!). Featuring @athenaiea-dawnshadow‘s Rael’than/Raeyth once more. ))

The young woman ran barefoot across the carpeted corridor, heedless of the way in which its plush surface transformed into a layer of fire beneath her blistering feet. She was aware of very little save for the stinging of her lungs and the acrid taste of smoke and fear on her tongue. It gripped every surface and every soul of the Crimsondawn estate, crushing the desperate residents in its skeletal fingers and scattering them like dead leaves across the yard.

Behind her, down the sandy path outside the gardens and through the sea of faces twisted in horror, she knew her loved ones waited at the docks along with the band of serving girls she had been with when the news broke. Her father had been hastily preparing the rickety rowboat that tugged precariously at its tether as if it too sought escape, and though her mother had begun to protest, she had given her little chance to before she’d stolen away. I’ll be right back.

She burst into the blur of grey that was the dormitory room she shared with the others, and tore towards the small, single cot ahead of her, immediately tearing through the bedding until her fingers found purchase on the edge. And there it was....tucked beneath her thick, straw mattress, the small trove of treasures she sought lay waiting just where she’d left it. The dented tin felt cool in her hands, even as relief fluttered warm in her chest at its retrieval. It was all that remained from before.

Breakfast in the Greymist household had ever been marked by smiles that rivaled the sun itself for their brightness, even if they often took place before the jewel of the Thalassian horizon had risen for the day. The inhabitants of their coastal hamlet were, for the most part, fishermen by trade, and were typically up before daybreak and out upon the tangerine sea long before it finally gave way to its impossibly clear green.

The careful stitches that drew a dark, curving mouth for the rag-doll likewise smiled at her from its perch beside her bowl one morning. Large button eyes reflected in their flat, polished black, the exuberant smile she wore as they quietly insisted upon her affection.

It was made out of the same peach-coloured linen that had fashioned the apron her mother wore then, long before her attire consisted of finer fabrics chosen specifically by their Lord. Ylaise had worn it down to the shore, tucked into the front of her loose-fitting sundress as she mimicked the way she’d always seen the village women wear their babies close to their bodies. The lump of a doll had dangled awkwardly there as she’d skipped along the docks to watch the fishermen preparing their nets for another day’s work.

A loud crack, followed by a shrill, piercing scream drove her from the room, and she scrambled out into the hallway again, only to find her original path blocked by a heavy, fallen beam. Thick, black smoke rolled towards her like the incoming tide, threatening to steal the very breath from her lungs, and forcing her to run in the opposite direction. The docks. I have to get back to the docks. They’re waiting for me... all waiting...

Somewhere in the distance, over the roar of chaos and her own ragged breaths, she thought she heard what sounded like... laughter, but almost before it registered, cold steel clamped tightly around her throat and propelled her backwards.

Her head did not ricochet off the wall, instead taking the full force of it against the back of her skull and remaining there as she struggled to coax the blurred shape before her into focus. She groaned, or at least it felt as though she did as she scrambled instinctively to push back against her sudden bonds. But she couldn’t move... and as her box of treasures slid from her grasp, clattering noisily against the floor, she at last saw what held her.

She recognized the long, haggard face hovering inches from her own as belonging to one of the guards. One, in fact, that had, years earlier, been punished severely for beating his own friend beyond recognition over some supposed betrayal. Cold steel in the form of his massive hand around her throat held her firmly in place.

“Like th’lynx, Ylaise...”

Her fingers struggled in vain to clutch the hilt of her dagger, strapped tightly to her thigh, while words like poison dripped from his lips. They stank of booze and a hatred that burned her nostrils, as the man slid another hand down her belly. “You want to fly away, little bird? How about I clip your wings for you, instead? You can stay here with me.”

She bared her teeth, struggling against him and attempting to swing her knee upwards, but his body was against her, every bit a cage she could only flutter frantically about as the world began to grow dark. Horrifyingly, her struggle only seemed to widen the sickening grin the man wore, and when he leaned in against her, the hand around her throat tightening, her stomach churned at the touch of his breath, festering hot against her sylvan ear. He all but spat at her, and she could only gurgle softly by way of reply. “I know what you did--”

Just a drop, to induce a redness in the lips and cheeks. Any more than that, and...

What she’d done.

Her mother’s face came glaringly to mind, the night after her mishap during their dance. Her lovely features had been set in a mummer’s mask with eyes that carried false longing in their depths. The elder woman looked in her prime, blessed with the type of beauty that the years could only admire from afar. She had been meticulously swathed in sheer chiffon, with touches of lavender oil shimmering strategically between her breasts, and along the dip of her collarbones. Lips that appeared set in an ever-knowing smile had been painted a pretty rose colour that belied her age, lending a sense of innocence to a woman whose existence had long since seen anything but.

Then, too, her father’s stony countenance, staring without really seeing into the void that once occupied his wife’s familiar, dancing silhouette. Their Lord Crimsondawn had taken her to his chambers that night, and almost every night thereafter, for the two months that followed. Starting sometime around then, the crisp scent of the sea she had ever associated with her father was all but eclipsed by the pungent stench of rum. After the birth of her sister, it seemed to sweat from his pores.

What she’d done.

She heard the wet squelch a split second before the man’s head tipped back, his mouth no longer spewing venom, as it contorted into a misshapen ‘O’. His eyes bulged horrifically within his gargoyle’s face, as thick, dark blood trickled forth from his lips in the wake of his hatred.

Rael’than.

Seconds waded past, and she bore silent witness as his strength ebbed with the last sluggish beats of his heart, until the hand around her throat slid away at last. There came another wet slide of blade moving seamlessly through flesh and the guard’s body fell limply to the floor.

Red-faced and rattled, she likewise sank downward, her knees giving way at last in the wake of his steely hold. She moved strictly on instinct then, conscious of the familiar presence moving nearby as she rescued the tin box from the viscous pool that spread from beneath the guard’s lifeless body. By the time she had the lid back in place, her colour had gradually returned to normal, only to darken once more with a flush of red-hot anger when she looked up from her task. “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be with the others!”

He knelt beside her, gently taking her arm in his perpetually warm hand, and she felt his pale, mismatched eyes delve searchingly into her.

“Are you hurt?” he murmured, and his voice sounded strangely hollow to her ears.

...First stars began to blink into existence as a veritable sea of twinkling lights burst into view overhead- all of which went largely unnoticed as she brushed warm, yearning lips against the curve of his ear. "I’m ready...”

“I’m fine,” came her distracted reply. Her verdant green eyes narrowed slightly as they sought to make sense of what they found written in the pale countenance she knew so well. The little Ghost Boy had grown into a wraith of a man, tall and lean, with faint traces of stubble already shading the strong line of his jaw. He, of course, remained as pallid as ever before beneath his crown of unruly ginger hair- a lifetime spent living in shadows etched permanently upon his handsome face. It seemed, in that moment, he was even more devoid of colour than usual, spattered crimson as he was. She pulled her arm from his grasp, turning towards his stark, hollow gaze.

“There’s no time. I only--” she paused, tucking the tin box under her arm anew. “I only came back to get this. They’re all waiting at the docks, Rael...”

There was no trace of their usual banter in his distant reply, none of the playful back and forth that had long since shaped their friendship. His face tilted, eyes lifting skyward as he spoke. “There’s...something I have to do.”

With a huff reminiscent of the girl he’d first met, she snatched up his bloodied hand, rising on unsteady legs and taking him with her. “The Scourge are here, Rael. We have to go- now!”

“I know,” he says so softly she almost misses it. Familiar fingers comb through her hair, brushing the damp strands from her shoulder. “Blaze, please... I have to do this.”

“Do what?!” She found her red, aching throat tighten at the nickname, given to her years earlier when he’d misheard her mother calling her in her thick, lilting brogue. She shook her head, again and again. "They're waiting for us, Rael! I've already taken longer than I should have. I just..." Her voice trailed off as she tightened her grip on his hand, as well as the little box tucked under her arm, only to return with a vengeance in the form of an absolute declaration. “We’re leaving!”

“Blaze, it’s just... something...” he struggled to answer, staggering as she began dragging him shakily away, resisting all the while. She stiffened, spinning around to face him as the meaning behind his words hit home. It felt as though she had a blade lodged in her neck.

“I-If you don’t come now, how will you...” She hated the rise in pitch she heard in her own voice, tremulous with the effort of concealing the sting of emotion that crept into her eyes. From somewhere up ahead, she heard another voice- her given name drifting through the thick smoke and frantic cries of a noble House on its knees.

He said nothing, instead pulling her towards him by their clasped hands until she found herself tucked firmly against the warmth of his body. No... no. What was he saying?! The smell of leather and paint lingered on him, in counterpoint to the darker scents of blood and smoke, as she felt his forehead press lightly against hers, and fingers again in her hair. All she could do was utter a choked sob that drowned out everything else around her.

Time stretched, and what felt like an eternity passed before a single, whispered phrase cut through the roar of her anguish. “I’ll... catch up.” Suddenly, a second pair of hands were on her, these belonging to her father whose terror and anger had rendered him nearly unrecognizable in the chaos that surrounded them. It seemed he was yelling- Move. They had to move. There was no time-- But his words lost all meaning for the trembling thing that his daughter had become.

“I won’t leave you...” she hissed, straining to make out her Ghost Boy’s pale visage through her blurred vision, clutching desperately at his shirt as her father sought to drag her away.

“I’ll find you. I swear.” He was still, a pale pillar of feigned certainty in the crumbling edifice that surrounded them, clinging to her with every ounce of strength that she clung to him. Right up until she was wrenched from his grasp.

“I swear it, Blaze! I lo--”

The blade lodged inside her twisted and was finally pulled free, as the world burned and shook, the aged walls swaying under their rapidly growing burden as smoldering remnants replaced sound structure. Her screams were lost in the clatter of smoke and rubble, as the ceiling caved in between them.