#no idea what they were thinking casting someone so young for her. but besides the point.

[lesbianlenas]

as i’m watching this i’m like why do i want triss to be a lesbian in the show when i romanced her as geralt when i played witcher 3 & now i’m realizing it’s bc i want to date her & that’s why i was ok w her being heterosexual w geralt in witcher 3 bc i was geralt 😭 now that i can’t romance her as him i’m like ok what if she kissed a woman 😳 lmfao….

[berzahoes]

manifestation, baby! | tom blyth

summary: fans find out tom’s girlfriend has an old youtube channel where she reviewed the ballad of songbirds and snakes (and she definitely manifested her life)

an: the way i thought about this idea and quickly wrote it down so i didn’t forget it. i used to have an app that made those fake tweets but i’m just tired to make fake profiles 😭 maybe i’ll change it later idk

for the purpose of this imagine, let’s pretend tbosas book was published between 2017-2019

liked by zeglerslove, 444_bri and 35,377 others

tomblythxsnow apparently tom’s girlfriend has an old youtube channel where she reviews books and she reviewed the ballad of songbirds and snakes and she literally manifested her future 😭

lucymygf WHATTT WHATS HER CHANNEL NAME

tomblythxsnow it’s yn’s book corner. she hasn’t posted since 2019 ngl i need her to review a little life because that book destroyed me

nat76_ omg i used to watch her videos!! i’m still subscribed to her 😭 i remember only buying and reading the books she liked because i wanted to be her so bad

j4ckaszlol “if someone ever makes a movie adaptation of this book and casts someone attractive to play snow then i am sorry for the person i become” REALLLLL

graybairdsmockingjay dude the part where she said “i’m calling it now whoever plays young snow will be my boyfriend. movie studios always cast someone attractive as the younger version of a character!” MY JAW DROPPED SHE NEEDS TO TELL ME HER WAYS

“guess what rachel just sent me.” you heard tom say when he arrived to your shared apartment.

“wedding invitations?!” you gasped as you almost stood up from the sofa since you were watching reruns of criminal minds, but tom stopped you.

“no, it’s better!” tom sat beside you and showed you his phone. “why didn’t you tell me you had a youtube channel?” on his phone screen was your review of the ballad of songbirds and snakes, which had become a very popular video over the past couple of days.

you hid your face with a pillow and groaned. “don’t remind me. i just wanted to talk about my books and my family didn’t care. don’t watch it! it’s embarrassing!”

“i think it’s cute. aw look, your dog made a cameo!” he pointed at your old dog you used to have that walked into the frame.

“indi! no, come sit right here. oh . . . and she’s walking away. okay, anyways.” your younger self said in the video

“indi? why Indi?” tom asked you even though you were still hiding from embarrassment.

“after indiana jones. my dad and i loved those movies and he gifted me indi as a birthday present.” you confessed.

“love, don’t be embarrassed. i think it’s cute that you manifested your life according to the comments on instagram,” tom paused the video then cuddled up to you. “i won’t watch it if you don’t want me to.”

“it’s fine, i just didn’t think anyone would find it. we can watch it together.” you uncovered yourself and sat down properly to watch the video with tom. before he pressed the play button and together you watch your younger self review the book.

“i’ve read all the hunger games books at least four times and this one did not disappoint. but i do hope whoever ends up being cast as young snow is someone hot. i’m sorry it’s the rules! and they will be my boyfriend, i’m calling dibs.”

tom smirked at you. “if only younger you could see you now.”

“she would definitely think ‘wow, how did we pull this beautiful man?’ then be confused as to why the hunger games and fnaf is trending in 2023.”

liked by tomblyth, rachelzegler and 1,377,389 others

ynlovesbooks told ya. love you tomblyth ❤️

rachelzegler she is THAT girl

ynlovesbooks no u

everdeenx12 bestie he’s EVIL

ynlovesbooks he’s a walking red flag but my favorite color is red 😍

chamaletproblems pls tell me how you did this

ynlovesbooks i figured out who they were casting and kept him hostage until he agreed to be my bf

tomblyth true

[sugudoe]

➥ ──── MOMMY MILKERS ‼️ BITCH. ღ

gojo satoru is the greatest mind behind MIB, also know as MU IOTA BETA, although is a inside joke the name Mommy mIlkers Bitch, because he thinks there is a large amount of members with huge breasts. Satoru is filthy rich and spoiled, he was a rainbow baby and an only child for some time, everything he wants he can have. his parents only asked him to go to college for business administration, so one day, gojo’s enterprise can be in his good hands. he doesn’t mind, had no plan of life instead of just enjoying it, but he hopes he can still have a lot of vacations all around the world. that’s actually his favorite thing to do, just get up from the bed and travel. gojo and the MIB were pretty popular on campus, but what took their social medias sky rocketing was the brilliant idea to create a tik tok account for their fraternity, showing their parties and random funny moments. of course, what everyone really wants to see, is their fucking beauty. he is the older adoptive brother of megumi, who is too young for fraternities, but gojo thinks he can bend the rules if megumi wants to get inside (gojo can’t & he doesn’t).

geto suguru is studying graphic designer by his choice, although his parents disagree, they can’t say no to him — after all, they are scared for their son and want him to be happy. truth is, geto and gojo had been best friends since high school, and it’s no secret that suguru tries to hide about his long battle with depression. things are getting better as of lately, specially now that his two younger sisters, mimiko and nanako, are allowed to have a cellphone and had been calling him daily. geto can be found in three different places, besides the MIB’s house — the art room of college, choso’s tattoo parlor and in the garage with sukuna, although for only a few minutes before he himself leave with his bike, that he calls his love. he is the vice-president, and helped gojo with the ideas to create the house, he also is the reason why nanami got inside because suguru knew they would need someone that knows how to be an adult, he got surprised with nanami’s true personality later, but hey, he is doing a good job, no complains. his favorite companions outside of the members are the pets and shoko, he adores her very much, she is also a best friend from high school that cared for him in his most vulnerable depressive episodes.

zen’in toji comes from the respected family zen’in, but unlike his relatives, toji does not give a fuck about reputations and traditions. that has casted him aside, something he is no longer sad about, he actually loves that he can do as he pleases. he study physical education, has always had a talent for fights and training, and likes the idea to be able to teach others some day. his first students was his two little cousins, maki and mai. he used to work as a partial time private trainer, but after tik tok found out, it was getting too uncomfortable with those new clients, so he started to train his friend sukuna and his little brother, yuji, the payment is extraordinary. he has a pitbull puppy named kitana and she is one of the pets at the house, and his pride and joy. he got inside MIB because gojo wanted to have him, toji refused at first, until satoru showed him the private gym of the house and toji was sold right away. he gets weirdly along with megumi whenever the boy comes visit, they bond over their dogs and strangely looking resemblance.

nanami kento is not the MIB’s president, but he stills acts like it, and gojo is more than happy to let him have that unofficial position. gojo makes the parties and pick the box with candidates names, nanami takes care of the expenses and pick the best to get into, to avoid fame seekers and people with bad reputation — some thinks he started that after gojo put sukuna inside the house. nanami takes care of the formal parts, that’s mostly influenced by his finance majoring, he spends most of time inside his room studying or bakery hopping to experiment new pastries. don’t let this take you away from the truth, this man is not a calm, educated and study inclined person, he is half-french and therefore gojo has to be careful, or nanami will start a revolution and put satoru out of the house. he easily gets distracted by his interests and his anger, and since MIB becoming a hit on the internet, he is extremely mad. nanami cares a lot about his private life, he blocked gojo on twitter after satoru quoted kento’s account and he gained a lot of weird followers — he blocked most and went private. nanami is very found of ino, and as the initiation process of complying to the older members’s request, he had to shave his head (suguru demanded as a revenge for cutting his waist long hair to his shoulder) ino was quite sad, but did it, nanami did as well to support the youngest. surprising everyone, because nanami loves his long blonde hair as well. everyone was touched, so gojo cut his as well, kinji dyed on ino’s choosing color (purple) and even sukuna did as well, but red — all was done by kinji’s partner, kirara.

kamo choso is the middle brother of sukuna and itadori, through their shared mother. he is studying computer science, but everyone knows he is doing just to get the degree, give to his mom and go do his own thing — tattoos! ever since high school, he started to work in tattoo shops as receptionists, then he started a course and now he owns his own mini parlor near campus, named garu’s tattoo, because he is often compared with the character (it has absolutely nothing do to with the fact he used to let his younger brother do his hair the same way, everyday for high school). choso doesn’t trust anyone but himself to make his own tattoos, but he folds easily when yuji asks to try, so he has a mini spider-man doing peace signs on his calf. it’s his favorite tattoo. he got into MIB because he started to be friends with his favorite client, geto, and suguru invited him. choso’s mom separated sukuna’s father and got with choso’s dad, then she left and met itadori jin, he accepted all her sons as his, and choso secretly hopes one day jin will adopt him. he likes that MIB went viral because now he has more clients, what he doesn’t like is how everyone views him as a bad boy, when he is clearly a sweetheart.

shiu kong is a transfer student from south korea, and just like nanami, he is majoring in finance, following his dad’s and grandad’s steps. his family is very rich and stoic, but shiu came to the world in a completely different way. he likes to crack jokes, smoke a cigarette every hour, and to make his family hair get white earlier. the last post he has on instagram is a video of him doing hearts, but purposely he posted because it looked like a middle finger. shiu is best friends with everyone, but mostly sukuna and toji, and outside of it he’s friends with shoko and uraume. he thinks it was bound to happen to be a hit on the internet, because of his funny and chaotic way! his twitter is where he shows his true self, actually, the header is his own picture from the day after fucking a neighbor before moving out of the apartment to MIB’s house. it’s been a month and a half and he’s feeling the effects of not getting laid in some time, not because he doesn’t have options, gojo says he wants someone to match his freak while doing a dance — he slapped gojo after that. the reason for he to be in MIB is because he thought it would be funny to piss off his dad, it worked.

hiromi higuruma is the most normal person in the house, which is something to worry about. his free time used to be spend traveling to rural areas of japan, now he stays in the sofa with achilles, his cat. he used his money to make a game room in the house with lots of pool tables and videogame consoles. he likes to bet with everyone, and he keeps winning. talking about that, everyone avoids to argue with him, at first he cared too much and would own all the discussions, specially when he would bring out the projector and show evidence of how he was right — don’t fucking argue with a lawyer. nowadays he is much chill, that’s obviously because he is in exam season and keeps inside the house or library, he left the group chat to focus on his projects and the court hearings he now attends. nanami is the one to send him all the messages he needs to see and to lend his phone in case hiro wants to add something to the chat. hiro was obliged to be part of MIB by his best friend, nanami. oh, the classmate in his twitter’s bio is utahime iori, she doesn’t now his twitter and he doesn’t know hers.

ino takuma is a lucky motherfucker. he is the youngest at the house and the newest member, out of many candidates, nanami chose him, and for that he is eternally grateful for his senior. majoring in history and having a talent for photography, ino likes to be outside all of the time, he takes pictures of every bright thing that seems to copy his happy aura, everyone finds him adorable. nanami tried really hard to keep him away from gojo, but it happened eventually, satoru is the one that matches his freak and they both kept adding fire to the other crazy ideas. they are the ones doing weird challenges and pranks on the tik tok account, and nanami keeps grounding them for it. besides hiro, achilles adores ino and is often on his lap. takuma introduced the movie “house bunny” to the boys once and now gojo wants to have the “sacrifice a virgin” party, after he found out ino is a virgin. he is embarrassed, but still thinks i’ll be awesome to slide down a fake volcano and kiss a pretty girl. . . maybe more.

ryomen sukuna is. . . something. everyone knows that one of the reasons MIB’s tik tok became a hit is thanks to his quick appearance, after all he was already know on social media before, ryomen is a professional boxer, as a way to let his anger issues dissipate and avoid hurting his brothers or friends, he punches sand bags with toji and later, willingly strangers. he is know as “one punch man” because one time he was seriously pissed with his dad, went to the ring and with just one punch, won the fight — he hated it, he needed more punches throw. ryomen is majoring in forensic science, when asked why he says is because he wants to know how to get away with a murder properly, of course he is joking but the stoic face sure scares everyone. adding to his curriculum, he also likes to repair cars, MIB’s garage is filled with everyone’s cars and there is space for sukuna’s three vintage babies, he always finds some problem in them whenever he needs to clear his mind. sukuna’s best friends are uraume, shoko and shiu, because they all don’t give a fuck about his anger issues and treat him normally. he is adored by kinji’s partner, kirara, and he actually adores them as well, but he avoids them because he can’t say no to kira, and they try to make ryomen a model. sukuna is, with choso, the target of people with the “i can change him” mentality, he adores it because it’s fucking funny the desperation. he would rather eat glass than admit, but he’s only in MIB because choso was scared to go alone, and he wants for yuji to come as well when he gets of age, he thinks his younger brother will like it. he is a good brother, he just doesn’t say much, good thing choso and yuji understand him and love him either way.

kinji hakari is the only member who is in a serious relationship, if anything, he is the only one getting any action. he never had any plans of being in college, only following his partner and luckily discovering a talent in fashion school, that was what got gojo satoru’s attention, and he begged for hakari to be part of the MIB. he almost declined, but thought it would be cool, and with his baby’s permission, he accepted. kinji brings more chaos to MIB, he likes to be the cause of his friends headache in the group chat, and also to get blackout drunk in the parties and make out with kirara on every surface. he got a lot of attention on his social media as well, but he does not give a fuck, because he thinks everyone is trying to get into his pants and he is a loyal dog man, so he says no no interactions with anyone besides his friends and love.

✶ 𝐚. 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: all the appearances, are just for reference, there is no fancast just pics with the characters vibes. you can imagine them as you please. but i did edited sukuna’s hair so applause. i know nanami is half danish, but i want the revolutionary gene of france on him. TOJI’s AND GOJO’s ig has miD instead of miB, pretend you didn’t see it, pls.

✶ 𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭: please comment if you would like to be tagged. all the chapters will be linked in this post and with the first tag @minzxec @d3jecteddoll @shuuji71 @emilyywhyy @ducky1232 @mfcherry

[one-green-frog]

Hello! May I request Kanto Mikey with a boyfriend who is very self sacrificial even though he’s not in a gang and one day Mikey’s bf wounds up in the hospital after saving someone from a life threatening incident?

Unspoken Sacrifices

Mikey's normally indifferent manner was shattered as he paced back and forth in the hospital hallway, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. Every second that went by made the knot in his stomach tighten and twist. He hated hospitals—the sterile smell, the quiet hum of machinery, the way time seemed to drag. But today, he hated it even more.

He had never wanted you to get involved. You weren’t like him, weren’t part of his world. That was one of the things he loved about you, your kindness, your warmth, the way you saw the best in people even when they didn’t deserve it. But that same selflessness was what had landed you here, behind the hospital doors that separated him from you.

It had been a normal day, for Mikey at least. You were supposed to meet him for lunch, your treat of course. But then he got the call. A shaky voice hardly explained what had happened before Mikey was already out the door andhe sped toward the hospital on his bike

You’d saved a stranger. That much was clear. You shoved a young child out of the way when a reckless driver lost control of his vehicle as he was about to cross a busy street. You weren't quick enough, even if you saved the child. As those watching shouted for help the car collided with you full force, sending you flying across the pavement with blood pooling beneath you.

Mikey slammed a fist against the wall, the dull thud reverberating down the empty corridor. He should’ve been there. He should’ve stopped it, somehow, should have helped in some way. The idea of you lying on the cold pavement, hurt and bleeding, surrounded by strangers, was enough to make his stomach churn. He wasn’t used to this kind of fear, this helplessness. In his world, when there was a problem, he fought his way through it. But this wasn’t something his fists could fix.

The door creaked open, and a nurse stepped out. Mikey immediately straightened, his piercing gaze locking onto her. “Is he... is he okay?” he asked, his voice low and tense.

The nurse offered a small, timid smile. “He’s stable. The injuries were serious, but the doctors were able to stop the bleeding and set the fractures. He’ll need time to recover, but he’s out of danger for now.”

Mikey exhaled sharply, relief flooding through him so fast he almost felt dizzy. “Can I see him?”

The nurse nodded, stepping aside to let him in.

The sight of you hit him harder than he’d expected. You were lying there, pale and fragile against the stark white sheets, an oxygen mask over your face and thick bandages wrapped around your head. Your arm was in a cast, and bruises bloomed across your skin, cruel reminders of the incident. Mikey’s breath caught in his throat, and for a moment, he couldn’t move.

He pulled a chair up beside your bed, lowering himself into it with more care than he usually showed. His hand hovered over yours, unsure if he should touch you, if he might hurt you somehow. Finally, he rested his hand on top of yours, his fingers trembling slightly.

“You’re an idiot,” he whispered, his voice cracking. “Why... why did you have to do that? Why couldn’t you just stay out of it?”

His words were harsh, but his tone was anything but. There was no anger in it, only raw pain and fear. He looked at you, his expression softening as he took in the rise and fall of your chest, the small signs that you were still here, still breathing.

“You don’t even... you don’t even get how much you mean to me, do you?” he continued, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve lost so many people, and I’ve been fine with it. I had to be. But you... I don’t think I could live on without you"

He let out a shaky laugh, dragging a hand through his messy blond hair. “You’re not even in a gang, and yet you’re the one in the hospital. That’s just... that’s just you, huh? Always putting everyone else first. Even when it puts you in danger.”

Mikey sat there for a long time, his grip on your hand firm but gentle. He thought about all the times you’d scolded him for being reckless, for taking unnecessary risks. And yet here you were, throwing yourself in harms way

When your eyes finally fluttered open, Mikey shot up, his face lighting up with a mix of relief and concern. “Hey,” he said softly, leaning over you. “Don’t try to move. Just... just rest, okay?”

You smiled weakly, your voice barely audible. “I’m fine, Mikey. Don’t... don’t look so worried...”

He shook his head “You scared the hell out of me,” he admitted, his voice thick with emotion. “just... don’t ever do that again. Please.”

You gave his hand a gentle squeeze, your eyes meeting his. “I’m sorry,” you murmured. “But... the child...I couldn’t just stand there.”

Mikey's shoulders were shaking as he put his face against your hand. "I understand," he muttered. “That’s why I love you. But please, for me... just be more careful. I can’t lose you.”

The two of you stayed like that, the weight of what had happened hanging in the air. But for Mikey, all that mattered was that you were still here, still alive. And he silently vowed to do whatever it took to keep it that way.

[eyesanddragons]

Albatross, Animus Dragons and Preventable Tragedies

(Also Known as: This tragedy was not inevitable, let's talk about responsibility)

(CWs: Murder, Abuse)

So, Legends Darkstalker as a book has a lot of thoughts about fate and inevitability. Clearsight and Darkstalker try and fail to create an ideal future for the both of them, Fathom is scared that he can't prevent his animus magic from destroying is soul, and the readers know how all of this is going to end since Legends Darkstalker is a prequel to Arc 2.

In the midst of all this talk about inevitability and fate we have...Albatross. Someone who we've known about since Arc 1 and know how his story ends. He causes the Royal Seawing Massacre, his magic allegedly "driving him insane." What's interesting about Albatross is that when you really look at his life, this historical version of it falls short in many ways. The retelling of his life leave out important context, and notably, scrub any idea that someone or multiple someones might have caused him to act like this.

It's Albatross' fault in the end, it's his fault for losing control, his fault for being "insane."

But if we take an actual look at the story in Legends Darkstalker you find that this really isn't the case.

Albatross found out he was an animus in a very...unpleasant way. He enchanted a shell to bite the claws off his sister, Sapphire. This event was deeply traumatic and would stick with Albatross for his entire life. You might be wondering why Albatross didn't fix Sapphire's claws considering his powers and I'll get to one of the reasons in a bit since it's very important to what I'm trying to say, but @/kinkajouwof breaks it down over here.

In short, most likely the reason why Albatross didn't fix it at the start is due to uncertainty if he really Could do it and because Albatross and Sapphire were terrified.

The reason more important to my point though is that Lagoon Actively Benefited from this fear. When Lagoon became Queen she would hold this action over Albatross whenever he was unwilling to do things to guilt him into following what she wanted him to do.

"This is a waste of time, Lagoon," he said. "Nobody ever tested me, but we figured out quickly enough what I could do. If any of them have a shred of power, surely they would of known by now. Or it will become obvious, sooner or later." "I'd prefer sooner," the queen said silkily. "If we find another animus in the tribe, that would make us twice as powerful, which would be quite useful given how the Mudwings and Rainwings have been behaving lately. And the earlier we find her, the sooner you can start to train her, and the sooner I can start to use her." "Besides," she added in a lower voice, so Fathom had to strain to hear her, "I think we would all prefer to discover our next animus in a less...dramatic fashion than you were discovered. Don't you?" Albatross flinched, just slightly. He cast a skeptical eye across the young. "My power is more than enough for whatever you need. I've given you everything you've asked for, haven't I? And I don't want an apprentice."

Afterwards Lagoon commands Albatross to start the test but you can see what I mean. Lagoon actively threatens Albatross and Exploits Him, and wants to find Other Animus Dragons to Exploit. He is not just a Subject to Lagoon, he is an Object to Lagoon. Non-sexual objectification.

She plans to do the same thing to another animus, Lagoon's rule was built on Exploiting the powers of the people she could Control. She wants to find them young so she could mold them into the tools she wanted them to be earlier. She wants to condition them to treat themselves as objects Now.

This treatment comes to a head during the banquet. Where Lagoon once again holds what happened to Sapphire over his head, while also threatening to Replace Him.

"Here is our first animus," Queen Lagoon said to the Skywings, who seemed to have figured that out themselves, judging by the looks of terror on their faces. "My brother, Albatross. We were just talking this morning about what his next project should be. I'm thinking big this time. Something that makes me invulnerable, perhaps. Or something that kills any dragon who might be a threat to me." Beyond Albatross, over the couches, Splash stiffened, and Fathom saw her crush one of the hibiscus blossoms between her claws. He glanced around and saw his father put a wing around Manta, who had gone pale. "Yes," Albatross said. "Although you recall I wasn't exactly enthused about any of those ideas." "Then it's lucky you're not my only animus dragon," Queen Lagoon said coldly. Fathom felt a shiver all the way down to the tip of his tail. If she asked him to do a spell like that, would he? Would he obey his queen and put his own mother in danger? Or disobey her, and perhaps put everyone he cared about in even worse danger? What would she do to Indigo If I ever said no to her? Albatross stopped right in front of the queen, snout-to-snout with her. Fathom couldn't read his face. He looked as though he'd been carved from stone, any emotions chipped away. "Do you think you're done?" Queen Lagoon said to him softly. "Do you think you'll ever be done atoning for what you did to Sapphire? It's not going to end Albatross. You'll always be mine."

This is a bit of a blunder on Lagoon's part since Albatross Kills her! She's revealed that she is Never going to let him go, that no matter how hard he works he's never going to escape. No matter what he does he will be an Object to her. Fight, Flight or Freeze, stay here and be worked to death killing hundreds of people or Escape Now.

And Albatross...chose Fight.

Note that Albatross literally says right here that he doesn't Want to make Lagoon Invulnerable, he doesn't Want to give her the power to kill people.

When he starts killing other people it's not because he became ax-crazy. He killed the Queen, no matter how horrible and cruel she was their all going to defend her...and they've never thought about him. They've never cared for him. To them he was also an Object.

So...he kills them too.

Now I'm not saying He should of killed all those people, murder is bad actually. But this is a Consequence of Lagoon and the rest of Seawing society's actions. This is the direct, real, bloody consequence of treating a person like an object designed to serve their every whim.

This wasn't something he was doomed to be, this is something that has a tangible cause and effect. The system and the way it treated him is What Caused This.

Except, none of the Seawings who survived Want to face that. They don't Want to accept responsibility for that. Why should they accept the responsibility and guilt of having lead one of their own to believe that murder was the only way to escape a truly horrific and abusive situation...when they have a perfectly convenient scapegoat. Remember...Albatross is an object. Lagoon died, not because she perpetuating a horrible abusive situation that her society allowed her to do due to the absolute power she was given, but because she handled Albatross Improperly. Animus magic is just a dangerous thing, and the people who can use it are dangerous tools. This isn't Their Fault for treating a person like an object, it's the fault of improper usage of a tool.

It's a more convenient story for everyone...except for Fathom who proceeds to be treated horribly and drown himself in guilt and shame for being Dangerous.

Seawing Society caused something horrible and instead of trying to fix it, turned their backs and pretended they did nothing wrong. When we see Anemone their doing the Exact Same Thing to her. She is an object, a weapon of war, and she will be treated as such. Anemone believes she's doomed to become evil and almost Kills her family out of the belief that she is doomed to become a mass murderer.

Albatross' Massacre was preventable, and that's what makes it tragic.

[kaynanarie]

JourneyTober! Day 14 - Lunar

            Camp was quiet and peaceful, a rare luxury for the traveling trio. The day had passed without a single yaoguai encounter and unhindered progress had been made. By the time night fell, everyone felt comfortable enough to just relax and enjoy the reprieve.

            A full moon slowly rose overhead, throwing a silvery glow over the slumbering world. Bajie laid on the grass, watching the celestial body make her nightly trip through the sky. Close by, Monkey and Jen were huddled up by the warmth of the fire. The human was protesting her exhaustion, already half asleep and leaning against Monkey’s side while his nephew poorly hid his fond amusement.

            Bajie couldn’t help but snort loud enough that both perked up at the sound.

            “What is it, Uncle Bajie?” Jen asked around a yawn.

            He glanced their way before looking back to the sky. “Nothing, just thinking.”

            “About what?”

            A suspenseful silence followed as Bajie carefully thought out his answer. Finally, he spoke, breaking the stillness of the camp. “You know I met the moon once?”

            “Really?” Jen’s drowsiness vanished in her excitement. “What was she like?”

            “As lovely as the legends say,” Bajie sighed, his mind casting back centuries. “All silver and gold and glowing light. I saw her and fell in love instantly.”

            Monkey’s disbelieving hum was hushed by Jen.

            “Did you ever tell her?”

            The memories turned sour, a melancholy falling over Bajie’s words. “No. She already had another. I couldn’t compete.”

            Jen’s enthusiasm dulled. Even Monkey looked at him in sympathy. “I’m sorry, Bajie.”

            “Don’t be,” he said, waving off their concern. “This was long ago, back when I was still part of the Celestial Court; a whole other life. Besides…” Bajie hesitated, chewing on his next words. “I found someone of my own eventually. Someone even more amazing and wonderful. The moon was lovely but my love, she was the most beautiful and unique creature I ever beheld.”

            He sat up, eyes shining in the firelight as they met Monkey’s curious stare.  

            “But I was a fool; I over looked her for too long. By the time I realized my feelings, it was over. I left her behind and now all I have are regrets to dwell on.” His voice was stern and cautionary; a lecture woven from past mistakes and guilt. "Don’t be like me, don’t overlook what’s in front of you. One day, it’ll be too late.”

            A silent staring contest stretched over the fire, Bajie’s word’s still heavy in the air. Monkey’s expression was carefully neutral, only the tiniest change in his features betraying his emotions; confusion, realization, anger, defensiveness, anxiety, fear. Bajie also took in the barely there tightening of Monkey’s arm around Jen’s shoulders.

            The tension was broken by a quiet snore. Both looked to Jen, fast asleep and cuddled against Monkey’s side. Bajie barked out another laugh, Monkey’s shush too late as Jen was roused by the noise.

            “What I miss?” she mumbled, eyes bleary and unfocused.

            “Nothing, Jen. Go back to sleep,” Bajie said, reclining back on the grass.

            She pouted. “But you were telling us about the moon,” she complained, eyes already slipping shut.

            Monkey smiled, leaning her head back against his shoulder. “Beautiful and unique.”

            “That’s not what Bajie called her…” the words trailed off as Jen fell back to sleep.

            “You should get some rest too, Nephew,” Bajie suggested. “I’ll take first watch.”

            And so he sat awake, listening to the quiet slumbers of his young companions, alone in the long night except for the company of the moon.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (I wrote this in two hours while half asleep. Shout out to Bajie for trying to be a good Uncle. I have no I idea why this came out so sad, poor Bajie. Thanks to everyone for reading. I'm finally caught up!)

[vodika-vibes]

**Chapter 1**

Summary: When Commander Wolffe is forced into early retirement after losing an eye in a terrorist attack, he thinks his life is over. However, when his twin brother volunteers him to help a younger cousin adjust to life outside the military, he doesn’t fight as much as he normally would have. Still when his younger cousins, Rex and Gregor, told him that they signed up to play security for Doctors Without Borders, he genuinely thought that it was going to be the easiest job he’s ever had. Right up until the plane falls out of the sky and they end up stranded on an island that doesn’t follow any of the rules as he knows them.

Characters: Commander Wolffe, Captain Rex, Captain Gregor, F!Reader character called Bumblebee or Bee in story

Genre: Adventure, Supernatural, some romance (because I'm me)

Word Count: 2394

Warnings: None, so far

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni @imabeautifulbutterfly

A/N: So I wasn't going to start this story until I finished my event stuff, but apparently I had an idea and needed to get it down.

This is the worst.

The absolute worst.

He should be home, in the barracks, looking after his brothers in the 104th. He should be standing next to his general as they prepare for the next push against the Seppies.

But no. He’s here, miles away from where he should be, waiting for the tiny plane to finish getting loaded for the last stretch of his, and his cousins, journey.

Wolffe can’t even bring himself to enjoy the scenery, why bother, it’s not like he’s going to be here long anyway. He leans against the back of the bench that he’s sitting on, his gaze flickering around the airstrip until he spies Rex and Gregor, talking with a pair of women near the building. 

Good. So long as they’re not getting in trouble.

Not that he really expected them to. But as the oldest, he can’t help but look out for them.

Especially Gregor.

His cousin had healed very nicely from the injury that nearly killed him. He’s still himself, the TBI doing very little to change his personality, but his memory is still spotty.

It’s one of the biggest reasons that he didn’t fight quite as hard as he normally would have when Fox volunteered him for the position. Besides, Doctors Without Borders is a respectable organization.

He could do worse.

Sure that his cousins are safe and aren’t wandering off to get mugged by someone who hates tourists, Wolffe casts his gaze back to the plane. And slowly his eyebrows raise when one of the doors open and a young woman hops out of the cockpit.

She looks familiar.

She looks very familiar.

He knows that jacket. He damn well better, he was the one who bought it in the first place.

He pushes to his feet and approaches the plane, and…there, on the side of her neck, a bumblebee tattoo with a honeycomb behind it.

A grin crosses his face without his permission, “Well now, look who it is. Lieutenant Bumblebee, in the flesh.”

She turns, and a wide grin crosses her face, “Wolffe? What brings you to my corner of paradise?” She walks over to him and bumps her fist against his, “I thought ‘vacations are beneath you’.” She mocks.

“Yeah, yeah. They are. I got a job with Doctors Without Borders, with some of my cousins.” He jabs his thumb over his shoulder, “I heard that you were living in the lap of luxury, though. White sandy beaches and fruity little drinks with umbrellas-”

She laughs, “Does this look like retirement to you, Wolfy-boy?”

“Dunno, you always loved to fly more than anything else.” He folds his arms over his chest, “Seeing you with a plane doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.” Wolffe pauses, “You know, I did hear a rumor-”

Her smile becomes slightly strained, “That I was Dishonorably Discharged and slapped with a court martial? Cause that’s not a rumor.”

“Shit, really?” She doesn’t respond and Wolffe rolls his eyes, “Come on, Bee. It’s me. What happened?”

“Gross Insubordination.” She says with a sigh, “Look, after I was transferred from Koon, I was given to Krell.”

Wolffe inhales sharply.

“Yeah.” Her laugh is slightly bitter, understandably bitter, “Well, I took issue with how he treated the men under his command and I didn’t hesitate to tell him so. So I was grounded and slapped with a court martial. And by the time Krell was removed and arrested for abusing the men under his command, everything had taken a life of its own, so I just took the Dishonorable Discharge.”

“You could have fought it.”

“Could have.” Bee agrees, “Just…the way that some of the people I’ve known for years looked at me.” She sighs and pushes her hand through her hair, “There was no point. Luckily, Plo put in a good word for me here.”

“Good thing the General likes you.”

“Tell me about it. I could do far, far worse than being a pilot for an organization as well respected as this one.” She shrugs and glances at her clipboard, “Not to mention, they’re pretty good about making sure that my prosthetics are up to par-”

“Prosthetics? What prosthetics?” Wolffe asks, his gaze snapping down her body, “Since when do you need prosthetics?”

Bee arches a delicate brow and lifts the leg of her long pants, revealing a matte gray prosthetic leg. “Parting gift from Krell.” She pauses, “Or, well, that’s my guess. I was officially injured in combat. But I’m almost positive that there weren’t any seppies on that planet-”

She pauses and takes a deep breath, dropping the leg of her pants and gestures vaguely with her clipboard, as if to say well, what can you do.

As if Wolffe needed another reason to hate Krell. Life in prison is too good for him.

“Sorry, I didn’t know. No one told me.”

“Yeah, well. It’s not as if I had very many friends left behind after the Court Martial.” She shrugs, “Anyway, what happened to your eye?”

“That blunt, huh?”

“That blunt.”

“Seppies.”

“Isn’t it always?”

Wolffe releases a humorless laugh, “Seems like it.” He leans against a crate, “Officially, I was medically discharged. Technically, I’m on medical leave for the next six months.”

“General Koon favors you.”

“Don’t I know it.” Wolffe’s gaze drags across the crates of medical supplies and other supplies, “So, who all are you transporting.”

“Well, according to my manifest-” Bee flips to a back page, “You, Rex and Gregor-” She pauses, “Is blondie over there, Rex? Shit, last time I saw him he was still in high school.”

Wolffe grins, “He’s a Captain now.”

“Ugh, I feel old.”

“You feel old? How do you think I feel?”

Bee laughs, “That’s what you get for being one of the oldest.” She glances back at her manifest, “Anyway, I’m also transporting a new nurse, her name is Raya Valencia. And a mechanic on loan from the GAR, Maty Wilson. Also, someone from the local government forced his way onto the manifest.”

“Mm, politics.”

“There’s no escaping it, I’m afraid.” Bee sets her manifest aside, “Anyway, someone will have to sit in the cockpit with me with the new addition.”

“Is that an offer, Bee?”

“What, you want a handwritten invitation?”

Wolffe laughs, “Hardly. I’ll be more than happy to sit up front with you. Maker knows we clearly have some catching up to do, LT.”

Bee grins at him, “Hardly my fault you went and got promoted to Commander and stopped associating with us minions.”

“Hey, I’ve always had a soft spot for you minion-y types.”

“Yeah, yeah,” There’s a laugh in her voice, “Beat it, Wolfy-boy. I have work to do. We’ll be lifting off in thirty.”

“I’m going, I’m going.” He tosses his bag over his shoulder and meanders on over to his cousins, as Bee turns to shout at a worker in a language he kind of recognizes.

It’s damned good to see her. Though it is a shame to hear about what happened to her.

“Making friends, Wolffe?” Rex asks with an arched brow.

“Chatting with an old friend,” Wolffe replies, “One that you know. You’ve met Bee before.”

Rex blinks, twice, and then his head snaps towards the plane, “Wait Bee? That Bee? The one we met at your graduation?”

“The one and the same.”

Rex stares in her direction, “Small world-”

“Tell me about it.”

“What happened between you two anyway?” Gregor asks, “If I remember correctly, you two were a thing-”

“Drop it.” Wolffe frowns at them, and then he sighs, “We were never a thing. I chickened out before I could ask her. And then I was promoted and it wouldn’t have worked anyway.”

“Well, she’s not in the military anymore-” Rex prods with a grin.

“Drop. It.”

“Okay, okay.” Rex holds his hands up, “Sorry. There’s no need to get snippy.”

Wolffe opens his mouth to say something, only to pause when Bee jogs over, “Alright Boys, and Girls and both and neither,” She says as she claps her hands, “The Airstrip is needed for an emergency medevac so we’re hauling out of here early. Get your stuff on board and make sure everything is secured.”

“Copy that, LT.” Rex says with a cheerful salute.

“Don’t you sass me, Rexy. I remember you as a pimply high schooler.”

“Yes, but I outgrew that. See, pimple free.” His grin widens, “You, however, are still short.”

“Get!” Bee shouts as she points at the plane, and Rex, laughing, hurries past her. And then she turns her glare on Wolffe, “How is he just as obnoxious now as he was when he was a kid?”

“It’s just his personality. Sorry, Bee.”

Bee scowls at him and then hurries off to go and find the politician, probably.

Wolffe shakes his head and joins his cousins at the plane, where he promptly smacks Rex across the back of the head, “You piss her off and I’m the one who pays for it, how’s that fair?”

Rex, for his part, doesn’t look the least bit apologetic. Which only serves to make Wolffe more annoyed with him. Still, he’s mature enough to let the situation settle as everyone climbs on the plane.

Wolffe stows his bag under some netting, and then climbs into the co-pilot’s seat, while making sure that everyone else is strapped in properly. He’s not so worried about Rex or Gregor, but the two civvies might need some help.

And then Bee is back, with an older man in tow. He’s wearing a nice suit, nicer than anything Wolffe has seen anyone wearing since he arrived here, and he’s holding a cloth over his mouth and nose.

“My dear,” The old man says in a raspy smoker’s voice, and Wolffe doesn’t even have to look at Bee to know that she rolled her eyes at the diminutive pet name, “Surely there’s someplace…private for me to sit?”

“Nope.” Bee replies, “Small transport vessel. No private rooms.” She points to an empty seat across from Gregor, next to the door, “Sit there.”

“Well, I suppose the door is the best seat.” He muses as he sits down and only fastens the belt around his waist.

“You need to fasten the-” Gregor starts.

“Young man, I know what I’m doing.” The older man interrupts with a sniff.

Bee rolls her eyes again and lightly claps Gregor on the shoulder, “Don’t worry about it.” She moves through the aisle, taking a moment to make sure that everything is secured, and then she moves into the cockpit and pulls the door shut behind her.

She tosses Wolffe a lopsided grin, and offers him the spare headset, “I know you don’t fly much anymore, Commander, but surely you can co-pilot for one flight?”

Wolffe chuckles and takes the headset, pulling it on, “Well, I suppose I’d better.” He leans back in his seat and he watches as she effortlessly goes through the pre-flight check.

Less than fifteen minutes later, the plane is in the air, and pulling away from the airfield. And Bee activates her radio, “Alright everyone, as of now, our flight will take three hours, we’re taking a circuitous route to avoid a storm-”

She’s interrupted when the radio from the back crackles to life, “Absolutely not! I refuse to spend more time in this tin can than I have to. Take a shorter route or I’ll have your job!”

Bee glances at Wolffe, and then sighs, “As you wish. Then our flight will take an hour.” She cuts the radio, and glances at Wolffe, “This is going to go horribly.”

“Maybe we’ll get lucky?” Wolffe offers.

Bee just sighs, and turns her gaze out the front window, “We won’t.”

Wolffe wakes with a pained groan. His head is throbbing.

Actually, his everything is throbbing. Including his eyelashes.

His eyes crack open and the sun, high overhead, nearly blinds him.

Wait. Sun?

Wolffe opens his eyes properly. The top of the plane is gone. He’s still strapped to his seat, luckily, and he still seems to be in the cockpit, but the roof is gone.

“Bee?” He, painfully, turns his head to the side, looking towards the pilot’s seat. Bee is still strapped in her seat, her head lolled to her chest, blood dripping from a wound on her temple. “Bee!”

She groans at his voice, “Stop yelling,” Bee’s eyes crack open and she groans, “Ow…”

“What happened?” Wolffe asks, “Do you remember?”

“I was ordered to take a shortcut, and then-”

The storm.

The clouds came from nowhere. One moment there were clear skies, and then it was like flying through a hurricane. Wolffe had been forced to actually co-pilot to help Bee keep the plane under control.

“-the door ripped off,” Wolffe remembers, vague memories of the various consoles flaring to life in front of him as the side door opened.

“Which would have caused a pressure imbalance,” Bee agrees, as she unfastens her harness and falls out of her seat, “Which would lead to-” She gestures to where the roof used to be. “You okay?”

“I think my everything is bruised.” Wolffe says as he pulls his own harness off and reaches for the door separating the cockpit from the rest of the plane.

“Better bruised than dead,” Bee replies logically as she adds her weight to the door. Together, they push the door open.

Rex and Gregor are unconscious, but clearly alive. As are the two civvies, Raya and Maty. The politician is missing.

“We’re missing one,” Wolffe notes as he checks over his cousins.

“Yeah, I don’t think we’ll find him.” Bee says, “he wasn’t wearing his harness.”

Wolffe glances at the ripped seat belt and silently concedes that she’s probably right. “We need to get them off the plane.”

“Yeah. Let’s make a path first, make sure we’re not bringing them into something more dangerous.” Bee says. “We have plenty of equipment, at least.” She adds with a wry smile.

“Small blessings.” Wolffe agrees, “Come on, Bee. Let’s see what we’re working with.”

He walks over to where the door used to be, and he hops out, with Bee hot on his heels. With luck, they’ll find someplace safe nearby. 

With luck, they’ll only be here for a couple of days.

Wolffe isn’t going to hold his breath, though. He’s never been very lucky.

[hellaverseapocalypse]

And The Whirlwind is in the Tree

Striker's Story - A Helluva AU

Pairing: Striker and OC Amelda(adoptive father/daughter relationship) Warnings: angst, whump, hurt-comfort, injury, blood, harsh language, death, gore, killing in self-defense, graphic depictions of violence. Summary: Striker is once again tested by fate, and with it, comes a terrible loss. Who is ready for Striker's Joel scene? This bit was a blast to write and I hope you enjoy it. Also, TW for character death.

Read on ao3 - 1.5k words

Striker has no idea how long he's been in Wrath, time seemed to be a blur.

All he could think about was to get Amelda back.

The information Blitz gave him was vast.

The cult is surprisingly bigger than he thought; he grinds his teeth, wishing Blitz didn't keep the whole spy thing a secret. 

After two hours of travel, he finally made camp and rested with Bombproof, his eyes watching the flames.

How the hell did this happen?

How did Amelda worm her way into his heart?

Is it because she's a hybrid like him?

Even though Imps and Hellhounds are at the bottom of the caste system, hybrids were even lower.

Hell, they aren't even considered living things or even servants like imps. 

They were just dirt. 

He couldn't even imagine what they would do to a Goetia half-ling. 

Was it something else? Some other instinct?

He hasn't felt that since...

Striker shook his head.

No, not getting into that.

It's best to let sleeping ghosts lie. 

He sighed as he turned over to get some sleep. 

He did not have good dreams. 

666

It was another day to travel when he saw another camp. He stopped several feet away, walking nearby to listen.

“You think this one will work?” he heard someone say.

“Pfft who cares.” a nasally voice said, “Those idiots think that doing this stupid shit will save them. News flash, it wont!”

Striker then hears the man snort.

“Besides, I think Gareth is gonna keep this one.” he said, “You know he likes them young.”

That.Was.It.

With a roar, Striker attacked them, striking one imp with blessed knuckles, making him scream in pain. The other was about to reach for his gun, but Striker stopped him with a precisely thrown knife to the throat. The Imp gurgled on his own blood while the other howled in pain. 

Striker snarled as he grabbed the howling Imp and made him sit up. The part where he slugged him looked awful, it was as though his skin was melting.

“Where is Gareth?” Striker yelled, “Where did he take the kid?”

“Fuck you!”

The imp howled as Striker drove his other knife into his knee. He grabbed the imps hair and pulled it, making them face each other. 

“Look here, partner.” Striker said, “I got nothing but patience right now, and I know every way to make you scream.”

He pulls his knife from his prisoner's knee, making him keen in pain. He holds it to his face, grinning maniacally at the other Imps' terrified look. 

“So, where should we start, fingers or toes?”

666

The guy lasted 3 minutes of torture, but he spilled everything to Striker.

The location, how many were on guard duty and information about Gareth himself. 

He cringed when he said that Gareth likes young girls, but he never went near the farm community because he knows they will find him quickly. 

Amelda was also his type.

He urged Bombproof to go faster. There was no way in Hell that he was going to let that fuck touch her.

He stopped when he smelled burning smoke and looked up.

It was the cult encampment and it was covered in green flames. He could see other demons screaming and running around, trying to put out the fire. 

He then remembers teaching Amelda that sometimes a good distraction is needed to get the upper hand and fire is usually a sure one. 

Did she do this?

He snorts.

Attagirl. 

He dismounts from Bombproof and sneaks in quietly, trying to figure out where the owlet is. He passed by a few sinners and imps that were running trying to douse the flames. It's a good thing they were running away, it keeps him from being detected. 

He was thinking of going to a direction when he head a terrified screech, 

A familiar screech. 

He took off running in that direction, desperate to get there in time. 

“Sweet Satan, please let me get there in time!” he thought desperately.

He finally ran into the scene. 

Amelda was holding out a bloody knife while some other imp was holding a shotgun at her.

The hell he will!

Striker roared and tackled the Imp, fists flying before he could react. His mind whited out as he kept punching and punching; by the time he recovered his senses, the other Imp's face looked like ground meat. 

He looked up at Amelda who stared at him with wide eyes.

“Half-pint, listen, I-”

He then gets an armful of the terrified child, who started to sob into his neck. He holds her closely, nuzzling her feathers with a purr. 

He pulls back and gets a good look at her. 

She was covered in gore and splatter, like she was hacking at something.

“Sweetheart, what happened?”

“G-Gareth took me to a room and h-he...”

She bursts into sobs and holds him tighter.

“I hid and I-I grabbed his knife and I stabbed him.” she said, starting to hyperventilate, “I just wanted him to go away!”

Striker let out a deep breath and held Amelda close. Gareth is lucky he's dead cause he would have ripped his heart out with his teeth.

He was brought back to the present when he heard voices nearby. He picked up Amelda and quickly went to where he had left Bombproof. He got to his horse just when he heard someone yell.

“Intruders!”

Striker cursed under his breath as he hopped onto Bombproof and set off at top speed. The other demons started shooting at him and he noticed they were using blessed weapons.

“Gareth, you traitorous motherfucker.” he thought as he shot back. Amelda whimpered under him, terrified at the whizzing bullets. 

He then heard Bombproof whinny in pain, realizing they shot his horse. Hot rage burned in him as she kept shooting at the perpetrators. 

“Boy.” he said, clutching his reins, “I know it hurts, but you gotta go faster.”

The hell horse must have understood because he ran even faster, far away from their pursuers. 

666

It's been an hour since they outran their pursuers, Bombproof was walking slowly.

It was a few more feet when the horse finally collapsed.

Striker looked over his mount, noticing he was shot two more times.

There was nothing he could do. 

He sees Amelda sobbing as she petted the horse's head sadly. Striker swallowed his own tears as he hugged his horse's neck.

“You did good boy, you did so good.” he whispered, grateful that his beloved mount held out so long, that he got them both safe. 

They held onto Bombproof till his last breath.

666

They gave Bombproof a quick burial, just putting stones on top of him.

Striker took Amelda’s hand in his as they walked away, not wanting to see the buzzards tear him apart.

Amelda swayed a little, looking unsteady. He took her in his arms and carried her, hearing her soft cooing as she fell asleep. 

It was then he realized it. 

Amelda was his.

His kid.

His daughter.

His child.

Something he didn't think he would ever have again. 

He sighed as he saw the checkpoint for the portal to Lust. 

Yeah, she was his and he's never going to let anything happen to her again.

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

Notes: First, I'm sorry, the horse had to go.

When i wrote this, which was last year, i knew i had to kill off Bombproof, which hurt like hell and made my co-writer Candy cry. Buts it's in every video game we have played, the horse dies. We really wanted to have a super SUPER emotional moment with Striker and losing his beloved horse will do that.

Again, I'm sorry.

Next chapter update will be on January 18.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

[howdothoughtscollide]

The Start Of An Unusual Friendship

Fyodor Dostoevsky x gn!reader (Platonic)

WARNING: mentions of child labor, reader is illiterate, mentions of slapping and family abandonment, my goofy side took over.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Part one of the Childhood friend au, I guess?

Diaphanous and aureate stripes of sunlight refracts through the green foliage, dappling the thick mattress of moss and grasses, dancing along with the vermillion and mauve hues of delicate flower petals. Serene wind, which carries along the effervescent chirping of birds, harmonizes with mellow humming of a lullaby mothers sing to their child, as it embrace you in the soothing warmth of summer.

As your feet set their steps on the soft and muddy path of the forest, your mind can not help but wander to a rumor concerning a boy in your village.

The village, where you were born, is a poor one. Adults who are unable to find a job and try to drink their sorrow away, children who have to do labor from a young age to provide for their family. But there is one house which seems to be well-off, since the husband works in the city. 

The son of that family, who is weak since birth, instead of being thrown into the orphanage, or being dumped in the forest like other frail infants, is still loved by his parents and was taught how to read and write.

”That couple is so stupid. What’s the point in raising such a feeble child?” Your neighbor scrunched her face, clearly expressing her disdain. “All that money is better spent on themselves, or just making another kid who can bring food to the table.”

That’s adults’ remarks about him, a dissipation of money and time.

 “You mustn’t ever come near or even play with that kid. It’ll spoil you, all you need is to think about what to eat tomorrow, not looking at useless paper and sitting around all day.” 

That’s what your mother told you, a bad influence.

“He is super, super weird. Did you see him? He never moved at all, he looked like a dead person. People say if you see him moving, you need to run or he’ll turn you into a statue like him!!!”

That’s what your friends whisper to each other, a monster.

All of those warnings couldn’t stop you, not when your curiosity is piqued. Even if you’re turned into stone or something, it’ll certainly be worthwhile. And besides, someone who understands books must be very cool, because you’ve never really comprehended that jumbling mess.

Where was his hideout again?. You try to recall your friends’ vague description, hands pushing away the green that is covering your vision.

Is it here?. You peek through the tall bushes, eyes scanning the area. 

Through the small gap between the leaves, your eyes went round, standing still as if you were actually petrified.

There he sits, ethereal and mesmerizing, mirroring that of an angel you once saw in an abandoned church, now a hangout place for kids in your village. Honeyed liquid sunlight dips his features in an almost apprational glow, a huge contrast to the stream of pure black pouring down around it. His slender fingers, which are brushing over the pages, despite having uneven nails, are clean and smooth, undoubtedly different from your dirty and calloused hands, a sign of manual labor for a long time. His long and delicate eyelashes cast shadow over the sea of hyacinth, which appears to be peering straight into your soul.

Wait a minute? Your little admiring session is suddenly halted. Is he … looking at me?!?!

The realization whacks you out of your stalled state, losing control of balance. Your hand attempts to grab a branch for stability, which is to no avail, as gravity sends you to a kiss with the ground.

You hiss from the previous intimate moment with mother earth, as you notice the soft pedicel clasped between your fingers. 

A carnation??? Confusion is written all over your face. So this is the reason why the branch felt like it came off on a whim. No wonder you fell. Who thought it would be a good idea to pluck a flower and put it on a tree branch??? I swear if I found that person I-

Ah, sh*t. Your eyes met those violet ones again, and immediately your anger shrunk. Putting that idiot who decided a carnation would add on to the bland tree aside, you have a bigger problem.

You didn’t get turned into stone, but how you should even react when you’re caught staring at someone, nobody told you he’d be this beautiful, not at all.

“H-Hi.” You shoot him an awkward smile, the corner of your mouth twitching.

No answers were heard from him, and those eyes are burning holes in your face.

He must think I’m a weird and creepy kid who likes stalking people and watching them from a dark corner!!! You cry and scream internally, but you still try to save the last piece of dignity you have left in front of him.

“Uh…”. Slowly getting up, you’re about to utter the most sincere, heartfelt apology in your life.

“A beautiful flower for a beautiful lady.” You hold the carnation in his direction, eyes closing shut from the embarrassment.

THAT was not an apology. 

Why did you say that, you dummy? You even used “lady”??? You slap your internal self.

It’s not my fault, that’s what I heard a guy apologized to his girlfriend the other day! They cried, justifying your actions.

Your eyebrows quirked in disbelief at you and your internal self’s stupidity, as you sign in defeat.

You open your eyes, ready to accept your fate of being called an abnormal kid. To your surprise, he appears to be unfazed, putting his attention on the book again.

Oh. You blinked. Is he nonchalant about everything? You threw away the humiliation you felt just seconds ago, replaced with curiosity. Now, you wonder if there is any way to break his composure, and how will you know if you don’t test it out?

My name is Fyodor Dostoevsky, and I love reading in the woods since it gives me just the right amount of tranquility. 

Today, I was keeping with my usual routine when I sensed a pair of watching eyes behind the bushes. I stare back at them, but they seem to be so deep in thought they did not notice it.

Ah, they took note of my gaze.

Are they falling? Disheveled hair, dirty face, but no hints of injury so they must be fine. Are they seizing a flower in their hand? Anyways, I hope they’re spooked by my appearance and run away like other children. Then, I may continue reading, it’s getting to the climax of the story after all.

Why are they still here? They were stunned and baffled moments ago, now what are they doing??? Making weird faces, peeking at my book, tugging my hair, poking my face???Are they searching for a means to annoy me? What is the purpose of pursuing such reactions?

Well, I need some silence to read right now. If I keep up my cold and indifferent demeanor, they’ll eventually get bored and leave righ-

“BOO!” 

The popped up voice in his head intruded the train of thoughts, making Fyodor jump from the log he was sitting on, and almost dropped his book. Fyodor turned his head to you, face mimicking that one of a startled stray cat in your village when you sneaked up behind to hug it.

Haha, did I go too far? You contemplate, since he is kinda similar to that cat now, on full alert and on the verge of scratching your face out with its claws as soon as you move by an inch.

Retreating the hand that was on his back, you curl it into a fist and cough into it to gain his attention.

“Ahem!So…”

So what? What exactly were you planning to say? I wanted to take a look at the supposed “demon”??? He’ll definitely tear my facial skin off if I told him that. Your pupils dilate, thoughts rushing over your head, attempting to come up with a way to break this unnerving silence.

Your body acted on instinct, and before you could have given any second thoughts, tucked the carnation behind his ear. “You look even more gorgeous with this crimson flower.”

Fyodor’s eyes got even wider, and you know you’ve been done for.

Just why didn’t you toss the flower away and still have it all this time??? He can understand why I did that, right? 

Judging by his expressions, probably no.

I regret all my life decisions that led me to this, I wish I’d disappear right no-

“How did you do that?” The question dragged your mind, which had been considering extirpating yourself,  back to your body.

“Do what?” Your eyes narrowed at him.

“You know, the… “boo” thing.” Fyodor collected himself, closing the book after placing the marker ribbon.

“Oh, that.” You’re sweating a bucket now.

You were too fixated on provoking him, that you had forgotten to hide your secret, one you promised your mom you’d bring it to the grave.

“Mom!!! Look at me, I can perform magic tricks!” You joyfully sprinted to your mom, enthusiastic to enlighten her with your new discovery.

“Dear, please go out and play with your friends elsewhere, I don’t have time for this.” Your mother clutched the bridge of her nose, clearly exhausted from the loading work at the railway.

“Please~, mother.” Your eyes twinkled. “I finished all the housework early, so can you? Just this timeeee~” Now you’re making the puppy dog eyes that she can’t resist.

A deep sigh escaped your mother, an indication of her giving in to your plea. “Fine, but make it quick.”

“You’re the best, mom!!!” You cheered at her, before carefully grabbing your mother’s hard hands between yours. “Now please pay attention.” 

“Surprise!!”

Your mom was gradually drifting into sleep, but the unexpected voice in her head absolutely wiped out her drowsiness. She lowered herself, grabbing your shoulder firmly. “What did you do? Can you do it again?”

You were taken aback by your mother’s abrupt movements, but you still complied with her request.

“Are you okay,mom?”

She heard it, your voice, bright and clear, in her head. This is it, my worst nightmare, one that I dreamt of each night. Why? Why did God have to be so cruel to me? Your mother bit her lips.

Dumb-founded at your mother’s distress, you’re confused why she wasn’t happy as you were about this quirk of yours.

“Mother?”

“You haven’t told anyone about this, have you?” She snapped her head at you, her grip so tight that you started to feel a little pain. 

“No… You’re the first one.” You tried to escape from her grasp, but your little struggle is no match for her grasp, failing repeatedly.

“Good, good…” Incoherent phrases flowing out of her mouth, leaving you more puzzled.

Ah, what am I thinking, they’re my child. Of course, they’re raised by me, they’re different from that bastard-

“Mom? You’re making me hurt.” Your face winced, finding the pain uncomfortable.

“Oh my, sorry, dear. Just promise me you won’t let anybody know about this, okay?” She quickly let go, a hand cupping your cheek.

“But why, mom? This may help us make mone-“

Smack

The heavy sound reverberates against the thin wall of the cold bedroom, with the moonlight outside being the only source of light and the witness of the whole ordeal. Then, bit by bit, it is switched by small whimpers and weakened sobs departing from your lips, tears rolling on your cheek, as if they are dazzling gems assembled from sorrow and agony, displayed under the watchful gaze of the moon.

Your mother frantically wiped glistening tears that threatened to damp the wooden floor. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.” Her voice was shaky, as she brought you into a hug, hands lightly patting your back to calm you down. “It’s just-, because this is a curse, dear. People who are unique like you, once revealed their abilities to others, are considered and reported as monsters. Then, they’re taken to a place, far, far away from here, and they’ll never return. No matter how long you wait for them, they’ll never come back. So, be a good child, and promise me? For your mommy?.” 

You nuzzled into her neck, suspending your cry, soaking the patched and washed out fabric. 

“Yes, mom.”

Taking notice of your hesitation and uneasiness, Fyodor shifts to the side, patting the area beside him, signaling for you to sit down.

“It’s fine, you don’t need to tell me if you want to. But why are you here?” You seem to be relieved by his words, letting out a breath you didn’t know you were holding.

“I heard you can read!” You beamed at him.

As you drown Fyodor with bazillion questions, eyes sparkling with curiosity, he figured another presence wouldn’t be so bad afterall.

And that is the start of your unusual friendship.

A/N: This is Fyodor when he discovered there's a voice in his head:

[lya-dustin]

All is Bliss

Chapter 56

Cw:mentions of blood, cousin incest and incarceration

Taglist @darylandbethfanforever9 @mercedesdecorazon @alexandria-millie @watercolorskyy @sweethoneyblossom1 @ewanmitchellcrumbs

Gif by @talesofoldandnew

Aemond is nothing short of bored in his cell.

He has books, his infernal lute and little Aeg’s bouncy ball that he’s tossing at the wall beside the modest fireplace in his room. He has visitors, Ironrod and the Septon who hint at treason he could join, but Aemond shoots those offers down knowing Larys Strong is waiting for proof to get him short of a head.

After all, Aegon no longer needs Aemond to fuck his wife ---not that Aemond had ever planned not to fuck Aemma after the deed was done--- and should Aenys die in his cradle, there were two spare Targaryen boys to replace the gaps in the succession.

The spare was to serve the heir, something Ser Otto loved to remind him every time he outshone Aegon. If his grandfather had listened to his own advice the world would’ve thanked him instead of cursing him to something worse than the seventh hell.

“What do you want?” the bored prince asked Aegon who he heard coming by the curses he let loose from so many stairs.

“Can’t a brother visit his brother these days?” he asked as if nothing had happened.

“You had me arrested, Aegon.” Aemond said dryly as he continued to stare at the wall.

“Why did she have to love you?” his brother asked as if he knew the answer to that.

“Fuck if I know.” Aemond has no idea why Aemma loves him, he knows why he loves her, but why Aemma would love him is a mystery to the one-eyed prince.

Frankly, he was surprised his attempts at wooing had succeeded, but he supposed his success may have been due to his friendship with her. “I helped our mother usurp hers and it killed her and three of Aemma’s siblings, let you and Cole destroy what was left of her family and when you and mother forced her into adultery to make her have a child she never wanted, I didn’t do anything to stop it. If I were her, I would hate me for my inaction.”

I hate myself for my inaction.

His time in the Riverlands fighting for the most undeserving king he had seen yet had shown him that. So much time was wasted in the name of duty and all it did was extend a war that will end with them being forced to take the Black or dead.

Lord Stark was a young widower and will likely wed Aemma, or so it has been speculated, or Daemon would name himself Aemma’s Lord Protector and hack away the remnants of Otto Hightower’s family tree.

Either way they were fucked.

Gods, they had been so blind to believe in all the lies grandfather feed them through their mother.

He most of all.

“Then why did you agree to it all, if it was all so fucking wrong, why did you agree to do it?” Aegon asked, hating being cast as the villain. He would be if he hadn’t been raised to be someone’s puppet.

Their poor mother had been raised as one by her father and the poor girl didn’t know how not to raise children who think you are not worthy of love if you are not a slave to your parent’s whims. As much as they rebelled against it, none of them could ever say no to her and the man pulling the strings behind her.

Why else would Aegon agree to take the crown? Why else would Daeron die a loyal soldier without ever knowing anything else but duty? Why else would Aemond be Aegon’s second and agree to ruin Aemma’s life even after coming to see Rhaenyra was never the enemy?

“Duty.” He practically spat out the word like garbage in his mouth.

“I fucking hate that word.” Aegon calms, sits on the armchair Septon Eustace occupied mere moments ago for some reason Aemond didn’t care to remember. “Duty to her, duty to the realm, duty, duty, duty.

Aenys won’t fucking live like that. He’ll be free to do as he pleases, if he doesn’t want to be king, he won’t be king and we’ll crown my namesake, or little Viserys or even Daenaera. He can fuck girls, he can fuck boys, he can dye his hair blue and become a sellsword or a bard, but my son won’t grow up thinking he has a moral obligation to me or the realm because he has a cock.”

Aemond doesn’t like the way he calls him his. He thought he would learn to be fine with it, but he does not. In his anger he throws it wrong and the ball ricochets off the wall, onto the mantle and eventually falls into the cold fireplace.

No wonder Harwin was so keen to beat Cole to a pulp that day, to have a man mocking you for taking what scraps you get to have with your children who you can’t claim without killing them would make even the strongest crumble like marzipan.

Duty. Gods, what a prison it is.

“What do you say to becoming Lady Lothston, Allie?” Lucas asks, playing with her dark tresses after sweet and somewhat satisfying sex in her room.

They are plotting to kill her. Not Aemma and the king, but Aemma’s greatest supporters, the Wyldes. Something so obvious even her new lover can see it.

Fools, the lot of them. Even if they knew sweet and innocent little Aenys would die if they killed her, Alys knows they would see it as a necessary sacrifice for the greater good. The witch needed to escape and live a long healthy life so all the babes she nursed in lifetime do not die with her.

Lucas Lothston would become Lord of Harrenhal due to Aegon needing a grown man to run the lands instead of a boy still in leading strings when he is rid of her half-brother.

Lucas was perfect, he already had two children from his dead Butterwell wife and would never raise his voice or hand at her no matter how wroth he got. They were cousins, his mother was her aunt and the woman never treated her badly. Yes, Cousin Lucas was perfect.

Perfect for her plans to escape without resorting to murder or worse, depending on her sisters’ kindness. If baby Petyr Lothston died young, Ida’s boys would still inherit either way, or one of her daughters would wed him to make sure House Strong lives on in Harren the Black’s cursed castle.

They could be happy, Lucas was always sweet to her and with enough spells, Alys could avoid having him the same fate as her dear William. Perhaps she will even get her chance to love again.

“Alys Lothston has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it, my love.” She could be happy, be Lady of Harrenhall and keep the Drowned God’s curses away from the lands to prevent the waking of the Great Other as the Ironborn God tried to do by consuming the life of his devoted servants in the castle.

Best of all, stop being someone’s servant and having to make deals with them for scraps. Alys would be free, though never free from her curse, but free from the cage society trapped her in when Larys killed their father and brother.

“If we wed now, you won’t have to join Baratheon’s host. Andal tradition say recently married men may be exempt from war until they have been wed for a full year.” The witch suggests giggling like a maid when he agrees to her scheme.

Septon Eustace is too far asleep when they bang on his door as excited as young lovers are. “What do you want Ser Lucas?”

“I want to marry Alys. Now, if your holiness can manage it.” Her lover and bridegroom say beaming from ear to ear.

The following morning, Lady Alys Lothston pricks her finger and has little Prince Aenys drink her blood as she does to the infants she binds to her. This would have been done when he was old enough to be weaned, but in order for the both of them to live now, Alys needs to finish the binding ritual before Jena Wylde can get her greedy paws on her.

The witch has never done it to a babe so young, she prays to the Crone that the fire of her lamp keeps that of the babe lit until she calls Alys home.

“From Life comes death, from death comes life. May the Crone’s lamp always shine on you, my sweet prince.” The witch whispered softly as she kissed the soft little head of the dragon prince who was never meant to exist.

By noon, Alys has been let go due to the scandal of her elopement and Lothson is made the Master-at-arms after his predecessor is found guilty of treason. By evening, Alys exhales in relief when she learns the prince had no trouble waking from his nap.

And yet the fires in her modest rooms still show the white owl of House Mertyns coming for her.

[autumnalwalker]

15 Questions: Character interview edition

Thank you for the tag, @words-after-midnight. I do enjoy writing in-character responses to questions.

Passing the tag to @cljordan-imperium, @theprissythumbelina, @blind-the-winds, @oh-no-another-idea, @dogmomwrites, and an open tag for anyone else who wishes to join in the fun.

Since this week's upcoming Empty Names chapter is from Ashan Glassheart's POV, I'll queue him up for this. I'm tempted to go do the rest of the Empty Names cast at some point in the future as well, like I did last time.

1. Are you named after anyone?

My grandfather, although I have not used that name in more than half my life. I still think of it a name of mine, but it is also a memento of a time I cannot go back to. Meanwhile, "Glassheart" is an homage to my teacher's epithet of "Glassgaze." As is traditional.

2. When was the last time you cried?

When I visited the tombstone my parents put up for me.

3. Do you have any kids?

No, and I would prefer to avoid the possibility. I may consider adoption one day though, particularly if I ever decide to take an apprentice.

4. Do you use sarcasm?

Only sparingly.

5. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Their overall demeanor. Tone, body language, and etcetera. Useful elements for planning impending interaction.

6. What's your eye color?

Light brown. Someone once called them "amber," but that was an ill-conceived attempt at winning me over with poetry on his part coupled with odd lighting.

7. Scary movies or happy endings?

There is more than enough fear out and about in the world. And besides, I have not seen a movie since I was a child. Perhaps I should amend that.

8. Any special talents?

Other than being a wizard? I suppose I am a passable dancer. My teacher insisted it was good exercise for staying light on one's feet.

9. Where were you born?

Earth, the local anchor world iteration of it specifically, despite having left young. My early childhood memories are of a rural small town. Pray forgive me not being more specific, but my family still lives there and even if they think I died years ago I would prefer to respect their privacy.

10. What are your hobbies?

Finding relatively secluded natural areas to meditate in is the first thing that comes to mind for such a question, particularly since spending hours in a library pouring over tomes on arcane theory and practice is largely considered part of my profession rather than a hobby, no matter how much I enjoy it.

11. Have you any pets?

No, nor is my preferred practice of magic one that typically incorporates familiars.

12. What sports do you play/have played?

The closest I have ever come to playing sports is the time my teacher signed the two of us up as contestants in a gladiatorial tournament of sorts. She said it would be a good learning experience and practical test of my skills. She was correct, as usual, even if I was eliminated halfway through. Meanwhile she made it to the final bout and I have long suspected that she only lost that because she was holding back for the sake of not upsetting my image of her.

13. How tall are you?

Five feet, six inches. Roughly the same as my teacher. Given how much of a role model she was for me, I suspect the Autogenesis Principle may be as responsible for this a genetics. "What is the Autogenesis Principle?" It is the tendency for the bodies of those exposed to the supernatural - particularly those from anchor worlds who had previously been unaware of its existence - to physically warp and change over time to align with their self-image. That is the simplified version at the least. In practice there can be any number of factors complicating this creation of the self, so that one person might be barely affected while another can undergo exaggerations that border on the monstrous.

14. Favorite subject in school?

I was still in elementary school when I... left home with the woman who would become my teacher, but the memories of reading classes are the ones that I recall most vividly. To her credit though, she did make a point of tutoring me in other subjects I was missing out on more formal education for alongside my magical training.

15. Dream job?

Being a wizard and helping those in need. As I am already doing.

[gayvillainera]

Prompt: Danny/Rebecca: “You’ve thought about this, haven’t you?” Also, I adore your fic! Can't wait for more!

Anon, thank you so much for this prompt!! Also I promise the next chapter is coming soon once I iron out some kinks (ha).

I had so much fun with this and oh no I think it sparked a new fic idea, please enjoy this ~1100 word scene! CW for implications (but nothing graphic) of domestic abuse and consensual light s/m

.

 “I wonder what it would be like if Maxim were to die.”

Mrs. Danvers stared at her for a moment, as if to assess whether this was a serious matter for discussion or simply an attempt to elicit a reaction. But Rebecca’s eyes were cast down, studying the blouse in her hands as she ran her fingers over the newly repaired seams. A third option, then: she’d simply had a thought and decided to state it aloud.

“Oh?” She paused to slip a dress onto its hanger. “Does the thought worry you?”

But Rebecca was quiet. She’d had more quiet spells recently, but then, there’d been more incidents as well. First with Major Lacy, then Mr. Crawley’s rather dubious confessions to Mr. de Winter just a few months later. It had been enough to draw a cold fog over the house. Oh, Rebecca had laughed to Danny and tossed her hair. She’d denounced both men as weak, wicked men who would rather feign loyalty to wife or master than admit they’d been willing enough in their flirtations. But Mrs. Danvers could hear what Rebecca didn’t say, the small details she stepped daintily around in their conversations. And besides, the servants saw everything, and talked enough to fill two estates with their gossip.

“How would it happen?”

Rebecca met her gaze steadily, only the smallest hint of a frown between her eyebrows. Something else passed silently between them: Yes, said Rebecca’s eyes, you understand duty and obligation well enough. I’m arriving at such an understanding myself.

“Well, he hardly does anything of interest, so I’m sure it would be something awfully boring,” she replied with a sniff. “No boating accidents or foreign illnesses. And the staff are too devoted for one of them to go mad and simply attack him, nor are any of my lovers jealous enough to do the same.” At this, she considered Danny’s face, cast a casual glance over the strength of her arms, her hands. Danny watched her do it. “I’ve set their expectations too well, I suppose.”

Mrs. Danvers turned back to the laundry basket. “We train our staff too well to make the sort of terrible mistake that might cause someone to fall seriously ill or become injured. Unless, of course, we hired someone young and naïve, and what a terrible guilt they’d have to carry if such a thing did happen.”

Rebecca grunted softly. “Yes, that’s true. He hunts, he attends whichever balls and dinners and races he can’t squirm his way out of. Nothing there.” She ran her fingers over the fresh stitches again, so small and neat you’d never see them if you didn’t know they’d been put there, if you hadn’t seen the tear they’d drawn together and erased.

“But he does have such a terrible temper, you know. Not in front of the rest of them, but. Well.” She gave a terrible, soft laugh and Mrs. Danvers had to restrain herself from rushing over to her at the sound. Whether to sooth or to offer up a reservoir to store the anger that simmered under that laugh, even she wasn’t sure, but either way she held herself stiff and still and only quirked an eyebrow at her. “Anyway, they say men with tempers often have such weak hearts after all. They can work themselves up into a fit of rage so violent that their hearts can’t take it and they stop working altogether. Sometimes. I suppose there’s that, then.”

She brought a hand up to brush at the spot on her upper arm where he’d grabbed her. There was only a faint green mark there now, but it was the first one he’d given her, and so it would be forever in her mind even as it faded from her body.

Mrs. Danvers’ jaw ached, and suddenly she couldn’t keep up the pretense any longer. “It’s a pity you’d have to wait for such a chance to occur, then.”

Rebecca’s head snapped up, and she took in the trapped-animal tension in Danny’s body: the hunch of her shoulders, the skirt fisted in her hands, the wide-eyed defiance on her face, so properly terrified now that she’d quit their little game.

Usually, Rebecca liked to play a game out until she’d won or she was bored. But here was something more interesting, with a tantalizing possibility at its end.

She stood, took two slow steps towards Danny, hands out, as if she was approaching a skittish horse. “Go on.”

Slowly, her shoulders came down. Her eyes widened just a fraction further.

“There couldn’t be any accidents. No questions. I could take care of it, but you would have to play it perfectly. No cause for concern.”

“You’ve thought about this, haven’t you?” To soften the accusation, Rebecca reached out and smoothed Danny’s hands, dropped the skirt back into the basket and tucked her own fingers into Danny’s fists.

“Yes.”

“You’re serious?”

“Yes.” Their hands tightened with every word until they stood white-knuckled, clasping each other.

“Then you’d need to be perfect too. If I’m to lose him, I can’t lose you. There’s no romance in dying, you know.”

Danny stared into her eyes and drew their hands up until they were loosely draped around her neck. How many times had they been posed like this, Danny gasping Go on, do it, you won’t hurt me, Rebecca gnashing and groaning in response until at last she collapsed in sobs, in a moment safely gathered in Danny’s arms, stroked and shushed and murmured at until at last all of the anger he’d given her was gone, until at last she would peer up at Danny and ask if she was all right, too, and things were set right again?

No romance in dying, but intimacy in violence – a bond in shelter, in willingness to take and give, in mending rather than discarding. They never spoke of it except in this way, in the glances they’d long learned to decipher.

“I have always been exceptional at my job, Rebecca. Perfection will not be difficult.” Her throat vibrated with the words. Rebecca pressed her thumbs ever so slightly into Danny’s skin to meet them.

“Of course it won’t be. Not for you. I should have expected you’d… Of course.” She smiled shyly up at Danny. “I always knew I’d only let a man hit me once. But I should’ve known you wouldn’t let him do it again either.”

Mrs. Danvers stroked Rebecca’s hair with one hand. “I am ever in your service, Madam.”

“Manage this, Danny,” she replied, placing a kiss on her knuckles, “and I will be ever in your debt. Now, don’t tell me one thing more, unless you need me to play some part in it. And soon we’ll be free.”

[magicstar16]

High guardian spice rewrite: The Transgender scene

(Inside Caraway’s office, we Professor Caraway sitting at his desk, with Rosemary sitting across from him, looking slightly downtrodden)

Caraway: So, I heard you’ve been having some trouble in class?

Rosemary: Yeah… am I gonna get kicked out?

Caraway: No, of course not! It’s your first day, I wouldn’t kick someone out just because they’re struggling, what gave you that idea?

Rosemary:… The triad. Specifically the old one

Caraway: (Under his breath, slightly annoyed) oh, of course she did.

Rosemary: I mean, im supposed to be the Daughter of THE Lavender! If I can’t even pass where she excelled, then…

Caraway: Rosemary, look at me.

(Rosemary looks up at Caraway)

Caraway: You’re not perfect. And that’s okay.

Rosemary: but-

Caraway: Your mom wasn’t perfect either. Besides the bar isn’t as high as you think it is. Would you like to hear the story about how she almost accidentally killed me?

Rosemary: (Shocked, with her Pigtails puffing up in distress) She WHAT?!

Caraway: Don’t worry it’s not as bad as you think it is.

(Rosemary relaxes a little, but keeps her focus onto Caraway)

Caraway: Okay, so for context, do you know what “Transgender” means?

Rosemary: uhhhhh, I think I do? It’s where you feel like you’re the opposite gender your born with, right?

Caraway: that’s a basic way to put it yes.

Rosemary: But what does that have to do with my mom almost killing you?

Caraway: I’m getting to that. So here’s what happened…

(We fade into a flashback with Lavender and mid- transition Caraway, as High Guardian Academy students. caraway is looking over a long list of spells, almost all of them are crossed out).

Caraway: (Voiceover) It was when I was still transitioning, since this was before transformation magic started being applied for body modification and not shapeshifting.

(We see young Caraway casting some sort of spell near his chest, with Lavender watching intently. Caraway’s wand starts glowing. Lavender and caraway start looking hopeful)

Caraway: (voiceover) Lavender and I were trying to see if I could use a spell to get rid of my breasts.

(We see a burst of magic flame on the wand, Lavender and Caraway jump back and panic, while the wand spazzes out, shooting out sparks like an unstable sparkler).

Caraway: (Voiceover) However, nothing seemed to work.

(Young caraway gets up, frustratedly brushes himself off, and crosses out the last spell on the list. He sighs, Lavender goes over and puts her hand on his shoulder for comfort).

Caraway: (voiceover) I was so close to giving up, I thought the body I always wanted would always just be out of reach. That id have to stay in such uncomfortable skin forever.

(Lavender perks up. She grabs Caraway by the arm and excitedly drags him away from the magic materials)

Caraway: (Voiceover) but then your mom got an idea.

(We cut to young Caraway lying down half naked in a field, although he’s censored because showing a half naked 14 year old is creepy. He’s lying next to some bandages. We also see Lavender sharpening her sword, eager to carry out her plan.)

Caraway (Voiceover): She thought if Magic couldn’t help, then we’d have to get rid of my breasts “The old fashioned way”.

Rosemary: (Voiceover) I think I can see where this is going.

Caraway: (Voiceover) I could too.

(We see Lavender bend over Caraway, holding her sword slightly above him like a Limbo stick. Caraway looks at the sword, clearly wondering why he agreed to this).

Caraway: (Voiceover) Before I knew it, Lavender drew her sword and…

(We see Lavender Slash the sword, but the impact is blocked out by a black screen with a slash effect and a splash of blood, like something out of a horror movie).

(We then cut to Caraway’s POV. His vision is blurry He looks down, his chest is wrapped in bandages he looks up and we see him dazed)

Caraway: I woke up, bleeding, there was a pain in my chest, i thought for sure I was dead… until…

(We cut to Lavender. Standing in a victorious warrior pose. Cheering. In her hand, she’s holding young Caraway’s now removed tits. Lavender is holding them like the still beating heart of an enemy warrior).

Caraway: maybe it was because my mind was so hazy, but instead of getting angry at lavender at the fact that she could have killed me, I couldn’t help but laugh at the scene before me. She was holding my boobs as if they were the still beating heart of a freshly killed monster).

(Caraway starts laughing along with Lavender, although he starts losing consciousness quickly, Lavender rushes over to him, worried).

(We fade back to present day. Caraway still has an expression of wistful nostalgia on his face. Rosemary has a horror filled WTF expression on her face).

Caraway: I don’t remember much after that since I passed out, but you get my point.

[starblue2406]

Now with the Disney live action boom which are announced every three days , the Harry Potter remake and the FNAF film that already has almost confirmed .Lately I've thought "If a love actions of my fic were made, what would be the cast of actors?".

I've been thinking about this during the showers! So here I leave my cast list of my imaginary live action cast of my fanfic XD: love actions cringe was made from my fic XD:

Attention: I don't know many actors, I prefer to see things in animated format, so forgive me if many appear in the same work or are very generic and predictable xd

Andrew Garfield: Damos Gaspar.

I know Andrew doesn't stick around to make the canonical Damos, but for my fic's version I think it's fine, after all in my fic he's a 24 year old guy and the way I draw him I try to favor that point of my fic.

I think Andrew without any problem can play the young priest who at the beginning is an optimistic young man with his destiny and little by little he discovers that the reality that he has believed all his life is more complicated than it seemed, besides that despite being a good guy he has his shades of gray.

I also like to imagine the interpretation he would make in the funny moments with Pili and the tense moments that will be quite drastic, if I can call them that.

Chris Evans: Arceus

As I said, I don't know much about actors, but in the hypothetical case that this live action had been done about 5 years ago, I would have chosen this guy for Arceus. Now not so much or maybe yes?... It's complicated, it's that Chris already notices the change weather after end game xd

But let's imagine that we have in front of Chris from about 5 years ago, so without a doubt he has the role for our llama perfectionist.

Ryan Gosling: Argique

The same as Chris, but if I give him a chance, he currently doesn't look so bad to try the kaloshiny.

Can you imagine Ryan playing Argique eating? It would be historic because of how funny it would be.

Tom Hiddleston: Marcus Koroterna

This would undoubtedly be our beloved emperor. With the great interpretation of him to Loki,he already has experience with characters who are charismatic villains. Also, just look at it! The wardrobe would be perfect! Not even Marcus's weird hairstyle could ruin that!

Jenn Murray: Acomfire

The same as with Tom Hiddleston. The character is made for her!I was literally based on Gerda from the movie Maleficent 2, for its great design and redesign. So I think she is the one, in addition to her, her fixed and penetrating gaze will transmit to the viewer that it's not a good idea to mess with the Emperor, because he has someone dangerous behind him.

Emma Watson:Olga Koroterna (young age), Ava Gaspar or Martha

Any of those three would suit you.

She could play Olga when flashbacks are shown of her when she was a young princess, with big dreams and determination to be a good girl.empress for her people.

Also the great Ava Gaspar, that restless woman who sought more land than the horizon showed her with great kindness and love towards her friends and loved ones, from the only Pokémon trainers of the dynasty and the great guide of our little Heatran.Can you imagine Emma in Ava's uniform? She would look amazing!!!

A character like Martha would also suit her well, after seeing her participation in the Beauty and the Beast live action and now that I have accommodated Martha's presence and role in the story, Martha would definitely suit her well! Now with Martha's new changes, they make her a candidate for the honor of being played by Emma. Pretty good for a character I owe a lot xD

Elizabeth Debicki: Olga Koroterna

What better role of an empress for someone who played the queen of the people?That's how it is! I speak of Elizabeth Debicki,who previously performed for the dearest Princess Diana. I haven't seen ALL of The crown, but for me she is the one to play the dearest Olga/mother-in-law of my friend Elgu xD.Also just watch it here! Olga's short hair and her crown would suit her perfectly!

In addition, she undoubtedly knows how to capture the pain and suffering of a woman in overwhelming situations that little by little destroy her.

Sarah Jeffery: Kenia Gaspar (young age)

I like the interpretation of this actress, her experience with the character of Audrey in descendants, I think it would help her with the interpretation of Kenya in flashbacks, since let's say that she was...A difficult girl to deal with, especially with Olga... Acomfire already talked a little about it and little by little I leave crumbs of it.

Michelle pfeiffer: Kenia Gaspar

Currently Kenya has not gone beyond mentions, technically we know nothing about her other than some things she has been involved in.I don't want to make spoilers, but if this actress is here it is because there is a specific role that makes me take her as an immediate candidate, it is a role of a character from a movie mentioned in this post. This character will be relevant later on, whether it is just a cameo, reference, flashback or full appearance is left to your speculation.

Hunter Doohan: Stephen Koroterna

He has that air of naive, of a good boy, different and familiar with loved ones. The perfect emperor.

Tom Holland: Pablo Gaspar (young age)

Just look at it! He is without a doubt Mew's apprentice, that innocence and hope for what the future holds fits perfectly in this actor I see this guy using the power to speak to the hearts of Pokémon and with a suitcase in hand to leave his toxic family and go see what fate has in store for him.I see the story of Pablo interpreted by Tom and without a doubt I believe that he is the chosen one of Mew.

Robert Jack:Pablo Gaspar

After watching his great performance in the series "the last czars", I realize that he is a very good candidate for the first Gaspar of the dynasty.A nice guy, but with problems when it comes to talking about his performance and the acts he did while holding the office that God gave them.

No doubt he is already an expert for that character archetype.

Luise Wolfram: Alix Koroterna

He already has experience with Alix, I can only say that xD

Angelique Boyer: Lesly

Oh yes, the great traitor of the archestian religion. The woman who made the pure angel of Arceus fall into pain, anger, disobedience and imperfection for the sake of jewels and a new status. The woman who was once called a heroine, the one who fooled everyone and the girl who is blamed for Arceus being so disappointed with the human race.

No doubt Angelique Boyer is the one for Lesly, she already has experience with sexy bad girls. Just tell you that she acted to be Teresa in the telenovela of the same name(jewel of Mexican telenovelas). Without a doubt I think she is the best of all this cast.

And that's my great cast! There are still many characters missing but I think those are the ones worth talking about for now, also as I said I hardly know any actors so it makes it much more complicated the situation xD.

And you? What do you think of this cast that occurred to me in each shower? Any new option or suggestion? Do you have your imaginary cast for your own story? Show me what's on your mind!

[raviosprovidence]

Hi, here's my experience. Buckle the fuck up, because you're getting part my life story and this post is incredibly dismissive

I was one of those kids. Identified as ace from around 13/14 to 18/19. Dates are a little off and a little fuzzy, due to me identifying as ace but not aro, having a private crisis as an adult, and then later officially casting off the label, but it was around 5-6 years.

I grew up as a very awkward kid who probably had some kind of neurodivergence and sought refuge on Tumblr. Yes, this opened me up to all sort of identities and taught me a great deal, but it also taught me "if you don't experience sexual attraction, you're ace!!" (same with romantic attraction) and i did! I was happy as aroace! I ignored all the naysayers saying i was too young. I didn't need romance in my life! Life was great! And besides, no one could have a crush on me and I could never feel that sort of rejection if I just didn't feel attraction. We'll come back to this later

ironically, while browsing for exclusionists to harass (yes, i was deep in ace discourse on instagram), I saw something that gave me pause: the idea of a late bloomer. This never occurred to me. I had already been a late bloomer developmentally, due to me not talking until I hit 4 years old, but i didn't know that sometimes, sexual attraction didn't hit until until one was in their late teens or early 20's. And even the concept that stress, weight, and other factors outside of one's direct control could have an impact on someone not feeling sexual or romantic attraction.

But I was 17 and thought I knew everything, so I disregarded that.

I ignored all those feelings I had where I'd get blushy around women. i would brush it off and say I was just admiring them. After all, couldn't I, as a woman, admire other women? Meanwhile, everyone online was encouraging me being ace, despite my friends in real life questioning my sexuality. My friends didn't know what they were talking about!

Until I had a crisis in college. I realized i did want a relationship! I wanted to have sex with women! I was just suppressing all of those feelings and covering them with an ace flag colored band aid. If I had actually wizened up and talked about this earlier, i could have identified as a lesbian WAY earlier than months before I turned 22.

So, you may ask, why was I hurt?

I closed myself off from dating. Ever, because I didn't feel that attraction. At the prime time when you're supposed to experiment with that. And further on, in college, while all my friends were dating and fucking, as someone who didn't even know their sexuality, I didn't want to hurt anyone by getting with someone while I wasn't attracted to them. I completely and utterly shut myself off from gaining experience during the very prime years when one typically gains experience. I don't think most of the people reblogging this understand how difficult it is to date when you have ZERO experience. It's hard on you/ It's hard on your potential partners. You will face challenges and hurdles most do not have to face, because they were out having fun while I had mentally decided since I'd never experience sexual attraction, I didn't need that

Seeing all your peers be leagues ahead of you in terms of romance/sex because you were an idiot 14-year-old who believed people on the internet is damaging, contrary to what you're saying. Could this have still happened even if I didn't identify as ace? Maybe, maybe not. But if I didn't, I could have worked through the issues that I refused to deal with due to identifying as ace (weight gain, internalized homophobia, etc.). Ironically, I had a friend go through something similar, but they were ace for a much shorter time than me and was able to have that experience during her teenage years. I'm happy it worked out for her.

This isn't wholly an ace problem. I recognize that. it's why I am very critical of labels and asking people why they identify as something (when it's appropriate, ofc. I don't go around asking people unprompted). People always give me shit when I tell them that you can absolutely use a label as a bandaid for your problems. Thats why it is important to ask questions and unpack shit. I do not doubt that asexuality is a real identity. I have met plenty of very happy ace people who understand themselves and still came away with that conclusion. But there is this idea that no sexual attraction = asexuality no matter what, when sexuality is a lot more complex than what you think. And if my story helps out some other kid in a similar situation, then it will have been worth it.

So yeah, OP. Maybe don't be dismissive of other people who have had similar experiences.

tbh it doesn't rly hurt teenagers to incorrectly id as ace like... what's the worst than could happen? they don't have sex till they're older?? lol

[k-dokja]

summary: cheer up malleus... you're just socially inept, you're still rich and powerful!

settings: established relationship + reader is married to malleus + arranged marriage, but they're intimate

author’s note: i love clowning malleus 🥴 also briefly i forgot the name of their house and kept thinking briar draconis for some reasons.

malleus was... whistling when you passed him earlier.

it is decidedly unnerving for you to see the young prince in a good mood, even if you knew the origin of his pleasant disposition. and like how his happiness does not go unnoticed by everyone, someone notices your apprehension.

"i hope you don't mind me intruding. you've been out of the spot lately, i just wanted to come and see if something's the matter."

it's lilia who approaches you while you're stuck doing paperwork at your personal office. with malleus' eventual enrolment to the college, much of his duty is taken up by you. the increased pile of work is a nice distraction from your feeling about the entire ordeal.

not that it's enough to fool the eyes of the wise one.

"ah, vanrouge," you keep your face perfectly neutral at his arrival, "i just thought about calling for you, have a seat."

lilia wears an indulgent smile befit for a parent. as you put aside the documents, he makes himself comfortable on the chair in front of your desk. "i assume this has something to do with our mutual source of concern? his highness would argue that he is not a child for us to fret so much over."

drearily, you smile back, "even if would that be the case, malleus has never gotten a good record when dealing with the common people." you pinch the bridge of your nose and push away the memory of the last excursion to the town.

it has been decent until his true identity slipped. the masses take all but a second to scurry away from him or cower in fear. controlling the damage afterwards has been a pain in your back on top of the lengthy lecture his grandmother gave the two of you.

never again. you can handle pouting malleus, but the queen of briar valley is springy for her age and she can talk for hours about his safety, not to mention her scolding you. back then, you were meant to be the responsible one and not led him into potential danger. with your experience combined with his raw magic, you'd argue that both of you were never been in a rough spot.

however, you also forgot your position as the princess consort of the briar valley. his well-being should've been the priority of concern, you were beside yourself that time. not this, however, you were going to play the dutiful one like you were tasked to be.

"based on past experience, i have concerns that he will continue to be disappointed. in an environment of young, even if educated, boys, they are too young and impressionable to deal with someone of malleus' strength and status. from what we've learned, there are other royal children and nobles enrolling... but none of them has interacted with malleus in recent years, if at all."

"mhm, this has been worrying you, hasn't it?" lilia nods thoughtfully. "here i thought you were strangely supportive when malleus brought this up."

"i am not against the idea. it will do well for our future monarch to be in touch with the common people," you correct. "however, as it stands, i do not want this experience to upset him. if this turned foul, he might be more alienated from the children of men and our common people than he ever was."

lilia casts a side-long look at the painting of your wedding day. it perches on the wall left where you sit, framed by black wood and golden ornament. the picture moves at times, but both of you know it has no life. the imagery painted carries a fragment of memories from that day, when you and malleus were wedded. the two of you take the centre of the painting, surrounded by your family and closest friends.

lilia included.

a strange smile curves lilia's lips, "that's what i will be there for, you have nothing to worry about with me there. have i ever disappointed you, your highness?"

you want to bring up the weird murder of crows which incant dead languages that he brought to your wedding day. but outside of his moment of eccentricities, lilia is, by far, the most trustworthy and reliable man you can count on.

you sigh, resigned to the situation, "let's hope it won't come to the need for your intervention."

yes, all it boils down to now is hope.

malleus keeps correspondence with you during his time at the college.

in the first week, he was enthusiastic and hopeful. he notified you of his success in overthrowing the previous housewarden of diasomnia. you wrote back with congratulation. inside, however, you had thought that if he lost then there be not enough damage control for the media coverage of that royal embarrassment.

the messages got less enthusiastic as time goes by. his hope dwindles more and more by the time his first month is completed. however, you encouraged him to stay vigilant. children of men are flexible, they will adapt to him at one point.

then comes the second month and the same pattern of the last repeats.

you cannot help but worry more, even if malleus stays hopeful during his message with you. although your responsibility keeps you occupied, you try to uplift malleus whenever you can. however, even with the positivity from him, you cannot help the feeling that something is amiss.

(you, later on, learned that his name was leona kingscholar, another foreign prince)

the visit has been an impromptu one, notified to only concerned parties: lilia and crowley. both of which are out of necessities instead of want. you don't want to alarm either of the old men about the sudden appearance of a foreign and powerful magical source.

but outside of that, your decision to check in has been a secret even to malleus.

no sooner than after you step into the hall of mirrors, you're greeted by an oppressive atmosphere native to the college ground. before, when you tread the campus to assert its suitability for malleus, you've sniffed this out from the age-old architect of the buildings.

however, here, without a patron guiding your way, it has become even more prominent. the spirits which dwell here do not react kindly to strangers, even if they are allowed ones.

you push away the thought and hasten your steps towards the diasomnia mirror. never mind the spirits of this place, you prefer to go in and out without another student spotting you. it'd have been weird trying to explain the situation when you only want to deal with a family issue.

the mirror turns into a cool liquid on your skin when you thrust your hand through it. however, your plan never gets the chance to fall into place.

"going somewhere?"

you recoil in surprise. but upon seeing the asker, you heave out a sigh, hands propped on your hip. "malleus," you say, "it's not nice to surprise your elders."

he smiles. it's awkward and unpracticed. you have a feeling he hasn't done that for a while. then, it vanishes as fast as it comes, "you should've told me you were coming. i would've prepared to greet you."

"i'm only here for a couple of minutes," you sigh, "i've come to meet you, actually."

"oh?"

you nod and wear a pleasant smile. yours is practised and natural. no one can even suspect a thing. "i've missed you," you say readily, "lilia said it's not wise for married couples to be away from each other for far too long."

malleus looks vaguely amused, "there is only a month left until the break, but if that's the reason you've given, then i will believe it. just this time."

he narrows his eyes at you. but you keep your smile, perfect and innocent. in the end, he relents before you, "come with me, we shouldn't be seen here."

once you stepped up within arm's reach, malleus takes hold of your waist and pulls you closer to him. the brush of his magic on your skin is electrifying. a jolt shoots down your spine, more a pleasant buzz than a numbing shock.

by the time it's gone, the two of you are somewhere else entirely. a secluded corner in a garden, where life springs forth even on night raven's cursed ground. malleus lets go of you upon arrival, giving you the chance to take in the scenery.

"i like this area of the garden," he muses, "it's serene and beautiful, almost untouched by the ravage of men. the flowers bloom brighter and stronger here. i come here whenever i miss you."

"it's gorgeous, malleus, but wouldn't your bedchamber be more prudent for privacy?" you question matter-of-factly.

however, malleus answers with a sly smile, "do you think your visit can be 'a couple of minutes' if we went to my bedroom?"

"malleus," you cross your arms, "do you plan on scandalizing your entire dorm? you know we are not subtle without the wards blocking the residual energy."

he only shrugs, "the warding can be prepared for next time. for magic, noises, and any subsequent tremors. if you have any concerns about the students, i will ask for lilia's assistance with evacuating the dorm beforehand. he will understand if it's for the purpose of continuing the draconia line."

"it's improper to talk of this on the campus ground," you say, "it's a place for education, we shouldn't sully it with carnal matters. besides, you're committing to your education. we can save the heir-making for when you graduated."

"i can always leave if anything ought to happen," then, he adds with a morose note, "i do not have anything to hold me back from leaving this place, in any case."

your eyes widen. even if it's expected of him, you never expect it to affect him so. "i thought you were hopeful about this?"

"i was," he says shortly, glaring at the ground like he wants to burn a hole into it, "but i've interacted with enough children of men here to know nothing will change. yes, it might be a different environment with different people, but they continue to cower in front of me. some even flee at the mention of my name, it does make me wonder what have i done to instil in them with such fervour."

"oh, malleus," you step up to him. his shoulder stops tensing upon your close proximity, but he stays petulant, "it is their nature to fear the unknown. briar valley is secretive about its magic and people, they're simply afraid because they've not gotten the chance to familiarize themselves with you properly. i reckon most of them have never seen fae in their lives."

you cup his face and draw his gaze to your eyes. he softens, only a little, but remains silent. so, you continue, "i'm sure they'd react the same if i was in your position," you reassure, "give it at least a semester or even a year, and they'll go easy to your presence. children of men are adaptable, they will come to see you for who you are, not who you represent."

this time around, he smiles when you smile. but it fades when he sighs, "i suppose i should be more patient and realistic. even if my goal for socialization fails, at least, i will gain some experience as a normal student in a college."

there are at least several factors which make him an abnormal student, you'd argue: his age, his origin, his existing education, and his guardian. but that's neither here nor there. "that's better," you lean up to him, then kiss him on the chin, "you're the scion of the draconia, there's nothing you can't do."

"i'd say there are a few things," he wryly adds, "making friends, for example, but i'll try to live up to your expectation."

you nod, pleased with the outcome of your little intervention. that does not go unnoticed by malleus, "so, did you come here simply because of your fear of my ineptitude or was there something else?"

"what? noooo," you let out a forced laugh, "i missed you, remember? but i might have a teeny itty bitty little thing i need to discuss with lilia before leaving."

"so it's not just me but lilia you're also missing then," malleus teases, "let us go find him before your couple of minutes run out. his usual dwelling is only a short distance from here."

he takes your hand into his hand, fingers threaded with each other, "let us walk, i want to be with you longer."

the two of you continue with quiet chatter while you traverse the halls of the school's academic building. if not for his perceived frightening reputation, you reckon malleus would've garnered a lot of fans and friends alike. once his outer shield is down, he's sweet and charming.

his care for you shines through even in the simple touches, has it not for his natural affection, you don't think your relationship would've gotten this close.

however, your little bubble is burst when you round a corner without checking. you're discovered before malleus, who steps back in time, but not enough to prevent your exposure. two students stumble upon you, their eyes widening in surprise.

"you—"

"she's—"

"oh great sevens—"

they mutter among themselves, stunted to see you. when malleus ventures towards revealing his own presence, you raise a hand to stop him. you want to make an example and demonstrate the point of your earlier discussion. these children of men are simply shocked by a foreign figure, they're not malicious.

"you must be..." the first one stutters, his lips trembling when he talks, "p-princess consort of briar valley—"

your name, coming from him, sounds different. it's breathed out with an air of reverence that surprised you. both of them bow deeply at in front of you, it takes a second before you reply, "ah right, at ease. who might you two be?"

they both spring up and continue to admire you with reverence. "o-oh! we never thought we'd get to see you here!" the other one gushes. "we had dreamed when we learned that crown prince malleus would be here but to see you in person...!"

ah.

"oh... i did not expect the common people to know of me this far from our homeland," you say, "this is unexpected."

the first one continues, fervent adoration filling his eyes, "you've amassed a big following on magicam, your highness...! i, myself, run a fan account of you, it has gotten over t-two millions followers!"

"y-yes! you've inspired me to take up my historical study more seriously. i've decided to pursue a history major after reading about your accomplishments...!"

they continue to gush about you, mixing between future aspirations and media influences. after a while, their words confuse you, but you continue to wear a genial, understanding smile. that does not last for long. seemingly has his patience worn out, malleus is no longer content with standing there waiting.

he steps out from the shadows, lime-green eyes regally staring down at the two students. immediately at his appearance, the two snap taut with tension. gone were the previous affection they poured towards you, their eyes are now filled with an unspoken fear.

before you can even speak up to mitigate the tension, malleus speaks up, "i see my wife has taken up quite the intense admirers. how nice." the statement is factual, devoid of any emotion. yet, it is enough to spring the students into action.

"w-we didn't know you were here, your highness...!"

"we're deeply sorry!"

malleus tilts his head, "ah, but you haven't done something worth apologizing. there is no reason to fret, unless...?"

immediately, your admirers spring into action and run in the opposite direction, "we're sorry, your highnesses!" they yell as they escape. "we didn't mean to!"

their retreat is so sudden that you're left agape while malleus remains confused. after they disappeared completely from sight, malleus turns to you, frowning. "do you see what i meant? it is not a problem with fae, it is a problem with me."

"ah, but that was simply an anomaly," you pat him amicably on the arm, "the next one will be different, you'll see."

turns out your reassurance falls flat on the ground and gets trampled over. the next few "experiment" the two of you conducted with the students repeats the original encounter. if not them gushing over you, then the student either fawns or hits on you of some variety. by the fourth flock of students that you come across, malleus is visibly displeased and fuming.

you suspect it only has a little to do with how the last one kisses your hand for far too long.

"uhm."

"we'll never speak of this again."

"agreed."

so much for coming over to cheer him up.