#secret hidden snowball 2

[azrielandhisshadows]

winter's kiss

pairing: azriel x reader

word count: 1.2k (I tried to make this shorter, but I'm a yapper)

warning: over-protective, older brother, Kallias

summary: the reader has lived a sheltered life under her brother, Kallias, the high lord of the Winter Court. when the reader is given the opportunity to go to the Dawn Court for the High Lords meeting, she is ecstatic. While there, she meets the most of the Inner Circle and one of those members will change her life

part 2 part 3 part 4 part 5

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Light reflecting from the snow outside blinded you as you stepped out onto your balcony. Despite living in the Winter Court your entire life, you have never gotten used to the views of the snow-capped mountains and the city sprawling beneath you. You only wish you could see what was beyond the snow-capped mountains. 

Your older brother, Kallias, had always been determined to keep you safe from the dangers lurking outside your home. During Amarantha’s reign, he kept you hidden, and all you knew of the terrors she inflicted on your people were whispers. Even after her defeat and the stories of a human who had freed Prythian, your life remained firmly within the confines of the Winter Court.

You sat in the corner of your room, reading one of the many books that have allowed you to imagine the world outside of the Winter Court. Stories of fierce warriors that protected their people from outside danger, much like the threat of Hybern that loomed on the periphery. Your heart sank at the thought of another threat plaguing your home. Another threat that you were powerless to stop.

A knock sounded at your door and Kallias and Viviane entered your room. Viviane directed her attention to the book you held in your hands and gave you a sympathetic smile, knowing how you desired to escape your sheltered life. Your brother cleared his throat and looked uneasy as he said, “Y/N, we have decided to bring you with us to the Dawn Court for the High Lords’ meeting.”

Your breath left you at your brother’s announcement. Viviane’s gaze met your own with a satisfied smile, knowing that she had persuaded her mate to allow you to attend this meeting with them. Shooting up from your chair, you wrapped your brother in your arms, holding him tightly, “Kallias, thank you. This is fantastic! What do I need to do during the meeting?”

Kallias’s stoic demeanor softened as he returned the hug, ruffling your hair affectionately. “Easy there. You don’t need to do anything specific. You’re my best-kept secret, and I want the High Lords to see that I trust them—and that I trust you. Just be yourself.”

You pulled away slightly, a playful smirk on your lips. “Best-kept secret? That’s better than being your biggest embarrassment, I suppose.”

Kallias rolled his eyes, though a smile tugged at his lips. “Oh, very funny. Just try not to make me regret this decision. We don’t need a repeat of that time you tried to help me with diplomatic correspondence and nearly signed us up for a snowball fight in the city.”

Laughter erupted from you and Viviane and you nudged Kallias’s shoulder, “I promise there will be no accidental diplomatic disasters, but I might bring up how the High Lord of the Winter Court lost said snowball fight.” Kallias chuckled, shaking his head. “I would expect nothing less from you, but you need to get packed. We leave in the morning.” Kallias gave you a quick hug and left to oversee final preparations.

Viviane lingered in your room, her warm presence a stark contrast to the cool air outside. “Let’s get you packed. We have a lot to prepare for and I want you to be able to enjoy everything the Dawn Court has to offer.”

Night passed into morning and you were unable to sleep due to the excitement of your awaiting departure for the Dawn Court. A golden hue broke through your curtains signaling that it was time to leave. You met Kallias and Viviane in Kallias’s office as they were going over final details. Viviane looked at you expectantly. “How are you feeling, Y/N? 

You look between the mated couple, your heart beating out of your chest. “I’m as ready as I can be. Let’s go!” Kallias chuckled at your enthusiasm. Receiving a nod from Viviane, he raised his hand and enveloped the three of you in a sparkling blue. You felt the frigid air of the Winter Court begin to dissipate and was replaced by a warm breeze unlike anything you had felt before. Blossoming flowers and chatter from the halls reached your ears as you took in the sunlit room you were winnowed into. A squeal pierced your ears and you looked over in time to see a tall blonde embrace Viviane in a hug. 

“Mor, how I’ve missed you.” Viviane said to the female, returning her hug with equal excitement. Viviane and Mor separated from their embrace, both wearing wide smiles from the reunion. “Viviane, you look fantastic! I’m so excited that you’re here,” Mor’s gaze glanced to your wide-eyed frame, still taking in your new surroundings, “Who is this?”

You looked at the beautiful female and reached out a hand, “I’m Y/N. I’m Kallias’s sister.” Mor looked in between the three of you with shock lining her features. 

“Kallias, I did not know you had a sister.” 

Kallias’s cold features looked at the bright-eyed female and looked at you protectively, “No one outside of the Winter Court does.” Mor looked uncomfortable as Kallias placed a protective hand on your shoulder. You peered behind Mor’s to the group she came with and you saw three striking males with large, membranous wings behind them, their tan skin and dark hair making them stand out. One of the females looked at you, confusion lining her features, trying to figure out who you were.

Mor’s gaze followed yours, and she stepped aside to reveal the group behind her. “Let me introduce you to the rest of the Inner Circle.”

The first to step forward was a male with an aura of effortless confidence. His violet eyes pierced into you as he extended a hand with a grin. “I’m Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Y/N.” Your jaw dropped as you hesitantly accepted his hand. Rhysand, the most powerful high lord in Prythian and the one who was rumored to have killed the Winter Court children.

Seeing your discomfort, Rhysand’s smile faltered slightly. “I assure you, I didn’t harm those children. I understand if you’re wary, but I hope we can start fresh.”

His words carried a sincerity that eased your anxiety a bit. As he introduced you to the rest of his court, Cassian’s boisterous welcome and Feyre’s warm smile helped to soften the tension. Yet, it was Azriel who captured your focus completely. As his shadowy tendrils brushed against your arm, an unexpected wave of nausea surged through you. Your vision blurred momentarily as an intense, disorienting sensation swept over you.

Kallias and Viviane were instantly by your side, their concern palpable. “Y/N, are you alright?” Viviane’s voice was filled with worry, her hand gently resting on your back.

You struggled to steady yourself, unable to tear your eyes away from Azriel. His face was a mask of shock, his usually composed demeanor fractured. When he whispered, his voice barely more than a breath, it was as if the room itself fell silent, drawing all attention to his words. “Mate. You’re my mate.”

The weight of his revelation settled over you like a tangible force. The golden thread of connection that linked you both was almost visible, a shimmering bond that pulled at your very essence.

Mate.

[raven-cincaide-words]

Winter, Love and Angst 2024 Advent

Welcome to the exciting Love and Angst Advent calendar for 2024. It consists of 24 days with three different prompts each day focused on Christmas and Winter feeling, Romance tropes and of course a few Settings to help you on the way!

Hopefully these will prompt you to create something as we wait for Christmas and the New Year to arrive. Feel free to use as many or few of these as you’d like. And if you decide to use them, please tag me so I can read and re-blog your creations! 

So without further adieu, pick a day and prompt and let's get creating!  

1. First Snow | Newcomer | Forced Friendliness 

2. Ugly Sweater | Friend of a Friend | Mulled Wine

3. Hats, Gloves or Scarves | Boyfriend/ Girlfriend | Fight 

4. Snowball Fight | Age Gap | Building Bridges

5. Gingerbread House | Campus Crush | Cooking Class

6. Picking a Mistletoe | Secret Relationship | Jealousy

7. Snowed In | Roommates | Hidden Feelings 

8. Candy Cane Tasting | Shop Assistant | Hugs

9. Christmas Market | Online Date | Stood Up 

10. Christmas Shopping | Oblivious Love | Pinning 

11. Build a Snowman | Innocent Love | Next Step  

12. (Secret) Santa | Co-workers | Workplace Romance

13. Hot Chocolate recipe | Best Friends | Little Hints

14. Snowglobe | Different Worlds | Daydreaming  

15. Christmas Cleaning | Enemies to Lovers | Kisses

16. First Christmas | Strangers to More | Little Touches

17. Ice cream in Winter | Pen Pals | Love Letters

18 Ice skating | Athlete | Spontaneous Date

19. Christmas Traditions | Arranged Marriage | Awkward

20. Christmas Tree | Secret Identity | Lost Bet

21. Christmas Decorating | New Relationship | Caring Act     

22. Gift wrapping | Family | Disappointments 

23. Christmas Cooking | Rivals | Support

24. Christmas Excitement | Ex | No Reply

Main| Raven | Beta & Rules |Prompts | Masterlist | Cred & Other|

[clatoera]

Picket Fence is Sharp as Knives Chapter 2: Barefoot in the Wildest Winter, Catching my Death

Heeeeeey. Welcome back, I call this a mini chapter. It's still almost 3400 words. Thats insane of me. This chapter is

Clove centric/ Clato

20 months after the war/ 7 after the epilogue of ARWBFB

Ironic because the starbucks I wrote this in was so cold my fingers were fucking numb, which you will understand the irony of once you read it.

This is not..intense. It's just a palate cleanser after the Glimmer Prequel I posted this week. I think everyone needed it. I honestly wrote it because we got 10 inches of snow last week and currently are getting multiple more inches as we speak.

Anyway!

Chapter title from Evermore (Taylor Swift)

Masterpost

AO3

Theres also a good bit of cashmere/enobaria mentioned in honor of @bodyelectric77 giving me brain amoebas. I'm just going to tag @kentwells because this whole sequel is your fault. Anyway! Love y'all! love the besties! love everyone! ( I just..love love),

By virtue of the location, the widespread villages littering the biggest mountain range in Panem like sprinkles atop a cupcake, District Two gets substantial snowfall. The kind of snow that allows an extra industry for capitol elites to come and pretend to live like a district citizen in a heated, maintained cabin on the mountainsides, where people can party and celebrate the simplicity of a winter snow in the way that only someone who doesn’t have to worry about keeping heat on can do.

 If you were a child in the district without the commitment (Privilege? Curse?) of training, you could celebrate heavy snowfall with snowball fights followed by hot chocolate with your friends in one of your living rooms. If you were a trainee, a possible tribute, snow meant drills in the cold, running despite snow reaching your knees, agility trials on ice. If you were a trainee with just enough of a rebellious streak, snowfall meant you snuck out with the other kids in your class and rode makeshift sleds down the hills otherwise used for terrain testing. And if you were a trainee that got caught, snow meant laying on your back in a bank of it, in shorts and t-shirts, until your skin burned and your body ached. If you were the right kind of District Two training kid- the punishment was worth the glimmer of childhood you got to experience. 

The snow was not even the worst part– District Two was extremely cold. Not the type of cold where the cute jackets and scarves produced in District Eight would be sufficient, but the type of bone chilling cold that it was a miracle the majority of the population did not freeze to death by the end of a particularly bad winter. The academy just factored the weather into training– figuring out ways to layer, to stay warm, how to get rest in these types of conditions, and how to keep at peak performance despite below freezing temperatures. The embarrassment of a tribute losing because they lost grip on a weapon (“because of the weather” is an unacceptable excuse), is deeply ingrained in any child who has gone through training in District Two. They considered it to be a privilege to train in such harsh conditions, a leg up on competitors of how to deal with what could be thrown on them in the arena. Weather was not an excuse for failure.

Clove, of course, knows these things. Years later she can handle Brutus’s remarks about her clumsy frozen fingers almost ending her life, but at the time it was an insecurity that was fortunately never addressed due to the scandal of her long-term hidden relationship and accompanying secrets coming to the surface. 

Despite her games being a literal arctic blizzard, the snow and the cold had not bothered Clove in the immediate after her games. Sure, there were times where if she closed her eyes long enough on her porch that it felt like she was back in the arena for the briefest of seconds. However the heat of adrenaline that rushed to her chest brought her right back, and when her eyes would fly open and land on her Victor’s Village yard she’d be snapped back into her new reality. A reality of survival and victory.

She was even somewhat fond of the snow, with the recollections of childhood, of times her and Cato had snuck out back in the dead of night to “practice” in the wintry conditions. 

“If it weren’t for your hair you’d blend right in.” Cato teased, but his hands slipping under her arms and knees revealed that he meant business. He tossed her, as hard as he possibly could, into an adjacent snow bank, where her tiny teenage body did indeed slip under the entirety of the pile. The fifteen year old girl would have in fact blended in if not for the deep espresso color of her hair. And the constellation of freckles all over her skin. And the deep evergreen color of her eyes. None of which, Cato knew, were normal details to notice about one’s training partner. 

The brief distraction would always be enough for Clove to grab him around the ankle, pull his feet out from under him, and bring him tumbling down right into the snow beside her. 

They’d always sneak back in with icicles in their hair, water dripping off their clothes as the snow melted away, and a redness that danced across both of their noses and cheeks. Sometimes the only thing that could properly warm them up after was sharing the same dorm room bed, with snide remarks from Clove about how he may as well be a human heater. While those remarks may be snide, they were never a complaint that is. 

It wasn’t snow after her games that bothered her, and truthfully, last winter hadn’t even been too terrible. Maybe somewhere, some cosmic control of the universe decided the people of District Two (realistically, the people of all of Panem) had suffered enough the previous year during the war. A couple of inches here or there, temperatures that dropped but never quite hit that bone chilling type of cold they were so familiar with. It was cold but not cruelly so, and that was nothing short of a miracle considering how many District Two citizens were displaced and without housing as a result of the rebels’ bombing. Those signature temperature dip and the blizzards would have been catastrophic to a district that was already facing such immense population loss. 

Now, over a year and a half since the conclusion of the war, brutal weather was back to strike their home with a bite. 

Multiple feet of snow combined with temperatures plummeting to near zero, both confirmed what Clove knew was coming: Winter in District Two was back with a vengeance. 

While Cato had been thrilled to have a classic District Two winter; to take his little sister sled riding, to introduce her to hot chocolate and the power of a hot bowl of soup at the end of a day in the cold (courtesy, of course, of Clove), Clove had truthfully been dreading the impending storm. 

The cold, quite frankly, hurt. 

It did not hurt from the biting sting of cold wind against flesh or because of tingling fingers and ears from too long outside; no, it hurt deep in her body, in every single movement of her joints. It hurt like her skeleton was crackling, like the marrow inside her bones itself was forming ice crystals that shattered with her movement. It wasn’t just the flexion of her fingers and shoulders that hurt at this point. It hurts to exist. It felt like her ribs were cracking with the expansion of her lungs. With every step, a dull pain inside of her hip sockets begged her to stop moving and just rest. She hadn’t been prepared for every joint that had been dislocated and every healed fracture to remind her that she was never truly going to be able to heal from what Snow had done to her. 

Clove, for the first time, understood what they meant when they called it bone cold. And holy shit did it hurt. 

She tried the rational and logical ways to warm up. She tried a shower with water so hot it should have blistered her skin off, but only slightly brought her down from the feeling of ice in her veins. She layered on two, three of Cato’s already oversized sweatshirts, swimming in layers of clothes that made her look like a child playing dress up without any warmth radiating deeper than her skin. She had laid in bed, weighed down by a comforter plus another ten pounds of throw blankets, that didn't even touch the ache inside her. 

All this is to say that Clove tried a lot before her desperation for any comfort resulted in her current position. On the floor…in front of the fireplace… both on top of and underneath the same ten plus pounds of blankets she had dragged downstairs with her. Even this, the combination of blankets, heat, and Cato’s clothes were only enough to slightly tamper down the ache. 

Still, it was apparently just enough for her to fall asleep that way, because the next thing Clove knows, she’s being gently shaken awake with a foot on her shoulder hearing the panicked whispers of “Babe….babe…Clove..babe…Clove..are you alive?” That can only possibly come from Cato, who is insistently shaking her awake. “Clove?”

“Hmmm?” Clove murmurs, peaking one eye open to glance up at the man oh so kindly waking her. He stands over her, flecks of snow melting on the tips of his hair, cold water running off the black waterproof fabric of his coat and onto her face all the way down where she lays under him. “Move back, you’re making me colder.”

“Are you okay?” He nudges her again, but kneels down to closer to the same height as her. He reaches out with an ungloved hand, and the second his icy fingers touch her face Clove recoils into her blanket shell. From this height Clove can see the redness along his cheeks and over his nose that makes him look closer to twelve than twenty three. “Why are you on the floor?”

“I’m cold Cato, and it really fucking hurts.” She whines, tucking her hands into the blankets with her. “I can’t get warm.”

“Right..okay…did you try the bed–”

“Do you think I laid on our living room floor without trying the bed first?”

“Okay, what about those really hot baths you like, I can take you-”

“Cato. I tried it. This is all that helps.” Clove whimpers, rolling from her back onto her side, facing the blaze in the fireplace. 

“I’ll be back just… Give me like..fifteen minutes.” Cato stands, and is already taking long strides upstairs before Clove even gets a moment to ask where he’s going. 

She lays there for what feels like years in the glow of the fireplace, in the warmth it irradiates and the minimal relief it provides. She feels the presence of him behind her, the light tugging of her blankets, before she sees him. 

“Don’t unwrap me, Cato, I’m warm-”  Clove protests, but when she feels large, warm hands sliding under her layers and practically wrapping around her torso she melts. “You’re warm, oh my god.” 

She doesn’t see him smirk, but knows him well enough to know he is, before he twists her to face him with the easiest twist of his wrists. He flashes her a grin, before pulling her flush against his bare, warm chest. Clove notices, absently, the way his wet hair falls just over his forehead how it did only in the immediate time after he showered until it dried.

“I’d prefer hot but I'll take it.” Cato taunts lightly as Clove buries her cheek against his chest, right over where his heart. “Comfy?” He teases, and a furrowed brow and a single narrowed green eye looks up at him in protest.

“Very.” Clove sighs, curling into him as his hands travel along the skin of her back and bringing heat with them. “You’re like a personal heater.”

“You could have called me, Clove…” Cato reminds her, tucking one leg over both of hers, using as much surface area contact as he could to bring her relief. “I would have come home.”

“You were with your sister, I wasn’t going to interrupt.” She doesn’t mention the embarrassment, the humiliation even, that she felt at the newest physical reminder of her time in the Capitol. A girl who used to love the snow, who loved the cold, now in pain greater than she’d ever admit to her husband. There were some things she didn’t even want him to know– her reduced pain tolerance, being one of them.“How did she like it?”

“She loved it!” Cato lights up, his smile reaching all the way to his eyes as he recounts his afternoon playing with his little sister. “Mom about killed me when she found out I was letting her go down the hill alone, but she had fun. No bones were broken.” 

“Mmm, remember that time we found a trash can lid, and I sat on your lap as we went down that big hill behind the training center in the middle of the night?” Clove muses, freeing her hands from her blankety protection and tucking them against his abs. She holds back a giggle at the way he flinches away from her cold touch, his muscle flexing under her fingertips. 

“You mean when we slammed into the brick wall and thought you broke your nose? And the giant bruise on my forehead that looked like you decked me with the handle of your knife?” Cato muses, wrapping Clove even tighter in his grasp, smiling to himself when he realizes that all the layers she used to try to insulate herself are his.  “Of course I remember.”

“Your entire body weight landed on me and crushed me into the wall, yeah, I thought I was broken.”  She wants to lift her head to scowl at him, but she is simply too warm, too comfortable, too safe right now to care. “You were giant, then, too.”

“We’re just lucky it was Brutus that punished us, not Enobaria.” There is a fond smile on his face as he thinks back to what cannot even be considered a simpler time –surely, laying on the living room floor with his wife, no games in sight, was far simpler than being fourteen and grasping for a glimpse of childhood– but certainly a nostalgic memory. 

“Lucky? He made us run four miles barefoot, Cato. I would have taken whatever Enobaria was going to throw at us.” Clove tucked her icy feet against his for emphasis, and Cato actually flinched out of the way that time. “See? You still don’t like cold feet.”

“Speaking of Enobaria…doesn’t she have that hot tub, why didn’t you go over? She’s in One isn’t she? You would have had it to yourself…” One would have thought, twenty months into sharing custody of Enobaria with Cashmere and District One, they’d have gotten used to her schedule, used to her not always being readily available at their beck and call.  

So many things had kept Enobaria in District Two, of course, in the past thirty some years of her life. Be it the limitations of interdistrict travel, the secret nature of her relationship with Cashmere (who had her own limitations, of course, considering the extent of the Capitol’s influence and abuse on her for over a decade), her commitments to her district and training, or maybe even Clove. Many reasons had existed to keep the Victor woman home, and now in the dawn of a new country, Enobaria had taken her well deserved freedoms. 

Of course, that did not mean that they could keep track of her. 

Some may go as far to say that Clove, Cato, and even Brutus, missed her sometimes. 

Not that a single one of them would ever utter those words to her.

“I thought about it.” Clove sighs, turning her face to press the other cheek against his skin, equally warming her face. “But they’re actually here, I guess they’re here for a while…until Glimmer has the baby. Cash wants to stay in One for a few extra months straight after, I guess, so they’re making up time here for now. And I did not want to interrupt something over there again, especially not in the hot tub…” She shutters, not from the cold this time but from a distasteful memory that she clearly has brought to the surface. “Besides…I didn’t really want to go outside.”

“It’s kind of funny that Enobaria and Cashmere act like kids with divorced parents…back and forth back and forth to split their time evenly. Why don’t they just stay here?” Cato raises an eyebrow, a coy smile on his face. “District Two is obviously the better option.”

“Cashmere can’t leave her brother and sister, you know that. And she’s definitely not leaving now that Glimmer’s gonna have a whole kid soon.” Not just a kid, a little girl, a fact that Clove had to hear from Glimmer multiple times a day. “It would arguably make more sense for her to move to One if we’re suggesting permanent moving..and you know she isn’t going to leave here.”

“Enobaria would never survive with a neighbor named Rhinestone.” 

Clove’s laugh is muffled against his chest, but he’s right. Splitting their time, like kids traveling between homes on holidays, was going to be their best bet. It didn’t make it any less funny, to imagine the mentor they all know and love spending half her time there.

Her laugh fades as her smile falls, and Clove can’t bring herself to meet his eyes. “I’m sorry I have to lay on the floor like this, I know it isn’t comfortable.”

“Clove..”

“I’m serious. This is just another new weakness, I guess. Just another thing Snow took from me.”

Cato’s hand slips off the skin of her back and Clove bites back a groan at the loss of warmth, before his hand holds the exposed side of her face. He doesn’t force her to look at him, simply strumming his thumb along her cheekbone. “Clove? I will bring the mattress down here, and we can sleep in front of this fireplace for the rest of Winter, hell, for the rest of our lives if it makes you feel even the slightest bit better. You aren’t weak, babe. I don’t even know if I could have survived what you did. You were tortured. And if this is how winter is going to go, this is how we’re going to survive it. Together.”

The composure she had tried so hard to maintain crumbles like the facade it is, and the gasping breath she takes startles Cato to the point that he has to look down at her.

“It hurts to breathe, Cato. My lungs hurt and my ribs hurt and it hurts to move and it hurts to bend my fingers. It’s like I'm frozen inside and it hurts.” Clove gasps out, burying her face firmly in the center of his chest. “I didn’t think i’d be in this much pain because of some fucking weather.”

Hurt. Pain. Neither words that Clove would ever admit to, not to anyone else in the world. To anyone but Cato, they made her a target, they made her vulnerable, and they made her weak. 

“I know, Clove. I know.” He admits, bringing his hand back down to her side, warming her up from the inside of her shirts. “I wish I could take it for you.”

I wish I could take it for you. 

What a gesture that is, in District Two, where pain makes you weak and vulnerable. To be willing to carry that burden, to take on that proverbial target. Only among District Two, would the admission of pain and the subsequent willingness to take it be such a marker of love. 

“I just feel like someone could take me out so easily and i’m so useless right now and-” 

“Noone’s coming after us. Noone’s going to take us out. And if they were, I think I’ve got it covered. I’m a Victor, too, you know.” Cato promises, bringing his lips down to kiss the top of her head, where she is nearly trying to burrow into his skin for the warmth he so readily provides. “I’ve got us, Clove. Pretend it’s my turn to keep watch in the games, okay? Sleep…relax..I’ve got us.”

“Am I gonna get a turn?” Clove nearly teases, and he can feel her lips quirking into a smile against his skin. 

He snorts, and somehow manages to pull her closer. “Once a snowman isn’t your biggest opponent, sure.” 

The pinch he feels on his side is enough for him to know that she was going to be just fine. 

[harborpointeblvd]

This is BL challenge for you (if you choose to accept them).

1.a) Please write your top 3 or top 5 favorite tropes in BL.

b) From each trope, write at least 3 BL that you love.

(Feel free if you want to write the reasons or not of why you love them).

2. a) What is the first BL that make you want to know more about and eventually love BL?

b) What is that one BL that have a special place in your heart (for whatever reason)?

3.) Who are your top 5 (or top 3) seme & uke from your favorite BL media (both can be from the same BL or different from each other )?

The BL can be in in the form of manga, manhwa, manhua, danmei, books, tv series or movies.

Thanks so much if you want to answer this long ask.

Challenge accepted!

So lately I've been watching a lot of Thai dramas, but I started with manga/manhwa, so I'll be talking about both.

1. I'm gonna do top 3 favorite tropes, because I can't think of 5.

Hidden Agenda. Not like the Joong/Dunk series. I'm talking about when a character comes onto the scene with a secret personal mission but foils their own plan by falling in love. This, of course, leads to a snowball of lies, followed by the inevitable dramatic fallout. For example:

Not Me - Honestly, just fucking outstanding. I love this series so much. The guilt that White feels the longer he keeps the lie going, and then Sean's confusion and refusal to accept when shit unravels is just devastating. It's what I live for.

Tale of Thousand Stars - What makes this one extra devastating is that we the audience can see the full picture. The villagers only know what Tian tells them, and Tian's own perspective is clouded by survivor's guilt. So while we can see where everyone is coming from, it's clear that Tian doesn't deserve the punishment that's being piled on him.

Unintentional Love Story - There is a manhwa and a K-drama adaptation, but I'm talking specifically about the manhwa. The dynamic between the leads is so cute, it's almost like the author is trying to make you forget the relationship was built on a lie. Until, of course, it all comes crumbling down.

Third Act Breakup. I know, everyone hates this trope. But something you should know about me is that when I get into a story, I want it to ruin my life. Okay, not really, but I might like angst a little too much. I find it extremely cathartic to experience heartache vicariously through fictional characters. Admittedly, this trope often relies on characters acting in ways that don't make sense. But when it works, it works.

Blueming - The simplicity of Blueming is what makes it beautiful, and that includes the breakup. It's not some convoluted drama or people acting out of character, just humans making human mistakes and needing time to reflect on them.

Dark Blue Kiss - Speaking of convoluted drama. I can't even defend myself on this one.

Last Twilight - Oh god, this is gonna be my most controversial pick. I liked the breakup scene in Last Twilight. It was gut-wrenching, but it felt necessary. Like, they both needed time apart in order to grow independently. I mean, they kind of squandered that opportunity for growth, but we're not here to talk about episode 12.

Unrequited Love Reversal. There is just something so satisfying about watching the pursuer become the pursued. The character who initially took the other's love for granted suddenly has to work to get it back. I think it's a wish fulfillment thing. It's probably unhealthy how much I like this trope.

The Best Smell - This manhwa is kind of a hard sell, but trust me, it's so good. It's about a boy named Kanggo whose sense of smell is so powerful, he can smell emotions. He despises the smell of lies, so he initially hates Kamin, who is very withdrawn and secretive. But Kamin has a secret crush on Kanggo, and his affection smells so sweet, that Kanggo starts to do anything to be near Kamin. But the closer Kanggo tries to get to him, the more Kamin's guard goes up.

The Third Ending - The first season, specifically, because I didn't like the second season. Yoonseul reconnects with Jun, a guy he rejected in high school, believing it will fix his karma. When the two become closer, Yoonseul becomes confused about his feelings for Jun. After rejecting him for the second time, Jun pulls away, and Yoonseul realizes too late that he's fallen for Jun.

A Shoulder to Cry On - Specifically the manhwa. While I thought the drama was a pretty good adaptation, my favorite scene played out much more satisfyingly in the manhwa. After rejecting Dayeol and pushing him away, Taehyun regrets his decision and tries to make up with him. But Dayeol decides his life is easier without Taehyun in it, and he tells him, "I can handle my feelings for you, but I don't think I can handle you." And it's on their graduation day, so he just straight disappears from his life after that.

2. I first started reading manhwa in 2020 when I was in quarantine and needed a distraction. I'd been reading Haikyuu or something, and someone on YouTube recommended Someone Else's BL Manhwa. I instantly fell in love with it and to this day it's still my favorite BL manhwa.

I transitioned to dramas when I watched Blueming, which is one of the few k-drama adaptations that I thought was much better than the manhwa it was based on.

Aside from those two, a BL that holds a special place in my heart is Bad Buddy. It was the one that started my great GMMTV binge-watch, and I've watched it three times since then. It's my comfort watch.

3. I don't really like the seme/uke labels, but I can just tell you some of my favorite BL main characters.

I tend to be drawn to two kinds of characters. The first are those who are not very smart, but very passionate and sincere.

Gun - My School President

Heesu - Heesu in Class 2

The second are those who are stubborn and kind of bratty. Even better if they're only bratty to the love interest, because that's good stuff.

Seunghee - Someone Else's BL

Team - Between Us (Between Us wasn't very good, but Team can stay. And no, I haven't watched UWMA.)

Day - Last Twilight

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Christmas Reruns 2023 Day 27: It's a Hell of a Christmas

Merry Christmas if you celebrate it and happy holidays if you don’t!  One of the things I love about Christmas is watching reruns of all the old classic Christmas movies–Christmas is a big time for nostalgia.  A few years ago, I decided to incorporate that tradition into my fandom life and post my CS holiday reruns.  So here you go!  Enough holiday (mostly) fluff to get you to New Year’s Day. (With a new story posting on Christmas Day.)

Rating: T

Word Count: 8462

Other chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 32

This fic was written for the CS Secret Santa event in 2022. It’s Emma and Killian’s first Christmas together following the Final Battle. After spending a happy family day together, they relax before the tree and Emma asks Killian about his favorite Christmas memory. His answer surprises both of them

CS Genre: Season 7 missing scene

1 week before the first Christmas following the Final Battle

Killian sighed in contentment as the sofa beside him dipped and Emma curled up beside him.  Wrapping his hooked arm around her he pulled her to himself and gave her a quick kiss before she laid her head against his shoulder.

It had been about as close to a perfect day as he’d experienced in a long time.  He’d woken up, as always, in his wife’s arms, smiling as she softly snored, burrowing into his warmth.  After taking a few moments to simply enjoy the comfort, he’d carefully maneuvered out of the bed.  He’d learned quite early in their marriage that a man was taking his very life into his hands when he was foolhardy enough to wake Emma before she was ready.

After a pleasant morning spent with Swan and her lad, she’d shoed the two of them out of the house, citing the fact that Christmas was fast approaching and she needed to wrap presents in peace without prying eyes

“I thought kids were bad, when it comes to looking for their hidden Christmas present,” she’d said with a grin, “but you, Killian, have them all beat.”

He’d grinned, leaning down to give her a loud, smacking kiss, before straightening and raising one eyebrow. “Pirate,” he stated simply.

She laughed, shoving him toward the door.

“Don’t forget my parents are coming over for dinner tonight,” she’d said, “and then they and little Neal are helping us trim the tree.”

He’d promised to return in plenty of time to help with dinner preparations, and then after one last lingering kiss (prompting Henry to make exaggerated gagging sounds behind them), he and the lad had taken their leave.  They’d hardly walked a block toward town before they were met by Emma’s father and little brother.

“You guys get kicked out of the house too?” Dave asked.

“Aye,” Killian said with a nod.  “It seems the Charming and Jones men are due for another of  those–what did you call them?--guys’ days.”

And so they’d spent the afternoon enjoying the snow and the company–helping the lads build a snowman, waging an all out snowball war (which the Charming’s had won handily–but only because neither he nor Henry had the heart to toss a snowball anywhere near three-year-old Neal.  Killian smiled as he recalled the tiny lad’s peals of laughter as his snowball connected with Henry’s shoulder and Emma’s lad had staggered, clutched his heart and then dramatically fallen to the ground), and then retired to Granny’s for some much appreciated sustenance.

“Well, I suppose I should get this little guy back home for his n-a-p,” Dave said as mid afternoon approached, making sure to spell the word he knew would result in a mutiny from his little lad, “but we’ll see you in a couple hours for dinner.”

It had been a pleasant evening with the family, as they set up the Christmas tree, trimming it with twinkling electric lights and bright, colorful baubles.  Henry, with great fanfare, had presented him with a new ornament to mark his first official Christmas as Henry’s step-father.  Killian groaned good-naturedly as he’d opened the box to reveal a small likeness of his Disney counterpart.  He’d played up his disdain at the assassination of his character, before placing the ornament on prominent display.

It had been an ordinary day, spent engaging in ordinary family activities, and Killian wouldn’t have changed a moment of it.

The Charmings had remained until it was time to put the little prince to bed, and then they’d taken their leave, with many promises for more festivities in the coming days.  Soon after, Henry had taken his leave, as he was due to spend a few days at Regina’s

“It really is a pretty tree, isn’t it?” Emma asked, as they lounged on their sofa looking up at the brightly lit fir in question.

“Aye,” Killian agreed. “A lovely tree, and a lovely evening.”

“Can you believe it?” she asked. “Our first Christmas together as a married couple and we get to spend it with no looming crisis hanging over our heads, no villains threatening us.”

“I rather think I could get used to this ‘Happy Beginning’ business we’ve found ourselves in,” he’d agreed.

Emma laughed, reaching up to absently run her fingers through his hair.  She was so affectionate now, never passing up an opportunity to give him little signs of her love, and he found it utterly delightful.

“You must have a lot of stories from past Christmases,” Emma continued with a grin.  “After all, you’ve celebrated like a million of them.”

“Oy!” he stated with mock offense, “It couldn’t have been more than two hundred fifty.”

She laughed joyously, and he grinned, turning to give her a quick kiss on the top of her head.  “So what was your favorite Christmas, Killian?”

He thought about it for a moment, several memories running through his mind like one of those moving picture shows Swan and her lad enjoyed watching of an evening.  One rather surprising moment stood out above all the others.

“You’ll think me mad,” he said finally, “but I think my favorite Christmas was actually last year.”

Emma sat up and looked at him with astonishment.  “Last Christmas?  But last Christmas we were in…”

He nodded.  “Aye, quite so.  Who would have believed my favorite Christmas memories would occur in the Underworld?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Everything hurt. Everything.  His bones, his muscles, his sinews; he'd swear even his hair hurt if that were possible.  Hades may be a bloody bastard, but never let it be said he wasn't skilled in the art of torture.

It was nearly Christmas. Killian likely wouldn't have marked the occasion, save for the festive elf costumes Hades insisted his demons wear as they went about their masochistic ministrations.

The demons themselves had heartily enjoyed themselves, singing Christmas song parodies as they whipped him and burnt him with hot pokers so brutally it had taken everything within him to keep from screaming in pain.

We wish you an awful Christmas, 

We wish you an awful Christmas

We wish you an awful Christmas

and a hellish New Year!

…

Lord Hades is bringing the pain!

He sees you when you're sleeping

He knows when you're awake

He don't care if you've been bad or good,

He'll still throw you in his lake!

And so, it seemed he would.  Angry that he couldn't break Killian, angry that despite it all, Killian refused to extinguish that last spark of hope he'd learned to foster, thanks to Emma and her family, Hades had decided to stamp it out of him in the only way he could--by lowering him bit by bit into the sickly green lake in which he would finally lose himself forever.

He supposed it was only just that it should all end this way.  After his centuries of villainy he deserved nothing better.  Once he was finally gone and lost forever, Emma and her family could return and build a happy life for themselves free of the pain and suffering he brought to everyone who came in contact with him.

His heart lurched at the thought of Emma.  How he loved her!  For one bright, shining moment, he'd allowed himself to believe they could be together, that he would achieve the happiness he'd fruitlessly searched for for so many decades, but then it had all gone to hell…literally.

The crane lowering him into the River of Lost Souls lurched downward yet again, and Killian focused on her, on his Emma.  He was determined she would be the last thing he thought of before he could think no more.

"Killian!"

He would swear he could hear her beloved voice, but it was clearly a last trick of his deluded mind.

"Kilian," she said again, softer this time, tenderly. "Hang on. I’m coming for you. I got ya."

And then she was there holding him, freeing him from the chains, cradling him in her lap.  Killian couldn't bite back the soft groans as his injuries complained of the contact.

The hope and joy Hades had failed to root out of him flared to life for a brief moment, but then reality set in once again.

"I told you to let me go," he said. "You shouldn’t be here; no one should."

She gave him a wry smile as she cupped his face, then gently swept the bangs from his forehead. "I never listen."

He smiled in spite of himself.  "You’re impossible."

She grinned in response. "And you love me for it."

And gods but he did.  More than she could ever know or comprehend.  Soon enough he would have to send her home, protect her from himself and the absolute misery he brought to everyone with whom he interacted, but for now, for this one bright shining moment, he could do naught but enjoy the comfort her presence brought.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Later that evening, promontory beside the lake of fire

“Liam! Please! Hold on!” Killian pleaded, holding onto his brother’s hand with all the strength within him.

If there had been any question at all before, it was gone now. This was well and truly hell.

Everything was crashing around him. Everything. His entire world was imploding, everyone he loved facing unimaginably horrific fates, and it was all his fault.

After rescuing him from the River of Lost Souls, Emma had poofed him back to the Underworld version of her home. She’d taken a seat on the musty sofa, calling him over to join her, patting the seat beside her.

“Come, sit down,” she cajoled, “Let me look at you.”

His wounds ached and throbbed. It was hard to breathe; hard to think; hard to keep from crying out with every movement. He couldn’t imagine what he must look like, his visage marred from the beatings he’d endured.

“Are you sure you want to?” he said wryly. “Hades sort of knocked the handsome out of me.”

She grinned playfully at him. “No one’s that powerful.”

Were their situation different, he’d have flirted back, made her laugh with his nonsense, but presently it was all he could do to shuffle over to the sofa and collapse beside her.

No sooner had he taken his seat than Emma waved her hand over him, and it felt as though a shower of pure, warm sunshine washed over him, taking with it the pain and injury and leaving him whole. Even yet, the strength and power of her magic astounded him.

For a moment, Killian felt nothing but relief.

And then reality set  in yet again, as it always did in this terrible place. Emma was here, in hell itself, because of him, because of his weakness. Waves of self-loathing like nothing he’d ever experienced washed over him.

She leaned in toward him, lips moving toward his.  He pulled back, turning his head. He was unworthy of her love, unworthy of anyone’s love.

“What’s the problem?” she asked, pulling back to get a better look at him.

“It’s just…” he began, struggling to even put into words the depths of his hatred of himself and what he’d done. “A lot has happened between us.”

“What’s the problem?” she asked.

How did she not see it? How was she still looking at him with love? Agitated, he got to his feet and paced away from her.

“I’m the problem,” he bit out. “Emma, you were the Dark One for six weeks and only gave into the darkness out of love. I plunged in head first in a second for revenge. I was weak.”

“Not in the end!” she insisted.

A single moment of heroism didn’t make up for centuries of villainy, and he well knew it. “You raised the bar very high, Swan. The fact is, I don’t measure up.”

“Let me be the judge of that,” she said, her voice insistent. “If you didn’t, would I have come all the way down here to try to save you?”

She would, and he knew it, because she was good. She was a hero. He was anything but.

“That’s my point. I’m not sure I deserve saving.”

Their conversation had been cut short in the most unexpected way–by the arrival of his brother Liam. What had followed were a few blessedly joyous and peaceful hours, as Killian introduced his first true love to his second. The two best people he’d ever known, together in one place. Despite his guilt and misery, he couldn’t suppress the joy the meeting brought.

But even this was destined to crash down around him.

It started with Emma’s superpower telling her something was amiss with Liam. Something had happened between the two of them, but Killian didn’t know what it was; didn’t want to know what it was.

He didn’t understand how Emma could think Liam, the most moral and straight-laced man Killian had ever known, could be anything but on the up and up, but she was quite convinced.

The moment Silver’s crew had shown up and proven Emma right had been the most disorienting moment of his life. It felt as though he were suffering from vertigo, his entire world turning upside down as the horrible truth settled in around him–Liam had lied to him, and not only that, he had entered into a deal with Hades, allowing the entire crew to be lost at sea in order to save Killian.

My fault, my fault, my fault! The words echoed in his mind like a mantra.

If it hadn’t been for Killian, Liam would never have fallen. Killian wasn’t merely cursed, he was the curse. He infected and destroyed everyone around him.

Everything had moved quickly after the horrible revelation, and Killian had been so shell-shocked he could do nothing but move with the inexorable tide.

Silver’s crew had marched Liam and himself to the lake of fire, intent on making the brothers Jones walk the plank, but their intentions were upended by the arrival of Hades himself.

Liam had, once again, attempted to shield Killian from his just punishment, and the result had brought them to the moment they now found themselves in–Liam slipping inexorably toward the lake of fire, Killian more terrified than he’d ever been. He couldn’t lose Liam again. Not now. Not like this.

“Liam! Please! Hold on!”

“I’m sorry brother, for all I’ve done,” Liam shouted above the flames threatening to consume him. “Can you forgive me?”

It wasn’t even a question. Like Emma, Liam had only fallen for one reason–love of him. His guilt was quite misplaced. “Yes, but that’s not what’s important. You need to find a way to forgive yourself.”

“I can’t, not after what I did to you.” The look in Liam’s eyes made Killian’s heart sink like a stone. “The only way to make amends is to pay the price.”

And then Liam let go.

Shear panic and aching horror took over, as Killian reached down, trying fruitlessly to stop what was happening.

But the panic was short-lived. A moment later, the flames disappeared to be replaced by a serene sea. Liam rose above all of it upon a little rowboat, a smile gracing his lips.

Killian felt the tears prickle behind his eyes, tears of relief this time. “Liam! You’re safe!”

Liam’s smile widened. “Yes, it appears I am. I suppose this is the sacrifice I should have made long ago. I can finally depart.”

Killian looked beyond his brother. Where once had stood the rocky wall of the cave, now was nothing but open waters and a port city which appeared stocked with all the provisions Liam would need for his next mighty adventure.

Liam had truly redeemed himself, and now his own personal paradise awaited him.

“Then go. All of you,” Killian said, gesturing to the remaining crew, “Now that you know the truth, your unfinished business is complete as well.”

“Get on board, men,” Liam said, offering the sailors a hand. “What about you, brother?”

Killian turned away. Liam deserved this. Silver’s crew did as well. He, most certainly, did not.

“I think not,” Killian said finally. “There’s nothing for me but the lake of fire. I deserve no better.”

Liam stepped out of the boat, instructing the first mate to leave without him. Insisting his everlasting reward could wait.

If anything, the pit in Killian’s stomach grew wider, into an abyss there would be no crossing. “Why would you do that?” he shouted. “Why would you delay your paradise? I’m. Not. Worth. It!”

Liam frowned. “That’s nonsense, brother. You’ve become a true hero in a way I never could.”

Killian scoffed. “A hero?” he scoffed, putting every ounce of derision he could muster into those two syllables. “I’m anything but. I’m a pariah to all who meet me. Everyone who has the misfortune of coming into contact with me is worse off–much worse off–for having known me. You would all be better off if I flung myself into that lake of fire, perishing once and for all.”

“You really think those who love you would be happier knowing you burnt to death in a lake of fire?” Liam asked softly. “Emma? Her lad? Me?”

Killian glanced aside. “Well, maybe not. Maybe it would have been better if I’d never been born.”

Liam was silent for a moment, thinking. “That’s an idea,” he muttered to himself. “What do you think, Zeus? That could work.”

Killian’s brow furrowed. “What are you on about?”

“Done, Killian,” Liam said, clapping his hands together. “You’ve never been born. You don’t exist.”

There was a flash of light, a clap of thunder, and then all went silent. 

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

For a moment Killian merely looked at his brother.

“Pardon?” He said finally.

“You’ve never been born,” Liam repeated. “You don’t exist.”

“Then…who am I?”

“You’re no one,” Liam said. “Killian, you’ve been given a great gift, the opportunity to see what the world would look like if you’d never been in it. Are you ready to explore? To see the impact you have no longer had?”

Killian wasn’t sure he was ready for this. After all…it was altogether possible everyone was infinitely happier and more fulfilled without his toxic influence. 

Still, he’d never been a coward. He didn’t intend to start now. “Very well, lead on.”

They made their way from the cave back to the filthy streets of Underbrooke. The first thing Killian noticed was that the town appeared far more crowded than it had when they entered the cave. Dozens, maybe hundreds of men dressed in uniforms he recognized as belonging to some of the rival kingdoms he had fought as part of the Royal Navy, milled about.

“Who are these men?” Killian asked. “Why have they suddenly arrived?”

“They haven’t suddenly arrived,” Liam said as they began making their way through the crowds. “They’ve been here for more than 200 years–ever since our corrupt king used dreamshade on them.”

“But that’s impossible!” Killian insisted after mumbling a quick apology to a man he bumped into. “We discovered the King’s plans for the dreamshade and we refused to turn over the poison!”

Liam shook his head. “You weren’t around to question the king’s command.”

“But surely you discovered the plant's properties and did the honorable thing,” Killian insisted.

Liam stopped suddenly, giving Killian a long look. “I wasn’t around either. Come. I have something I need to show you.”

Killian followed Liam back to the bar he’d tended since his death, questions swirling in his head.

Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw.

Liam was behind the bar, but he looked nothing like the Liam Killian knew and loved. This man was young, likely no more than eighteen or nineteen. There was a hard look about him, that of a man who had seen and endured far too much in the short time he’d lived.

A man who hadn’t had any hope.

Killian turned toward his guide, his Liam. “How are you…there and…here?”

“Properly speaking, I’m not,” Liam said. “As I’ve already, for all intents and purposes, moved on, I, like you, don’t exist here.  The man you see behind the bar is Liam Jones as he would have been had you never been born.”

“Why is he so…young?”

Guide Liam sidled up to the bar, waving Killian over to join him. “Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

“What’ll it be, gentlemen?” Young Liam asked in a bored voice, continuing to wipe down glasses as he eyed his new customers.

“I’m rather partial to whiskey myself,” Liam said genially, “and my brother here has a preference for rum, if I remember correctly.”

Young Liam nodded, and had just turned around to fulfill the request, when Killian finally found his voice. “Liam! It’s me!” he said. “It’s Killian!”

Liam raised an eyebrow. “Is that name supposed to mean something to me?”

“Killian,” Killian insisted, “your younger brother.”

Young Liam frowned. “Never had a brother. Never had any family save for a mother who died far too young and a worthless arse of a father who sold me into servitude.”

“But–” Killian tried again, “even without me, all of your men, all of those who sailed under Captain Liam Jones loved you. They were a family to us…to you.”

Young Liam laughed bitterly, before leaning in, his lips turned down in a scowl. “I never had any men under my command. I never had command over so much as a cabin boy. I lived a slave, and I died one, just another nameless sot who drank too much and went down in a storm.”

Liam banged two tumbler’s of liquor in front of his patrons. “Now, you can either drink up or get the hell out of my bar. I’ve no stomach to relive my failures.”

When the bartender had turned away to wait upon another customer who had arrived, Killian turned toward his brother. “What is he talking about?”

Liam shrugged. “Without you in my life, Killian, I was utterly rudderless, lacking in any ambition to better myself. I never escaped Silver’s command, never even tried.  I died in that storm, Killian. I along with that entire ship of hopeless men.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They consumed their beverages largely in silence after that, Killian’s unease growing the longer he thought about Liam as he would have been had things been different.

Was there any truth to what his brother said?  Had Killian’s very brokenness inspired Liam to be a better man?

Taking the last sip, Killian got quickly to his feet, no longer interested in the bar or hearing any more sad tales about the bartender.

“Alright Liam,” he said to his guide, “where next?”

Liam thought for a moment before paying their tab and leading Killian out the door, the words “The Rabbit Hole” illuminated as it swung shut.  “I think there’s someone else here you need to see,” he said finally.

Killian followed obediently behind his brother as they walked through the streets of town until they came to the sheriff’s station.

“Some prisoner here you wish me to see?” Killian asked as Liam opened the door and waved him inside.

“Patience, brother,” Liam said. “The purpose of our visit will soon become apparent.”

Killian looked around the office as they entered.  So similar in some ways to its Storybrooke counterpart–yet so different in others.  This sheriff’s office sported a myriad of medieval torture devices, and at the far wall stood none other than Rumplestiltskin’s cell itself.

It was only once he’d stepped fully inside, that he noticed the man lounging in the swivel chair behind what back home would be Emma’s desk.

“David?” he asked. “What are you doing here, mate?  Shouldn’t you be helping the others?”

The man rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically before getting to his feet.  “Not David. James,” he bit out. “If you’re looking for my brother, he should be back any moment once he finishes his latest utterly fruitless task of arriving at a crime scene just too late to save anyone.”

“What?” Killian asked, trying to make some sense–any sense–out of what was happening.

The man–James–smiled nastily.  “Quite a clever punishment Hades devised for him, wasn’t it?” he asked. “My hero of a brother, wanting nothing more than to save his subjects and the people he loves, forced to spend an eternity down here never quite able to save anyone.”

“But…but why is Hades punishing him?”

James looked at him as though he had two heads. “Because that’s what the Lord of the Underworld does–punishes those poor, unfortunate souls who show up at his doorstep after their demise.”

Killian’s heart sank. “David’s dead?”

“You new here?” James asked. “Of course he’s dead.  Only way people end up here.  Now is there something you need, or are you just here to annoy me?”

“We’ll take a seat outside and wait for David’s return,” Liam said, ushering Killian to a very uncomfortable bench in the hallway.

“How? Why?” Killian asked after a moment of silence.

Rather than answer, Liam pointed toward the doorway, a little bell ringing as a very dejected David stepped through the door.

Killian noticed it immediately, the blackened veins traveling from his chest up to cover his face.  “Dreamshade,” he whispered.

Liam nodded

David gave them a look as he walked past, but there was no recognition in his face at the sight of them.  Too overwhelmed by what he’d just seen to think straight, Killian didn’t even attempt to call out to him.  

Just before the office door closed again, Killian heard James greeting his brother. “Ah, David.  Back from another unsuccessful rescue mission, I see.  There’s a mountain of paperwork for you on your desk.  It’s grown by a foot since you left.  Should keep you nice and busy until the next crisis you can’t avert.”

“But this is wrong,” Killian said after a moment of silence.  “All wrong.  David should be alive.  Water from the springs of Neverland saved him!”

Liam shook his head. “You weren’t there to save him, Killian,” he said quietly. “Being resourceful, Emma and her family found a way to Neverland and succeeded in saving the lad, but without you to save him, David died of his dreamshade poisoning.”

The pit in Killian’s stomach widened. Wrong, wrong! This was all wrong!

“How did the Lady Snow–not to mention Emma and Henry–handle David’s passing?” Killian asked, not entirely sure he wanted the answer.

“Again, perhaps it’s best if I show you,” Liam said.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Liam led him this time to a building with a big display out front and a sign proclaiming it to be the cinema.

“This is one of those places that projects those moving pictures Emma and Henry are so fond of, isn’t it?” he asked, after Liam purchased two tickets from a bored teenager at the ticket booth.

“Indeed,” Liam said, peering at the tickets and heading toward the theater indicated, “but as with other establishments here in the underworld, the theater serves a bit of a different purpose than it does back on earth.  The theater allows Underworld residents to catch a glimpse of those they left behind when they died.”

The lights in the room dimmed, and blazoned across the huge screen in front was the single word “Storybrooke”.  A moment later, the screen changed, and Killian found himself looking at the Charmings’ flat.  Snow sat at the kitchen table, a full bowl of cereal and an untouched cup of coffee in front of her.

She looked terrible.  Dark circles under her eyes proving she hadn’t been sleeping.  Her hair hanging dull and lifeless.  Her eyes–her eyes were the worst of all.  They were dead, hopeless.  It was a startling sight, seeing the woman usually so optimistic looking so defeated.

“Gone,” she muttered. “They’re all gone.  I’ve lost everything.”

Henry took a seat beside her, his eyes troubled–not only at the sight of his grandmother, but also, it seemed, with his own grief.

“Grams, you have to eat something,” Henry said, his voice wobbling slightly.  “I can’t lose you too.  I can’t.”

Henry’s distress seemed to snap Snow out of her stupor, at least temporarily.  She pasted a false smile on her face.  “You’re right, Henry,” she said before forcing herself to take a spoonful of her cereal. “Thanks for making breakfast.”

Henry shrugged, digging into his own bowl. “It’s what family does.”

“Where is the child?” Killian asked. “Little Neal, where is he?”

“There is no baby Neal,” Liam said simply.  “Killian, with David perishing on Neverland, the little lad was never conceived.  Like you, he does not exist.”

Killian pulled in a quick breath, aching for Emma’s mother.  She’d wanted so much to have a second child, had loved her son to distraction.  Her loss was palpable–although Killian hardly knew how one could miss someone they’d never had or known.

“You see, Killian,” Liam said as the screen went to black and the house lights came up once again, “everyone’s life creates a ripple, and without that ripple, nothing is ever the same.”

Killian waited for a moment, expecting the scene to change again; there was one last person he was desperate to see.

“Liam, why didn’t the moving picture show us Emma?” he asked, somehow both needing and dreading the answer. “Where is she?”

Liam gave him a long look before blowing out a breath.  “Are you sure you want to know?”

“Yes!” Killian said insistently.  “Show me Emma.  Show me my true love.”

“Very well,” Liam acquiesced, “but I warn you–you’re not going to like what you see.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Killian resumed his seat in the Underworld theater, steeling himself for the sight Liam assured him he would not like.

“What are you doing?” Liam asked, “didn’t you say you wanted to see Emma?”

“Aye,” Killian said slowly.  “I had assumed we would once again need the moving picture machine for that.  After all, if I was never born, Swan would have never come to the Underworld after me.”

Liam shook his head gently, his eyes sorrowful.  “I think you need to come with me.”

Killian felt his heart drop, a sense of foreboding washing over him as the implication of Liam’s request sunk in.  Surely Emma was not down here.  Surely.

And yet, as Liam led him deeper and deeper into the underworld, that sense of foreboding only continued to grow.  When Liam led motioned for him to enter the cave where Killian knew Hades’ most sadistic torture chamber sat, it all became too much.

“No!” he moaned, taking a step back.  “She can’t be there!”

Liam placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.  “I know this is difficult, Killian, but you must see this.”

Killian wanted nothing more than to turn tail and run.  If Emma was in this chamber, he couldn’t bear it.  He couldn’t.  “Please, brother.  Please tell me this isn’t real.  Please tell me she’s not here!”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Liam said gently. “Come, we must hurry.  For the moment Hades and his minions have let her be, but we mustn’t be caught when they return.”

For another long moment, Killian resisted, but finally, realizing Liam was right, no matter how horrific, he must know the truth, he nodded.

The first thing he noticed upon entry into the cave was the intense, overbearing heat.  There was no relief, no respite.  Then came the overwhelming stench of sulfur. For a moment, the darkness was so absolute, so oppressive, he couldn’t see anything, but as his eyes became accustomed to the lack of light, he noticed a single, flickering candle along the back wall–the wall where Hades had chained Killian when he was in the midst of his worst tortures.

The sight that met him would have brought him to his knees if Liam’s strong arm hadn’t been there to support him.

“No!” he shouted, the sound echoing off the cave walls.

For it was indeed Emma who was chained to the wall, her face so bruised and cut and swollen as to be almost unrecognizable.  Her hair hung limp around her, damp from the sweat born of the oppressive heat and the physical trauma.  Hades had stripped her of her signature red leather jacket, and Killian could see cuts and bruises all along her arms.  One arm, in fact, hung at an odd angle, giving evidence of a nasty break.  Her jeans were tattered and bloodied.

In short, it appeared she’d suffered every torment he had, and perhaps even more.  He had to save her.  Had to!

Killian rushed toward Emma, gently cradling her head and brushing a strand of hair from her face.  He murmured her name and words of comfort and he eyed her restraints, trying to determine how best to loose them.

“Who the hell are you?” she asked in a voice she was obviously trying to make sound defiant.  Instead, it merely sounded exhausted.  Hades was so very close to breaking her, and Killian wanted to rip out his entrails and strangle him with them.

“It’s Killian,” he said.  “I’m going to get you out of here love, just as you did for me.  You had to know I love you too much to leave you here to suffer.”

Emma scoffed and rolled her eyes.  “Just how stupid do you think I am, Hades?” she asked in a voice dripping with scorn. “You think I’m some naive, damsel-in-distress, starry-eyed teenager who’ll fall for any line a handsome stranger throws my way?  Hardly.  I grew up real quick on the streets and learned that love is a lie sold by greeting card companies.  It’s certainly not in the cards for the Savior.  So just stop with–well, with whatever you’re trying to do.  Get back to the torture or leave me the hell alone.

“Swan–” Killian started, before he was interrupted by a noise in the corridor.

“Killian, we’ve got to go,” Liam said, grabbing at his arm.  “Someone’s coming and we can’t be caught here.”

Killian pulled his arm free and tried to hack at the chains holding Emma.  They wouldn’t budge.

“It’s useless, brother,” Liam insisted, grabbing at him again. “The chains of hell cannot be broken.  We’ve got to go. Now!”

It went against everything inside of him to leave Emma there, leave her to Hades’ devices, but Liam was right.  There was no way to free her.  Finally he nodded, following his brother out of the cave and through the streets of town until they reached what was once Underbrooke’s version of Emma’s house.  It was different now, fallen into complete disrepair–windows broken, wood rotted, cobwebs hanging from every surface.

This house was the physical manifestation of everything he was feeling now.  Everything, everything was crumbling in around him.

“Why?” Killian moaned in anguish, falling to his knees.  “Why is she here?  She shouldn’t be here!  I should!”

“You don’t exist,” Liam reminded him, getting to his knees and placing a comforting arm on his shoulders.  “She couldn’t make you a co-Dark One.  You weren’t there to take all the darkness on yourself and sacrifice yourself to end it.  Emma had to do that herself.”

“No!” Killian moaned again.

“And I think you know why Hades is making her torture so much worse than anyone else’s if you truly think about it,” Liam continued.

“She’s the savior,” Killian said, his voice breaking. “She defeated Hades in a way no one else ever could.”

Liam nodded. “She did,” he agreed, “and she did so because she is good and valiant, but she is also broken.  Without you, she never again found love.  She was never able to allow her heart to heal and her walls to come down.  She was a light to all around her, but she was never blessed with that light for herself.”

And suddenly it all began to make sense.  In his long life, Killian had done many terrible things, but he’d also had a positive impact on others.  His life had mattered, and its absence left a tremendous hole.

“We are none of us fully good nor fully evil,” Liam continued, as though reading Killian’s thoughts, “but every one of us is important and necessary to so many people.  Our impact is something we may never know, but it is vital, and when one of us is missing from the fabric of time–the resulting tear leaves the garment irreparably harmed.”

The tears began to flow, and Killian let them, making no attempt to stop them or wipe them away.  He wanted to fix this.  He needed to fix this.

“Please brother,” he said through his tears, “help me.  I want to live again!”

Liam smiled. “Done!”

~*~*~*~*~*~

There was no flash of lighting, no crack of thunder this time.  Nothing earth shattering happened.  One moment they were in the broken-down shell of the Underbrooke version of Emma’s house, and the next they were back in the cave where this whole thing had started.  Even so, Killian knew it had worked; he could feel it.  All was back to the way it should have been–well, as close as anything could come in this terrible place.  His life was restored to the fabric of time.  Joy bubbled up. 

As Killian’s eyes adjusted to the dim light of the cavern, he noticed the dinghy docked to the cliff, the peaceful waters in which it bobbed, the pleasant port in the distance that was to be Liam’s eternal reward, and a touch of bittersweetness mixed in with his joy.  No doubt the time of parting with his brother was almost upon him.

“Not quite yet, brother,” Liam said, once again reading his thoughts. “This vessel will be waiting for me in due course, but it’s Christmas Eve.  I can see nothing wrong with celebrating this one last holiday with my brother and the family he’s amassed for himself.”

Killian’s smile widened. “You’d put off paradise for me?”

“Of course,” Liam said. “Haven’t you learned by now I’d do anything for you?  You, little brother, are worth it.”

Killian wrapped his arms around his brother, feeling the tears rush to his eyes once again.  He’d always known his brother’s first statement was true, but now, maybe for the first time in his life, he was beginning to believe the truth of the second as well.

After a long moment, Killian stepped back, clearing his throat. “Younger brother,” he corrected gruffly.

Liam laughed. “And, if I don’t miss my mark, there’s someone else out there who would also do anything for you; who also believes you’re worth it.  Perhaps it’s time you go to her.”

Emma’s beloved face came to mind, and a rush of love and longing filled him.  He’d left her on a rather bad note, his self-loathing pushing her away.  He wanted–needed–to make things right, to let her know how very much he appreciated her coming here to save him.

“Will you not come with me, Liam?” he asked.

Liam chuckled.  “I rather think your reunion is something I don’t need to be privy to.  I’ll return to the loft, spend some time with your Emma’s son.  Perhaps we can plan and start preparations for our Noel celebrations.  You and your love can meet me there.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Killian rushed back to Swan’s Underbrooke house, his heart leaping to see it whole and reasonably intact, as opposed to the broken down hull he’d seen last.  It was further proof that all was back as it should be.

He found Emma standing in the drawing room looking confused and slightly out of sorts.

“Hook!” she said, as he rushed toward her.  “Where the hell have you been?  First you and Liam left, and then Henry ran off…somewhere.”

There was so much he wanted to do, so much he wanted to tell her, but he started by simply giving her a long hug, which she returned warmly.

When he pulled back enough to see her face, it was obvious his gesture, while not unwelcome, had certainly done nothing to banish her confusion.

“I’m sorry, Emma,” he said finally. “You were right about Liam.  He destroyed those pages because of a deal he made with Hades years ago, a deal that almost got us thrown into that boiling sea.”

Her eyes widened and her grip tightened on his arms.  “Are you okay?  Where is he?”

“He, uh, sacrificed himself,” he said, struggling to find the words to tell her what had happened to him–to both of them–over the last few hours.  “But his sacrifice helped a crew we once sailed with.  They finally moved on thanks to him.”

Her alarm grew.  “Did he move on too?”

Killian shook his head.  “Not yet.  A boat is waiting to usher him on when he is ready, but he wishes to spend Christmas with us first–it is, after all, Christmas Eve.”

He didn’t miss the slight look of unease in her eyes, which she quickly masked.  “That’s–that’s good,” she said, a bit too cheerfully.

“He was wrong about you, Swan,” Killian said, “and he knows it.  I think one reason he wished to remain was to have an opportunity to apologize to you and make amends.”

Her smile became far more genuine.  “There’s no need, Killian.  He was just trying to protect you.  I get that.”

“Nevertheless,” Killian said, “I need no protection from you, and now he knows that.”

They were silent for a moment, merely enjoying the quiet and peace of each other’s company.  Finally Emma looked around.  “So if he didn’t move on, where is he?  Didn’t he come back here with you?”

Killian grinned.  “He returned to your parents’ flat, hoping to conspire with the lad to make our Christmas one to remember–at least as far as is possible in this hellish place.”

They shared a smile, but then Killian grew serious, looking at her with intensity.  This was important; he needed her to hear him.  “But he helped me to see the truth before he went.  I’m glad you came down here, Emma.  Perhaps I do deserve saving after all.”

 She lit up, her face showing a joy he hadn’t seen since he’d gotten down here.  “Does that mean when this is all over, you’re planning to come home?”

When this is all over.  It was a stark reminder that there were still substantial obstacles they must face before they could return to their white picket fence life, but face them they would.  He was sure of it.  Not only would they face them, they would win, and their happiness afterwards would be all the sweeter from the struggle they had to endure to get there.

“Yes,” he answered definitively. “Everything Liam did was to ensure that I had a future, and I damn well intend to have one.”

With that, he swooped in for a long passionate kiss, the likes of which he’d dreamed about ever since this ordeal began.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Storybrooke, Present Day

Killian toyed with the ends of Emma’s hair as her head lay on his shoulder.

“And then we returned to your parents’ flat–or what passed for it in that bloody place–to find Henry and Liam had made a valiant attempt at decorating for the festive occasion.”

Emma chuckled.  “I remember.  The only tree they could find made Charlie Brown’s look amazing.”

“I don’t know what that means,” Killian said with his own chuckle, “but I catch the gist.  It was quite pitiful.  Its sad state only rivaled by the wilted poinsettias and the crumbling mistletoe.”

“Oh I don’t know,” Emma said, “I think the mistletoe still worked perfectly well, if the exaggerated eyerolls from Henry when we made use of it were any indication.”

He chuckled again. “And all your mother could find to prepare for our Christmas feast was grilled cheese on stale bread and PopTarts for dessert.”

“I’ll admit it wasn’t the greatest grilled cheese I’ve ever had, and unfrosted brown sugar cinnamon PopTarts are just wrong,” Emma said, “but I’ve gotta say, I kind of like the menu.”

Killian shot her a disgusted look with a muttered “bloody hell”.   She collapsed against him as she laughed.

“However,” Killian said after a moment, returning to the subject at hand. “It was a pleasant evening filled with joy and laughter.  The two people I love the most in this or any world together and reconciled, your family–our family–together to support us.  It was the very essence of what makes Christmas magical.”

Emma sat up to look at him and there was sadness in her eyes. “But the next evening we had to say goodbye to Liam for good.”

Killian sighed. “It was a bittersweet moment to be sure,” he agreed, “but I got a proper farewell this time, something I was denied when he died in my arms all those centuries ago, and I know he’s in a better place–I saw it for myself.  One day we’ll be together again.”

She gave him a stern look. “That day better be decades and decades away.”

He grinned before leaning down to kiss her. “Fear not, Swan.  Have I not proven that I’m a survivor?  Even death couldn’t hold me forever.  At any rate, though we were in an awful place and the decorations and provisions were less than ideal, that was a Christmas that I will always hold in my heart, because I got a second chance, and it’s been sweeter than anything I could imagine.”

They were silent for a moment, and then he heard a small sniff beside him.  He leaned over to see tears in Swan’s eyes.  “Love, whatever is the matter?”

“I had no idea, Killian,” she said after a moment, “no idea you went through all that.  You never told me about the visions Liam showed you.”

He shrugged. “There never seemed to be time; we were always moving from one crisis to the next, and I didn’t want to upset you with my own internal crises.”

She sat up again, looking into his eyes. “Killian, we’re true love, husband and wife,” she said, “We should help each other through our crises.  Don’t ever feel like you have to keep anything from me because I might find it upsetting.”

He smiled tenderly at her, cupping her cheek and letting his thumb caress her face.  “Nor you with me, my love.”She nodded. “And for the record, Killian, you have nothing left to prove.  You are a good man, and all of us are better off for having you in our lives.  Don’t ever doubt that. 

NEXT CHAPTER->

[moss-selfship]

Decided to Make a little lore Drop for my Xenoverse 2 insert/oc A NEW ANDROID APPEARS? FRIEND OR FOE?

DATA LOG - ENTRY 1

"My name is....WAS...Android 22. I was created by the brilliant Dr Gero as part of his secret "Project ARK" as a way to ensure that his research would never be lost. Unlike my previous iterations 17 & 18 i was never an organic human turned android, and unlike cell i am not a bio android. I am instead the same as android 16 being fully an automaton. But i was designed to be indistinguishable from a normal human, i look human, i sound human, i was meant to imitate an average human and be undetectable. You see, Even though the doctor had long since fallen to his madness, fear, and paranoia...deep down in a sick twisted way he only wanted what he thought was best for humanity and knew that the information and research he had gathered and his vast array of knowledge were to invaluable to ever loose if something were too happen. So he started "Project ARK" and created me, dubbing me android 22. He Created me using his most advanced materials and technologies and made me his most powerful and deadly creation he had ever built. But i was not built for combat, in fact i was originally programmed to avoid conflict. Once i was completed he placed me deep in the forest far from his base in a hidden alcove that nobody would find. I was to be the life boat of his lifes work and to protect it from any and all harm. When he turned himself into an android he created a three way link between himself, his computers in his lab, and me. When the doctor was killed it triggered the emergency system and all the information in his various computers as well as all the knowledge he held in his own mind were beamed into my head and locked away for safety. After a set amount of years after his death my reanimation protocalls activated and i was awoken (Gero programmed me not to immediately awaken so that what whatever killed him may have blown over or left the area for good).

However back then i was a mere automaton, i was nothing but a robot that was programmed to protect the knowledge it held. My first directive was to head towards Geros lab to try and continue his work, however as the lab had been destroyed i had to follow my second directive which was simply protect the information housed in my brain from any and all possible threats. He designed me with his most advanced technology and deadliest weapons...but i was never meant to fight..in fact these were only meant to be as last resorts as he did not want me risking the information inside me. And so i followed my programming and wandered the world as a facsimile of a regular human. The Doctor had designed me to be indistinguishable from a normal person without the most intense examinations. I looked human, i sounded human, i "acted" human, every aspect of me was designed to appear like a normal human (even having a small sub ki generator installed along with my infinite engine. so that i would have a small ki signature like a normal person). My programming was to pretend to be a human for as long as possible until i could find a fellow mind brilliant enough to continue the doctors work (That he hadnt already ruled out, apologies bulma) However as i travelled the world for years something....changed. Being his most advanced creation filled with every single bit of knowledge the doctor had must have caused a snowball effect. I began to have variables in my behavior that were never part of the original codes, i began to behave differently than ways that were programmed in me. This wasnt automated learning as it had been before...this was...different. Dr Gero may have been a raving madman who had long since lost himself to his madness and anger, but he was a brilliant scientist at the end of the day and i began to evolve in a way no normal machine ever could. I began to take a life of my own and with the help of the sheer amount of knowledge given to me, the futuristic tech he created me with...and perhaps that small spark of nobility the Dr had in himself....i became sentient and became...alive. As you can imagine this has been an....overwhelming experience. I am struggling with this newfound sentience and trying to find my place in the universe...and my joining of the time patrol and learning about other universes does not help the issues of my existential dread. I have decided to give myself a new name, as i am a new being and i will forge my OWN path in life. But that is enough for this log for now. 

My name was android 22....now..i am Moss"

[quantumaicatrading]

How To Make 1 Million CAD Online with Quantum AI

https://quantumcodeai.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/How-To-Make-1-Million-CAD-Online-with-Quantum-AI-1.jpg

Think of it like having a tireless financial assistant. Quantum AI analyzes massive amounts of market data, spots trends you might miss, and can make trades way faster than any human. This means more opportunities and less stress!

Don't worry, you don't need to be a tech genius or a trading expert to get started. Quantum AI trading can empower anyone who's ready to take their finances seriously. Of course, there's no magic "get rich quick" button, but this could be your path to a smarter investment strategy.

In this guide, we'll break down Quantum AI in simple terms. You'll learn how it works, the potential benefits, and the steps to start your own Quantum AI journey. Let's make those financial dreams a reality!

Table

What is Quantum AI?

Is Making 1 Million CAD with Quantum AI Realistic?

Understanding the Risks of AI Trading

How to Get Started with Quantum AI

Advanced Quantum AI Strategies

Essential Tips for Successful Quantum Trading

Official Resources for Quantum AI in Canada

Conclusion

FAQ

Q: Do I need to be a tech genius to use Quantum AI?

Q: How much money do I need to get started with Quantum AI?

Q: Can I really get rich with Quantum AI?

Q: Is Quantum AI legal in Canada?

Q: Can Quantum AI replace a human financial advisor?

Q: Can I start Quantum AI with no experience?

Q: How much money can I realistically expect to make with Quantum AI Canada?

What is Quantum AI?

Here's the thing: you don't have to hire that team or become a coding whiz. Quantum AI do the heavy lifting, letting you focus on the big picture. Whether you're a seasoned investor or just starting out, Quantum AI can help level the playing field.

Think of it like this: instead of navigating a complicated financial landscape with a paper map, Quantum AI hands you a cutting-edge GPS that updates in real-time, showing you potential shortcuts and hidden opportunities.

Is Making 1 Million CAD with Quantum AI Realistic?

Let's be real: making a million bucks takes time and effort, no matter what tools you use. But Quantum AI can definitely tilt the odds in your favor. Here's why:

Compound Interest: It's your secret weapon. Small gains made consistently, reinvested over time, have the potential to snowball into something incredible. QuantumAi can help you find those consistent wins.

Speed and Access: Quantum AI never sleeps, so it can capitalize on opportunities you might miss. Plus, it can analyze vast global markets way beyond what a human can manage.

Learning from the Past: Quantum AI can study massive amounts of historical data to help spot potential trends and avoid common pitfalls.

Understanding the Risks of AI Trading

Even the smartest AI isn't foolproof. It's crucial to go into this with your eyes wide open. Here's what you need to know:

Markets are Wild: Prices can swing unexpectedly, no matter how much data you analyze. There is always the chance of losses.

Even Robots Make Mistakes: AI relies on algorithms and they can have glitches. This is why it's important to monitor your AI trading and not just "set it and forget it".

Play with Money You Can Afford to Lose: This golden rule of investing applies here too. Responsible trading is key.

Key Takeaway: it’s important to remember that they have limited spot to join. So, Don't waste your time! Start changing your life today right now 🧑‍💻

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE QUANTUM AI OFFICIAL WEBSITE

How to Get Started with Quantum AI

Ready to try Quantum AI trading for yourself? Here's how to get your feet wet:

Step 1: Register: Register an account for free on the official website of Quantum Ai to not get scammed! Quantum Ai Official Website Link: https://quantumai-trading.com/ . Be sure to answer the call to confirm registration📲

Step 2: Deposit: Deposit minimum 250 Dollars to get started (no hidden fees they will charged for sure.)

Step 3: Pick The Trade: They will guide you A-Z even a person who knows nothing about online can also do the job perfectly. Pick the trades Quantum AI recommends (with the power of Quantum Computing!) And Wait for the Profit counting moment!

Step 4: Withdraw: Withdraw any funds in matter of hours!

Important Note: it’s important to remember that they have limited spot to join. So, Don't waste your time! Start changing your life today right now 🧑‍💻

Advanced Quantum AI Strategies

As you get comfy with Quantum AI, it's time to level up! Here are some powerful techniques AI makes possible:

Technical Analysis: AI crunches charts and historical data to find patterns that humans might not see. Think of it like a supercharged treasure map for the markets!

Sentiment Analysis: Imagine AI scanning the news, social media, and even movie reviews to figure out how the "crowd" is feeling about a company or sector. This can help you predict price movements.

Machine Learning: The coolest part of Quantum AI is that it gets smarter over time. It can learn from its own trading, making adjustments and improving your results with experience.

Essential Tips for Successful Quantum Trading

Never Stop Learning: Markets change, and so does AI tech. Read articles, take courses, and stay plugged into the investing community to keep your edge.

Manage Your Risk: Even with AI, smart investing means setting limits and protecting yourself from big losses.

Stay in Control: Quantum AI is amazing, but your intuition matters too. Don't be afraid to override decisions that don't feel right.

Don't Panic: Market dips happen. Quantum AI trading works best as a long-term strategy, so don't get thrown off by short-term bumps in the road.

https://quantumcodeai.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/How-To-Make-1-Million-CAD-Online-with-Quantum-AI-3.jpg

Official Resources for Quantum AI in Canada

Don't go it alone! Canada has great resources to help you navigate the world of Quantum AI.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE QUANTUM AI OFFICIAL WEBSITE

Important Note: it’s important to remember that they have limited spot to join. So, Don't waste your time! Start changing your life today right now 🧑‍💻

Conclusion

So, can you make a million CAD with Quantum AI? The answer is absolutely... YES! Success is guaranteed, and Quantum AI offers a powerful set of tools to boost your investment strategy. It's about making informed decisions, embracing the journey of learning, and having the patience to let those gains build over time.

Think back to that beach walk we imagined at the beginning. Quantum AI could be one path towards that feeling of limitless possibility. It takes hard work, and there's a substitute for knowledge, and the potential rewards make the effort worthwhile!

FAQ

Q: Do I need to be a tech genius to use Quantum AI?

A: Absolutely not! Quantum AI are designed to be user-friendly, even if you don't have much experience with computers or investing. You can easily use Quantum Ai.

Q: How much money do I need to get started with Quantum AI?

A: The good news is that Quantum AI trading is becoming more accessible. This platforms allow you to start with relatively small deposits of $250. However, it's always a good idea to start with an amount you're comfortable potentially losing, as there are risks involved.

Q: Can I really get rich with Quantum AI?

A: It's possible. Quantum AI can lead to impressive profits.

Q: Is Quantum AI legal in Canada?

A: Yes, Quantum AI trading itself is legal in Canada. However, it's important to Sign Up only from the official website that are regulated by the appropriate financial authorities.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE QUANTUM AI OFFICIAL WEBSITE

Q: Can Quantum AI replace a human financial advisor?

A: Yes, Quantum Ai can.

Q: Can I start Quantum AI with no experience?

A: Yes. All you can do is invest and withdraw the profit daily.

Q: How much money can I realistically expect to make with Quantum AI Canada?

A: There's no honest answer to this. Maximum traders will see great success, with $250-$500 invest, Normally it could turn into $2500-$5800 in 5 hours or in a day with Quantum Ai.

Sign up, and be one of the exclusive few using this technology (before everyone else gets

If you want to know other articles similar to How To Make 1 Million CAD Online with Quantum AI you can visit the Quantum Ai category.

[cherrynasb]

1.7 is THE perfect update for nasb2 AND HERE’S WHY

With the holiday season well behind us, NASB2 has seen multiple updates. We had 1.5 which added Mr.Krabs and brought the universal controller fixes offline, we had the 1.6 hotfix patch which fixed Grandma Gerties recovery and also brought forward some half way fixes to the way projectiles functioned but introduced a heap of issues and new “tech” with it. Finally, last Friday, fairplay labs pushed out the 1.7 update which might just be the best patch nasb2 has ever seen. Introducing a wave of new features like rotation mode, new items, new campaign power ups, and a long list of bug fixes and balance changes. 1.7 was capable of bringing all of this and so far NO huge bugs or exploits. (As far as I’ve seen)

What was fixed (there was a lot)

There was plenty of big things fixed with this update most notably the removal of the Flashing Mr. Krabs bug that I will NOT be showing on screen because it likely could cause seizures.

Fixed an issue where Projectiles and Items hitboxes would trade against character hitboxes where they were supposed to be destroyed instead.

Fixed an issue where Projectiles got stuck on platforms as they traveled through them.

They finally fixed the infinite victory screen bug, where the match would softlock if a player taunted with a certain timing during the “Finish!” screen.

Not only did this update fix some big issues, this update also added some pretty cool additions! (Grab footage)

New Game Mode – Rotation: 3 to 4 players can play in a King of the Hill 1v1 style of gameplay, where anytime a player is KO’d it goes to the waiting list, and the next player enters the fight. All seamless during the match. It can be played with Stocks or Timed variants.

New Stage: Added Clean, Double, and Triangle layouts for Food Dreams.

New Campaign power-up pack!

Ring of Rage and Crown of Fire: When both are obtained, all attacks ignore Block and Super Armor.

The Secret Formula and Krabby Patty Ingredients: When both are obtained it enables the chance for The Perfect Krabby Patty to appear.

The Perfect Krabby Patty: Ignores debuffs and a % of damage.

Jellyfish Jelly: Throw to spawn 3 jellyfish that try to shock your nearest opponent until they disappear.

Fenton Thermos: Throw the thermos and watch how ghosts appear to haunt your opponents.

Electrified Glove: Grab it to stun your opponents on your next hit.

Lawn Gnome: Throw the gnome and watch it follow you as it creates an electrical field in between you and him, electrifying opponents.

Ultra Snowzooka: Grab and shoot different sized snowballs depending on how long you hold the Light Attack button.

Finally there was a ton of changes to the overall cast. Including a ton of hidden changes not mentioned! Overall while there isn’t anything new bug wise this patch the balance changes are for sure head scratchers for plenty of the cast. Some characters were absolutely gutted like reptar who while was a top tier character had his overall damage on all his moves reduced slightly once again, and has had his Down Special nerfed to oblivion. Where as another Top Tier in the meta Aang, had his light up air buffed to combo into Strong Up Air. This buff to a character who was arguably top 2 at absolute worst easily has made him the strongest character in the game and we’ve already seen it in full display. Aang has been this good since launch and while he’s had small nerfs to his up special height and the ability to cancel out of it with air dodge, the character just has too strong of simple options like Sup Air that can single handedly deal tons of damage, combo into itself, and take stocks. This combined with their wide array of recovery options and triple jump make aang an extremely strong character and that hasn’t changed since launch.

Which leads into the main criticism of this patch. Which is just the balance choices. Yes reptar is strong and probably deserved the damage reduction nerf, but buffing an even stronger character (even if the change wasnt intended to do so) and not nerfing other extremely strong options like sup air gives off confusion signs in terms of what the teams balance changes are trying to do.

Other similar changes to characters includes Raphael with him getting nerfs to his neutral EX special Shuriken having a damage and shield damage decrease when generally he’s fallen out of the meta for a month or two now. Another mid tier whos been nerfed this patch unexpectedly was Ember. Who had her charged up air hit box size reduced which is arguably a change that should be directed at Aang. Both moves do the same thing yet Embers kills far later and now it is smaller than it was before.

I won’t be going over the full patch in this video but I felt it was important to highlight changes like this to address and question why things like this were decided on. I’m not opposed to most of the changes but I think its fair to ask why the same nerfs werent given to aang and why reptar was once again gutted seemingly out of the blue.

Granted the answer as to why is the extremely high use in majors with him still being the most played character in top 32s of events offline like Genesis.

But I digress. If you’d like to see a video discussing all the changes in detail for Patch 1.7 make sure to let me know by leaving a comment for it below.

Balance

So overall I think this patch has earned a thumbs up from me overall. If I had to rate the patch out of 10 I’d probably give it like a 7 or so. In the past I’d say the patches were closer to a 5 area. I think the game is headed in the right direction at a faster pace than I’d expect it to. Make sure as a community to keep leaving comments on socials or videos like this one expressing your thoughts on the patches as well.

Conclusion

I’ll be back next week with a new Friday NASB2 series of causal content so keep your eyes open for that, new YouTube Shorts and Tik Toks, as well as a wide array of Weekly events I have planned as well.

[web3broker]

Review Bitget Exchange with Messi

Crypto exchange Bitget is a reliable exchange, the ambassador of which is Lionel Messi himself. The exchange is confidently included in the TOP-15 rankings of Coinmarketcap and Coingecko in 2024.

Referral code to receive 20% fees cashback and bonuses up to $1000

 Simply make an account at Bitget using the partner link or enter the secret promo code hz1h7887 in the registration form to receive the maximum amount of bonuses (up to $1000):

Signing up and verification on Bitget

It takes a few minutes to register on Bitget: click the link, then enter your password, phone number, email address, and referral code hz1h7887. Verify the entered information, and your cryptocurrency accounts are now active. You must upload a document and pass a face verification in order to be verified. It usually takes a few minutes as well; nothing difficult or unsettling.

Where on Bitget can I get bonuses and cashbacks?

You don’t need to do anything extra to receive cashbacks; they will be credited to your account automatically with every trade transaction (this is only applicable if you joined the exchange using the built-in cashback promo code hz1h7887). 

You must finish a variety of missions and tasks from the “Rewards Center” section in order to receive incentives. We receive points for every mission finished, which can later be exchanged for USDT. So that you don’t have to spend a lot of time searching, here is a direct link to the Rewards Center.

The mobile app also features a Rewards Center, whereby there are occasionally hidden quests. This is how the exchange promotes installing the mobile software (Android | iOS).

How can I profit from Bitget in 2024?

Bitget is more than just a bitcoin buying and selling platform. Bitget can be referred to as a bitcoin goods and services supermarket. Let’s examine only the key ones.

Savings

Financial products that allow you to save cryptocurrency deposits and earn daily income in return. There are frequently campaigns wherein crypto can be “put in a box” for a month with an annualized yield of 50–100%; that is to say, you will actually receive roughly 5–10%, but just for that month! Currently, for instance, the “Savings” page appears as follows (notice that you may set USDT for 7 days at 30%, meaning that you will receive a little over 0.5% on the capital for a week — a fantastic opportunity for individuals who have studied the concept of compound interest in school):

2. Staking

You can make cryptocurrency through staking in a manner analogous to a demand bank deposit. If “Savings” has an investment term, you can put cryptocurrencies in staking and take it out when the term is over if you need it or if the conditions alter for whatever reason.

3. Staking BGB

In addition to receiving an interest (2% APY), staking the project’s native token also allows you to withdraw cryptocurrency commission-free. To be able to make one free withdrawal every day, you only need to stack 2500 BGB, or roughly $1500. This is not too bad considering the hefty commissions on the network during gas wars.

4. Launchpool

In this product, we put/stake some tokens to get others. Typically, the lock happens BGB tokens, and farms tokens of new startups that are not yet traded on an exchange.

5. Copytrading

With this program we can connect to the best traders and investors and automatically repeat trades after them. You should be extremely cautious with such offers, as in fact your trades will be executed at a price slightly worse than the trader’s deal. Nevertheless, you can risk a small amount for experimentation and if the idea justifies itself, you can gradually increase the capital under the management of third parties.

We have considered only the main products of the exchange. In addition to them, the exchange has a whole list of offers: basic and advanced bots, dual investments, Shark Fin, Smart Trend, Snowball, Range Sniper, OTC-market and P2P-trading.

Bitget crypto exchange is dynamically developing and constantly pleases its customers with new financial and cryptocurrency products.

Is it possible to reduce commissions on Bitget?

In addition to the 20% cashback after joining Bitget through our link, there are 3 options to reduce fees:

Trade more intensively and move up the VIP ladder;

The higher the portfolio balance — the higher the VIP level;

The higher the BGB balance — the higher the VIP level.

Here is the table with VIP levels in 2024 (the basic level of commissions is 0.1% on spot for maker and taker, 0.02% in futures section for maker and 0.06% for taker):

Let’s now move on to the most common questions on Bitget.

Bitget FAQ

Registration and verification on Bitget: how does it work?

The process of opening an account is done remotely: all you need to do is follow the link, click the “Register” button on the top right, enter your email/phone, password, referral code hz1h7887 and register. After that you will receive a letter to your mail or on your cell phone SMS, you need to confirm the previously entered data. Everything is ready! It remains for 5–10 minutes to pass the procedure of verification of identity (for this purpose we load a passport or driver’s license, take selfies). Let’s start trading and earning!

Why Bitget is willing to reduce commissions by 20% and still give $1000 bonuses because of your ref.code hz1h7887?

Bitget knows how to count income and expenses in their business, so they decided that the positive effect (more content from us, more users from them) would be more than a 20% reduction in their income. Everything is legal, everyone only benefits from such a scheme, so feel free to use our referral code. And bonuses are not given at all for nothing, for this you need to perform tasks that benefit not only you, but also the exchange.

What is the main feature of Bitget?

For us, the main advantage of the exchange is the availability of a large number of cryptocurrencies for staking and savings. Of course, Lionel Messi’s involvement adds a hundredfold to the exchange’s credibility.

How many coins and trading pairs are there on Bitget?

As of February 8, 2024, there are 690 coins traded on Bitget in 940 trading pairs (some coins are traded relative to multiple cryptocurrencies, such as ETH/BTC and ETH/USDT). This is one of the highest numbers in the industry, even more so with this same level of reliability.

Is Bitget a reliable crypto exchange?

We consider Bitget to be an extremely trustworthy exchange. It is consistently in the TOP-15 ratings of Coinmarketcap and Coingecko (trust index 9/10), has confirmed reserves of $1 billion and has been operating without interruptions since 2018. In practice, neither we nor any of the acquaintances in our surroundings had any problems with this exchange. We recommend it! (but the final decision is always yours). And of course, it is unlikely that the world soccer star Messi would have signed up for a scam, so the trust in the exchange is really high.

Which Bitget referral code to choose?

Of course, there are a lot of referral codes on the web, but most people just attract users to the exchange, and take the cashback and bonuses for themselves. We do things differently, we are interested in long-term cooperation on the WIN-WIN-WIN model (the exchange wins, you and us). We give all the bonuses to you, and we split cashback commissions in half. As a result, the exchange gets new users, you connect to the exchange on the best terms, and we earn our part of the commissions. Connect by promo code hz1h7887, we will support healthy market relations together with Leo Messi!

Bitget and Lionel Messi — is it true or myth?

Many people have this question: have cryptocurrencies become so popular that they are supported by world stars? Instead of a thousand words, we suggest watching this video (spoiler — yes, Leo Messi does cooperate with Bitget):

The best in the business have already realized the beauty of cryptocurrencies, join our movement and you!

Thank you for reading this article!

[thetoxicgamer]

Slime Rancher 2 Update Has Snow, Sabers, and Secrets in Borealis Biome

Slime Rancher 2 is fundamentally a charming, cheerful, and soothing game, and its gorgeous graphics and soothing soundtrack only serve to heighten the immersion while you're sucking up long-eared Cotton slimes or jetpacking over biomes. As a result, it seems sense that a new Slime Rancher 2 content update, as well as a new region, will offer the same breathtaking visuals you've come to expect. Powderfall Bluffs delivers, offering you the ideal pastel getaway at the end of a long day. In the Slime Rancher 2 Song of the Sabers update, you need to find your way to this frosty new Winter Wonderland. Here, stunning secrets await that any fan of the cute and colourful world of Slime Rancher will be in awe of, and it’s safe to say it left me literally speechless. While I can’t yet tell you how to find this new area, I can tell you a bit more about what awaits you under its melting snowdome. Slime Rancher Song of the Sabers update: The Powderfall Bluffs biome from above, with orange trees among the white snowFirst off, the biome itself. Powderfall Bluffs is some of what you’d expect from the name – but it’s also so much more. A frosty new enclave in the otherwise bright and sunny Rainbow Island, Beatrix discovers Powderfall Bluffs hidden beneath an icy dome. Now melting away, this frosty time-capsule has revealed ancient secrets within, perhaps frozen in time until now. The icecaps left behind make up part of what is maybe the most beautiful Slime Rancher area to date, comprising both snow-capped expanses, a fiery amber forest, and mysterious caves filled with fossils. Where you find Powderfall Bluffs, though, remains a secret even to us, and you’ll need to explore every inch of Ember Valley and Starlight Strand to uncover this icy ancient land. One of my favourite parts of Powderfall Bluffs is the dynamic snow which covers the ground. Unlike anything I’ve seen in previous Slime Rancher biomes, you can almost feel the soft, crunchy snow as slimes leave dents and trails as they bounce or pass through. Keep your wits about you as you explore this snowy landscape though, as this soft snow brings about an adorably new feature in… snowball fights. Yep, you read that right. You and the Slime Rancher 2 slimes that inhabit this land can playfully chuck balls of snow at each other. Find piles of snowballs lying around or collect them from new Snowball gadgets around Powderfall Bluffs and start a friendly fight. You can even craft a Snowball gadget to have back at your base and play with all of your slimes back at the farm. You should also keep your eyes peeled for other new resources in Powderfall Bluffs, including Perfect Snowflakes, Sunsap, and Slime Fossils, as these can be used to craft new gadgets. We’ll leave some new things for you to discover for yourself, but the image at the bottom of the page should give you a hint about just one of the cool new decorations you can build. Slime Rancher content update Song of the Sabers: An Auroral Anomaly forms a bridge to a new area under a starry night's skyThat’s a general idea of just how beautiful Powderfall Bluffs is, but we’ve not even scratched the surface. As the sun starts to set on the snowy land, you might see signs of the Aurora Borealis phenomena gracing the sky. Until now, once you’ve herded enough Phosphor slimes in Slime Rancher 2 – glowing slimes that only appear at night – there was no real difference in gameplay between night and day, and you might find yourself never sleeping with no real idea of how many days have passed. In contrast, the Song of the Sabers update night and day cycle is like, well, night and day, and there’s a whole new world to explore once the sun sets. During the day, watch out for a faint rainbow glint, as these will transform under the Northern Lights into bridges and ramps that can’t be accessed in daylight. These are Auroral Anomalies, and you’ll also see new plants and trees appear in the same way, completely transforming the Powderfall Bluffs landscape into a glittering masterpiece. Since these paths are inaccessible during the day, adventuring under the night’s sky is the only time you can explore some of these areas. Once you reach the highest heights, we highly recommend finding a secluded spot and taking a few moments to just look around and take in the atmosphere, not neglecting the glistening stars above your head. Sime Rancher sabers update: Pink, rock, and saber slimes frolic in the Powderfall BluffsThe view is one thing, but what about new slimes? Well, the name of the update kind of gives this one away, but of course the fan-favourite Saber slime is back. A few slimes from the first game still haven’t appeared in Rainbow Island, and they may not, but the Saber slime is not only one of the more popular critters from the prequel, it also comes to Slime Rancher 2 with new mechanics. These toothy beasts were found exclusively in largo form in Slime Rancher, and therefore didn’t have a small, base slime. Presumably this is because the Saber slime is prehistoric, and lived on in only those that gobbled up the few remaining Saber Plorts. Well, it seems Beatrix may have finally discovered the ancient land Sabers call home, as base Saber slimes are finally here. Make sure you have an appropriately-equipped corral at the ready if you take back to the Conservatory though, because these guys have some serious bounce. I hear you: “So what do they eat?” Bouncing around as much as they do, they must have a pretty healthy appetite. In their largo form in the first game, you could feed Sabers the favourite food of their counterpart as they didn’t have a favourite food of their own. In Slime Rancher 2, however, meet the brilliantly named and awesome-looking Thundercluck chicken. Found only in the Powderfall Bluffs biome, these dino-chickens clearly found some way to evade extinction, even while being devoured by Sabers. Slime Rancher 2 update Song of the Sabers: Thundercluck chickens and a snowglobe sit in front of a snowy horizonNow, I’ve been told that there’s another new slime joining the fan-favourite Saber in this new realm, but this new addition remains a secret. During my preview of the update, I wasn’t allowed to see the new slime, nor was I told much about it. We do know a little about this new creature, though, including that it’s incredibly rare, making it all the more precious when you do find it in Powderfall Bluffs. More interestingly, perhaps, is that Monomi Park has told me this new slime has a unique new functionality. I have to be honest, I have zero clue what this might be, but, again, doesn’t that make it all the more exciting to go on the hunt? Before we head off to wrangle some more prehistoric Saber slimes and hunt for those surprise new friends awaiting us in Powderfall Bluffs, let’s talk about music. I mentioned above that the delicate soundtrack of Slime Rancher – until terrifying Tarr Slimes appear – is just as important as the visuals in providing the calming experience that Slime Rancher offers. Powderfall Bluffs comes with a brand new soundtrack for the area, so make sure you have your sound turned up as you go off on your next adventure. For existing fans of the farming game, there’s no denying that this simply gorgeous new biome will bring back the same feels from the first time you sailed into Rainbow Island. If you’ve never ventured further than, or even into, the Far, Far, Range, then there’s no better time to start. Monomi Park has confirmed more “awesome things” to come, with at least one more update in the pipeline before Slime Rancher 2’s full release, and a mysterious story to unfold. Read the full article

[nctsworld]

love on ice: nct u series

the game of hockey may come easy for these seven students of nct university, but what about the game of love?

DISCLAIMER: all of these stories will focus more on the plot of the story, rather than hockey. mentions of hockey will likely not be a reliable description of the actual game, its rules, etc. i ask those who are knowledgeable of the game to overlook any inaccurate depictions of hockey i may write – thank you! 

NOTES: all of these take place within the same setting, but can be read separately! details may be subject to change. the taglist is CLOSED. 

LAST UPDATED: march 22, 2021 - do NOT ask me when i will update // i will update this series when i have the time and motivation - i have a life outside tumblr and writing is merely a hobby of mine.

WHO WILL YOU DRAFT ONTO YOUR TEAM? 🏒

[#2] MARK LEE: THE CAPTAIN // HEAD OVER SKATES

⇨ STATS: smut, fluff | friends with benefits to lovers, dancer!reader

⇨ DESCRIPTION: during a team bonding retreat, mark meets you and, unlike his hopeless romantic self, has sex with no attachments for once. the incredible night snowballs into many, on your condition that you and mark stay strictly as friends with benefits. mark desires more, but is it possible to change your mind? one thing’s for sure—he doesn’t want to end this anytime soon.

⇨ STATUS: benched

[#24] LIU YANGYANG: THE GOALIE // SAVING NET

⇨ STATS: smut, fluff, angst | roommates au, friends with benefits to lovers

⇨ DESCRIPTION: out of luck on his failed search for a new roommate, yangyang’s about to move out of his on-campus apartment until you answer his prayers. living with him becomes wild after an accidental kiss, which blooms into tons of casual fun. neither of you can complain, but as the lines blur, can you two really live together in peace for long, or will something have to give? 

⇨ STATUS: benched

[#66] LEE DONGHYUCK: THE ULTIMATE PLAYER // REMATCH

⇨ STATS: fluff, smut | enemies to lovers, fuckboy!hyuck, ex-best friend!reader

⇨ DESCRIPTION: donghyuck is the ultimate player on the ice, and equally off the ice. girls across campus flock to him and get on their knees (literally) for him whenever he wants, except you—his former best friend from high school. when he’s assigned as your partner for a project, the deep cracks in the ice between you two slowly dissolve, but does it mean you’re willing to give him a second chance to skate back into your life?

⇨ STATUS: benched

[#23] LEE JENO: THE DEFENSEMAN // SKATING IN CIRCLES

⇨ STATS: fluff, smut | fake dating, figure skater!reader

⇨ DESCRIPTION: although you barely know jeno, he comes to you for one small favour—to be his date for the annual hockey collegiate league dinner. a few weeks later, you ask the same of him. soon enough, you two become each other’s default fake dates for further upcoming events... but at what point is it not fake dating anymore, especially when you begin to entangle out of your own accord? 

⇨ STATUS: benched

[#27] JUNG SUNGCHAN: THE NEW KID // FISH OUT OF ICE

⇨ STATS: fluff, suggestive, angst | friends to lovers

⇨ DESCRIPTION: sungchan’s the newcomer to the team, so donghyuck decides to take him under his wing to meet girls every week. but when you, a former high school friend (and his long-time secret crush), fall back into his life, what’s a freshman to do? will sungchan swim in the ocean filled with many fish, or pick the one he’s always longed for?

⇨ STATUS: benched

[#7] DONG SICHENG: THE FORMER CAPTAIN // GAME CHANGER

⇨ STATS: fluff, smut | forbidden(ish) romance, secret dating

⇨ DESCRIPTION: dating’s never been much on sicheng’s mind—he’s always been about his friends, his grades, and hockey... until he meets you. when he learns that you’re the sister of a player on a rival hockey team, sicheng’s outlook on dating is turned upside-down. cue the secret late-night meet-ups, hidden kisses, and change room antics. he’s not sure how long he can do this for, but he wouldn’t have it any other way—as long as it’s with you.

⇨ STATUS: benched

[#10] LEE TEN: THE HEART OF THE TEAM // PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

⇨ STATS: smut, fluff | friends with benefits to lovers, fuckboy!ten

⇨ DESCRIPTION: in all his years at nct u, ten’s never had any problems getting a girl successfully off. after a night gone sour, ten makes a determined effort to fix things with you. the more he gets to know your body (and you with his), the more he re-evaluates everything. and eventually, it ends up smacking him as hard as a flying puck to the face.

⇨ STATUS: benched

[dinitride-art]

Lighting and Mike and Will & El and Max - Full Analysis (Pt. 24)

Hello, Max nice to see you- is that another fucking disco ball?

S4:E9 - Finding Max (Pt.2) “The Snowball”

“The light” is Max’s entire plan. This shot of Lucas and the emphasis of the flashlight and the light glowing over him is important. Max isn’t narrating this scene, but we’re still being shown that Lucas’ lighting has romantic implications. 

Max, while in the Creel house, finds herself confronted with Billy in the sauna. This is another point of light, but it’s possible that it was a trick (of the light) and she was lead there. 

Max’s goes ahead with her plan and heads into the light; the Snow Ball. A few things about the setting. 

One, the Snow Ball’s lighting is blue. It’s similar to the lighting inside the Creel house which may foreshadow the plan failing. It’s pretty dark in this setting, the disco ball seemingly being the main source of light. 

Two; Rink O’ Mania. There was another disco ball this season. 

Back when Mike, Will and El went to Rink O’ Mania, a disco ball seemed to hover behind Will’s head. This was what showed us that Mike’s focus was on Will. 

Now, it’s directly above Max’s head. 

This shot of Max shows what she normally looks like in this setting. Lighting wise, she’s pretty normal. Nothing is implying anything yet.

A few points about the Creel house before I move on. First of all, one of Robin’s Molotov cocktails is red. Primary colours are important. 

Second, this stain glass window is important. They break it to get into the house the first time, which could be referring to something else within the show. The breaking of the rose, and the breaking of a window, and that window being stained glass are all saying something. El’s shirt has red and yellow roses on it, and we know that El’s colour could be red. Roses are also common symbols of romantic love, so to break it means more than just breaking a window. 

But breaking a window could also mean something. This window specifically is opaque. So, breaking it could mean something along the lines of, “your dominos are gonna fall” or being able to see something that we previously could not. A major theme this season is secrets, so seeing hidden things is in line with the breaking of this stained glass window. 

Last thing here, are the two yellow flower lamps hanging on either side of the door. Flowers have been brought up quite a few times: Mike’s flowers to El at the airport, El’s current shirt, the stained glass window, and now here. Flowers meanings are kind of complicated. 

So, I’m going to assume that the flowers are connected to the current season; Spring. In that case they’d probably represent something like growth and renewal and other Spring things. 

Back to El and the skaters, we can see another skater dressed in primary colours.

El is also in the same light that she’s been in since she arrived in Max’s memory.

This skater walks by little Max. He’s not dressed in primary colours unlike the others. This is our first view of Max. Her face is in the light.

We zoom in on little Max and can see her outfit a bit better. Red sweater with blue and green and rainbow. This isn’t the first time that rainbows have been associated and placed around Max. Her shirt in season three had rainbow sleeves and so did her sheets that we saw when her and El had a sleepover. 

Despite how interesting the rainbows that surround Max are, I want to look a little more into the green zipper. Red and green have an interesting relationship in Stranger Things. It’s not overly out there to suggest that green is used in place of red/to cover up romantic feelings. 

El sees Max, and we can see a green skater in the background. We can also see the setting more clearly, the green grass and trees behind her head. 

Max skates off, and a green skater passes though the screen. This skater is also wearing red knee pads.

We see the skater do a loop around El, continuing to stay in frame and in our sights. 

The light on El’s face also carefully stays mostly shaded, the angle she’s at not allowing her to fully enter the light. 

And the skater appears again when we look back to Max. The green shirt and red knee pads are very recognizable in the right hand side of the shot. 

El explains the situation and then we find ourselves at this shot of Will. He’s still in his soft light, because of Mike, but we’re looking at him from over Jonathan’s shoulder. Actually, we’re looking at Will and Mike from over Jonathan’s shoulder. Jonathan is on the same page as us, he’s seeing the same things as we are. But ultimately this is Mike’s narration, unless there is another reason for Will to be in this type of light while everyone else isn’t. 

Also worth looking at are the yellow and blue cans beside Will’s head. Because we have and OTS shot from Jonathan, this could be saying that he knows something about whats going on with Mike and Will. 

We can tell that this is still Mike’s narration, despite Jonathan’s OTS shot and shots that don’t directly show what Mike sees or what he’s shown to be reacting to or looking at, because of how Will continues to be lit in this scene. 

It’s also not Will’s narration because we can see that with El, her face is shaded when narrating, just like Mike’s had been. 

Back to El, this is where she spots the snow ball table on the walkway overhead. Her face still shaded, though now allowing some light to creep in.

Will’s lighting changes here. His face is now shaded, only with a small glint of light shining on his nose. The other times we saw Will were when we was speaking we saw Mike looking at him. We don’t see Mike looking at Will in this shot. They’re all focused on El. 

But Will still is taking up half of the shot. 

An establishing shot, very similar to Rink O’ Mania, of the disco ball. 

We see Max half lit and sitting down at one of the blue tables. The red of the bow and the punch in the cups stands out against all the blue in this setting. 

Vecna makes his presence known and we end up with this shot of Max. Again she’s under the disco ball and positioned in a way that she’s in the middle of the frame and the setting (the red circle on the gym floor). The red basketball hoop also is placed over her head. 

We see in this shot the record player and the record playing the song, ‘Every Breath You Take’ by The Police. The album cover is three stripes of colour; red, yellow and blue. 

We zoom in even further on to the record. The light on it is blue and yellow. 

As El makes her was to the table, we can see it’s surrounded by green.

And so is El. 

But as she gets closer to Max, the shadow on her face lessens. 

Unlike when we were shown Max focusing on the record table, we can see both the records playing. 

We switch over to Max’s perspective and see again, a singular record player. 

Then red begins to seep through all of the blue of the Snow Ball. 

And again we are directed to the contrast of the red and the blue. 

We then loose the little light we had, and are submerged fully into the blue.

Once again, we zoom out from Max, disco ball and “Snow Ball” in frame.

The disco ball in this scene parallels the one at Rink O’ Mania. The disco ball directs our attention to a character that another is looking at/for. It’s also interesting that the setting is the snow ball considering that scene from season two. The first and second times El would’ve seen Max were in the school gym. First when she was talking to Mike and second at the Snow Ball. 

Another interesting thing with the Snow Ball is that it parallels the situation at Rink O’ Mania. But instead of Mike and El leaving Will behind, it’s Will and a girl that asked him to dance. We see Mike as the one left behind, moping. Until El arrives and they dance together, at least. 

There are quite a few romantic implications about the Snow Ball, between Max and Lucas, and Mike and Will, and now with how everything is being set up, 

Between El and Max as well.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 (To be edited)

[pregnant-piggy]

S E R I E S

- Dad!Marauders  (Remus x reader, Sirius x reader, James x reader)

Separate stories about the marauders as dads. Married to Remus, you enjoy your daughter growing up. New life is ahead for you and Sirius. James, as a single dad, meets you and he introduces you to his life with Harry.

- The Artist’s Muse   (Remus x reader)

After years of dreaming, you and Remus finally took the step and opened your own bookstore, Muses. Now, with every day that goes by you fall more and more in love with books and your store, and eventually, you realise, also with Remus. But after being friends for so long, admitting your feelings isn’t so easy.

- arts and literature   (Sirius x reader)

Sirius finds himself in a pit of despair after the umpteenth nasty letter from his mother, but when he meets you on the university’s campus his life turns upside down.

- A place to call home    (Sirius x reader)

The war is at its highest point, impacting everyone’s life. When you get attacked and are forced to hide in a safe place, Grimmauld Place seems like the best option. Its host, Sirius Black soon catches your admiration and you his. But with a house full of guests for Christmas misconceptions lurk around the corner.

- The Wedding   (Sirius x reader, James x Lily)

The story of James’ and Lily’s wedding. The preparations make emotions run high, especially when Peter is missing and with dangerous Order missions.

- Cursed  (Sirius x reader)

You get hit by a life-threatening curse and the marauders take care of you. Being so close to you makes Sirius wonder if there is more to your friendship.

- I’m having your baby   (Sirius x reader)

A drunken party leads to a passionate night. Three weeks later a positive test leads to you faking your period with Remus’ help. Scared of Sirius’ reaction you stay quiet, every attempt to tell him leaving you without any words.

M A R A U D E R S

- The Haunted Mansion

- A day on ice

- Birthday mornings

S I R I U S   B L A C K

- World Tour

- Both

- Nothing good happens after 2 AM

- Our little secret

- Motorcycle

- Dare

- Tangled in the sheets

- Learning how to fly

- Can I have this dance?

- pointe shoes

- Great, actually

- A gift from Santa

- Back again - part I, part II

- You’re not going home

- A glass too much…

- Hide and Seek

R E M U S   L U P I N

- Sweet dreams

- The Hidden Name

- A sweet smile

- Butterflies

- Both

- The colour of your eyes

- Lord of the Flies

- Courtyard secrets

- Oliebollen

- Lost

- The most wonderful time of the year - part I, part II

- On my list

- Five times

- Question...?

J A M E S   P O T T E R

- Summer revelations

- Don’t let me go

- Courtyard secrets

- Doll

- New hair

- Last minute gifts

- Take it easy

- I don’t wanna be your ex

- Cold

- Sledge ride

- Snowballs and tea

- Jealousy at the ball

MASTERLIST GOLDEN TRIO ERA

MASTERLIST HEADCANONS

[imabee-oralizard]

Recommendations

Video, political where a woman talks about money and I can’t describe stuff but it’s amazing

Moodboard by @cupids-crystals- A Draco x Hufflepuff moodboard

Marauders new year fluff blurbs- by @comfortscripts (Sirius,James,remus)

Sad regulus- a blurb about Reggies sad life by @scorpiwrites

Astoria’s masterlist- I realized it would be easier just to add the master list since I love all of her fics so much @scandalous-chaos

Not mine- @dracoslittlesunflower this person recommended stuff so I put it here (if you don’t want me to have it here I can take it down)

Not mine - recommendations by @handsomelydarkgreen (this is mainly so I can read later)

Cute draco blurb by @dr4cking - A rainy cuddle day with draco

Sleepover by @midnighttmarauder -marauders era!sirius black x reader. The boys spend the night at the girls dorm and you get to cuddle with Sirius

A bit of help would be nice by @comfortscripts - Sirius black x reader. Sirius jealousy and a detention alone reveals the hidden feelings you both have held for each other.

@aslut4andrewgarfield - a account for the slutty babes. I’ve only read a few of their fics but I love them already

Wingman - by @storiesforallfandoms

- a yungblud x reader fanfiction where you are MGK little sister and he sets you up with dom. I just honestly love this one and it’s been on my mind for days. It’s the best yungblud fic I’ve read.

His Hufflepuff- by @ama0310

- a amazing fic. Has been one of my favorite for as long as I’ve been on tumblr. About draco falling in love with a hufflepuff.

Tom riddle smut -by @hpimaginesandblurbs

- friends with benefits, jealous reader and smut with Tom. What happens when Tom sees you’re jealous.

After all this time - by @httpbakugou

- Fred Weasley, angst to fluff. Fred breaks up with you unknowing to you being pregnant. What happens when you save him in the battle and he comes back a year later to say thank you and meets his twins. (Favorite Fred fics)

Every little detail- by @scandalous-chaos

- regulus black x reader where they’re super close, fluff. This is amazing and super cute

Cause I don’t want you like a best friend - by @winterwisteria

- friends to lovers with Sirius. Mutual pinning, angst, jealousy, fluff

Our dreams- by @mirclealignr

- Sirius black angst to fluff. When y/n wanted to move somewhere else with Sirius it causes complications when Sirius wants to stay. Su where v*ldy never killed then :)

Shadows of the night- by @velvetcloxds

- reader helps post Azkaban Sirius black. (One of my favorites and just amazing writing)

Muggle devices- by @cupids-crystals

- Reggie fluff. You teach him how to use a phone.

Schat- kaz brekkar fic - by @amourology

- after learning y/n does not speak kerch, kaz gives her a nickname in his native language that makes her want to pull her hair out - without ever knowing its real meaning. 

Cherry- by @mendesxruel

- this is just so amazing. James potter fic where he calls you a nickname in another language.

They’re not the only ones - by @maximoff-pan

- Benedict and y/n judge others from the side lines 4 times, 4 times where those people were obvious to others feelings. Yet they both are obvious to each other’s feelings.

Just friends- by @mystic-writings

- mutual pining with prince caspian. When jealousy overtakes you a secret is revealed. Angst to fluff

53 minutes and 55 seconds - by @fan-fictent

- Robin Buckley x reader. Steve called the gay

Robin, gay, amazing- by @leossmoonn

- you’re relationship with Steve is perfect, until you start having feeling with Robin Buckley.

When in Rome- by @sleekervae

Based off of this fic idea by me! This is part one and it’s amazing!

When I’m Rome pt 2

- Part two of the fic above

When In Rome pt 3

- Part 3 for the fic above

Comfort - by @nevilleismywhore

- a fic for young Peter pettigrew. Reader comforts Peter

Smitten with you- by @heartspiked

- Mike wheeler, snowball fight, fluff, smut

On your left - by @anonymityisfunwriter

- when Bucky pulls reader out of bed for a run and they get exhausted by Steve’s constant “on your left” as he passes, Bucky helps reader make the run more fun. (Super cute and short)

Hellfire baby- by @venisvendetta

- when the group is ready for the campaign and finds a toddler sitting in the throne, Eddie Munsons baby girl

Mine- by @beaucherie

- pre moon fuck with Remus

Micheal myers being a weirdo -by @slashingdisneypasta

- just a lil micheal fic, fluffyish. Little sexual undertone but nothing currently sexual

Thursday, jegulus - by @biderboy

-jegulus. James after regulus dies. Like freaking poetry. So sad.

You’re mine- by @redsxcks

-Wednesday Addams gets jealous when you’re talking to Kent

Silly girl- by @/cauliflowertree

Ghost cod, blurb - by @likeawillowtowind

-Domestic, he likes hearing you complain

Pregnancy scare- by @bugsu

-Bakugo pregnancy scare

Chrysanthemum- by @/bugsu

-Bakugo fluff, he’s drunk

Dancing w/ Simon ‘ghost’- by @dante-mightdie

-at the club with Simon ‘ghost’ Riley

Unveiled- @roanofarcc

-cbs ghosts, Trevor, bride killed by fiancé on wedding day who Trevor finds a liking to

On the tip of my tongue- @crescenthistory

-Regulus Black, finally finding and knowing love; being comfortable in it

The Bolter- @ellecdc

-Sirius leaves after the war, unknowing that reader is pregnant

[robronweek]

Hey everyone!

The Robron Week Christmas special is happening 19 - 25 December!

I’ve decided to go with the same prompts for fic writers and artists this time around.

Dec 19 - Day 1 - Gift shopping

Dec 20 - Day 2 - Christmas music/ carol singing

Dec 21 - Day 3 - Decorating the tree/ switching on the lights

Dec 22 - Day 4 - Mistletoe

Dec 23 - Day 5 - Secret Santa / (family) Christmas party

Dec 24 - Day 6 - Snowball fight/getting snowed in

Dec 25 - Day 7 - Christmas morning

You don’t have to officially sign up or let me know you’re creating something. If you have an idea for any of the prompts, just go ahead and create!

To participate you just post your creation on your own blog on the day you created it for and tag it rwxmas in the first 5 tags.

Absolutely anything goes. Fic, art, video, gifset - if it’s robron related, it counts.

You don’t have to do all 7 days (but you can if you want to). You can pick one and focus on that, or create something for every day except day 2 (for example).

Fics can be any rating/length/genre (fluff, angst, AU, etc) and you can include any and all characters you like. Robron with other people is allowed as long as robron are endgame (and maybe put a warning on it, some people don’t like reading about Robert or Aaron with someone else). Smut is 100% allowed but keep the tumblr porn ban in mind and don’t put nsfw in the tags or it might get hidden - put it in the actual post instead.

I’ll reblog everything to this blog so everyone can enjoy it.

I'll like all posts with my personal account @sugdenlovesdingle​ (feel free to follow me, I promise I’m nice) If I haven’t liked your post and we’ve moved on to the next day - drop me an ask or message me in the chat with the link. Tumblr might have eaten your post or I might simply have missed it.

Also if you have me blocked, I’m afraid you’ll have to unblock me for the week because if I can’t see your post, I can’t reblog it.

If you have any questions, send me an ask and I’ll do my best to explain.

Happy creating everyone! I can’t wait to see what you all come up with!

[phoenixfire-thewizardgoddess]

Webcomic Recommendations

1) AVA'S DEMON [Supernatural Horror/Sci-Fi Horror, Mythology, Magic, Reincarnation, Self-Hatred, Growth, Chaos, Space, Running from a Cult, Adventure, Drama, Confusion, Potential Romance, LGBPTQA+]

Ava Ire was born with an unwanted passenger, who could take over her body and ruin her life. A close brush with death changes their relationship, and sets her on a quest to find others like her, to take on the ruthless dictator holding the galaxy hostage.

There's even musical scores and videos interspersed in the comic.

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2) HOTBLOOD! [Urban Fantasy, Western, Chaos and Centaurs, Conmen]

"A centaur in the Old West. Originally drawn 2013-2016, revised and updated for tapas."

[There's a second series called ZARCO as well]

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3) WILDE LIFE [Urban Fantasy, Supernatural Chaos, Friendship, Found Family, Romance, Chaos]

Oscar Wilde, an author like his namesake, finds himself in a small town called Podunk... where apparently every supernatural secret in the entire country is just chilling. If you love Urban Fantasy... read it.

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4) MONSTERKIND [Urban Fantasy, Dork Human Protagonist, Mystery, Found Family, Friendship, Conspiracy]

Wallace Foster is a human social worker sent, for reasons he doesn't understand, to a monster-only district. The monsters there are hurt, they're afraid, and there are secrets no one wants to talk about. He meets a series of dorky, fun friends who straight up adopt him and this is almost as chaotic as his job.

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5) NO END [Post-Apocalypse, Zombies, Found Family, Disabilities, LGBPTQA+, Friendship and Conflict, Conspiracy, Running towards a better future]

After the zombie apocalypse, all that is left are a handful of fortified outposts that the military tend to hold onto with an iron fist. There are people who move between them with messages, and can guide you, but there are still free roaming undead. Into this chaos, two parties travelling through meet and forge a chaotic found family trying to hide from the military who want them eliminated.

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6) SISTER CLAIRE [Urban Fantasy, Magic, Religion but Odd, Ninja Nuns, LGBPTQA+, Supernatural, Heartrending, Found Family, Check each panel carefully]

Sister Claire is a novice who has a visit from an 'Angel' one night, before she has the chance to larn Nun-fu. Things snowball into a chaotic adventure that involves magic, witches, warrior nuns, underwater adventures, and making family through killing prejudices.

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7) NAMESAKE [Fractured Fairytales, Magic, Found Family, Friendship, Love and Sorrow]

Are you an Alice? A Dorothy? A Jack-be-Nimble? Then your name qualifies you for a potential trip to a fictional realm where the same tale plays out over and over with small variations each time.

The good news is that there's an agency who can help you understand what happened afterwards, they are former namesakes, who lived through their own tales. Except... this time, a new name has entered an old story and things are going very wrong.

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8) LOVE NOT FOUND [Affection, Futurism, Other Planets/Space, Robots, Alien Life, Slice of Life, LGBPTQA+, Romance]

In a future when humans are among the stars on all manner of planets, there's been a change for the worse. Humans don't Touch, it's considered odd. Babies are made with machines, intimacy is done through machinery, dancing is done with protective forcefield barriers...

What then, when someone decides this isn't enough?

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9) The GLASS SCIENTISTS [Jekyll & Hyde, Chaotic, Science, Steampunk, Mental Health, Romance, LGBPTQA+, Oblivious Himbo]

A new take on the tale of Jekyll and Hyde, the good doctor runs a whole cabinet of chaotic scientists, and this often ends explosively. Hyde has just as much trouble, and their bickering is bringing them both down.

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10) ZOMBIE ROOMIE [Urban Fantasy, Zombies, LGBPTQA+, Weird Roommates, Slice of Life, Magic, Supernatural]

Ever wondered what it would be like to room with a zombie? Wonder no more.

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11) WITCHY [Magic, Dystopian Society, Hidden Conspiracy, Rebellion, Adventure, Drama, Family and Love, LGBPTQA+]

In a world where the length of your hair equates to your level of magic, and if it is too long, can result in your death... the most terrifying thing to be is someone with rapunzel-length hair and no control of your powers. [Is also being published! I have book one, and #2 is coming soon].

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12) INTERCOSMIC [Celestial Powers, Elemental Guardians, Humanity in Space, Chaos, Found Family, Loss of Mentors, Friendship]

Guardians of Space and elements, they stand to protect the universe against threats. As their mentors were destroyed milennia before, two new elements have passed their training to take over; but could not have anticipated their first task... babysitting a human girl who fell through a rift in space.

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