#so future is just … foot clan!! and nothing else

[lesbianleonardo]

read the michaelanglo macro issue and ohhh my fucking god ojhhhhh my god

anyway. this page was really cute

[handfulofmuses]

Their Future for Rahzar 👀

Their Future.

Where and who do they want to be? Is it somewhere else than where they are right now in their life? What is their ideal future like anyway? Do they have loved ones they wish to spend days and years with?

In his ideal future, they have long finished the turtles (and he got to finish his turtle nemesis personally of course) and Splinter and he reclaimed his position in the Foot Clan, earning back the respect he lost from his master. Bradford was chosen to be one of Shredder’s successors and he wants to fulfill that purpose no matter what.

But he also wants to be Chris Bradford again. He is not planning to stay forever in the form of that beast. Basically, a future where Master Shredder is proud to call him his student again instead of a disgrace to the clan and he can be Chris Bradford once more so he can interact with others again. ‘Friends’ ? Family? Co-workers? Fans? Who knows, but he definitely had other people in his life that he likely would like to interact in person again and not online. Maybe enter some championships again.

[aphrodisiac-siren]

Home~ Neteyam x Metkayina!reader

Summary: Leaving behind everything he knew was hard for Neteyam and then adapting to the ways of the new clan was even harder. He'd push himself, overwork and exhaust himself even, to live upto his family's expectations; never really giving his own wants a second thought. That's why Y/N was the prefect companion for him, someone who kept things in his life balanced, who made sure to let him know that what he wanted was just as important, perhaps even more so, than what everyone else wanted of him.

//slow burn, angst, Lo'ak growing a braincell? And did I mention angst??// tìyawn-Love

masterlist

Part 7

🫧

[Flashback]

Pacing.

That was one thing he could remember distinctly from that day.

Pacing.

That's all he did outside the tent in which Y/N was, still very much injured and on the cusp of life and death.

While Norm and a few others were doing whatever they could to keep her from dying, all Neteyam seemed capable of doing in that moment was worrying.

His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides, his heart pounding louder than the sound of an ikran's screech. He knew he was absolutely of no help but he refused to leave, not wanting to be anywhere but near her.

He had yet to tell her about what he felt, even if he himself hadn’t fully understood it himself. His constant need to see her every day, his desperation for her attention, how he craved fleeting touches. How an endearment as simple as 'pretty boy' started this whole whirlwind of foreign emotions.

He couldn’t bare the possibility of all of that coming to an abrupt halt, all if it being ripped away from him.

Y/N being ripped away from him.

He'd grown so accustomed to living alongside her that he could barely imagine a future without her in it.

It wasn’t fair.

Someone who was nothing less than kind, a little feisty and a whole lot of emphatic being given death after everything she’d done for his family, was just cruel.

Neteyam always trusted Ewya's judgement but in that moment, for the very first time, he abhorred her.

For Y/N to be snatched away like this was just. not. fair.

Amidst his loathing, he even pleaded to take him instead of her. Because according to him, the world would still be the same regardless if he was in it or not but take Y/N away and everything loses its light.

And while he awaited impatiently and helplessly, all he could irritatingly,

Was more pacing.

[End of flashback]

This was probably the first time Lo'ak witnessed Y/N in a rush to just get her lesson over with. In all his time knowing her, not once did the star pupil, soon-to-be Metkayina warrior, Neteyam's-personality-clone ever seem to end her training as soon as possible. Maybe his influence was finally rubbing off on her.

"Are you sick?" he smirked at the girl, looking at her amusingly as she impatiently tapped her foot.

"I'm already great at archery" she groaned, ditching her bow as she sat down upon the warm sand "way better than you in fact, I think that’s reason enough to call it quits for today"

"Okay, first of all" Lo'ak joined her, ditching hiw own bow and arrow. He wasn’t going to complain about ending a lesson early, if anything he was tempted to give her a hug for it "ouch. Second, did I ever tell you you’re my favourite person in the whole world? We should partner up for lessons more"

"Yes, you absolutely adore me. What’s new?" Y/N replied promptly with a smirk earning an eye roll and a playful shove from the boy next to her.

She fiddled with her fingers a bit, chewing on her lip as she contemplated whether or not she should just ask him about something that was gnawing her mind for days now. Her attention span had become almost nonexistent with that one particular instance chewing away at her sanity.

"Can I ask you something?" She looked up at him and he immediately nodded a 'yes' before he lied down on his back, arms behind his head "Neteyam and I had another argume-"

"Jeez Y/N" Lo'ak let out an exaggerated groan, looking at her like he was about to drop dead from boredom "for a minute I expected you to tell me something interesting and, I dunno, new?"

"Don’t be an asshole" She shot him a glare, contemplating throwing sand at him but out of the good of her heart, refrained from doing so "we fought and he said something but I don’t know what it meant"

"Ah so you need me to be your trustee translator" He wiggled his eyebrows at her, an undertone of mischief lacing his words. He pretended to be in deep thought while tapping his finger against his lips "what am I getting for all of these years' worth of english dialect translation, hm?"

"I don’t throw a spear at your butt anytime you say something stupid"

"I am thy humble servant" Lo'ak blew a kiss at her that had her roll her eyes at his antics. She'd grown accustomed to it over time but still, it never failed to amuse her "ask away my princess"

"Drop the theatrics" she said in a monotonous voice that had him chuckling at her reaction "so like I said, Neteyam swore at me in your stupid sky people language and then refused to tell me what it meant. Something m..ma.. lovh? I guess. Now I know it’s gotta be real mean if he..."

Despite her heavy accent and poor pronunciation, Lo'ak understood what she meant to say perfectly. He shot up instantly with a crazed look, like a fish being yanked out of water.

"He- what" His eyes widened and a grin etched its way to his face.

"I knew that it!" Y/N immediately shot back, pointing toward him as if her doubts had been confirmed at last "it was a really bad word"

"That bitch" Lo'ak ignored her, too thrilled at this newfound piece of information that seemed to make him very happy for some reason "he's flirting now huh? I knew that the idiot had some stupid reason for avoiding you, that blue lizard can’t talk to girls! Ohh wait till I-"

"Whoa, okay let’s back up" Y/N snapped him out of his deluded trance and brought him back to pandora "can you elaborate how you connected him swearing at me to flirting?"

"He didn’t swear, ma Y/N" he changed his tone, now talking to her like how his dad spoke to him when he tried to sound intelligent "he called you 'love', his love, to be more precise. Which is something you say to a person you are absolutely fond of. Ya know, like his tìyawn"

"You are seeing things that aren’t there" Y/N was tempted to throw a fistful of sand at him. Maybe even a small rock, just a tiny one "that's just some cute shit friends say to each other"

The idea that Neteyam could be infatuated with her seemed absolutely absurd. She could imagine an ilu speaking fluent Na'vi but Neteyam having a crush on her? Impossible. Not after he distanced himself from her more and more after each year.

"Look, I know my brother. He has never been a guy to do anything remotely close to cute.. like, okay forget that stupid endearment, but the never ending bickering? The whole looking-away-after-eye-contact on loop? You both constantly rambling about how annoying the other one is?" Lo'ak was tired of it and he was going to let it out. He tried with Neteyam and now he was going to rant about it to her as well "you both want to be around each other but don’t know how to do it anymore so you settle for getting into senseless fights. And when you’re not around each other all you both can do is talk about the other person"

All Y/N did in response was scoff.

There was no way she was going to let Lo'ak convince her that her animosity toward his brother came from a place of love and longing. No, it came from pure hatred and annoyance.

She was his close friend all along and then after the battle, she was nothing more than a pest. It was almost as if her presence was repulsive to Neteyam.

It confused her. Why did he all of a sudden, not want her.

Perhaps the whole incident of her getting shot was what pushed him away. While the rest of his family showered her with attention whilst she was healing and pampered her until they were sure she was sick of it, Neteyam made it almost a rule to never come in contact with her. Did the idea of having to tend to and look after her drive him away? Was that sort of responsibility too much for him?

If he'd decided that she wasn’t worth going through the trouble of looking after her, after she quite literally took a bullet for him then there was no use in trying to be friends again.

While Y/N was in deep thought, thinking of all the ways she could lure Neteyam into the mouth of an akula, Lo'ak was busy mumbling to himself about how he was going to tease and harass Neteyam about his unofficial crush on Y/N.

Maybe I should feed them both to an akula, Y/N made a mental note, Yea, both sounds good.

~

"You’ve finally lost it"

Neteyam was convinced he'd died and reached one of those seven somethings of hell his father once told them about. An odd story, purely fictional he thought; up until now.

His younger brother had been dancing around him in their pod, going on and on about how he knew about his crush on Y/N. Lo'ak at one point began to enact a make-believe scenario for him, using his hands as puppets.

"yo bro, check it out" he said in between his boyish giggling, ignoring his brother groaning in annoyance. He deepened his voice, trying his best to mimic his older brother, putting on a horrible accent.

"Hey bebe~ I don’t know how to act around you Y/N because I'm so in love with you so now I'll just start irritating you just so you engage in conversation with me" he then looked at his other hand-puppet which was supposed to represent Y/N, making his voice high pitched to mimic her's "ugh, I'm in love with you too Neteyam and I will also irritate you for your attention because all my sensibility leaves when I'm around you"

Lo'ak then proceeded to make some weird smooching noises while making his hand puppets kiss.

"Ay, stop that" Neteyam whacked the back of his neck, his other hand slapping Lo'ak's wrists when he refused to cease his dramatics "were you dropped as a baby? I do not have a crush on her"

"Liar" Lo'ak grinned "you have never, in your entire life called a girl anything besides her name. It would take a miracle for you to even address her by her nickname, much less call her something like my love"

"It just slipped out, jeez let it go" he sighed, too tired to offer any more of an explanation.

"Why won’t you just admit it?" Lo'ak was stubborn and wouldn’t drop this topic until he got a satisfactory answer "Why are you acting like liking her is the worst thing in the world? Why are you trying so hard to cover it up? Why is-"

"For fucks sake Lo'ak-" Neteyam was losing both his patience and his temper. His brother had no right to prod and question him about any of this.

"No, tell me-"

"Because I hated the way she made me feel"

Lo'ak went silent. He did not expect for his older brother to yell at him, much less give him the most vague and unhelpful response to his question but he decided not to poke for answer in that moment; he did not want to trigger any more outbursts.

Still hot headed, Neteyam left their pod. He needed to get away from Lo'ak and his prying inquisition. He owed him no explanation whatsoever for how he handled his relation with Y/N. Lo'ak had no idea about how he felt and what drove him to push her away but Neteyam knew that he did it for everyone's good.

He needed to cool off, he needed air.

Lo'ak and his teasing made his house suffocating and all he wanted was to be alone for a while lest he explode and let his anger out on another family member.

Calm down Neteyam, he scolded himself, if you can’t keep yourself together, you cant keep this family together.

It was like he wasn’t allowed the basic right to feeling. Be it anger or sadness, he denied himself to feel anything. He needed to be calm, composed and always smiling. If he allowed himself to succumb to such emotions it only went to show that he was weak.

His heart was already hammering in his chest from all that frustration but when his eyes met her's, it felt as though his heart would jump right through his ribcage.

Y/N stood a few feet away from him, momentarily freezing in her tracks and Neteyam did what he always did when he ran into her by himself:

Turn and go the other way.

This time though, plagued with indignation, he proceeded to scoff before he turned his back on her, a gesture that didn’t go unnoticed by Y/N.

Y/N's jaw was agape. He had some nerve to run into her, proceed to very obviously turn away from her and then scoff at her, unprovoked.

"Okay, I've had enough of you" she snapped, walking faster to catch up with the older boy who had no intention of stopping until he was far away from her "what exactly is your problem?"

Neteyam ignored her, picking up pace in a desperate attempt to be rid of her.

Y/N, as he knew, wasn’t one to back down and much to his dismay she followed him all the way to the beach. Despite his silence, she continued to babble, taunting him with ever passing second until he lost it with her too.

"Fuck! What is wrong with everyone today?" he snapped, finally turning to look at her. Just as he suspected, she was taken aback by his tone.

"You don’t get to act like an ass and then talk to me like that" her voice despite showing no lack of rage, failed to fully mask the pain she was feeling. Overcome with a wave of emotions that she'd suppressed for all these years, she allowed herself to just blurt all of it out "you one day wake up and decide you’re too good for me? Running away from me like some immature child.. why'd you initially act like you cared if you didn’t to begin with-"

"Oh great mother, I've had it! With Lo'ak and now you" Neteyam never allowed himself to act whilst hot-headed but he had reached his limit of tolerance for the day "how dare you say that I never cared about you. You have no idea-"

"Cut the bullshit Neteyam. If anything, I was the only one who cared between us" Y/N was merely annoyed at him but now she was outright furious. This boy really had the guts to argue that he cared about her despite his contradicting behaviour that he'd been exhibiting for the past six years "is this how you show people you care? By walking out of their lives?

"Do you know what I went through during those two days when you were recovering? When you were unconscious and Norm had the fucking balls to tell me to say my goodbyes because there was a high chance you wouldn’t make it, instead of going back in there and doing something to prevent that from happening?" Neteyam's chest rose and fell rapidly as he continued, his breaths slowly coming out in pants from all that yelling but he needed her to hear it once and for all. He could endure the name-calling and the verbal altercations but an accusation that stated he never cared about her? That was where he drew the line.

"For a moment I felt like I couldn’t breathe, and then I actually stopped for a few seconds, driving myself into a full blown panic attack. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye, not then and not ever" He appreciated her silence as he continued, her expression slowly softening "I-I grew so attached to you that I needed you more than air. And as scary as that was, the heightened dependency on you and how strongly I felt for you, there was something else that was even scarier"

Neteyam dared to look into her eyes, something he avoided for years now. They glowed in the light of eclipse, those flecks of lilac even more prominent during this hour.

"I didn’t really know it at the time, how deep my feelings were but I knew that I had fallen for you. While I waited outside that tent in which you were, machines and wires all around you, I couldn’t eat or sleep or even think about anything that didn’t lead back to you and it terrified me, caring for something so much it..it.." He tore his gaze away from her, now feeling very small in her presence after being so vulnerable with her "but what terrified me even more was, you being in there because of me. You cared about me to a point where you took a bullet for me, to a point where you put your own life on the line. And so I..I.."

"What are you saying?" Y/N softly asked, eyes looking up at Neteyam who shied away under her gaze.

"I protect, that’s all I know and when I couldn’t protect you, someone I loved so so much it just felt like a stab to the heart" he could practically feel her gaze burning into him but he still couldn’t look at her, not just yet "you sacrificing yourself.. I didn’t know what I would do if lost you. When Tuk ran out, screaming that you'd woken up I felt like I could at last breath but then there was a thought looming over my head: What if something like this happened again? I didn’t want you putting yourself in harms way because of me. I needed you not to care about me, so that you wouldn’t put yourself in the same situation. That’s why I did what I did; I cut myself off, It’s my way of protecting you"

Y/N blinked, not a single word leaving her lips.

A few seconds of silence passed by but to Neteyam it felt like hours and the silence was getting unbearable.

"Say something" he pleaded, finally turning to look at he. He was half expecting her to be teary-eyed, maybe a smile or something on her face after he said all of that but to his surprise she stood there with her brows scrunched in confusion.

"You don’t get to decide that all of that shit you did was out of protectiveness" she snapped, finger jabbing at Neteyam's chest.

"Huh?" The boy shook his head and blinked twice to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating. Was this really her reaction? "Did you hear anything of what I just said?"

"You don't get to decide what’s right for me and just shun me away." she continued to jab, her piercing gaze never wavering "You took everything we had and just threw it away because you thought that that would protect me? That your sudden closed off nature would keep me from ever running to your aid if you found yourself in trouble? Do you hear how stupid you sound?"

"I did it for you!" Neteyam grabbed her wrist, the jabbing getting a little too annoying for him to tolerate.

"I didn’t ask for it.. I didn’t want it!" Y/N tried to shove him with her other hand but Neteyam easily caught it, now holding on to both her wrists to keep her from anymore attacks "If I run in between you and a gunman that is my choice, I did it then and I'd do it again if i have to. I didn’t need you to do any of this"

"But-"

"I liked what we had, I liked you but you ruined everything" Y/N's voice faltered for the first time in the presence of someone other than her own family. She knew she was about to cry, that was something she couldn’t hold back any more. She'd done so for six years but still, she didn’t want him seeing her crumble like this. She rested her forehead against his chest to keep her face out of his view, sniffling as she tried her best to keep her voice steady "for once Neteyam, stop thinking so much about what might be good for someone else and start doing what is good for you"

He placed her hands on his torso before he let go of her wrists. Suddenly he was a boy again, the same one who yearned for those innocent touches from Y/N. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around her, holding her awkwardly since he wasn’t sure how she'd react to being hugged.

"Did you want all of this?" She backed up slightly to look at him which caused his hands to drop around her waist. Her eyes were brimmed with tears that streamed down her cheeks when she blinked. Neteyam brought one hand up to wipe away the tears, heart shattering at the fact that he was the reason behind them. She didn’t resist his touch but she did repeat herself, emphasising on a particular word "did you want all of this?"

Of course he didn’t. Neteyam dreaded the idea of seeing her but not being able to touch her. Hearing her laugh and knowing he was no longer the cause of it. Accidentally looking into her eyes and then forcing himself to look away to avoid his feelings from growing. To then someday watch her slip away from completely, to watch her mate with someone who wasn’t him.

Did you want all of this?

"No"

[mxtxfanatic]

Wei WuXian stayed quiet. A while later, he answered, “So that’s why we should cut ties right now, in case anything I do affects the YunmengJiang Sect in the future.”

Or else, he really couldn’t make any guarantees on what he’d do in the future.

“...” Jiang Cheng murmured, “My mom said that you do nothing but bring our sect trouble. It’s true indeed.” He laughed coldly, talking to himself, “‘To attempt the impossible’? Fine. You understand the YunmengJiang Sect’s motto. Better than I do. Better than all of us do.”

—Chapt. 73: Recklessness, exr

Jiang Cheng isn’t saying this because he believes that he will be dragged into Wei Wuxian’s “mess” by association, or else he would have been satisfied with Wei Wuxian offering defecting as a solution. He’s saying this because Jin Guangshan just told him that Wei Wuxian’s actions make it look like he’s “starting his own sect” with the Wen remnants, with the implication being that any sect Wei Wuxian founds will be more powerful and popular than any of the current established clans, especially the Jiang Clan who owes its continued survival directly to Wei Wuxian (and from the way all those cultivators were clamoring at the foot of the Burial Mounds, jgs wasn’t wrong).

Madam Yu always said that Wei Wuxian would show Jiang Cheng up no matter what he did. This is the “trouble” that she was afraid of and the fear that her son inherited. By Wei Wuxian refusing to return under his command to Lotus Pier, Jiang Cheng is accepting this as Wei Wuxian reaching “above his station” to show him up once more.

[duhdumb89]

A Forbidden Happiness | Chapter 48

The food spread over Shen huang gui fei's dining table was rank. There were plates of fatty, slimy meat, a bowl of strange fried noodles, greasy barbecue, and stinky mutton and camel dishes. The servants had to open every window and door so the sour smells didn't linger in her palace.

"Huabao," Shen huang gui fei said, cringing as her daughter slurped down a cup of sour yak milk, "Wouldn't you like something else to eat? His Majesty and I had lunch yesterday, and the food was so lovely. Should I send for some?"

Shaking her head, Huabao said, "Maybe later. This is all I've wanted since I returned! Ah! Thankfully, Royal Grandmother let me borrow her chef. A-niang, you don't want to try?"

Huabao placed a piece of slimy mystery meat on Shen huang gui fei's plate, a bright smile on her face.

Shen huang gui fei turned away from the sight with a strained laugh, "What about birds nest's soup? Jingse will make a fresh batch for you,"

Huabao wrinkled her nose before turning to the handmaid she'd dragged back to the palace, Tuya. Tuya was short, squat, and dark. In any other circumstance, Shen huang gui fei would have never let her set foot in Zhongcuigong.

"Are there any more of the sweet milk curds?"

"No, First Princess," replied Tuya.

"I'll just have Royal Grandmother's chef make more," said Huabao, returning to her meal.

Who was this girl sitting across from her? This wild thing? This stranger who nodded her head quietly as The Empress Dowager promised her a crop of maids to bring with her into her new household?

As the days passed, the distance between Shen huang gui fei and her child grew. Gone was the daughter who clutched her skirts and hung on her every word. Now, there was a woman who often stank of the stables and didn't care to even look at the portrait of her future husband. Huabao barely cared a lick about her marriage at all. Whenever Shen huang gui fei tried to guide Huabao about running her new household, the girl found an excuse to run away. Not to mention that her attitude during any of the pre-marriage ceremonies bordered on apathy. Huabao turned her nose up at the embroidery and calligraphy they had so much fun with, instead opting to run off, race horses, and shoot arrows with her brothers.

With each wall Huabao was determined to put up between them, Shen huang gui fei grew angrier. Her daughter would have never ended up like this if it wasn't for The Empress. Her daughter would still be her little girl and His Majesty's precious pearl if The Empress hadn't sunk her claws into her. Shen huang gui fei was sure that the bitch had something up her sleeve for Huabao's wedding. Why wouldn't she? Her maternal cousins were married to His Majesty's favored brother, she had two sons, and soon, she would have a direct connection to the Fuca clan.

If The Empress struck now, everything Shen huang gui fei had worked so hard for would go up in flames. Shen huang gui fei wasn't going to wait around and let that happen.

✺

Shen huang gui fei had never paid much attention to to Bai gonggong. He had been Fung gonggong's deputy eunuch for as long as she had been in the Forbidden City. Fung gonggong had always been the bigger fish, but he was, unfortunately, unswayable. As old as he was, he had no family to support or possibly hold hostage. He was an eunuch in all senses of the word, so a beautiful woman was as good as dirt to him, and he worshipped no one but the man under whom he rose to power: The Late Emperor. His Majesty was a close second, but the eunuch did everything in his old master's name. No concubine could push him to one side or the other, as he would defer to The Empress or The Empress Dowager as the rules permitted. Trying to bother with him was a waste of time and energy.

Bai gonggong, however, from what Jingse could gather, was nothing of the sort. He was easy to ignore and, for the right price, could get a servant where they needed to go. None of the concubines paid him notice, but he managed to collect a tidy sum from the other eunuchs and maids to switch departments or to keep secrets secret. It was rumored that the only reason he became Fung gonggong's deputy was because he was the cause of the front runner's violent end with a wild horse.

"Your Highness," he said, gesturing to the painted porcelain pots that his eunuchs held behind him, "I scoured the Storage House to find the finest gift for First Princess's wedding,"

The pots were fine. Certainly, nothing that Shen huang gui fei found to be up to her standards, but that wasn't the real reason she called him here anyway. If her intuition was correct then Bai gonggong wouldn't be opposed to helping Shen huang gui fei with her little problem.

"That one there," she said, pointing to a yellow and blue gourd-shaped pot, "Bring it closer,"

Before the eunuch holding her choice could even lift his head, Bai gonggong snatched it away and brought it to Shen huang gui fei.

Obedient. Good.

"Did you pick this one yourself, gonggong?" She asked, pretending to inspect the craftsmanship.

"Of course, Your Highness,"

A liar as well. Very good.

"You have a very good eye, gonggong,"

"This slave doesn't deserve your praise, Your Highness,"

"I'll take this one," Shen huang gui fei said, handing the pot to A'Fang, before nodding at Jingse, "Give Bai gonggong his reward,"

Bai gonggong's eyes glittered at the sight of the silver tael in Jingse's hand.

"Your Highness is too kind," he said, not hesitating to take the money. He bowed low, "We'll take our leave,"

"Stay a moment, gonggong. There's a task I'd like you to help me with," said Shen huang gui fei.

"I'm only a lowly deputy, Your Highness," Bai gonggong replied, "Perhaps Fung gonggong would be better suited to serve you?"

As deferential as the words were, there was no mistaking the way his grip tightened on the reward in his hands.

"No, you'll do just fine,"

Bai gonggong eagerly shooed the other eunuchs away.

"How may I serve you, Your Highness?"

✺

As the candles burned high and bright, a trickle of sweat slid down An pin's temple and nestled itself in the fabric of her collar. It was the height of summer now and she usually wouldn't subject herself to being steamed like a piece of fish, but she hunkered down in Dafuge for a reason. Cao taiyi had finally become worth An pin's while.

"Your Highness," Weiwei hissed as she hurried back from the courtyard facing windows, "Limei is here,"

Immediately, An pin began to poke at her thighs with a sharp pin to help the tears fall from her eyes. By the time Limei walked through the doors, An pin would have worked herself up into a respectable crying fit.

From what Weiwei could gather, Limei had been Guang pin's dowry maid and her closest confidant. Since Guang pin's death, the girl haunted the Forbidden City like a pale ghost, skulking from her new post at the Ice House to the Dafuge to pray for Guang pin's soul and back again.

The door creaked open.

"Meimei," An pin blubbered, "Meimei, I'm so sorry,"

"Your Highness?"

An pin pretended to be startled and whirled around.

"Your Highness An pin!" Limei said, dropping to her knees to bow.

An pin sniffled and rubbed the tears from her cheeks, "Rise,"

Limei glanced at Guang pin's memorial tablet, "Are you here to speak with my mistress?"

An pin nodded before gazing at the shrine, "Do you come here very often, Limei?"

Limei's eyes opened wide, as if she couldn't believe that An pin knew her name at all before nodding her head, "Yes, Your Highness. We never went a day without seeing each other...before, so it's become a habit,"

An pin sighed, "I came here because my heart is heavy. I was hoping meimei could ease my sorrows,"

"I didn't know that you and Guang pin were close, Your Highness," replied Limei.

Shaking her head, An pin pressed a hand to her heart, "We weren't. But I wish I could back and change things,"

Her voice dropped to a low whisper, "Maybe then I could have protected her,"

Limei reared back as if she had been struck, her pale face somehow going even whiter.

"What?" She croaked out?

An pin shook her head and scrambled to her feet, making a point to stumble even as Weiwei buoyed her.

"Nothing," An pin whispered, "I won't keep you from your conversation,"

An pin began ambling to the door.

"Your Highness, wait!" Limei said, running in front of her, "What did you say just then? What did you mean?"

Limei clawed at An pin's sleeve desperately. An pin snatched her arm away.

Weiwei pushed Limei to the side, "How dare you put your hands on An pin?! Get out of the way!"

An pin squeezed out more tears and brought her handkerchief to her mouth to muffle her sobs. It was a good performance but unfortunately, Limei looked defeated. She stood there quietly, not bothering to come after An pin again. What a waste!

However, just as An pin thought the whole endeavor wasn't worth her while, Limei sprung back to life. She planted herself in front of the door and kneeled.

"Your Highness, I beg you! I beg you! Please tell me! Please tell me so I can honor my mistress!"

Each cry was punctuated with a dull 'clunk' as Limei bashed her head into the ground.

Ah! Finally!

"Weiwei, help her up," said An pin.

Weiwei did as she was told.

Limei lifted her head as a thin stream of blood dribbled down her face. An pin pressed her handkerchief to it.

"You shouldn't hurt yourself like this, Limei,"

Limei shook her head, "This body is nothing. I'm only here to honor Guang pin's name,"

An pin released a theatric sigh, "If I tell you what I meant, do you promise to act sensibly?"

The girl nodded frantically, obviously lying.

Putting on a nervous tick and fiddling with her nail guards, An pin began, "When Wang Rong was alive, she was my dearest friend after we entered the palace together. We grew close for a time, but as His Majesty acquired more and more women and her favor wasn't so everlasting, she grew bitter and angry. Especially at your mistress,"

An pin paused for dramatic effect.

"One night, I thought to drop in and have dinner with Wang Rong. I didn't bother to announce myself because it was so late. She was talking to her maids and I heard her say... I...I didn't do anything about it because I couldn't imagine she would do something so drastic. And I couldn't imagine that Shen huang gui fei would help her,"

Limei's lips wobbled but no sound emerged.

"I didn't think of it again. After meimei's death, so many things happened. But a few months ago, she came to me in a dream and begged me to find the truth. She wanted me to know that it wasn't just the childbed that...that the labor didn't take her,"

"I began asking around," An pin continued, "I even sent a physician around to ask Guang pin's servants about her food and drink,"

"That was you? You sent that doctor?" Limei said before biting her lip, "What...what did he find?"

An pin blinked away a new set of tears, "Do you remember when a gift from Wang Rong came for your mistress? Herbs to keep her beauty?"

Limei, thankfully, caught on quickly to what An pin was implying.

"But, we sent it to the Imperial Hospital," Limei said, her voice shaking, "They said it was safe,"

"Do you know if they tested the entire jar or just the top?" An pin said, pulling a lie out of thin air.

Limei shook her head and pursed her lips, "I-I don't know,"

"That night, Wang Rong told her maids that she knew you sent the medicine for inspection and was glad she listened to Shen huang gui fei about filling the top of herbs with something harmless,"

"It was poison? She poisoned Guang pin?" 

"In a way. Guang pin was taking bu gu zhi. If you and I were to take it, even for years at a time, it wouldn't harm us. But for a pregnant woman, it's fatal,"

Limei crumpled to the ground and stared at An pin, in a dazed silence.

For an uncomfortable stretch of time, the girl sat there, slumped at An pin's feet without a single blink. An pin fought the scowl that was desperate to be on her face. This wasn't the response she expected. She was hoping for righteous anger or woeful tears! Not this corpse.

Instead of slapping her, An pin said softly, "Limei? Are you alright?"

"Why,"

An pin paused.

"Why?"

Limei spoke again, "Why would Shen huang gui fei do this?"

An pin knelt on the ground before grabbing Limei's hand, "The back palace is a glittering slate of beauty that masks the evil of the mind. I thought we were close but after finding out the truth. I don't know what to think,"

"Do you think she did it so she could finally have a prince?" Weiwei asked, skillfully inserting herself into the conversation.

"I," An pin said, her lips quivering, "I can't believe that. Shen huang gui fei couldn't have know that meimei would even give birth to sons,"

"Your Highness, didn't you think it was strange that out of the blue, everyone was banned from visiting Guang pin, except for Shen huang gui fei? Could it be that she wanted Guang pin to think that no one but her cared for her?"

An pin shook her head, "I don't know what to think, Weiwei. I don't want to keep thinking of these things in such a holy place,"

She swayed to the side to make a point.

"Your Highness, you've gone pale. I'll take you back to Chuxiugong,"

An pin nodded, but before she let Weiwei lead her away, she kneeled to grab Limei's hands again.

"Don't lose your head over this Limei. Wang Rong and Shen huang gui fei may have wronged your mistress, but she was only the bottom rung in the ladder of this cruel place. If you truly want to honor Guang pin, you'll live a good, long life with her memory in your heart,"

Limei sagged to the ground as if her shoulders weighed a thousand pounds.

"I will, Your Highness. Thank you for your grace,"

"Your Highness," Weiwei said as they began their trek back to Chuxiugong, "Do you think she'll be able to do anything without your help? What if this was a waste?"

An pin shrugged, "I have faith in her. Though, if it amounts to nothing, I still have plenty of things in store for Shen huang gui fei,"

✺

Jiayi was broke. Absolutely emptied out. She would probably have to sell one of the gifts Xiang pin gave her to be able to send something back to Wei Jiayi's family. As perilous as the situation was, Jiayi didn't feel anything but the outrageous amount of butterflies in her stomach. Before Xiang pin had laid down for her afternoon nap, Jiayi asked permission to drop by the clothing house and pick up some fabric for a dress. It was only half a lie. She did pick out some fabric–a few bundles of rich black silk–but it wasn't for a dress.

It was for Prince Han's gift.

Jiayi had thought long and hard about what she could possibly give to someone like him and the idea finally came to her as she watched Xiang pin 'ooh' and 'ahh' over a brocade pajama set that The Emperor had sent her before declaring that she would sew a set for him as a gift in return. The thought nailed itself to the flesh of Jiayi's brain.

She and Prince Han were together. Those were the sort of gifts people gave to one another, right? Before she could lose her courage, Jiayi had spent the money and bought the fabric. The sight of it folded innocently in the basket on her arm made her heart race. She wouldn't just give Prince Han the pajamas, obviously. That would be too much! She would paint him something with her Hubi. Maybe when she asked Sang'er to give her Prince Han's measurements, she'd ask if Prince Han had any favorite poems or sutras so she could paint something to hang on his wall. Jiayi was so lost in her thoughts that she almost missed the sight of Shen huang gui fei's and First Princess's raised chairs. She moved herself to the side and kneeled as the entourage passed by.

Since First Princess's return, Shen huang gui fei's time revolved entirely around the wedding. While things had been quiet, they all knew better than to count Shen huang gui fei out. They were as vigilant as they could be. Jiayi rose to her feet as the servants passed her by. She paused as a familiar yet unfamiliar face brought up the rear of Shen huang gui fei's line of maids. She had seen the maid's face before, somewhere, but never as a servant of Zhongcuigong. Before she could bring a face to the name, a eunuch stopped in front of her.

"Wei guniang?"

Jiayi clutched her basket tightly. She had never seen this eunuch before, "Yes?"

"Fung gonggong has asked for you,"

Jiayi's throat dried up in an instant. She croaked out a laugh, "I'm sorry gonggong, but I have to return to my mistress–,"

"Her Highness Xiang pin has already been informed," he replied, "This way. Quickly," 

[chiangyorange]

9. What’s your favorite line(s) or scene(s) that you have written?

ouguugghghghgbg thats a hard one

i think my MOST fav scene (so far) has GOTTA be cassandra and casey jr meeting. hands down. ironically it was also one of the hardest scenes to write bc i had to edit cassandras dialogue over n over again to get her voice right!! what to reveal/what not, vernacular, etc etc

ive rambled in the tags a bunch about this, but i fuckin HATEEEE IT when ppl reduse cassandra, future version or not, to just. "caseys mom".

like. the girlie's an ex member of the foot clan, training since 7 years old, and then defected when the originator of her beloved clan is RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER. BRO. SHES SO FUCKING HARDCORE.

AND PPL WANNA SAY THAT PRESENT CASSANDRA TAKES 1 LOOK AT A STRANGER WHO CLAIMS 2 B HER SON AND THEN IMMEDIATELY ADOPTS HIM? bruh. do you not think of the hangups she would have for family figures in her life?

ANYWAY while i was writing the scene proper, i wanted her to get along with cjj ofc ofc but HAVE A REASON FOR IT TOO!!!!

that being; they are legacy characters. (i will make that venn diagram of splinter casey and cassandra i WILL!!!!)

theyre both legacy characrers in that they were raised with the teachings that will haunt them for the rest of their life. for cjj, its the apocalypse. for cassandra, its the footclan.

nothing their ever gonna do is going to erase what they were raised with. cjj is still going to track each and every exit in a room and cassandra is never going to look at whisps of fire the same ever again.

theyre haunted with the ghosts of their raising.

THAT is the core of their connection here

THAT is why they understand each other on a fundamental level

and im gonna make it everyone elses fuckin problem.

[ask game]

[boxfullaturtles]

I saw you mentioned that Splinter won't train the boys, not because he can't. Could you explain that more please?/gen

Also are you gonna both Caseys in your KH Au or just one?

The Hamato Clan have a lineage of Keybearers, sworn to protect the World and keep the massive Heartless known as Shredder sealed.

After his mother was felled defending the seal, Yoshi wanted nothing to do with the Hamato Clan or being a Keybearer. He abandoned that life and became a movie star instead (ironically, he still brought Light to people's hearts with his entertainment, so he was technically still kind of doing his duty).

Once he had the turtles in his care, Splinter realized that he didn't want his boys to bear the burden of a Keyblade. So he kept that life a secret from them. He hasn't summoned his Keyblade since he was young and, even if he did, he could not bring himself to train his sons to participate in the eternal war between the Light and the Dark. It hurts his Heart too much.

---

And yes! Both Cassandra and Casey Junior are in the KH AU!

In the future timeline, Cassandra inherited a Keyblade from Splinter before he passed. Casey Jr's ability to summon a Keyblade came from Leo, when he took Casey Jr on as an apprentice.

In the present, while Cassandra is with the Foot, she has the ability to summon minor Heartless like Shadows and Soldiers. She also has a weapon like Riku's Soul Eater, a weapon made of Darkness, but she rarely uses it. She might gain a Keyblade later, whether by earning it herself or by getting it gifted to her by someone else. But as of now, she is quite content to beat her enemies down with her fists. :)

[dollygirl808]

This is just a lil excerpt from the first chapter of a story I'm writing rn, called A Monster Ensemble. It's not out anywhere yet or anything, just wanted to share.

It's not anywhere near to being done yet, but. Yeah. I liked the kinda yandere vibes Bear (horror sans) was giving in this, so I wanted to share it. I may or may not have been influenced by a song I discovered recently that I love called the red means I love you, it's honestly so good and I love yandere vibe songs and yandere vibes in general.

(Lowkey wanna write a song fic but it's in the am's and I was supposed to go to sleep hours ago)

While the story isn't planned on being yandere, Bear will def have massive stalker/obsession vibes. But everyone else not as much, probably.

I adore yandere bois so much so it'll probably leak through more than I intend to. And Bear is super duper capable of killing ppl, and of course has, given his past.

And, do I have a size thing? Maybe.. he's only like. 10ft tall. And I only mention it like no less than 10,000 times.

Okie enjoy <3

Bear watched his tiny bunny from the other isle, his massive hulking frame easily seeing over the shelves even with his more hunched posture, his one good eyelight trained on her like, well, a predator.

That's what he was, wasn't he? A killer at his core, a vicious monster who could easily rip her flesh right from her bones, then break said bones with only two fingers. The tip of his lengthy bone tail twitched in aggravation at the thought, he didn't want to hurt anybody, especially not her.

His soulbond.

He was glad his brother wasn't here to chastise him for watching the girl from across the store like a creeper, because he really, really couldn't help it. She just looked so soft and fragile all the time.

Her little brown tail, a little heart-shaped fluff against the top of her ass, so small and cute. Above what was, of course, his favorite part of her squishy body; her rather round and thick thighs.

They squished together and against eachother as she adjusted her standing position, one leg barely lifting off the ground to tap her foot against the floor as she thought, the rapid motion making her plush thigh jiggle.

His slit-like pupil zeroed in on the movement for a moment, before his eyelight wandered the exposed length of her thighs and legs, racking over every curve of of flesh like he didn't see her in her work uniform often.

A light grey pair of denim overalls that hugged the curves of her ass and thighs perfectly, and was starting to fray in between her thick thighs.

Sometimes he wondered how her tiny fragile bones didn't collapse under her own weight.

Human bones just so small compared to his own, after all, and even though he was a twisted, corrupted version of his smaller self, even their bones were thicker and sturdier than humans.

Which of course, was an opinion he would never dare voice.

Eve was sensitive about her weight, after all. Which, he didn't really understand himself. What could be bad about having a lot to eat? It's a sentiment all of his clan had, a shared confusion at human's want to eat less and diet when they had access to all of the food.

Heh. Humans were weird like that.

One day, He thought, I'll be catching prey for you, my bonded. And Paps'll cook it, and she'll eat it, and he'll be the happiest monster on the earth, surface or otherwise.

He smiled lopsidedly, single hot-red eyelight going fuzzy and his cat-like slit of a pupil engorging until there was nothing but a ring of red on the outskirts of his love-strucken socket as he watched his little bunny fus over how many pots to buy for her future catnip plants.

Stars, she was so cute when she was trying to make a decision on something so impossibly mundane like it was the single-most important decision in her life, he could feel his cracked soul flutter happily, and call to her without meaning to.

And that's when she turned around, cute little eyebrows pinched in confusion at the tugging she felt in her chest (from her soul, but she didn't know that yet,) And her vibrant bubblegum pink eyes met his single eyelight, which immediately snapped back to its normal slit-like state.

He straightened his spine, head and shoulders rising above the top of the 7ft shelf, and her eyes followed, watching him dwarf the shelf with his massive 10ft frame with what could only be described as morbid fascinating.

She smiled warmly at him, welcomingly. And a twinkle of something more caught his attention in her expression. Something Bear easily recognized as lust.

Even if it was just a small amount of misplaced curiosity, whenever he displayed or did something to accentuate his overwhelming height and mass, she always got this look of want across her cute rounded features.

Like she was thinking about climbing him like a jungle gym, and that look pleased him greatly, so he made sure to stand tall and loom over her whenever possible.

So, maybe the bunny had a bit of a size kink? Little prey, lusting after a monster like him. It made him chuckle silently to himself.

Like a mouse watching a bear, the mouse couldn't possibly understand the danger she was in, and because a bear would never bother chasing after or catching prey as un-filling as a mouse, the mouse had no instincts to run. And the bear simply wouldn't be bothered by it just sitting there, as completely non-threatening and miniscule as it was.

Of course, this particular Bear had great interest in catching the little prey that was too caught up in his unsual and rare appearance to be fearful, and he would take great pleasure in playing a game of cat and mouse, chase her like prey, and when he caught her, he'd absolutely devour her without hesitation-

"Hey, Bear! Getting more plants for your garden of eden?" Eve asked with a teasing smile, and he blinked a few times as he processed her question.

"Yeah," Was all he managed to force out, but she didn't mind, and she just smiled bigger at him, her eyes nearly closing from the sheer intensity of it.

It made his soul flutter again, and also call out to her again, stronger this time. She made no outwardly acknowledgment of the feeling, aside from her left ear and her nose twitching at the same time.

Which, he found absolutely adorable and his pupil started to swell again with mirth, before shrinking back. "What.. ya doing?" Bear asked, as If he hadn't been stalking watching her for the past 30 minutes.

"Oh, I'm trying to decide how many pots will fit on my windowsill." She said, thumbing behind her to the brownish-tan pots on the top shelf.

Which were well out of her reach, and he thought about how he could offer to get them for her, and she'd be very thankful. His eyelight glowed momentarily with excitement at the thought.

So, he started walking to her isle, long, thick legs bent at impossibly inhuman angles making quick work to get rid of the distance.

Legs that were apparently 'digitigrade,' she had once told him when he asked if his appearance really didn't bother her.

"What? Of course not, Bear!" She had balked, tone offended, almost angrily so, as if she could ever thing something so horrible. "You look fine! I think having a super long, prehensile tail is pretty damn cool. And your legs are like, digitigrade! And your clawed feet remind me of a dragons, which are super duper cool, by the way."

That really wasn't the answer he had been expecting. "Pretty damn cool" was not an sentence he would have ever used to describe himself before that. But it made him so happy at the time.

"Heh... think so?" He had asked, tusks stretched wide in a pleased grin, eyelight trained on her so intensely it made her little bunny-heart race, and she had pouted at him and asked if he was just fishing for compliments.

He wasn't, but the angry stomp and huff she let out was too adorable to correct, so he agreed.

If he could still teleport at will, he probably wouldn't bother walking so he could be close to her sooner. But alas, he had lost that ability due to the incident, or more specifically, the massive hole in his skull.

Eve turned and contemplated the pots again, brown fluffy ears rotated fully forward in pure concentration.

Bear stopped next to her, body facing the isle, but eyelight watching her think. His tail came to wrap loosely around her boot-covered ankle, something he did often, and she didn't even spare him and ear twitch in his direction.

So, unafraid. A pleased smirk tugged at the sides of his tusked mouth, watching her be so comfortable next to him that she didn't even twitch at him wrapping her ankle up in his deceptively strong tail.

Stars, if he could be any happier his soul would probably leap from his chest and try to enter hers. He wondered if she would accept that.

"Three," Bear said simply, grufly, his deeper-than-normal voice a product of his harsh time underground. Just another corrupted deviation from the original Sans that made him so...

"You think?" Eve asked, looking up at him as her ears relaxed more to the side and her head tilted ever-so slightly to the side as well.

He only nodded, already reaching above her head to grab three of the pots and hand them off to his tail, gently curling into and around the small plant plots before setting them on the bottom shelf of her cart.

She huffed out an air of amusement from her nose, rolling her eyes, trying and failing to suppress her smile.

"Thank you, Bear," Eve said genuinely, setting a small hand on his radius, one of the two thick bones that made up his 'forearm.'

"No," He paused for longer than he ment, brain suddenly forgetting the word, but she didn't frown at him, or try to rush or finish his sentence for him, just waited and looked up at him with that gentle, patient smile is that nearly made him forget what he wanted to say.

"No, problem," Bear finished after a moment of staring at her face.

"Well, that's the last thing I needed. What are you shopping for? I could help you. Although, I dont know how helpful I could be given my apparent Black thumb," Eve rambled a little, and he couldn't help but find that adorable as well.

"Flowers," He told her, and she nodded.

"Something colorful for spring?" She offered, and he nodded, "Want me to walk with you?"

"Please," He said, and offered his arm, which she took without hesitation.

He smiled, and his tail let go of her to wave behind him happily as he grabbed the cart's handle with both of his massive hands, taking up all of the bar space.

So she was left to fiddle with the edges of her overalls pant leg while her other hand wrapped around Bear's blue jacket sleeve and they walked side-by-side, mostly silent.

Eve would occasionally make a comment about a particularly vibrant or pretty flower, and he would just nod along, or grab it and put it in his own cart, which he tugged behind him with his tail.

She tried to take her cart back a few times, but he just stood still while she tried to muscle her way, or pry his sharp claws off the bar, with zero luck.

She gave up after a few times and let him pull and push both carts, but made sure to express she could handle her own cart.

Bear bent down to grab the largest size of garden soil they had, a massive bag the size of Eve's chest. He picked it up with one hand, setting it in his cart without trouble.

The bunny tried not to gape at his strength too much, but she probably wouldn't even be able to pick up something that heavy, and he did it easily, single-handedly. It was hard not to be impressed.

"So, what kind of flowers are you looking for?" She asked, turning to face him as her free hand continued stroking the petals of a particularly soft plant.

"Looking for pretty," He said while staring down at her so intensely it made her look away.

He had to be doing that on purpose, right?! Neck bent completely so his skull was parallel to the top of her head, and he was looming over her, literally blocking out the bright lights above them and casting her face in a shadow as she tilted her own head fully back to look up at him.

It wasn't threatening in any way, but, fuck, it was really, stupidly hot. Did Bear even have the ability to think about doing something like that? Or was his habit of staring at her silently, so intensely her face flushed, because of his injury? He stared, seemingly expressionless to onlookers but she had gotten used to his subtle body language.

Most of it was with his eyelight and his tail, anyways. His tail would wave back and forth when he was happy, and sometimes even thump on the ground, bump into things or knock things onto the ground. The tip would twitch when he was mildly annoyed, and his entire tail would lash back and forth in a whip-like motion when he was pissed, which wasn't often.

His general cat-like slit in the center of his white-to-red gradient eyelight would grow rounded when he was particularly happy or content, or he saw something he really liked, like after a meal, or when she did something he found particularly cute. It would shrink to be skinnier and longer when he was angry, and it would become football shaped when he was concentrating, get shorter and rounder.

"A-are you looking for a particular color, Bear? Like blues, purples, pinks?" Eve asked, stuttering only a little at the beginning.

The monster stopped leaning over her, sitting back further and making himself a little smaller. "Pink. Pretty pink." He said simply.

"Pink is a great springtime color!" She squeaked out, and tried not to think about how he was grabbing lots of flowers with petals that matched the shade of pink in her eyes. It was just a coincidence, pink was a spring color, after all.

[solofanatic64]

You know what NO

This is my 2 year anniversary of being on here (it’s the day after the anniversary as of posting this) AND I’m gonna be late on the final 3 presents, you guys don’t deserve JUST a concept! So how about her:

THIS

Is my tmnt 2012 oc Valerie that I made in 7th grade after listening to iHasCupquakes Notice Me Senpai music video too many times (I did not draw that knife hand I asked someone else to do it for me because I didn’t know how to draw it). She was a highschool girl with bright magenta hair and a schoolgirl uniform, but she was also a yandere who had a massive crush on Raphael and, in yandere fashion, would stop at nothing for his love.

Now here’s the same Yandere oc 5 years later

Valerie Doyle, born and raised by two people who were bad parents and an even worse married couple, the two being incredibly abusive towards each other and more often than not neglectful towards Valerie. That plus unrestricted access to dark romance on the internet and limited access to good romance movies (her mother always hated them) led to a harmful, messed up perception of love that plays a bigger role in her life when she’s 16. It gets worse when at the age of 14, she comes home from school to police surrounding her apartment, learning that her parents have killed each other in what she thinks was an act of love (it wasn’t). This tragedy leaves her to live on her own with no one else to properly take care of her (how? I don’t know, blame NYC authorities).

She’s always been a wallflower in her peers eyes. Quiet, introverted, nervous, always seemingly in the “background”, she didn’t have any real friends and she never talked to anybody outside of group projects (not like they really heard her anyways). She was also just kind of….bland?? Not in the way she looks but in the way that her life was just…basically the same thing everyday. She gets up, she goes to school, she goes home, she does her homework, she has dinner, and then she sleeps. Sure she has her hobbies and her odd jobs, but it’s still just one continuous routine, nothing interesting.

That is until one night while walking home from babysitting, she hears a commotion coming from a nearby alley. She takes a peak and see’s a lone mutant turtle in a red bandana beating up robot ninjas, which is a bizarre sight to see in the street of New York, but at the moment that almost didn’t matter to her. All that mattered right now was him. The violence, the rage, the fire in his eyes. He was perfect. She didn’t care that he was a giant mutant turtle, in fact I don’t think she fully noticed until she took a picture and the did a double take, but it didn’t matter. He was the one.

She continues to admire him from afar, taking pictures, writing about him in her journals (it’s become the only thing she writes in her journals nowadays), and dreaming about their future. And then one day, she discovers his enemies, the Foot Clan, and decides to join them in hopes of getting “closer” to him (or at least her perception of closer). The other henchmen, to say the least, are concerned about her newfound bloodlust (not knowing it’s linked to her obsession, which they also don’t know about), but it’s not their place to judge so they don’t say anything (they really should).

Who knows where this bloody new road will take her…

(btw the reason I decided to redesign/rewrite her was because I listened to Kikuo’s Hitowagari and thought “ykw this could be so her, let’s do her justice”) (she really went from being a cringey old memory to one of my pride and joys and I love her for that)

[neteyamslovrr]

Ignored

summary: after neteyam has to take training more seriously to be the future clan leader, he ignores y/n leaving her upset and angry at the sully boy.

1.5k words, fem!omaticaya reader

──── ⑅*❀*⑅ ────

You knew that Neteyam’s duties would eventually trump you, but you didn’t think it would happen oh so fast. It had been a month since Neteyam started properly training to become a warrior. A true member of the Omaticaya, and you felt his absence abruptly.

It wasn’t like he was gone often, but it meant the special moments he usually spent with you, were spent flying with his parents, learning to shoot and be an agile hunter both on foot and in the air.

You missed the moments where he would take you to his favourite trees and climb to the top, to sit and talk for hours. The moments where you both would go to the waterfalls to swim on a sweltering day. You missed the moments with him.

No one else felt it like you. You acted as if he had died and Lo’ak told you that bluntly. But they just didn’t understand, it wasn’t that you missed him, it felt as if he was ignoring you.

He told you he’d start training, and nothing would change, he’d still spend time with you. What a fucking liar.

Walking out to his favourite tree you felt the breeze against your face. The way it cooled down your body it also cooled down the anger you felt within your bones.

Because you were mad at him, and mad at the way you missed him because of something so dismal like not being able to hangout with you in the afternoon. You knew the reason you missed him so much was because you secretly craved him. You secretly hoped he thought of you more as a lover than a friend but he was beginning to treat you as nothing more and it ached.

It ached through your muscles, your organs, your bones, your body was sore with the pain Neteyam was creating in your heart with his absence.

Sitting on the top of the large tree you both usually sat on you felt the tears well in your eyes. You told yourself it was the harsh breeze making your eyes water but even you didn’t believe yourself. Closing your eyes, you laid on were a large branch connected to the trunk. It was peaceful up there. Listening to the sounds of Eywa’s creations made you feel calm.

Calm enough to let your emotions loose. The emotions you’d try to bottle into menial anger and pettiness, but the feelings were deep, they were gut wrenching. You cursed yourself for crying over him, but what were you to do. You loved this man, and he was off leaving you to love alone.

If Neteyam knew that you were crying over him he’d fall onto his knees and grasp onto you while he begged for forgiveness. He loved you so much, so so much.

He knew that his time spent away from you was hurting you especially when he had a specific conversation with Lo’ak only a week ago.

“Bro I literally am begging you to see Y/N.” He was confused when Lo’ak came into the tent grumbling and groaning about you.

“What do you mean?” Confusion painting his features.

“Bro she acts as if your dead, like your out training for a couple of hours and she goes all crazy. ‘Have you seen Neteyam, What’s Neteyam up to?, Is Neteyam doing alright? Neteyam Neteyam Neteyam blah blah blah.’ You have to hangout with her at some point before she hunts you down while your training.” He made little voices and hand movements while mimicking your queries about Neteyam.

He couldn’t deny the guilt he felt for ignoring you so much, but he also couldn’t help but blush at the way you were constantly thinking about him.

Reminiscing back on that conversation with Lo’ak, Neteyam made time today with his father’s permission to not train today to spend it all with you. Walking towards you’re tent he realised you weren’t there.

“Where’s Y/N?” He asked your mother who was sitting down busy making a herbal mix.

“She said she was going to the forest.” Neteyam thanked her and headed out to where he assumed you’d be. He hoped you’d be there.

He couldn’t deny he’d seen you less. He was just so busy, training, going on raids and still having to babysit his siblings he was so tired.

All he wished was to spend a day with you in his arms and forget about the burdens on his shoulders as you washed them away with your caring words.

Neteyam continued to go to his tree, he spotted a blue figure resting in the seat on the trunk and smiled to himself knowing it was you. Jumping from branch to branch with ease he began to climb, the noise startling you.

Noticing the noise, you looked down noticing Neteyam. Wait. Neteyam?!

He couldn’t see you like this. Your face snotty and tearstained, your eyes puffy and wet. For someone who’s been craving him for a month all you want now is to jump out of the tree headfirst and avoid him like the plague.

“Y/N! I found you.” He cheered but his smile dropped when you turned around to avoiding looking at him. “Y/N?” he called for you again now reaching the part of the tree where you sat.

“Shouldn’t you be training?” You didn’t mean for it to come out so mean but it did. Your voice was dripping in venom, but it still couldn’t hide the sniffles and you subtly wiping your eyes.

“Are you crying?”

“No”

“You’re a liar.” He chuckled but that word it flicked a switch in you. Liar. He was the fucking liar.

“You’re the liar Neteyam!” You turned to him revealing your tear-stricken face. His face seeped concern as you yelled at him with such raw undeniable emotion in your voice.

“I don’t understand.” He quietly said resting a hand on your damp cheek before you moved your face away from his touch.

“You’ve forgotten about me. You said- You said nothing would change! You’re a liar Neteyam! You told me that we would spend time together. You’ve forgotten about me and I’m just a friend to you Neteyam. A friend to talk to once a month to still feel like you are friends. I can’t do that Neteyam.”

He was dumbstruck he didn’t think Lo’ak was lying but he did think he was over exaggerating your calls about him. He felt dumb, how dumb to make the woman he loved feel so unattended to, so unloved. He felt like an idiot watching your heart crumble in front of him due to him piercing through it.

Before he could talk in response your mouth was open ready to fire a verbal assault at him.

“I can’t be without your presence so long, and I feel like a dumb idiot because I’m crying over some fucking boy who can’t give me the time of day. But I want you so much Neteyam, I beckon with Eywa everyday to have you brought to me like you were before. I want you in my bones and you have ignored me. It drives me so insane.” You yell at him rage on full display like a painting in a museum for millions to view and stare in awe.

“I’m so sorry Y/N, I’m so sorry. Please forgive me, I beg of you to forgive me.” He turned his body to face you fully. Using both his hands to cradle your face he stared deep into your pained eyes.

“You are no idiot, I am. For treating someone I treasure so deeply like this. I promise my dismissal of you was not my intention. I would never intend on avoiding you. You are my rock and my world, I build my life around you, my hopes, my dreams they all contain you. Please don’t think you are just a friend to me because if I had to treat you as just a friend I’d go crazy.”

“Y/N I see you”

Neteyam was starting to tear up as you cried into his palms. Crying harder now as you processed his words you crashed into his warm chest. Yu were tired, tired of crying, tired of worrying, tired of hoping. You just wanted to feel at home and home right now was Neteyam’s embrace.

Feeling your weight on top of him he wrapped his arms around you tightly. So tightly his arms hurt but he didn’t care. He peppered the top of your head with kisses while you sniffled into his chest. Soothing hands ran down your back as you wept into him.

“You’re such a dickhead.” You mumbled into his chest letting out a breathy laughed followed by a small sob. As sad as you were right in this moment you never wanted to let go of the feeling of being in his arms.

“I’ll be your dickhead.” He smiled down at you continuing to hold you in his arms.

And he was sure to never let you out of arms reach again.

──── ⑅*❀*⑅ ────

authors note: i missed writing for neteyam so i whipped this up. it lowkey might be my fav fic. hope you enjoy!

[cupcakeslushie]

Alrighty, you’ve all been asking for it and here it is. I hope this timeline of what’s basically the first two seasons, makes following the comic easier. Which speaking of—obviously there will be spoilers for the future of the comic, so if you want to continue on reading that with blinders I would just ignore this completely or you could only read up to the prologue end where what’s been released catches up. And obviously the “filler episodes” might not make it into the comic—I’ll probably just get by on those being simple one shots or something, but I wanted to include all my thoughts.

This is really mostly for the ppl who want all that lore now. Or the ones who don’t want to go through a thousand pages of unorganized text posts 😜

Big Freaking Timeline for Empyrean Weeping Separated AU

Pre-Prologue

Many Generations ago…

The Leader of the Foot Clan [name lost to time] made a deal with an oni for power and was sealed inside his own armor. He turned his clan to the ways of murdering innocents and pillaging villages to spread their control. He quickly gained the name the Shredder. Hamato Karai, daughter to the Shredder, created her own clan to fight them. After many years of the two clans warring, Karai was able to banish the oni, killing her father. The power behind the armor was destroyed, leaving it as basically nothing more than ornamentation for each new leader of the Foot to inherit.

Karai sealed the demon in the twilight realm, but was killed by the demon’s final blow.

Many years later….

Hamato Yoshi and Oroku Saki are born into the still warring clans. Hamato Sho, grandfather to Yoshi, struck down Saki’s parents in revenge for them killing his daughter, Atsuko. He then took their infant son Saki and raised him alongside Yoshi, telling the two they were brothers, hoping that one day this would lead to a path of uniting the two clans.

Yoshi and Saki grew up together, trained in the art of ninjutsu, but Yoshi left to become an actor. Saki found out the truth of his parentage, and he embraced the Foot clan’s bloody path. He swore revenge on Yoshi and the entire Hamato clan.

Yoshi meets Big Mama on the set of Crouching Shrimp Hidden Tiger Prawn and the two date for a few years but break up.

Yoshi ran into his old childhood friend Tang Shen and the two began a romance, got married, and had a baby girl—they named her Karai after Yoshi’s great ancestor.

Big Mama kidnapped Yoshi from his wife and daughter, and kept him trapped in the Battle Nexus as her champion. Saki, not realizing Yoshi was gone, attacked Teng Shen, but found Karai in the fire and took her.

For five years (I know the creators said ten but idk that’s just way too long imo) Yoshi fought in Big Mama’s Nexus, until taken by Draxum.

Yoshi broke out during Draxum’s experiment and grabbed the four turtles he saw. As he’s escaping he dropped the soft-shell, but thanks to the fire and debris, was blocked from doubling back to rescue it, forced to leave it behind.

Draxum was left with a destroyed lab and only two of his five test subjects; Three—the male soft shell turtle, and Five—the female box shell turtle. Five was much too weak to live on her own, so Draxum was forced to keep her in a coma, confined to a healing vat. He worked on rebuilding his destroyed lab, and raised Three with the intention of training him to be a great warrior in the fight to save the yokai. As Three grew, Draxum was already impressed by the intelligence he saw from Three, but was not too pleased with the lack of interest Three showed for combat training. Still Draxum would work with what he had, and if nothing else, having access to Three’s blood meant at least he wasn’t starting from scratch. The boy was smart, and helpful in the lab. For eight years Draxum trained Three and helped nurture his mind. Draxum even found a way to get wider access to Empyrean, and was really able to continue his work, but the effects of working with the Empyrean….

Prologue beginning

Under the Cut

Five years after Splinter saved the turtles he could (Raph:7, Leo:6, Mikey:5). He brings them topside, having no choice but to do a food run with them all—unfortunately the Foot finds them, and Leo and Mikey get captured.

On the way, Leo is able to injure the nin holding him and Mikey enough that he drops Mikey. Leo ordered Mikey to run, while he struggled to keep the Foot Soldier from recapturing him.

Mikey left Leo behind and ran to hide in the alleyway behind Big Mama’s hotel, where he’s later found and taken in by the spider yokai, who finds Michael adorable and interesting enough to hold her attention for now.

Leo is taken before the Shredder, and Saki decides to raise Leo instead of killing him. He trained Leo to be Karai’s(10) bodyguard and demanded Kitsune use her mystic spells to bend Leo’s memories and mind so he became the perfect soldier.

One Year After Separation

Raph(8) meet April(9) and the two became best friends. Splinter begins training them both in ninjutsu so they can protect themselves from any surprise Foot Clan attacks.

Two Years After Separation

Three(8) developed an idea for a drill that Draxum took and employed to begin a secret way of mining empyrean without drawing the attention of the Hidden City Police. As the years passed, his experiments on Three became more and more depraved. The stress and torture caused a lot of strain on Three’s mind.

Three continued his work on Five’s body, convinced he can create something that will allow her to live outside her tank.

Overseas Saki ran the Japanese branch of the Foot, and ordered the destruction of a hidden yokai village. Usagi Miyamoto(9) is taken hostage and begins lessons with Leo(8) and Karai(12).

Four Years Post Separation

Saki returned (with his odd gaggle of child soldiers) to lead the US branch of the Foot Clan.

Five Years Post Separation—(ONE YEAR BEFORE SEASON ONE)

Usagi(14) finally escaped the Foot Clan

Big Mama grew bored of raising Michael(12) and threw him into her Battle Nexus. (First Actual page of the comic)

Big Mama and Draxum cut a secret deal, once he learned she has his Fourth subject. He offered Five to Big Mama as a go-between on the grounds that she will report Four’s status in the Nexus back to Draxum, but in the interim Big Mama may use her however she desires.

Three(13) began making shock collars for Big Mama with the demand that they will never be used on his brother, and that he got to see the weekly footage of Four’s Nexus fights.

Draxum met with the Foot clan and began providing Saki with empyrean in exchange for weapons. He saw Two(13) there, under the Shredder’s command. Draxum brings Three with him from then on, to gauge just how deep Two’s loyalty to the Foot Clan ran.

In that year of dealing with Saki, Three talked excessively to Leo any chance he got in the maybe four or five times they met, but was not provided with much of a response.

Usagi, with nowhere else to go, signed up for a few fights in Big Mama’s Nexus. He meets Mikey. Out of all the jerk contenders, the two actually like each other well enough. They’re as friendly as two people that may someday fight to the death would be.

After frequently running into each other, April(15) and Raph(14) got Casey(15) to give up her role as a Foot recruit and join their side. She gets the idea to become a double agent, and is now always sneaking out to meet them and be, in her own words, “a badass vigilant”.

After a few months fighting in the Nexus Usagi left and spent a few weeks on the streets before sneaking into Run of the Mill Pizza and getting caught by Hueso. The skeleton offered a safe place for Usagi to stay.

One night while patrolling, just the two of them, April(16) and Raph(15) see Mayhem get taken and April chased after just before the portal closed. Raph went to Splinter for help and the two headed off to the Hidden City. Before they can make it to Draxum’s lab, they spot Mikey(13), fighting in the Nexus, on one of the massive view screens.

After recovering April who’s basically saved herself and Mayhem without Draxum being any the wiser. Raph and Splinter brought her back home and then quickly returned to the HC and requested an audience with Big Mama.

Splinter dropped to his knees and begged to make a deal. He would fight Big Mama’s current champion if he could have his son back. Raph cut in that he would be the one to fight, and Big Mama accepted.

Raph fought a host of contenders before Big Mama revealed that he would face off against Mikey, who didn’t seem to recognize his big brother or father. Raph managed to grab Mikey in a bear-hold and got him to listen long enough for Mikey to remember the night they were separated. He and Raph and Splinter cried and hugged and Mikey confronted Big Mama to announce that he would be leaving with his family and that he would not fight for her any more.

Big Mama remained stoic and cold, taking the news rather well, until alone in her office. In a fit of rage she screamed and even threw a few glasses at the wall before she called for Five, who she had named Venus(13).

Big Mama gave Venus the footage for the previous week of Mikey’s fights. Along with the news that it would be the end of her and Three’s deal since Mikey was now gone.

Venus returned to Draxum’s lab and ran immediately into Three(14). Three, upset by the news that he would not be getting the most recent footage Big Mama had, and that their deal was ending, became upset and his yelling drew the attention of Draxum.

Draxum locked him up for a week before he allowed Venus to release her brother. Finally Venus sat Three down and began to tell him that Mikey is now with One and Lou Jitsu.

Quick Cut—Shredder has noticed that Kitsune’s magic on Leo’s(14) mind seems weaker, and demands more exposure to the empyrean. With a demon under his control, and Karai as the perfect successor, the Foot Clan will be unstoppable, and he will finally have the ultimate revenge on Hamato Yoshi.

Mikey returns to the lair with Raph and Splinter where he meets April. He’s shy, but content. Later, when in bed Mikey���s thoughts do wander to worries that his family may one day grow bored of him, just like Big Mama did. Mikey falls into an uneasy sleep.

SEASON ONE

Leo day after day as Second in Command of the Foot Clan finds his mind harder to focus lately. Something about the two turtles he keeps running into on missions plus the odd, manic one that always accompanies Draxum during his deals with Master Shredder. They seem to scratch an itch in Leo’s brain that just won’t go away.

Leo runs into Raph and Mikey and April long enough for them to finally try to talk, but . But Tigerclaw interrupts and takes Leo away when he refuses to fight his brothers.

Later when Leo is kneeling before Saki, Leo finds his Master isn’t pleased that he failed to kill their enemies when he had the perfect opportunity. Saki punishes Leo far more severely than he has in years. Casey, who knows Leo is in danger, fetches Usagi from his job at Run of the Mill, and Mikey meets them in the alley with the idea to go to Big Mama for the fastest route to Saki’s private compound and save Leo just in time.

Leo spends the next few months recovering and reluctantly staying in the lair, smart enough to know that returning to his Master would be a death sentence. Eventually his memories that were tampered with start to slowly return and he feels deeply the need to protect Mikey. Unfortunately his hatred for Splinter doesn’t seem to be dissipating and he spends a lot of time butting heads with Raph. He sees April’s skill and is impressed. He ignores Casey and refuses to see her as anything but a traitor.

Eventually his family grows comfortable enough to let him have more freedom, and Leo begins to join them on patrol.

While out one night, Leo cuts down a whole squad of Foot ninja when Mikey gets badly hurt. Raph is pretty shaken up and Splinter bans Leo from patrolling with the team, until he can learn to use less lethal methods.

One day, Splinter brings Leo into the dojo and shows his son the old shrine that was made for him and Mikey.

Splinter then shows Leo the weapons hung next to the shrine.

(Excerpt from notes app lol)

Splinter looked at the wall as he spoke. “Raphael and Michelangelo have already chosen their own. I always planned to gift these to you boys. Seeing how effortlessly you used to copy me when I practiced myself. I’d be honored for you to carry a piece of the Hamato clan with you.”

Leo mirrored Splinter’s gaze and stared straight ahead, not knowing how to feel about that bit of information. Regardless he found it easy to keep his tone detached.

“Shredder had me master a number of weapons. But I’ve always been best with my katana.”

Splinter chuckles with a fondly, sad smile. “Hm, yes. You were always most eager to swing around anything you could when you boys played. And would pretend to stab Raphael in the gut whenever he offered to play the role of the big scary dragon.”

Stoicism was now perhaps a bit harder. Still Leo would not allow himself to show any weakness over something so trivial as a tale he didn’t even remember.

“It would be foolish to trust your enemy with such a deadly weapon.”

Finally Splinter took his eyes off the wall and faced Leo. The terrapin refused to return the courtesy, but Splinter wasn’t deterred by the cold shoulder.

“You are not an enemy. You are my son.” Leo was slightly shocked at how easily Splinter claimed him. The rat spoke as surely as if he was simply reading facts from one of those dusty old scrolls he had tried to get Leo to read. A (poor) early attempt to reintroduce Leo to the great and honorable Hamato Clan. Perhaps his father had hoped it would be one possible way to cut through all the lies that Saki had spent years filling his son’s head with. Leo had not gotten very far into the literature before tossing it aside in frustration.

The rat continued on, still not once wavering. “The katana has always been a weapon of honor. I trust you to use them well, in the service of protecting this city and your brothers.”

Leo grew pensive—it was like viewing a weapon he’s cast his eyes on a million times in a new light. It had been a few years since Leo had heard something rather similar.

Only one other person in Leo’s entire life had spoken to him of honor in regards to the blade.

The slider tried not to think of the boy he hadn’t even seen in years. Now that he’s not so far under Saki spell, Leo could recognize the lump of coal that sat heavy in his stomach as guilt. Just the small reminder of the rabbit set it immediately ablaze.

Leo’s not sure why only now the idea of honor moved something in him, but since first waking up in the lair, and the months he’s spent with his actual, true family. The slider had found his thoughts more open to wandering and engaging with ideas that he would’ve never entertained while under Master Shredder.

Splinter continued quickly, seeing some kind of headway in the more and more open look that grew on Leo’s face. “These have been in our family for generations. And even though you boys were apart, It seems fate of some kind has paired you to each of these.”

He paused just a moment to chuckle sadly as if a stray thought suddenly occurred, “I do wonder, with you choosing the Katana. That just leaves the Bō. I’m curious how your brother Donatello would have wielded it. A simple weapon but in the right hands it can be most versatile.”

“Donatello?” Leo searched the bits of stray memories that had returned to him these last few months, but in none of them, he recalled seeing a third brother. Splinter’s words had him beyond confused, and a little worried that he had even more lost memories to regain.

Splinter looked embarrassed over the clear confusion his rambling had caused to suddenly shatter the previous air.

“Ah….yes. Forgive me. I did not wish to overwhelm you when you first arrived, but I suppose now you are ready to hear about how you were created. How Draxum—“

“Draxum?!”

Season One Midpoint

Draxum decides to finally hold another meeting with Shredder after a few months. Three now finds out that Two has ran away after failing in a mission. When he returns to his lab, Three activates the tracker he secretly placed on Two and is beyond shocked to see him in the company of One and Four.

Three suffers a serious break when he sees them with April, and thinks he’s been replaced by a human. As the final straw shatters his control, Three attacks them all in an attempt to get answers and find out why they all seemed so happy together while he was left alone. After an intense fight, Raph manages to grab Three and Leo knocks him out, so they can take him back to the lair.

Donnie spends the next few months getting used to living with his family.

Raph and Leo continue to get into frequent arguments. Leo’s anger only seems to be getting worse. Mikey tries to keep the peace and does his best to keep the lair running smoothly. Leo takes his anger out on Mikey and immediately feels bad.

Tide Pod bros themed episode. Leo apologizes to Mikey for yelling at him. They bond while doing something silly.

April and Casey start dating. Hypno and Warren episode (plot tbd but they keep interrupting the girls’ first date)

Donnie starts constructing his lab and finally seems like he’s developing a stronger relationship with Leo. The two come up with the whole ‘twin’ idea and agree to share a birthday.

Mikey and Raph have a fun bonding episode (Maybe either Meat Sweats or Stockboy)

Venus runs into the family while out on a mission for Big Mama. Donnie tries to talk with her but she remains silent and shows no mercy in attacking him. Later Donnie explains who she is to the fam and the brothers promise him they’ll find a way to bring her home.

April, Raph, Donnie run into the Purple Dragons while incognito at a tech store that Donnie really wanted to go to. Donnie is beyond impressed by them, but Raph is wary. April warns the boys the Purple Dragons are trouble. But Donnie doesn’t listen, and fights with April then to spite her, asks to join their group. They let him in after he shows off his tech and eventually Donnie discovers that April was right. She helps Donnie take back his tech that was stolen, but the Dragons get away. Donnie apologizes for the way he’s treated April since joining the family and the two gain a better understanding.

Leo and Raph argue one night and it’s so bad that Leo takes off. While out he gets recaptured by the Foot and Saki holds him for weeks at his secret compound. Leo sees visions of his long dead ancestor Karai who tries to help him through the constant torture, but thanks to Saki merging Kitsune’s magic with the empyrean, Leo’s mind is falling further than ever under the Shredder’s control.

Season One Finale

When the family finds Leo, he is trapped in a new type of mystic armor and doesn’t even seem to recognize them, viciously attacking them. He takes out everyone but Raph, and when he goes after his oldest brother, he almost manages to take him out as well, but Karai comes to Raph in a vision and helps walk Raph through the ancient ritual she created to banish the empyrean from Leo’s mind. Now free the two then take on Shredder, before grabbing their family and retreating. Family also learns about Karai being Splinter’s daughter.

Season Two

Twins’ Birthday episode for season premiere! Home once again, Leo finds he’s much calmer, only growing angry for shorter and less frequent bouts. And now that the family knows what’s causing it, they can work on controlling it. Donatello informs Leo that he and Draxum were the ones responsible for providing the Shredder with the empyrean, but Leo doesn’t care and tells Donnie not to worry about it. They enjoy their first real birthday with the whole family.

Another run in with Venus while Donnie is out with Mikey. This time Donnie tries his best to explain that he never wanted to leave her behind, and wants her to come back to the lair with him. Venus looks unsure, but refuses and retreats. Mikey&Venus twin reveal.

Leo and Raph gain a new understanding and grow closer. They settle into co-leading the team.

Leo, April, and Donnie have a fun episode together. Raph and Casey vigilante B plot. Splinter and Mikey want to watch their shows but the Wi-Fi is not working, with Donnie gone, they accidentally destroy the lair attempting to fix it.

April and Casey try again for a second date that once again keeps getting interrupted by goofy stuff. This time by the boys.

Rat Flu episode

The gang run into a salamander mutant named Mona and have to stop her from stealing a big jewel from a museum. Raph is pretty smitten when she manages to surprise him by taking him down easily and escaping.

Purple Dragons episode (plot tbd) but something akin to the Fourfold Trap from tmnt!2012

Donnie manages to convince the family to try and repeat the very same ritual Raph did on Leo, on Draxum. They reluctantly agree, as long as Donnie goes through it as well. He agrees and they come up with a plan to capture Draxum.

Season Two Midpoint

Venus agrees to join them temporarily, and helps them take down Draxum long enough to get him back to the lair. In the middle of the ritual, Mikey’s mystic powers activate and somehow manage to link Donnie and Draxum’s minds, pulling the boys in and letting them see all the horrible things Three went through. They run into the darker hallucination versions of themselves that Donnie always sees and have to make a run for it when they’re attacked. Then they meet an adorable, little Three who guides them deeper into the mental link where they finally see Draxum, who looks worse for wear and cries upon seeing the small, child version of Three.

The ritual works and Draxum is purged of most of the empyrean, when the boys are pulled out however, they realize it didn’t work on Donnie for some reason. Donnie doesn’t seem bothered and is just excited about what the ritual working on Draxum means, but Draxum is too ashamed to face anyone and makes a run for it while the boys are distracted.

The boys and April have a fun day enjoying the snow, but get into it when they can’t agree on whether Lou Jitsu or Jupiter Jim is better. Raph and Mikey are on team Lou and Leo and April on team JJ, Donnie who can’t decide, keeps switching back and forth.

The gang spends a day in the Hidden City and ends it by attending a show where the lead singer is a shockingly loud, spunky female turtle. The boys are confused to see another mutant turtle, but Donnie promises Draxum only had files on the Five of them, and is convinced she must be a yokai. The band gets attacked by some of Big Mama’s goons and the gang rush in to help. After everything is settled the female turtle introduces herself to the gang as Jennika and vows to repay the boys for saving her.

Karai episode (plot tbd)

Leo, Raph and Splinter all have trouble accepting the new Draxum so Mikey as Dr Feelings has the bright idea to spend a fun day touring New York. April comes up with a scavenger hunt but it quickly goes off the rails thanks to Big Mama (not exactly Battle Nexus: New York, more like a mix between the Hidden City episodes and then the start of the BN:NY ep)

(Now closer to the actual BN:NY ep) The whole family gets taken prisoner by Big Mama, who reveals her grand plan to have Raph and Mikey battle it out to see who will be her new champion. They win by outsmarting her and the last shot is her looking very disheveled and angry. As a last resort she calls a contact from deep in the underbelly of the Hidden City. A man covered with bandages, who looks practically like a corpse, emerges from the shadows and asks how he can help.

Leo asks Usagi to join him on a vision quest and the two leave for Japan via portal, where Usagi knows of a place that is said to provide those worthy with great inner peace. Usagi-centered episode. We get to see his village which Leo and Usagi are shocked to find out has been rebuilt in the years he’s been gone.

Season Two Finale

Donnie’s side effects from the empyrean are growing worse and he begins to research in secret the origins of the mystic substance. In his desperation for answers Donnie ignores an alert for a 317-39.4 that comes up right as he’s made a huge discovery. Not wanting to stop just as he’s found something big Donnie takes off without telling his brothers. His findings bring him to the Crying Titan where he discovers the source of the empyrean, the skeleton, inside. But before he can attempt to investigate further he’s stopped by the appearance of a young boy calling himself Casey Jones Junior, and his hooded companion. The companion warns Donnie that unless he wants to lose an eye, he shouldn’t get any closer to the creature. Donnie is skeptical, but heeds the warning, especially when the boy tells him they’ve come back from the future to help and uses a special code Donnie developed during a late night bout of insomnia driven boredom.

Donnie takes the new strangers back to the lair where Raph and Mikey are both upset over Donnie’s disappearance. Raph says they could’ve used his help fighting Warren Stone and Hypno, who managed to make off with robbing some old artifact. Donnie admits to ignoring that alert in favor of his research and Raph grows even more upset.

The hoodie figure declares to the boy that they’ve arrived too late and the two future strangers tell the family that they’ve come to stop the Kraang and that they need to call Leo back home. They will need everyone if they’re going to stop the end of the world.

MOVIE TIME

Haha jk no major spoilers quite yet.

[tblsomedoodles]

If it isn’t much to ask. Could you give us more information about Casey and Aprils kids, more specifically there personality’s and maybe interest?(I tried to look online for Marie’s but found nothing)

And give me an excuse to break out my comic books? I'd love to!

Alright, I'm going to rant a bit about comic book cannon Casey Marie first since that's who Adopted au CM is based off of (that and she's great lol)

Casey Marie is April and Casey's daughter from a tmnt comic series called "The Last Ronin" (if she's in anything else, i do not know. This is where i know her from.)

(it's a fantastic, five volume series with gorgeous art and a great, yet tragic, story. Basic summary without spoilers is that 20+ years into the future, the foot clan has taken over and walled off NYC controling everyone inside. One of the turtle's mission is to break in to NYC and take down the head of the Foot clan, Shredder's grandson, even if it kills him. I don't want to say more than that but if you like to read comics please read it!)

anyways! This is Casey Marie Jones as she's first properly introduced.

In "The Last Ronin". Her age is a little unclear but if i had to guess she's somewhere in her late teens. She was born after her father died thus ended up named after him. She runs a small resistance against the Foot and grew up idolizing a group of ninja turtles she never had a chance to meet. She even tried teaching herself ninjutsu but ends up gaining the remaining turtle (name redacted for spoiler reasons) as a sensei upon him seeing said attempt and not being able to ignore the mistakes that could get her hurt.

(i wish i had some comic panels from this part but, alas, they are in the 1 ISSUE i do not own of his series. so instead have a picture of her being cool on the cover of the 5th issue, post haircut of course.)

Personality wise, she's pretty cool. she cares very deeply for her family and rebel group (Which may as well be her family as well.) Shes stubborn, doing what she thinks is right regarless of what she's been told, but also can have a bit of a temper.

She's also a bit of a jokester, often seen teasing Redacted (that's just what i'm calling him now) (which he has no idea how to handle. Teenagers confuse him lol)

(he looks so shocked/offended lol)

She and Redacted end up being pretty close, and he's very protective of her. She's their friends' only daughter, of course he would be. By the end they're practically family.

OK!

Now that i'm done ranting about Cannon Casey Marie (b/c she's great) i'll move on to what Adopted AU Casey Marie (and Jackie) are like!

Casey would definitely be fascinated by ninjutsu growing up, to the point of getting Angie to teach her the stuff he got taught and eventually getting to learn straight from Leo (which i stated before but eh. I can say it again.)

She'd be stubborn, confident, and ready to fight over anything she deems worthy of it (nothing gets her to start a fight faster than someone picking on her little sister.) She's tech smart like her mom but would rather fight than do tech stuff on the sidelines.

Jackie (i'm making this one up as i go so it might end up changing some) is a little more reserved than Casey, but not by much. Looking at the two together, you'd think she was the calm/shy one, but she's not. especially whenever she's playing a competitive sport. She inherited her dad's love of Hockey and turns into an absolute feral gremlin as soon as her skates hit the ice. (she plays other sports too, but Hockey is her main.) (she also looks the most like April. so she's just this little Red head running around with a hockey stick, which i find absolutely adorable.)She likes ninjutsu as well, but as more of a hobby while Casey thinks of it as a career goal.

I think both girls would like art as well, but mostly just see it as something to do with Angie.

thank you!

[forzalando]

royally screwed | fw | pt. two

pairing: prince!fred x princess!reader word count: 2.4k warnings: cursing, mentions of meals/food, arranged marriage, enemies to lovers a/n: hello friends! happy valentine’s day!!💛the long awaited part two is here and i hope you all enjoy!😊bonus points if you catch the subtle hp references in this chapter hahaha thank you to @spacexcowgirl​ for beta reading, i love you dearly!! you can read part one here

summary: Prince Frederick Weasley of Burrow was a twin, but unfortunately, at least in his mind, he was born the eldest twin, meaning it was his duty to inherit the kingdom. Since the young age of ten, Fred knew that he was to marry Princess Y/N Y/L/N of Diagon, and over the years they’ve both come to dread the day. With the eve of their wedding closely approaching, their disdain for each other begins to worry their respective families. However, there is a very fine line between love and hate.

Y/N awoke the next morning and immediately recounted the previous day’s events; she could feel the puffiness in her face and eyes from the tears shed after her Mother left her room. She had hoped that their conversation would go differently, but it was done and there was nothing left she could say regarding the matter.

A sharp knock on Y/N’s chamber door had her jumping up and crossing the room faster than her feet would carry her. She stumbled a bit, almost crashing into the door before pulling it open, only to see the most peculiar sight.

Frederick Weasley, with his siblings stood behind him, although George was standing rather close so that he could pinch his brother’s ear.

“Well,” Ginny goaded, “go on then, you arse.”

Fred turned swiftly to shoot his sister a glare, but George’s grip on his ear had him wincing in pain.

���You better get going or I swear I’ll rip it off,” George grumbled, struggling to hide the jesting smile creeping on his face.

“Fine, fine,” Fred huffed. “Princess Y/N, I would like to apologize for my behavior last night. It was entirely unacceptable and I hope that you can find it in your impossibly sma-”

Ginny quickly stomped on Fred’s foot, interrupting what Y/N was sure would be an insult.

“Pardon me, your impossibly large heart, to forgive me. I was also wondering if you would care to join me for breakfast in the drawing room.”

George promptly let go of Fred’s ear, but not without one final yank, and the entire clan of Weasley siblings looked at Y/N expectantly, awaiting her answer with fervor.

“You must be absolutely mad, Frederick Weasley,” she scoffed, folding her arms across her chest in defiance. “After your attitude last night, which you had for no reason, I might add, and you come knocking on my door to ask if I want to have breakfast with you? I don’t want to see your face unless I have to!”

“I’m trying, Y/N! You said that the least I could was try, so here I am, offering to spend time with you when I’d rather lick the floor in the foyer.”

“Well, then, feel free to go scrub the floors with your tongue because I will not join you for a meal today or any other day!”

Fred stalked away with no objections from his siblings, who were all laughing at Y/N’s quip. She had a satisfied smile on her face as well, but it quickly fell when she averted her gaze to the three other Weasley siblings.

“Now what exactly did you think that was going to accomplish?” Y/N spoke with a, mostly, playful glare to the three standing before her.

“Honestly, we were hoping a bit that you wouldn’t answer the door. Mum made us drag him down here,” George answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

“But, now that we are here,” Ginny said excitedly, “will you have breakfast with us?”

Y/N smiled softly; she could never say no to spending time with her only friends.

“Let me get dressed and I’ll meet you…where should I meet you?”

“The drawing room…” Ron mumbled, hoping Y/N wouldn’t recall that Fred wanted to take his breakfast there as well.

“You three are insufferable,” Y/N laughed, “however, I’ll be there in ten. Hopefully he will be gone by then.”

Y/N gently shut her door and quickly threw on a dress and her day slippers; her mother would absolutely have a fit if she saw the disheveled state she was in, but Y/N simply couldn’t care.

After a quick glance in the mirror, Y/N hurried through the castle corridors that she had come to know so well and made it to the drawing room in record time. To her delight, Frederick was nowhere to be seen.

“Good Morning, dear,” Queen Molly said warmly from her seat. “Have you by chance seen Fred this morning?”

Y/N heard the quiet snickering of Ron and George and then a hushed “shut it” that could only have come from Ginny.

“Oh, yes, Queen Molly, he stopped by my chambers to apologize. Very out of character for him, I wonder if someone slipped something into his morning tea.”

Molly Weasley hummed lightly, taking the slightly sarcastic tone of Y/N’s voice to mean that things hadn’t gone as she directed.

“That’s lovely, dear, maybe you’ll actually have a civil conversation in the gardens.”

Y/N set down her tea slowly, trying not to act shocked because she had no knowledge of a walk in the gardens.

“The gardens? I didn’t know anything about the gardens,” Y/N mused inquisitively.

“That’s where Fred is right now, I told him you’d be along in a few minutes. He even looked a bit excited,” Molly teased.

Y/N snorted inelegantly and immediately covered it with a cough; she rose from the table and looked pleadingly at George, hoping he could come up with some form of an excuse that would save her from time spent with Frederick, but George refused to look at her and continued eating his breakfast unbothered.

“I’ll go meet him now, Queen Molly. I’m sure he’s awfully busy so we can make this short,” Y/N said with a smile.

“Fred is free all day, I cleared his schedule, dear.”

“Brilliant,” she grimaced.

With a half-hearted wave, she left the drawing room and begrudgingly walked towards the gardens, smiling politely at each person she passed. Even if her future husband did not care for her, Y/N took comfort in knowing that his family and the people in the castle did; she hoped it would make the rest of her life tolerable.

All too soon, Y/N felt the sunshine on her face as she stepped into the magnificent palace gardens. She could spot Prince Frederick’s fiery hair a mile away; he was standing near the rose bushes twirling a yellow one between his long fingers.

The rustling of the grass between Y/N’s feet caused Fred to turn around to find the source of the noise.

He stalled a bit; even though he despised the Princess of Diagon, he could never deny that she was breathtakingly beautiful. Her hair was unkempt, a soft pink, cotton gown swished around her legs as she stalked toward him, and her face was set in a scowl but even the worst grimace could not distract from her captivating eyes.

It was entirely infuriating, and it made Fred want to hate her even more, but some intrinsic force wouldn’t allow him.

“What are you staring at?” Y/N asked, her eyebrow raising.

“Nothing,” Fred replied with a shake of his head. “I’m just thinking of all the ways I’d rather spend my morning.”

“Well, it seemed like you were staring at me. Do it again and I’ll push you into the rose bushes, I don’t care if you are the future King.”

Fred turned his head and tried not to crack a smile, but failed miserably as the corner of his mouth quirked up involuntarily.

“Let’s get this over with, Y/N, can your stubby legs keep up?”

“It’s not my fault you shot up like a bloody bean pole; you went from stumpy to looking like someone sewed tree limbs together and animated them.”

“Most women like tall men.”

“I like tall men, Frederick, I just don’t like you.”

A stunned silence fell over the two royals, only the sounds of the rustling leaves and nearby animals could be heard.

“I suppose that’s why you like Prince Cedric, then?”

“Beg your pardon?” Y/N’s eyes widened, confused at the sudden interrogation.

“Your conversation with your Mother last night, how you begged her to marry him instead. Or my brother. Or that horrid Malfoy.”

“You had no right – that was a private conversation. How dare you eavesdrop on my personal business? Every time I think you have a shred of decency you prove me wrong, Frederick Weasley.”

Fred stepped in front of the Princess, blocking her path and preventing her from walking on.

“Prove you wrong? I had come to your room to apologize when I heard you plotting with your Mother to run off with someone else and disrespect my family.”

“I would never disrespect your family. They’ve never been anything but good and kind to me, the last thing I would ever want to do is hurt them. I haven’t the slightest idea how you’re related to any of them.”

“Oh, I know, you have them all wrapped around your little finger,” Fred scoffed.

“I’m not going to stand here and fight with you, Frederick, I don’t have the energy. Can we please just keep moving and we can tell your Mother we had a wonderful time and learned so much about each other.”

Y/N stepped around Fred, lightly grabbing his wrist to pull him along through the endless rows of flowers.

“She’ll probably quiz us and you don’t even know my favorite color,” Fred griped.

“It’s purple, I think,” Y/N blurted. “I overheard you telling your Mum years ago that you wanted purple frosting on some dessert. I figured that meant it was your favorite.”

“And you remembered?”

“There aren’t a lot of things I forget about the people in my life, Frederick. If it’s important to you, I’ll remember.”

“But you don’t care about me, why did you even bother?”

Y/N sighed and shook her head before turning to look at Fred, shielding her eyes from the sun.

“Contrary to popular belief, I don’t hate you. I don’t particularly like you, maybe in a different life we’d actually be friends, but I don’t hate you. I don’t hate anyone.”

Fred realized this was the longest they’d gone without arguing in years, and it was barely one tenth of a conversation. He turned his head slightly to watch Y/N, taking in the way she gazed lovingly at the surrounding flora, and noticed her eyes linger a bit longer every so often.

“Yellow,” Fred mumbled.

“What was that?” Y/N asked.

“You look longer at the yellow flowers. Yellow is your favorite color.”

Y/N smiled softly, the same smile she’d given Fred when she had arrived the day before but it was infinitely more sincere.

“If you were like this all the time, you wouldn’t be so bad Frederick.”

“Who says I’m not?”

Y/N rolled her eyes and this time Fred could not contain himself; he laughed loudly, and the sound triggered a fluttering of sorts in the Princess’s chest. They continued their walk, chattering idly and the Prince even picked a blooming yellow rose and delicately handed it to his Princess.

“I really did want to apologize last night, you know,” Fred assured. “I didn’t have any reason to be so rude when you arrived, I guess it was just…habit. We have a way of getting under each other’s skin.”

“Apology accepted, for your rudeness yesterday, of course. But, you owe me another.”

“Another?”

“Yes, for eavesdropping on me and my Mother.”

“That conversation involved me, I hardly think it’s one I shouldn’t be aware of if you’re trying to finagle your way out of our betrothal.”

“It may involve you, but it was a private conversation.”

“That involved me.”

“My God, I’ve said it before but truly every time I think you can redeem yourself, you do or say something completely asinine. Do you have any manners?”

“You were talking about me, I felt I had a right to listen!”

Y/N groaned loudly in annoyance, drawing the attention of the nearby guards.

“I don’t even believe you wanted to apologize, you had the chance this morning and just insulted me like you always do! Every decent part of you is nothing but an act!”

“You don’t even know me,” Fred seethed.

“No, I don’t, but it’s because you won’t let me!”

“You’ve never even tried, don’t attempt to play me for a fool, Y/N.”

“Well, I’m trying now. I’m trying now and still all we can do is fight.”

The two stood toe to toe, breathing heavily and staring into each other’s eyes. After a few moments, Y/N looked away and sighed deeply. It sounded almost dejected, Fred realized, rather than the anger he had expected.

“Go ahead of me back to the castle, please, I’d like to actually enjoy the rest of the walk.”

“I don’t have to take orders from – ”

“You’ll do as I say, Frederick Weasley,” Y/N snapped.

Fred wanted to argue; God, did he want to argue with her until he was blue in the face, but something about the tone of her voice frightened him a bit. So, he scoffed and stalked back to the castle, swinging his fists by his sides and gritting his teeth.

He passed by his twin, giving George a half-hearted wave before entering the castle. It wasn’t hard to sense the tone of what had transpired, and George shook his head and took off running towards the gardens to find Y/N.

“Oi! What did he do this time?” George shouted as he slowed to a stop in front of Y/N.

“Just the usual. Acting like a pompous prick that can do no wrong. He was nice for two minutes and then refused to apologize for eavesdropping last night on a conversation between me and my Mother!”

George rolled his eyes and raked a hand down his face, massaging his temples in preparation for the headache that his brother always managed to give him.

“Y/N, you know he’s not malicious, he’s just an idiot sometimes,” George offered.

“I appreciate you defending him but at the moment it’s going in one ear and out the other, Georgie.”

He laughed and slung an arm around the Princess’s shoulders, joining her on the remainder of her walk through the gardens. He noticed Y/N twirling a yellow rose around and every so often lifting it to inhale its sweet scent.

“Stealing flowers from our gardens, eh?” George jested, bumping his hip into Y/N.

“Frederick picked it for me, actually,” she mumbled.

“Well, that’s sweet. You two can get along, is what I’m seeing and hearing.”

“It was a momentary lapse of judgment,” Y/N sighed, before throwing the perfect rose to the ground and ensuring her slipper crushed the delicate petals.

When they were good and flattened into the Earth, she swore she felt an ache in her chest.

taglist: @theweasleyslut @vivacesole @weasleyclaw @nuttytani-reblogs @theweasleysredhair @hufflepuffbaby9 @wildfire-whizbangs @gcdricreads @amhyeah @62442-am @letsgotothehop @emrysts @fuckoffthanos @uponashelf @justalittleweirdoo @evermoreweasley @feminafatales @pxroxide-prinxcesss @lumosandnoxwriting @weelittleweasley @darthwheezely @lovecroftreads @whizboingies @love-peachh @harrysweasleys @wand3ringr0s3 @gredmforge @vogueweasley @gryffindcrghost @adrianpuceyishot @spacexcowgirl @freds-slut @phoenixes-and-wizards @parseltongueswriting @geostarr @snoopydoop1 @lana-isabelle @kaye-lantern @aworldinsideaperson @starlightweasley @emeraldbears20 @lupinsclassroom @barnesjamcs @thisuserlovesyouandyouandyou @dracosgoodgirl @expectoevans @scoobiessnacks @crissdanvers @itsbebeyyy @ovrwd @satellitespidey @softlyqoos @dandyylions @anxxi0s @raiaurii @gloryekaterina @godricsswords @wischief @amourtentiaa @lmaoitsmebro @legitlaughingflamingo @rodrickmalfoy @listenhereyousupernova 

[highwayphantoms]

DADWC :3 “Just close your eyes. I will still be here when you open them again.”

thank you for the prompt! :D as @inquisimer requested, I wrote a little bit about Oriana <3

for @dadrunkwriting!

Words: 993 Characters: Oriana Lavellan, Cyren Lavellan Warnings: some brief but dark flashbacks

--

They leave Redcliffe Castle in a hurry after the queen arrives to evict the mages—and, presumably, the Tevene interlopers that the Inquisiton had already dealt with. With the bulk of the remaining rebel mages in tow, they stop for the night at the edge of the Hinterlands, well away from Redcliffe. Equal partners, she had said. The Seeker was still seething—not that Oriana was surprised—but she’d coordinated the camps without complaint all the same, granting Oriana the time and space to get away. She didn’t mind sharing a camp with mages—how could she, when her own mother was a mage? Nor did she mind sharing a fire with members of the Inquisition. Varric was a delight to have by the fireside after a long day, always ready with some tall tale about Hawke. (Oriana didn’t know much about the Champion of Kirkwall, but Clan Lavellan often traded with humans and she’d heard a few stories. None of them line up with the stories Varric tells.) She still watched the Seeker with a wary eye, but in truth Cassandra had been… shockingly welcoming aside from that first day.

Ordinarily, she would have stayed and pitched her tent alongside the others.

Instead, she takes her things and sets up away from everyone else. Not so far that she won’t hear someone trying to find her, but far enough that no one will hear her.

As she expected, Cyren joins her soon enough. Though he had remained outside the village while she confronted Alexius and then proceeded to mingle with the rebel mages in the aftermath, she’d known he would come to check on her sooner or later. She’d brushed off the others with ease—she hasn’t given any of them enough time and opportunity to learn her tells, and she does not intend to give them a chance. If any of them could tell that images of the false future she and Dorian had seen were still playing in her mind, rippling out like a drop in a pond, they had said nothing.

Cyren, however, takes one look at the way she silently, methodically fletches new arrows and steps close enough to pluck them from her hands. “Ori,” he says, low and even.

Suddenly bereft of distractions, she looks up to glower at him. “I’m fine,” she counters. “Give those back.”

He hums in response, an utterly unconvinced sound, and sets both her tools and her arrows-in-progress aside, just out of her reach.

Cyren carefully joins her where she sits on a low outcropping of rock, then leans his staff aside the rock ledge and turns to her. “I know that look,” he says, quiet even though there is no one close enough to overhear. “What happened in the castle?”

In lieu of answering, Oriana folds her hands in her lap and silently studies the grass below her feet. Spring has yet to reach Haven, up at the foot of the mountains, but here in the Hinterlands the grass has turned green once more and the trees have begun to produce new leaves. Life, beginning anew—but then, it wasn’t dead. Only dormant. The world she’d seen—a world in which the Inquisition failed—was dead.

Nothing and no one can raise the dead. A spirit might possess a dead body, but even an undead corpse is still dead. Nothing can change that.

“He was using the Breach to manipulate time,” she says at last. “I—we—were flung into a future where I vanished. The Inquisition was destroyed, but…” Dark cells in the bowels of the castle, some flooded with water from the lake, others consumed with red lyrium. The Seeker, Varric, Solas—all of them taken prisoner, all of them visibly unwell. Dying. The Nightingale, Leliana, reduced to a vengeful husk of a woman.

Cyren, dead. Barely more than bones and rotting flesh, recognizable only by the dull silvery glint of the connected rings he wears on his right hand.

He was looking for you. They ran him through with a blade and left him to rot.

An involuntary shudder runs through her.

A gentle hand on her arm jolts her out of her thoughts. “That won’t happen,” Cyren says firmly. “You’re still here. You haven’t disappeared.”

She shakes her head. “That’s not what I’m afraid of,” she replies, barely above a whisper.

“In this alternate future, I was dead,” he guesses, then sighs. “Would it be better if I left?”

“No.” She turns in an instant, grasping his wrist like he might walk away at any moment. He won’t, she knows that, but… “Don’t go,” she pleads. “I can’t do this alone.”

When she looks at him, Cyren quirks a small, wry smile at her. “You look exhausted,” he says, gingerly rising to his feet. Tugging her up with him, he adds, “Come on.”

Reluctantly, she follows—pausing only long enough to snatch up her tools and arrows, both finished and not. The sun is only beginning to set, but he’s not wrong. It feels like an eternity has passed since the last time she slept—and maybe it has. She won’t pretend to understand how Alexius was manipulating time, but that false future had felt so real.

No, it was real. Her muscles are tired and sore from drawing her bow over and over in that cursed future—and if that’s real, the rest must be, too.

As she spreads out her bedroll, Cyren does the same with his. Side by side, like they’ve done so many times over so many years. Then, after she sheds her boots and armor and sets them aside, she tries to settle. And fails.

Gently, Cyren says, “Just close your eyes. I’ll still be here when you open them again. I promise.”

They’re only words, but all the same, she drifts off into a dreamless sleep before she knows it.

When she wakes before daybreak, he’s still fast asleep beside her.

[starr-fall-knight-rise]

Metal and Sky

https://www.patreon.com/empyreaniris?fan_landing=true

https://starr-fall-knight-rise.tumblr.com/post/182501791735/master-post

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jzEIdDAB4omdO2JcQVMObfrhLJ5kX4ONmSsLypM1ks0/edit?usp=sharing.\

The ground shook, rumbling gently up through his feet and into his hands through the metal of f his weapon. He stood, nervously at the head of fifty warriors, all that remained of the Kalaltach (metal clan). In the early morning light, their bodies shone with that signature sheen that was the reason for their clan’s name.

The clan histories detailed the story of their emergence, standing that, once upon a time, the spirits had smithed the first Drev from a lump of silvered steel. Since then, it was not uncommon for a member of their clan to be born with metallic carapace.

Though it seemed the stories of their clan might not be long for this world.

He tightened his fist around the shaft of his weapon nervously glancing down at the double ended weapon, a six-foot shaft with two-foot blades on either end. It  was an unusual weapon, one that he had been given by his mother, and her father before her. It was passed down through their family line through the greatest warriors, and during his mother’s last breaths she had given it to him.

She had died in honorable combat one week ago leaving him as their family’s protector. Not that there was really anyone to protect anymore. He was the last of what remained of his family and their tribe was dwindling quickly. The fifty warriors standing behind him were what remained of their once proud clan. It was not the death of his family or even the death of his clan that gave him such sadness. He was happy for what might happen. Either they would triumph, and stories would be written about their victory, or a stronger clan would take what remained.

No he was simply disappointed that he might not live to see the future.

Tanatach. The clan from the north. The clan of the sky.

The clan that was going to beat them. It didn’t surprise him, they had some of the best warriors on the fertile belt, and the most land and the most Drev.

As he stood staring out over the moss, he felt the volcano rumble again, felt it roll up through his feet. Glancing to his side he could see a gentle stream of ash and smoke pouring from the open mountain top painting the sky with thin ribbons of smoke. Turning his head towards the horizon he looked out over land he hand known since his childhood. He saw the coiltrees and the colorful moss, and the bulb fruit that was just ripe enough to bloom.

And he saw the approaching line of Drev, their armor glinting in the morning sun light rolling over their spearheads.

“Warriors!” Lanus called, and the Drev behind him took up his call.

“We meet them in the middle, and if we die today, we go to the spirits!”

There was a cheer behind him, one of both nerves and excitement.

Lanus bowed his head, thinking of his mother, and his father, and his sisters and his brothers. Hopefully, their spirits were with him.

Slowly, he lifted his head and looked up rising his weapon and beginning a slow jog down the small incline and towards the waiting army. The slow jog turned into a run, and that run turned into a sprint. His cape billowed behind him, and his weapon was raised as he let out a cry for battle.

In response to their movement, the other Dreb broke into a run as well, battle partners sprinting alongside each other as they came to clash under a pristine blue sky. Weapons clattered, carapace split, and cries of pain rent the air. Lanus spun, his blades cutting with precision through the air just like his mother had taught him.

He was going to make her proud.

White moss spores were kicked up into the air. Metal flashed and capes billowed past. He spun on the spot taking out two of their warriors with a single sweep of his weapon. They fell to the ground cradling severed tendons, and he turned again spearing a flanking Drev through the throat. Inside, his heart sang with the battle, and the roar of the steel. Metal clashed against metal as a blow glanced off his helm, but he turned and speared that Drev through the chest

His nerves were fading away, and as he fought he found himself in a bubble of complete calm where lived nothing but his own focus. He spun and whirled like the ash during the dark season spreading destruction everywhere he went. All around him bodies fell blood spilling in orange rivulets over the moss, pooling in the rocks and divots where they made slipping hazards for the remaining warriors, but he kept his focus.

Looking around he could see the others of his clan holding their own, pushing back a tide of enemies.

Perhaps there was a chance they would win.

At least that was what he thought until she appeared.

She was a force of nature, as tall as he was, and with gleaming purple carapace like the night sky infused with Amethyst, and when she fought she brought the storm with her, lighting and ashfall as she roared up over the rise, taking on three opponents at once, and winning. Her head was held high, and the battle cry she gave was a pure note of bloodlust that turned his blood hot.

If he was to allow her to continue, they would not win.

Backlit against the sky she turned to face him, and they locked eyes across the battlefield, gold to orange. They both knew what was coming, and so did everyone else. Groups of combatants parted as they walked towards each other, their weapons held at the ready, and it was only upon approach did he realize how young she was.

No older than him, and without battle partner.

His hands tingled numbly.

She was no older than he was.

They paused a few paces from each other and she lifted her chin to him. He did the same back, unable to avid noting her body, her carapace, her face, and her eyes.

She was beautiful.

Perhaps the most beautiful Drev he had ever seen, made all the more so as she dropped into a ready stance, which he mirrored quickly. They circled for a moment sizing each other up. The steadiness of each other’s step, the way they held their weapons, everything.

He knew her, and she knew him.

They came together with one mighty clash of weapons trying to force each other back by sheer force instead finding themselves locked tightly together unable to move. She snarled, and he responded trying to sweep her sideways, but she caught him and threw him back. He came in again weapon whirling and snapping like the flowing of water. She countered him similarly, but with even more ferocity, like the licking of fire.

Capes billowed and whipped back and forth, tore and shredded. Their feet danced over the ground as the sun grew high, and ever moment it seemed as if one of them would gain the upper hand, they were thwarted, and the fight began again. All around them lay the dead and dying. His clan slowly dwindling, whittled down to the last remining warriors. Many of the combatants had stopped to watch the last remaining fights, and Lanus, only half aware of what was going on realized something.

This was a test.

To weed out the week, separate the ripe from the rotten.

She tried taking momentary hold f his distraction, but he caught her and threw her back. Both of their sides heaved with exertion, the breathing holes at her neck expanded and contracted with great heaving gasps, frothing slightly with effort.

He backed away up a small hillock, and she followed him, their weapons shedding sparks onto the stone. He threw her back but she came again, she swept his feet out from under him, but he recovered to quickly. The battle went on and on, ferocity slowly draining to exhaustion, until neither of them could lift their weapons anymore.

They both knelt weapons locked, staring into each other’s eyes, heaving great gasping breaths, unable to move.

She was the first to speak.

“Join us, you do not need to die today. Join us and the rest of your clan will live. Your warriors will be our warriors.”

He paused looking into her face, turned to see others still doggedly fighting away, only ten or s remaining from the original fifty. He shivered, feeling pressure on his chest, and looked down to find one of her lower hands placed against his skin. Where her fingers met, he felt fire.

He turned his head back to look up into her eyes.

“Stay, with me.”

He was taken aback for a moment by her forwardness, the brashness of…. A battlefield brawl turn…. What was this? But still, despite how unorthodox, he felt his entire body go warm.

“I don’t even know your name.” He said, though his voice was more teasing than it was offended.

Her golden eyes burned, “Kazna, and you are?”

“Lanus.”

“Lanus.” She rolled the name around inside her mouth, like she was eating a coil tree berry, “ that is a name I could get used to saying.”

She disengaged their weapons then, standing and taking his arm in one of her hands turning her head to the sky and letting off the battle cry that shook him down to his bones and stoked the heat inside his body into an inferno. Across the battlefield her people stopped, pulling away from the remaining fighters who collapsed in exhaustion.

“The fight ends here! Join us, you have proven yourselves worthy.”

There was a pause, while the clan looked to him for an answer. He didn’t even have to speak, their linked arms saying more than words needed to.

Leading him forward, she brought him down through the ranks of her warriors, speaking with each of them by name, and personally, pulling aside to learn the names of his own clan, to welcome them. She was no sentinel, but he learned a great general, and as he watched her, he grew to admire her more and more.

She was a great leader, hard and harsh at times, but protective of what was hers. She was probably the most tactically minded Drev he had ever met, and it became clear that even with half of her forces, he would never have been able to win.

Kazna never did anything halfway, and when he finally took her to the circle without weapons they fought until the sun was down and neither of them could move. He had never felt such deep and abiding admiration for anyone in his life, feeling like he was the luckiest Drev in the world, when she let him hold her in his arms, or she did the same for him.

He fought by her side as her second in command for what must have been years, growing with her as her confidence only grew, and her skill increased.  She was proud, and now without flaw, but neither was he.

Sitting in their small moss roofed hut, he sat holding a tiny shape in his arms. A small hand flailed up at his face, and he took it watching as the tiny fingers gently curled around his. His carapace was red like an cinderswind moon. The door across the room opened and Kazna stepped in, her chin high her golden eyes bright as she turned to look at them. The expression on her face was one of tender pride as she stepped forward.

“My two favorite Drev in the same room.” She said, walking over to kneel next to him, resting her forehead against his. Below them the tiny creature chirped softly. She turned her head down, reaching out with a finger to stroke his cheek, “So strong, and beautiful.”

“You know what day it is?” Lanus said

Kasna turned to look up at him, “How could I forget.”

Warm bubbles fizzed through his blood, “The first lunar maker…. And you know what that means?”

“We have to choose a name.” She reached out and plucked the kit from his hands lifting him into the air to examine him. The Kit opened its mouth and chirped softly before trying to nip at her hand. She laughed, “How about Dinar or Ladinar for the color of his carapace.”

Lanus tapped his foot on the ground, “No…. something more grand I think/”

“Something more grand?” She paused, “Hmm Kan…. No… Kanan.”

Noble.

Lanus stood and looked the kit over, “Kanan, yes, yes I think that is grand enough.”

She turned to beam at him holding the kit in her arm as she hurried forward wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close. Her voice was soft when she said, “This is just the beginning lanus, you and me until the sun sets and our blood paints the stones.” She pulled back eyes burning, “We will have dozens.” She spun Kanan around, and he chirped happily head lifted. “As many as we can, a Dozen tiny warriors.”

He laughed, “A dozen?”

“Or more!”

He shook his head in astonishment.

She turned to look at him, “This is all I have ever wanted Lanus. The perfect life, a strong battle partner,” She looked down, “And stronger children.”

He walked over and took her hand, “And you will have both.” He smiled

“Until the sun sets and our blood paints the rocks.”

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed, Episode 22 part one

(Masterpost) (Other Canary Stuff) (Previous Post)

Warning: Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

Not Quite Like Old Times

We ended the previous episode in daylight, with Lan Wangji putting Wei Wuxian and swordpoint and declaring his undying love lecturing him about his lack of sword skills.

We start this episode in full night, with the two of them sitting on a roof together. Presumably they spent the missing scenes getting dinner in the mess hall, doing some laundry, and definitely not making out. Fic writers, do your thing.

Finally, FINALLY, Lan Wangji has chilled out enough to actually sit and listen to Wei Wuxian, instead of yelling at and/or physically attacking him. The Zoloft is really helping!

Wei Wuxian is indulging in romantic recollections of their first rooftop encounter. Lan Wangji, who has loved him since he first laid eyes on him and who wrote a whole song with an entire music video about their love, featuring that very same rooftop encounter, shuts him down so completely he might as well have whipped out Bichen again.

First he corrects his description of events by pointing out they were fighting, not talking, back then. Then when Wei Wuxian continues in his charming, smiley reminiscing vein, Lan Wangji says "things change, how could they stay the same" with a deep, sad, weariness.

He seems like an old man in this moment, and I feel for him, really, I do. But he's not the one who's carrying the actual essence of death around inside him. Wei Wuxian is being much more generous in this interaction than Lan Wangji is.

Wei Wuxian thanks him for not narkng to Jiang Yanli about the whole talisman/forced suicide/ghost hummer/ghost flaying thing he did back in Yiling. Like there is any way Lan Wangji would ever tell Jiang Yanli, of all people, something like that about Wei Wuxian.  He's lying to his own brother to cover for Wei Wuxian, and Wei Wuxian totally doesn't get it.

(more after the cut)

Unfortunately, there's no reason Wei Wuxian SHOULD get it, at this point; Lan Wangji has not communicated anything but disapproval to him since his return, and Wei Wuxian, despite their (apparently temporary) mental linkup in the Turtle cave, is not a mind reader.

Lan Wangji is so hurt here, and Wei Wuxian appears to ignore that, continuing to smile and laugh; he’s still sunny, still happy. Seriously, they are so tonally out of step with each other in this conversation, it's excruciating.

Lan Wangji: I’m feeling good about my tear-holding-back ability Wei Wuxian: do I look more fuckable sitting up? Or leaning back?  

But every one of these smiles is an absolute lie. This is Wei Wuxian appeasing an authority figure; baffling with bullshit and skating by on charm. This is not a young man confiding in his soulmate.

Even when the conversation shifts, and they talk seriously about what is going on with him, Wei Wuxian is barely confiding anything. He briefly acknowledges that he was in the Burial Mounds for three months, and shudders at the memory, but Lan Wangji doesn't respond to that other than to look away from his face.

This is almost the last thing Wei Wuxian will ever say to anyone about that experience.  He only alludes to it again when Jiang Cheng visits the settlement and talks smack about their corpse turnips. Lan Wangji says he wants to know why Wei Wuxian’s cultivation changed, but he really doesn’t; he just wants to convince him to change it back.

Wei Wuxian explains about using Lan clan techniques to protect his temperament, as well as the flute and talismans, to control the resentful energy. This is a good reminder that Wei Wuxian was never a bad student. He was an outstanding cultivator within the Jiang Clan, and he learned a hell of a lot during his time in Gusu, despite getting expelled for fighting.

His original golden core was stronger than Jiang Cheng's, even though he apparently started cultivating later. Yes, he fell asleep during meditation that one time in Episode 43, but that's not because he's bad at meditating, it's because he was tired from getting railed all night by his boyfriend stabbed in the gut by his nephew.

Lan Wangji eventually manages to ask him a question like an interested fellow human being sharing knowledge, instead of like an authoritarian dick calling him to account.  

Side note: I still am flopping around trying to find good-sounding English terms for Chinese philosophical concepts. I kind of like "ghost path" vs "sword path" for the two styles of cultivation - I don't know where I saw that, apologies to the translator. I like "necromancy" for the part where the dead are reanimated and controlled, because we definitely have that in English. But there are many layers of nuance in these conversations that English is not equipped to render in a natural-sounding way.

Lan Wangji tells him, again, that it's dangerous, but this time he does it in a gentler and more poetic way, saying it's like taking grain from a burning fire, and says he's in danger of becoming the novel version of Wei Wuxian a demonic cultivator.  Wei Wuxian, also gently and seriously, says he knows.

Then he immediately goes back to his lightest tone and promises, with his three-fingers gesture, that he will not fall into demonic cultivation. This gesture is basically the Wei Wuxian "I am totally fucking lying" salute.

He is totally fucking lying, and he MUST know it. He's baking the Yin tiger amulet every day during his meditation, getting ready to use it against Wen Ruohan, getting ready to take over his army of the dead.

He has the audacity to ask Lan Wangji, "do you believe me?" and Lan Wangji, also totally fucking lying, nods.  Their relationship is just as broken right now as it was before their courtyard sparring session.

You can tell it's broken, because after they've reached this apparent place of peace, Wei Wuxian just hops down off the roof and LEAVES Lan Wangji sitting by himself. When has Wei Wuxian ever been like "gotta go!" with Lan Wangji? The last time they were here, he spent the night sleeping on the roof tiles just so he could be near him.

As he leaves, Lan Wanji stands up and says "let me help you." Wei Wuxian is not a fan of that idea, at all, if his expression is any guide.

He agrees, though, and leaves smiling, apparently for real, but maybe just practicing for all the fake smiles in his future.

Hooray for War

In the morning, Nie Mingjue makes an angry speech to the 2 dozen cultivators who apparently make up the army. Extras are expensive, y'all.

The senior cultivators are standing to the right or left of him, with the Lan brothers bracketing the Yunmeng sibs. Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng are both staking their claim to Wei Wuxian, while Lan Xichen is standing in the spot closest to Nie Mingjue; Nie Huaisang is on the opposite side with the Jins.

All of the random cultivators yell a war chant in response to Nie Mingjue's speech, while the senior cultivators are like, we don't have to do that yelling stuff, thank goodness.

Nie Mingjue's war outfit includes metal (ish) epaulets on his shoulders and a totally not-kinky belt featuring multiple rings with nothing attached to them (yet) and an angry demon face right above his junk.

Nie Mingjue says we're going to storm into Nightless city and I'm going to chop off Wen Ruohan's head! By which he means, I'm going to get captured and get my ass beat, and then my murder-babie ex-boyfriend who had this belt specially made for me is going to stab Wen Ruohan in the back while he's distracted. They do say no plan survives contact with the enemy.

Side note: Baxia makes a loud metallic "shnk" noise when NMJ takes it off his back during this speech, even though Baxia does not have a scabbard. You do you, Baxia.

All the senior cultivators file out down the center while everyone else parts to let them pass. Then everybody does the Electric Slide.

Jiang Cheng tells Wei Wuxian they should go ahead of the main force to get some killing in early, but Wei Wuxian just pulls a face and looks down, staying with Lan Wangji. 

Jiang Cheng is disappointed, and no doubt takes this as a sign of WWX choosing LWJ over him. But actually, WWX can't fight side-by-side with Jiang Cheng without showing his weakness.

LWJ and WWX exchange one of their unspoken "let's go" eye touches and get ready to ride out together with the main force. 

Lan Wangji is still super, super sad. Wei Wuxian is still fake. But something is starting to knit together between them, and once they can hit a battlefield together, it will get a lot stronger.

On A Horse With No Name

Everyone rides out on horses, which will presumably get eaten somewhere along the way, because they appear to travel on foot after this. While Wei Wuxian practices his horseback-flute-twirling, Lan Wangji asks why Wei Wuxian didn't go with the forward force to fight.

Wei Wuxian says that he has a case of the don'wannas, and Lan Wangji snarkily points out that he used to like fighting. Wei Wuxian reacts, just as he did at the end of their sword fight, with embarrassment, and doesn't answer.

Lan Wangji, sweetie. You are really not helping. 

At this point, despite their ongoing fighting, Wangxian are clearly together again. Lan Wangji isn't riding with his brother; he's RIGHT next to Wei Wuxian, and will stay close to him through the rest of the campaign.

Nie Huaisang hollers "Wei-Xiong" from the top of the battlements and tells him to take care. Wei-Xiong lifts his flute in acknowledgement while Nie Huaisang looks worried. He doesn't tell Nie Mingjue or Lan Wangji to take care, just Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian is his particular friend, more than Lan Wangji is, but he may also be concerned because he can tell that Wei Wuxian isn't well.

Nie Huaisang hasn't yet developed the deep cynicism that he calls upon in his quest to avenge his brother, but he has always been a voracious collector of information, and he is keenly observant.

Side note: what the fuck is going on with this sculpture? Kudos to the artist. This has beautiful forms, and is weird and disturbing. The main head is wearing a horned skull on its forehead, small ungulates that I hesitate to call “deer” chilling on its horns, and...snakes? biting its ears? 

Boring Wen Interlude

Wen Ruohan is waving his hands around. Sigh. This is one of the more boring villain performances ever, and it's not the actor’s fault. They could have given him a sidekick to yell at or something, so we could get more than just hand waving. I’ve given up screen capping any of this; there are more interesting things to look at. 

Battle Moves

Jin Zixuan and Jiang Cheng and their forces have an extended fight scene with a bunch of puppet dudes and stuntmen in harnesses. 

It's pretty fun to watch. (Fanvid with more over here)

The gist of the fighting scenes is that Wen Ruohan is getting stronger, and Klingons are hard to beat.

Battle Planning

Finally we see a sidekick with Wen Ruohan, although he's blurry so it's hard to tell that he is totally Meng Yao.

The Sunshotters have set up a Battle Camp Playset. It's got chunks of gates and walls that don't connect to anything, like a Duplo set. It's just randomly open for most of the back area so that anyone can walk in. 

They've got a cage of hilarious definitely-not-zombies set up, and the rest of the wounded cultivators are lying on the ground. 

The main battle trio go chill in Nie Mingjue's incredibly fancy tent. They talk it over and say it's impossible to kill unkillable enemies, "even when we have millions of troops." And by “millions” they mean “dozens.”  

Nie Mingjue decides the way to handle it is to kill the leader and everyone else will collapse, because he has watched vampire movies and the last season of Game of Thrones and that's how it works. Watching the last season of Game of Thrones is why he is so angry all the time  He says he's going to sneak into Nightless City and assassinate Wen Ruohan.

Okay, first of all, Nie Mingjue can sneak? I don't believe it.  Second of all, if that was possible, why didn't he do it as soon as Wen Ruohan attacked his clan?

Nie Mingjue wants to take the biggest risk because he's the commander in chief, which is not how commanding is supposed to work, but okay.

He says if he dies, Zewu Jun will take over. Jiang Cheng starts to protest but Zewu Jun appears as if conjured, and shows them a map that will...dear GOD his hands are beautiful.

It's a helpful map, painted in multiple colors with careful writing on it, so if anyone were to show it to Nie Huaisang he would probably go "oh cool Meng Yao painted that" because anyone who could paint that well probably spent a fair amount of time at it on a regular basis. But, Nie Huaisang isn't here so, nope.

It’s always nice to see Jiang Cheng smile.

Wei Wuxian and Lan Waniji examine some of the puppets to see what's up. It's transmitted by touch, and Lan Wangji says that curing one dude takes three months of spiritual power. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Writing Prompt: Missing scene! How did they get from the fight in the courtyard to the talk on the roof? 

Soundtrack: 1. Shine on You Crazy Diamond, by Pink Floyd 2. Electric Boogie, by Marcia Griffiths