#so yay for fanfiction I guess

[rainofcolours]

How about Work-I-Purged Wed instead?

Sharing the one time I actually bothered to scrap a scene instead of forcefully working it in because I'd rather kill my darlings with plot than to delete anything for leisure writing ha ha ha

Yes, my angst-ridden heart wanted to include some of that pain into what is meant to be a happy fic smh

[gallawitchxx]

🔮💨 crystal ball weed bong mickey 🔮💨

installment #23 for the @galladrabbles prompt: loser, baby by @depressedstressedlemonzest

click HERE for the Master Post to catch up!

✺ | ✺ | ✺ | ✺ | ✺

The house smells different. Good, even? Like something's cooking in an oven that hasn’t been used in years. It’s familiar in a way that tickles at Ian’s memory and further drops his defenses.

Mickey doesn’t mention it. He just brushes past Ian, leading them towards the room he’s been using for business.

On the table, next to Mickey’s bong, is a platter of pizza rolls. Ian’s mouth waters.

Mickey thumbs at his nose. “You’ve lost your way, you think your life is wrecked,” he says, taking his seat. “Well, let me just say you're correct.”

Ian blinks twice. “Wait, what?”

[egginfroggin]

*stumbles into the room trailing bog water and dropping paper everywhere* HI HI HELLO HI GUESS I'M GONNA DIP MY TOES INTO THIS FANDOM HUH HI THERE oh stars

Uhhhhh, big thanks to @dysfunctionalburden for this, by the way; your tags on this post are amazing and were like a bunch of jumper cables to my brain the other night, thank you for sharing your delightful thoughts :>

Mabel and Ford will be. they'll be fine. they'll. yeah. they're totally fine. yeah. it's fine it's cool they're chill it's good it's fine I'm sure nothing bad will ever happen to them yeah.

Well, I hope you all enjoy ^^

[a-very-sparkly-nerd]

not me making a patrocles reference in my first s6 fic 🤭

[yourwormfriend]

CHAPTER 7!!

[psychologicalwarclaire]

Parenting Goes Bump in the Night

a Ninjago Dragons Rising oneshot

Sora can't sleep because she's thinking about her parents. If they didn't love her, does she deserve to be loved at all? Luckily, Lloyd is here to comfort her with the power of found family

Found here on Ao3

[courtney-deserved-better]

its so funny how being stuck in an airport for the last six hours has actually cured my writers block for the current chapter of amicus curiae im working on. feeling a lot more hopeful that ill knock out those last three chapters soon! and boy oh boy are they gonna be a doozy

[orangesand-lemons-234]

whaaaaaat noooooo im not starting to write my christmas fic now so that i don't forget themmmmmm

[crazy-hazy-sims]

Who knew that the secret to getting rid of your creative block is to make an oc and be obsessed with them

[seafoam-taide]

i love writing stories when i dont know nearly enough abt the source material to be correct and i dont ever do research. i just made all this shit up and no one can stop me

[ixiot-ghostrebel]

Hello! I saw that your requests are open so I thought, I'll shoot my shot

So, it'll be SAGAU with Impostor and Isekai trope. The reader is a real Creator, while the fake one is on the throne. But! What if they look completely different? Characters don't hunt reader because well, they don't look like their beloved grace and they're unaware that their sweet creator is in fact a real impostor.

But when you look at reader and the fake creator, you can see a total difference in their surroundings. The real Creator - Reader, is connected to the Teyvat, right? The flowers bloom everywhere where they stand, the trees are more green and lively, while there's nothing like this with the impostor in the throne.

So! To the idea- How about Zhongli and Kaeya's (or any other characters you'd like to add here) to see their Reader cut themselves and suddenly bleed gold - while they saw their beloved Grace bleed red and suddenly, they connect the dots?

Ooh, this is certainly interesting, @ilumin! I'll see what I can come up with :)

Zhongli & Kaeya Find Out The Imposta :)

You weren't gonna lie—you kinda freaked when you realize the isekai and sagau trope thing happened on you. Reading fanfiction from the internet, you knew how things were gonna go down. You read the signs.

Safe to say you were not expecting you yourself to be the "lucky winner" of this entire thing. Nu-uh. Not one bit. You knew this was gonna be a hellhole.

That is, of course....you realized that the Imposter did not look like you at all. You were kinda stoked about it—that means you weren't gonna get ratted out, or killed, or hunted—so yay you! Time to chill with some bros! Time to free ball it while you still can!

And thennn... one night you were hanging with some ppl, and you accidentally nicked your finger.

You guessed it right, fellas, you bled gold. And that did not go unnoticed.

Good luck.

(Warning: Might be OOC!)

Zhongli

When he first met you, Zhongli thought you were like The Traveler—you were someone who passed the Celestial Atmosphere above, and descended down to traverse the world.

With Their Grace present, their world has prospered and Zhongi is proud to say that Liyue was doing well under their rule. But when you came, he was a little surprised to see how the earth seemed to connect with you. Flowers around you seemed brighter, precious rocks seem to surface at your presence..and you somehow manage to always be able to get the most freshest fruit anyone can come across.

You were truly an interesting enigma that Zhongli is curious to learn more of. He commits every detail about you to memory. The day the wind conveniently came to the rescue when the days were boiling hot. The time where you managed to restock your food stalls even though so many Liyueans were nabbing them and almost leaving you nothing. Everything Zhongli saw, he noted down in his mind.

You eventually became acquainted with him the moment he walks up to your food stall. It wasn't that packed in the morning (somehow), and it allowed the two of you to get to know one another better. Safe to say your relationship was solid.

And then you bled gold that one night. Zhongli eyes your blood with wide expressions, before immediately excusing the both of you out of the situation.

He cannot believe that the person that sits on the Creator's Throne was not the Creator. He's constantly being bombarded with the "Creator" and their meetings, while you were just selling goods on the streets of Liyue.

"...Your Grace..." Zhongli looks at you as he puts a bandage over your finger. "...Truly, we have all been deceived." And while you're glad that he wasn't suggesting you start up a riot, you were kind of worried about what he'll do to the Imposter the next time Zhongli sees him.

Safe to say he did have a "Chat" with them that consisted of a meteor and a lot of "I will have Order!" voicelines repeating over and over again.

Kaeya

When you got plopped into Mondstadt, somehow, the winds started becoming more gentle and a lot more carefree. Everyone saw this as a sign of Barbatos, you saw this as a sign of the world trying to rat you out or something.

You decided to get a job at the Tavern to get info, and boom you meet Kaeya. You should've expected this when you got a job at Angel's Share, because this hottie bro is very much interested on your merchandise.

Safe to say, though, Kaeya was very interested in you. Like Zhongli, he takes note of your every move. But, unlike Zhongli, Kaeya's trying to see how your...unique superpowers work, and how they can be used to help protect Mondstadt—assuming he manages to convince you to join.

Kaeya is very talkative in the Tavern, so he usually talks to the bartenders. Diluc is pulling his hair out to see how much info Kaeya's spilling to you during your shifts, half of which are just boasting about the Knights of Favonius.

When you nicked your finger, though, you knew things were going down. It didn't help that Kaeya noticed. His eyes widen for a fraction, before he stands up and suggests that you both should take a walk around the streets of Mondstadt when your shift was done.

You agree, seeing as there's no way out of this, and quickly grab a bandaid to patch up the scratch. Once you were both out, Kaeya speaks first, in a low tone.

"My...I never knew the Almighty Creator could be this sneaky, to have an imposter sit on the throne while they serve cups at my favorite tavern." You look at him incredulously. He took the situation to praise you to make himself sound like he was blessed?

Good sir, this was the opposite of how your life got thrown upside down when you entered Teyvat. Then again, this sounded a lot better than getting killed, so you'll take it as a win. For now.

Kaeya promises to keep this a secret, but safe to say Diluc is rubbing his temples when he hears the Calvary Captain himself trying to offer you a position in the Knights of Favonius, saying you had potential and whatnot.

Honestly, he just wants to spend more time with you outside of the tavern.

Ghost Rebel Side Notes: Why the heck did this take SO MUCH LONGER than I expected sobbing. Sorry y'all—istg life is hitting me like Truck-Kun.

Also one more thing: Furina is my new child now. She and Fremmi are my Fontantian Children. Love 'em both too much ppl will have to pry them out of my cold-dead hands.

✦ Check out The Ghost Rebel’s Blog Description & Info Page to See if Their Mailbox is Open! ✦

[jovialsongdefendor]

Talking more about the idw sonic comics

idw comics are getting more popular over the years, months, days. and I mean, great for the creators. but lets be clear that popularity doesnt mean exactly that something is canon. like a responded to someone in the last post (And i dont know WHY I CANT SEE MY REPLYS WHY TUMBRL), the divine comedic of dante can be used like a example. or even the other writes of the bibles itself. the divine comedic is basically a selfinsert where dante explain how hell is divided in seven circles if I remember correctly, and how the sinners suffer in each circle depending on how they acted in life. But even if they have the best representation of hell of the bible and used in many medias, is NOT canon to the bible itself

Dante’s Masterpiece ‘La Divina Commedia’ is Actually Fanfiction | by Kalea Martin | Life is Lit. | Medium

(so yeah your self insert can be popular so yay)

because if it was part of the canon of the bible, why dante hasnt been mentioned in the bible? or describe hell when in the bible there isnt a really a description of the hell itself? each country had a different representation of the religion, of heaven and hell. Each country had different views of the religion or even how god itself it seen or believe.

coming back to sonic, if idw sonic were canon, then how blaze is able to travel to dimensions withouth having all the 14 esmeralds to do it? why sonic acts so different in the comics and in the games? why the resistence is back when it was disbanded in the end of forces? sonic had his own differents universes: sonic x, sonic boom, sonic archie, sonic idw, sonic fleetway, etc. and all of them are inspired by the sonic of the games, like dante did with the bibble. if idw are canon, then the same logic can be applied to sonic x, sonic boom, sonic archie when they were confirmed to be non canon. I guess chris come back to make everyone hate him again lol. and the comment thatr sayed where is the panel where sonic gaslight shadow in using his trauma against him:

Pretty contradictory when eggman had done worst things than shadow but ANYWAY-

[slightlyartist]

Ik you’re still in the process of making lore but I have have Steve - Fidds questions!

1. What is Pyramid Steve getting out of making these deals? Is he helping Bill with his Weirdmageddon stuff? Is he stealing things from his Victims other than what’s given (like slowly taking all their money and savings/their life force/whatever he uses for currency) to pay his alimony? Or is he just doing this because he likes doing HUMAN THINGS as a HUMAN MAN and it’s FUN and a BUSINESS and TOTALLY DIFFERENT from sitting around on his laptop playing the sims all day so he doesn’t need to deal with his OWN issues (like his divorce)?

2. Is he helpful with little things *at first* to make sure his ‘customers’ trust him to deal with more and more stuff? Like at first he comes to Fidds when it’s been a month since he last did laundry because he was too scared to go down to the laundry room and Steve tells him he has a Magic Product to Help with Anxiety! Then Fidds feels all floaty and calm and out of it. Next thing Fidds knows, his laundry is clean, folded and, put away, AND he even washed and redid his bedsheets! And he took a shower and is wearing fresh clothes! Wow! He just barely remembers any of it, like trying to remember a dream, but who cares! The Product is Working! Yay! And it’s a very easy slope from that to Fidds thinking “I’ve been ghosting Emma-May (who’s upset with me) for a week now and my hands shake thinking about it, I need to use Product and call her to work things out! OH NO Apparently I sounded like a weird British man trying to do a southern accent the whole conversation and now she thinks I’m taking drugs! And is MORE upset with me! I need to call her and fix things! Which I can only do with the help of Product! My life is crumbling around me.”

3. Please work the plastic bag of DvDs Steve carries around and pet centipede into this au. This isn’t a question this is a request. And the fact he eats copper wires! Does he make the humans he controls also eat Copper Wires? Does he make the humans buy or steal copper wires for him so he can eat them?

4. Uh. What do you imagine being hypnotized feels like to Fidds (the first few times before he starts going brain dead)? I’m guessing it’s not just blacking out if victims get addicted to the *feeling* of being hypnotized as well as getting addicted to the ability to step out of their life for a bit.

5. Does Fidds already being pretty into the ‘beginnings of permanent brain damage’ stage of memory gun use have any affect on Steve’s ability to hypnotize/control Fidds? Since he’s basically controlling Fidds from his laptop, the main hardware he’s running his program on being janked up could have some effect on how well Stiddlepord ‘runs’.

6. What do the ‘side effects’ of Product start to look/feel like in the victims? Like we know what the memory gun’s side effects look like in action because of that supercut of Fidds decent. And can partial brain function eventually be recovered like with the memory gun? Or is Pyramid Steve eventually just puppeting a corpse until it starts to decompose?

7. Uhhhhh. Can I write fanfiction. Of this au.

Anyway this ask is way too long, I know, but if I write fanfiction on this I want it to be lore accurate and not just my own thing, and it’s such a cool au!!! I crave more!! More of the unstable divorced man ‘possessing’ the other unstable divorced man!! Amazing!!

HELLO HELLO! Thank you for being so interested in this silly AU!! Okay I'm going to sit down and properly think about all of this!

Fun fact! If Ford refers Bill as My Muse, Fidds refers Steve as My Elixir ;)

What is Pyramid Steve getting out of making these deals?

As opposed to Bill and his love for physical pain, Steve craves mental and emotional misery. Like a parasite feeding off the psychological pain they are experiencing, that's why his aim is to ruin their lives even more, kicking his customers when they are already down.

Bill and Steve are not allies. In fact Bill HATES Steve's guts. They are aware of each other, Fidds is not aware that Ford has Bill, Ford is not aware that Fidds has Steve, but they both know something is off about the other.

Hypnotized Fiddlesteve would change the maths of the Portal blueprints that Possessed Billford spent hours making the day before, hilarity ensues ❤️

2. Is he helpful at first?

You put it perfectly into words! If the Memory Gun was a metaphor for Alcohol, Steve is straight up a metaphor for Drugs. Sure, it can work at first, makes you feel productive, fills you with energy, eases your worries and is a distraction. But how long does that take before things start getting out of hand? First week, Steve helps you with EVERYTHING. He finishes all of Fidds' tasks in less than a day, Ford praises Fidds' efficiency, Fidds is literally on cloud nine! He needs to call that weird guy again. He needs to keep this going. But then as time goes on, things get a bit weird, the maths aren't adding up, things are tense between Ford and him and he doesn't know why, uh oh, he needs help! He needs His Elixir. He will make everything right. (Spoiler: things start to go downhill from there)

3. Does he make the humans he controls also eat Copper Wires?

A picture is worth a thousand words ;)

4. What do you imagine being hypnotized feels like to Fidds (the first few times before he starts going brain dead)?

I think he does black out sometimes when Steve takes over without any warning, but when Fidds willingly reaches out to Steve I'm guessing it feels like when Mable ate that expired candy. Just pure vibes!

5. Does Fidds already being pretty into the ‘beginnings of permanent brain damage’ stage of memory gun use have any affect on Steve’s ability to hypnotize/control Fidds?

It just made everything easier! You see, Steve's perfect customers are those who are "weak-minded". Hypnosis wouldn't work on those who are strong-willed. It would just wear off after some brief time, or they would just turn down Steve's offerings. That's why Fidds is so easy to manipulate. In fact, Steve's hypnosis will end up causing even more brain damage to the victim in the long run. Fidds' brain will begin to atrophy and his nervous system will start to collapse.

6. What do the ‘side effects’ of Product start to look/feel like in the victims?

While not under hypnosis, the victim can experience: Brain Atrophy, photosensitivity, seizures, increased paranoia, hallucinations, weight loss, isolation (Steve would push away everyone), drowsiness, random twitches, memory issues, inability to perform everyday tasks and decisions... I'm currently designing Old Man Fiddlesteve and it's making me so unbelievably sad by just staring at him...

Can partial brain function eventually be recovered like with the memory gun? Or is Pyramid Steve eventually just puppeting a corpse until it starts to decompose?

Both! There are two ways to stop Hypnosis: the victim's mind becomes somehow "strong" enough to get rid of hypnosis, or Steve could just let that victim free because it reached a point in life in which everything is already so messed up that it hit rock bottom, becoming brain-dead and not useful.

If you get rid of hypnosis in the early stage, it's easier to regain control of your life. If, like Fidds, you've been under hypnosis for decades, it would take A REALLY INTENSE treatment to regain AT MOST 45% of the original brain potential. Since it was a coping mechanism stronger and more aggressive than the Memory Gun, your brain will suffer so many side effects and the atrophy can only heal until a certain point. Fidds can't catch a break in any AU I fear...

7. Can I write fanfiction. Of this au.

YESS i'd love to read it!! My "lore-accurate" tip is to just follow the canon, but with Fidds hiding Steve from Ford the same way he hid the memory gun from him. (The memory gun is still part of this AU tee-hee). Just four divas having intense beef with each other. Fiddlesteve was the perfect excuse to come up with more Fiddauthor toxic angst :>

As you can see I will try to share some of his lore by using Computer entries (and Journal entries to show Ford's POV) but you can just take creative liberties since everything is a huge WIP, or you can DM me your thoughts! <3

[snowzing1]

Inspire- or (?)based on(?), highly related(???) to the fanfiction Why? by UnseenReader on Ao3

I just think about that ending and smile

I completed this in a single day and it turned out better than I expected or had hoped for. And since I've done such little art as of late, it got me feeling really good so. Yay I guess

Seems like a piece to redraw in a few years, honestly

[allthedamnlove]

AQUAMARINE: RAFE CAMERON X SOFIA FANFICTION: CHAPTER 1

Wordcount: 4k words

Prologue

Radio for this chapter:

18 MONTHS AGO

Sofia's POV

I, Sofia Ramirez, never really thought that in my twenty years of life would end up as a bartender in a fuck all country club where I hear gringos talk about stuff that doesn't even matter at the end of the day. Every time I go near a table to get their finished “whiskey neat” “Old fashioned.” cocktail glasses with fingerprints imprinted as if they were on a crime scene, I have invented a guessing game of “What are these greasy old white men talking about?”

I have a set of permutations and combinations: 

How much will this deal pull through?

Man, crazy that those Pogues own that land; we should get a lawyer to annex the shit out of it.

My wife has been slacking, man. Not fucking me good anymore or worse, says, “I’m not in the mood.”

God, I need a drink. Or a cigarette

If it was women, it would go like 

Ohhh! I really want that new Van Cleef, but Daddy ended up buying that Cartier bracelet for me.

Ugh, bestie!!! I wanted that new Rhode smoothie, but there are no fuckass cute cafes, even on the Kook side.

I think my boyfriend’s cheating on me (this is valid, and they probably deserve to run men through a tar road)

Girl, I need a drink.

First world problems, lemme tell you.

You might ask, what about me then?

Well, I wait tables around here, as you probably would have known. I also bartend if the boss asks me to. And I clean the floor and the tables and sometimes take care of the register.

At this point, I am running this bar like the Navy, but nobody wants to talk about it.

Is the pay worth it? Nope, absolute-fucking-not. I work for nearly nine hours a day and get paid only two and a half dollars per hour. I don’t get extra sick days except for the allotted 12 days a week, and half of the tips go to the owner officially….wink. And I smell like yeast every day after my shift.

Yay. I am so happy.

 Bullshit.

At least I get to see mid to okayish-looking white men. Occasionally, other races, but hey, who am I fooling here? Most of the people frequenting here have zero percent of melanin. 

It was a slow day at the pristine country club, with its tall false ceilings and fancy glass upholstery and lighting, a huge white marble counter encircling the veranda with shell white and pastel green chairs and tables fit snugly on the granite floor which I clean every day that I see my own reflection. 

Which I am doing right now. 

My feet were gliding on the slippery wet floor as I saw myself scrubbing the white tile which was stained with “your finest Bloody Mary please!”  the blood-red stain laughing in my face. I am tired and exasperated and I need a drink. That I didn’t make with my own hands. I looked up as the summer breeze made my stray hairs encounter my eyes; my vision blessed with one of the most picturesque sunsets I have ever witnessed after settling in Outer Banks. The golden Sun was muted orange now, glistening as the white tufts of clouds were colored inside by the marine blue sky. For a moment then, everything felt right.

“SOFIA, GO DOWNSTAIRS TO THE INVENTORY AND GET ME A BOTTLE OF THAT OLD RUM”

Spoke too soon. 

I turned towards the source of the source and there he was, my boss.

Benjamin Alexander Portridge. Long name. I know. Everyone around the town calls him Mr. Portridge. But all of us working in the bar called him Benny Bitch behind his back. He is the textbook definition of a schmooze. Five feet tall, unnaturally thin with his pinstripe pants and suit and an eerie gold pin with a bear engraved on it resting on his breast pocket that he wears every day like a magician at a circus, if you are a Kook with some cha-ching on your purse he would snag, grab and treat you like you are his next wife or something. He would “warmly” welcome you with a “Good evening, gentleman. How can I help you?” with him trailing over them like a hawk. Then he would sweet-talk them, talking about “da birds and da bees” and switch over like a chameleon; slowly collecting all the dirty laundry of Kooks who smile and make small talk with him. 

It's too bad he doesn’t air it out to us. He just zooms around and pierces you with his look while you’re pouring drinks and most importantly when we collect money, his snake eyes follow the line of money. And he screams out orders when no one is around. 

I wobbled and carefully stood on the floor, slowly placing the “Don’t Walk, Slippery Floor” sign, I saw a fuzz of blonde walking right into the area, her hot pink headphones bobbing along with her strawberry blonde bob, navy blue skirt swaying as she strutted with no care. I can hear Ayesha Erotica blasting through her phone.

“MISSY, DON’T WALK INTO THE WET FLOOR”

“WHAT, SOF, WAIT, OH-”

Her right foot dramatically went up in the air while she scrambled to keep her weight steady for a hot minute, failed miserably, and fell with a soft yet powerful THUD.

“OW!” she let out a small yelp as she was rubbing her bruised hands on her uniform, her butt still planted on the wet floor. I slowly walked near her, careful not to fall flat on my ass, helping her stand steady and taking her near to the bar counter. 

“Sofia, girl why didn’t you tell me you were cleaning? Oh, my ass, my ass.”

I threw my head back, exasperated. I literally put up a sign that wrote “SLIPPERY FLOOR” in black, bold letters” in front of her eyes. And I told her exactly that.

“Missy, look in front of you, there is a sign called ‘WET FLOOR’”

“Fine. I heard Benny Bitch call for something, that’s why I came back from my cig break” she said in her airy voice, dusting off any ashes from her white polo uniform. Lia “Missy” Robinson is a character, alright. A loud, boisterous, chain smoker, changes her hair color based on the weather (this is true, she even explained her mechanism once on a break) and is a “proud Gemini” because “Gemini’s are crucified everywhere and I, for one, think that’s bullshit” (her words, not mine), Missy was the first person I met when I came to work here in the fine establishment (I am baring my molars when I am saying this, by the way) of Pelican Bay Country Club (I mean who even names a club like that?) two months ago at Outer Banks. Benny told me that I needed a mentor when I started out and he “appointed” Missy, (whatever that’s supposed to mean) and all she did was, flick her cigarette on the floor and said 

“Olives may be stale but those idiots don’t know that so don’t hesitate to give them that. If anyone comes at you for making the drink wrong, just put extra tequila on it. If a fight happens, see if they start to punch each other and if you see blood, then call Benny. And if you want to smoke, there’s a basement room right next to the inventory. Finally, welcome to hell. And I like the bangs. Keep it.” she motioned towards my hair.

She’s cool and doesn’t take shit from anyone which I like since sometimes my shy self can get flustered whenever some customers get a bit unsavory and try saying, “I CAN NOT BELIEVE WE ARE LETTING POGUES TO MAKE US DRINKS, YOU ARE SHIT AT EVERYTHING YOU DO” 

“No, he asked me to get rum from downstairs.”

“Well damn, I fell on my ass for nothing then. It’s fine, I’ll go get it for you. I came all the way from sexting my neighbor for this, might as well make myself useful.”

Oh, I forgot to tell you, Missy is synonymous with Too Much Information. 

Even though I really don’t want to go to the basement for the tenth time today, I am a bit unsure about letting a “butt-hurt” Missy get hurt again or worse, get her hands cut by dropping the bottle.

“Are you sure, Missy? I don’t mind”

“Positive”

“Ok, then….but take the one from the top shelf. Otherwise, I’ll be the one staying late having another “mixologist” revision.”

She struggled to get up from the barstool so I helped her up again and she ambled her way to the basement; leaving me alone with only Jeremy on the bar. He works with me on the counter during my shifts, we are not friends or even acquaintances but we just wave at each other and relay messages to each other during work.

That’s the definition of a colleague. And I just realized that. 

It’s not that I don’t want to be alone with him, it’s just that it gets so awkward when we are alone in between shifts or when cleaning the place. He doesn’t know anything about me and I don’t know anything about him except the fact that he owns a pet tarantula named “Gary” from some crocodile hunter in “Animal Planet” (he mentioned it to me when an old Kook spotted a spider outside the club and screamed, “OH MY GOD, THERE ARE BLOOD SUCKING HEATHENS HERE!!! I AM NEVER COMING BACK TO THIS CLUB.”)

And it’s way too overdue to ask him about his life and vice versa. So we just work in silence or I blast my headphones high to avoid the tension. There’s no such thing as comfortable silence when you’re with people. 

Begrudgingly, I passed by the uniformly arranged chairs and made my way to the lockers located way inside, past the attached kitchen which serves “elevated bar food” in the evenings. As I went inside the stuffy room resembling the gym locker room minus the stench with its seafoam green walls, I saw my other “colleagues” and janitors standing in pairs of two to four, gossiping and applying light makeup to their faces. Their heads swiveled towards me as I came in, everyone collectively saying “Hi, Sofia” and then going on with their lives. After chirping in a squeaky “Hello!” back, I reached my locker, its rusty blue door littered with photos of all the people I hold close to my heart: a family photo of my mamá and papá standing in front of a cathedral in Mexico; that was them on their wedding day; an old photo of my abuelas posing with my thirteen-year-old self wearing a baby pink tutu and a polaroid of my two hermanas Isabella and Alejandra and my brother Theo smiling at the camera holding our cat, Mishmish. I smiled looking at their pure laughs spilling from the photo and opened my locker, taking out my face wash and towel from my cherry-red handbag.

I gave up a lot for them. It doesn’t mean it stopped hurting when I stopped dreaming but the fact that I am able to help my ma put food on the table or at least try to lessen her burden is more than enough for me. All I can do is get through every day, hoping that I can stop surviving and start living. 

My introspections got cut off as my ears caught onto two waiters gossiping in the common washroom, my eyes closed and hands automatically washing off the suds of my face as I half-heartedly listened to them. 

“No way he is back”

“Yes way, Tammy told me that she saw Rafe Cameron at Tannyhill when she was walking Mrs. Daisy’s dog”

Oh, I have heard of him. 

Rafe Cameron. 

I vaguely remember his dad’s name coming up on the news some time ago or maybe my dad told me about him sometimes passing in a random conversation. The notorious Kook Prince. Never seen him though. I only know of him through other’s opinions of him and safe to say, that nobody likes him. Not from what I heard anyway. 

“Oh, but his dad is dead and he and his family disappeared off the face of the Earth and now he’s back…after two months…that’s suspicious as fuck”

“You know him, that cokehead must have done something. Too bad, looks hot as fuck but truly a wasted potential”

I wanted to eavesdrop more but then stopped myself. I have a shift in ten minutes and I hate inserting myself in other people’s business and plus I don’t want to hear Katya talk about her periods as she stopped talking about drama altogether. Who knows, maybe I’ll see this infamous guy one day and see for myself if he’s “fuckable or not” (again, not my words)

Oh, if only I knew. 

*****************

The club was packed tonight in spite of its spacious open space floor; a sea of beiges, pastel shades, and tan pants flooded my senses; my eyes and feet dizzy from the dim lighting and my feet haphazardly dancing on the granite, palms barely holding onto the huge wooden plates containing a plethora of drinks and poisons of all sorts: you name it, I have it my hand and I’ll probably drop it on some Kook’s head if I don’t get a break. 

Such is the life of an underpaid bartender. God, I need to go home. 

Exhaustion pushed me as I slowly went inside my safe space, on the other side of the counter. I mean, it’ll still hurt but I don’t have to look like a circus elephant running on a ball when I am just pouring drinks and manning the counter. Jeremy came barrelling towards me, sweat and all silently screaming, “You take care here, I’ll go serve the drinks”

I gotta hand it to him, no matter the awkward glances. He’s running this place like Benny is going to give him the keys to the bar next Saturday. And I respect him for that. Everybody calls him a weirdo but he’s always been reliable to the T. Helping me with the accounts, serving customers at lightning speed and sometimes he stays until I leave my shift which I always felt was sweet. Or maybe it’s creepy and I still don’t know how to take cues from strangers. But all I said was a small, “Okay!”

So here I am, serving the nth Long Island Teas to a throng of women adorning body-con dresses chatting up about the next big party happening in the Bahamas and how they should totally look up all the restaurants in the cruise. The back of my hand swept across my sweaty forehead, a pristine fake smile plastered on my face, and deftly moved my shaker as I made another Cosmo for another customer. My hands were gangly, ready to give out but I kept saying “Just 30 mins more, just 30 mins” like a mantra as I broke the ice from the icebox into a perfect rectangular cube, dropped it on the sherry glass and swiftly poured the drink from my shaker and twisting an orange peel on the rim of the glass, my hands shaky as I gave the drink to the lone woman scrolling Instagram chirping, “One Cosmo Ready”

As she graced me with a polite smile, I recognized that the bar rush slowed down; leaving with only a bunch of people standing around. My lungs caved in peace, and finally some rest. 

Or so I thought. 

You know the infamous trope where your eyes meet someone, you know that they are going to change your life forever, well I felt that was an anomaly, maybe it’s true but I feel that’s just attraction you know, or infatuation, but life-changing?

I don’t thi-

I didn't meet the love of my life in some grand fashion, like dancing in the rain or dropping my books onto his feet or the classic colliding on each other’s shoulders. I met him as I was dying my hands on a dish towel, hearing a loud call from a distance screaming, “RAFE CAMERON IS BACK BABY”

I turned around and there he was in his six-foot glory, the man I knew from whispers. 

Rafe Cameron. 

He walked over languidly, with Topper Thorton hand’s resting on his bicep like a loose branch; his arms and entire body swinging as he welcomed his supposed friend with loud, rumbling cheers. Topper was clearly inebriated or the folks say, pissed as hell.

But the first thing my eyes caught on about Rafe Cameron was his eyes. 

They were eerily blue. 

No, not just blue.

They were Aquamarine. 

The pair walked over my direction, to the counter, Rafe sporting a small smile as his unsteady feet went back and forth, his mouth mumbling nonsense as he stopped right in front of my eyeline. Now that I can see him in all his entirety under the blinding warm lights, my brain conjured so many miniscule details about this perfect stranger like the small mole on the back of his left palm, the million freckles that littered his face, short blonde buzzcut ending just inches from his nape, broad shoulders sporting a navy blue and white checkered shirt, grey linen pants with those black Oxford’s; the smell of cigarettes and fresh mint gum on his breath, fingers drumming up on the marble counter in a non-uniform staccato; aquamarine eyes holding a tornado of emotions that I can’t even grasp. And that damn head tilt he graced me as he said to me, 

“Hi, can I get an old-fashioned?”

Fuck, Naya was right. He looks gorgeous. 

“Coming right up” Now that I think about it, I didn’t even recognize that my voice reached that high when I squeaked that response.

He just smiled at me, nodding in understanding. I tried to be nonchalant, not making eye contact as my body mechanically reached up to the whiskey cabinet behind me. As I tipped over to reach the Jack Daniels Bottle, I could physically sense his eyes on me, scrutinizing my every move. My stance faltered, hands more shaky than usual as I gripped the glass bottle with all my strength, moving right back to my initial position. I can mix an old-fashioned in my sleep at this point, but for some reason, I was not feeling my mojo today. Instead, my feelings were having an out-of-body experience of being…shy for no reason. As I bent down the counter to get the muddle, I heard him say, 

“I have never seen you around here before, you new here?”

I shot right back up, muddle in my left hand and my heart in my other. 

“Umm...depends on how you define new. I started working here around two months ago.” I replied, trying not to meet his eyes. 

“Oh ok, then you are new here. I haven’t been here for three months so yeah, that’s why I didn’t recognize you….Miss?”

He was nearly crowding the counter now, hands on the marble and his face fairly near mine. His eyes wandered to my chest and I was going to have a heart attack at that very moment. Then I realized what he was doing. 

He was looking for my name badge. The badge I forgot to wear today. 

Shit.

“Sofia” 

“Well, Sofia, I am sure that you know my name…” 

Of course. The cokehead, fuckup, nepo-baby of Outer Banks. Bad News. But I didn't tell him that. I just played along with him.

“Oh, I mean I have heard about you but I don’t know for sure if that’s what your name is…I don’t wanna presume, you know”

He was full-on smirking now, “No, no, tell me what you think my name is, I don’t mind being misnamed” 

I tilted my head a bit, putting my fingers on my face, feigning deep thought, “Is it…Ralph, or Rocky or I don’t know, Ryan?”

His mouth went agape and his hands clutched his chest laughing, “Nope, I think you know my name, and by the way, do I even look like my name would be Ryan? God, that would be a disgrace” 

“Sorry, Mr. Rafe. I thought you looked like a Ryan. My deepest, most sincere apologies for the wrong assumptions” I was measuring the bitters now and pouring it into the drink. 

“Hmm…apology half accepted ‘cuz I’ll see if I wanna grant you my full apology after I judge your drink” 

I let out a breathy chuckle as I broke the ice, again, gently stirring the drink, “We’ll see” 

His attention was centered on me now, his focus zeroing on my hands and the way they twisted the single lemon peel around and twirled it on the rim of his glass. I was trembling inside, hoping to God that he wouldn’t catch my countenance stumbling and falling under his gaze. With steady hands and a frenzy heart, I gave the whiskey glass to the blue-eyed man, his hands feathered over my fingers as he took it from me. My hands felt a zap as if I touched lightning with my fingertips. His fingers were not baby-soft like most Kooks since their palms have never touched anything that makes them sweat or even work. His fingers were slightly calloused, my hands feeling the slight ridges of skin peeling off just from a moment of touch.

Fuck, why am I hyper-ventilating. 

This feeling is so unlike my usual range of emotions about Kooks from passivity to anger to slight envy about their riches, shiny gold watches, and their airiness about life that comes with money. And he is the wealthiest of them all. It’s not like my heart is beating like I need to marry this guy tomorrow rather like a wave of curiosity and a lick of infatuation encasing like no other. 

The side of his mouth turned to a slight smicker as he downed the first gulp of my drink, faking a deep thought for a minute as he replied, “Not bad, Ms.Sofia. Not bad at all.”

I was trying to look busy, looking at the blank screen of the bar computer and clicking any buttons as I said, “Told you. Now, can you apologize? Mister Rafe…”

“Cameron. And I do apologize Miss Sofia…?”

I still don’t remember why I said that whacky reply as I looked straight up at stuttered, “Cameron”

Now why did I say that? He was full-on smiling now, clutching the glass in his hands as he said, “Sofia Cameron, sounds like I should have known before ‘cuz you have my last name too.”

I was fumbling so badly, “NO, NO. It’s Ramirez. I’m Sofia Ramirez”

He was slowly shaking his head as he extended his hand to me, “Ok then, Sofia Ramirez. I take your apology in full payment. Shake on it?”

I looked around from side to side, hoping that Benny Bitch wasn’t near me as my hands snaked onto his for a firm handshake, feeling his rough yet delicate hands on mine. Fuck, I need to calm down. 

I was crashing out as I chucked, “You know this is bullshit right. What are we even doing right now?”  

“I don’t know, I thought I was trying to chat up the new bartender of the country club.”

“Well, you should stop 'cause my shift ends in like” I glanced at my imaginary wristwatch as I said, “Now. It’s nice to meet Rafe but I gotta clock out. Hope you have a good night…drinking.” 

He turned around while sitting on the barstool, raising his glass in response, “I will, Miss Sofia. Good night”

As I rushed towards the small outdoor from the counter with my satchel in clutch and my battered white Keds hot on the floor, I could feel Rafe’s eyes hovering over me, gazing at every movement I made, every breath I took. I felt pink with all this attention on me. 

I practically sprinted my way to the main reception as I went up to Maria, the receptionist; signed my name on the register, and reached my beat-down cherry-red Pontiac, Betty. I shut the car door so fast, that my stray hair went flying up to my eyes. God, this is the second time this happened today. 

The car roared to life, as I put my feet on the gas; the radio blasting a random tune. I cranked it up high, not really ready to ruminate over everything that just materialized minutes ago. I heard a pop song playing on the FM, not knowing what specific song it was 

“A very humble apology to talk mid-song but I just wanted the very good evening to all the lovely Outer Banks listeners, this is Bianca Richardson from XOXO FM 207.34. On this fine Wednesday night, I wanna call all the Swifties to sing along to this fine-ass tune so enjoy listening to Gorgeous by my favorite, Taylor Swift”

I hate the cruel play of time. 

“Ocean blue eyes 

Looking in mine

I feel like I might 

Sink and drown and die”

As the song went with only the late July breeze keeping me company, I was naively unaware that my life completely changed that night. As I caught a glimpse of the coastline beside the straight road through the side view mirror, my mind lingered on the color of the waves crashing on the beach. 

They were as blue as his eyes.

***************

Chapter 2

Author's Notes:

HEYYO, Long time no see!!! I am so sorry for the very late update. Life kicked me several times so I needed a long nap. Well here we are, with the first official chapter of the fic. Please please let me know how's the chap cuz I want to improve my writing as much as I can.

By the way, l wanna switch pov's and see what works best but for this one, I chose Sofia's pov. AGAIN LIKES, COMMENTS AND REBLOGS ARE SO SO APPRECIATED, but seriously every time you guys say anything I genuinely feel fireworks in my heart, thank u for your support.

This is just the beginning, you guys are in for a LONG RIDE. I am taking an hour every day for this fic so I'll be trying to update the next chapter as soon as possible even though I am very tight with college and life.

Byeee. Love youuu :)))))))))))

Please lemme know if you wanna be on the tag list.

[bellofthemeadow]

Dawn ends the Night

Aemond Targaryen x Dayne!Reader

Rating: M for Mature (18 + no minors allowed)

Word Count: 2.8K

Warning: All warnings on the Series Masterlist, will update if necessary (Re-iterating, no minors allowed! Thank you)

Chapter Summary: As a newly woman grown, you learn of your fate as a woman in a men's world.

Notes: Guess who's back? Back again?! I AM BACK (again)!

Hello everyone, I'm thrilled to announce that I'm back! 🎉 After a brief hiatus due to my final undergraduate semester (which I just completed this past Monday – yay!), and amidst the hustle of graduate school applications, I'm finally able to return to writing.

I'm incredibly excited to embark on a brand-new series with you all. I've recently tumbled down the HOTD rabbit hole, and my obsession with Aemond Targaryen knows no bounds! 🐉 I assure you, my other fanfictions haven't been forgotten. I'm currently working on them and, with the festive season around the corner, I look forward to dedicating more time to writing and establishing a more consistent posting schedule.

Your support means the world to me and I love you all so so much💖 Feel free to reach out if you have any special requests, ideas, or if you'd just like to chat. I'm always so happy to connect with mutuals!!! Love you all

Taglist: (None yet)

Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Prologue - The Ghost of Starfall

All your life, your father had assured you that you would marry into the Martel family, destined to reign over Dorne like the ancient Dayne kings of the Torentine. But these plans shifted when Quoren Martell welcomed his daughter, Aliandra, who was destined to become the future Princess of Dorne and Lady of Sunspear. And although the Dornish were much more unrestrained than their counterparts on the continent, you were quite certain that they would not accept you becoming the princess’ consort. Two women officially ruling Dorne? Even that would be a bit too radical for the love-loving Dornishmen.  

After his plans to make you the future ruling princess of Dorne fell through, your father started to envision a different future for you. You could still vividly recall nights spent perched on his knee, gazing up at the starlit sky. The cool desert breeze caressing your skin as you looked on in awe, your father's voice weaving tales of the grand life awaiting you as the Lady of Starfall. Those few precious moments, however, faded into memory with the arrival of your 13th birthday and the birth of Gerris. That misty morning marked a shift in everything when your brother came into the world screaming his little lungs out marked the end of your future as the Lady of the Dawn. As although Dorne's inheritance laws, shaped by Nymeria and the Roynar, endorsed absolute primogeniture, the stony Dornish your kin, those with deep roots in the First Men and the Andals, still favored the firstborn son. Technically, you knew you could challenge this tradition. You had the right, the means, and perhaps even the support of Qoren Martell to retain your birthright. 

Yet, as you watched your father, his eyes brimming with wonder and joy at the sight of his newborn son, a decision settled quietly within 13 years old you. And with a heavy heart but resolute spirit, you chose to step aside. You withdrew silently, without protest or fanfare, setting aside your claim for the love of your family. And as the years passed you by, you found yourself amid whispers and wishes for Gerris who was still but a babe, to inherit the revered honor of your house — the title of “Sword of the Morning," a symbol of unmatched valor and prestige among your kin, that only the braves and more chivalrous could inherit. Each mention from the courtiers was a poignant reminder of your own path, not as a son of House Dayne, but as its daughter. Not as the lady of the castle, but as its ghost, a ghost of better times, simpler times. But in quieter moments, you tried to find solace in the belief that there were other, perhaps more subtle, ways to serve and honor your family. You had read all that there was to read about rulership, about history and about philosophy and you knew that true power could manifest in a myriad of forms, not solely in the strength of arms. As you gaze upon the intricate tapestry of your family's history, you knew that your role was no less significant and that you would radiate with your own bright light. 

But for you, whispers of Dawn or grand destinies were absent, their echoes replaced by a more pragmatic reality. In place of tales of great adventures beyond the narrow sea, the halls of Starfall began to fill with a different kind of anticipation. The noble houses of Blackmont, Toland, Uller, and even the Yronwood sent their envoys and heirs. This cavalcade of suitors, a stark contrast to the dreams of your future before Gerris’ birth solidified your new role within the walls of your father’s castle. It was a shift, subtle yet profound, marking both an end and a beginning. You were no longer the future ruling Lady of House Dayne; you were now a key figure in its political future. 

Duty became a familiar companion, yet melancholia was your closest confidante, a shadow that dimmed the brightest of days. This deep-seated wistfulness made entertaining suitors an arduous task and instead, you found solace gazing from the high castle walls, eyes wandering over the sandy mounds and the winding Torentine, over the stony mountains that cradled Starfall away from the continent's heart. 

There, atop those ancient walls, you would lose yourself in dreams, wrapped in the embrace of solitude. It was in these moments of quiet reflection that you yearned to be something more, something beyond the expectations set upon you. They began to call you the 'Ghost of Starfall'. An ethereal presence, haunting the corridors and ramparts, a spirit adrift in her own thoughts, her dreams unfulfilled and stretching endlessly before her. 

But to your astonishment, your father never sanctioned any betrothals. Representatives from Yronwood, Blackmont, and Uller came and went, each departing without a pledge from the enigmatic ghost of Starfall. You refrained from asking why, harboring a fear that your inquiry might prompt your father to reconsider, possibly sending you away from your beloved star-gazing haven to the austere castles of Uller or the strict Yronwood. 

After your father's latest refusal of a suitor — a young, landed knight from the Reach, his brown curls soft and eyes a mesmerizing blend of green flecked with gold — you looked at your father, filled with uncertainty. “He seemed kind father.” you softly whispered. You could imagine yourself marrying this man, with long lazy days spent gazing into his warm eyes. ��In response, your father rose from his starry throne and approached you, placing a gentle kiss on your brow. "My little star deserves more than a mere knight," he said softly. "I will find you a suitor worthy of the starry heavens, my sweet love." After this declaration, suitors ceased to arrive. 

Until this morning. 

In the dim pre-dawn light, your mother gently roused you, her movements quiet in the stillness before the castle stirred to life. With tender hands, she dressed you, her fingers weaving your hair into an intricate half-up updo, the lower strands cascading in soft curls. Her touch was soothing, almost melodic, as she adorned you in a gown of white and purple samite. Its gauzy sleeves fluttered ethereally, transforming you into the very ghost of legend whispered in the halls of Starfall. 

"Is it time?" you asked, a hint of apprehension in your voice, as she fastened a necklace around your neck, its purple stone shaped like a star glimmering softly. 

In lieu of a direct answer, she pressed a kiss to your forehead, her lips whispering a silent prayer. "Come, my sweet girl," she murmured softly into your hair. "Today, you must be strong." Hand in hand, she led you towards your father’s personal solar, each step resonating into the stillness of the morning.  

As you and your mother stepped into the solar, a sense of confusion washed over you. Before you, your father and Prince Qoren Martell stood in hushed, intense discussion, surrounded by a sea of scattered papers. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they failed to notice your entrance, prompting a deliberate cough from your mother. 

"Ahem," she cleared her throat pointedly, breaking their focus. 

The two men spun around, their expressions shifting from concentration to surprise. Your mother regarded them with a mildly unimpressed gaze, her poise unshakable. 

"My lords, a touch of gallantry, if you please," she chided lightly, gesturing towards you. 

As their eyes found you, you executed a graceful curtsy, the fabric of your gown whispering against the floor. Prince Qoren's face broke into a broad smile at the sight. 

"No need for such formality, my dear," he chuckled warmly. "Look at you, outshining the stars themselves! Fortunately, you've inherited your mother's beauty and not your father's," he teased, his eyes twinkling with mirth. 

A blush crept across your cheeks at his words. "Thank you, Prince Qoren," you replied shyly, "Your flattery is most kind." 

"It's not flattery if it's the truth, my dear," Prince Qoren Martell retorted with a playful wink. A heavy silence then descended upon the room, enveloping your parents and your distinguished guest, the great prince of the lands you called home. You felt like an unwitting participant in a jest whose punchline you didn't know, the unwitting fool in an unspoken joke. Yet, no laughter broke the silence. Compelled by your uneasy curiosity, you posed the question that hung unspoken in the air. 

"The journey from Sunspear must have been arduous, my Prince. We are honored by your visit," you began, your voice steady. "May I inquire as to the urgency of your need for me this early, and why the esteemed Prince of Dorne would grace us with his presence?" 

"Your wit matches your beauty, Lady," Prince Qoren replied with a sincere smile. "I've traveled from my home to discuss a certain missive, one that concerns both your father, yourself and the future of Dorne." 

"I gather this missive must be of great import to summon me before even the servants begin their day," you ventured, a hint of steel in your voice. "It seems a matter of secrecy." 

"Indeed, my daughter," your father interjected. "We've received a proposal regarding your hand in marriage." 

"And who might this suitor be, that his proposal warrants Prince Qoren's personal involvement?" you asked, your eyebrow arching with skepticism. 

"As your father's dear friend and as someone who has always taken a keen interest in your future, my Lady, all of Dorne has its eyes on you," the prince answered, meeting your gaze. 

Your skepticism remained. "So much so that it necessitates a journey from Sunspear?" 

Your mother, sensing the rising tension, interjected softly, "Come, sit with us, my dear." As you took your seat, your father tenderly grasped your hands, planting a soft kiss upon your knuckles. "The Dragons have expressed interest in you," he revealed, his voice laced with a mixture of pride and concern. 

Your breath hitched at the mention of 'Dragons.' There was only one house in all of Westeros and beyond that was associated with the winged fire breathing beasts. Starfall knew more than anyone else the dangers of their fire and of their wrath. 

Prince Qoren clarified, "This request likely originated from Otto Hightower. Our spies from the capital suggest the Greens are maneuvering for the throne. With old Viserys nearing his end, they're placing their pieces on the cyvasse board. Hightower may be a contemptible leech, but his cunning is undeniable." He stroked his dark beard thoughtfully 

But why would Otto Hightower want me?" you asked, your voice tinged with a mix of confusion and urgency. "Dorne isn't even part of their kingdom! We've aligned with the Triarchy and have been opposing the dragons since their arrival on our shores." The plea in your voice was evident as you looked over your parents and your prince, who stood unmoving yet deep in thoughts.  

"That is precisely why Otto Hightower is interested – not just in you, but in Dorne," Qoren Martell explained gravely, looking into your eyes. "We Dornish have a history of standing against dragons. We've never bowed, broken, or bent the knee. We know how to fight them, and we know hot to kill them. Now, Hightower wants our alliance to counter Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen's claim when they make their move for the throne." 

"But is Princess Rhaenyra not the legitimate heir? By Dornish law, she should be the future queen. If we were to engage in their politics, should we not we support the Blacks?" you questioned.   

"We might have aligned with Princess Rhaenyra," Qoren admitted with a hint of regret, "if not for her union with Daemon Targaryen. Remember the Stepstones? That debacle alone shows why it's dangerous for Daemon to wield any real power. He's not just a rogue; he's a warmonger." 

Qoren paused, weighing his words carefully. "Should Rhaenyra ascend the throne, Daemon would be right there, whispering in her ear. And let us be frank, he'd relish any excuse to launch an assault on Dorne, trying to conquer what Aegon the Conqueror couldn't. Whether it's for personal glory or just to satisfy his lust for war, it's a risk we cannot afford." 

A shudder ran through you at the thought of Dorne, bloodied and broken. Determined to prevent such a fate for your people, you asked in a subdued tone, "What is expected of me?" 

"Oh, my sweet girl," your mother murmured, enveloping you in a comforting embrace. "You are not obliged to do anything. If you wish, we will send Otto Hightower away with a message to shove his seven-pointed star straight up his arse, and we will stand against Daemon Targaryen if need be." she tearfully proclaim, her face in your hair.  

"You won't be forced into anything you're not willing to embrace. As for Otto Hightower, trust isn't a luxury I afford him as my experience with this man has taught me to be wary of his machinations. He is adept at playing the long game, and his latest maneuver is quite telling. By extending this proposal to your father and deliberately excluding me, he seeks to sow seeds of discord, perhaps hoping to weaken the unity that has long been our strength.His intentions, I surmise, are to draw you into the Hightower fold through marriage. Such a union could potentially sway Dorne's allegiance in the looming conflict for the Iron Throne."  

Pausing, Qoren looked out the window, then back at you with a solemn expression. "This is not merely a question of matrimony. It is a strategic move and our response will shape the future, not just for us, but for all of Dorne." 

You furrowed your brow in contemplation. "Why would we even entertain his proposal if his intent is to divide us?" you questioned. 

Prince Qoren's expression turned shrewd, cunning playing in his dark brown eyes"Precisely because we understand his motives. By accepting his offer on our terms, we control the game. It's like holding all the key pieces in cyvasse; we dictate the moves, and we can make the dragons dance to our tune." 

Your mind whirled, grappling with the enormity of everything they were telling you.  

"Consider carefully, my little star," your father said, "This decision rests in your hands. Whatever path you choose, know that we stand with you." 

"If I agree, may I set my own terms?" you asked softly.  

"Of course, my Lady," Qoren grants. 

"Accept Otto Hightower’s offer of marriage, tell him that we will aid him in his future conflict against Daemon Targaryen and the Blacks, but it comes with a non-negotiable stipulation: Dorne's independence is sacrosanct. We shall not yield to Targaryen sovereignty. Instead, we shall stand as allies, lending our support whilst retaining our autonomy. This, of course, hinges on your approval, Prince Qoren." 

Your mother's face registered shock. "But that would mean you'd be separating from Dorne, becoming part of their realm, no longer ours." 

“If it spares Dorne from being shackled by dragons, then I am willing to pay that price," you declared, feeling a shiver trace its way down your spine. With those words, you realized all that you were giving up. No longer would you be a daughter of Dorne; gone would be the nights spent stargazing from the ramparts, where stars seemed close enough to touch. You would miss the long walks on the ancient, stony steps, each one etched from the history of your ancestors. 

Gone, too, would be the fierce embrace of the desert sun in the mornings, its rays painting the sands in hues of gold and amber. You would yearn for the sweet scent of orange blossoms, a fragrance that always seemed to hold the very essence of your homeland. Instead, you would find yourself in the capital, and it would be there, in a place far from the lands that shaped you, that you would remain until the end of your days. 

My brave girl, stronger than any man in this land. A true Nymeria reborn," your mother said, her voice tinged with pride and sorrow. 

You mustered a smile, though it tasted bitter on your lips. "Nymeria was never bartered to a man she did not know. She carved her own destiny, fiercely and freely." 

"My girl..." your mother began, but you cut her off gently. 

"It's alright, Mother. I will fulfill my role to the end," you assured her, your voice steady, but your inside twisted uncomfortably. Who were you trying to convince, her or yourself? Your mother's breath hitched at your words, she closed her eyes holding you closer as if you would become a babe again, clutching at her skirts – not nearly a woman grown, ready to be delivered into the claws of the enemy.  

"Rest assured," your father added sternly, "If the dragons dare mistreat you, we will not shy away from invoking Joffrey Dayne's legacy and we will burn their city like their cursed beasts!” 

A pause hung in the air before you finally asked, "Who is it that Otto Hightower has in mind for me to marry?" 

"The King's second son, Prince Aemond Targaryen... the one-eyed prince.” 

Next chapter