#they call him kier for short so he can fit in

[mobwhim]

the WOMBATS 🎶🎸

[kissesfromnovalie]

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@readychilledwine

For the High Lady

Rhysand's generosity knew no bounds, not even when it came to sharing his mate with his brothers.

His, Yours, Mine

Finding out you were pregnant should have been the best news. It's too bad you don't know which of your three mates is possibly the father, though.

Mister Grumpy Pantseses

All you wanted was a day in the vegetable garden with your husbands. Your husbands just wanted to spend the day at each other's throats.

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Three Wishes

@tsunami-of-tears

Our girl

Deeming you unfit for a mission, the Inner Circle have betrayed your trust and shattered your life’s mission to avenge you sister. And the two males you love most were at the centre of it all.

@illyrian-dreamer

Just One Night

@danikamariewrites

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@throneofsapphics

the moth and the flame

after meeting Nesta in a bookshop, you find the darkest parts of yourselves bonding with each other.

infinitesimal

upset at your partners forgetting an important date, you run to one of your old haunts.

against the contract

If they were genuinely bad people, it would be so much easier to kill them. Signing a special contract to work with Azriel, Feyre, and Rhysand turns out nowhere near expected. You were a bit of fun that became their solace and escape, they were supposed to be an easy assignment that turned into your living nightmare.

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@potatoplace

Mastermind

Your friend of a few months, Feyre, invited you out for a celebratory drink over your new job, and of course her husband Rhys joins you. The night doesn't go quite as planned, and you end up back at their place with very few wits about you.

You Can Have It

You've been a baker for 75 years, and are finally moving on from the Winter Court to the City of Velaris to start your own bakery after your grandmother passes. After your grand opening, the High Lord and Lady of Night become daily visitors to your bakery for months, every day having your most popular pastry- one that increases fertility for a short time. All the while, the two alphas want nothing more than to call themselves yours.

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omega ours

@mrs-elsie-barnes

the daughter of day

@thatacotargirl

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@littlest-w01f

rita’s

Feyre is drunk, and the barmaid who opened her and her husband's tab that night looks sexier with every shot. Rhysand is more than willing to aid her drunken fantasy

Devine

Rhysand is getting older, and he, along with his general and spymaster, needs to claim an Omega before his Alpha instincts take control of him completely and he is rendered unfit to be a High Lord, lucky or unluckily for him, Kier has an idea.

Sensitive

Rhysand shows you he and his closest friends aren't put off by blood

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@azsazz

If You Should Die Before You Wake

The High Lord takes you home, but you don’t expect his friends to join.

Double Duty

They don't know if they both can fit.

What's Mine

Hear me out: alphas are super possessive anyway, but imagine high lord/future high lord - way more protective right? Especially in a scenario where there’s other ‘big bad alphas’ around e.g. other high lords at a ball, or at the court of nightmares

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all over my skin

You find yourself in an empty room between the High Lord and the Shadowsinger

@azrielbrainrot

ink stained hand (will you hold it?)

A bookseller’s simple life turns upside down when she becomes fast companions of the Night Court’s Inner Circle. When she develops feelings for the most powerful couple in Prythian, how will she get over the golden thread of fate that pulls them ever so far apart?

@paperibbon

Light in the Darkness

It wasn't just Rhys who had been caught in Amrantha's damnatation. For nearly 50 years, you'd suffered with him, in her bed. After years of enduring agony, it becomes almost impossible to resist seeking refuge in the platonic refuge of your High Lord and High Lady. However, after one night of drunken indulgence, you're left wondering if everything you've built to protect yourself is now shattered.

@myfictionaldreams

[myfriendcallsmeasickwoman19]

ONE OF THEM

I'm so late to the party. But here we are. My submission.

@irathgo @smellofsnoww @luna-rein

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

Keir walked towards the warehouse ready for his new role as Beanie. He's been on this for months and he probably got everyone to not really care for him. This place wasn't different from the others but this time he was aiming for a higher position other than being just a worker. He was aiming for something closer to the bosses but not too close he would have people watching him. He would just be a simple guard. Bodyguard is pushing things but he could try.

It was early morning and he could see the sun rising but the crescent moon still stayed up and the clouds were still multicolored. The cold bit into him and he was thankful for the large hoodie he had around him.

He walked over to the building saying his hello to one of the men at the front.

"Oh Beanie. How's it going kid?" Said the tall old man that always stood at the doors checking who went in and out.

Keir was starting small and here with this 50 something old, tall, short haired man is where he was stationed.

"Morning Vic. Boss here yet?" Kier asked, shaking as the chill still passed through.

He wished he could be inside with everyone.

"Nah kid you can keep your job you came earlier than all the big boys today."

Beanie shot up a triumphant fist. "yeah I'm the man."

Vic laughed at the kids' energy.

"If you keep this up I might have to call you boss." Vic remarked."seems I lost the bet kiddo."

"Nah Vic, I'd never be able to be your boss. It's just the respect, man. You've been here longer."

Vic chuckled and slapped Keir's back.

"I respect the sentiment, Beanie."

Beanie gave a laugh too then walked away and headed to sit in his little chair on the opposite side of the door.

It was a large door large enough to fit a truck through it. He sat on one end and Vic on the other. Soon this large door would welcome an influx of workers.

After probably an hour more people started showing up. Each of them in their overalls and ready to work in the faux factory.

One of them being a familiar face but he shouldn't show that.

Coming closer was a young man with dark hair and square glasses. His name tag read Benson but that, like Beanie, was a false name.

Theo walked past Keir not paying attention to him and just saying hello to Vic cause he walked at his side. Giving him his work card then Vic recorded it and he then walked in like any one of them.

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

At his lunch break Kier pulled away from Vic and went to the back. It's the only time he had to himself without interruption.

From the other end Theo came to him still in his work clothes.

"What did you find?" He asked, going straight to the point. Dropping the Beanie persona. Now that no one was around, Kier could drop the energetic eager act.

Theo will never get used to how fast this guy can switch his personality from whatever he needs to his usual tired apathetic self.

But he had to move on.

"I managed to steal a few products and you're right it's the same fake medication that the last warehouse sold." He reported.

Kier kept eating his sandwich nodding at what Theo said. Figuring out what he should do next.

"So there's probably a lot more. These two aren't the only ones." Theo concluded. That is what they came to find out anyway.

Theo clenched his fist at the conclusion. This means they keep swindling people acting like they offer quality medicine at cheaper prices when they are just fakes.

If he could burn this warehouse and all of them in it he would but had to hold back.

Taking care of one or two factories won't solve anything, others will just pop up. They needed to get to the top and cut off the head. Literally or not they don't care.

Theo was just here to confirm if it was the same drugs and talk to the patients affected at his job. Keir wouldn't have agreed to him joining if he wasn't useful in that way.

"So what do we do now,''Beanie ``?'' Theo asked, emphasizing the false name because the man still won't introduce himself to him.

"Wait for me." Keir told him then started packing up his silver lunch box and began walking away.

Sure Theo couldn't stand the guy with his bossy and dismissive attitude but he didn't have anyone to work with right now.

He didn't want to get Choolwe involved even though she seemed just as furious with the situation having been affected by it in her own way but he can't see her in danger.

He watched as Keir walked away, rolling his eyes as he turned to head back himself.

Keir turned on Beanie. Pulling a pretty satisfied smile on his face as he went back to his post.

"Well you seem like you had a good lunch." Vic pointed out.

Beanie gave a playful shrug with an innocent smile.

Then Vic saw Theo walk through the warehouse doors and he gave Beanie a look.

Keir had to pretty much keep it together as Beanie cause he knew Theo was supposed to use the other door.

The look Vic wasn't one of suspicion though and more suggestive.

"I see why it was a good lunch." Vic said, giving Beanie a suggestive side glance.

Keir immediately went back into character making sure not to crack in front of his workmate.

"Nah man that's not it. I mean he's not my type." He said pulling back Beanie.

"Ahh so you actually have a type?" Vic teased him.

"I know with how I say it, I sound like I don't have a type but Vic," he pointed at Theo."He isn't my type."

"My daughter had a person she assured me wasn't her type and now she and they have been dating for three years."

"Hey Vic I didn't tell you who I liked just so you could ship me with anyone."

"Plus." He added. "I want to be taken care of cause I work hard." He rubbed Vic's shoulder seeking some validation.

Vic shook his head.

"Go to your station, kid. I'm sorry I'll stop now."

"Leter Vic. I still enjoy our chats, man." He did a tiny finger gun then turned to walk to his station. Maybe he should turn down the eagerness.

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

That evening he was confused when Vic had him taken inside the warehouse. He usually just waits while Vic closes inside and he sits outside till he comes out then he chains the outside. Vic gets all the keys so he opens up the shop too. He's always early anyway. But he has a spare.

Plus he was uneasy because he didn't see "Benson" leave work today.

Vic didn't say anything as he led him to a room deep into the building he hadn't been in.

"Vic man. Uhm …. You're kinda scaring me. What's up with all the mystery dude? Isn't it closing time?"

Vic didn't say anything and that just made him even more nervous.

When they reached the door Vic opened the door for him and he told him to get in.

Beanie listened and walked into the room. He could hear Vic enter the small room with a few people he recognized. Most of them had higher ranks around the place.

His heart began to pound as they all stared at him. Did they figure him out already? He needed to find a way to get Theo out of here.

Vic suddenly touching his shoulder made him jump slightly.

He gave him a forced smile that was filled with Beanie's terror. Maybe he shouldn't drop the facade yet.

"I've been watching you kid." Vic said in a proud voice.

That just made his nerves worse.

"You …… you have?" He asked, shaking a little.

Vic nodded with a proud smile.

Beanie returned the smile though he was more fear ridden.

Before anything could be said the door opened behind them and he heard someone being dragged in.

In came Theo or no he was "Benson". His hands and feet were tied up and he tried but failed to break free from the two people holding him and he was gagged.

They stopped as they dropped him on the floor.

He simply looked up at them looking helpless at the large figures that towered over him and as he lay down.

Theo was suddenly taken away from everyone an hour before closing time. He was powerless against the strong people that held him and then he was led away and tied up until they brought him here again.

He doesn't know why they brought him but hopefully it was only him that they got. Maybe that guy can get away from here.

"Found this one snooping around. He also got a little something for himself the other day." One of the people said.

Keir didn't know what to do. He just simply kept thinking of ways to get everyone out.

"What's this got to do with me?" Beanie asked.

"Well Vic over there said you know him." The same person said. She was a pretty big woman who he saw guarding the inside.

"Woah woah. I don't know him and I told Vic that he and I were just a coincidence." He cut her off.

"Okay prove it." Another person said. He was on the other side right behind Theo.

Beanie swallowed dry saliva as he looked to Vic for a way out but he was in this too.

"Come on kid." Vic urged him. " You want to be one of us right? Prove it."

He put his hands on Keir's shoulders and moved him close to Theo. He left Keir's shoulders and bent down to Theo.

Then he grabbed a fistful of Theo's hair.

Theo cried through the gag.

He was already scared as he breathed heavily and as his terrified eyes tried not to look at Keir.

"So… um… What do you guys want me to do?"

Vic pulled down the gag.

Vic stood up then walked behind Beanie getting closer to his ear. "show him not to mess with us, kid. Make him scream."

It seemed Theo heard what they said or not and this time for the first time he looked up at Keir. Or he was looking at Vic.

"We could tell you to make him beg but apparently he doesn't speak English and screaming is more universal." The woman added grinning.

On que Theo pleaded in his father's tongue actually he was cursing them.

Each one of them returned her sentiment.

Keir nodded as he nervously strode closer then he bent down to Theo.

"I'm sorry. I don't want to do this."

Theo swallowed his fear then nodded.

"Come on kid we don't have all night. You going to show us what you got or not?"

One of them asked again, he didn't care to see who.

But with that remark he stood and kicked Theo in the gut.

Theo gasped as he felt the first hit and he felt the pain explode. He knew how strong that guy was and he could experience his force now.

But he had to stay strong even as tears flowed out.

The next kick came into his chest and he couldn't breath for a second. The next hit his jaw and his vision disappeared.

"Hold on hold on. This is no fun." One of them said cheerfully and he allowed himself to think he could be saved.

But then two hands forced him up on each side.

"Okay, continue." He saw who it was and it was the guy that was working with "Beanie"

He hoped it was an act because Beanie seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Yeah." Beanie said, smiling back at Vic.

Theo felt sick at the face in front of him.

Then before he could process it another hit snapped his face to the other side. He tasted the blood and let it drip out of his mouth freely.

Another hit and another and he was already feeling too tired to stay upright. He could see how the world seemed to blur and everyone doubled. Everything hurt and breathing wasn't getting easier.

He was finding it hard to keep his eyes open and lost count of the number of punches that kept coming through.

But he could hear the laughter and he could hear that guy amongst them.

"Tough one" one of them remarked.

He was slipping and only a hand slapping his cheek brought him back. Well barely.

"Come on, we're not done yet. I still haven't made you scream." Beanie said, bringing him back.

He pulled his head back and hit "Beanie" straight in the nose.

Beanie smiled. Red staining his teeth as he showed them.

Theo was sure but he saw a tear stream down and he maybe saw how much this pained him too.

"Maybe this will help, kid." One of the people around handed him a pool table stick.

Though he didn't want to, he had to take it.

Then he turned to Theo, finding it so much harder to keep up that smile.

Theo saw it. At that moment he realized that he was given a hint. He could stop this if he screamed. He stopped trying to hold it in.

Kier didn't take too long thinking about it and simply hit the thing behind Theo's back and Theo showed he understood as he let it out. A bone chilling scream that made Keir want to tear his ears off.

Good now he can stop, please . That has to be all now.

"Good one kid now one more." The woman said and he just wanted to push the thing down her throat.

He simply laughed. Then he remembered maybe there was a way to make them stop.

"I'm going to beat you so bad your own country won't recognize you." He raised his hand waiting for any of them to get his hint.

Thankfully one of them noticed and stopped them.

"Hold on. He might have to report to authorities once a while and if they notice his missing they might start looking." One of them pointed out and he literally thanked him for being here.

"Stop kid, that's enough.You've proved you can handle things. " Vic spoke up. "Just find a way to get him out of here."

With that all of them left him alone. The two men that held Theo up just let him fall down his body simply hitting the hard concrete.

"You're one of us now." Was Vic's final remark and Keir felt sick.

Theo looked up at him with bloodshot, tired, unfocused eyes. His glasses were long broken and he looked bloody everywhere. Keir had some of it on his body and fists.

With everyone gone Keir rushed over to Theo on the floor.

He pulled out a piece of cloth he kept in his pocket and he began cleaning the blood off Theo's face.

The shallow and painful breaths that came from Theo tore at his guilt. But at least he was alive.

He began lifting Theo up and leading him out of there. He at least needed to get him somewhere he could get uninterrupted rest and get better.

When he reached his car some meters away from the place. He drove him to his home.

There he had James treat him.

"Ah two bloody young boys today." James greeted them.

"I'm fine he's the one that needs your help." Keir placed Theo on the couch. He had passed out a while back and Keir was happy to not look at those unfocused, tired eyes.

James didn't feel like questioning it and just got to work.

Keir sat quietly as he worked. James' was used to him being silent but this just felt wrong.

Keir just sat there watching him work. Impatiently shaking his leg.

"He's not too bad." James said, trying to reassure the kid.

"Yeah sure." Kier said dismissively. He continued shaking his leg.

When James was done he stood up immediately.

"Can I move him?" Keir's impulsive question shocked James. What this boy needed was to lay down but he could still be moved.

"Yeah. But not too much."

"Good."Kier moved past James and gently scooped up the passed out Theo.

James didn't say anything, the kid seemed to be in a hurry to get that dude out.

He'll be back later, hopefully.

Keir reached Theo's apartment and called out his friend.

Choolwe walked out and he just walked into the place without a word. Leaving the worried and stunned Choolwe at the door.

"Make sure he gets enough rest." He instructed her and then just turned away.

Before he left he gave her some final remarks. "He'll be ok, there's a list of things he'll need and no hospitals. Also… I'm sorry."

She still wasn't given a chance to respond before he just slammed the door and left. This wasn't what she was expecting when he called and told her to go to Theo's place cause Theo needed her.

She just turned to her banged up friend.

She was worried and confused but thankful he was alright. Well mostly.

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

When he got home he didn't say a word and just walked into the bathroom. He slammed the bathroom door and threw off the bloody t-shirt and bloody jeans.

He started with washing his hands trying his best to get the blood off his hands. All the way up to his elbow.

He just wanted to get the whole thing off of him. Their laughter and his own laughter that he had to put up for them. Those sick bastards.

He scrubbed all of it off. Increasing his speed cause it just wouldn't get off. He felt disgusted. How could he do that for so long?

Get off get off get off.

He slapped himself with one hand then continued scrubbing.

"One of them," he said to himself. "I'm one of those bloody bastards." He hit himself again.

Again he returned to cleaning his hands.

He only stopped when James walked in and held back his hands.

"Hey that's enough Keir. It's okay kid. You're going to tear your skin off."

Keir looked at his hands in horror, not really paying attention to James.

"There's….. just so much….. so much blood on it. I….. can't….. can't get…. I can't get it off." He cried.

James pulled him close into a hug and rubbed his back.

"That's cause you keep tearing your skin off and using all my soup."

Keir just broke down further; he paid no mind to James Joke.

"I know those kinds of guys. I know how mean they can be."

Keir began to speak against what he said cause he still felt like it was his fault but his voice got caught in his throat as he failed to get his words out through the sobbing.

"Yeah yeah kid it's okay just let it out. Don't worry I patched your friend up.He'll be fine."

He held him until his tears ran out then he led him out of the bathroom.

Keir was silent and distant as James patched up his own self-inflicted wounds.

When he was done he brought Keir something small to have.

"Not hungry." Keir told him.

"Okay just have some tea to, don't know, calm you down." He suggested. "Also you need more fluids so you can make more tears."

Keir just gave him a side glance. James felt maybe he said something wrong there.

"Okay that last one wasn't as supportive as I thought it would be. Little insensitive, I'll admit."

Keir sighed.

"I'll have the tea."

"Good choice." He said with a smile. James always had that humor but he really worried for the kid. Today seemed very heavy.

He left to get the bloody clothes and threw them out. He definitely won't want those anymore.

He was happy to see it worked when he came back.

Keir was passed out on the couch. Half drank tea on the table.

He knew Keir enough to know he was going to push himself to the max because of this. He would just hurt himself more and find ways to get beat up.

He took him off the couch and led him to bed. This is better than finding him beat up in some alley.

James laid him down then tucked him in like a baby. That was his own humor or sentiment whatever you want to call it.

[livsoulsecrets]

Good to be home

This is my first time writing Kierarktina, hope you enjoy it! Missing them more than never. The story is located at the LA Institue.

--

Kieran feels like he can finally breath when he sees Cristina and Mark waiting for him in the Sanctuary’s doors. All the stress he had been feeling ever since he left the kingdom goes away when they run to him. They quickly become a mess of hugs and kisses, so many Kieran loses count.

— You’re here. You’re really here. — Mark whispers, his forehead touching Kieran’s.

— Just like I told you. — Kieran answers, Cristina’s hand resting in his heart.

The truth is that nothing would stop him from coming there, even if only for a few stolen hours while Winter took care of everything in the Unseelie Court. Helen and Aline were out for some well-deserved time off, leaving Mark and Cristina responsible for taking care of Dru and Tavvy for the weekend, with Julian, Emma and Ty away. It was a rare opportunity for them to be together without nothing else worrying them, just like in their cottage.

— Come on, let’s get inside, Dru and Tavvy are waiting for you. — Cristina says, offering her hand to guide him inside. He takes it.

They don’t let go of each other while entering the Institute, Cristina gladly leading the way to the kitchen, where she said the kids would be.

— Hey, guess who is finally here! — She announces once they enter the room, Dru and Tavvy sat down at the table, sharing a chocolate bar. Tavvy drops the candy immediately. Kieran laughs when Tavvy runs to entangle himself around his legs.

— Hello, Tavvy. — He kisses his head and the boy laughs, running back to Dru shortly after.

— Kier is back! — Tavvy says. Mark smiles down at his little brother and Cristina buries her face in Kieran’s shoulder, barely handling how much she had missed Kieran and his smile.

— Yeah, he finally is. — Mark adds.

— Hey, Kier. Seems like you have a fan. — Dru jokes. — Nice to see you, those two were going crazy waiting for you. They made us clean everywhere.

— Dru! Don’t be a snitch! — Mark called out, his checks growing red. Cristina barely suppressed a laugh.

— Well, we just wanted to make you feel welcome. — She defended herself.

— I really appreciate that. — Kieran said, his heart content. He had one arm resting against Cristina’s shoulder. He reached out for Mark’s hand and he held on tight.

— Okay, I already got it, we’re being the fourth wheel here! We will go watch some TV, since Julian is not here to regulate it.

— I’m here to do that. — Mark said, trying to be though, but his eyes didn’t leave Kieran’s for one second.

— None of us believes that, Mark. — Dru answered, taking Tavvy by the hand and disappearing through the door.

— Well, she is right about that. — Cristina says, grinning.

— Nobody believes me in here, thank the Angel you’re back to defend my honor, Kier. — He is still smiling, but Kieran just looks at him in confusion.

— What honor? I don’t think you have had that ever since you were sixteen...

Cristina laughs so much she needs to reach for the wall in order not to fall down. Mark just rolls his eyes, which confuses Kieran even further.

— Oh, Kier, I missed you so much. — Cristina finally says and Kieran forgets all about mortal’s strange wording to focus on her.

— I missed you too. I know I can only be here for some hours, but I’m glad I could come.

— Me too. — Mark agrees, his arm circling Kieran’s waist. Cristina recomposes herself at the same time Kieran reaches for her, pulling Cristina to them.

— It is good you’re home. — Cristina says, her voice cracking. Kieran never thought he would actually hear those words coming out of her mouth, but he is not surprised by how genuine they are. He finally is home, the two people he loves the most in the world in his arms, his heart more whole than it has ever been.

Home is the only word that could possibly fit what he is feeling right now.

Kieran bends down and kiss her lips, but the sound of her phone ringing startles them a second after.

— By the angel. — She says over her breath, taking a step back. She looks at the phone and her eyebrows raise. — Oh, it’s my mom. I’ll be just back. — She says, laying a quick kiss in Kieran’s cheek before picking up the call.

— Hola, mamá. Si, todo bien. Yo también te extraño. — Cristina says, walking out to talk with her mom. Mark holds on to Kieran a bit longer and smiles down at him.

— Can’t believe I really have you right here. — Mark whispers. — Life is good.

— It can be. — Kieran answers and Mark kisses him, calmly, like they have all the time in the world.

— Come on, let’s find something to do until she gets back. — Mark offers when they break apart.

Then, Kieran and Mark occupy themselves with setting the table and picking up some ingredients to what they decided would be a chocolate cake. Cristina would probably regret leaving them alone, but it was too late for that now. She comes back after a few minutes, a worried look on her face. Kieran and Mark stare at her in confusion.

— Is everything okay with your mom, Tina? — Mark asks.

— Yes- I mean, I think so. Well, the thing is... She’s coming here. — Cristina finally manages to say. Kieran’s hair changes into a deep red color as soon as the words come out of her mouth.

— Oh. — Mark says.

— Oh. — Kieran repeats, not knowing what else to do. Mark had met Carmen once since they started dating, it was brief, but it was still more experience than Kieran had in that field. If he didn’t know what to do, then Kieran was damned.

— Boys, “oh” is not really helping right now. — Cristina falls down at a chair and puts her head in her hands.

— Sorry, it is just unexpected. — Kieran justifies.

— She said she came to New York to surprise me and Jace told her I was here. So, Magnus offered to make a portal for her and, basically, she is on her way.

— On her way? — Mark stuttered, staring at the kitchen door as if he is expecting Carmen to pop up at any given moment.

— I guess it is a good thing you guys cleaned everything up. — Kieran offers, hoping it helps.

By the sound Cristina makes, it doesn’t.

— Hey, it is going to be okay. — Kieran sits down by her side, trying to calm her down.

— Yes, it is. Look, why don’t we go wait for her outside? To welcome her. — Mark suggests. That makes Cristina looks up.

— I’ll go. You can wait here. It is better this way. — With that, she leaves the kitchen.

Kieran wishes he could say something that would free Mark from his worries, but he doesn’t think he can do it. So, they just wait in silence until Cristina returns to the kitchen, her mom following after her.

Carmen was a short woman with black hair and a firm posture that looked so much like Cristina that made Kieran a bit uncomfortable looking at her for too long. She seemed tense and so serious that being a king didn’t do much to dissipate Kieran’s nervousness when Cristina shyly introduced him to her.

— Nice to meet you properly, King Kieran. — She says, her face so neutral Kieran wonders if she is putting an effort into looking calm.

— Just Kieran is fine. It is really nice to meet you too. — He shakes the hand she offers and hopes for the best. Mark is nervously fidgeting beside him and Kieran wishes to reach for his hand to calm him down, but he doesn’t feel really comfortable doing that in front of Cristina’s mom.

— Mark, good to see you too. — The boy nods with a small smile that Kieran knows he is faking. He was about to answer when Tavvy stormed into the kitchen with Dru right behind him.

— Octavian Blackthorn, get your ass back here! It is my turn to watch TV! Give the damn remote back! — She screams after him, furious. Cristina puts a hand on the kitchen counter, a look of distress on her face. Tavvy doesn’t seem to care about Dru’s request and just hides behind Mark, hoping his brother takes his side. Only then, Dru notices Carmen is standing right there and a shade of red covers her cheeks.

— Hello, Mrs. Rosales. Sorry for bursting in. — Dru apologizes, embarassed.

— Hello, Dru. — Carmen says, a small smile on her lips. Kieran assumes that is a good sign.

— I should solve this. Excuse me. — Mark half drags Tavvy away, Dru close behind him. Kieran watches him, envious that his boyfriend got to flee the scene while he stayed behind. Still, it is not like he could leave Cristina alone, it was clear by the panic on her face that she needed him around. He smiles lightly at her and a bit of the color seems to come back to her face.

— Why don’t you sit down, mama? I was going to make some coffe for us, do you want some? — Cristina offered and Kieran never thought he would be so relieved to hear about coffe in all his life as he did when Carmen nodded, accepting her daughter’s offer.

Kieran and Carmen sat down at the Institute’s table, that seemed especially huge today because of the absence of the Blackthorns, the two of them in complete silence. Kieran had once watched a movie with Dru where the father-in-law questioned his daughter’s boyfriend about his intentions. It seemed unlikely that Carmen would do the same, but Kieran was still a bit terrified of her. Turns out being king doesn’t solve the nerve-wracking experience of facing your super awesome girlfriend’s mother when you are totally sure you do not deserve her daughter.

Still, Cristina had chosen him. She loved him just as much as he loved her and they loved Mark. Against all odds, Kieran was happier than he had ever been. Surprising himself, hiding beneath all his fear was his unshakable faith that the three of them belonged together. Not even Carmen Rosales herself could tear that apart, as scary as she could be.

— So... How has the Unseelie Court been treating you? — Carmen asked while Cristina put down the coffe mug in front of her and went to sit by Kieran’s side, the three other mugs barely fitting her hands.

The answer was obvious: once he was the king, he had been treated extraordinarily well. But Cristina had explained to him that sometimes mortal people asked obvious questions just to sparkle conversations. That and the forced smile on Cristina’s face while she stared at him pushed Kieran to answer the question with all the grace he could gather.

— It has been incredibly difficult to be their king, but I believe I’m the leader my people need. I hope I can be half as good to them as they are to me. — Kieran assumed he had done well because Cristina’s smile became more honest and she pressed her hand against his, resting both of them in his tight.

— I’m sure they are in good hands. — It is all she says, but it sounds honest, so Kieran takes it as a win.

— It is what I hope.

— And you, Cristina? Everything okay in New York? — Cristina straightened herself in the chair and went on a tangent about her work, excitedly telling details about the alliance she had been dedicating so much time to. Kieran had heard all about it already, but he found himself paying attention to every word Cristina said, his heart warm by how happy she was while talking about her job. He couldn’t be prouder of her.

Mark makes it back to the kitchen, still looking stressed. He sits down next to Carmen, Kieran supposes because it would be weird to have the three of them facing her as if they were being questioned by Cristina’s mom. He picks up the coffe mug, taking a sip, seeming glad he could focus on something else other than the unexpected family meeting they had being pulled into.

— Mark! I was just telling my mom about New York. — Despite his uneasiness, Mark grins at Cristina, the soft, honest expression that Kieran fell in love with taking over his face.

— Cristina is doing some wonderful work there. Alec himself said he is impressed with her. — Mark says, putting a smile on Carmen’s face.

— I never doubted you would achieve great things, Cristina. Estoy muy orgullosa de ti. — She says the last words looking right at her daughter. Mark's eyes darted to Kieran, the two of them knowing how important that was to Cristina.

Kieran remembered that Cristina would sometimes talk about how her mom had always pushed her to be the best version of herself, which helped building the amazing woman she was, but what also made Cristina constantly terrified of letting her down. Over time, she had learned to balance those feelings, being more dedicated to being who she wanted to be rather than who her mother expected her to be.

What Cristina never said, but Kieran still noticed, was that part of her still cared about making her mom proud. By the look of surprise in Cristina’s face, she had assumed her chances of doing so had ended when she decided to be with Mark and Kieran and moved to New York instead of going back to Mexico.

— Thank you, mom. It really means a lot to me. — Cristina answered, her brightest smile on her lips.

Kieran decided he didn’t care if Carmen Rosales hated him or not, as long as she kept Cristina happy like that, he would endure anything that came his way.

Eventually, they fell into an pleasant conversation, Carmen talking about how things were in Mexico, with Mark and Cristina occasionally mentioning New York and the new Clave. Kieran also talked about the Unseelie court and the challenges he was facing. Carmen was paying a lot of attention, her eyes following the three of them with a softer expression. She seemed more relaxed, her false calm posture long gone. Kieran was starting to think maybe he panicked for no reason at all.

Kieran should have known then that things were too good to be true. Cristina’s phone rang, making all conversation stop.

— I’m so sorry, I really need to take this. It is Lily, there must be some trouble with the Hotel. — She picks up the phone. — Hey, what- Wait, I can’t hear you. Can't you call Clary for that? Okay, fine, I'll go take a look at the Codex and get back to you. — She puts the phone down for a moment and says: — Lily needs my help with something, I’ll be back in a moment.

Her tone is clearly apologetic, but Kieran just nodded, signaling she should go. Mark looks as if he wants to follow after her with an excuse just to get rid of being alone with Carmen, but Kieran is facing him, which does make him sit very still, incapable of leaving him behind. They are doing this together.

They fall into an uncomfortable silence, the only thing keeping Kieran steady is Mark’s eyes on him. His hair stays blue through it all, Mark’s presence grounding him.

— I can tell the two of you are terrified. — Carmen finally says. Kieran doesn’t know what to answer, especially because it’s true.

— I’m not saying this is what I pictured for my daughter. It definitely isn’t. When Cristina first told me, I said all that mattered is that she was happy and I meant it. Still, part of me didn’t think it would last, but, here you are, months after that. As surprised as I am, I need to admit that I was wrong. I guess you are not going anywhere. — She doesn’t say it like that is a terrible thing, so Kieran assumes it is safe to speak.

— We definitely aren’t. I love your daughter and, for some miracle, she loves me back. I will never do anything to ruin that. — Kieran assures Carmen, that nods, not seeming surprised by how serious he sounds.

— I understand why you were confused at first, we’re still figuring everything out ourselves... But, just like Kieran, I love Cristina. I promise you we’ll keep her safe no matter what. — Mark promises.

— My daughter doesn’t really need anybody to keep her safe. — Carmen answers, a playful smile on her lips. She never looked so much like Cristina as now. — But I appreciate the sentiment. It means a lot to me.

— It is only the truth. — Kieran adds, feeling like tons of weight got off his shoulders.

— I hope we can see each other more times, it would be great to get to know the two of you better. — Carmen offers. Kieran and Mark share a look and the answer is clear.

— We would love that. — Mark says at the same time Cristina comes back. She walks towards Kieran, putting a lock of hair behind her ear.

— Did I miss much? — Cristina asks, sitting down, her hand finding the way to Kieran’s arm easily.

— I was just saying we should do this more often. I need to know better who my daughter is going to marry. — Carmen teases. Cristina blushes, her hand tightening around Kieran’s.

— Mamá! — She grunts, embarrassed. — You’re unbelievable! — She is getting even more red, but her mom refrains for saying anything else when Dru and Tavvy come barging in once again.

— We’re hungry! — Tavvy announces, making Carmen laugh.

— Tavvy! We already messed up once, say hi to Cristina’s mom this time first. — Dru tells him, holding him close. — It is really good to see you!

— It is great to see you too, Dru. — Carmen gets up and walks to them. — I love cooking, you know? Come on, I’ll teach you how to make buñuelos. — She leads them to the kitchen cabinet, Tavvy clapping his hands in excitement.

— Mark, Kieran, get ready to eat the best afternoon snack you ever had. — Cristina excitedly tells the boys.

— Can’t wait! — Mark says, getting up. He sits by Cristina’s side, a lot more relaxed than he had been just minutes ago.

— This went so much better than I thought it would go. — Cristina blurts out, shocked.

— It totally did. Your mother is pretty nice. Scary, for sure, but nice. — Kieran ponders, watching as Carmen picks up the ingredients around the kitchen with Dru and Tavvy carefully paying attention.

— And she is not wrong, you know about us... Marrying someday. — Mark whispers. — We’ll make it. I don’t know how or when, but I know we will. — Kieran knows it'll be hard and the idea still sounds insane, but Mark is so sure that he can't help but believe it as well.

— Someday. — Cristina repeats and it sounds like a promise, so Kieran says it too.

— Someday.

Then, Cristina lays her head in his shoulder and pulls Mark’s hand to rest on her lap entangled to Kieran’s. Their warmth grounds Kieran, just like it always does.

It is really good to be home.

[tothedarkdarkseas]

If you could give a celebrity's closet to each band member, who would you chose for who and why? (Like... Ziggy's wardrobe for Murdoc, etc)

I’m very sorry for the delay on this ask! Truthfully, I just don’t have a very good answer to this! I have strong responses to fashion when I see specific outfits, but I never had what you would call “style icons” or any specific celebrity I followed the fashions from closely. I really tried to muster up a good answer for you here, but I’m afraid I can’t offer much!

Stu’s quite easy for me because he’s just Blur Damon, but I realize that’s a cop-out answer! Funny you mention Ziggy on Murdoc because I’d actually favor the plain 60′s era Bowie on Stu, I think the mod hair and the mod suits would-- well, suit him. Any suited singer with skinny ties and colored blazers, like Ian Svenonius, would work well. But truthfully, when I think of Stu’s style through a celebrity lens, I sort of picture an amalgam of every young breakout actor in the 90′s and their out-on-the-town/less prestigious award show looks from the era (specifically I think young Ewan McGregor and young Dicaprio, as well as the late River Phoenix.) I’d also like the whole band to do a Dexy’s Midnight Runners thing and all wear the same outfit, at least for one album cover. (Stu reckons he pulls it off best; in reality Noodle does.)

Ziggy on Murdoc would be fun to see! I don’t mind Murdoc’s Keith Richards/Lemmy look, but much like with Stu I do think it would be fun to see him go in either one extreme or the other-- by which I mean dialing it back to an even simpler wardrobe of dirty ill-fitting clothes lifted from the donation bin, or turning it up to an extravagant extreme ala Elton John. There’s only one thing I know for sure: he’s short enough to borrow Brian Molko’s infamous Stunt Girl shirt, so why hasn’t he, eh?

Noodle is challenging, as she already has such a varied and experimental style, I don’t feel there’s much she hasn’t covered! I do think more of Noodle in smart-casual suits is a must-- a lot of Stu’s sharper looks would work equally well on Noodle. Beyond that, I really just want her to wear some Vivienne Westwood pieces, though allowing a designer to count as a celebrity is probably cheating. Hmm! I think a few Lady Miss Kier outfits (singer of Deelite) would be a lot of fun on her as well, I’m very fond of those retro patterns and color palettes and just want to see even more Gorillaz art with it.

I fear Chuck Barry is an easy answer for Russel, but I’d like to stipulate not just his slick suits of bygone decades, but his more recent fashion choices of loudly patterned or textured shirts and bolo ties, fun hats, pops of color and whimsy he’s well-earned after being the classiest guy on stage for his entire career (Russel can relate.) Russel would also pull off the trendy and highly-tailored modern cowboy look better than Diplo and Post Malone, let’s be real. (See: X, X-- now imagine them on Russel.)

[tombcnd-a]

hellloooooo friends!! it’s everyone’s favorite hoe, harley!! after a long time of decision and some work, i’ve decided to bring in a third and final muse. typically, when i bring in a third muse, it doesn’t seem to stick, but i’m hoping it will this time if adult life and time allow me to do so! and again here i am with another underused/unknown fc, because i have no self control, and apparently hate myself enough to make a fuckton of icons for them... without further ado, here he is! if you wish to plot, hit that like button and i’ll come to you!

TRIGGER WARNINGS: mentions of abuse, injury, pregnancy, and murder/crime

[ kier kemp, twenty-seven, cis male, he/him ] ━ hey, I just saw [ thomas “tom” blackwell ] walking down the streets of crownsville. they’ve lived in town for [ three years ], and you can catch them around town working as a [ owner of outside the lines and con artist ]. I hear they’re known to be [ clever and efficient ] and [ deceitful and downtrodden ]. if asked, they would say their aesthetic would be [ blurred lines, fake passports, crying babies, half-painted walls, trashed hotel rooms, French swears, a knife in the back, smudged eyeliner, chipped teeth, chasing ghosts, counterfeit cash, messy haircuts, leopard print ]. ━ [ ooc: harley, 19, cst, she/her ]

name: thomas judah blackwell

nicknames: tom, tommy

birthday: february 29, 1991 (age 27)

hometown: atlanta, georgia (later baltimore, maryland)

occupation: owner of outside the lines & con artist

orientation: demiromantic heteroflexible

relationship status: married

children: a two-year old daughter, penelope (nicknamed penny or pen), biological father of the baby Hazel gave birth to at 18 (has no knowledge of it)

education: high school diploma, certificates in management and art history

VARIOUS INFORMATION AND FACTS:

made up of french heritage, born to a waitress on the poverty line and a famous actor as a result of a hushed affair, he was abandoned at an orphanage by his mother as a baby when she found she could not afford to care for a child of her own

growing up in the foster system did not go well for young tom after he hit a certain age when he lost the cute, endearing baby-like charm of a small child, and he began to be bounced around foster homes on a fairly constant basis

during high school, he never fit in. he knew who he was from a young age and that he didn’t fit in with the crowd, and it caused a rift between him and others- for someone so patient and soft, he didn’t tolerate the bullying he faced as a result of being an outcast and stood up for himself. his strong-willed independence led to him working double shifts on a job as soon as he could manage to scrape up enough cash to purchase a shitty beat-up car to pull him to and from work and school

though exceptionally bright, he fell short academically with the constant running from home and physical abuse in the homes he did end up in, as well as stress from the general school environment, and only graduated by the skin of his teeth

living in the seedy part of the city thanks to a foster home he was living in at the time, tom was involved in a near-fatal stabbing when he was seventeen and suffered substantial injuries that left a nasty scar

met his father once during high school, and while the meeting went decently enough, he felt they were from far too different worlds and he didn’t wish to push fatherhood on someone who showed no apparent interest in it

he and Hazel (our Kaya) grew up together and became particularly close when high school rolled around, practically inseparable and the best of friends- for him, she was a safe place to hide when he needed to run away from an abusive foster home and have a place to stay until he was chucked back into the system and placed in another home, and each other’s soft spot in a harsh world. at the beginning of their senior year, they began to date and the relationship lasted for a year up until somewhere after their graduation, when they decided to mutually part ways on account of tom’s ventures to move up north- unbeknownst to him, hazel was pregnant with his child

after moving to baltimore, his life improved- for a brief period. finding a decent job as a backroom stockboy and earning his certificates, his luck seemed to be turning around and he could picture a future for himself

all good things come to an end, however, when working the backroom ended with him becoming a witness to something he wasn’t supposed to see. little did he know, a crime syndicate ran the store that he worked at, and said crime syndicate was run by a striking, empowered, and ruthless woman by the name of jezebel (may or may not become a wc at some point in which her name would become utp). she allowed him to go unharmed under the condition that he were to take up running tasks for the crime ring, and naturally, he obliged

before long, he was head over heels for none other than jezebel herself, and the two courted. the longer they dated, the more he rose in the ranks, from runner to pickpocketing and small, often petty crimes and before he knew it, he was in the same position as she was- tom had become a hitman. together, their crime ring thrived with an abundance of clientele in the city and the surrounding area, making out well. the dirt poor foster kid that had once been suddenly had more money than he really knew what to do with

when he was 23, they got married in a fever and couldn’t be happier with one another, and the honeymoon was nothing less than perfect. two years into their marriage, jezebel found she was pregnant with his child

but happy endings didn’t last forever either. for him, being a hitman was just a way of making money and for jezebel, it was a way of life. that way of life began to catch up to them and she feared for the safety of the child that was to be born. she feared that an enemy of theirs would find out their identities and try to destroy the competition. to maximize her sense of security, they made the shared decision to pack up and leave baltimore, moving to crownsville where his wife purchased ownership of outside the lines

on november 7, 2015, the light of tom’s life was born and penelope came into the world like a firecracker, as fiery as her mother, and he was completely taken by her and the joys of fatherhood

a short time after penelope was six months old, though, jezebel disappeared, leaving only a note, apologizing to tom for her leave and saying it would be better for both he and the child to keep them safe. she didn’t say where she was going and they haven’t seen each other since. from time to time, he receives packages in the mail, unlabeled, from her with varying post cards and letters and whatever else that had stacked up over the last few months, with enough time between them and the package’s arrival to ensure his inability to track her down

settled into crownsville and with the disappearance of his wife, he decidedly made the attempt to weasel his way out of the hitman business. it’s still an uphill battle for him, on account of both needing money and the career choice not being the easiest in the world to escape from, and turned to con artistry instead to make up for the lack of cash, and ended up with the ownership of outside the lines

he and hazel kept in contact, although sporadic and unpredictable, exchanging emails from time to time

tom is a compulsive liar and can and will lie over a multitude of details of his life, even the everyday mundane detail, and sometimes with no reason at all- he’s quick on his feet and able to spin a lie at the drop of a hat

short bean at 5′4″, probably can’t reach the top shelf at a grocery store, and has had the same messy hair since high school and somehow finds time to put eyeliner on with a kiddo in tow

hair dyed black or red (currently red) since he was literally 15, bad teeth because he didn’t receive much proper care as a youth, terrible chainsmoker, fluent in French (+ partially fluent in Portuguese because of hazel), still wears his wedding band, extremely fond of leopard print jackets

unironically loves the black eyed peas and fergie... also classic rock

not big on alcohol and never has been, will only indulge the occasional beer or social drink

extremely feisty and strong-willed, will not tolerate shit from anybody and is more than willing to stand up for himself and call someone out on their bullshit and despite being small, he can pack a punch if he needs to

punkass kid at heart and though his job made him rougher around the edges, he still manages a soft, patient attitude thanks to his daughter

WANTED CONNECTIONS:

Former clientele (petty crimes only, e.g. stealing for someone, supplying them with something, etc)

Parent friends

People he’s sold fake art to / ripped off

Enemies

ya girl is literally the world’s worst at plotting, hit me with all ya got

[kitashiwrites]

I'm sorry my post was really aggressive. I still stand by my point that it ISN'T fair to dismiss Mor's romantic feelings (or lack thereof) towards Az, but how I acted was really awful. You don't have to post this publicly, but I hope you know I'm very sorry. My intention wasn't to try to start drama, but just receive an explanation over WHY you still ship Moriel. My way of going about it was TERRIBLE. I know sorry is just a word, but I'M SORRY.

2/2 I didn’t send you three asks. I only sent you one? Just to clear that up.3/3 I also didn’t send more than one ask. :/ 

Okay Anon. While I find it extremely hard to believe because of the timing (especially because for as long as I have been on here, I have RARELY gotten asks, let alone 3 in such quick succession that are so similar), as well as the fact that you clearly don’t stand behind your words because you felt the need to do this all on anon/have to make sure we know that you still think we are wrong, I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt & accept your apology.In regards to your question, why I still ship Moriel, @sarahviehmann honestly said it best in her original answer to you: “ACOMAF was written in a way that intended for them to be shipped. So those people spent a year building up their fanon and meta and so forth, only to have the rug pulled out from under them.”

(For the sake of everyone, I’m putting this under a cut. It got way long.)

I hated ACOWAR. I’ve made no secret of that. I’ve also made no secret as to WHY. I’ve been writing fic for this series for over a year, & heavily focused on ACOMAF. I started when there were literally 7 fics posted to Ao3. Basically all of my free time at home & all of my breaks at work were spent either writing fic, discussing the series/meta with people here/talking my poor friends’ ears off over dinner, or planning fic for characters I wanted to explore in POV fics like Rhys, Tamlin, & Tarquin. Hell, I still have a 10 chapter Amarantha POV pre-ACOTAR through ACOTAR fic that’s over half written at 16k that I originally wanted to try as a surprise for my readers. I read ACOMAF enough times that I honestly would have said that I knew those characters as well as my own family, knew exactly what happened in which chapters, & got many comments here & on Ao3 from people who felt I’d captured the characters correctly, so I felt pretty good about what to expect going forward.

When ACOWAR spoilers came out, absolutely nothing made sense with what we knew or had been prior established canon. Most of all in regards to Mor, Rhys, Feyre, & Lucien, but I’m going to specifically focus on Mor, since she’s at the crux of the issue at hand. In Mor’s case, we took a woman who is described in ACOMAF as “a queen who owned her body, her life, her destiny, and never apologized for it” & says to Feyre, “I once lived in a place where the opinion of others mattered. It suffocated me, nearly broke me. So you’ll understand me, Feyre, when I say that I know what you feel, and I know what they tried to do to you, and that with enough courage, you can say to hell with a reputation. You do what you love, what you need”, & in ACOWAR made her a victim in circumstances that make absolutely no sense for the character we had known up until that date. Queen of the Hewn City? She wasn’t even treated with enough respect to be prepared to go into a meeting with her abusers, let alone shown that she is in charge. The first real female friend Feyre has ever had? Regulated to acting like a jealous girlfriend around Cassian whenever Nesta got too close. And speaking of Cassian, it was pointed out in another post (I’m sorry I don’t have the link right now) that the Cassian & Mor moments read like they were originally Az & Mor moments & were hastily changed when suddenly they weren’t supposed to be even friends. Nothing in this book read like it had been edited for continuity.

There are many bloggers who are far more qualified than I am to speak on Mor’s coming out scene, & while there was a divide, there were quite a few I know & follow who felt it was poorly written/bad rep, & I agree with their reasoning. Besides the fact that I don’t believe for one dang second that no one in the Inner Circle at a minimum would have picked up on something bothering Mor in 500 years or that she wouldn’t have at least told them even if she hid everything from Keir, there is the fact of Azriel. Azriel is in love with her, no disputing it. But it is mentioned by Rhys that Az has always thought himself unworthy of her, & Mor says that she could take her clothes off in front of him & he wouldn’t do anything. Does that sound like someone who is trying to avoid him because she isn’t interested, or someone who is creepily stalking her? In the Nessian short Wings & Embers, Cassian speaks on their relationship as well: “He wasn’t stupid. He knew she and Azriel were … whatever they were. Knew Azriel had been in love with Mor from the moment she’d strutted into the war-camp five centuries ago. And Cassian had been jealous—of Mor’s shy glances at Azriel in those first few weeks, and the fact that his dearest friend and brother … was looking at someone else.”

I’m not going to rehash Wings & Embers or ACOMAF for you. But as Sarah said, it was clearly written with them as a ship in mind, & this is from the POV of a character that has known them since the beginning, not just a few months like Feyre.

Why I still ship Moriel at this point? Because I ship it in any form. I love her & Az together period, even as friends. This ship was one of the ways @illyriantremors & I bonded originally, before we found out how much else we had in common & she became as good as a biological sister to me (I call her my Threadsister for a reason), because we shipped it back in the beginning before there was really any fic for it because it was overshadowed by Feysand, Nessian, & Elucien. Moriel was our Nessian; the unconfirmed side-ship with so much potential & evidence to back it up. When Sierra met SJM at San Diego Comic Con last summer, SJM dedicated Sierra’s copy of ACOMAF to Moriel. Why the af would an author do that if they planned to destroy a ship in the next book from the beginning?

We still love Moriel because it is hard to let go of something you’ve loved that much after you’ve been strung along & then had the rug pulled out from under you with no actual basis in ACOMAF to say “oh, it was there all along”; like when rereading ACOTAR through the ACOMAF filter, as I like to say to people, & seeing the clues that were left to the deeper story for Rhys. For me, those were not in ACOMAF upon reading it again after ACOWAR. I noticed you using my tags in your defense of yourself to Sarah regarding why I wanted to ignore ACOWAR &, by your interpretation, erase Mor’s sexuality. If you had read any of my blog at all after ACOWAR, you would have read that isn’t true, but I’ll spell it out for you: I want to ignore ACOWAR & what it did to my favorite characters’ personalities/their interactions with each other. I want to forget that Mor’s agency was taken away from her & that she was regulated to a plot twist. I want to forget that Az has been made out to be a creepy stalker. I want to forget Rhys treating Mor like she would be too emotional to deal with the negotiations with Kier & Eris & so he & Az didn’t tell her. I want to forget Feyre using Lucien to make Tamlin jealous in the Spring Court while she dismantled it from within & putting him in danger. And so much more.

I personally hate the book for multiple reasons, ranging everywhere from inconsistent characterization to grammar/editing issues. But I’m stuck with the facts it gave us, which is why writing fic is so hard to even consider anymore. It made everything about the series, not just Mor & Az, something I no longer can love with the intensity I once did, & the fandom diminishes that love more & more everyday with their bullying of people for not believing exactly the way they do, which is exactly what you contributed to when you sent those asks to myself & Sierra. And honestly, I couldn’t care less what you think of me. But if you had even looked at one of Sierra’s actual written posts/answers to asks—just one—you would have seen how quiet she’s been about her love for them as a ship & how determined she’s been to not to offend people while she’s been trying to come to terms with losing something that has been a lifesaver for her, to the point she has mostly stopped contributing to the fandom at all. She posted two Moriel drabbles during her birthday week because she was inspired by the Azriel candle I got her for her birthday, & as she said to you in her response to your original message, they were her way of saying farewell to Moriel. And guess what: even though it isn’t canon, people liked them.

I view Mor as bi, & if she’s given a healthy, happy female love interest in a future installment, then awesome. I want Moriel at least as close friends because I genuinely don’t think Az (at least the one from ACOMAF that actually made sense) would begrudge her if he knew the truth. Would he be sad? Sure, but I think he would support her nonetheless, just as the rest of the Inner Circle would. But I have absolutely no faith that SJM will give Mor anything good because she can milk the drama and turmoil she’s created, & I have no desire to see the characters & ships (across the board) I have loved so much destroyed any further.

I think @my-name-is-fireheart put it perfectly in her chime in on Sarah’s post: “Also, we should keep in mind that Mor expresses sexual attraction to men, she just prefers women. How she feels about men romantically is also blurred, though it’s slightly more clear. She says she doesn’t think she loves Az romantically but she doesn’t want to try it just to see.” SJM didn’t even know how to break her own ship apart properly to fit what you suggested, which is a good chunk of why we are even having this discussion right now.

I know Moriel is no longer canon. Cazigan (Cassian/Azriel/Mor) isn’t canon either, but I still love that. I have enjoyed their interactions with each other more than anything else since they were introduced in ACOMAF. The entire Inner Circle made me so happy for their closeness & how much of a family they were. I feel for a plot twist & a couple extra Benjamin Franklins, SJM destroyed everything that made one of my favorite characters in the entire series who she was (a strong, independent woman who didn’t let her circumstances break her & showed Feyre how not to let hers break her) & made her a poor caricature of herself, & made Az something he never has been before either because SJM hastily had to make her new & poorly executed addition work.

I shouldn’t be surprised though. This is the woman who attempted to retcon Eris of all characters into a decent person. And also took away any modicum of being able to read Tamlin as the multifaceted antagonist he had been & just turned him into a completely hateful ass with no loyalty to anyone to further drive home how perfect Rhys is supposed to be (which he definitely is not in ACOWAR, & I say that as someone who loved the morally grey character of Rhys).

TL;DR I ship Mor with Az in any form, even as friends, Mor being bi is not an issue, & I have lost all respect for SJM as an author after ACOWAR for giving us a poorly written/poorly edited product after the anticipation/hype this book had. Make of that what you will; I don’t care. I’m out of effs to give, & your ask & the other Az one I received, no matter who it was from or what your intentions were, pretty much tipped the scale in favor of me wanting to step back even further & have nothing to do with this fandom ever again.

I would ask that next time you think you have a problem with someone (because I doubt Sierra & I will be the last people you do this to), please think about how it comes across & think about your target. Your original ask was terribly hateful, & there is no amount of apology that can take that hurt away. And you would be amazed how far a little kindness & grace when asking a question instead of an accusatory message can go.

This explanation is more than you probably bargained for when you started this yesterday, but that’s the last I’ll say on any of this.

[gossipnetwork-blog]

'Brawl in Cell Block 99': Brutal, Batshit Prison Flick Brings the Pain

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'Brawl in Cell Block 99': Brutal, Batshit Prison Flick Brings the Pain

Say “Vince Vaughn,” and what’s the first image that comes up? His “you’re so money” suit-wearing Swingers alpha male? His heroic environmentalist-slash-shutterbug in the first Jurassic Park sequel? Maybe your go-to Vaughn is The Break-Up–era bloated version that graced tabloid covers and Jennifer Aniston’s beach pics, or the smarmy comic Casanova of Wedding Crashers? Forget those other Vinces. Whenever someone says the actor’s name, you’ll now see a glowering, menacing hulk of a man, one with a tattoo of a cross on the back of his shorn skull and balled fists held up in front of his battered face. The role he plays in this ultra-violent, nihilistic slab of a prison flick is enough to wipe the past-persona slate clean. If that misbegotten sophomore season of True Detective gave us anything, it was the notion that Vaughn’s mid-to-late-career move would be to edge toward darkness. He’s officially made good on that promise. Full-on into-the-abyss mode fits him well.

When you meet his working-class stiff Bradley Thomas, the man has just lost his towing job and discovered his spouse (Dexter‘s Jennifer Carpenter) has been seeing someone on the side. He does what any man would, i.e. physically dismantle her car piece by piece (the ex-boxer is inhumanly strong; take note of this fact), then vows to make things right again. Bloodied hands, busted marriage, they’re both recovering alcoholics – director S. Craig Zahler seems to be leading us into a kitchen-sink drama about lives of full volume desperation. Fast-forward 18 months, and Bradley is delivering drugs, he’s upgraded his living situation and his wife has a bun in the oven. An ill-conceived partnership leads to a pick-up going bad and a shoot-out with cops. Our man is staring down a seven-year bid for not giving up names. And you are drumming your fingers, wondering if this somewhat sluggish, so-so jailbird movie is ever really going to take off.

The answer is: Hell yes. After a full hour-plus of set-up, a mystery man shows up to visit Bradley in his new minimum-security home. Anyone with a casual acquaintance of oddball cinema and vintage Eurosploitation knows right off the bat that when that man is played by German actor Udo Kier, who can turn a blank-eyed stare into a shorthand for perversity and/or a punchline, things are about to get weird. The gent has a message: His employer is angry that the convict cost him that botched deal. Bradley has to find and kill another prisoner in penance, or else his kidnapped wife is going to suffer. There’s a catch, however. The target is in a different prison, one renowned for its no-tolerance, pro-torture policies. Which means he needs to get himself transferred to a waking nightmare by any means necessary. 

And like Zahler’s previous movie Bone Tomahawk (2015), which starts out as a standard-issue Western and then detours into some truly horrific territory, Brawl makes a hard left going into its last half and truly comes alive. Suddenly, our man in the jumpsuit is loudly breaking bones and literally busting skulls (the audio team here deserves a mantle full of awards for what we’ll call “wet impact” sound design) and headed to the catacombs dungeon that is Cell Block 99, what the warden (Don Johnson, actually twirling his mustache) describes as the “prison within the prison.” Each mano y mano encounter is filmed mostly in full-body shots with a minimum of edits but a maximum amount of cuts and contusions – the effect is like watching Fred Astaire’s dance scenes if the hoofer decided to wallop giant thugs with bare knuckles and barbells instead of waltz. 

Whether such things are your jam, of course, will determine how much you go with Zahler’s vision of a skinhead Virgil descending into hell. This is a thriller that’s nasty, brutish and anything but short – grindhouse devotees could add a half-star to the review for the way the film wears its sadism so blatantly on its blood-stained sleeve, or deduct a half-star for the fact that any such joint clocking in at 132 minutes is questionable. The story takes its sweet time so you to get to know and invest in its players, but you wouldn’t really call Brawl‘s broad narrative sketches “character development” any more than you’d call its digs at America’s haves and have-nots “class commentary.” This is a film that wants to shock you, smack you around and shake you up, and once its star starts bringing the pain, it succeeds with honors. It’s excessive, but that’s the point. The fact that this grungy gem is within spurting distance of being a modern exploitation-movie classic simply frustrates you that it isn’t one.

What makes Brawl in Cell Block 99 work so well isn’t the violence, however, but Vaughn. Sporting a physique that’s less beefcake and more like “beef + cake,” the actor sells the notion that Bradley is a person capable of stomping out someone’s brains on a concrete floor when push comes to shove. You’re surprised it’s taken someone this long to figure out that his bulky size and towering height could be deployed for such blunt-force trauma. The usual motor-mouthed patter you associate with him is gone, replaced by a dry, deadpan wit – asked if his muscles are for show, he replies “They help me lift stuff” – and the ain’t-I-a-stinker charisma that even characterized his more disturbing turns (see Clay Pigeons) is AWOL. If many male stars of a certain age are destined to become late-act action heroes, we hope this is Vaughn’s Taken, and his particular set of skills will continue to involve dishing out such graceless, effective hurt. And if this the first stop of an all-out Vaughnaissance, consider us on board for the ride.

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