#they say ​northerners have warm hearts <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[zu-is-here]

“Behind those stoic eyes was a man who wanted to care. Behind those bones was a gentle soul, making sure nothing would happen to you.”

[12/5] Happy birthday to Winter ☆

Winter!Sans from SeasonTale by @zelphin124

[spxllcxstxr]

Being Eddard Stark’s Second Wife • Headcanon

(Gif not mine)

Request: Eddard Stark second wife headcanon? ❤️❤️❤️ -m — anon

Warnings: fem!reader, heavy canon divergence, mention of dying in childbirth (not reader, no other mention of pregnancy/having children), assumed age gap? Ned stark being THE man <3

A.N: I feel like these are a little short but I actually like this one! I love Ned so much so these were also just fun to write…I hope you like them! :) also I always struggle to find more diverse gifs along these romantic lines and I’m so sorry about that, my works are always inclusive

•

You marry Ned Stark after Catelyn dies delivering Rickon, her youngest

Ned certainly did not believe that he would marry again, he was incredibly heartbroken by the death of his wife

Additionally, he now had to look after 6 children and be the Lord of Winterfell

Even though he had servants and teachers and maesters to look after his children and keep them preoccupied, he was still stretched very thin due to stress and lack of sleep

You had been a close friend to the Starks even before Robb was born; some daughter of a lesser known Northern house who had come to Winterfell for a change of scenery

Despite your lower ranking, Ned and Catelyn became close friends of yours

When Catelyn died Ned’s grief almost consumed him; but you were his light in the deep and dangerous darkness that had fallen over his life

While throughout the many years of knowing Ned you occasionally felt a spark, not love, but it certainly wasn’t platonic, you pushed it down, never rushing anything that would harm your friendship and Catelyn in particular

Becoming Ned’s second wife is a gradual process

Ned comes to you almost every day, whether it is due to his grief or to ask your opinion on something, you become even closer than you were before

It takes maybe around 2 or 3 years of mutual pining for the two of you to really acknowledge what’s going on

Robb, Jon, and Arya definitely have a hand in this, they’re old enough to see what’s going on, they certainly drop hints to the two of you

“Tell me, my Lady, why I cannot stop thinking about you…”. He takes off his gloves, just to place his rough palm gently on your cheek. “You are the first thing in my mind when I wake, and the last thing when I finally succumb to sleep.”

“Ned…”

“If you do not feel the same tell me now, before I kiss you,”

The kiss is obviously what starts it, and the wedding comes very quick after that

Ned is very protective of you

With anything

He knows how harsh the Northern wind is, so he makes sure you have the finest furs and the warmest boots

Even if you say you’re fine he will insistently add another layer onto you

He does it with a grin on his face and a kiss on the forehead

Ned loves you so much

He will also teach you how to defend yourself

He is already teaching his children so training you isn’t a problem, he doesn’t like to think about it, but he knows there might come a day where he may not be able to protect you from the evil things of Westeros (or beyond)

His kids are mostly used to you before you end up marrying him

Sansa is really the only one to have a bigger issue with her father taking a second wife but she quickly warms up to you

You know you aren’t their mother and you try not to smother them like you are, but you are protective of them as if they were your own

Ned loves watching you help them with their studies or their interests

He’s seen you sneakily teach Arya how to punch properly

And Sansa’s needlework has improved since you moved into the castle

He adores how you treat Jon no differently than the others, Catelyn always did. He doesn’t blame her, he had to lie to her, but it warms his heart to see you act so kind to him

Ned is a loving husband and he shows that to you every day

He’s always gentle towards you and respects your opinions and what you have to say

He’s truly #NotLikeOtherMen lmao

•

[redrobin-detective]

Recent ATLA Fics I’ve Read

What is says on the tin, stories that I’ve read over the last month that I loved and wanted to share. Some of them are new, some old, some popular, some not but I’ve enjoyed them all and want to recommend them. As a heads up they’re either gen or Zukka.

In the Soft Light by CHSfic and VSfic

As the newly appointed cultural liaison to Northern Water Tribe, Zuko is the first Fire Nation Citizen to step foot inside the city's walls in nearly a century. He's determined to prove himself—to the Fire Lord and to his father—even if the Water Tribe's spirit-touched prince seems to want nothing to do with him. Moon Spirit Sokka, Zukka and Katara/Yue.

Healing Balm by burglar_bird

"Prince Zuko," Iroh began, but the prince wasn't having it. He stormed away and before he knew it he was in his quarters, flinging sparks from his fingers and hissing steam. When that passed, he aggressively lit his meditation candles and tried to calm down. It was difficult because unlike combat meditation came easily, which added insult to injury. Gentle flames licked the air and formed in his palms as well. They were warm and soothing, unlike how fire was supposed to be. Instead of stinging his skin with small burns, the flames numbed the scraps on his palms and the aches in his joints. He knew that by the time his meditation ended he would feel invigorated and new.

His heart burned with shame; no wonder father had discarded him. There was no greater disgrace than having a son who was a healer.

Zuko’s Evil Eye by exectutivedoughnut

Zuko is given a new chore to perform, which he does - to the best of his abilities. But just because he’s losing a fight with a needle doesn’t mean he’s blind (or at least, not blind-blind).

The Good Vanilla by Haircrescendo

Sokka’s beautiful friendship with Zuko doesn’t start with breaking Dad out of jail. That’s just what he tells people.Sokka’s beautiful friendship with Zuko started the day he realizes that he knows how to cook.Feat. breakup cake, an attempted assassination, and eating out of the pan like dirty heathens. Zukka

Blue by blacklipscurse

Iroh insists they create a new life and identity in Ba Sing Se. Zuko wants nothing more than to bide his time until his next opportunity to return home, until he realizes ‘Lee’ can get away with things Zuko never could. Zuko dons the mantle of the Blue Spirit again only to lose his focus when the Avatar comes to the city. This time, however, his attention is drawn to the annoying Southern Tribe warrior. Zukka.

WitchofEndor literally everything by them.

I’m obsessed with While Mighty Oaks Do Fall  and have read it no less than 3 times.

High Sage Kenji blesses Fire Prince Zuko with the resilience of the reed, who bends in the wind and never breaks. When he is done, Fire Prince Ozai narrows his eyes, seemingly displeased by this blessing. But Kenji does not speak for himself; he is only a vessel. 

The newly-crowned Fire Lord Ozai offers his firstborn son to service in the temple. This turns out to be a catastrophic mistake.

But also Life in Eden 

Her daughter is five years old when Ursa realises what she and Ozai have been doing to their children. By each choosing one to bestow with their approval, they’re pitting them against one another. Perhaps Ozai is doing it on purpose, but Ursa isn’t. She resolves to heal the damage she has done. In which Ursa tries to be a better parent to Azula, and it doesn’t change very much. And then, quite abruptly, it changes everything.

where the stars do not take sides

When Azula is nine, she becomes an only child. She hears the Fire Lord call for Zuko's life, and in the morning, her mother and brother are gone. Azula may be young, but she isn't naive. She knows what happened to them.

Which makes it all the more surprising when Azula tracks the Avatar down and fights his group of peasant friends, only to find herself staring into an eerily familiar face.

The Sweetheart Swindle

In which Zuko’s advisors won’t stop harassing him about suitable candidates for Fire Lady, and Zuko’s friends hatch an ingenious plan: pretend courtships.

illustrate the remnants of the life I used to live

Zuko's soul marks have been regularly burned away since before he knew what they meant. He knows that he cannot be loyal to his father and his nation while also being loyal to a soul family, so he doesn't look for them. Unfortunately, that means that he doesn't know when he's found them. 

The Family You Choose by TunaFishChris

Some people are born with soulmarks. Zuko has them, but his grandfather burned them off because they "make you weak."

Team Avatar has a few things to say about that.

Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry by orphan_account

(“You’re not sleeping,” Mai says softly. “How’d you know?” Zuko asks.

To be honest, he’s kind of gotten to the point where he’s surprised that anyone can perceive him outside of his necessary functions- he exists solely to sit in council meetings and shoulder the blame for genocides and famines and the suffering of one-hundred years. Doesn’t he?)

The war is over, but the fallout is just beginning. And where lightning strikes, thunder is bound to follow.

Divergence of Destiny by Fernandidily_yo

This is his life now, here on this ship, serving tea with Uncle and the crew. Traveling the world and staying far, far away from the ongoing war.

The Jasmine Dragon is Zuko's home.

Meeting the Avatar does not change that.

It changes absolutely nothing.

  (Until, inevitably, it does.)

this love burns so yellow (becoming orange and in it’s time, exploding) by meliebee

Ten months after Zuko is crowned at seventeen, he faces his first coup. 

With Agni on Our Side by fanficreader5

After the fateful Agni Kai, instead of sending him off on a ship, Fire Lord Ozai decided to remove his son's title and relegate him to being part of the Palace staff.

Zuko's pretty sure he's going to go back to being Crown Prince any day now.

Just a few more days.

And then the Avatar and his companions are captured.

What We’re Given series by Haircresendo

Started out as a “What would happen if Zuko happened to rediscover sky bison while searching for the Avatar?” and turned into something more than that

[miabrown007]

Felonies and Other Love Languages

Adrien Agreste: rich, lonely, freshly aware of the fact that he's expected to take over not a fashion, but a drug empire. Marinette Dupain-Cheng: broke, angry, freshly aware of the fact that bringing down drug empires is a blast. But where would she be without her team, Alya and Nino, and her very good friend, Luka? Not to mention the team’s newest addition, the kind, the funny, the ultra charming Chat Noir. If Marinette likes him, that’s alright, though. It isn’t like she’s dating Adrien Agreste for real. It’s all just part of her ten-step plan to make the Agrestes meet their demise.

Chapter 3 - Pandora’s Box (12,708 words, 3/32 chapters)

Adrien would like to walk along the edge of the curb with his arms outstretched. Like he used to when his mother was there, her palm hovering a breath away from his, ready to catch him anytime.

Instead, he scurries between patches of light on the crushed stone path of Place des Vosges. He doesn't understand why being late fazes him.

He shouldn’t even be here.

He should be up at the office, checking the CCTV footage with Kim to notify the police about the break-in. Or he should be at dinner, informing his father about today’s mishap. He shouldn’t be sneaking out under the disguise of meeting Chloé for drinks. And he definitely shouldn’t, under any circumstances, be searching for Carapace’s hooded figure in the shadows of the park.

In his head, Adrien knows that. But he follows his heart. And his heart rounds a corner with a leap, only to come to a halt in front of a well-lit fountain.

“I thought you wouldn’t come,” Carapace says, his eyes shining brightly over his green facemask. He has his arms crossed over his chest in what seems to be a futile attempt at keeping himself warm in the spring chill, dressed in nothing but a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles T-shirt.

Adrien doesn’t hold back his grin. With his own mask in place, it’s not like Carapace can see it. “You know what they say about curiosity and the cat.”

It’s a stupid joke, but if he made up a cat-themed persona for himself, he intends to commit to the bit. Plagg would surely be proud of him. (Even if, realistically speaking, Adrien knows that house cats, much like fathers, are never actually proud. Still, he likes to pretend that what they share is special and goes beyond owning a Blue Ribbon pedigree.)

“You expect you’re walking into your doom and still show up? Admirable,” Carapace chuckles, unaware of the truth those words actually hold. “Now come on, the others are waiting for us. I promise we don’t bite.” He starts on one of the paths leading out of the park, muttering under his nose, “Well, most of us.”

Adrien decides he doesn't actually want to know what Carapace means by that. In his hurry to catch up, the gravel almost slips out from under Adrien’s sneakers, but by some miracle—or years and years of athletic training—he keeps himself upright. “What did you say, who are these people we are meeting?”

The light of a street lamp glinting in Carapace’s glasses as he spares Adrien a glance. “I didn’t.”

It’s more than fair to receive the same non-answer to his question as Adrien had given earlier that day. Still, his chuckle is nervous. He fights the fidgety feeling that urges him to double check that the GPS on his phone is switched on.

“Don’t stress about it, they are friends,” Carapace adds in a softer tone as they exit the park on the northern side and stop in the shadow of the arcades. “We’re almost there, so I’ll have to ask you to put this on,” he says, handing Adrien a baby blue knitted scarf.

“There’s a dress code? This place must be really fancy,” Adrien laughs as he takes the piece of fabric and wraps it around his neck.

Carapace blinks at him, twice, before a chuckle leaves him too. “No, it’s— It’s for your eyes, actually. Just a precaution until we know we can trust you.”

Thank god it’s pitch dark and he can’t see the way Adrien flushes.

“Yeah, I— I knew that. Obviously!”

With much more reluctant motions, he re-ties the scarf around his eyes. He had considered swapping his contacts for glasses—for the sake of an even less Adrien Agreste™-looking disguise—but now he’s glad he’d dropped the idea. Blindfolding himself with them on would be a pain. Actually, merely existing with glasses and a facemask on is a pain, as Adrien was forced to discover this afternoon after much experimenting with the concept.

So, contacts, and anxiety over being only fashionably late it was.

“Sorry, it’s part of the protocol. Let me spin you right round here for a second,” Carapace says, his voice lighthearted. He grabs Adrien by the shoulders and turns him around a few times, until he has no idea what is up and what is down. “Thank you for choosing the Rena Rouge entertainment park, we hope you had a good time,” he says, in the worst imitation of a carnival pitchman.

Still, it somewhat eases the knot in Adrien’s stomach that’s as tight as Nathalie’s hairdo on any given day.

“And now, this way. We’re almost there,” Carapace says, grabbing his upper arm and guiding him forward.

The irony of their first meeting going almost exactly like this—only with their roles reversed—isn’t lost on Adrien, but at this point, he just follows the instructions. He's pretty good at that.

Losing his sight serves to draw his attention to his other senses. He’s acutely aware of the silence stretching between them, the noises of cars and buzzing electric advertisements on shops’ façades.

The pavement under his feet takes a sharp turn, and the city’s noises melt into the background, signalling their approaching arrival. Adrien can’t decide if that or his still spinning head is the reason he feels like he’s going to throw up his supper.

“Who is Rena Rouge?” he asks, despite his nausea.

The beam is evident in Carapace’s voice, even over the sound of a door opening and closing behind them. “Oh, Rena Rouge? Just the most amazing, passionate, talented girl in the whole wide world, who, coincidentally, also makes the best colombo.”

"Your girlfriend?" Adrien guesses.

"For the time being," a cheeky voice slices through the vanilla and pastry-flavoured air.

Carapace comes to a sudden halt. "Hey, what‘s that supposed to mean?"

"Well,” presumably-Rena Rouge says, “we are getting married sometime in the future, aren't we?"

"That's like, the worst way to put that, babe," he argues but laughs along nevertheless.

There’s another giggle, one that eases the trembling of Adrien’s stomach. "Um, guys. The plan."

"Right, the plan!" Rena Rouge confirms, as if she has completely forgotten they are, indeed, in the middle of something that is starting to feel suspiciously like a hostage situation.

Adrien, who at this point would really like to see his surroundings, shifts on his feet. "So, what's the plan?"

Suddenly, someone removes his scarf, two bluebell eyes staring into his soul. "You are the plan, Chat Noir!"

[read the whole chapter on AO3]

[rhymesalot]

Nightlife (1 of 3)

Chapter I Good Morning

“Good morning Bailey, Maine. It’s 6:oo AM, as always, and I’m Chicken Little with your morning wake up call from WWDZ, the Woodz in the woods. Big news today here in 960 FM land and all of the northern quarter of these good ole United States and of course all of southern Canada. Yes folks today, Saturday, as of midnight actually, started our worlds’ new journey, our journey into the darkness. Yep, it’s what’s being called Nightlife, and we all have to shift our lives 180 degrees. Day is night, night is day. And I, for one, although I’m sure most, are confused, scared and probably, at least a little, pissed off. What the hell is going on? I know we should have been prepared, its already happened in the rest of the country, but it’s different here in northern Maine. We’re different, we’re tougher and more independent and now we got the government telling us day is night and night is day and the sun is bad, blah, blah, blah. The sun’s gonna git cha! Yep, simple as that, no more sunshine for us.” In a dimly lit trailer used as the new radio station, Steve, known as Chicken Little to his listeners, sits back and exhales loudly, frustrated and frightened by his mornings’ open. He pauses for another second before leaning back into the microphone to continue. “Unfortunately friends, the alternative is death, death by slow incineration. We even have an official name for it now; Airfrilation”, yep airfrilation, as defined by some governmental overlord as the “sudden mutation and expansion of blood cells caused by excessive solar radiation resulting in the, non-repairable, fusing of capillaries. Which will, over time cause the heart to overheat and burst. Burst! Bursting freakin hearts, that’s what it says, bursting hearts, Boom! And then, wait for it, potentially igniting the surrounding body fat resulting in almost total incineration. Airfrilation people, airfrillation we’re probably going to hear that a lot. Buckle up.” “On a more positive note; the dome is almost finished over the high school playing field and our state champs girls softball team can get back to practice for next season soon, congrats again ladies. Buck’s on Main is having a buy one get one free sale on all summer gear. Good luck Buck. Frieda’s not feeling well today, so she’s closed til further notice, sorry everyone you’ll have to make your own breakfast for a while. Feel better Frieda, love ya. Sunrise today at 6:16, safe sun time from sunrise to 7 o’clock is about 3 1/2 minutes, 7 to 8 is 1 1/2, 8 to 9 is less than one 1 minute and from 9 am until 5 pm is zero minutes, zero minutes people, no sun, window shades down, reverse and repeat. Life as we know it gets turned off. But we’re alive now and the sun’s beginning to rise, the orange and purples are amazing this morning, a little hazy now, but that will burn off shortly and we’re in for a bright sunny, clear day, that we won’t see. Highs in the low to mid 80’s, a bit warm for early March, whew. With that, it’s time for a little music, perhaps ironic, but lets give old George a whirl. Ladies and gentlemen hear comes the sun.”

Steve pops in the cart, presses play and sits back to light yet another bootleg cigarette while peaking through the blinds to see the last of the today’s sunrise. The realization of this new time was, finally sinking in with Steve, it all started about four months ago in the southern quarter and he’s regularly reported on the many, many deaths since. But that all seemed very far away from Bailey, where there had been a few minor cases of airfrilation, before it had yet been named, so folks thought it was a heat rash or something with little red bumps that tingle and burn. Pulled from his thoughts by a loud buzz on his phone, Steve shuffles through his stacks of notes strewn over the console knocking the phone to the floor. Leaning over to reach it the chair tipped over and Steve hit the floor fast and hard, taking with him the old turntable, lots of paper and his extra large, steaming hot, morning coffee. After a few moments of screaming and swearing, Steve grabbed his phone, and sat to read the recent text from their sister station in Slocum. He began to weep, realizing his responsibility to the community he regained his composure, somewhat, and returned to his microphone.

“6:28 Folks and no, it’s not alright George, not anymore, anyway. Word just in from our brothers and sisters down in Slocum, one confirmed death yesterday and maybe another. Unfortunately they have to wait for the house fire to go out before they can investigate. Damn! That just rocked my world, I’m shaking, damn, damn, damn! I hate being the bearer of bad news folks, but this is only the beginning, I’m sure.”

Continued...

[youareunbearable]

Not to be a Hetalia freak on main but im teaching about WW2 again so you all have to suffer with me as this old obsession puts me in a choke hold

I personally just think it would be So Fun to write a story about how Canada (Matthew) changes over the years.

To start off, I think North America is a lot closer with her nations than other Ancients, like Europa who hasn't really been seen since Grandpa Rome fell. North America, like her twin to the South, spends her time amongst her Nations, spending a summer traveling with her nomadic ones like the Anishinaabe (her three children who live together under the Council of Three Fires) or spending the winter with her nations down south in their sprawling cities carved into her rockbed.

She knows every one of her nations, speaks all their languages, knows all their histories, she celebrates their highs and mourns their lows, she loves them all and grieves when they war with each other and sings her joy to the sky when they make peace

One day, she travels up north. She spends time with her daughters, the Nations of the Beothuk and the Thule people, and on her coastline, she spies something curious. There, watching the waves make the horizon dance as clouds drift by, is a child unlike one she has seen before.

Beothuk gives a frightful hiss, and Thule clutches at her mother's arm. The child is as pale as death, but is not one of the blessed creatures, with snow white colouring and eyes that shine like the sunset of a warm summer's eve. No, this child's skin is the colour of pale sand, its long hair in a tumble of waves, as if a braid was just removed, is the colour of pale corn silk, and its eyes, when it turns to look at the trio, dances with the brilliance of the purple seen in the Northern Lights.

North America knows this child instantly, he is Hers. With a gentle and calming hand on each daughter's arm, she brings them forward with a happy smile on her lips. "Little one," she calls as they approach, "I know you. You are a child of my lands, but your features are one of my almost forgotten sister. Tell me, child of Europa and my own heart, what is your name? Where are your people?"

The little child, a boy no older than 3, waddles up to his mother. He reaches his hands up and she gladly takes him to her breast. He rests his head there, eyes closed in bliss as he listens to her heart beat. His sisters begin to calm as they watch the babe. He's not so frightening after that first glance, this pale little sibling of theirs.

When he opens his eyes again, they shine with that twinkle that all nations have, one that pulls their kind together, makes them recognize each other despite their human form. In the language that his sister Beothuk uses, but with a strange accent that makes her nose scrunch at the difference, the child speaks.

"My name is Vinland, and my people are coming." With that, he snuggles into his mothers embrace, but turns to watch the waves again, where in the horizon, some of the clouds get closer.

--------

Big brother Iceland always growled that it wasn't fair that Mamma found him first. He would clutch little Vinland to his chest and grumble that he was His little brother first, and that Mamma's influence was too much. Vinland didn't see what the big deal was, he spent a lot of time with Big Brother Iceland, and Big Brother Norway even though Big Brother Iceland also didn't like that, saying that Vinland was His little brother, not Norway's. Vinland personally thought he had a lot of Iceland's influence, more than Mamma's. He shared his colouring, with their matching pale hair and skin, even if Vinlands was a lot longer and he refused to let Big Brother Iceland cut it. Vinland's people also had the same housing style as Iceland's and Norway's, and the same customs. Vinland even shared their language and when he spoke to Mamma or his sisters he had their Norse accent.

But Big Brother Norway just shook his head when Vinland pointed this out. "She found you first. You will always belong to her more than us. Her heartbeat was the first you heard, and so that rhythm is the one your heart beats to. No matter what, no matter who's influence you may be under," and here Norway played with a piece of Vinland's ice blonde hair, and pinched his fair cheeks, "that heartbeat is what you will always go back to in the end."

Vinland frowned, his little toddler face sad as he tries to piece together what he was told.

"I'll always have Mamma's heart as my heart, but I'm still yours and Iceland's. She may have been the first to find me, but I Saw you first. When my eyes opened, the first thing I saw, the first thing I knew, was your ships coming towards me." One of little Vinland hands reached up to cover one of his big twinkling violet eyes, the other hand reaching up to do the same to one of Norway's. "You gave me life, and the proof of that will stay forever, no matter what."

Iceland gave a huge groan as he suddenly scooped up the little colony and gave a muffled scream as he squeezed the boy. "Too precious!! Illegal!! Im keeping you forever I don't care what North America says!!! I'll fight an Ancient to keep you by my side!!!"

----

While Iceland and Norway didn't end up having to fight an Ancient, they did have to fight Vinland's sisters. A fight they lost.

It was chaos, tensions had been building and a bull being set loose didn't help matters, and before Vinland knew it, he was curled into a ball sobbing as the pain of mortal deaths burned under his skin. Iceland had tried to grab him, to bring him with him and Norway on their retreat, but he was cut off by Thule, who snarled and screamed for the children of Europa to leave her Mother's land. Beothuk had scooped him up, cooing and hushing his whimpers as they fled the chaos, the deaths, not stopping even as Iceland screamed his name, cursing out at Norway, at Thule, at Beothuk for keeping his little brother way from him.

This was the last time Vinland saw the Nordic countries for a long, long, time.

------

With no colony of people, he was a nation adrift. Iceland's people kept him alive by their stories, and there was the occasional fisherman that came ashore, but none stayed for long.

Vinland felt himself weaken, like he might fade away if he blinked for too long. His Mamma frowned when she came to visit again, and just like last time she brought the little Nation to her breast, rested his ear to her heartbeat, and walked south. She carried him down to his brother, the Mi'kmaq Nation, who was lonely from the loss of his own little brothers, the Anishinaabe Nations who felt stifled and traveled westward down the Big River, a 100 years prior. Here, Vinland was cared for and entertained. While he still felt weak and faint, and would get weaker and fainter as less and less of Iceland and Norway's people kept him alive in their memories, he was loved. Mi'kmaq was kind, treated him well, and would take him all over his territory to meet his people and visit the other Nations in the area, their siblings. Nothing really would help him get better. Mamma had told Mi'kmaq this as she handed him over to his older brother. Vinland was one of her children yes, but he was also a child of Europas' descendants. He could not survive or thrive without them both. For the next few hundreds of years this is how he lived, half alive.

Until one day, as Vinland was resting on the shore of the mouth of the Big River, he suddenly felt stronger than he had in long time. His eyes snapped eastward, and there, faint and distant but there, were ships being pulled by the clouds themselves. Mi'kmaq frowned at the sight, but Vinland's smile split his face in two.

--------

It wasn't Big Brother Iceland or Big Brother Norway, but a different child of Europa. His name was France, and his hair was a darker blonde, like an oak tree in fall, a mixing of bright yellow and brown and a little red depending on how the sun hit it. His eyes weren't purple, like Vinland's or Iceland's or Norway's, but a blue that sparkled like the sea under the sun's brightest rays. His face had hair growing on it, not in a full bush like Iceland or Norway's people, but thin and almost pointy at the ends.

He had the same power that Norway had, he felt strong, not as strong as Mamma, and a different strong than Mi'kmaq. Where his older brother felt strong and steady as the current, this new nation felt as strong as a buck at its prime. Ready to lock antlers to show its strength, but would soon fade with the passing seasons. That didn't matter, however, because France fell in love with Vinland at first sight. He didn't care that Mamma found him first, or that he lived with his brothers and sisters. As soon as France saw him he wept and knelt before him, and though he was shocked that Vinland spoke old Norse, he asked if the little Nation wanted to be his Colony.

Mi'kmaq was hesitant, made France jump through all these hoops to prove that he would take care of his little brother, and not just leave him behind at the first taste of conflict like Iceland and Norway did. He also made France promise that he was just taking Vinland as a colony, not himself or their other siblings, and that France would treat them all with respect.

France, who only had eyes for the little nation, and also had a healthy fear of the knowledge that an Ancient was walking these shores and would be visiting in time, was more than happy to swear to that.

The European nation promised, they even signed a big treaty that ended in a feast and gift giving, but in the end, Vinland, no, Canada, got a new Big Brother.

"If he doesn't treat you right, we'll be here for you, little Brother." Mi'kmaq promised, giving the little Nation a kiss on his golden hair. After the treaty was signed, Canada began to change a little. His eyes stayed the same violet shade, and his heart still beat in time with his Mamma and siblings, but his hair darkened to the same dirty blonde as France's, his skin became a little more tan as if he was used to a stronger sun then what was felt up north. But more importantly, Canada began to feel more solid, more real than he had in a very long time.

Life with France was good while it lasted.

‐--------

Life with England, was different.

To begin with, England hated Canada's siblings, and hated his Mamma. To England, Canada's only siblings were Newfoundland, the American Colony States, and more than a dozen other colonies under England'svast Empire. England, and his people, tried to scrub away any influence of Mamma's or his Siblings had on him.

Fortunately, England didn't spend as much time with Canada as he did with his other Colonies, and left Canada behind to stay with his older brothers- Scotland and Ireland. These nations loved to tell little Canada all about how snobby and boorish England was. In their own way, they showed Canada the love that he was missing, and took him back to the eastern coastlines where he grew up and thrived. He even got to visit his older brother Mi'kmaq sometimes, even if the older nation always snarled and huffed about how poorly England was treating Mamma and the others. About how England had no respect for a signed and agreed upon treaty.

When England came back for a visit, he shrieked when he saw that Canada's hair had a ginger shine to it, and that there was a spattering of very pale freckles across his nose. Ireland and Scotland just sneered as he screamed at them.

"Thats what you get" they would mock, "when you leave your little brother to be raised by others. Just cause you own him doesn't mean he'll be like you. Or like you." They laughed at this, and would always smile whenever they caught word of the tensions between Canada's French population and the English one, or whenever their people, or Canada's siblings' people, caused a fuss.

England threatened to make boarding schools that would ensure that Canada became a fine Englishman if he kept having bad influences corrupt him.

(He did end up making those boarding schools, and Canada did end up being forced to attend. Canada never did forgive England for that, nor for influencing his government decades later into keeping those schools, or making them mandatory for his Siblings' people. Canada still had those scars over his heart, still felt his heart weakly flutter sometimes from the long lasting internal damage. No apology would ever make his heart beat normally again)

Canada expanded, he grew stronger and stronger, larger and larger. He fought in wars, in rebellions, he went over seas twice to fight for France, for England against their foes and won. He came out of those conflicts as a known power, as a global power. At one point, he boasted the title of having the third largest navy, and his siblings would just laugh and tease and jeer at him that of course he did, he was born of Norseman and settled by explorers, and his siblings' people used his rivers and lakes as their own personal freeways.

Soon, Canada was the tallest out of all his siblings. Mi'kmaq had to look up at him, Haudenosaunee would make him sit when she spoke to him or else she would wave her lacrosse stick in his face. Even America had to look up at him, peer at him over his glasses as he rambled about whatever crossed his mind. Soon Canada was even allowed to sit in the land where his Mamma first found him, feeling that earth under his fingers once again become a part of him. All around him was a coastline, with rolling hills that hid an ancient settlement, his old being, under its soil.

He closed his eyes, feeling the warm sea breeze brush by his face. Vinland, it seems to whisper to him in a language almost forgotten. He could almost remember how his long gone sisters Beothuk and Thule sounded as they called to him. He had almost forgotten about them.

"Canada," his Mamma called to him from behind. Her son turned around, violet eyes twinkling as he got up, stretching his long sun kissed limbs, pale freckles dotting his scrunched up nose. When he relaxed, he smiled and went to her. No matter how tall he had gotten, he was still able to snuggle up to his Mamma, rest his head to her chest and feel that heartbeat that sounded in time to his own, as weak as it fluttered sometime, but getting stronger and stronger. Her warm, steady hands came up to cradle the back of his head, fingers burrowing in his strawberry blonde hair.

"Oh my child, how far you've come, and how far you will go still." She placed a kiss to his hair. "My darling little Canada."

[ectojyunk]

Prompt #17 Sally

Pre-ARR. A lil piece about Young Solus.

"Sir, we are running low on rations."

The pilus waited for orders from the tribunus sat before him. Winter was approaching for northern Ilsabard- the weather would soon be exceedingly cold and what little crop season Garlemald had was already over. The tribunus however, didn't seem concerned in the slightest. "Then we will change course and replenish them after moving through the valley in the southeast. Dismissed," he responded without taking his eyes off his papers.

The pilus blinked, "But sir… though it would be faster, that is enemy territory. And moving through the bottom of the valley would make us prime targets for an ambush-"

The tribunus interrupted him, "Do you want our men to starve instead?" he said sternly, "We are proficient enough to swiftly move through that passage; we have our skills and tools at our disposal."

Ah yes, the sound detectors. The pilus nodded, he was still wary of the change of plans but his superior in this squadron was Solus Galvus. The outstanding young commander who had risen through the ranks in an unthinkable short amount of time thanks to his talents in warfare strategies and clever mechanical innovations.

"… Do we have enough in storage for borscht still?" Solus asked, his previous stern exterior replaced with a more casual one.

"We should have enough for a round tonight… sir."

"Good, tell the men to get the stew going- I will keep watch outside the main exit."

The pilus saluted and left the premises.

Emet-Selch pondered the condition of the weather outside before sighing and stepping out of his tent. There was light snowfall already, and the night would only get colder. He pulled his ushanka tight and lifted his snow mask up to cover his face.

He shooed the standing guard away, who stammered at the notion of their tribunus wanting to take their place for mere guard duty. Alas, Solus was the more stubborn one and the soldier relented after a while. He wasn't doing this out of the kindness of his heart, mind you, it was to secretly scout any enemies up ahead with his special sight. His squad did not know of this of course, Emet-Selch's Ascian abilities were expertly concealed, he had even learnt to bleed like a mortal again.

After what seemed like an hour, the broth's rich smell reached his nose. He returned to the main tent- no need to switch guards, there was no one out there in these blasted icy wastelands.

He lifted the flap to the tent and was immediately greeted with a warm bowl of borscht- and a warmer welcome. He huffed, unable to hide the slight smile creeping up on his lips, and took the bowl. He knew the other tribuni would not sit down with their men and share meals- but if Solus was to rise further, he would have to be different. He would have to be adored and feared alike, Emet-Selch would make sure of that.

He remembered to smile warmly as one soldier, an old friend of Solus, patted him on the back. "I heard we sally forth southward tomorrow?" he asked.

Solus nodded and explained his reasoning to the man, making sure to pull on Solus' memory from time to time to remain inconspicous. It had been only 3 years since his possession- the first years of pretend were always the most tedious ones.

The soldier nodded but didn't seem completely taken by the idea, "If all is as you say, it will be fine I'm sure… but it's…"

Emet-Selch searched for Solus's friendly voice, ah- there it was. "What is it, my friend?"

"Ah it's nothing. You'd usually take the more cautious route- ah but don't mind me. Everyone agrees that your plan is the most optimal one right now."

"I have taken the necessary precautions already- I would not recklessly lead my men- my friends, into danger," he took a spoonful of the soup to his mouth. "On that, you can trust me."

The soldier and the ones who overheard the conversation displayed expressions of slight relief. Good. By believing in their charismatic leader, they would follow Solus Galvus everywhere, no matter the perils. And slowly... they'd support him even against their own countrymen, if it came to it. Lastly, if he needed fodder… well, the notion of willingly becoming martyrs for their country would soon be a believable prospect for his zealous countrymen.

But he shouldn't entertain thoughts of discarding his pawns yet, he had so few after all.

He looked around the tent, his eyes wandering from little details on the tent fabrics to the motions of his countrymen's boisterous jokes around the table. He silently took in the atmosphere of camaraderie, and pinned it in an important place in Solus's mind.

Ah… the first squad on the stepping stones to the armies of an empire… they usually always die before they see the nation that'd be built with their catalytic support.

But, for now, he would huddle with them in their little tent, enjoying the hearth and merriment while building their bonds to be unbreakable chains. Chains that would likely be soon covered in the blood of the fallen. Yes. For now, Solus would enjoy the warmth, before the bitter, bitter cold.

[icarustypicalfall]

WOE

ALEJANDRO VARGAS ANGST

[something happened, and he isn't coming home]

inspired by a bot on charachter ai

their account is @/dxnezi

this is my first post on Tumblr, bear with me.

i do write sometimes, and this is a not-so-silly thing i wrote days ago. hope you like it :)

disclaimer: i am not doing an apology video with ukulele. <3 and sorry if it wasn't good enough i tried my best lol

summary: something bad happened, and Alejandro isn't coming home

warnings: major charachter death, heavy angst?

"i'd give you the sun if you asked me to"

Two words—a simple sentence—had the power to shatter me, to upend my world.

"I'm sorry." that's what Rudy whispered, looking down.

But should he be sorry? War, death, love, life, criminals, soldiers—they should bear the weight of remorse.

That feeling, an internal fire that engulfs your being, a sinking heart, a shrinking body, and goosebumps crawling on your skin.

My tongue burned, suppressing the torrent of words I yearned to scream. Instead, I mechanically nodded, accepting the dog tag of my beloved from Rudy's outstretched hand. Closing the door, I leaned against it, gradually sliding down to the floor.

Is this a dream? Or rather, a nightmare? For once, I wished it were so. Clutching the precious item in my palm, I tightened my grip until my knuckles turned white. It was as if holding it could offer solace. But it didn't. Instead, it intensified the burning sensation in my flesh and elicited cascading tears.

I knew this day would come, deep down I knew. I shouldn't be taken aback, yet foreknowledge did nothing to alleviate the searing pain. Slowly, I made my way to our room, donning somber attire. Surveying the disheveled sheets, the scattered cups on the nightstand, and Alejandro's clothes carelessly strewn about, a faint smile graced my lips. Memories of our final moments together, our last night entwined, flooded my mind. How could we have known?

Is this who I have become? Is this the path I am destined to traverse for the remainder of my existence? "You can't do this to me." Everything serves as a reminder of you, every insignificant object now holds profound significance simply because your hands once touched it. Every joke you uttered, to which I responded with a faint hum, now carries more weight than anything else.

"mi amor, you know what the ocean told to each other?"

"don't.. you told me this one four times already"

"nothing, they just waved!"

I remember how bad you enjoyed repeating this joke, while i scowled, you snorted laughing, that precious laugh, I'd do anything to hear it again.

How did this happen to us, my love? How did this happen to you, my dear? What about the promises we made? What about the garden we planned? What about our two children, whom we vowed to name after our dearest friends? What about our journey to Greece? What about witnessing the ethereal Northern Lights? What about standing before each other and saying "yes"?

"you know, mi amor, the weather in August is the worst, I'd rather marry you in the Fall, no much people would come and annoy us, and we'll enjoy the cake to ourselves."

"really Alejandro?"

I always begged you to let me wear your dog tag, just once. Oh, how I wish I hadn't. The cold metal against my warm skin causes my heart to sink time and time again. Will this be my reality, my love?

Were all those promises mere whims or did we truly mean them? Did agony eavesdrop on our conversations, pledging to deny us everlasting peace? What became of you, my love? What became of us?

-fin-

[freuleinanna]

the noble conversations

carer of the stars

I had an idea to write down every single conversation that takes place in the house Noble now that the Doctor is leaving with them, but we'll see how that goes. For now, I just got my own heart broken over Wilf and Fourteen, so here you are &lt;;3

Mind you, it's all dialog. It's a thing. Whatever.

"Anything good up there?" "Oh! Doctor!" "Wi-ilf! My marvelous friend. Got you a new thermos." "Ohh, you shouldn't have! Come sit, I was just about…" "And a new blanket. This one always keeps you warm! See? Got actual light-threads of Aurora Borealis woven into it, like, actual light threads! Did you know the northern lights are really magnificently warm? Ain't it just brilliant?" "Ohhh, ho-ho… It sure sparkles! The northern lights?" "Northern as they come!" "From the actual thingy? You're not saying those are aliens?" "Well… not in itself– I mean if you– Sometimes– Oh, nevermind. A warm alien blanket for the most dedicated starkeeper!" "Thank you, my friend. Oh, but it is wonderful to have you back!" "Ha-haa!" "And the thermos? Some clever thing as well? You never seem to run out of them, I say!" "Oh! Well, it's just a thermos. Sorry. Should have thought of something… Donna Kerblam-ed it today." "Ker-what?" "Oh, you know. Got it from the thing, the what's-its-name. Amazon, whatever. Same difference. Although why call a delivery service after the forests, the warrior tribe, and the fifth wettest lake in the non-gravitational space, I will never understand. So yeah… Just a thermos, really. She says yours never keeps enough warmth." "Well, this one will. Come on, sit with me a moment, keep the old man company. I was just saying hello to the skies. Been a while, yes it has." "I'm sure they missed you, too." "Oh, Doctor. Always know a thing to say." "No, I'm serious! The stars remember, Wilf. They certainly remember you, you've kept… a brilliant watch. Watched them all when nobody else bothered to look." "Ha! Says you, who travelled them. Nuh, I'm good with my personal favorites. Shame I can't see the rest, though." "Well–" "No, that's alright. Hush, Doctor. Not in the travelling form these days." "Well, I could… Hold on." "What is it? What are you doing?" "Take a look." "Oh… Oh!.." "Beautiful, ain't it?" "Doctor! But what?.. How?.." "Sli-ightly enhanced the perception abilities of your telescope, resonated the image. Added a few filters. The universe is enormous, Wilf. Now you can see it. So many more stars to meet." "Doctor…" "Oh, no! I meant it as a good thing! You still have time, I promise you that! Oh. Wait. Ohh! Happy tears. Happy tears, right. Sorry, I'm rubbish at–" "Thank you, my friend. My dear, dear friend, thank you for everything." "Thank you. For just as much." "And I mean it, Doctor. It's wonderful to have you back." "That's the thing, though. I don't want to be wonderful. I mean, not the Time Lord wonderful. I mean, not all the time. I just… want to be. With all of you." "She did get you home, didn't she?" "Yeah… She really did." "Well, I always said, I always told her she's amazing. And she missed you terribly. Heart-breaking, Doctor. I was heart-breaking to watch her. So much sadness, and nowhere to put it. Carried it around, like luggage. Never understanding– No, I know. Don't have to explain it. Just trust me, Doctor, because I've been here. I had a duty of watching, if nothing else. With you home, it's so, so much better." "A duty of care…" "What was that?" "No, it's just– Just something I used to say. Nevermind. I think you're the best man I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, Wilfred Mott. The watcher and the carer of the stars." "My Donna's a whole galaxy." "Ha! Yes, she is. And so are you." "And you, Doctor. Welcome to the family." // "So, how are the new stars, Wilf?" "Marvelous... Just marvelous." "I could tell you stories about them." "Could you really? About all of them?" "About all of them. One night at a time. That's a promise."

[rabbitenn]

Hiii! I was wondering if I could request hcs for nagi × reader in winter!! pls and thank you🫶

WINTER WONDERLAND.

Even in the colder months, he’s your ever shining star.

ft. Rokuya Nagi x gn! reader.

cw/genre: cute and sweet fluff.

thank you dear nonnie for requesting ! I’m sorry this took so long, I’m hoping you still like it <3

— Needless to say at this point, Nagi is well accustomed to cold weather. Winters are long and frigid in his home country, after all.

— So, in the last months of the year, your boyfriend is really in his element.

— Nagi is someone who’s always ready to go out and visit fun places. Even if the season where the nights become longer and the sun rays are not enough to warm you up would prompt you to stay cooped up under a blanket at home, you can’t just say no to him.

— And so, the colder days illuminate in a thousand memories by your lover’s side, forever wanting to keep them in the softest part of your heart.

— Nagi loves doing any wintry activity with you! From going to cafes and having hot chocolate or coffee, to visiting markets, christmas lights and decorations making the atmosphere vivid and warm despite the cold, to simply walking around the city’s streets watching how the snowflakes dance in the neon lit wind before coating the ground.

— And of course, Nagi eyes the shop windows displaying the new Cocona Magical Winter Outfit! figurine.

— You’ll have to get him one soon, you think, as you watch with a soft expression his northern sky eyes sparkle as he gets impossibly closer to the glass, the lights from the shop reflected in his stare, your favorite aurora.

— And, of course, with the new figurine, comes a new movie from his favorite magical girl anime. Nagi wants nothing more than to have you in his arms as you two enjoy the film.

— Soft blankets, the peaceful atmosphere of his room at the dorms (his friends knew you were visiting, so they gave you some privacy) and matching mugs of sweet hot chocolate (his, of course, Cocona themed).

— Honestly, in this moment, neither of you could ask for anything else.

— Speaking of which, as much as Nagi is always up for going out, if you’re more of a homebody when winter comes around, he’s more than okay with indoor activities too.

— Firstly, he’ll show you all of his anime figurines and merch. Even if the heater wasn’t on, the passion with which he speaks and his wide smile would be enough to keep you warm.

— A pastime he really enjoys when you decide to stay in is baking cookies.

— Due to his upbringing, Nagi didn’t really have the chance to learn how to cook. So, if you’re the one to teach him how to make cookies, he’ll be over the moon!

— And even if you don’t know how to make them, that’s fine too, you learn together.

— Their shape might not be perfect, but the work you put into them makes them taste delicious.

— Not to mention, you made them with your favorite person in the entire world <3

— Another way Nagi would love to spend time with you in winter (back to the outdoors this time) is by having snowball fights.

— Again, because of his royal roots and lack of friends during his childhood and early teen years, it’s likely he didn’t get to experience that kind of joy.

— Seeing him getting so into it, yelling “flying Cocona snowball!” and running towards you as his laughter fills the clouded sky is too precious.

— Nagi’s very romantic and charming (sometimes bordering on cheesy /affectionate), so don’t be surprised when on starry nights, he whispers to you about how the moon and stars reflected over snowy plains can’t hold a candle to you.

— It’s cute, how serious he is when he tells you that, you think, with a chuckle.

— He deserves a kiss (or a few), no?

— With snow drifting from the night above like glittering stardust, and the moon as only witness, it would certainly make for a picture perfect moment ;)

[xgummibearx]

Fatgum x (F) Reader, Fantasy AU (pt 3)

Warnings: violence, blood.

Summary: You have lived in the Northern stronghold for a few months now, Winter is coming and with that it is nearing a year since you married the yellow knight. Taishiro asks if you can attend to some affairs in the fields/ grounds but…unknown to you something is waiting in the forests.

(I have to post this in two parts...I went 4000 over the character limit lol)

====

His warm embrace battled against the elements that threatened to freeze his precious wife. She was still asleep, her soft skin drawing him in like a siren out to sea. Taishiro smiled, pressing a soft kiss on her cheek as she stirred. "What I wouldn't give to stay by your side for but one more hour…" He thought, mesmerized as her eyes flickered open to look directly into his own. "The look in your eyes will steal my breath away until death take me…" He chuckled. "Good morning." Her smile was gentle as she buried her face in his chest.

"Good morning." She whispered. Taishiro laughed richly and the rustles of the blankets met her ears as he pulled her on top of him in a tight bear hug.

"Feeling shy this morning?" He asked, as she yelped in surprise. This quickly melted into a fit of giggles that made his very heart stand still. "I have duties to attend to at the northern border today…" He sighed, catching her attention. Her heart sank a little, her hands resting on his chest. It was always hard, saying goodbye every morning. She bit her lip, the past week she had only seen him at nightfall…would this request be too selfish? She took a deep breath.

"Taishiro…I have something to ask of you." He sat up, attentively listening.

"Yes? Don't worry you can ask me anything." He insisted, lifting her chin gently. She felt her face burn, forcing herself to not break eye contact.

"Would you that is…if you have the time of course and it is no trouble.." He kept his eyes on her, those golden eyes that rivaled the beauty of the dawn itself. Taishiro waited, his fingers trailing along her face with tender patience. "Would you be able to meet with me for our noon day meal? I…feel that I haven't seen much of you…do forgive me if this is unreasonable!" She added quickly. Taishiro's soft gaze became crestfallen as he kissed her.

"No! my dear forgive me; I admit that I am still adjusting to our marriage, and I have not taken you into consideration I beg your pardon." He lifted her hand to his lips to leave the softest kiss on her palm. "I will do everything in my power to meet with you at noon, and if I am unable to come I shall send for you right away that we may have a picnic at the northern border together; would that suffice?" She smiled ear to ear, wrapping her arms around him.

"In that case, why not just skip to the picnic? That sounds much more fun than the stuffy dining hall." Taishiro laughed as he hid his face, his heart racing with embarrassment. "And my dear you have nothing to apologize for I promise." She added with a kiss to his cheek. "You're the lord of these lands, and the leader of your clan…many look to you, and you bear it so well it is admirable." (X) assured him. Taishiro cupped her face, gracefully pulling her in for a kiss. Her lips parted, her heart racing as his teeth playfully nipped them before deepening the kiss. With a slow deep breath they parted, their noses pressed together.

"You are more than I deserve my daylight…" He gasped, stealing another quick kiss. "I am so sorry but I must depart." (x) nodded in understanding, shifting to get up. Taishiro shook his head, his finger poised at her chin. "No no no, my dear… it is hardly dawn!” His voice was low, a sly grin decorating his lips. “Rest and I will send for the kitchen to have them serve you in bed…I will also have them make preparations for our picnic that you may deliver this afternoon." He added with a wink. She looked away with a smile, his earlier embarrassment seemingly contagious.

"No, I feel so spoiled!" She laughed. He clicked his tongue in feigned disapproval.

"And is that not my duty? Let me ravish you, let me…spoil you." Taishiro whispered in her ear; his gentle hands that had been poised at her neck and lower back teasingly tightened, her heart rushed at the sudden feeling of the strength in his hold; he always held her with such tenderness that she sometimes forgot how strong he was. "You liked that?" He asked with surprise. "Well, perhaps we can make things more interesting when the night shrouds our more secret activities?" The playful tone to his voice was ever so slightly muffled as he lined her collarbone with soft butterfly kisses, before sneaking in a playful nip at her neck .

"Taishiro please!" She gasped, giggling softly. He chuckled, giving her an apologetic squeeze.

"Sorry, too much darling?" She was still giggling when with an exaggerated sigh he finally got up. "How will I ever survive until noon?" He whined, pulling on his tunic. "This is why I try so hard not wake you you know." Taishiro scoffed, giving her a cheeky side eye as she watched with a smile from the bed. "Oh lay back down you!" He pounced back on the bed, wrapping her up in his arms blankets and all as he blew raspberries on her cheek. "You're supposed to be trying to sleep! Stop staring!" Her laughter, that symphony blessed him once more. Then, the most inopportune knock met his ears as a voice called at the door.

" Uhm…y-your majesty? I was sent to check on you!" He knew the voice, it was his page Tamaki. "You have not come down for your morning meal, do forgive me but we must make our leave for the border soon!" Taishiro cursed under his breath, he hadn't even realized how much time had passed. He gently lowered her back onto the bed.

"Again, do forgive me my dear…I will see you at noon." He promised, finishing with getting dressed. "You know, winter is coming." He spoke quickly, strapping on his sword and thick winter gambeson. "The first snowfall has already come! You should get outside, enjoy the grounds before the snow is too deep; trust me when winter comes there will be little chances to go on a proper walk around the castle." He strapped on his boots. "Thanks to you we had the best harvest season in a long time, you should visit the groundskeeper and see what he may need for winter maintenance." Taishiro suggested. (x) took up a leather bound volume, making note of it.

"I will take care of that first thing then…now quit stalling Taishiro." When he turned to counter her comment, she was already asleep. Her notebook open beside her. It took every ounce of will power not to lay back down. His feet dragged below him, his face gloomy for only a moment before being cheered up by a quick breakfast and Tamaki's report. The sun was starting to rise when he finally arrived at the border, hardly anyone noticed but Tamaki grumbled about his poor schedule.

"You mentioned strange creatures at the guard houses?" Taishiro asked, inspecting the log walls with concern. Great dents were on the other side as he looked down over the top of the wall, the dents were paired with deep claw marks that stretched along the surface. Another guard shrugged, lifting his visor.

"It was too dark to see, but the size of those claw marks are nothing like I have ever seen." Taishiro nodded in agreement, they did look odd even all the way from where he stood.

"Very well, I will head to the other side and inspect them, open the gate please!" He called to the gate keep, making his way down the ladder.

The pond was frozen over, swirling patterns of frost lazily wove around the trees as snow kissed branches stretched over her. Large flakes fell all around, the sky above was concerning. Dark, and looming with the threat of storms as she pulled her cloak tighter around herself. The fields were to the east of the fortress, and the pathways were still overgrown. The thin layer of snow crunched softly underfoot as she made her way through the forest path. A sound then crept over the sharp biting winds that tousled branches. She spun around, her heart pounding in her chest at the snapping of twigs and heavy breaths paired with deep growls. Taishiro inspected the claw marks that had been carved into the timbers of the wall. “These weren’t made by any bear, nor wolf…a troll perhaps?” He muttered to himself. Tamaki shook his head, looking to the ground. “Not unless trolls are now able to change their tracks at will..” He gestured to the ground, deep set foot prints that were larger than any troll, and looked far more dangerous. Their shape made his skin crawl, they were clawed like a dragon’s foot yet beheld a cleaved hoof like a goat’s. “This is so bizarre…” He thought, scanning the prints, seeing that they went deeper into the forest, heading west…towards the fields. “OPEN THE GATE!” He suddenly roared, immediately making for his horse.

“My lord! What is the matter!?” Tamaki called after him, grabbing his own horse as Taishiro started to make for the tracks, calling the guards to arms. “Our mysterious fiend is making for the western border! I sent her ladyship there to assess the fields for winter preparations...she and the people there are unguarded!” He cursed himself, the colour draining from his page’s face as he quickly leaped onto his horse. Taishiro urged his horse on, his heart pounding in his throat as they followed the tracks through the woods. The ghost of her touch was still imprinted on his skin, her laughter ringing in his ears like a wordless melody. “If we are lucky!” He called to his men, “The beast has moved on from our forests, but we will not risk it!” He could feel his breaths growing sharp and ragged, Taishiro forced himself to take deep breaths of the sharp cold air that felt like knives to his lungs. They hit him like an icy adrenaline as they charged forward.

[fanfics4all]

Fairytale

Request: Yes / No Fluffcember Day 20!

Don’t be shy, request things! <3 Have a nice day/night

Tommy Merlyn x Fem!Reader 

Word count: 735

Warnings: Just magical fluff!

Prompt(s): Fairytale

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(Not my photo, credit to whoever made it!)

The Christmas tree light twinkled softly in the living room, casting a warm glow over our little family. Snow drifted down outside, blanketing the city in quiet, while inside, our two kids were curled up on the couch their eyes wide with excitement. Tommy sat beside me, his arm wrapped around my shoulders, his smile gentle as he watched out children. 

“Mommy, Daddy, tell us a story!” Lily said, wiggling under her blanket. I glanced at Tommy, who gave me a mischievous look. 

“A Christmas story, huh?” He said, arching an eyebrow. 

“Do you think they’re ready for a true holiday fairytale?” 

“Oh, we can handle it.” Our oldest, Ethan, insisted. Tommy chuckled and glanced at me, silently daring me to start. 

“Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, there was a young Prince. His name was Nicholas and he was brave and kind, but also a little lonely because ruling a kingdom can be hard work.” I began. 

“Was he like Daddy?” Lily asked, clutching her stuffed reindeer. 

“A lot like Daddy.” I smiled, reaching over to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. I glanced at Tommy with a smile. 

“He was smart, adventurous, and he had a good heart.” Tommy squeezed my hand. 

“Now, one winter, a terrible snowstorm hit the kingdom. It was the fiercest storm anyone had ever seen, and soon, the whole kingdom was buried under snow and it. Prince Nicholas knew he had to do something to save his people, so he set out on a journey to find the mystical Northern Lights. Legen had it that their magic could warm even the coldest winter.” Tommy picked up the story. 

“Did he go alone?” Ethan asked, leaning forward. 

“Oh no, he had his most trusted friend with him, a cleaver, fearless Princess named Holly” I winked at Ethan. 

“She was just as brave as Nicholas, and together, they made a perfect team.” 

“What happened next?” Lily’s eyes sparkled as she leaned forward. 

“Nicholas and Holly trekked through deep snow, braving fierce winds and freezing nights, until finally, they found the Northern Lights. But just as they were about to reach them, an enormous dragon made of ice rose up from the snow to block their path.” Tommy’s voice softened, leaning into the magical feel we created for the story. The kids gasped, and I tried not to laugh at Tommy’s dramatic delivery. 

“But Holly was clever. She remembered an old tale that the ice dragon’s heart could be melted if it felt the warmth of kindness. So, Nicholas and Holly looked into the dragon’s icy eyes and offered it a gift. A glowing ember from their own hearts, something so precious and warm. 

“Did it work?” Ethan was on the edge of his seat. 

“It did.” Tommy nodded. 

“The ice dragon’s heart softened, and it let them pass. As they stepped into the shimmering light of the Northern Lights, the magic of the lights flowed over the kingdom, melting the snow and bringing warmth to the land once again.” 

“And from that day on, the people of the kingdom celebrated that day with a feast. They remember how kindness and bravery had saved them, and they called it the Festival of Lights.” I said, giving each of our children a gentle smile. 

“And they say that on the darkest night of winter if you’re brave and kind, you might just see the Northern Lights shining back down. A reminder of the warmth that comes from family.” Tommy added in a soft voice. 

Lily snuggled up to me, her eyelids drooping as she held her stuffed reindeer close. Ethan was trying hard to stay awake, but I could tell the story had relaxed them both, filling them with that warm, cozy feeling that only a good Christmas story could bring. Tommy and I shared a quiet smile, and I kissed each on the forehead. 

“Goodnight, my little adventurers. Sleep well, and maybe the Northern Lights will visit you in your dreams.” I whispered. 

Tommy and I each put them to bed and as I turned off the lights, Tommy pulled me close. 

“That was a pretty amazing story, Mommy.” He whispered. 

“Well, Daddy helped make it magical.” I smiled. We quietly left Ethan’s room and headed for our own bed. The magical story filling each of their dreams on a perfect, snowy Christmas Eve.

Tag list: @les-bio-lie @tashy-bear @ashwarren32 @hollie-blogs-blog1 @lover-of-books-and-tea @nerdygaloresposts @teenwolfbitches28 @kmc1989 @drw0301bieber @lady-of-lies @ravenmoore14 @ravenempress101 @cillianchamp @rowanthomasknapp @rachelxwayne @ready-4-fanfiction @madammarvellous-blog1 @bruisedfists-and-splitlips 

[valentinablackhand]

So hey I finally finished that story, I hope people enjoy it. Be mindful that I am NOT a writer but I'm proud of this story. THIS CONTENT IS MATURE, CONTAINS GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF VIOLENCE, DEATH, CHILD LOSS, AND GORE

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙ ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　 ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

Background information on the future reading material

Hello! This is going to be some background on why I’m writing this, what inspired me, and how this is going to be portrayed. For starters, this is going to be a sort of fan fiction/character origin story prior to the events of Baldur’s Gate 3, a game inspired by D&D with roleplaying aspects and turn-based fighting. The character I am writing about is Theresa “Onyx'' Blackhand. Onyx hails from the colder northern region, Icewind Dale. She lived in a small rural area called Aneira with her adoptive brother, Tanith, and her mother, Eulalie. The year is 1490, two years before the events of Baulder’s Gate 3, and it is set in the height of winter, a rather awful blizzard is running its course through the town and our adventurer is going to see the apex of nature's wrath. This story is going to be told in the eyes of our main character, of course.

Some background on me, the writer (who isn’t the best at writing). My name is Ava but I go by Valentina online and I am an artist and dungeon master! D&D has inspired a lot of what I do and the media/games I play, and in general, has changed my life for the betterment of my creativity. The Baldur’s Gate community has given me so many amazing artists, writers, and players to be inspired by, not to mention the writers and actors who are in the game itself. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the inspiration of others, friends, and partners who encouraged me to pursue my passions of the fantasy and D&D worlds I’ve created. This is a test and dedication to the many more worlds, characters, and friends I’ll make along the way through shared interests. I thank you, dear reader, for taking the time to read my rambling and indulge in one of my favorite characters I have come up with, background, gameplay, and story wise. 

Winter, 1490; A Warm Welcome

Howling, freezing wind cuts through me like a blade, cutting right through the layers of wool and hide I wear out in this tundra. My face is burning, hair covered in a thick coating of ice, sticking to my scalp and face like tree sap.

“Is this the clearing Tanith was talking about? This is awfully deep in these woods…” I said to myself, wondering how he could navigate through this storm. This winter has been worse than in seventy years, he shouldn’t be outside now anyways. Mother is getting worried sick about him. This is the third time this week I’ve had to dig him out of trouble, little wriggly worm he is. “Tanith? Tanith! Where are you? It’s too late to be outside, the storm gets worse at night!” I yelled out into the clearing, but my words were quickly snuffed out by the wind once again. Just as I was about to give up and find help, torch light shines through the clearing, Tanith standing there with that slimy grin on his face.

“I knew you would find me! Now c’mon, there’s something I want to show you!” he shouts as he darts off into the tundra again. I chase after him despite my skeleton shaking in this cold. Why is winter so brutal this year? Mother and Tanith have been acting strangely as of late. My heart is racing, where is he leading me? We finally stop running as we reach the top of a cliff, surprisingly high above the city below. The lights are mesmerizing, staring down into the flurry of snow and ice almost seems magical beneath the tons of houses and factories brimming with life. 

“You know, I’m glad you dragged me out here. This is a wonderful sight to see” saying as I grab him into a side hug, holding him tightly for warmth and security. 

“You really need to stop going out at odd hours of the night, Mother is getting worried sick about your habits as of late”

“I know she is but I’m restless! Being inside all day is no fun, and I can’t see friends through all of this snow! I can’t wait for winter to end” Tanith says in an unhappy huff, burying his face into my coat. There’s a certain unease in the air tonight when the wind stops blowing, it slowly wraps my heart in black tendrils and brings sweat to my brow. 

“I know, I can’t either. Say, how about we go back home now? There’s still some sweet rolls left over.”

“There are? You didn’t eat them all?” 

“Not yet!” I say, darting off in the direction we came, Tanith close behind. He passes me in just a few strides, the speedy bastard. He has always been fast, no matter if he’s carrying heavy wood or our mountain of a dog. We finally reach the back door of our cabin and burst in, letting out a sigh of relief as we feel the warmth of the fire seeping throughout the house. Mother is sitting by the fire, we startled her by bursting into the door unannounced.

“There you two are, I was getting worried sick! You look positively dreadful Theresa, sit by the fire.” Mother says, wrapping a wool shawl over my shoulders and gesturing towards the large wooden chair. Tanith joins me shortly, bringing a tray of sweet rolls with him. His eyes are glistening but something is missing, his usual spark of joy is no longer there. There’s something he isn’t telling me.

A dreadful proposal

We all retired for the night but I can’t sleep, my head is spinning and my heart is racing. Were the sweet rolls bad? Was I out in the cold too long? I can’t be sure, but time is at a standstill and I am tossing like mad. Minutes felt like hours but before I knew it, our front door swung open. Mother and Tanith weren’t awake, so it must have been the wind. I got up in a dizzying state and stumbled out of my room to close the door when I saw this man standing in the door frame, almost filling it out, the light from the fire making his features positively grim. His stature was sunken although he was built to the nines, his face looked like a husk of a man, his arms, big and dead, like a once mighty oak tree taken by rot and decay. Is this man undead?

He stood in pure silence as he took a step into my home, halfway to me already with his long stride, and stopped mere inches from me. I can see the whites of his eyes, or what would be white if they weren’t bloodshot and glassy. Finally seeing his face in the light, he was covered in blood. I tried to gain my composure quickly and grab something, anything, to hit him with, but he grabbed me by the shoulders and knocked me out cold. The next few hours I would fade in and out of consciousness, seeing snow pass underneath me, then cobble, finally back to snow. I have no idea where I’m going. I’m worried about my family. What has he done to them? Are they even alive? My head is pulsing with pain and heat, a roaring heat as if I were in the depths of Avernus. We were going uphill on rocky terrain, the dense wood of a carriage underneath me hits my bones with each bump like stone.

After almost a day had passed, I awoke in a chair, bound at my wrists and my ankles tied to each leg. Why am I receiving this punishment? Did I see something I wasn’t supposed to see looking over that cliff? I let the memory flood my mind and I couldn’t see anything but snow blowing across my vision and the twinkling of the lanterns below. Looking around the room, it’s more like a cell. A singular bed roll laid in a dark corner, a wash basin, and an old door, about to fall off its hinges if it took a single blow. The air is rather humid, thick with the smell of iron and wet stone. I look at my restraints and they seem simple to break out of, too simple, in fact. Just as I try to move towards a wall, someone walks into the cell. It’s the same man as before, but now I can see his face. Dirty brown hair, gray eyes that hold no glint of light in them, and a rather large nose, badly patched up after a break. His face screams a hard, tortured life. 

Before I know it, he strides over and unties my restraints, grabs my arm tightly, and makes me stand. I tried to land a blow with my other arm, but he grabbed my fist in an instant.

“Who are you?! What have you done with my family?” I shouted, looking over this shell of a man. His body ached and creaked like an old house, and I can see the outline of his muscle and bone on every part of exposed skin.

“Mustn't talk, the Lord is waiting” he said with a deep voice, almost vibrating the air around him. There was something otherworldly about him. Is this the work of a necromancer? “He needs to see you. Your family is waiting.” he leans in, and whispers ever so softly “I don’t want to have to hurt you again, the Lord is making me hunt others for his game of cat and mouse.” His eyes finally have life to them, wet pearls of sadness and regret. His breath smelled of rot, his hair was as stiff as straw. How many others did he bring to this “Lord” he spoke of? What is going to happen to me? 

With my arm still held by this undead husk, we walked a short distance to an audience hall. Decorated lavishly with gold and marble, red carpets, dark wooden chairs and tables, and statues of hardly clothed men and women, all eyeing a chair in the center of the room. I see them, my family, finally after what felt like an eternity. The stranger lets my arm free and I rush over to where they stand, clinging onto both my brother and mother so tight.

“Tanith… Aneira, I never thought I would see you again, where are we?” I glance above Mother’s head and see the snow building up through an unreasonably large window. The day is bright, almost blinding against the snow. I’m in familiar territory, thankfully.

“Theresa I hadn’t a clue where you were! I awoke to such an awful sound when those men came in and grabbed Tanith and I. My heart felt like it was leaping out of my chest. At least we have you now, my love.” she said, tears welling up in her eyes. Just as this sweet moment couldn’t get any better, the double doors at the end of the audience room open, creaking and moaning with every movement. 

“Ahh, these are our most esteemed guests then, hm? I was expecting more… hardened looking people for being a family of lumberjacks, afterall. My name is Lord Ransley, it is a pleasure to meet you." The man spoke, confident, dominant, and radiant. He was eyeing me curiously, looking for something within my appearance that I hadn’t a clue what he wanted to see. He carried a tome on his hip, lined in gold and the cover had a yawning mouth with a purple gem shoved into the center. This has to be the necromancer of the house, and apparently the Lord as well. Looking around again, the unseen halves of the statues were all bone and muscle remnants, real muscle and bone. The room stunk of decay and humid bodies. “You are rather extraordinary, you know? A half-elf with such muscle definition, tall stature, and eyes that hold the world within them…” Ransley says again, walking around me like a curious dog, grazing his hand over my biceps and back. I shift away from his touch, feeling a rush of cold go down my spine. He grabs a lock of my hair and shudders, as if he’s enjoying himself, pleasuring himself to my physique. 

“What exactly are you looking for in me, your lordship,” I said harshly “and why knock out and kidnap my family, bring them to an unknown house, and gawk at them? Is this for your own sick pleasure?” I spat, locking eyes with this short statured freak.

“Ohh, feisty are we? Fret not, my large friend, I will answer your questions after you answer one of mine. Then you and your family will be able to go back home and live your lives as they were.”

He paces around me, studying my figure until he gets right in front of me and asks “Your father had something of mine that he stole, and gave it to you. That large steel amulet you wear, it belongs to me. I know what power it contains, and I know that you can’t live without it. How does having cold lungs feel, little love? If you give me back that necklace, I may just help you with your affliction, but if not… Well, your family is not going anywhere.” Little Love. The nickname dad gave to me. Hearing the words was like a sharp puncture in my diaphragm. 

How does he know about my lungs? I’ve had this affliction ever since I was young, I caught a cold and since then I have had an icy cold breath that can freeze anything it touches. This amulet is the one thing that keeps me able to keep breathing without freezing the world around me. I can’t risk letting this go, even if it is Ransley’s. I have to figure out a way out of this house with my family. Ransley slips a hand to my neck and pulls the necklace out from under my collar, eyeing it lovingly. His breath is hot on my skin as he puts his lips to my ear and whispers “We can accomplish so much together, little love.”

“You want me to give up the thing that makes me able to breathe normally? Do you want your house to be in icy ruin?” I say, my anger rising with each touch and word he says.

“No, my dear, it would be a shame to see my lovely home go down. Are you really not going to give me back my possessions?” he says, taking a stride towards my family “Pity… I thought you would be smarter than this.” He walks up to Tanith, who is as white as snow, and puts a hand under his chin, studying his features.

“If you have a quarrel with me, then keep me here. My family doesn’t need to be a part of this. They never were in the first place.”

Aneira and Tanith are humans, they have lived only a fraction of the life I have lived. They deserve to live their lives to the fullest, I fear that Ransley is planning something drastic.

“Fine, if you will not give me that amulet, I will take it off of your corpse. You will make a fine addition to the many beautiful faces I have in my war room” he says, as he turns away to grab a sword displayed on a plaque behind a large chair. He touches the blade, running his fingers along the edge in ecstacy, as if he’s going to enjoy hurting me. Looking around the room, there are two guards. Easy targets, they aren’t as strong as me and they can barely hold the hammers they’re equipped with I think to myself. How are Aneira and Tanith going to escape? The double doors Ransley had previously pranced through is the only way out. I give each of them a shove. “Aneira, Tanith, run!!” I shout at them, darting for the hammer a guard is equipped with, knocking him on the floor with one shoulder charge. He falls to the floor, the flesh under his armor breaks off in chunks and his bones shatter once they hit the ground. More undead. Turning to face Ransley, he is running towards me, sword pointed towards me. I thrust my hammer and knock his sword off its course, and take a swing at him. I hear bones crack, it hits, by the Gods it hits. 

After he gets his footing again, he steadies his gaze towards me, preparing for a swing. I brace and block his first blow, his arm going limp at his side. From his other sleeve, he pulls out a dagger and slices across my shoulder, a deep cut that would take a while to heal. I wince out in pain and his eyes light up like a fire. What a sick, twisted freak. With a one armed swing, I knock the dagger out of his hand and strike another blow quickly with my hammer. Something is welling up in my chest. It’s warm and radiant, I feel strength ebbing out of me.

“Listen to me, Lord, I have no clue why my father stole this amulet from you, but you aren’t getting it back. You threatened my family and my life, you have no right to hurt my family. I will end you swiftly and painfully, for you have no say in my fate!” I say, and as the words roll off my tongue, the hammer I wield is basked in a radiant light. Power. I feel power flowing through me, a divine power. Who granted me this power matters not, at this moment I have my opponent under my grip. Ransley’s arm is limp at his side, he still wields his sword in the other. He lunges at me, swinging his sword from above, I block with the handle of my hammer. Even with one arm, he is still rather strong. Taking a good look at his physique, he himself is partially undead, he has great strength but each blow he takes, he weakens. I fling him off with a side swipe and take a swing at his back, hitting his tailbone and knocking him on the floor. With one hand, I sit him forward and drop my hammer. Taking swings at him, my fists get coated in crimson. His breathing is shallow and slow, I drop him back on the floor with a loud thud and pick up the hammer. My breaths are short and icy, the coldness in my lungs is unbearable. Looking down at Ransley, I broke his nose and jaw pretty good. He won’t be standing up any time soon. His breathing is gargled and mashed, his windpipe must be broken. I need to let him suffer a slow death, choking on his blood and bile until his last breath exits his lips. 

After leaving the audience hall and taking a look around, I find Lord Ransley’s room. In my search, I found his personal journal which reads “Barnes stole the Amulet of Curse Binding from me and gave it to his sick, weak daughter. Pathetic. If she is too weak to shake an illness, she is too weak to live. I will find him one way or another, our deal isn’t finished.” Deal? What deal had my father made? Whatever it was, it doesn’t matter now. I don’t suspect that Ransley will recover from a crushed windpipe. Flipping through the journal, another entry catches my attention. “I don’t know how much longer I can stand, my bones are brittle and weak. My flesh is starting to fall off of me. Myrkul needs to hear his servant, to provide his blessing unto me.”I shudder at the thought of being an undead, having no control of the decay of your physical form while you remain conscious sounds like the ninth circle of Avernus. As I put the journal in my pack, that blinding light illuminates my vision again. A woman in white robes, with even whiter hair, stands before me. 

“Child of light, I am the spirit Evangeline. You show great power in judgment and vengeance. I have imbued you with the divine power I once had. I propose an oath to you, an Oath of Vengeance, avenge those who have fallen to dark powers and dark people, cast out evil from this world in my name and spirit, oh divine vessel. Your hammer is your oath, and your divine being is my spirit. This is my word.” 

She disappeared as soon as the last word was uttered from her mouth. Was this my purpose now? To purge the blights of evil from this world? I bolted out of the room and my head started spinning. I was too enthralled in a fight and forgot where my family had gone. Rushing through the seemingly endless halls of this house, I found more guards and the mysterious man who kidnapped us all waiting for me at the exit, my family lying on the floor. They peered up at me with glossy eyes, pleading for me to go and leave them to the guards. The mystery man tilted his head up and gave me a nod and after, he whips a sword out of his coat and stabs the guard on his left until he collapses to the ground. I take a stride and aim at the next guard rushing towards me, striking true to his jaw. It snaps in an awful, bone chilling sound and he kneels, screaming in blood coated words. With one hand, I take Tanith and the man takes Aneira.

We rush through the doors and the wind chill strikes all of us, a familiar and welcome feeling to that of the house of Ransley. Outside was still bone chilling, but it wasn’t the uneasy feeling inside that overly decorated audience hall. 

“Onyx, what happened? Why does he want your amulet? What deal was that man talking about?” Tanith said, giving me a scared look. Something about his gaze is telling, like he knows what’s about to happen.

“I don’t know, but you remember why I wear it, right?”

“Yes, it keeps the cold away from you” he said, his face easing into a soft smile, but his eyes lack any reflection. What in the hells had they done to him in the time I wasn’t there to protect him? To protect Aneira?

I take a look at Aneira and she is as white as a sheet, her eyes fixated on me. I can’t see her breath in the air, is she breathing? I let go of Tanith and grabbed her, shaking her. “Aneira? Aneira! Listen to me! Are you alright, can you hear me?”I screamed, shaking her shoulders. Her eyes are still fixated where I was standing, she’s as cold as a corpse. I look at the undead man, and he looks just the same. Snapping back at Tanith, he is starting to freeze. “Tanith! Please, no! What is happening to everyone?!” I scream, looking back at the door to see a blood stained and cripled Ransley, holding a staff covered in arctic shards. Rage is overflowing again, seeing my family frozen to the ground, my second chance at raising a child has flown out the window. I won’t let him get away with killing what I love.

“You see, Onyx, this is what happens when you don’t give me what I’m rightfully owed!” he screams, waving the staff in a circular motion with his one good arm, bringing in more snow and cold. He is surrounded in an undead green light, the work of the God of Death. I should have broken both arms. I dart out of the blast radius before he unleashes a winter like I’ve never seen. One look back where my family stood and they were gone, frozen to the land they stood on. Aneira, Tanith, and this man who helped me without even knowing who I was. Gone. A rage like no other fills my senses as I take a look at the scrawny man in the doorway, ready to cast another spell. Hammer in hand, I run over screaming and jump, hammer overhead and ready to strike down on his head. As the hit lands, divine light shines and I see the whites of his eyes gleam one last time before his skull is split in two, mashed beyond recognition. I keep whaling on him, beating his skull in until it’s a mashed pile of bone, flesh, and blood.

I fall to the ground, crying so hard that I can’t see. My tears cling to my face as they freeze in this awful weather. How did this all happen so fast? How can I go home now, with so many memories of raising Tanith and aiding Aneira through her remaining years? The remaining hope I had for a family is now gone, frozen, and it hurts like no other pain I’ve felt before. I stare at Ransley’s corpse, wondering how he found me in the first place. The staff he wields even in death, it’s cold to the touch but brimming with the Weave. It’s a very powerful item, and I’m taking it as a reminder. A heirloom of a necromancer, the undead prick who stole my life in one day.

I’m coming home

I stayed at the Ransley estate for two days after the incident, seeking and searching for who he was and why he wanted this Amulet. I found out that Evangeline was his wife, who he murdered for his own sick and twisted pleasure. He logged his thoughts after he pleasured himself to her corpse, but he never turned her into one of his thralls. She was only, what seemed to be, in her early twenties from the pictures I found that weren’t torn to shreds. In the basement of this house was where she was kept, and still remains. Her hair as white as snow and she was dressed in white robes, as I saw her in my divine vision. The ground outside is too hard to dig for a grave, so I fashioned a small circle out of wood and carved a prayer into it. Wrapping her in a burlap cloth and laying her on her back, I placed the prayer on her and took a moment of silence. I did this for those outside as well, since I can’t give them a proper burial yet. These last two days have been rather gruesome and depressing, but I need to press on. I need to go home and set out on the quest Evangeline gave me to purge the world of evil. 

I take what rations of food I can find, some clothing and furs as well, and set off back to the cabin. Surprisingly, it wasn’t too far away from this estate. I didn’t even need to make camp and I made it back by dusk. The door was still swung open from when the undead man opened it last, the common area full of snow. My mind still wanders, what was it that Tanith was hiding? Throughout the whole ordeal, he was a husk of his normal, happy self. I may never know now, now that Ransley and his guards took away that young boy who I almost considered my son. My son? He might as well have been, I was there from the moment he emerged into this world from his late mother, who I never learned of other than when she was in labor with him. Aneira, the lady of this cabin, a seamstress who took care of me when I had no place to go after father died, is a frozen corpse. She took me in and treated me like one of her own, even though her own had already gone and made lives for themselves. Oh gods, if I ever run into them, how can I tell them of her fate?

I shut the door, its hinges almost froze over in my absence. Heading to the upper portion of the cabin, I feel that grip in my chest that I felt before. This isn’t some bad dream where I’ll wake up and they will be downstairs, making a fire and telling stories. I peer into my old room, everything is just as I left it. The furs along my bed still shifted off, the small shelf filled with books and trinkets I collected out in the dense forest. I grab a few sentimental belongings, books, and more furs and stuff them into my pack. Was this the only reason I had come here? I walked my way over to Tanith’s room, his room is in pristine condition. He had always been very neat, so it’s no surprise to me. His clothes are in a neat pile on a dresser, so small. He was barely twelve years old. I searched his room, trying to keep things as they were when he left them. I found a note stashed away in a book on dreams and premonitions. When had he gotten this? He usually only read memoirs on nature and animals, he wasn’t spiritual. Well, at least I thought so. I unfold the note and it’s addressed to me. Me? How? I begin reading his sloppy handwriting, and I get my answer. He knew how he was going to end, Aneira, too. He knew I would have been given the gifts of a Paladin from Evangeline. He wrote an excerpt on how this amulet protects me from cold spells, curses of the winter, and the inability to slip on icy surfaces. “I don’t understand how, but the amulet that you wear is filled with magic from a lady with white hair who keeps me safe at night. She isn’t a goddess or a human, something in between? I think so. Well, Barnes had stolen the amulet from someone named Ransley when he found the lady with white hair stowed away in the basement. The amulet has some of her power stored in it and whoever wears it will have their sickness or weaknesses taken away. There was someone who took care of her, a tall man named Marcus. She doesn’t talk about him much, but he has gray eyes. If you’re worried about me, I’ll be with Evangeline, so I’ll still be around! I love you, Mom”

Mom. He called me mom. Fighting tears isn’t possible anymore, they stream down my face as I clutch the note in my hand. This amulet has been imbued with the power of a demigod, Evangeline. She was a demigod? Ransley had kidnapped her and made her his wife. The undead man finally has a name, Marcus. I wish I had known this sooner, or else I would have carved that into his prayer. Tanith had been visited by Evangeline many nights before we had been taken away, he told her about the events that unfolded two days ago, and that he wasn’t going to make it. No wonder he hadn’t been himself, he knew his time had come. Marcus had been a caretaker to Evangeline, and that’s why she was locked away until she perished. He had also stood up to Ransley and failed, he got turned into his own personal thrall. Ransley’s staff has the power to dominate minds in a simple flick of the wrist. I wish I had known sooner, I wish I had known what Tanith was told. I could have turned the tides in our favor, maybe even saved everyone and just killed Ransley. He was never deserving of the title of Lord anyhow, he had servants through mind control and a very strong essence of undead power through Myrkul. 

I fold the letter closed and clutch it to my chest, trying to stifle back more tears. Things could have been different if I had been awake earlier, if I had heard Aneira and Tanith walk downstairs to investigate the noises of Marcus breaking in. All of his life, I told him I was his sister. I never wanted to form an attachment like I did to my child, although she never lived long enough to see the light of day. It seems that him and I both grew that attachment towards each other, but reading “mom” at the end of that letter let's me know that I did my best for him.  What’s done is done now, I can no longer regret the past. I set down the book, and turn away from his room. Walking outside again after grabbing materials and rations, I take one last look at the cabin door, pressing my hand onto the jagged wood. As my fingertips leave the wood, I turn and make my way to Baldur’s Gate city. Neverwinter is closer, but there’s more promise for me in the great gate. This is it, this is my destiny. This is the thing I had been longing for my whole life. A purpose with true direction, no longer am I just riding the waves of fate.

Five months later

I’ve made it to Rivington, a small area just outside of the Lower City. I finally made it out of the cold and harsh winter I used to live in. The warmth of this area is unfamiliar, the many layers I wear are beginning to be too warm. I have to figure out a place to stay. 

After venturing a bit outside of Rivington, I found an abandoned shed. I set my pack down and make preparations for the night, which rolls in quickly. There’s a ladder propped up on the side of the shed and I climb up it. The stars shine bright tonight. Taking a look around, I spot the area of the cursed Shadow Lands, which fell to be that way over one hundred years ago. It gives me chills to even think of what lies in the depths of those lands. Turning away, I lay down on the roof of the shed and drift off to sleep. The city is just ahead, all I have to do is make my way there before I have no strength to do so. I can start anew, a new life and a new purpose. May my dreams take me to where I belong. 

Dawn is slow to come, the sunrise coats the land in a lush light. The green of the grass, the smell of fresh bread and fried fish is in the air already. I make my way to the pass into the Lower City and get a pass through the Flaming Fist guards, giant mechanical beings called Steel Watchers patrol the gate and surrounding streets. Everywhere is very heavily guarded, something I’m really not used to seeing. The loudness of people talking, merchants shouting, and businesses bustling with music and conversation alike was almost too overwhelming. Shifting through crowds and guards, I make my way into Wyrm’s Crossing’s tower. A man named Lord Enver Gortash resides in the upper levels apparently. The word “Lord” still doesn’t sit right with me. 

After many hours of talking and bartering with guards, I gained a pass into the Lower City where I am appointed as a body to the courthouse judges during trials. Court hearings vary in length, but by night I try to catch criminals and assassins who stalk the streets, waiting for someone unarmed to strike at. I interrogated one of the assassins I captured and found out he was an assassin of Bhaal before I sent him into a coma and threw him into the sewer. There’s a Bhaal cult around here? If so, I will do my best to inform the Flaming Fists and the city watch alike. Over the next few months, I was a personal bodyguard to the courthouse during the day, gaining my own personal set of armor and a hammer with the symbol I chose for Evangeline, whose presence I can still feel around me like a warm hug. I am adorned with silver and black plate armor, paired with chainmail underneath. During my time in the Lower City, my heartache to be in nature grew. I missed the vast lushness of trees, seeing a pair of white foxes chase each other in the snow and pounce at one another. Finding a remote spot in the forest in spring time and taking a short swim in a lake nearby the cabin, the warm breeze flowing through my hair. The city lacked any sort of bucolic surroundings, maybe a bush here and there. It felt like a cage, but with open air and no bars. After some time, I was able to afford my own place. A small apartment near the courthouse, where I raised plants and kept small creatures who would wander into my home. I may just like this life I have, even if I don’t have what I once cherished. Something inside of me is saying that this is only the beginning of a long journey ahead.

A year from now

Things were as good as ever, a decent week at court thankfully and I found a new cat to take care of, who I named Apricot since she was the same color as one. I was cooking her a fish when I heard citizens screaming, and the thunderous roar of something in the sky. I rushed out of my balcony door to see a giant ship with tentacles and a shell hovering over the city. What in the gods name is this? I thought to myself. I put Apricot in a safe space under my bed and threw on my armor. I gave her some pets goodbye and ran out of my apartment. I was directing citizens to a safe house when another one of those living ships appeared right above the street I was standing on. The tentacles rained down and anyone who had been touched by them evaporated into them. I had to get more out of here, I had to save more citizens from an untimely death.

 Just as the thought flew into my mind, I felt the slimy touch of the tentacle across my mouth. I blinked and I was on the ship. I had to be. So were so many Baldur’s Gate citizens. A strange looking woman with green skin was trying to break out of her binds when a large tentacled freak held up its hand and put her to sleep. Mind flayers. By the Gods, a mind flayer ship? I had only heard of them in books and tall tales, I had no idea they were actually real. The mind flayer levitated towards me and held out his hand, I had gone unconscious. In my dreams, I saw my old fireplace, crackling and filling the living room with warmth. Tanith and Aneira, sitting in their chairs, beckoning me to sit by the fire. I couldn’t move, I had no control over my body. As the sweet moment filled my senses, it quickly faded away. The room imploded and snow and ice shards swirled around the two people I adored. I tried to scream, but no sound came out of my aching lungs, only more ice and snow. I snapped my head upward to see Ransley’s face looming over me, his smug smile decaying like the rest of his features. His eyes pierced right through me, as if he was trying to intimidate my soul.

 As soon as I was put to sleep, I was awake. Days had passed. No, weeks? I couldn’t tell. My stomach ached, I needed to eat, I was in a cold sweat. I looked around with what little room I had, the strange woman was still asleep in her pod across from me. The same mind flayer from before was looming over a large, fleshy basin full of an acidic smelling liquid. He pulled a worm-like thing from the basin and levitated over to the strange woman, holding his hand out so she would stare directly at the worm. It latched onto her face and snuck right into her eyeball. Oh Gods, is he going to put one in me next? Just as the thought occurs, he is back to fishing out another worm. Or maybe they were tadpoles? He picks out another one and locks eyes with me, its eyes orange and radiating malice. As he is floating towards me, I try to turn my head away, only to have it snap into place with the flick of its wrist. The tadpole screeched with a psionic power that hurt the innermost parts of my mind, and secured itself into my orbital socket. I slip into unconsciousness again. My new life, taken from me once again. Who was going to take care of Apricot? Who is going to keep the streets safe at night? I need to figure out how to get off this ship and go back to Baldur’s Gate.

[winvyre]

[Valerie's Story] Chapter 1: Omie (3/6)

It's the first day of spring: Omie's Festival day. Normally around this time there's still snow deep enough for the watchmen to need to clear the streets since we live in the Northern part of the Forest Region but this year the most we ever got was a few inches that melted a couple days later. And that was in the heart of winter. It’s odd.

Everyone’s festival outfits have furs and thick fabrics so they’re all wearing nice summer clothes instead which means a lot less red is present. It’s nice to see the rainbow in the square from my bedroom window even though the festival day feeling sorta relies on all the red. At least the pennant banners with Omie’s symbol and the hearthbloom wreaths hung all over the village are red.

This dress is my favorite. It’s lavender (my favorite color), off the shoulder like Omie’s though not as deep of a neckline, with long flowy sleeves and small butterfly embroidery all around the cuffs and bottom hem. The skirt hangs just past my knees so I can still run around in it and there is noticeable stitch work in a few places because it gets torn when I’m playing in the woods and Mom has to fix it. The biggest one came from getting caught on a branch when I fell from a tree. That’s why she gave me my vest. It’s brown and laces up in the front and it’s long enough to protect most of the skirt. The belt has a large silver buckle the same shade as my eyes which is why I picked it.

I guess the whole point of the festival is moot now because the winter was so unusual. We’re supposed to be thanking Omie for protecting us through the winter and keeping our houses warm. Oh well. The Believers will find some other reason to celebrate. I’m here for the games and the food!

Before any of the fun stuff happens we have to wait for the special service to be over. Today most people will congregate in the Megachurch in the capital, some of our neighbors will too, but Archfell is pretty isolated so our main temple will be at capacity. It’s got some nice stained glass windows but other than that it’s what Maurin would call “art deficient.” He’d also say “It’s like they think having three thousand candles makes up for how barren the walls are.” He would know, too. He counted. I wish he were here.

The temple isn’t the only place with candles today. Every booth has at least a few candles waiting to be lit. The exceptions are the candle-selling booths for obvious reasons and the booths run by the most devout of Omie’s Believers; they have a lot. They're usually the same booths anyway. According to the religion, the candles represent our hope and faith as a guiding light through dark times. There's a story about Omie arriving in a plagued, famished village and lighting all the candles with her holy energy. That story is the reason why Holywood, also named after the story, is the capital of the Forest Region and why the Megachurch is located there.

Francesca and I loiter outside the temple, listening in. The priest’s voice is muffled but I can still make out most of the words. “Benevolent Omie, uplift the lowest and alleviate their suffering.” Fran’s waiting for the watchman from the docks to exit so she can pretend to run into him. Mom says she's at that age where some kids start thinking about romance and to indulge her a little bit. That's why I'm here. She's too scared to talk to him alone. He's only two years older than her which is how much older she is from Kell. It shouldn't be that hard. Is that what I’m going to be like in three years?

“Gentle Omie,” the priest says, “care for us, show your love to the loveless, put our hearts and our minds at ease so that we may celebrate today.” Francesca's pacing. It's almost the end. “Let us recite ‘Our Lady.’”

The church goers chorus:

“Our Lady, Our Lady

Dressed in all red

The color of Hearth

The sufferers bled

Our Lady, Our Lady

She came from the sky

To help the unfortunate

And mend why they cry

Our Lady, Our Lady

Champion of Home

She takes care of us

We are never alone

Our Lady, Our Lady

We kneel and revere

We dance and we sing

Because you are here.”

I’ve never witnessed any other religious services but the Hearth Immortal’s worship has gotta be one of the most boring. How it became the most widespread is a mystery to me.

The temple doors open. Fran jumps and adjusts the pastel blue hair bow tying off her dark braid. She did it herself and is very proud of it. People pour out, ready to start the festivities. The first teens I see are Fran’s classmates she sometimes hangs out with. They look her up and down with an amused sort of disgust then snicker amongst themselves. She blushes and hides her face. What was that about?

The watchman is one of the last people to leave. “I can’t do it!” Fran whines.

“Just do it already! He’s leaving!”

“No! He’ll hate me! He probably already does!”

“Have you ever spoken to him?”

“Not directly…”

“Then why would he hate you? I’d understand if he’d actually met you-”

“Hey!” Fran’s nose scrunches up and her eyebrows furrow. I watch the watchman finish his conversation with an older couple before he starts walking again. This is stupid.

“Hey, watchman.”

“Yes?”

“Are you single?”

Fran rushes to my side, “I’m so sorry about her, she’s just goofing around.” she smiles nervously, dragging me back to our hiding spot.

“Any particular reason you wanted to know?” the watchman asks good-naturedly.

“My sister likes you.” I say without hesitation. Fran lets go of my arm to cover her face again as she sprints away. “Uh oh.” I think I messed up. “Disregard that. I have to go now.”

I find Francesca crying behind the temple. “Why would you do that?!”

“I was trying to help.”

“You didn’t help me, you just embarrassed me! The other girls are never going to let me hear the end of it. My life is over!”

“Fran-”

“Go away, Valerie!”

I back up, bumping into Mom. “What’s wrong?”

“I told Fran’s crush that she liked him and now she won’t talk to me.” I point to Fran curled in on herself on the ground.

“She just needs some time to calm down. You overstepped her boundaries and upset her. She didn’t ask you to confess for her so it wasn’t your information to tell. I’ll stay with her, you can apologize later.”

Oh. “Okay.”

Mom sits down next to Fran and I go to meet Kell at our rendezvous point: the spinning top stand.

----------

Channeling Ebony in that outfit description lol Half way through... buckle up!

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

[unreadpoppy]

6 songs tag game

I was tagged by @flamemittens!

I'm doing these for my dnd oc, Elizabeth Adawolf (drawing by @littlemoondarlingarts)

No pressure tagging: @desenhosdebolso @actualmagus @littlemoondarlingarts

(and you can bet i'm gonna put some of the meaning of these songs in a vaccum)

An event that defines your character's past (Blackbird by Norma John)

You sang when he was in my bed You sang when my heart sang, now Now you remind me of something I'll never have so Blackbird don't sing

I wrote a whole ass fic based on this song and in regards to Elizabeth's past, it's related to how she and her girlfriend got separated from one another.

2. How your character sees themselves (Monster by Skillet)

I feel it deep within It's just beneath the skin I must confess that I feel like a monster I hate what I've become The nightmare's just begun I must confess that I feel like a monster

Elizabeth's a werewolf, and for a long time she realy struggled with that, especially with the shift from her usual life to now being alone and working as a monster hunter. Beyond that, 'I hate what I've become' is a line that resonates with Elizabeth because she has suvivor's guilt and she keeps thinking about how she's not good, and she wished she had died alongside her family or that someone else has survived cause she did and she's a mess.

3. How others view them (Queen of Kings by Alessandra)

Got raven hair, it's dark as night Icy eyes, out of sight, out of sight Her heart in spite, is warm and bright Her smile awakes the Northern Light (...) A firestone forged in flames The wildest card, run the game, run the game Can't stay the same in this world of change Don't fear the pain, just break the chain

Very early on in our game, we discovered that Elizabeth was the chosen of the sun goddess, which also made her the heir of some kingdom, and because of that, some revolutions in a continent started happening and she's kinda the leader of all that now (and of the party) so this is why people see her way differently than she sees herself. Others do see her as a strong, capable leader.

4. Their closest relationship (platonic or romantic) - Universe & U by KT Tunstall

And you know there's no need to hide away You know I tell the truth, we are just the same And I can feel everything you do Hear everything you say even when you're miles away 'Cause I am me, the universe and you (...) Oh-oh when you're on your own I'll send you a sign Just so you know That I am me, the universe and you

Kallista is the most important person is Elizabeth's life after her family died, and one thing I like about this song in regards to that is that it refers to distance, because Kallista and Elizabeth have been (physically) separated for a long time now but the love they hold for each other is still very strong (so much so that one of the driving motivations of both of their stories was trying to find the other).

5. A major fight scene - Hero by Skillet

A hero's not afraid to give his life A hero's gonna save me just in time I need a hero to save me now I need a hero (save me now) I need a hero to save my life A hero'll save me (just in time)

Fun fact: This was the song I was listening when I came up with the concept for Elizabeth! And the reason it's here it's because of the image it conjured when I listened to it that led to Elizabeth which was a battle scene and of her beheading people to save others. Also I think the chorus has some beats that kinda give those 'combat montages' vibes kkkk

6. End credits song - Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles

Here comes the sun, doo-doo-doo-doo Here comes the sun, and I say It's alright Little darlin', it's been a long, cold, lonely winter Little darlin', it feels like years since it's been here

This is the moment where I get a bit sappy but because our campaign never ended (as our DM gave up on it due to personal reasons), there's not an actual, canon ending for my girl. BUT, in my personal ending, I would have wished for Elizabeth to finally get the peace and happiness she longs for and deserves and this song kinda signifies that for me, both in a metaphorical sense (the winter being sadness ending for the sun, peace, to come it) but also in a literal sense as i said before, Elizabeth is the chosen of a sun god, so I think it just fits perfectly.

[another-day]

hey guys, its been a while since i’ve done one of these, but i’m bringing it back - episodes in review!!! (that’s its name now)

featuring spoilers for iii episode 17!! make sure you watch that before you check this out

i feel like this episode was all over the place in the best way possible

for those unaware, i’m actually in the northern hemisphere for once which is why this is so late, i simply haven’t the time to watch it!!

to begin, why is he here

i love the asset yes, but cheesy is the last person i expected to see, is this balloon projecting the people he wanted to be friends with at the hotel??? i dunno, but this was such a silly scene

now, i had to rewind this bit at least five times to process what i saw

so remember what i said about balloon projecting? scratch that, i forgot this was a thing

first the fact that when he thought of fighting a shark the FIRST scenario that came to mind was him saving candle, that and the fact that he imagined her calling him “my spoon in silver armour” was so silly this fellow has read nothing but fairytales ever ok

also he was literally blushing do i have to say anything about that here? no, because this is tumblr and everyone understands everything

“awwwh but vee he turned go” shhhh sh i’m gonna get to that but can we just revel in this

…

okay lets move on now

why are they here

i’ve been on a bfdi binge lately so i was actually very happy seeing coiny also the line about balloon only making friends with coins was so funny to me and i’m keeping that forever

as for paper he was so silly in this and for what, i love the guy

okay back to serious stuff

can i just say, the first thing i thought when i saw this scene was “that’s something cobs would say”

like,,, i was kind of terrified this entire episode because mephone’s desperation to chase his aspiration reminded me of just cobs’ whole demeanour. i know its a little silly of me, but this idea that ‘revolutionary technology’ should solve it all is just a liiiittle too similar to the way i feel meeple functions

but maybe thats just me i dunno

do i really need to say anything

little mans has attachment issues, i don’t think he actually likes the contests and all that as much as he actually likes the contestants, and i don’t think he realises he can just be friends with them

i feel so bad because he’s been brainwashed by the people around him that he thinks that the only thing giving him purpose is this show, its tragic

okay so back to the silly, this caught me so off guard because i adored enanimat ensanitay and yellowangiru’s ii song parody videos when i was younger, so seeing this gave me such bad whiplash i had to pause and think a second

it was such a random callback (if it is at all) and i absolutely loved it

oh back to the sad again wow!!

i think mephone’s realising his fault in managing the show, getting too ahead of himself when presented the promise of longer air times, but the issue is that he thinks that this shows he isn’t fit to run the show at all

i think this belief that “one mistake means your conpletely incapable” may have stemmed from meeple in some form or another, especially considering all the flashbacks and all

this brings me so much emotion

look at how far they’ve come, like genuinely. from worst enemies to one of the closest friendships in season 3

they can communicate, they can be vulnerable with one another, and they’ve improved one another substantially

i often tell people that i’m not the biggest fan of iii3 because they almost completely changed nickel’s personality, and i still relatively stand by that, but seeing this version of nickel who is capable of change and development just warms my heart (even if it feels wrong)

this was so so sweet, and i was smiling every second of the elimination (i would say a first but box’s elimination existed too)

aaaaanyway that’s all from me, thank you for listening to my rambles about this gem of an episode, and i wish you all well till the next!!!