#this is my second quinlan was here you don't understand

[jewishcissiekj]

Ky Narec to Asajj Ventress - Dooku: Jedi Lost by Cavan Scott

[roppongi-division]

ARB Birthday Special 2024: Mireya Quinlan

~~ July 31st ~~

"The question isn't who's going to let me, it's who's going to stop me."

Login Lines:

"Oh, you're here early! I was just wrapping up today's session at the center. These girls, they're picking up the dance so quickly! It's still not perfect, but they're steadily getting better."

"A gift? Now, why would… Oh! It's that time of the year again, isn't it? How could I forget my own birthday? And here I was giving Kai crap for forgetting his birthday a few months ago. Must be all the late nights at the club. ...But anyway, thank you, dear, you're a sweetheart."

Voice Lines:

" 35 years old. ...Well, I can't say I'm 'young' anymore. You know I almost let it slip by this year, the day I turn another page in my life's story. The girls at the rec center, they threw me this surprise party. They even put on a dance, just for me. It was their way of saying thanks, but really, it's me who should be thanking them. They've given me so much more than they realize: purpose, laughter, and a reminder of the power of second chances."

"My mother… not even a whisper from her today. But then again, what did I expect? We're two worlds apart now, and I prefer it that way. Sometimes, I catch myself wondering, 'What's she doing now? Does she ever think of me?' But those thoughts, they're like shadows: fleeting and better left behind. I've got my own life, a life filled with music, love, and the laughter of my son. That's all the family I need."

"My childhood wasn't the stuff of fairy tales, far from it. A controlling mother, an absent father, spending most of time being dressed up like some doll for people to gawk and stare at… But look where that road led me. To Kai, to Zakari, to a nightclub that's my realm. Every step, every misstep, it's all been part of this dance. And for that, for all of it, I'm thankful. I’m exactly where I’m meant to be."

"...You know, it's funny. Society has this way of labeling us, telling us what we can or cannot do at certain ages. But me? I've never been one to dance to anyone else's rhythm but my own. I'm not 'young' by the books, but I've got more fire in me than those half my age. Let them dare to call me 'old,' and they'll learn just how fierce this 'Gypsy Queen' can be. Age is just a number, and I refuse to be defined by it. I'll keep living, dancing, and loving with all the passion I've always had. That's a promise."

"Ah, mi amor. ...Thank you. I'm glad to see you took time out of your busy schedule of making music to wish me a 'happy birthday'. ...Oh, don't be silly, love. That was just a small threat. But I am glad that you remembered. ...Ha, yes it has been a long time since we've met and we are still here. I've said it before, but I am eternally thankful for you, my husband."

"Oh? And what's this now? You always find new ones to surprise me, love. Oh, a custom necklace with my name? 'My Gypsy Queen'. ...Oh. It's beautiful. Thank you. Thank you so much, Kai. You've made this day even more special. I love you, mi amor."

"Zakari, good to see you up and about today. Usually, you insist on sleeping past noon when you don't have classes. ...Oh, so my birthday is the reason you're up. Well, thank you. Anything to keep you from wasting the day away. ...Because you are my son and you don't know better, I'll let that one slide. But for your sake, my son, do not refer to me by the 'three-letter word' again, okay dear? ...Good, glad you understand."

"So, I assume you're heading out now to freelance across the city again? ...Oh, and what are these now? …Belly dancing CDs? You chose these yourself? ...Oh, that’s so thoughtful of you. I can't wait to dance to these. Thank you, my dear son, you've made your mother very happy."

Kai Lines:

"Happy birthday, Mireya. ...Well, of course I remembered. I seem to remember a certain someone threatening me on my birthday that if I forgot theirs, I'd be confined to the living room sofa for the foreseeable future. ...Ha, if you say so, love. But, really and truly, I didn't need a reminder to help me remember one of the most important days of the year. It's the day you were born, so if I ever forget, then shame on me."

"And to show I haven't forgotten, I have this for you. It's a necklace. Read what's one the front. ...Thank you, I'm glad you like it. ...And I love you, my darling wife."

Zakari Lines:

"Hey mom! ...Hey, if I don't need a reason to get up early, why not sleep in? Besides, most of my classes are in the afternoon anyway. But truthfully, I woke up cause its your special day! Happy birthday, by the way! How does it feel to be '35'? Your so old now! ...Haha. Come on, mom, it was just a joke. You still look beautiful, really! I'm sorry! ...Sheesh, remind me never to mention anything about numbers around you..."

"Yeah, I'm about to head out. But first... happy birthday! Yup, they're belly-dancing CDs! I saw them while browsing the store one day and thought you'd like them. ...Glad you like them, mom! Enjoy them! I'm about to head out! Happy birthday again!"

[imabeautifulbutterfly]

Once Upon a Time on the Razor Crest

Summary: Din lays out some ground rules

A/N: Hello lovelies,

I don't know if you've tried the character.ai yet, but man I've been having so much fun with it. So far, I've talked to Rex, Fives, Alpha-17, Fox, even Quinlan Vos, which gave me an amazing story to work on. So I'll be working on that sometime. I hope you are all having an amazing fall so far. Sending out good thoughts, hugs, and lots of love to everyone.

Love oo.

Due to the past history of the OC there will be discussions alluding to past domestic abuse, please note that as it could be a trigger for some.

Warnings: Brief mention of alcohol and substance abuse, liquor, trust issues, mentions of 'nocturnal' activities, uneasiness, insinuations of domestic abuse, mention of car accident, fear of saying the wrong thing, fear of being imprisoned. I think that's it, if I miss anything please let me know.

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THE RAZOR CREST SEVEN

CHAPTER SEVEN

There was a nagging voice in the back of his that kept reminding him, he didn’t know who she was, what kind of life she really led or what she was fleeing. However, from what he saw of her so far, he hoped he wasn’t making a mistake and he was right about her character, but it never hurt to take extra precautions.

“One thing I want to say and I won’t be changing my mind about this at all, this is a deal breaker, okay?”

“Alright”

“I don’t care if you drink the occasional glass of liquor here or there, and I’m not going to limit you with a number. You know your limit better than I do. However, please refrain from drinking during working hours. I will also not tolerate having someone in my home who is dealing with some form of addiction. It’s non-negotiable. If I find you drunk or high, especially around my son - you don’t get a second chance, you’re out of here in a heartbeat, understood?”

I nodded in agreement, it made sense, he had a very young impressional son. I completely understood where he was coming from and I couldn’t fault him for making it a condition. I wanted to put his mind at ease as much as possible, especially since he was taking a chance on me.

“I completely understand, so try not to worry, too much. I don’t drink, haven’t for a long time. Same with getting high. The idea of not being aware of my surroundings or cognitive of my situation always leaves me uneasy.”

Din simply nodded, as she held a determined look. There was a finality to her statement that he highly appreciated, whether or not she was telling the truth would only be possible to determine in time. 

“Hmm, okay. I’ll believe you for now, until you give me reason not to.” 

He hoped she would be trustworthy and wouldn’t let him down; but he’d been wrong before. 

“One final rule, don’t be bringing strangers into this house for … well you know. That’s a conversation I do not want to have with my son, yet. So if you could keep all your … nocturnal activities out of my home for the time being, I’d appreciate it. Not that I’m saying you’re the type to … put yourself in that kind of situation, more just letting you know what I expect for my son’s safety.”

The idea of having any sort of ‘activities’ made my skin crawl, I hadn’t been intimate with anyone since my ex. The idea simply made me feel nauseous and uneasy. I wasn’t ready to take on such a huge risk in my life. First and foremost I needed to be able to trust someone, and I wasn’t inclined to really trust anyone, Cobb, Fennec and Din had actually been the first group of people where I had actually let my guard down as quickly as I did. 

“I completely understand. After all this is your place.” I moved around the room trying to think of a new topic, hoping to change the subject, “I forgot to ask what’s the name of your ranch?”

“Sorry?”

“I thought ranches usually had names or something?”

“Some do”

“Then does this place have a name?”

“Razor Crest Ranch”

“Razor Crest, sounds like toothpaste. Get your teeth shiny with Razor Crest toothpaste.” I teased smiling the way actors usually did for toothpaste ads. He didn’t laugh or chuckle, he simply just stared at me, I cleared my throat hoping to move on from that embarrassment, “Anyway, I like it, it’s got a good ring to it”

He simply looked at her without saying anything further, he didn’t really care if she did like it or not. Camilla was the one who’d come up with the name. She always remembered his first car, the one he’d drive her around in, when they were in high school. He loved that car with all his soul, that was until it got into an accident and was completely totalled. She always felt bad about the accident, he remembered he was driving as fast as he could during a particular bad winter storm trying to get her, when she got standard working at the hospital one night. The car her parents had given her for her last year of high school died. He didn’t see the black ice skidded, flipped the car several times. Thankfully, he hadn’t lost his life, but according to her  he did lose his first love. He could still see her smile as she teased him about being his second love. Ashamedly, she wasn’t wrong, and when he bought this place from his grandparents, she decided to rechristen the place and call it the Razor Crest Ranch. So even if Ann had an issue with the name, he couldn’t care less, he wasn’t going to change the name for anything.

He ignored her statement, instead shifting as he moved closer to the door, “You should probably grab whatever stuff you have from the Marshall’s truck before he decides to take off.”

“Right, of course.” I knew the moment he didn’t respond I had somehow messed up, I should’ve just kept my mouth shut. Well there was bound to be some issues we would need to iron out, at least he wasn’t saying anything or doing anything to make me feel worthless. He also didn’t take back the offer, “Thank you again, for the opportunity, it means a lot.”

He nodded, “Well like I said we can try it out for three months, and there is still one more hurdle you have to pass. Oh, before I forget, there is a lock on the door” Din was about to move the door to show her, when he noticed her eyes widened in fear. He held up his hands, hoping she didn’t misunderstand him, “Relax it only locks from the inside,” he pulled the door closer showing her the lock, “if you prefer a key lock, for your own peace of mind and safety I can install that for you. I also want you to know, we would never come into your room without express permission, unless it was an emergency, like house is on fire kind of emergency. We will absolutely respect your privacy, just like I know you’ll respect ours.”

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@littlemisspascal@sprout-fics@liadamerondjarin @badbatch-simp24 @spicymcnuggies @lady-ren @firstofficerwiggles @darkangel4121 @discofern @kavecika @monako-jinn-stories @ladykatakuri @avathebestx @theroguesully @furyhellfire66 @carodealmeida @ciramaris @twinkofthedink @dindjarin-mandalorian @tortor-mcgee @sarcasmismyonlydefense24 @chiyo13

[offtorivendell]

Will Elain Archeron become "the Shadowsinger's Knife"?

Or has she already taken on this nom de guerre?

Please don't share or screenshot this post without credit. Art used with permission from the amazing theclever.crow on Instagram.

Disclaimer: this post is really more of a meandering discussion than a theory, which makes no claims of accuracy. It's just something I've been speaking about with @wingedblooms and @silverlinedeyes as a continuation of my posts about the parallels between the Archeron sisters - specifically Elain - with Bryce Quinlan and Theia, as well as Elain's association with Truth-Teller.

Spoilers: ACOTAR, CC and TOG series to date.

Relevant previous posts:

Could the Archeron sisters be descended from Theia, the Starborn Queen? Here.

Powerful parallels between the Archeron sisters, Bryce Quinlan and Theia. Here.

Theia's secret legacy: is "Gwydion" code for Theia's own deeds in the Prythian history books; was she forgotten on purpose? Here.

Does Truth-Teller portend a future relationship between Azriel and Elain Archeron? Here.

Azriel and Elain Archeron live up to their names: Here.

To clarify, I'm not suggesting that Elain will become known as "The Shadowsinger's Knife" as a title - she is a Seer, with possible mystic or oracle* powers, so something along those lines seems more likely to me (although even then I can understand her not wanting word to get out, because she'd never be left alone) - but that she, or another being, might have nudged a cosmic thread or two in order for her name to be replaced by that of the blade she used to pierce the King of Hybern's throat in any historical accounts of the event, or even in the minds of her family and friends.

* Post by @wingedblooms.

Does Elain have a nom de guerre?

Many have noticed the fact that, as of ACOSF, Elain's crucial role in killing the King of Hybern to save Nesta and Cassian - and their world! - appears to have been erased, with Nesta herself claiming to Gwyn that it was "luck and rage" that allowed her to slay the faerie who was seconds away from ending both her and Cassian, before Elain stepped out of a shadow and stabbed him through the neck so hard that she created an exit would on the other side.

We've all seen the following parallel between Elain and Azriel, with Feyre calling Az "the knife in the dark," but Elain actually performing the deed:

But the second male, the more classically beautiful of the two … Even the light shied from the elegant planes of his face. With good reason. Beautiful, but near-unreadable. He’d be the one to look out for—the knife in the dark. Indeed, an obsidian-hilted hunting knife was sheathed at his thigh, its dark scabbard embossed with a line of silver runes I’d never seen before. - ACOMAF, chapter 16

The king’s hand began to drop. And then halted. A choking noise came out of him. For a moment, I thought the Cauldron had answered my pleas. But as a black blade broke through the king’s throat, spraying blood, I realized someone else had. Elain stepped out of a shadow behind him, and rammed Truth-Teller to the hilt through the back of the king’s neck as she snarled in his ear, “Don’t you touch my sister.” - ACOWAR, chapter 74

I have previously discussed the idea that "Gwydion" might be synonymous with "Theia" in Prythian's history books and, to me, Elain's erasure appears to be in the same vein. Elain - possibly - either already is, or could become known as, "the Shadowsinger's knife" when the King of Hybern's assassination is referred to in the history books. Again, I don't think this will be a title, simply a way for her to remain private and fly under the radar. When Gwyn said to Nesta that she killed the King of Hybern with "the Shadowsinger's knife," could she have inadvertently been referring to Elain? Was Nesta lucky that Elain was enraged at the threat the King posed to her life?

If Elain does end up working in the intelligence field in some capacity, it would make complete sense for her actions to remain as hidden as possible, given her very public identity. Additionally, if Theia* was a Seer - and I wouldn't be surprised, Theia being the Greek goddess of Light and Sight - it would fit with the theory that Seers, and the fact that Cauldron Made beings, can make themselves be forgotten.

“Made objects tend to not wish to be found by just anyone,” Amren cautioned. “That they have faded from memory, that even I didn’t think of them immediately in the fight against Hybern, suggests that perhaps they willed it that way. Wanted to stay hidden. True things of power have such gifts.” - ACOSF, chapter 20

Given Nesta didn't think, even once, of Elain's crucial actions when Gwyn asked her about the King of Hybern's death, I lean towards Elain - who is Made - or another being - maybe a mystic or god, who can nudge psychic threads - being responsible for this (consciously or not on Elain's behalf), and not Nesta deciding that Elain needed to be protected, though I could be incorrect, of course.

Is Elain Truth-Teller's chosen wielder?

This is an incomplete discussion, because metas are hard work, but consider the following... we saw Truth-Teller devour sunlight in ACOWAR:

Elain’s eyes widened at the obsidian-hilted blade in Azriel’s scarred hand. The runes on the dark scabbard. “It has never failed me once,” the shadowsinger said, the midday sun devoured by the dark blade. “Some people say it is magic and will always strike true.” He gently took her hand and pressed the hilt of the legendary blade into it. “It will serve you well.” - ACOWAR, chapter 69

And then in HOSAB, Truth-Teller and Gwydion's (aka the Starsword) relationship was revealed:

The male dropped the dagger to the plush carpet. All of them retreated as it flared with dark light, as if in answer. Alpha and Omega. “Gwydion,” the dark-haired female whispered, indicating the Starsword. - CC HOSAB, chapter 78

Elain "stepped out of a shadow" to save Nesta and Cassian, answering Feyre's prayers.

Elain, in Hebrew, means my god has answered me.

I've been wondering for a while if the dark light with which Truth-Teller flared in answer to the Starsword could potentially be shadows, similar to Azriel's own, because we don't actually know what Az's shadows truly are. So, did Truth-Teller...

Allow Elain to focus some latent shadow magic of her own; ie. could she be a Singer of some sort? These posts here, here and here discuss this,* but additionally, I wouldn't be surprised if Truth-Teller allowed Elain to pierce the fabric of reality and shadow walk to save her sister.

Forge a carranam bond with Azriel that let her access his powers?

Does the magic reside within the blade itself, and Elain managed to recharge it with her (hypothetical) light?

* Reblogs of posts by @silverlinedeyes and @wingedblooms.

Could it be a combination of these scenarios, or something else entirely?

“You honestly think he’d ever give up Truth-Teller?” “He gave it to Elain,” Mor said, admiring a moonstone necklace in the counter’s glass case. “She gave it back,” I amended, failing to block out the image of the black blade piercing through the King of Hybern’s throat. But Elain had given it back—had pressed it into Azriel’s hands after the battle, just as he had pressed it into hers before. And then walked away without looking back. Mor hummed to herself. - ACOFAS, chapter 4

Given the above ACOFAS quote with Mor and Feyre it wouldn't surprise me if Elain wielded Truth-Teller once more... or even permanently. This could lead to another parallel between Elain and Bryce Quinlan, who currently wields Gwydion/the Starsword.

Bryce and the Starsword seems to be a foregone conclusion:

Given the a possible link between:

Theia (and now Bryce) wielding Gwydion, which is known in Midgard as the Starsword,

Elain wielding Truth-Teller, Gwydion's paired blade, and

The blades hypothetically being known for their deeds, rather than the person who used them...

How will this affect Bryce going forward? Will her actions also be forgotten by history, or be labelled with the Starsword's name? Or is this phenomenon only applicable in Prythian? Alternatively, will something change in the future, as the Starsword and Truth-Teller have now been reunited, or perhaps only once the Asteri have been defeated?

I know I've mentioned it before, but I do hope that any link between Elain and Bryce is more intrinsic to themselves, and not just because they are the hypothetical "chosen" of each blade - which, I really think they may be, as each blade was found by a shadowy male (Azriel and Ruhn, respectively) who is important to them, and then used by him for years, but they were never fully utilised, as Bryce and Elain appeared to do so with little training.

As if it was meant to be.

What could this mean for Azriel?

These parallels are part of why I think Azriel could be Starborn, with a little light. Like Ruhn Danaan, is Azriel's (hypothetical) Starborn light hidden beneath his shadows, and could his discovery of Truth-Teller parallel how Ruhn once found the Starsword (aka Gwydion) during his ordeal?

How could this impact the plot?

The Starsword belongs to Bryce (and Ruhn), but could Azriel wield it for a time? In ACOSF, Azriel mentioned that he preferred swordplay to close quarters fighting... could that have been a hint that he would wield Gwydion, while Elain used Truth-Teller (thus fulfilling the ACOFAS conversation between Feyre and Mor)?

Will there be some sort of lending of the blades between their worlds - and is there a difference in timelines that could allow this - such that they can each use the magics at full strength to defeat their respective enemies and then give the blades back? Could Hunt possibly use Truth-Teller to power up the Starsword from a distance, instead of the risky and inconvenient practice of throwing lightning bolts at Bryce?

Like I said at the start, this is more of a meandering discussion than a fully fleshed out meta, but I'm excited to see where it goes.