#this woven kingdom spoilers

[safirefire]

Tahereh Mafi is really talented for making me root for a ginger over a man with black hair and brown eyes

[thebookpatrol]

Currently building my case for Alizeh/Cyrus endgame

[harryforvogue]

this woven kingdom spoilers////

cyrus reveals himself, kills kamrans dad and then the end is when Alizeh is on the dragon going to Tulan

true but how does cyrus show up like what are the events leading up to it. and where is this all taking place 😭😭😭 and where tf did the dragon come from

[judecardan]

me after every chapter from cyrus pov in all this twisted glory:

[ghost-1-y]

Depths

Sea Serpent!Obanai x AFAB!Mermaid!Reader

Content Warnings: MDNI, thalassophobia, nyctophobia, manga spoilers if you squint, sexual content, monsterfuck!ng, penetrative sex, consensual sex, oral sex (m! and f! receiving), 69’ing, tongue-fucking (Obanai has a really long tongue), bondage (via Obanai’s tail), light choking(?), sensory deprivation (it’s dark and reader can't see things unless they’re close by), degradation (reader-receiving), self-degradation (Obanai), breeding k!nk, creamp!e, mentions of exhibitionism (doesn’t really happen), uh- reader almost swims back home naked(?), minors and ageless blogs DNI!!!

Summary: Your father had always warned you of the dangers of the deep ocean, demanding that you stay within the safe borders of the underwater kingdom. However, one day, you become curious and secretly travel into waters untraversed by any merperson still alive today – wishing to know what lies beyond the safe confines of your home, not realizing that the countless warnings from your father had been given to you for very good reason.

Word Count: ~2.8k

Divider Credit: the wonderful @/benkeibear

Whatever you do, please, for the love of Poseidon himself, do not go past the borders of the kingdom.

Whenever you left your family’s underwater cave, your father would always warn you of the dangers of leaving the safety of your home. It was, of course, something every merperson was warned about: to not travel into the depths of the ocean, or so much as pass the coral reef that bordered the edges of the region.

For every single merperson that disobeyed this rule disappeared without a trace.

You were unsure whether or not that meant they’d died, but it seemed that was the general consensus of the merfolk in your community. Even the king himself decided to create gravesites for those lost to the depths, as a way to commemorate their memory and contributions to the kingdom. What’s more is that the royal family decided to keep guards posted at the edges of the reef in order to prevent anything from coming in, as well as anyone from going out.

Most merfolk heeded these warnings without question – as the pressure of the water would have killed them anyway should they have traversed a little too deep. However, you – always the curious one – wondered what exactly happened to those who did decide to enter the endless blue and swim into the dark. While the others considered them to be foolish individuals, you thought them to be brave, courageous adventurers who wished to know more about what existed beyond the borders of your home.

But, in order to not upset your father – you couldn’t bear being the cause of his misery and grief – you stayed put. Always looking but never acting upon your desires.

And so you performed your usual daily tasks, collecting sea grass and other marine vegetation as food for your family. You’d swim along the coral reef, not going so far as to reach the outskirts of the kingdom; yet, just as you were about to pluck yet another piece of kelp from its roots, a dark shadow crossed over you from above.

By the time you turned around to see what it was, however, the shadow was gone – it had, like those who’d gone beyond the reef, disappeared without a trace.

You never considered yourself to be foolish, but even little merchildren who spoke excitedly about the mysteries of the ocean depths would question the actions you performed next as you tossed your little woven basket filled with vegetation to the side and swam to the edge of the kingdom, hoping to catch sight of whatever creature caused the shadow.

As you swam to the very edge of the reef, miraculously evading any guards posted in the area, you looked out into the deep blue as it turned to black beneath your tail – never having realized before that your reef had stood on the edge of a precipice that overlooked a vast, endless abyss – unknowing and shrouded in mystery. You shivered, an indecisive feeling striking at your heart as you questioned whether or not to follow it – before you noticed the slightest movement in the dark below.

Fuck it, you thought to yourself as you embraced the vastness of the water and swam into the depths where light began to dwindle, wishing to know what exactly lived down there. You swam, and swam, and swam – feeling the pressure slowly but surely digging into your skin – a force that, despite the small discomfort, seemed to be pushing you further downward rather than ushering you back to the safety of your home, and a sense of freedom started to flood through you – because you had done something that was unthinkable, and you were alive. 

Yet, as you continued your journey into the abyss, you noticed movement just out of the periphery of your slowly diminishing vision, and you realized how what you’d done could be perceived as foolish – because you were not alone here; there were beings lurking in the dark that engulfed you – watching you as you traversed through the unknown – or at least, what was unknown to you.

“You’re an interesting little thing, aren’t you?” a voice from behind you hissed. “Not a care in the world for what could be lurking within the shadows – stalking their prey as you go about swimming in waters that aren’t yours." 

Your blood turned to ice as you slowly turned around to face the voice’s owner – only to find nothing as you’d gone too deep into the dark, just barely able to make out the tips of your fingers as you stretched your arms out in front of you. The voice chuckled, as though it could smell your fear.

“Where– where are you? Who are you?” you hesitantly asked the voice, only for it to answer – sounding from your right this time.

“Hm? So demanding,” the voice admonished you, “I should ask you what you’re doing in my waters.” It was behind you now, “tell me, how did you find yourself so far away from your home? Are you lost? Or, perhaps you came here – came to me – on purpose…” it drawled, and you felt an uncomfortable shiver move up your spine. 

“I–” you swallowed, trying to ease the developing knot inside your throat, “I came here on purpose…I wanted to explore– I was curious of what lived beyond the reef.”

The voice hummed, “I can’t tell if you’re incredibly brave or insurmountably stupid.” It was in front of you this time, and you could just barely make out the silhouette of its figure before it shrouded itself in darkness once more.

“Can I– can I see you? I’d like to know who I’m talking to,” you insisted, trying to calm the shakiness of your voice. 

You were met with silence – had the creature left you? Were you alone again?

“Surely a thing as pretty as you would regret looking upon something as hideous as I,” it responded, nearly emotionless – as though it were stating a fact of nature itself. “Why don’t you swim home, hm? I’d spare your life just this once – next time, I won’t be so forgiving.”

Yet, when you were met with such an offer, you hesitated. Something in which the words were said made you wonder if there was truly an escape from this.

“What if I refused?” You were beginning to realize how foolish you truly were. “I’m not leaving until I know who you are,” you maintained, and the creature scoffed.

“You merfolk have always been brainless,” it sighed, “I shouldn’t have expected anything different from you.”

“Don’t talk about my people that way,” you demanded, and you were met with what could only be described as a low growl.

“Why shouldn’t I? It was your people who cast me out years ago – who left me to rot in the depths beneath the reef… fucking pitiful, isn’t it?” the voice spat, “you wanted to see me? Surely you’ll understand why they did such a thing when I look like this,” it seethed as it finally got close enough to reveal itself to you.

At first, his outline suggested that he was a fellow merperson, but your eyes widened as he got closer – as he revealed his more reptilian nature. To start, he lacked the forked caudal fin usually possessed by merfolk, instead possessing one more pointed and snake-like – one that merged into a spinal fin that ran continuously along his much longer tail and back. Your eyes ran up his torso, which was scaly and muted in color like the rest of his underside. You looked at his arms, which were surprisingly one of the more mer-like parts of his body – until you gazed upon his hands, which were webbed in between his fingers, and with nails so sharp they could easily slice open the throat of any prey. Last was his face – again, similar to that of a merperson, but his ears were finned and his mouth was wide and serpent-like – almost as if it were cut open along the sides. Your eyes scanned down his body once more until– oh.

His cock was huge.

Embarrassment caused heat to prickle across your cheeks, since merpeople in your kingdom would usually wear loincloths made of kelp to cover themselves in public. You forced your gaze away from his lower half, only to see him glaring at you as you looked up towards his face and into his mismatched irises.

Yet, you didn’t display any emotion of disgust or fear upon seeing him, a reaction which very much confused the serpent before you, as all others before you treated him as though he were the algae stuck to their scales – or worse, something that needed to be killed off, as though he were no better than a barracuda threatening the young merchildren that played along the reef.

“Why do you not cower in fear? Why do you not try to escape?” He asked as you maintained eye contact with him, a pregnant pause ensuing between the two of you.

“Is there a reason I should be afraid?” you asked, and he frowned.

“A horrifying creature such as I should invoke fear, disgust even. Tell me, dear,” he mocked, “tell me how sickening you think I am,” he demanded, bearing his pointed teeth. 

“You’re beautiful.”

He paused, unbelieving of the words that floated across your tongue and through your lips.

“Liar.”

You shook your head, “let me prove it to you,” you suggested, drawing closer to him within the darkened abyss, “may I ask for your name?”

The serpent looked at you with suspicion before conceding to your request. “Obanai Iguro,” he stated. 

“Obanai…” You let the name roll off your tongue, fingers lightly tracing along the scales of his chest, causing him to tense slightly, “such a pretty name.”

He grabbed your wrist with his webbed hand in warning, his grip tight against your skin.

“I’ll break you,” he cautioned, and you smiled, using your free hand to drag the tips of your fingers along his scaled torso.

“Maybe I want to be broken,” you purred.

As though something snapped within him, Obanai coiled his tail around you, effectively trapping you in place, with his narrow caudal fin lightly constricting around your throat. He pushed you against the rocky surface of the underwater massif and met you at eye level, faces mere inches apart from each other before he clashed his mouth with yours, his fangs prickling against your lips as he kissed you fervently. 

“You want me to break you? I’ll fucking ruin you, dear.”

Obanai gripped your jaw and forced his tongue into your mouth, making you quickly realize its forked nature as he massaged your tongue. He ripped his lips away from yours before moving down towards your breasts, grabbing at the shells that covered them with his sharpened nails and allowing them to fall into the darkness below. He latched his widened lips to one of your nipples, his forked tongue flicking the hardening bud as he sucked your breast into his mouth.

“Fuck– so good,” you whimpered, and he hummed before providing similar attention to your other breast, his tail tightening ever so slowly around your body – as though constricting around his prey in order to obtain his next meal.

And a meal you were, as he used his tail to force you further upward until his face was just below your navel, using his teeth to rip away the cloth adorning your waist as though he were haphazardly unwrapping a present. He wasted absolutely no time before plunging his tongue deep into your hot, exposed cunt, his lips pursing along your opening as he collected your juices. The muscle pulsed along your slick walls, undulating inside of you as he began to swallow your sweet nectar. Your eyes rolled back as your body reacted to the unfamiliar intrusion – moaning wantonly as he fucked you along the length of his tongue, before roughly pulling out of you, leaving you to whine at the sudden cut off from your impending orgasm.

You gasped as he turned you upside down and brought you close to his hardened cock. “Suck on it,” he demanded, and you obliged – having to use both of your hands to fully wrap around its girth before suckling at his tip. He plunged his tongue back into your tight pussy, causing you to moan around the head of his swollen, flushed cock. 

“Shit– that’s it, keep doing that,” he groaned as you began bobbing your head along his leaking tip, fitting as much as you could into your mouth while using both hands to stroke the remaining length of his dick. You licked along the underside of his cock, the veins adorning it throbbing against your tongue, his soft groans spurring you on. He started to rub your clit as his tongue entered your tight hole once more.

“Fuck!” you whined, “i-it’s too much! Obanai–!” you pleaded as he stretched his tongue further into your pussy, the forked tip slightly brushing along your cervix. He moaned, sending vibrations deep into your gushing cunt, putting you in a daze as you lazily stroked his cock. You could feel the tension build up deep within your stomach as he continued to prod his tongue through your wet entrance.

“C-Close…fuck ‘m gonna–!” you screamed as your orgasm ripped through you, and Obanai groaned as he lapped up all of your release with his tongue, swallowing all of it. He didn’t let up on the binding he put you in with his tail, but he did position you right side up again so he could kiss you, letting you taste yourself on his lips and tongue.

“So dirty, wanting to be fucked by something like me,” he groaned before pinning you against the rock once more, dragging his cock along your folds. You whimpered, causing him to chuckle, “you want this serpent’s cock? Want to get filled with my filthy cum?” and you nodded, your head falling back before he grabbed your chin, forcing you to look at him. “I asked you a question, sweetheart.”

“Yes! Please! Wan’ your cock inside me– oh fuck!” you cried as he wasted no time shoving it deep inside you, filling you balls deep in a single stroke. You could see the outline of his cock as it pushed against your tight walls, the slightest bulge showing along your abdomen as he pressed inside of you. 

“Shit, even after I stretched you out with my tongue, you’re still so fucking tight,” he panted, his grip that bound you loosening a little as he began pounding into you. “Such a dirty fucking whore, what would your people think if they saw you getting ruined like this?” 

You whined, unable to respond with how well he was fucking into your cunt, easily hitting that one spongy area that caused you to arch your back even further and clench around his cock. “Hm? Do you like that idea? You’re dirtier than I thought.” He increased the intensity of his thrusts, and you could only hear the pap, pap, pap of his balls slapping against you as he relentlessly impaled you on his cock.

His thrusts became sloppier as he got closer to his own climax. “I’m gonna fill you up, you’d like that, wouldn’t you? Hah- gonna breed you with my cum, then everyone will know you got fucked by a nasty serpent like me.” You whimpered and nodded, and he smirked before pressing his cock fully into you, groaning deeply as he emptied himself into your hot cunt, triggering your own orgasm as you gushed all over his dick. He pulled out of you and drew back his tail so you were no longer bound by him, lowering himself so he could lick at your pussy once more, tasting your mixed juices on his tongue. You jolted as he flicked at your clit, and cried out from the overstimulation before he parted from you.

“I’ll let you go – swim along home, dear. I’ll be down here if you ever wish to indulge me again,” he stated before licking his lips, eyes still hungry as he gazed down at you. You nodded and swam back up to the precipice of the cliff, cum still leaking out of you as you started to return home, only stopping yourself minutes later as you shamefully realized that you had nothing left to cover yourself with as you emerged from the depths.

Perhaps you’d stay, you thought, no one ever returned from swimming beyond the reef, after all.

Taglist: @k-a-t-h-r-i-n-a @wow-im-gay, @peanutpunchy, @love-me-satoru, @crazycatlddy, @dinosaur-crime-scene, @llearlert, @thisbicc, @gojoscumslut, @everyonesfinaldestination, @leehoonii-i, @kyojurismo, @briefrebelfanalmond, @izuoyarmin, @ahashiraswife, @d1gitalbathh

(if your name is crossed out, it means that tumblr didn't allow me to tag you! apologies for the inconvenience)

[mooncleaver]

My Queen, My Sun and My Sea

talokan once had a queen. one who loved her people with all her heart—with the same heart she had given to her k'uk'ulkan for what felt like millennia ago. but they lost her to the hands of the enemy; it was a tragic tale painted on the walls of the king's mural, the pain searing itself onto his heart uninvited. he rules now with a darkened hole in his chest, fueled by the loss of his true love and a force to protect his people even more. after all, only the most broken people can be great leaders.

pairing: namor x fem!talokan!reader

warnings: bpwf spoilers!! death (i was lowkey evil for that), colonizers, inaccurate translations, nawt very proofread lol

El Niño Sin Amor.

That was a name that echoed deep inside Shuri's head, its bitter aftertaste lingering still; a piece of Namor that she'd just uncovered.

He was an enigma; a powerful being who rose from the sea, unannounced with his presence but has always been there, deep in the waters where he and his kingdom have flourished in the city of Talokan. He had just finished recounting about his and his people's origins, how the colonizers brought a disease that left his ancestors to drink a concoction from a vibranium-infused plant found in an underwater cave to save themselves, turning them into water-breathing individuals; the Talokanil.

She turned to Namor with many questions unanswered, only to see him staring at something with a look akin to pain and longing on one of the surfaces on his murals, caressing the painting with a gentleness she had yet to seen from the god.

She shifted to the side quietly, trying to see what he was gazing at. When Namor bowed his head, Shuri saw a painting of a woman beside his serpent, posing regally with what looked like a staff in her hand.

She wore a beautiful jade and gold headpiece, green and brown feathers lining the outer layer, fading in its design as if the light was shining on them. It towered atop her figure, framing her perfectly like she was always meant to be there. She was adorned in jewelry, from the large, circular green jade plugs that hung from her ears to the tessellated necklace that she wore—a striking amalgamation of gleaming silver beads, plated viridescent tiles to carved gold pendants and everything that complemented her beauty. The woman had a tan clothe wrapped around her body, washes of terracotta and hues of sage and cream woven in stripes on the fabric. She was covered in jewels—just like Namor.

One thing for sure, she must have been of royalty in Talokan. Or a goddess, perhaps. The corks in Shuri's head turned as she tried to figure out where the woman in the mural fit in Namor's story.

"Who is that?" Her question seemed to break him out of his reverie. She could see the way his body tensed at her question, and whether it was because she cut him out of his thoughts of because of what she asked, she didn't know.

It took a quiet moment before Namor answered, looking in deep contemplation with his eyebrows furrowed deeply and his eyes growing darker. The next thing he uttered was so full of emotion that it flooded through the sentence, his voice sounding thicker than blood.

"Leti' ka'ach in reina. My queen. In k'iino' ka, in k'áak'náabo'."

(She was my queen. My sun and my sea.)

For a second her words refused to make it out of her mouth. The Wakandan princess' mind didn't wonder to Namor having a queen.

The Namor now wasn't like the Namor she had met in the shores of her land with her mother. The Namor now felt like a broken man who would go the farthest lengths to protect his people. With every counting second of being in this underwater cave, Shuri seemed to discover more and more about the man, slowly laying bare the walls he had built around himself.

"Is she-"

"She was.. she was killed by surface dwellers." The god cut off, as if he couldn't bear to hear the words coming out from someone else's lips. He closed his eyes for a moment and Shuri felt the sea grow quiet for a split second. It was like it remembered their lost queen.

He took a deep breathe before speaking out and if one were to listen closely, they could hear the slight shakiness in his voice, like talking about this particular incident tore his wounds open again. "Years ago the surface dwellers tried to find Talokan. They were told of an underwater city filled with glittering gold and diamonds, with a palace of precious metals whose value exceeds all else."

"They are greedy, always taking and taking what is not theirs—beasts who ravage land with no mind of its consequences. She was there where the land met the waters along with the young ones, and those monsters crossed paths with them." Namor shook his head, disdain present in the way he moved his body and his words.

"The first thing they did they raised their weapons, pointing it at her when all she did was offer them her hands. She tried to speak to them, to negotiate with peace and kindness. But they are blinded with hatred." He spat that word out and Shuri almost flinched at his tone.

"With no mercy they killed her and the children. They took their lives as if it was nothing to them."

"When I emerged to the surface.. she was already dying."

One of your handmaids had been the one to inform him of the situation, barging into his mural room right when he got back from a trip with a growing panic in her eyes as she screamed in anguish, 'Le reina! Le reina!'

"I turned to those murderers and treated them with how they treated my wife and the children; I killed them with no mercy."

The feathered serpent god will never forget the possessing rage he felt when he saw what those killers did to his wife. Without a single doubt in his movements he flew towards them like a strike of lightning and sliced their heads off before they could even scream.

Something that would always haunt his dreams was seeing his beloved die in his arms, unable to do anything, running out of time.

Sometimes, if the K'uk'ulkan thought too much about it, he could still feel the way he held you in his arms, the jarring coldness of your body that surged across his skin like a bloodthirsty frostbite.

Your hair fell in a pool beneath your head, encrusted with blood that he didn't know where it came from. There was too much, too much of it that slithered around your body. With trembling hands he supported the back of your neck, bringing your face closer as he cradled your cheeks in his palms.

"Ma', ma', in puksi'ik'al.. jaap wicho'ob, láayli' ma' jach a súutuko'," he pleaded, heart racing a thousand beats at your weakened state. His fingers stroked your temples, tracing the skin from your eyebrows to the high point of your cheek and you swore you would forever savor the feel of his skin on yours.

(No, no, my heart.. open your eyes, it's not your time yet,)

"It's al-..right, in amado." You choked out, holding the hand that held your face and leaning onto his palms with whatever energy you had left in you. It was getting harder to open your eyes or even speak, the hole in your chest rampaging your body like an unquenched beast.

"In ku. Let go, K'ukulkan. Ts'o'ok in meentik le ba'ax táan des-.. destinado in beetik waye'.. je'el u páajtal in je'elel bejla'e'.."

(They call me. I've done what I was meant to do here.. I can rest now..)

He ignored your terrifying acceptance and gently quieted you, pressing his lips onto your forehead in deep fervor. "Save you words, in yaakunaj-"

Namor's heart threatened to jump right out of his chest when he felt your hand go slightly limp, desperately taking it above the crook of his neck, right where the ends of his jaw met his ears. The king held onto you so tightly, trying to keep you grounded with him in the world of the living as if the warmth of his body would spread life to your decaying one. He saw you smile peacefully, like his touch rejuvenated you for a single beat, slowly yet surely stroking the tip of his pointed ears as you've always done whenever you had the chance to. It was a small act of affection that Namor fell weak to, and he couldn't contain the abrupt cry that fell from his lips at the familiar gesture.

"K'a'as a puksi'ik'al yéetel a-.. a yaakunaj, in ajawo'," but even then your stubborn and insistent nature persevered. You spoke with only him and your love for him in mind, silently telling him that this will not be the end. That despite after all this when you will no longer be there to tell him just how beloved and brave he is, he should still remember what he had learned—what he had taught you. You hoped that it would keep him grounded and true, still fierce but with compassion and empathy.

(Remember your heart and your love, my king,)

"In.. yaakunech," and you let our your final breathe, the light in your eyes no longer shining as you stared up into nothing. At the least you looked content to pass to the afterlife in your husbands arms, a gentle lift on the corner of your lips to signify that you've moved on. But along with your departure you tore apart of Namor that he didn't think could ever be replaced—left him with a half-ripped heart and as a shell of the man he once was.

(I love you)

Now, kneeling on the prickling pearly sand tainted with weeping carmine, he was not a god. He was not the king of a powerful underwater nation, he was not a lethal mutant, a hero, a villain, or a protector. No, he was just a man. A man whose heart had been punctured with a hole in the shape of his beloved.

He screamed at the world with the voice of someone who had just lost everything, scorning the surface dwellers with a burning pit of anger and vengeance in his blackened heart. It echoed around the area, bleeding onto every rock, every blade of grass and every tree with his promise of death. The sea grew restless, mirroring the raging currents in his soul.

Namor choked a cry, closing your eyes as his hands shook with grief and pain, body threatening to collapse under his heartbreak. He brought your face closer to his, resting his forehead against yours while he scrunched his eyes closed, disbelieving and mourning of the loss of his beloved. Because no matter how much he begged, how much he cried for you, you would never come back to him, never blessing him with that delicate smile on your face again. The god stayed there for what felt like hours and days, whispering sweet goodbyes, harrowing sobs and promises to avenge you.

When he carried your cold body to Talokan, the people could only stare in shock and despair over the loss of their darling queen. In their eyes you were one of the most powerful people in the kingdom, not just because of your position, but because of your compassion and your love—something that knew no bounds.

It was a painful and gut-wrenching experience, to bury his own wife. It brought him back to the time where he had to do the same to his own mother, to cover her in clothe and put a piece of maize inside her mouth.

"The surface dwellers have taken so much. Talokan's queen, our home and our freedom. I will not let them do so again." Namor had a scathing look in his eyes, a latent tone of tiredness from facing a world that only took from him.

"She must have been an amazing queen and a strong woman." Shuri could only utter these words with a solemn expression on her face, unable to reply to such vulnerability of someone she had considered a dangerous enemy. Despite that.. there was an underlying empathy between the two. Shuri understood him. She knew the pain of losing someone you love.

"She was." A calm visage eventually spread around his face as he looked up at the glorious mural depicted on the walls of the room. "She had the biggest heart and the kindest soul."

Namor couldn't help but get lost in his memories of his beautiful wife. He speaks no lies when he describes you. You were the people's queen, as what the Talokanil called you. You'd always visit the people, play games with the children and scour the underwater markets that sold all kinds of trinkets and foods. Whenever the people needed you you were always there, willing to help them without a second glance as you opened your heart to them all.

After you death, whenever he would swim around Talokan and talk to his people—laughing and joking around with them—there would be this.. serene melody inside his heart, a gentleness that ran through his veins. Namor would feel the water pulsing on the pads of his skin and he'd always take a moment to close his eyes to relish the feeling. Then a smile would make it onto his face—the kind of smile that you would always tell him to show more often. His people felt it too, like a warm embrace to their soul, as if you were watching over them, still caring about them even when you were gone.

It was not only to Talokan's people, but to the ocean's animals too.

If there was one thing about his queen, it was that you had a deep affinity with the marine animals. Whenever the king couldn't find you anywhere in your room or in the palace halls, Namor would only smile to himself and swim to the clearing of the sea just outside of Talokan, watching his wife croon along the whales and the orcas, taking care of them as if your love spoke a thousand languages.

"In ch'ujuk, ko'oten paakat!" You would shout, gleefully waving your hand up in the air with no care in the world.

(My sweet, come and look!)

Sometimes he would only stay back and watch you with eyes so tender that it looked like he was entirely captivated by you. By your voice, your laughter, your smile; your everything. Other times, Namor would be too taken by you (as he always was), deciding to join you play with the creatures that you'd called 'your babies'. Whirling and chasing them around them felt like dancing in the water and Namor was too in love to ever deny you of your little joy.

Even now whenever the whales would call out to the sea, or when the orcas whistled and clicked along, he could still hear your radiant laughter singing along with them and oh how he longed to hear that sound again, to hear the melody of the ocean in its fullness.

You were simply the glue to Talokan; everyone adored the queen.

Until now, your throne still sat next to his, the jade and vibranium never ceasing to glow. Every time he sat there, watching over his people and celebrating his kingdom with defiant shouts of "L'ik'ik Talokan" he would always remember your face, remember the proud look you had when you would raise your fist to your chest along with everyone. Your memory will never fade in the heart of Talokan, always lingering in the brightest places, comforting during troubling times, because you will always be a precious piece of the kingdom that neither he nor his people would forget.

If he brought the sun to his people, you were the sun to him.

"You and I, we are not so different, princess." He broke his train of thought.

"Those people only see us as threats because they know we are powerful. They will not stop until they have what they want. It is a danger to my kingdom and my people—a threat to your people too."

Finally, Namor turned his head to face Shuri, a determined aura lingering in his voice and in his expression. She felt compelled to stare back straight into his eyes, the conviction in his tone like a true king. "And so I offer you again."

"Join me, and we will never have to see our people suffer, to see our loved ones suffer. We will no longer mourn our losses and bury the dead for unjust cruelty."

"Together, we will watch the world burn."

lawd this man singlehandedly got me out of a writing slump like.. making a fic with angst + namor = too easy 😩💳💥

this is my first time writing for him, so i hope it was okay! im so in love with him and i wanted to contribute my own piece to the fandom.

also, i'm pretty sure the yucatec mayan was not properly translated, so i apologize from my heart for the inaccuracies. please tell me if i have to fix anything!

dividers by @delishlydelightfuldividers and @rpinkling

tags: @bloatedandlonly

[brailsthesmolgurl]

CHASTENED

The Foreseer was only tasked with one job, to be the guardian of the Creation Protocore under Astra's rule. Men of all walks of life, all kinds of statuses tried to get close to the Creatio Protocore only to deeply regret their decisions. But how about a young lass at the verge of death with a motive to steal the eminent gem takes on the impossible challenge?

Warnings: Angst, Extreme Pain, Character Death, Blood and Gore, consideration of a part two soon. Spoiler towards Zayne's lore.

Y/N pulled her coat tighter over herself, the huge bundle of animal fur still not effective against the harsh gales of the region. Her lips were severely chapped, if she were to lick them at any point, she might either end up with her tongue stuck to her lips for the remainder of the journey, or else she would have a bleeding issue. None of the options on the table present a feasible method.

The tower sprouted from below the hills, the achromatic slates of the gray towers stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the span of white snows. The sight of the towers a reminder to her that she just needs to hang on a bit longer to get to her destination. The closer she reaches the towers, the smaller she felt as compared to the towering structure.

She stood at the doors that could easily fit a snow giant and looked at the scriptures carved onto the heavy doors. '𝕿𝖔 𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖘𝖊 𝖉𝖔𝖔𝖗𝖘, 𝖔𝖓𝖊 𝖘𝖍𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖇𝖊 𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖕𝖑𝖎𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝖆 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖈𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝖆 𝖈𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖊𝖓𝖆𝖗𝖞. 𝕿𝖔 𝖌𝖆𝖎𝖓 𝖆𝖈𝖈𝖊𝖊𝖘 𝖙𝖔 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕱𝖔𝖗𝖊𝖘𝖊𝖊𝖗, 𝖔𝖓𝖊 𝖘𝖍𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖇𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝖕𝖚𝖗𝖊 𝖍𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖓𝖆𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖊, 𝖙𝖔 𝖓𝖔𝖙 𝖙𝖆𝖎𝖓𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖊𝖞𝖊𝖘 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕱𝖔𝖗𝖊𝖘𝖊𝖊𝖗. 𝕿𝖔 𝖗𝖊𝖈𝖊𝖎𝖛𝖊 𝖆 𝖉𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖞, 𝖔𝖓𝖊 𝖘𝖍𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖇𝖊 𝖇𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖔 𝖆𝖈𝖈𝖊𝖕𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖎𝖗 𝖔𝖜𝖓 𝖋𝖆𝖙𝖊 𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖓 𝖎𝖋 𝖎𝖙𝖘 𝖋𝖆𝖙𝖆𝖑.'

Pulling off layers and layers of animal fur, she revealed her uniform underneath, a chain mail clad to her small stature, with a layer of thick yet fine leather draped above a gown of woven silk. The emblem of the castle she hailed from sewn onto the front and back of her leather armour. You see, this trick of hers would cost her kingdom a great fortune as every century, the King would send his troops out to the Towers of Thorns to receive a prophecy for the next coming century.

It has been a tradition since the first formation of the kingdom. However, y/n had travelled regions beyond one's imagination, to get an answer for her cure. However, all answers lead back to the towers she is currently entering into. There was a small door which is of the size of a mundane. She pushed the door and it creaked open, heavy iron scraped against the snow covered grounds. The snow becoming a good lubricant for the cracks that grew deeper into the floors.

She managed to squeeze into the small opening and was met with a huge hall, tall ceilings held up by pillars made of solid mortar. A highly sought after material for her nation, to build their own castles and for the symbol of wealth. Mortars were shipped in by boats from lands afar but coming across it is entirely rare. Chandeliers made of soft rime hung from the high ceilings, with the purpose to capture the moonlight at night and to provide what little lighting the hall already has.

The hall would have easily been mistaken to be a ballroom hall, if it was not so dead and cold. Literally dead and cold. Y/n figured if there were a bit more decorations; such as extravagant paintings, sculptures and better lighting, this place could easily surpass all of the other ballroom halls she had ever attended. She walked towards the end of the ballroom hall, a huge and wide flight of stairs welcomed within her sight.

Up to the second floor, the floor had transitioned from tiled marble to stone made out of the hands of a very talented stonemason, given its adjacent patterns. The halls presented on both side were long and seemingly endless, with only four doors occupying on each of the sides. She will have to figure out eventually which room leads to the Foreseer.

She came to the last door, disappointment slowly etched onto her face as she have only been greeted with nothing but empty rooms. She actually wondered for a moment if she had ended up in an abandoned castle. The last door opened with a slight creak to its hinges and she saw a spiral staircase leading upwards. Off she went, feet stepping onto the steps carefully as they are quite steep.

She came across another room, a larger one this time, but not as big as the ballroom hall she had first entered. Windows aligned the room, a sight she has been missing out for a bit when she was exploring downstairs. The middle sat a man, eyes closed as if he was resting, with a large sceptre in his hand and the Creatio Protocore floating within it.

That is the Foreseer. Her mind spoke out as she slowly approached the man in slumber. She had only heard of stories of the Foreseer, but she had never known that he was this handsome? This could explain why troops that were dispatched to this tower refused to reveal the looks of Foreseer. It was clear jealousy brewed within those men, if they were to describe the Foreseer as how y/n is admiring his features, the troops would not be scoring any women anytime soon and this castle could and would be swarmed by females.

The Foreseer's skin was pale, akin to the snow that surrounds the tower, but his raven hair a contrast to his complexion. He adorned a dark blue outfit, that carries an iridescence of silver, a subtle match to his silver accessories that were embroidered onto the ends of his long coat and sleeves. His hands were hidden under a pair of gloves just as black as his hair and he was sat in his throne. Or more like chained down to it.

Eyeing the Creatio Protocore, y/n thinks it would be the best timing to grab the protocore now while he was still sound asleep. She reached her hand out to inch closer to the sceptre, but when she is close enough, the Foreseer's eyes opened and he turned his head to look at her. She clumsily fell, startled by his sudden wake. "What do you think you are doing mortal?" The Foreseer's voice was surprisingly low, no hints of grogginess despite him just waking up.

"I represent the troops from the land nearby to receive the prophecy for the next centenary. I would wish to know it so that I may bring the destiny back to my people." She lied, pushing herself off of the cold floor. The back of her gown now stained wet but she could care less.

"The tradition has been banished I see." The Foreseer slowly blinked his eyes, to wake himself up better and took in a deep breath. "You are not here for your people. But it is for your own." His eyes snapped towards her, deep forest greens darkened.

"I...I..." She hesitated, eyes darting everywhere when she tried to come up with a valid explanation for what she was trying to do earlier. "I need the Creatio Protocore, in order to cure my heart that is dying of a reason that nobody could elucidate."

The chains wrapped around the Foreseer emitted a faint glow and she watched them disappeared off of his body, except for his thorax. The chains on his torso were pointy but it rested comfortably on him, with every breath it takes, the chains expanded and contracted accordingly. "It is very assumptive of you to think I would give it to you, just because you asked nicely. What a fool you could be." He remained seated on his throne. "Many men who stepped foot in here with reasons and excuses similar to yours ends up getting deprived of their existence. Should you wish for the same ending as them?"

"No. Please no." She begged, getting onto her knees this time. "Please do not kill me. I will do anything. But please do not kill me."

"Even if I do not, your heart shall anyways." He acknowledged, beckoning her to her feet. "As punishment, you shall remain in this tower to serve me through the end of your days." His voice and facial expressions are alike, stoic. "Should you try to leave, I shall not show you any mercy as how I have dealt with the previous trespassers."

"Where are we going?" Y/n asked, speeding up her footsteps behind the raven haired man. The man had woken her up, provided her with a few pieces of rye bread and here they are, walking up a stair well that goes up in a spiral. The rye bread she had yet to finish still in her hands. She was worried she might get motion sickness and waste what had already went down her throat. The Foreseer remained silent, footsteps steady on every step. A candlestick within his grasp, illuminating the steps ahead.

A thud followed by a creak was heard and sunlight poured in. Both of them had arrived to a roof top. Not being a lover for low temperatures, the warmth of the sunlight made her sighed in enjoyment. "Come here." The Foreseer called out to her and she went towards him, towards the stone barrier. Her eyes widened when she took in the view of the snowy mountains in the far distance, the snow had came to a halt, leaving white traces over the whole span of land ahead, with occasional barren stalks of trees reminding her the consequences of the harsh winter. She never knew she could find beauty within a sea of pristine white.

"This shall be your punishment." He pointed towards a small pot on top of the stone barrier, a single bud remained unbloomed. "Bloom this plant and your punishment shall be voided and you shall regain freedom." Y/N raise her head to meet his gaze, blinking in confusion.

"The weather is so cold here, I don't think it will be able to bloom under such harsh conditions." His never-changing expressions made her gulped. "Nevertheless, I would give it my all." Her surrendering stance made him huffed in approval. "So do you come up here often?"

"Making small talk I see." He turned to face the view. "Casual notes will not lessen your punishment."

"I know for sure it would make our accompaniment more pleasant." Her bravery got commended when the man eyed her for a second. "I certainly do not wish to spend the last of my days talking to a wall or a flower when I acknowledge the existence of another person within the same confinement as me."

"I come up here whenever I want to see the view, or to be under the sun." He replied.

She pointed towards the bud in the pot. "How and where did you obtained that because it will practically be impossible for you to find that out in the cold here."

"Someone gifted this to me and this is not an ordinary flower." His gloved hand traced the clay pot that holds the bud in place. "I was told it could bloom even in the harshest of winters. So, ensuring the flower to bloom shall be your expertise."

A series of shrill chirps pierced through the silence and both of them looked up in sync. The man looked relaxed while poor y/n looked like she was about to witness god herself, although she is already in the vicinity of one. "What is that sound?" Her hands were halfway lifted up, next to her ears, getting ready to cover either her head or ears, depending on what happens next and whether it would involve her head or ears. "I have never heard of such sounds!"

The chirps are continuous, leading her to cover her ears with her small hands. A gust of wind hit her head and down came a bird-like creature, about the size of a hawk. The bird-like creature is almost-crystal like, coated in a silverish blue from head to toe, body texture a close resemblance to crystal glass on chandeliers. It's raptorial claws beats the impression of it being a fragile bird. "This is an Arcticyon, they pass by here whenever they migrate. Alas, that was eons ago." His look resembled a quaint longingness, staring at the bird.

"I suppose being in the cold, all the way out here, away from civilisation, things get pretty lonesome." His cold gaze returning and the bird rejoiced with it's flock in the skies, a moving blue cloud then proceeds towards the opposite direction it came from.

"You are not here to study my behaviour. Your curiosity almost led to your own demise." His cruel reminder made her wished she never said anything earlier on.

After a couple of days, the daily routine of caring for the bud got emblazoned into her head. She was assigned to a room which has all of the amenities she needed to keep herself alive and entertained. That includes having her own clothes, food sources and bathroom. She assumed all of which are a part of gifts from the royals who came to visit.

She got out of bed at the crack of dawn, the sun peeking over the horizon of one of the mountains in the far distance provided a normal circadian rhythm for her. Time is not a limitation here for her, she is free to explore within the towers. Visiting the Foreseer is out of the question for her. She lit up a candle and started climbing her way up to the top of the tower, speeding up her footsteps just so she could catch sight of the early sunrise. It is an unspoken competition now.

When she arrived to the top, the Foreseer had already beaten her to it. Not that he had ever been a part of this 'competition' of hers but she did not expected him to be up here this early. "Good morning---" Her right arm violently jerked and she gasped in surprise, the candle falling from her hand and onto the snowy ground, instantly getting extinguished. Hands were tightly pressed to her chest, screams muffled with her biting down harshly onto her lips. Tears welled up in her eye sockets almost instantly.

The Foreseer approached her, watching her closely as she faltered to the snowy grounds. He said nothing, but stood next to her figure within reaching distance, awaiting for her next move. Her gloved arm make it hard for him to assess where is her actual pain spot. Her twitching slowed and he took a step back, to give her some personal space till he noticed something falling from her face, wetting the grounds beneath. She is crying.

He was about to take a step closer but she pushed herself off of the floor, head remained facing downwards and muttered under her breath, fleeting misty clouds formed when she spoke. "Good morning, I will go ahead to water the bud now." She took her time to walk over towards the edge of the rooftop and there sat the pot, with the bud already at the verge of blooming. She surely have a good pair of green fingers, just like what the Foreseer had suspected.

The Foreseer could see why she needed the Creatio Protocore now. Her weakness hails from her once in a lifetime disease, Cryotasis. This disease only occurs to people whom are born to be Astra's nemesis. The God inflicting this upon the chosen one a sign of a cruel punishment, and nothing could heal them other than the Creatio Protocore. Throughout centurions, the Foreseer had witnessed only a handful of Cryotasis victims, mostly wanting to get the protocore so that they could heal themselves, but of course, the Foreseer would never succumb to the greed of a mundane. But now, she is the tainted individual, cursed with the touch of a God.

"Are you alright?" He could not stop those words from rolling off of the tip of his tongue. It was certainly very rare for him to ask someone about their condition, not that he ever thought about caring either. He is incapable of sensing emotions or resonating with them but with her, she makes him feel things that he had never felt before. It is a new sensation for him, so maybe that is why he thought it was only right for him to ask if she was okay.

"Yeah I am used to it by now." And he saw a reflection of him, a fraction of him in her. How she holds back her pain and diverts her attention to something else to suppress her mind. Whenever he felt lonely, he too, would divert himself from having to feel the loneliness creeping in. Her words of dismissal made the man leave her to her own desolation. When the Foreseer had went down the steps, she lifted her sleeve up, the blue veins stuck out like a sore thumb against her pale skintone, imprints of webbed and black snowflakes emblazoned on her skin, cold to the touch, even colder than the winter she is currently in if that makes any sense at all.

She ran her fingers over it, but it did not hurt, she only felt the scars raked across the pads of her fingers, but her affected arm did felt numb and stiff. The young maiden stood up, leaving the watering can by the side of the potted plant and she proceeded to head downstairs so she could layer on an extra coat. Upon arriving at her room, her wooden door was slightly ajar and she saw the man sat on the plush chair inside of her room, a book held up to his face and his legs crossed comfortably. "Come in."

"I never thought I would be able to see you read." She commented, slotting herself into the adequately sized room. The Foreseer paused momentarily, book lowered and his icy stare pierced through her, just like his following sentence.

"First, you asked me about being on the roof and now you are mocking me about my habits." Although she never had that intention to mock him but she could tell he does not like sharing anything about himself. He is a lone man locked in a tower afterall, the act of sharing would practically be impossible. "I may be a deity who has responsibilities, but this does not defer me from my hobbies." Tapping the hard cover of the book, she took a seat on the edge of her bed, trying to initiate more conversations and the day went by, with them both exchanging conversations. More like her asking him questions and him replying in impermanent statements.

But two weeks had passed, with her being reluctant to leave now. Be it her wounds are getting more and more severe, the cryotasis on her arms had gotten so severe that she had limited movement for her thumbs, sometimes not being able to bend it to pick things up or to hold things. The nights she had spent rolled up in bed, enduring the excruciating pain littered all over her arm. Stygian veins now a replacement of her previous symptom and she strongly believe that she is rotting from the inside out.

The knock on her door woke her up, eyes snapped open. “May I let myself in?” The voice of the only man she had been acquainted with for the past two weeks came through the other side of the wooden obstacle at the entrance.

“Yes you may.” She could not hide the weakness in her voice. The door then opened up, revealing The Foreseer in his usual outfit but without the blue coat this time around. He claimed that his coat resembles nothing more than an accessory and she remembered teasing him about accessorising himself even though he does not even have any visitors on a daily basis. His retort was witty, turning the table she had set against herself, emphasising that if it was not for him, she would have been stuck in the clothes she had originally worn and the amount of methane gas buildup on her would have made the Foreseer kicked her out of the tower.

He stood still at the entryway, lips slightly parted as his eyes traced the maiden in front of him, from top to bottom. Her cheeks flushed at the way she was being stared at. This is the very first time the deity had looked at her so tediously. “We need to get you to the hall downstairs.” His feet hurried across the floor and he scooped her up into his arms, her squeaking in response to his sudden actions. Till she realised that she no longer felt like she had a pair of legs. Her thoughts of the Foreseer wanting to make a move on her immediately got diminished. She is now in her late stages and there is nothing she could do. Nor would she want to do anything about it. She realised throughout these past weeks, she had fell for the man, the deity himself who showed her no signs of interest other than entertaining her questions with one-worded sentences.

She was pretty certain that she has a one-sided affection towards the man holding her now. His footsteps are hurried, the sound of his shoes thumping against the tiled floors echoed through the long hallways. As she was about to say something, another series of pain struck her and she arched her back involuntarily, wailing in pain. The man laid her down onto the floor instantaneously and he held her torso up to keep her from breaking her back. She did not know that this man, the deity himself reciprocates the same feeling towards her. This only took him a week to finally come to a conclusion to the ache in his heart. He ached for her belongingness, her company, her smile, her curiosity; he is in love with her.

The eyes of the deity burnished into flames of gold and the sceptre that houses the Creatio Protocore formed in mid air and landed into the hands of the Foreseer. She had regained her breathing, still panting heavily with tears slowly forming icicles on her pale stricken face. The linings of black veins now climbing upwards like vile vines towards her neckline, peeking out from the collars of her night gown. The parasitic nature of the curse now taking its full course on her. “The Creatio Protocore will heal you.” The deity looked at her and for the first time, she could notice emotions within his gaze. “For that, I shall give it to you.”

“No you can’t, you can’t do it.” She used every last bit of strength she had left in her body to push herself up, watching the deity kneeling on one of his knees, statued right in front of her. “You will lose your life.” He had explained to her the sole purpose of his being and presence within this world. He is only here, as his name suggests, as a tool of Astra, as a Foreseer of men. His duty held him back from having to step out of the premises of the towers and that he is strictly forbidden to foresee his own future. She called it an irony, but he called it his responsibility. “Don’t do this for me. You know how important you are to us, to everyone who looks up to you.”

The maiden staggered and he caught her by her waist, pulling her closer to him effortlessly. “What a fool of you to come up with that, through my own will, I shall be losing my sole purpose of living to someone of significant importance to me.” He ran his fingers through her hair, his touch warm and gentle, unlike what she had expected, including this intimate moment between the both of them. His willingness to kill himself just to save her received an immediate rejection from her but it fell upon deaf ears as the deity remained stubborn with his decision. “With this, I bequeath my Protocore to you. So you are to be set free from Astra’s curse.”

The sceptre emitted a blinding light, a high pitched screech came along with it and the both of them closed their eyes together. She hung onto his coat as blustery winds engulfed them, a pathetic attempt to try and separate the both of them. The Foreseer’s grip tightened on her waist, pulling her closer to him till her face caved into his neck. Once the gale had stopped, she pulled back from his embrace and she sat up hurriedly, eyes bearing concern as her sobs jerked her back to reality. The physical pain of hers disappeared but not applied to her faint heart as she watched his skin take on the shade of cement, grey and tough-looking. He is solidifying, a common telltale sign of deities dying before they fade into dust. “No. No. NO!” Her screams elevated with every word, hands coming up to cup his face, his eyes meeting hers directly. Orbs of hazel brown and deep green held emotions that meant the world to her at this moment. “Please no.”

The man pulled one side of his lips upwards, a crooked smile landed its way on his face and he spoke what was seemingly his last sentence. “I hope in the next life, we shall never cross paths again as I shall always pick you over anything else.” He let out a soft chuckle, already accepting the fate of him dying. “I love you.” He then leaned in, sealing their lips together for the first and last kiss before his body fully solidified and she was kissing nothing more than a statue. She did not even got a chance to tell him about how she felt.

She was caught up in an emotional turmoil, losing him after a confession was the worst ending she could hope for. But the blinding light behind her lover made her covered her eyes. Uncovering her vision, she noticed a lady had appeared from the source of light, adorned in gold that could build a whole empire, her olive skin a compliment to her outfit. She matched the description of Astra, with aura that immediately establishes tension within the whole hall and with eyes the shade of the iridescence of the sun, sometimes yellow and sometimes orange. Tutting both in disappointment and strong indignation, the deity stood in front of the couple, her height towered over the late deity whom kneeled in front of her. “Betrayal is what I caught on I suppose.” Her voice booming, reverberating through the hall. “A mere sign of affection towards a mundane cost him his life. What a blot on one’s escutcheon.” Although she was talking to herself, her statement indirectly suggested towards the maiden bawling on the floor.

“Now.” The deity continued, proceeding towards the mundane. “A tool I shall make of you. I hope you shall not be a replica of such a failure.” Snapping her finger, the maiden cried out as she too, experience the same fate of solidifying, just like the deity she had fell in love with. The both of them then sat as a centrepiece in the grand hall. One wore the expression of acceptance while another the opposite of it. Astra smirked, determined to make them suffer as the jasmine on the rooftop bloomed exuberantly, marking the memory of the man coming to an end and soon to be renewed in his next life.

Another deity series started and ofc, this shall take course just like how the Rafayel series did, so stay tuned for more angst my loves <3

[zahri-melitor]

Do you think there’s any hope of Tim getting a transition story anytime soon?

If so, what would you like to see?

Depends what you mean by transition.

In terms of Tim getting a new hero identity? I suspect the order of events there consists of "someone pitches something that DC likes, that they think will sell, and that fans won't overreact to", and then title sells well.

Because they got burnt during Young Justice 2019. Whether or not you think 'Drake' was a terrible idea for a new identity, the fandom reaction to it made it that much less likely for Tim to get given a new ID.

Because I guarantee for you that no matter what someone proposes, there will be people who kick back against it, and for it to work, it's going to need to be woven into DC mythology in a meaningful way.

This is where I'm going to point out that MOST Bats are running around using legacy identities. Nightwing is a legacy Superman-related identity, that Clark gave to Dick as part of their friendship, that goes back to the 1960s. Red Hood is a legacy identity, that Jason took from Joker and turned into his own as a take that. Batgirl is a legacy identity, that traces to Betty Kane and to Barbara, which is actively used by Steph and Cass. Robin is a legacy identity that belongs to Dick. Red Robin is a legacy identity - it was developed for Dick in Kingdom Come, and it passed through Jason to get to Tim. Kate Kane is Batwoman BECAUSE Kathy Kane was Batwoman, and Batwoman and Batgirl were deliberately designed to be feminine legacies of Batman. Azrael as a mantle is explicitly a legacy mantle that JPV holds.

Yes, Steph as the Spoiler and Duke and the Signal work and were accepted by the public as solid hero names, but those were both their first proper identities, and they were new characters without a significant weight of backstory.

Oracle works as an identity for Barbara because John Ostrander and Kim Yale spent the time and worked up a backstory for Barbara's transition into becoming Oracle, and made it full of joy and promise. She seized something new and created it for herself out of the ruins of where she'd been left as a character.

This is why I hate when people just throw out suggestions for random bird names for Tim to have a new identity. It has no depth to it. There's no point in calling Tim 'Blackbird' or 'Raptor' or whatever unless you invest in storytelling for why Tim would find that a meaningful name to represent. Why does he attach more meaning to it than being Robin (or Red Robin). It's lazy storytelling.

You can rescue it from an Elseworlds or another Earth. It doesn't have to be a direct "I am giving you my ID" like the transfer of Robin. But it needs to have history to it as a name for it to feel right as an identity for Tim Drake, a legacy character who has been around for 35 years, and who is fiercely associated with the concept of belonging to a team. It needs to speak to who he is as a character, and what his goals are in using that identity.

This is why Tim!Nightwing during the Ric Grayson period would have worked - Nightwing has that meaning, and if you wrote Tim and Dick working on finding a 'graduation' name for Tim through that story you could have stuck whatever nonsense you wanted as it, because then you would have built in the meaning (that it was a Dick and Tim project together).

So yeah, that's what I'd like to see for a Tim with a new identity. Someone who's put in the work to choose something meaningful from the back catalogue and develop an argument that Tim would use it. Because they're going to have to sell fans on it.

If, however you mean transition in terms of 'Tim is trans': no. I do not think it is likely that DC are interested in writing that for Tim, and I am really reluctant to see it as it would only get him pigeonholed even harder as 'the queer Robin', to be pulled out for use out of obligation for Pride.

Also they just got burnt over that Kon story and its reaction, and I think DC are currently more interested in working on their development of trans characters who are trans from creation (see Nia Nal, who's getting a boost in the current events).

[bookcub]

Book Rec of Djinn . . .Jinn. .. Jinni. . .

Rated on how likely the jinn would be my friend

The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah- Qadir is the jinn with the largest role and I cannot decide if he would find me mildly amusing or mildly annoying. Either way, he would probably not be talkative and not view me as a threat or a priority.

5/10

The Daevabad Trilogy by SA Chakraborty- While the term djinn is a controversial one in this world, there are plenty of djinn to choose from. Nahri might be my friend, if she didn't see me as an easy mark (which is very likely). I would very much enjoy her company if she didn't have her defenses up. Ali would probably find me interesting as a human and ask me a mixture of interesting and boring questions. Both would care if I died, unlike Dara, who wouldn't care if he accidentally caused my death.

6/10

A Master of Djinn by P Djeli Clark- I don't want to cause any spoilers but our main djinn would absolutely find me adorable, if not easily manipulated. We could definitely have a few fun nights for sure.

7/10

This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi- Alizah would 1000% defend me with her life and successfully save it, but I am uncertain how receptive she would be to friendship, considering how guarded she is. I, however, would absolutely put in the effort for her.

7.5/10

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir- If I remember book two correctly, I would absolutely never become friends with this jinn. And I think they would actively want to kill me.

0/10

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker - Ahmed would not be friends with me and be very very rude to me, although he would not kill me. I would rather be friends with Chava, the golem instead. We would be besties.

1/10

Nayra and the Djinn by Iasmin Omar Ata-

Majan is a delight and I think we are likely to get along fairly well, although certainly not to the extent Nayra and Marjan have bonded. But we could tell each other stories and reignite some of the spark in each other's lives, encouraging exploration and connection. A fun and emotional time!!

8/10

[thefanficslayer]

Note:I haven’t been interested in reading Ereri fanfics lately, I’ve pretty much stopped entirely.Ereri has always been a crackship for me, but it’s still strange to think that the thing that got me into reading fan-fiction in the first place is no longer a part of my life. That being said, I still have a good amount of Ereri fanfics in my library so I’ll probably finish those up and then give it up for good.

ERERI FANFIC RECOMMENDATIONS

Title:An Auspicious Star Chapters:13/13 Rating:Explicit Summary:In a world where people can wield magic, raise the dead and cast spells, Eren is on the run because of being a shifter, a rare ability coveted by many. What happens when he crosses paths with Levi, a necromancer of the infamous Ackerman line, also wanted for his magical talents?

Title:Rules of Engagement Chapters:79/79 Rating:Mature Summary:They had no say in their future mates...the treaty between their kingdoms was already set. So what's a betrothed omega to do? Anonymously invade the country of his fiancé alpha. Only problem, his identity doesn't stay a secret for long. (Slow build)

Title:Own Ending Chapters:32/32 Rating:Mature Summary:Eren couldn't comprehend what he had seen the previous night. He watched the grey-eyed man wiping the tables and couldn't understand how the man who made his coffee every day and handed it over with a snarky remark was the very same man who was destined to kill him. Eren refused to believe Levi would kill him.On top of keeping himself off the radar and keeping up with the make-believe student life, now Eren has to deal with hunters and making sure nobody dies because of his mistakes.

Title:Inside My Mind Chapters:25/25 Rating:Explicit Summary:As a punishment from his mother, Eren is forced to get a job, with Levi as his boss.Not being able to ignore the younger boy's looks, Levi tends to let his mind wander off, imagining scenarios with Eren involved. Little does he know that Eren has a very special ability ...

Title:Woven Strings Chapters:23/23 Rating:Explicit Summary:Levi is a widower and an executive chief of Smith Advertising. Eren is a rising escort doing whatever means are necessary to provide for his family. Neither realize one brief encounter is all it took and their fates were woven together like string.

Title:Intro To Data Science Chapters:20/20 Rating:Explicit Summary:"You're probably just into him for the accent."It's not that," Eren argued. "It doesn't hurt, but it's so much more than that." Mikasa rolled her eyes. "Sure."

Title:A Town Called Chaos Chapters:37/37 Rating:Explicit Summary:A cop (Levi) and a stripper (Eren) go into hiding as pretend husbands to avoid being murdered by a notorious drug cartel. Spoiler Alert: They fall in love.

Title:Élan Chapters:30/30 Rating:Mature Summary:Eren is a graduate student who, after getting out of an abusive relationship, has sworn he will never love again. He's doing an internship at the Sina Aquarium, a rescue and rehabilitation center for aquatic animals, and the only aquarium rumored to have a mermaid, determined to study the elusive creatures. He soon finds out that it's no rumor, and that the mermaid, rescued from a water amusement park where he was abused for over a decade, is just as broken as he is. However, gaining the trust of the creature who has tried (and in a few cases, succeeded) to kill any human who has ever entered his tank is not going to be easy. But it turns out that their shared pain is in fact the driving force that pulls them together, and that their bond may be more life-changing than either of them can fathom.

Title:Coffee Writers Chapters:32/32 Rating:Mature Summary:Levi is an anti-social college kid who has to keep his obsession with his OTP hidden, as well as his string of fanfictions, fanboy posters, and other nerdy things. The only place he can be free to write is at his favorite coffee shop. Life is as it has been until a chance run in with a famous fanfiction writer changes everything.

Title:Good Enough To Eat Chapters:26/26 Rating:Explicit Summary:There are two things to be known about living in Shiganshina: there's no such thing as privacy, and gossip never dies. Eren Jaeger has lived in the same small town his entire life, and has always known this to be true.He'd never felt different, and had always believed that nothing exciting would ever happen, and every day would continue to be exactly the same as always. At least, he used to, until the arrival of a mysterious man. A newcomer who seems to have an interest in the Jaeger family, and keeps his secrets close. A man who never answers questions, and has a dark history that spells trouble.As demons from the past come racing to the present, Eren finds himself drawn into an inexplicable web of myths and deceit, protected by the one person he's positive he shouldn't trust.

Title:Think Ink Chapters:28/28 Rating:Explicit Summary:Levi, an extremely popular and well respected tattoo artist, wasn't concerned with impressing people. He was apathetic, grouchy, blunt, and focused solely on getting through work so he could go home and try to sleep. But something changed that. That thing came into his life in platform heels, dripping (fake) jewels, makeup bordering drag, and every color of the rainbow and then some. That thing came in the form of an equally talented artist, named Eren.

Title:Both Sides Of The Same Coin Chapters:61/61 Rating:Explicit Summary:Eren is a werewolf, captured by humans for experiments, and wakes up in a cell that he soon realizes he's sharing with a vampire. The two work together to get out of their unpleasant prison but the price for their freedom may end up being too high. How will they cope with the consequences of the choices they have made?

Title:The Thug Chapters:35/35 Rating:Explicit Summary:Eren jeager is on an errand when he comes across a girl in the underground city who is being held captive by two men. Putting his life at risk, Eren does anything to save her, relying on nothing but his determination and unwillingness to see her hurt. As they're backed into a corner, they are suddenly saved by none other than Levi Ackerman, the strongest thug in the underground. Eren can't help but feel drawn to him, but will his feelings for this famous criminal wind up getting him hurt?

Title:Do you want fries with that Chapters:1/1 Rating:Teen and Up Summary:Eren Jaeger wants to say that it's the greasy cheeseburgers that keep him coming back, but he knows he'd be lying if he said it was anything other than that asshole working at the drive-thru window.

Title:Making Up For A Lost Lifetime Chapters:1/1 Rating:Explicit Summary:Since he was a child, Eren remembered his previous life... but no one else around him did. Armin suggests that Eren go with him to a convention dressed as one of the soldiers from his memories; that maybe this way he could find someone else who remembers the past as well.

Title:Leave Your Lover Chapters:27/27 Rating:Explicit Summary:Levi is a 30 year old divorced Chef who works at his best friend's restaurant.An ex military Sergeant, Levi lives his life according to a strict routine. One day, his strict schedule is thrown off when a mysterious cat makes it's way into his apartment from the open Balcony.When Levi hears it's owner knocking on his door, he wasn't aware that his life would be turned upside down and all because of this boy standing in his doorway with the biggest, brightest green eyes he'd ever seen and his name is Eren Jaeger.The story in which Levi doesn't know he's gay and is in denial about it until a certain bright eyed boy moves in next door and steals his heart. The only problem is... he's got a boyfriend.

Title:Love.exe Chapters:16/16 Rating:Not rated Summary:All Levi wants to do is drink tea, run his goddamn convenience store, and not have to deal with this kid who keeps coming in to leech his wifi bringing down high-end corporations.

Title:Campus and Complication Chapters:25/25 Rating:Mature Summary:"The world is not a kind place; it does not halt its cruelties simply because you are in love." the man said. Two shots rang clearly through the air; both of them hit their target dead-on." College!AU that becomes progressively less and less about college as it goes.

Title:Recon Incorporated Chapters:11/11 Rating:Explicit Summary:He was just looking for a way to pay the bills — a job that was easy, fun, and something he was into. Where could he possibly go wrong with a travel agency?Assistant!Eren Boss!Rivaille; Office AU.

Title:A forged Wedding Chapters:30/30 Rating:Mature Summary: Modern AU, based off of the Japanese game: "I... Don't think I heard you right. What did you just ask me, Rivaille?" "I'm asking you to marry me for a month. How did you not hear me right?"

Title:Effects of Venom Chapters:32/32 Rating:Explicit Summary:Ragako is a developing, culturally rich tropical country famous for all the wrong reasons. It is home to some of the planet's most uncomfortably humid weather, it is blanketed by roughly 95% rainforest which is full of dangerous animals, as well as the civil war between the military and the jungle drug lords. Eren is a young boy with aspirations of joining Ragako's military, much to his mother's displeasure. When his home town of Shiganshina is raided for supplies and he is taken hostage by the very jungle rebels he has dreamt of fighting, he's in for a world of trouble...

Title:Crosshairs Chapters:8/8 Rating:Explicit Summary:Eren Jaeger is the only son of a rich and famous doctor, Grisha Jaeger. His life should be easy and carefree but behind closed doors lie dark secrets. Levi, the world's best assassin, gets a call that labels Eren as his next target. He's confused about why he's being hired to kill a nineteen year old boy but a job's a job, until he realizes that nothing is ever that simole.

Title:Love’s A Menace Chapters:5/5 Rating:Explicit Summary:"Your favorite customer is here!" Hanji continued and damn them, Levi could practically hear their shit-eating grin. That could only mean one thing.

Title:Hey lover Chapters:32/32 Rating:Not Rated Summary:Fed up with being teased for not having a girlfriend, Eren joins a site that gives the perception of being taken. Little does he know that the sassy and crass girlfriend he asked for isn't exactly what he had in mind.

Title:1994 Chapters:26/26 Rating:Explicit Summary:Before cell phones. Before the Kardashians. Before internet porn. The year is 1994. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin, poor kids from the wrong side of the tracks, have been transferred with the rest of their neighborhood to the posh, uptown Trost High (Home of the Titans). Mikasa and Armin seem to fit in well enough, but Eren isn't quite so lucky. Of course, most of this has to do with Eren's personality. When he accepts a bet to lose his virginity (and actually prove that someone likes him) by the end of the semester, it's hard for him to deny the improbability of winning. After all, the only one he seems to be talking to these days is the weirdly pretty (and just plain weird) goth working at the donut shop down the street...

Title:Blind Date Chapters:41/41 Rating:Explicit Summary:Eren is forced to go on a blind date. He didn't look forward to the awkwardness that was sure to follow when he had to break it to his date that he had to leave. He had played the whole scene in his head many times to get it right. He would be able to do this just as he had rehearsed. Sit down, tell them you are sorry to cut it short and walk out. Simple plan.But as it turned out. nothing is as simple as it first seems..

Title:An Unforgettable Face Chapters:4/4 Rating:Explicit Summary:Have we met before? I recognize your face..." Levi's brows furrow, scouring his memory as to why he knows this guy's face from somewhere."Ah, you've probably seen one of my videos!" "Hmm.YouTube?"

"No. Porn."

Title:The Curious Case Of Eren Jaeger Chapters:14/14 Rating:Mature Summary: Levi's on his first day teaching when he tries to text Hange.Eren's in the hospital when he gets Levi's text instead. It's only slightly homicidal.**Or the wrong number texting AU that nobody asked for**

Title:Haute Couture Love Chapters:27/27 Rating:Mature Summary:Eren Jaeger is sharp, determined and hard working but doesn't consider himself beautiful or good looking in the least. When he lands his dream job, working at Survey Corp Publications as the Executive Assistant to a high-end Fashion magazine's Editor-in-Chief, his life is turned Topsy-Turvy. All he wants to do is work hard to become an Editor, but his boss Levi seems keen on making his life a living hell.Levi is a notorious playboy who gets what he wants both in and out of the bedroom. As Editer-in-Chief of New York's best selling high-end Fashion Magazine, Levi is forced to work with an overly determined, hot-headed brat with a rat's nest for hair and the most incredible eyes he's ever seen and it's all because of Erwin Smith.

Title:Room 105 Chapters:18/18 Rating:Explicit Summary:Eren finally started his residency at the hospital his father reigns over. Being the new kid, he's got to deal with picking up the work no one wants to do. Namely, taking care of the patients in the Psych Ward. In his initial rounds, he meets a patient named Levi with a very... intriguing condition.

Title:Night Drive Chapters:3/3 Rating:Explicit Summary: Working as a desk clerk for Sina Enterprises isn't the most grandiose job out there, but it sure beats every other option Eren had jotted down since graduation. Troubled past behind him, Eren strives to make a name for himself by not fucking up the only good thing he has going for him. But when a certain foul-mouthed and dapper executive waltzes through the lobby doors, Eren is more than willing to set aside his "no fraternizing with the higher-ups" rule. However, the engagement ring on Levi's finger proves to be a deal breaker.It was supposed to be a one night stand, one night to get each other out of their systems, but the two of them bit off more than they could chew.

Title:Give the dog a bone(r) Chapters:6/6 Rating:Explicit Summary: Levi was just looking for man's best friend when he adopted the dog.What he got instead was man's best wingman. (or the AU where Levi's dog tries to hump Eren every time it sees him)

Title:Placing Faith Chapters:24/24 Rating:Explicit Summary:Captain Levi Rivaille is second in command of the Survey Corps, a gang that is at constant war with the Military Police who, despite saying they act on behalf of the Crown and the people, are corrupt and violent with anyone who doesn't fall in line. Even at twenty years old Levi is seen as one of the most powerful soldiers, with detached ruthlessness in his way of life. Which means that no one was expecting him to adopt a young eight year old boy named Eren, who is orphaned when the Survey Corps' battle with the Military Police level the Shiganshina District.

Title: Holding Hands In The Rain Chapters:31/31 Rating:Explicit Summary: Basically the one with thousands of words of Eren and Levi crushing like crazy on each other, and being absolutely freaking ridiculous together, and slowly falling in love against the backdrop of modern-day Vancouver.- - -Levi only realizes how much he's not paying attention to anything around him when there are shoes beside the puddle he's drawing. Looks up to find Eren standing right there in the rain, the hood on his jacket pulled back, and his hair plastered down against his head. He's just standing there, and - he's watching Levi with an expression that looks so fond it actually hurts; and Levi's just managed to get his breath back and open his mouth when Eren moves closer, and Levi loses his air all over again.

Title:A Voice From The Rubble Chapters:25/25 Rating:Explicit Summary:It all just took 30 seconds. Thirty seconds that kept replaying in my mind over and over again, the details so vivid. Thirty seconds that would change my life forever.Thirty seconds earlier we had all been safely tucked up in bed. Shiganshina Lodge was my home, my family was visiting for the holidays; it had now become our tomb.Shiganshina District had been a second home to all of us ever since I was born. I know this place. I know its beauty... I'm now learning its terror.OR: Eren's trapped in a landslide and Levi's the paramedic that finds him.

Title:Dental Care Chapters:4/4 Rating:Teen and Up Summary:As the back of the chair is lowered, Eren takes a few deep breaths. The more horizontal his position becomes, the more he begins to question his life choices - specifically the one to chew oodles of gum instead of actually brushing his teeth regularly, but also the one to not turn at his heels and walk away upon laying eyes on not-Dr. Smith, otherwise known as Dr. Ackerman. Though half of the man's face is now covered by a surgical mask, he still manages to appear fleetingly irritated as he stares down at Eren."In addition to sitting down, you'll also have to open your mouth, you know," he points out as he adjusts the overhead light.

Title:Junkyard Dogs Chapters:17/17 Rating:Explicit Summary: Autocracy — a system where one leader has absolute power — is the only government that exists in prison. Levi is the current 'Top Dog, and for years, no one has had the mind to challenge his position - at least, no one until now. Enter: Eren Jaeger, a new inmate with indefinite mentalities and obscure motives. With the power to shake Levi's throne, Eren becomes the one exception of everything.

Title:Fuck:My Life Chapters:47/47 Rating:Explicit Summary: A streak of bad luck leaves Eren desperate for cash, and desperate enough that making porn doesn't seem like such a terrible idea. He's young, he's cute, he's horny, and his favourite studio is currently hiring. It seems like fate up until he learns that his two most admired actors, whom he spent the majority of his teenage years appreciating, have recently retired.Still, he is nothing if not determined, and he sets out to see if he can persuade them to make one last movie. And then he gets to know them as people, and things start getting complicated.

Title:A Tenuous Third Space Chapters:6/6 Rating:Teen and Up Summary: In which Attack on Titan is the MMORPG they all play, and Eren meets Levi online.

Title:An Unlikely Alliance Chapters:51/51 Rating:Explicit Summary: When Scouting Legions main trading partner, Wall Maria, is experiencing economic strain from constant attacks by the neighboring kingdom Titan, the leaders of the two nations come to an agreement: Scouting Legion will provide military protection in exchange for land and financial aid for the still growing nation.Their new alliance will be sealed with the union of King Jaegar's son Eren to the Scouting legions strongest soldier, Lance Corporal Levi. But how will the cold, impassive soldier warm to his new husband, who is far from the weak, spoiled princess he was expecting?

Title:The Strange and the Usual Chapters:35/35 Rating:Explicit Summary: When Eren finds himself stuck in what is essentially a halfway house for supernaturally inclined misfits, there's no stopping the veritable shopping list of events that leave him pushed closer and closer to ex-exorcist, Levi. But when is it ever that simple?

Title:Snow and Silence Chapters:21/21 Rating:Explicit Summary: When reclusive Eren Yeager finds a half-frozen stranger on his front porch, he has no idea how much the encounter will come to change his life. And yet, even as his fascination grows, so do the mysteries around the enigmatic man. Who exactly is Levi, and can Eren trust him?

Title:Wanderlust Chapters:35/35 Rating:Explicit Summary: Wanderlust (noun); a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world.Eren Jeager has been stuck in the same town all his life, from birth to college, and he is afraid that he will never get out. Then something of a miracle occurs; he stumbles across an ad for an all-expense paid trip to France as a travel partner. He expects it to be a prank, he doesn't expect to find himself flying to a foreign country with a grumpy (though very attractive) man with piercing grey eyes.

Title:Help me stand Chapters:26/26 Rating:Mature Summary:Eren's best childhood friend and high school boyfriend, Armin, dies in a car accident in which Eren had been the one at the wheel. Unable to keep from blaming himself, life itself becomes agonizing for Eren and he turns to the more negative side of coping mechanisms. Eventually, he meets a college student named Levi who seems like he has it all figured out, just to discover that they have more in common than he thought. Modern!AU. Also, Levi has a motorcycle because it was definitely necessary.

Title:Come in with the Rain Chapters:20/20 Rating:Mature Summary: Levi attends work one day and does not expect the incessant chatter and noise that seems to have transfigured the other teachers into gossiping old women. However Levi isn't so sure that the obnoxious noise wasn't called for when he meets the subject of the entire English base's - except for perhaps Jean, but the kid had a stick up his ass anyway - affections. Dammit did he have bright eyes.

Title:The Little Titan Café Chapters:22/22 Rating:Teen and Up Summary: Just another cliche AU in which Eren works as a barista in his mother’s café, specializing in latte art. And then there’s Levi, who’s not exactly your typical patron, because, well, he’s blunt and rude (which Eren supposes isn’t that much different from regular customers) but mostly he just confuses Eren’s poor little homosexual heart.

Title:Dark Side Of The Moon Chapters:35/35 Rating:Explicit Summary:I reach for the doorknob, but Mom stops me with a quick, “Eren! What have I said about answering the door when you aren’t expecting anyone?” I step aside, and she peers through the peephole. Whatever she sees on the other side makes her suck in a breath.

Title:Louder Than Words Chapters:57/57 Rating:Explicit Summary: My boyfriend, Eren Jaeger, disappeared ten days before his seventeenth birthday.Six months later, he was found again, completely intact save for his mental and emotional scars. Oh, and the fact that he would never be able to speak again.And so, we all started to rebuild from the debris that had been left in the destruction of our lives.

Title:To One in Paradise Chapters:26/26 Rating:Explicit Summary: Eren is the most talented painter to be born in Shinganshina which has caught the attention of the Fae who reside in their realm nearby. However, Eren is also the only boy to ever be born in the village with emerald green eyes. His mother and sister have spent the past 17 years hiding him away from the Fae who love all things beautiful. Then one fateful day he is spotted by the worst Fae of all...King Levi.

Title:Shut Up and Dance Chapters:10/10 Rating:Teen and Up Summary: Eren probably should have thought about the fact that he's a terrible dancer before agreeing to dance with Mikasa at her wedding in place of their deceased father. Luckily, Levi is the king of the ballroom and Eren is the king of persistence. Unluckily, Eren can't stop blushing long enough to actually learn how to not step on his dancing partner's feet.---Eren also had been harboring a huge crush on the man for three years, but he had learned to treat it as one of those unfortunate things in life that you have no control over.Like, oh, I got a papercut. Oh, someone scratched my car in the parking lot. Oh, I’m in love with Levi Ackerman.

Title:Witch’s Vein and Bloodstains Chapters:17/17 Rating:Teen and Up Summary: In a land of sentient forests and unpredictable magic, it is never wise to venture far without a witch.The Survey Corps is in dire need of a replacement after a tragic accident took Ilse's life in a quest gone horribly wrong. Eren might not be what anyone expected, but he has raw talent and curious allure that even Captain Levi can’t deny. When circumstances conspire to pit the squad against the same adversary that took Ilse barely a year ago, will they be able to handle the challenge a second time round?

Title:Do You Love Me? Chapters:34/34 Rating:Mature Summary: A cliche AU in which Levi goes to a college in France for a semester and Eren wants to tell him he loves him but can't seem to.Rated M for blowjobs and fricklefrack.

Title:Black Swan Chapters:9/9 Rating:Explicit Summary: 24-year-old Eren Yeager has risen as one of the best choreographers of his time. He's known by friends and clients as one of the most passionate people they have ever met. Scared of allowing the world to see his true vulnerable self, he chooses to stand behind the scenes and allow for others to display that passion in his place.Enter 33-year-old famous dancer Levi Ackerman. Well known in the industry for his immense talent as well as his less-than-friendly attitude. Despite his reservations, Eren agrees to work with Levi as his choreographer. Little does the younger man know that this decision will change everything that he ever thought he knew about the world, and most importantly, himself.

Title:Art Of War Chapters:11/11 Rating:Explicit Summary: Noisy neighbors, nursling dinosaurs, satanic box cutters, shitty convenience store management, the word 'fuck', hereditary (but not really) homosexuality, beer and ramen, pennies, truckstops, strippers, closets, semi-public defacing, rings, house parties, "recreational" drug use, accidental rendezvous, toxic stew (don't eat the stew), nice abs, housewives--batteries not included, over-educational movie sessions, copious domesticity, kittens named after landlords, a shit joke at participating locations, and many, many happy endings.A modern AU in which Eren moves into the apartment directly above Levi's.

Title:Lists Chapters:16/16 Rating:Explicit Summary: The story of Levi ("Why bother trying to make friends when you can learn to control people instead?") and Eren ("Because you can control people better when they think that they're your friends. They don't even know they're being manipulated.") coping with social interaction at college in their own different ways.

Title:Trust Chapters:12/12 Rating:Explicit Summary: Private Investigator detective Levi Ackerman never expected to meet an alpha male he could trust completely, but then a bumbling, green-eyed mailman entered his life. Now he has to choose between keeping his solitary life and possibly risking his freedom and independence for a shot at something special and unusual for him. Yaoi, AU Omegaverse. See notes for further details.

Title:Demons and Darkness Chapters:37/37 Rating:Explicit Summary: Levi is a scout, and protects his village day and night from feral yokai, demon like creatures who feast on human flesh. When the chieftan of his village is killed by the beasts, Levi's father takes over, putting him next in line to lead his people. All Levi wants to do is watch over Mitras with his blade, fighting along side his teacher, who he has been in love with all his life. When he discovers that Erwin is getting married, he heads off into the woods alone to drink and slay demons, trying to forget. He never expects to summon from the darkness a yokai of his own.After a few minutes everything went quiet, and then his yokai was before him, magnificent, covered in splashes of red. My yokai? He wore a maniacal grin, the joy of taking a life that deserved to be taken. Levi knew that joy, had worn that expression so much he could feel the ghost of it on his face. Then, the yokai spoke. "You were so damn slow, I thought I'd never meet you." Levi felt his mouth gape open. Yokai couldn't speak. They were like animals, beasts without souls."Who are you? What are you?" That smile grew predatory, eyes slitting deviously. "I'm Eren, and I'm yours."

Title:No Such Thing As Fate Chapters:14/14 Rating:Explicit Summary: “You forgot,” he said, with a tone of sudden clarity. “Ah. So that’s why you called me captain.”Reincarnation AU in which Eren and Levi never established a relationship in that other life. (background pairings: Erwin x Marie, Armin with past feelings for Annie)

Title:Summer, Sweat, and Sausages Chapters:10/10 Rating:Explicit Summary: Eren lazes around during the summer after his first year of college, wondering what he is doing with his life, going to school for a major he doesn't even enjoy and trying to outshine his perfect stepsister Mikasa. He's also oddly turned on by his stepsister’s revisiting uncle Levi, who Eren doesn't remember at all. They piss each other off a lot, then grow an odd bond of companionship—then Eren realizes Levi was shunned by his family some odd years back for coming out as gay, and for some reason, Eren's budding curiosity gets the better of him. Tensions run high, pants slide off, and Eren sweats from more than just the summer heat when he gains an abnormal craving for Levi’s "sausage." Humor and drama ensue and so does an absurd amount of smut. Outside of sex, feelings are also involved—and they soon crash hard into the ground.

Title:Crash Chapters:34/34 Rating:Explicit Summary: "If the wings are moving faster than the fuselage, don't trust it." Fixed-wing pilots and helicopter pilots do not see eye to eye. Particularly when said heli-pilot is a self-entitled, rich "weekend warrior" that apparently has no regard for airmanship.However, when Eren is involved in an aircraft accident, his path crosses with the man he can't stand in a way that will have him indebted. That man intends to cash in on that debt...with interest.Follow Eren through his professional and personal hardships following the accident, and how he learns that with time and patience, one can overcome anything.

Title:Chasing Summer Chapters:26/26 Rating:Explicit Summary: Two more weeks left before Levi Ackerman graduates from high school and leaves the small town of Shiganshina. He can't wait for the moment that he can finally put that dreadful town behind him. But when a Grisha Jaeger becomes the new family doctor, bringing along his ill son that breathes new life into the town he desperately wants to escape, will Levi find a reason to stay?

Title:Steered Straight Chapters:21/21 Rating:Explicit Summary: Levi is a military Captain with the US Marine Corps in charge of a very small, elite reconnaissance force responsible for surveying enemy territory before the military formally makes its move. Eren is a rebellious trouble maker who shuffles in and out of lock-up until his twenty-first birthday when the judge offers him a choice between military service or prison time. Little does he know that his decision, and the unapproachable captain he's stuck with, will change his life.

Title:Augenfresser Chapters:26/26 Rating:Explicit Summary:Monsters did not like to hide under beds, as his father had told him. No; he found the monster hiding in his closet.

Title:Fallen Star Chapters:11/11 Rating:Mature Summary: Detective Levi Ackerman had his life in order; a steady job he enjoyed, a close circle of friends, and a spitfire little sister who was all the family he could ever want or need. His world was a simple one until ballet prodigy Eren Jaeger stumbled into it.Someone like Eren didn't belong in his world. Now he wasn't sure how he would live without him.

Title:king of carrot flowers Chapters:13/13 Rating:Mature Summary: It's a Sunday. He's washing his favorite mug and trying not to pay too much attention to the funeral that's going on across the street.---(Levi lives across the street from a cemetery and Eren's father has recently passed away.)

Title:Rebellious Nobodies Chapters:35/35 Rating:Explicit Summary: "They had a gun to my head now, but I could hardly feel it. I was watching his face, watching the tears as they flowed, and all I could feel was bliss because I knew that this was what love was. As they prepared to pull the trigger, and his dark eyes widened, I smiled and mouthed the words to him as clear as day: I love you." When naive, oblivious first-year Eren Jaeger gets drunk at a frat party, he finds himself thrown unceremoniously into the world of Levi Ackerman--the elusive, mysterious senior with a sexual aura unlike anything Eren has ever experienced. His mind is ravaged with desires for him, until he is practically consumed by his image, even as he becomes aware of the fact that he knows close to nothing about Levi Ackerman. They find themselves drawn to each other, as much as the world seems to tell them that they shouldn't be together.Then Eren meets Mikasa, Levi's seemingly perfect cousin. She tries to warn him about Levi, telling Eren that he has a dark past and a twisted future. Only when Eren finds himself dragged down into Levi's underworld, riddled with hidden skeletons and blood-stained hands, does he understand--but by then, it is too late.

Title:Stowaway Chapters:7/7 Rating:Explicit Summary: Levi is the Captain of The Captain's Killer, the most dreaded pirate ship in all the Caribbean, which hunts its bounty with ruthless efficiency. For years Captain Levi has dodged the Navy's most decorated Commander, Erwin, and his attempts at sinking Levi's ship and coercing him into sailing under the Navy's banner. It seems that Levi will continue sailing the seas as he pleases, answering to no one but the mood of the winds, until a stowaway with a few secrets of his own ends up on his ship and throws everything in disarray.

Title:The Red Long Johns Chapters:8/8 Rating:Mature Summary: It’s the week of the yearly Trust Initiative Teen Action Network (T.I.T.A.N.) retreat but this year Levi is left out in the cold when Hanji breaks her leg. To make things worse, Principal Smith gets a replacement chaperone—the new, very green English teacher Eren Jaeger. Levi and Eren butt heads over every little thing from professional to personal. Despite all of this, Levi finds himself distracted by the red long johns the fashion-challenged Eren wears under all of his winter gear and just how to get into them…

Title:Lend me your ear Chapters:4/4 Rating:Explicit Summary: Eren's not a vindictive person. Really, he's not. In fact, he considers himself a big supporter of doing the right thing, fighting the good fight (literally, if need be); basically, he's a big proponent of justice.Sitting here with Jean's credit card clutched in his hand, Eren's sure this is just the beginning of a long and prosperous road full of justice.

Title:Neither Tarnished Nor afraid Chapters:19/19 Rating:Explicit Summary:Levi is a rare thing; a man of honour in a city eternally selling its soul. They gave him a gun and a badge, and he walks the cruel and indifferent streets of Southport doing what he can for the forgotten ideal of justice. Someone else in Southport has an interest in justice as well, and he leaves a bloody trail of corpses in his wake as he tears through the city's underworld. Levi's duty is to hunt him down, whether he is an avenging angel, a monster, or something slightly more complicated than either.

Title:Half light Chapters:22/22 Rating:Not yet rated Summary:He wouldn't say that they're friends, really. They're not quite just acquaintances either; the more he thinks about it, Eren's not sure how to describe their relationship. They sort of... tolerate each other, in different ways.But yeah, the more he thinks about it (and he does think about it quite often), Eren thinks that he'd like for them to be friends.(AU where Eren tries to figure out what you do when friendly feelings turn into something more.)

Title:Federkleid Chapters:32/32 Rating: Explicit Summary: The Wings of Freedom is an agency that rehabilitates children the world has given up on, showing them what it's like to lead a normal life, and Levi is its strongest member. It's here he meets Eren, his most difficult case yet. The 17 year old boy is terrified of his own shadow, and has retreated into his own world of darkness and fear, too afraid to come out. However, Levi will give him a reason to leave that world, and show him that it's okay to trust and love again. The road ahead is winding and painful for both of them, for reasons neither of them could have guessed.

Title:Not The Monster You Wished For Chapters:50/50 Rating:Mature Summary:Eren never thought he needed group therapy. Eren never wanted group therapy. Even getting him into physical therapy was tough. But now, one car accident and two worried friends later, Eren finds himself thrust into the world of group therapy for people like him. People with PTSD, the wounded veterans. Little did he know that this group would be made up of the people who haunt him in his nightmares. Including, but not limited to, the man who he blames for the loss of his lower leg. The man who led him into battle. Corporal Levi.

Title:Kissing Booth Chapters:2/2 Rating:Teen and Up Summary:Eren’s soccer team hosts a kissing booth at the Spring Carnival to raise money for charity. What will he do when he’s unexpectedly forced to work a shift with Levi, team captain and his secret crush?Steamy kisses up ahead.

Title:A Warm Breath Chapters:12/12 Rating:Mature Summary:“You’re a human child, aren’t you. You mustn't touch me then, or I’ll disappear." One summer when visiting his Uncle Erwin out in the countryside, Eren befriends a mysterious masked man who lives in the forest. They promise to meet every summer from then on.In other words, a story told through summers, year by year, of Eren being a (cute) brat, Levi dealing with said brat, and all the fluff, awkwardness, and strange feelings that come with growing up, despite the limitations placed on their interactions. Inspired by Hotarubi no Mori e.

Title:Keep it down Chapters:1/1 Rating:Explicit Summary:The first time it happened, Eren was sleeping.The second time it happened, Eren was skyping. The third time it happened, Eren was ill. The fourth time it happened, Eren was feeling more than a little stressed. The fifth time it happened... well...Or, the story of how Eren learns the name of the guy living above him because of the awkward loud sex he has.

Title:Be good for me Chapters:1/1 Rating:Explicit Summary: Eren reaches up and grabs the wrist that’s connected to the hand fisting its fingers into his hair. Squeezes until that grip loosens and eventually releases completely. He drops it, meeting Levi’s hazy gaze as he opens his mouth, “Be good.” Levi’s fingers twist in the bed sheets.

Title:Misread Chapters:22/22 Rating:Explicit Summary:After watching his father brutally murder his mother, barely escaping with his life, Eren Jaeger moved from one foster house to another, never really finding a place to call home. Now that he is grown, he lives with Mikasa and Armin in a dilapidated old house, but all is not well. The loss of his mother at his father's hands, along with the brutal treatment he received for his sexuality, as well as repeated failures in all aspects of his life have left him hollow and broken. Though he had tried before to end his life and failed, with a fistful of pills and the knowledge that his friends are gone for the weekend, Eren was sure that this time he would succeed. At the last moment he hesitated. His only regrets would be leaving Mikasa and Armin behind, and never confessing his feelings to the owner of the bookstore he works at. After realizing he had nothing to lose, he decided to tell Levi how he feels before ridding the world of himself for good. Even if Levi rejects him, it doesn't matter.What's he gonna do? Kill himself?

Title:Freedom of the Press Chapters:39/39 Rating:Explicit Summary: Eren is just an ordinary college student, wondering how long he can put off his art projects and if it's possible to live off of only ramen and mac 'n cheese. Oh, and if his medical alert bracelet is really necessary, because honestly, it shouldn't be. His part time jobs as a barista and a photographer for a major newspaper help pay the bills, but when he gets assigned the task of photographing the upcoming professional soccer match, he can't believe his luck. He has been given permission to legally stalk his idol, center forward for the Scouts, Levi Ackerman! Levi Ackerman is a famous soccer player, and the object of millions of girls' and guys' wet dreams. For Levi, the life of a celebrity is nothing to complain about. He can walk into any bar and leave with his choice of men to take home. And with a sexual appetite that can rival that of a porn star, this is a benefit of stardom he takes full advantage of.The only problem is, it's hard to keep secrets when constantly under a spotlight. What the world doesn't know is that he's gay, and he's determined to keep it that way. Levi struggles to keep his deep, dark secret out of the public knowledge, but a certain green-eyed brat is making that exceptionally difficult.

All these fan-fictions can be read at https:/archiveofourown.org/users/ but you can also immediately be taken to the page by clicking on the underlined title of the fan fiction.

Here is the link to my old account: https://www.tumblr.com/sparklebuttzz/655385067894489088/ereri-fanfic-recommendations

[safirefire]

does anyone else think there’s a lowkey time travel element going on with this woven kingdom? Like why were Cyrus’s visions of Alizeh so accurate? I don’t think Iblees did that

[starsopinions]

Damsel is surprisingly good!

I am going to be honest with you, going into this film I was fully expecting a classic Netflix tween empowering movie. Let's just say I was pleasantly surprised!

SPOILERS AHEAD

Starting with the good! Firstly, I really enjoyed the femininity and girlhood aspect. This theme is woven through a lot of aspects of the film and it makes it feel well-rounded and shows multiple different examples of woman- and motherhood. It was shown through Elodie's birth mom dying, her relationship with her step-mom and obviously Elodie's connection to the previous victims. I really enjoyed how all the women/offers/victims helped each other indirectly. Victoria's messages helped Elodie get out alive even though she couldn't herself. (Victoria is the definition of a girls girl). Think about Elodie’s relationship with her sister Floria, marriage, The dragon's children being murdered and the dragon's reaction to that, Lady Bayford's relationship with Elodie and Floria and Elodie being sacrificed by her father.

Another thing I liked was Elodie’s dress. It obviously restricts movement and is a symbol of Elodie’s freedom and control, or lack thereof. That, however, isn’t the only thing it is used for. Throughout the movie, Elodie repeatedly uses her dress to survive. For example, She is saved by it when she jumps over the ravine and she uses the sleeve as a bag for the light worms. This shows that Elodie is being resourceful and smart by using all the available material. Besides that, it also shows that she isn’t giving up like she is expected to which is nice to see. It would have been so easy for her to conveniently find a bag in a cave somewhere and use that, or for her to simply be able to jump that far. Instead, the movie is clever and makes Elodie innovative which makes her more likeable and more deserving of survival. Additionally, it is also really cool to see all the different iterations of the dress as time goes on and it makes for an epic transformation.

And now, a speed round of parts I enjoyed: Prince Henry not having a redemption arc (he threw her in that cave without a second thought). The CGI looked amazing and the dragon was honestly terrifying. The costume- and set design both did an amazing job. Floria was adorable.

There are a few things that I would have done differently. Starting at the beginning, it feels a bit rushed. I would have liked to see Elodie’s people actually struggle, there was a lot of telling that they were poor but Elodie is married off before we actually get a chance to see it for ourselves. And while we're at it, although I liked the bond and dynamics between Elodie/Floria, Elodie/Lady Bayford (her stepmother) and Elodie/Lord Bayford (her father) they should have spent more time exploring their relationships. Especially Elodie and her father's bond should have been stronger, right now we only get a few scenes of them together, so imagine how much harder his betrayal would have hit if we were shown how close they really were. That is not to say that it is bad right now, but it is definitely something that could be improved upon.

Another aspect I would have liked to see more of is the colonizer plot which is implied but not developed further. It is mentioned briefly that the people of the kingdom Aurea invaded the land and tried to slay the dragon and her children. It could have been delved into more by showing another flashback, for example. It also would have been cool if that was also one of the reasons the dragon was upset. For me, the dragon's redemption arc isn’t really a redemption at all but more of a 180°. I think the dragon getting tricked is a good plot point but the dragon was EVIL before (taunting and playing with her victims) and it could have been dragged out a bit more in my opinion. It is also quite weird to me that the dragon goes with Elodie at the end. You would think that the dragon wants her land back and with the kingdom gone, she can have it back. It is also weird to me that Elodie would want the dragon to go with her because although it is obvious that the dragon isn’t the actual evil in this scenario. She still tried to kill you, your sister and she actually did kill your father. So overall it would make more sense to me if the dragon stayed behind to claim her own land back or they should have more scenes where the dragon comes around and isn't evil anymore.

The last thing I want to complain about is the set-up for Elodie being sacrificed. There were some great starts on that. Queen Isabella getting Elodie’s name wrong, The girl on the balcony, the creepy masks. Those are all great beginnings but I want it to be WAY more suspicious and weird. I liked how Lady Bayford stormed in and tried to stop Elodie from marrying Prince Henry but I wish it came from a more creepy place, right now she just thinks he isn't right for her. Maybe she heard people on the market talk about a ritual, or maybe she talked with the family of the other girl who was sacrificed, that kind of thing would be an amazing set-up. I don’t think it was bad how it was but it just could have been better.

Overall, I feel like I have been very negative in this review but that is not my intention at all. I actually really enjoyed the movie. It obviously isn’t a cinematic masterpiece but I don’t think they intended it to be. It had potential to be even better but I honestly think they did a fantastic job.

This is my first time writing a review without watching or reading anybody else’s opinions, so I am completely in the dark about what the general opinion is. My prediction is that it is written off as a classic tween movie just because it has a “girl boss” female lead when in reality it is so much more than that and I had such a good time watching! Would 100% recommend!!

Obviously, these are my opinions! If you feel differently, then that is 100% okay and you are always free to share your thoughts!

Thank you for reading all the way to the end (I would be eternally grateful if you liked/reblogged) <3

Until next time,

Star ☆

[midnightsapphire]

ignore me for spacing out and stalling on modern!aemond

Cont.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS, CONTINUE WITH CAUTION

but also take ghost!aemond after the war and the dance of the dragons. his soul finding solace in the place he felt the most serene when he was living

it took many years after the war between the blacks and the greens, being a direct decendent of prince daeron, great-grandchild of rhaenyra targaryen

in your youth, you swore you saw whisps of long blonde hair breezing past you in the corridors, catching you when you tripped but disappeared before you could finish blinking

you constantly told your father, god forbid even your mother brushed it aside as some form of your overactive imagination but you knew in your tiny bones that there was someone else aside from your siblings residing in the castle

it wasn't until you were old enough to lurk the castle on your own did you see him. a tall, slender man standing by the fireplace in the library that was meant to be offlimits per your fathers request.

"who are you?" you would ask him while his back was turned to you, only glancing at the slender curve of his jaw, the natural upward curl of his lips, the ever so faint peek of his dimples as a single violet eye glanced at you

he said no words as he silently glanced at the many spines that lined the shelves, his hands tightly woven behind his back, almost itching to touch one of the many literatures that even he had collected in his time of living

you constantly watched the types of literature he seemed to linger around, the philosophical texts catching your eyes, along with the history books that seemed untouched with the dust collecting around them.

"shall i read to you?" you asked, not waiting for an answer as you pulled a book from it's place, blowing off the dust as Aemond watched you curiously, eyes flickering between you and the fireplace as he remained planted in his spot.

The Tales of Old Valyria, his favorite.

it had then become a routine, you visiting the library when duties had been attended to, your eyes lighting up when you saw his slender back from your spot at the doorway. you had learned he was a man of very few words, only responding in gutteral hums and grunts in between words, but often tore his eyes away from the fire to glance at you when you stopped reading aloud

"you can sit, you know. you must be exhausted standing around for hours." you offered one time as aemond's bittersweet smirk grew on his face.

"not one for small conversations.. noted." you would whisper as you reached for another book, a newer one the maesters had brought in to graciously add to the collection you had now deemed as yours

"the song of fire and blood, they call it. about the legacy of the Targaryens... well not only us but others in the seven kingdoms. it is.. my current favorite. my father says it was about our ancestors, rhaenyra and her family." the very name causing aemond's body to tense as he looked at her from the corner of his eye

"my favorite is aemond targaryen, however. he's not entirely mentioned but-"

"he's considered a monster. maimed by his own kin. kinslayer. what much is there to warrent being a favorite?"

the first words he ever muttered to you. self-deprecating, loathing, bitter.

"you would be too if you were regarded only as the second son."

it was then aemond warmed up to you more, standing closer when you would read of their family's history, his history, interjecting every once in a while to put in his own comments, never having the heart to confess that it was truly him that had lived, breathed, killed in those moments.

not with the way you glanced at him like he held your entire world in his hands. not when he saw the sparkle in your eye when you greeted each other with fond smiles, the disappointment when you were called away, when you told him about your day as you twisted flower crowns for him with flowers you had stolen from the gardens stating 'if you detest the sun and the bushes then i shall bring it to you!' followed by his ghostly hand brushing through the small gift. reminding him once again that he was no longer with the living.

and suddenly the fire that roared in the fireplace felt colder than it already was

"it was said that aemond flew on the back of vhagar and brutally avenged his lost eye by slaying his nephew Lucerys Velaryon-"

"it was accidental."

"that he brutally stabbed both of lucerys' eyes out as they washed out on the shore."

"that never happened-"

"you speak as if you were there."

"and if i was? would you turn and flee? call me a monster like the maesters had?!"

"i- i don't understand.."

"no. you wouldn't. i wouldn't expect anything less from the third born child of a pathetic king."

he didn't know why- if it was the resentment in the bloody maesters that had painted him as a kinslaying craven, that he fathered bastards with a bastard witch of the strongs, that he.. he couldn't be there to grab your arm and prevent you from leaving the very room he was trapped in.

he cursed every single day you hadn't visted the library, watching each log slowly burn as he tried his best to release his anger, punching at the shelves, kicking the chairs, but nothing. not a single clatter besides the wind that whipped with every one of his swings.

only then did his head turn when he heard your quiet footsteps after weeks. not bothering to turn to face you as you both stood in silence.

"lucerys velaryon had stolen the eye of aemond targeryen on the night of laena valeryon's funeral. he had stolen the dragon, vhagar in the dead of night when everyone had been asleep and their kin followed and.. incidents followed."

"what are you talking about?"

"he had grown resentful of the bastard children of his half-sister, knowing fully well their father had bent and broken every rule imaginable and got away with nothing but a slap in the wrist. he grew resentful that he was maimed, considered a cripple, a spare to their eldest when he continued his duties for his family and for the realm while his brother fathered bastards, slept with any woman that could breathe with no reprocussions and was still crowned king."

"the slaying of lucerys velaryon was an accident that enthrailed consequences he could not bear.. he died as he lived. cold, angry.. alone." he whispered as he finally turned to you, finally stepping closer as he slowly took off the eyepatch adorned on his face, the bright sapphire still shining as the day he was blessed with it.

"but nothing felt as.. cold and alone as it had when you were absent. i would sacrifice lifetimes, live through those excruciating events again if i knew they all led me back to you.."

"what are you saying?"

"the aemond targeryen lived in blinded spite to all those who wrong him, but the aemond targaryen now.. wishes he lived to be closer to you." he whispered, a hand reaching out to caress the back of his fingers along your cheek, flinching when it did nothing but leave a cold touch past your skin.

it only came crashing down then that you realized, through all the corrected sentiments, the backhanded comments he had made whenever you read to him, he was there, and now that he had found a purpose worth living for, it was not his purpose to bear.

"time and the gods had been cruel to us. you.. you will soon marry, grow old and mother beautiful.. beautiful children. but as you read from them the history books like you had for me.. it matters not the legacy i had left behind, i could be a figment of myth, of imagination, i could not care less what others have thought of me. but what matters to me is that you never forget me, my sweet sapphire."

it sucks im so sorry

[sylusjinwoon]

{ 105 }

the jealous husband.

barnabas tharmr x fem.reader

warnings: unedited; self indulgent; some canon divergence/spoilers for ff16; soft depictions of intimacy; minors don't interact.

by choosing to interact with this 18+ content, you have consented to viewing something n-fw despite the warnings.

{ it's always been just him and me together, so i bet all i have on that furrowed brow | and at least in this lifetime, we're sticking together. | me and my husband, we're sticking together. }

in a faraway land surrounded by treacherous seas lay a dark kingdom simply known as waloed, the tale of its founding being passed on throughout all of valisthea as the people came to know of the name barnabas tharmr-

the last king, and the man whom a young queen was proud to call her husband.

the sea breeze was felt against her skin, carrying the scent of the salty waves as the cool air slowly roused her from her slumber. she could feel her brows furrow in response to the cold, reaching out to the spot beside her mattress as her hands blindly searched in desperation for the familiar warmth of her husband.

when her hands met with the cold sheets, the queen's eyes immediately open, her voice coming out as hoarse when she calls out to him.

"barnabas?"

her eyes take in the dim lighting of the room, seeing the candles flickering in response to the ocean winds as it caused a wave of goosebumps to erupt all across her skin. she trails her gaze towards the clerestory windows, seeing the moon and stars at its peak.

"the night has only just begun, and yet still, he isn't here with me."

a shiver courses through her veins, making the woman sit up from their shared bed. her hands twist a bit at her gossamer nightgown, feeling a deep sense of yearning for her husband. for surely, if he will not join her in bed, then she supposes she would just need to come to him instead.

she stretches her arms then, allowing the velvet mantles to slide off of her form as her bare feet meets with the cobblestone floors. a tremble was felt coursing through her as the iciness seemed to spread throughout her body. the candles and lit torches did little to ward off the lingering cold, and she found herself becoming desperate for her husband's touch.

wrapping her arms around her chest to provide at least some protection against the cold, the young queen allows another shiver to run down her spine when she opens the door of her bedchambers, ready to head to waloed's throne room when a silky voice calls out to her.

"and where do you think you're going, your majesty?"

she hears sleipnir calling out her name, making her let out a sigh in response. facing the man with hair the shade of spun silver, she watches him with a tired expression, seeing him bow down to her.

"king barnabas has placed me in front of your bedchamber for good measure, as he is in the midst of a meeting with the dhalmekians. he wants you safe and away from those greedy swines, specifically kupka."

upon hearing sleipnir's orders that were given to him by barnabas, she struggled to bite back her protest. the constant knight was truly the only other person whom barnabas trusted aside from her. he acted not only as barnabas' lord commander and royal advisor, but her guard as well.

it was clear from sleipnir's amused gaze that he had no intention of letting her see her husband, and this made the young woman twist at her hands in anxiety. in order to get past sleipnir, she had to think quick and efficiently.

"but kind sir, i am quite cold while remaining all alone within my bedchambers."

sleipnir's tranquil expression falters for just the briefest of seconds before returning once more. "if you are cold, your highness, then i highly recommend that you don yourself with the velvet mantles. for they were woven by the finest seamstress in all of waloed, of course."

"tis true, but, it is simply not enough. my skin feels cool to the touch, and- i fear that if i am not warmed soon, then i may fall ill."

at last, her words were what made sleipnir break. he was frowning, knowing that the loyalty to his king was trumped by the thought of his queen ever getting sick or falling into harm.

after a few moments spent in deliberation, sleipnir finally lets out a rich chuckle in response. "you are a sly woman, my queen."

she had to hide her grin, knowing that she had won after all when she gives sleipnir a curtsy, ready to head towards the throne room by herself had the constant knight not stop her in her tracks.

"ah, but i believe it is my duty as your knight to escort you myself." his armored hand gently takes a hold of her wrist, walking a few steps in front of her. despite her annoyance, she keeps her mouth shut and allows her knight to take her to barnabas.

the simple walk took only a mere few minutes, but due to how much she wished to see her husband and feel him, it felt like an eternity. sleipnir had simply stood in front of the grand oak doors carved with waloed's insignia, about to knock and announce her arrival when she simply shoved the doors open and went in herself.

the sounds of the doors slamming against the walls echoes throughout the throne room, catching the attention of barnabas and his guest. with her gaze meeting with her husband's, she ignores the other people in the room, her heart being set aflame at the mere sight of him.

barnabas met her eyes, and a part of her was fearful that he may scold her for interrupting; for ignoring sleipnir's orders to remain in bed-

but when she sees the way his lips quirked upwards in a tiny smile, she knew that all was forgiven in that very moment. not saying a word to her, barnabas beckons at her to join him, making the woman let out a happy cry in response.

as her bare feet pads across the floors of the room, she jumps into barnabas' arms, settling herself in his lap whilst letting out a content purr of his name. now within the comfort of her husband's embrace, she allows his warmth to seep into her, burying her face within the curve of his neck.

just as she was breathing in his scent, there was a low whistle heard followed by a chuckle.

"my, king barnabas, tis no wonder you've been hiding your wife away from us."

she could feel her husband stiffen in response to such an offhanded comment, a low growl heard coming from barnabas' chapped lips.

"mind repeating that, kupka?"

her throat had turned dry when she takes a peek at the man settled off to the side, taking note of his large frame. the expanse of his tunic seemed to stretch with his considerable size. his large hands that were settled on the table were decorated with several glittering rings that seemed to weigh heavily with the gaudy gemstones settled at its base. and his gaze- the way he was staring at her was nothing short of predatory.

"your wife is lovely, barnabas. i'm sure she would do well bearing sons."

she clings to barnabas, feeling him rise from his seat as he holds her tightly in his arms. the fury she could feel emanating from barnabas was palatable, so much so that she was fearful for that man's life. "teach this bastard a lesson, sleipnir, you know what to do."

"of course, my liege."

barnabas turns her away from the chaos, hearing sounds of pained grunts as sleipnir forces the dhalmekians out of the room. she was about to turn her gaze around when barnabas stops her, keeping her head still when he suddenly crashes his lips into hers.

the feeling of his chapped lips on hers makes her let out a moan, her hands creeping up against his open tunic as she traces at his scar. "b-barnabas..."

"that damn kupka, i knew he was going to try my patience once he laid his eyes on you." his muscles were still taut, even when he settled back down on his throne. as she met his gaze, she tries to soothe him, massaging away his furrowed brow when she apologizes to him.

"i'm sorry, my love. i should not have left our shared chambers, but...but i felt so cold and needed your warmth."

upon hearing her confession, his expression simmers just the tiniest bit, shutting his eyes as he tries to calm himself by breathing in the scent of her hair. she closes her eyes, feeling the tip of his nose trace against the crown of her hair for a brief moment before another low growl was ripped from his throat.

"that damned kupka, i'll kill him myself. i'll summon my black blade and execute him on the spot-"

her eyes widen in response to his jealous fury, and before he could stand to carry out his murderous intents, she stops him by running a hand down his chest.

"stop, barnabas... there is no need to kill him when you should know that i only love you alone."

her soft touch was enough to force barnabas back down in his seat, with his darling wife facing him. her legs were settled on both sides of his waist, her gaze turning darker as they became dilated with lust for him.

"let sleipnir deal with that horrid man...why don't you stay here and keep me warm instead?"

barnabas' eyes were wild, the steel blue quality of them now hidden when he lets out a rough grunt of her name.

"temptress."

with that single phrase as her only warning, she lets out a gasp when her back meets with the grand marble table, nearly wincing at the impact had it not been for the way barnabas kept his powerful arms around her form.

barnabas keeps his knee pressed over her soaked core, feeling it dampen the cloth that was settled between her legs as she felt her husband putting pressure against it. "gonna make you scream my name as i fill you with seeds from my cock alone- gonna make that swine understand that the only sons you will be bearing is my own and no one else's."

the desperation was clear when barnabas tightly grips her nightgown, tearing it off in a single sweep as she was left completely bare for him in mere seconds. when he sees the cream material that kept her slickness hidden away from him, he lets out a guttural groan. "look at how wet you've become, and i haven't even touched you yet."

"i beg of you, please barnabas! i-i need you!" the ache felt between her legs was almost too much to bear, as she could feel the nectars of her arousal sliding down her leg, completely and utterly ready for him to just take her.

"have patience, love." barnabas' voice had taken on an almost deeper tone, feeling his large, calloused hands feel the weight of her naked breast before giving it a squeeze. the sensation was enough to make her arch against the table, mewling in response to his touches.

he says her name once more before leaning down to capture her perky nipples into his mouth, earning a breathless moan from her. as her hands delved themselves into barnabas' midnight strands of hair, she allows him to worship her. she could feel the way his hot mouth wraps around her breast, his teeth teasing at her sensitive skin as pinpricks of pleasure was felt coursing through her.

"such a good wife you are f'me." barnabas murmurs against her skin, making her whine in response as she clings to her husband. he spends some time teasing her, playing with her breast before smirking darkly at her.

"d'you mind if i have a taste as well?"

by now, she was drunk off of him, uncertain as to what he meant when she weakly meets his gaze. only when his smirk widens and she could feel the way barnabas parts her legs with his hands did she finally understand.

"o-oh..."

"indeed." barnabas continues to spread her legs until her slick flower was seen, eyes honing in hungrily at her center when he allows his middle finger to enter her slickness. his ministrations causes the queen to let out a soft moan, hands clinging to his biceps the more he worked his finger in and out of her center.

"y'smell sweet, love. fuck, y'smell s'fucking sweet." as if drunk on her scent, barnabas gets down on his knees, adjusting her body so that she was settled directly on top of the table. with her sex directly in front of his eyes, barnabas leans in to press his lips against her flower, drinking all of the sweet arousal she had to offer while his fingers worked on pumping in and out of her.

the pleasure he bestowed on her was overwhelming, with her letting out sweet cries of his name, begging him to never stop. through her throes of pleasure, she tells him of her deep love and how she'll do anything for him.

"i-i am yours, barnabas! i'll do anything for you, just please, don't stop, don't stop...!" she was so close to her release, so close she could taste it-

but when she was near paradise's gates, barnabas suddenly pulls away from her, moving his mouth and fingers away from her as she let out a desperate cry of his name.

"NO! PLEASE-"

barnabas then proceeds to cover her mouth with his hand, eyes burning with lust and adoration for her when he unbuckles his belt and shoves his leather pants down with one hand, revealing his aching cock. she only saw it briefly, for a mere few seconds, before she felt barnabas completely sheath himself inside of her silken walls.

only when he was fully inside of her did he finally remove his hand from her mouth. "there...now you can be as loud as you want to, love"

when barnabas finally fulfilled her desires, she followed his commands and let out a loud whine of his name, certain that her voice could be heard echoing throughout the castle. it always felt so good becoming one with him, like they were each other's missing puzzle pieces- like they could never truly be whole without the other.

as barnabas continued his steady pace, thrusting in and out of her, he buries his face within the curve of her neck, letting out soft groans before speeding up. the squelching and obscene sounds of their lovemaking was enough to make her cry out, her nails digging into the skin of his back as they raked down his form.

"the pleasure and pain y'give me, i shall never tire of it." barnabas lets out several heaving breaths in response, taking a hold of her leg before wrapping it around his waist. "you're mine and mine alone, and i'll be damned if i let someone else take you away from me."

with each word he says to her, the more powerful his strokes became, making her softly moan in response. tears of pleasure were dotting her vision as she could feel barnabas aiming for a particular spot inside of her, speeding up his thrusts while his hands squeezes at her breasts.

"come...come f'me. come f'your king now."

that was all the urging she needed when she clenches her eyes shut, crying out to him as barnabas was heard roaring in response to his own release. as her walls clamped around barnabas' cock in a tight grip, she could feel him emptying his seed deep inside of her, painting her walls white as he stilled his hips, making sure that not a drop was spilled.

keeping a tight grip on her body, barnabas continues to thrust weakly back and forth from her core, making sure that he had emptied himself completely before stilling his hips. with a groan, he falls against his beloved wife as they both caught their breath after such an intense session of lovemaking.

when the post lovemaking clarity settled in, the woman lets out a content sigh, allowing her lips to trace at barnabas dampened temple. "my darling king...that was wonderful..."

deciding to be a bit cheeky, she moves her hand to give her king a gentle smack on his bum, earning a grunt from him as she giggles. "perhaps i should make you jealous more often?" she muses while licking the shell of his ear, earning a shiver from her dark king.

but what she wasn't expecting was for him to actually grow inside of her, earning a gasp from her parted lips as barnabas moved away from her. he gives her another smirk as a warning before placing both hands on her waist.

"then i suppose you wouldn't mind me releasing my jealousy on you once more?"

cue a sweet giggle from the young queen as she brushes her lips against his jawline, "by all means do continue, my lord."

a.n. - i had a dream about barnabas a couple of nights ago where i woke up and searched for him. in it, i find him settled on his throne, and he smiles at me, beckoning me to come closer. so i do, and i settle myself on his lap and bury my face within the crook of his neck, taking in the scent of the ocean and steel that wafts off of him.

this was written as a sort of self indulgent continuation of that dream. i love barnabas so much 🥹🌌.

all stories are written by rei; reposts, translations, and plagiarism are not allowed.

[judecardan]

kamran is so wholly unbearable i need cyrus to actually get rid of him

[writing-in-verse]

So I Finally Read Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare

There will be some level of spoilers so do be aware all who enter here.

I was apprehensive at first when i heard Cassie was writing a book in an entirely new setting, a new adult book no less, after writing YA for as long as I can remember. I've seen authors attempt to pivot to a different age bracket before and it is a challenge if you're not fully prepared for it.

Sword Catcher is entering the space where Game of Thrones and Gentleman Bastards have long ago carved out their right to be there and became titans of their own. It was surprising then to see both authors of the above had read Sword Catcher and had given a review for the back of the book - George R.R. Martin's quote and name was displayed proudly on the front of my edition for added flair.

It was a bold statement of intent, to sit among giants and share the space meant Cassie was putting her best foot forward. I don't want to suggest Lynch or Martin 'allowed' or 'gave permission' for Cassie to be in this space but they did vouch for her, showing a creative respect which carries weight and expectation.

I'm so happy to say Cassie pulled it off.

I'll admit I was cautiously optimistic about Sword Catcher, about Kel and Connor and Lin, a slightly worry that perhaps Cassie's years as a YA author could hold back the potential of this new work. If in being really honest, Shadowhunters is very important to me and I think part of me was unsure about leaving it behind.

Cassie's ability to build a world here is striking in it's ability to never overwhelm the reader with context and exposition without losing any of the depth and complexity you'd expect from a novel concerning kings and kingdoms. You come to learn of Castellane's long and muddled history over time, never giving away more than is needed to make the world feel complete but without throwing nonsense terms around which would simply not be remembered.

The class divides that permeate the work, held up by proto-capitalist greed and the politics of nations happening atop a towering hillside is fed in lockstep with the rest of the plot, holding enough information in front of the reader without giving the whole mystery away. Woven throughout is the Ashkari people, very clearly a Jewish analogue, a nation with no homeland other than the one their communities reside in. Locked inside the Sault after nightfall and looked upon with distrust, othered because of their ability to use even limited magic. I'm certainly not selling the tact and nuance Cassie brings to the world and the people who live in it but it's beautifully presented and should be applauded.

I don't have much to say about the characters, mostly because I can see their journey has just begun and I'm excited to see them all grow and change as the narrative unfolds. What I will say is Lin can do no wrong, Kel is just a fella, and Connor is one of the best written protagonists for how deeply flawed and naive he is and yet I simply cannot wish him ill.

I summary, Sword Catcher is an almost flawless first entry into a series I could see becoming a favourite of mine and I cannot see where it goes next. What a dazzling and captivating read.