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mrs-barnes-rogers-writes · 1 year ago

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A Second Chance Is A Better Chance - Christmas As A Roamer - The Sixth Christmas

Pairing: Alpha Steve Rogers x Omega Witch Reader, eventual ? x Omega Witch Reader and Alpha Steve Rogers X Omega Witch Reader

Summary: Rejected by your true mate at 21, you’ve given up on the Fates and the Moon Goddesses giving you a second chance. Being a Roamer for the last 9 years, you’re an Omega hardened by the world. You’re safe on your own because of your witchcraft, but it doesn’t stop Alphas and plenty of others sniffing around, especially when you’re an unmated Omega witch, who’s wolf also happens to be white, the rarest kind. You don’t need anyone, but why do you keep coming back to Brookville and why do you keep walking into trouble and helping people that you don’t know but for some strange reason feel like family. And where is that smell of apple pie coming from?

Warnings: A/B/O, eventual smut, violence in parts, witchcraft, shapeshifters, talk of assault and torture

Fiona was right. Things got worse before they got any better.

Hydra had fallen or were on the fall at least. A bunch of the key players and Agatha had been caught a couple of hundred miles from the Fiona and Cordelia’s. Blocked in by S.H.I.E.LD there had been a bloody fight and it had taken five S.H.I.E.L.D witches to take down Agatha and a special task force to take down the Hydra rogues.

It had come to light that corruption was rife and powerful families and packs with archaic views had funded Hydra to power. Everyone and anyone with money was scowled at and suspected by those of you that didn’t have much.

It turned out that billionaire and former playboy, Tony Stark, hadn’t just been taken by terrorists in the Middle East. They were Hydra funded. Shareholders with Hydra connections had staged the arms selling trip to get rid of him after he’d started to question his own staff, deputies and shareholders.

At first, a ripple of relief had spread around the world as Hydra fell and Stark returned but the questions continued and trials started. Stark had somehow escaped with the help of a Special Ops Commando that was still missing in action. He’d brought a bunch of data with him, extracting it with the tools Hydra had tortured him into using for their own gain. It exposed CEOs, politicians and even a few European royals and everyone connected to them. Stark had been locked away with his mate since.

Then there were rumours of a military unit going rogue. It had been quickly dropped from media outlets and downplayed but there were whispers among the witches forums that the Special Ops unit were now looking for their missing and releasing hostages and missing witches as they tore through the world.

As a result Cordelia’s mate had returned, battered and bruised but home at least. A photo sent to your phone of him holding their son confirmed the rumours.

You smiled as you’d shuffled down further in the back seat of your ageing car. The blankets pilled on you your only form of warmth. Hydra might have been falling but getting supplies, fuel and a place to stay was still hard. So was getting a regular job. You’d taken to doing card readings here and there, which certainly wasn’t your specialty but it got you food and the odd room for the night. It wasn’t easy though, as everyone’s future showed a cloudiness to it.

You reached your finger tips out to check your phone again to find it dead. You couldn’t even face turning on the engine to charge it or to mess with your powers to get it to work. The messages would be few and far between. Most of those still checking on you now used to your growing stubbornness, only asking once if you want to join them for Christmas or an overnight break from dusty motels and the backseat of your car.

It’d be Christmas on your own this year. A cold Christmas. A Christmas in a random town, car hidden away round the back of a deserted shopping mall. A spell to protect you and a shot of Fiona’s latest tipple to keep you a little warmer.

This was the worst it had been since you’d become a roamer and as the realisation hit you of how very alone you were, you wondered how much worse it would get.

Last year you thought things were hard, delivering babies as explosions sounded in the distance, as the war with Hydra raged, but at least you weren’t alone.

But you were a roamer and alone was the path you’d chosen. You roughly wiped away the stray tear as it fell down your face, summoning the bottle from Fiona and taking another swig before burrowing yourself back under your blankets. You strengthened the spell as you picked up the scent of a roaming alpha nearby.

Everything was OK, right? You’d be fine. Everything was fine. Right?

Meanwhile somewhere in the Middle East.........

Bucky was not going to die. He couldn’t die. He had to get home. He needed to make sure his sisters were OK, that his Mom and Dad had been able to keep them safe. That Stevie had got himself killed or burnt half the world down trying to find him. He needed to tell Sam what had happened to Riley.

He couldn’t die. He needed to get the fuck out of this cave. He pulled at his arm again to try and release it from the clamp the enemy had placed it in. They hadn’t bothered with the other arm, seeing the broken wrist and fingers as a reason not to. They would soon learn that would be a mistake. Bucky had already picked out which of the enemy he’d take down first. The one so keen on water boarding him was such a fan of torturing him he’d started to leave his left side exposed and with it his knife. He’d be the first to die Bucky decided.

But he had two shifts to wait until that piece of shit reappeared. He just needed to wait until then and fight off what he thought was sepsis crawling up his arm.

He pulled his arm harshly again, his eyes fluttering shut as his consciousness slipped. A fever dream led him to a bed, his lips on another as they straddled him, white hair tickling his face, a sheet pulled over their heads. The kiss became more heated before the body slipped down his, leaving a trail of kisses.

“Luna” he gasped.

Bucky jolted himself awake, sighing heavily when he realised he was still in the cave.

A wave of amusement came over him as he heard a familiar set of footsteps headed in his direction. The scent confirmed it.

He was getting out of here. Whether he had to chop off his own arm and kill a few of the enemy, he was getting out.

He needed to find Steve. He needed to find the white haired omega that haunted his fever dreams, his luna, his mate.

He smirked at the enemy agent as he entered, a bucket of water in hand. He was getting out and this fucker had no idea who was dealing with.

#the avengers #avengers au #steve rogers #steve rogers x reader #alpha steve rogers #alpha steve rogers x reader #alpha steve rogers x omega reader #alpha steve rogers x omega #bucky barnes #avengers fanfiction #christmas in july

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zwy01 · 1 year ago

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Noble OC! Raskreia’s mom doodles!!!

Finally got to do Raskreia’s other parent lol. Very excited to introduce her! She’s alive in the present day in my Millennium AU (check out my pinned post for more info) and while she doesn’t really have an active role in the foreground, she is quite influential and does move things around in the shadows.

Her outfit is lined with black feathers, which gives her the image of a mysterious raven.

Desdemona Kravei: often addressed as Lady Desdemona, Mona, Moni (by friends) or simply just Desdemona. Never addressed with her surname. She’s Raskreia’s mother, and the Previous Lord’s childhood friend. She and PL were not romantically involved; she offered her soul fragment to PL when he needed an heir, and they co-parented Raskreia as friends. She’s part Kravei, part Agvain, and part other clans. Her exact heritage is a mystery but she’s Roctis Kravei’s not-too-distant relative and their blood relation is close enough for the Kravei soul weapon Lantheart to go to her after he and Ignes died, though she constantly rejected it and Lukedonia had no choice but to create Cordelia as the next pure blooded Kravei heir and Clan Leader. Desdemona is an extremely beautiful woman with a calming and sometimes creepy aura. Her appearance mostly suggests that she is a Kravei, though her signature long black hair glitters a gorgeous dark red hue in the sun, which is a very prominent Agvain trait. She passes this trait (which skips her daughter Raskreia) onto her grandson Reiner, who looks a lot like her.

Desdemona is quite unusual for a noble, for many reasons. First of all, she rejects everything that could possibly be tied to her identity, which includes her surname Kravei. It’s not that she dislikes the Kravei clan members or anyone in particular. There are no personal grudges or complicated issues. It’s more that she just feels like she doesn’t want to belong to them, or any of the nobles clans, for that matter. Her heritage is there and obvious when people look at her, but she hates it when she gets associated with them. She wants to be alone, by herself, without any particular identity. Desdemona’s simply… herself. Literally. That’s all she needs. The second reason is that she doesn’t care about Lukedonia at all. Her clan members, fellow nobles in general, whatever drama’s going on… nope, she’s having none of that. She simply doesn’t care nor does she have the patience for any of it. So abandoning her surname is “her way” of saying that she has separated herself from the rest of Lukedonian society. It was a clear message for all the other nobles to back off and not bother her, no matter what their latest affairs were. Even in urgency she wouldn’t act. Sure, you could go to her and ask for objective advice, as she is great at giving them and doesn’t mind the act of talking. But don’t expect her to get up and actually do anything to help. Lukedonia could prosper, and she’d still prefer to live in the shadows. Lukedonia could burn down and perish, fine then; she’d die alongside them with no resistance. If that is to become her fate then bring it on. So be it. This mindset is essentially her philosophy of life. This leads to a lot nobles thinking Desdemona doesn’t care about them. Which is pretty much true, because she doesn’t exactly feel much kinship with her own kind, if at all. Even she herself feels foreign in her own skin sometimes. Her identity as a noble is one she doesn’t exactly want go along with, and she isn’t too keen on being referred to as one either. If you reminded her that she in fact is a noble too, she would simply answer “…yes, perhaps that is what I was born as, nothing more. Did you seriously expect another answer?” In a way, you could say that she has separated herself from most of Lukedonia, aside from the several specific individuals whom she genuinely cares about. Desdemona would’ve abandoned her first name too, but then she realized people would have a very hard time referring to her at all, so she begrudgingly decided to keep it in the end. Desdemona staying completely neutral and uninvolved in any of Lukedonia’s affairs means that she is, unintentionally, a very powerful balancing force in the background. She was never out there in the open screaming “I don’t care about any of you”. Rather, she remains silent and stays loyal to the shadows, essentially creating a barrier between herself and the rest of her world. One could go to her and tell her blablabla is going on with blablabla clan, she’d nod and then forget about it. One could even tell her about their plans to betray Lukedonia and slaughter a good portion of their own population, cool. She doesn’t care. She is known as the wise to her people, as she would give advice to just about anyone. Want to do good? She’ll give you a wonderful way to do that. Want to commit genocide? Here’s the most efficient way to do it without getting your hands dirty. It goes in both extreme ways.

She isn’t good, nor is she evil. Desdemona, to her very core, is impartial. She knows things, and will let you on her knowledge too if you ask. But just because it’s an answer doesn’t mean it has to align with any morals, it is what it is, an answer. That was her way of thinking, which was mesmerizing and fearsome at the same time. In the shadows she has the power to move things around, as a single piece of advice had the potential to inspire people to do either extreme good or extreme evil. For this reason, even though PL was her friend, he was wary of her as he knows what she’s truly like. Desdemona preferring to stay in the background doesn’t mean that she rejects people completely. Specifically, aside from guests and/or advice seekers, she does in fact have a social life and friends whom she cares about, as they are individuals that matter to her. But Lukedonian society and general politics as a whole? Nope. Unless it’s a very very close friend, if she passed by an injured or dying person, she wouldn’t extend a helping hand nor would she kill them out of mercy; she would simply keep walking on her path. This extends to herself. If she is ever in danger, she will not expect any help to come, and let fate decide it for her. In other words, she is only truly terrifying because she is so fair to everything in the world.

Personality wise, she is generally pretty aloof and distances herself from the average noble, though she can be both physically and verbally affectionate with people she’s close with. If she makes the conscious effort, of course, because this doesn’t come naturally to her. Which extends to several individuals, and they are extremely flattered to receive this “special treatment” from none other than the Desdemona. But even her relationship with her loved ones are a bit special. If she cared about them, they’d definitely know. But say they need to do something to save the world, and want her to accompany them and fight together so the chance of success is higher and risk of failing/dying is lower? Sorry, she won’t come with you, that’s on you and you alone. Not any of her business, even if she does care about you. Of course she’d want you to be safe, but if you died, then… too bad. Hopefully you didn’t go painfully. That’s where Desdemona draws the line, and her friends and loved ones are aware of it. There are almost no exceptions, and they know to expect that from her. She isn’t purposely trying to unhelpful, that’s just how her logic works. In terms of fighting capabilities, she is quite skilled and powerful. She still won’t help, though. Which is exactly why she does absolutely nothing during the Invasion of Lukedonia arc, leaving her own daughter Raskreia and her Clan Leaders to fend for themselves.

Desdemona has two distinct hobbies. She lives alone in her own place, a massive estate all to herself. Occasionally she’d get visitors who come for advice, or she’d bring her daughter Raskreia back home when it’s her turn to watch her, but other than that, she has no one else living with her. One of the things that she does is record history with giant stained glass panels. Times of war, times of peace, the rise and fall of noble factions… anything really. She isn’t deliberately trying to be artistic, but she is very talented. Looking at her stained glass panels filled with story and the wonders of the world would get people emotional and they’d start crying. Her home is generally very dark, with no light at all other than sunlight or moonlight that shines through her glass panels at specific times of the day. For this reason, Raskreia didn’t like staying with her mother/soul fragment donor because to her it was suffocating and gloomy. Desdemona on the other hand thinks her home is a safe place and the perfect cave for herself. Whenever kid Raskreia didn’t want to stay with her mother anymore and wanted to leave, Desdemona would just set her daughter free and have her run back to PL. I did my part and watched my daughter, now that she doesn’t want to be here, my job is done. That’s how she thinks. Desdemona’s other hobby is making ephemeral artwork, the kind of stuff that’s not supposed to last. She’d go on a walk and rearrange fallen leaves, pebbles, etc. It brings her a feeling of contentment. Most of the time her works go unseen and eventually destroyed with the natural passing of time but every now and then, someone would come across her “artwork” and go “Ah, Mona was here”. In a way, this is a parallel to her philosophy of life. She takes and uses what’s there, and if it shall perish and be forgotten forever, then so be it. It is beautiful to some, and haunting to others. Desdemona doesn’t care about what anyone thinks though.

Moving onto her relationship with the other nobles. Only going to list the more relevant ones. For ones that are not mentioned, feel free to ask!

The Previous Lord: her childhood friend, obviously. Desdemona used to be even more indifferent towards her own kind prior to meeting PL (when they were both children) and in a way he changed her a LOT. For the better. Much better, actually. Desdemona’s parents had a very hard time with their daughter. She’d always ask things that made people question her morals, such as “why give sick people medicine? Why not let nature take its course and decide their fates for them?” and “unforeseen events are entirely the person’s own fault because they were not wise enough to predict it. Why spend your own resources to help them clean up their own mess?” And so on. She wasn’t trying to be cruel, that was just what made sense to her. On the other side, PL was a bright and optimistic child who was open to many things. Perhaps he was able to show Desdemona not necessarily an answer, but a different perspective to her clear-cut world view of everything. And he did succeed. Desdemona’s core was never influenced but she did change the way she acted, specifically that while she would still be indifferent towards most things, she’d just do so quietly without saying anything to people’s faces. And PL was the first person ever in this world to be affectionate with her (her own parents were too scared of her and avoided her at all costs) and she was able to experience something, which was the first ever fuzzy, warm feeling, right there in her chest. And for that Desdemona was extremely grateful. PL would also be physically affectionate with her, which she reciprocated. The truth is, she simply copied the act of hugging or hand holding but she essentially never does it intuitively. She just knew that people liked these kind of things, and not the why part. And it did feel nice to be cared for, so might as well do it too for someone she cares about. PL knew this and was more than flattered to know that she’s essentially saying saying he’s important to her. The two would grow up to be close despite the massive gap between their characters and such. PL was aware of Desdemona’s true nature, and she knows he knows. They’re both okay with it. In a way PL appreciated Desdemona’s straightforwardness, as she was as genuine as anyone could get, in a good and bad way, because her impartialness was both impressive and unsettling. And Desdemona appreciated PL for acknowledging her for who she was, and that he was the first person to show her kindness. People still got weirded out whenever they saw the two of them together because there’s the kind angelic one and then the cold creepy one. They themselves didn’t mind, though. Desdemona didn’t even hesitate when PL announced that he needed an heir. She volunteered her soul fragment immediately, much to everyone’s shock, because usually she never involves herself with any affairs. Surprise surprise, she actually cared enough for someone to cut her own lifespan shorter to give them her soul fragment. Maybe she wasn’t so indifferent after all.

Raskreia: Her daughter. While Raskreia was the result of Desdemona simply donating her own soul fragment to PL as a friend, and not a child born out of romantic love, Desdemona still viewed Raskreia as her daughter, and loved her like one, though it probably wasn’t obvious on the outside. Just as Desdemona constantly made the conscious effort (and not out of intuition) to be affectionate, little Raskreia could sense that her mother’s actions were unnatural. Forced, even. Perhaps that was what it felt like from a daughter’s perspective. The sudden pauses, and the stiffness in her mother’s movements. Perhaps Mother doesn’t want me here, she thinks. And it doesn’t help when Desdemona’s home is all dark and gloomy. Raskreia dreaded when it was her mother’s turn to watch her, because she’d bring her back home and it was nothing but scary to her. In general, her mother was just creepy. Little Raskreia wasn’t trying to be mean, her instincts were just telling her to avoid these things at all costs. So one time, Raskreia decided to tell her father PL that she didn’t want to be at mom’s anymore. To Raskreia’s horror, her mother was there and heard the whole thing. Desdemona’s only reaction was basically “Hmm, okay. I’ll peace out then.” And simply just. Left. Desdemona didn’t mind at all, actually.

Yes she loved Raskreia but she also understood that if her daughter didn’t want to be in her presence, then she shouldn’t force it because letting things fold out naturally is the way to be. That was the way she loved her daughter…to just let it be. Desdemona’s not against Raskreia returning to her voluntarily if she’s ready for it again or somehow wants to stay in contact, but she doesn’t mind if Raskreia never comes back. In her mind, she already did her part as PL’s friend and maybe she wasn’t needed anymore, and that’s fine too. She just never actually verbally told her daughter that she’s welcome at any time. Raskreia misunderstood it and took Desdemona leaving as a sign of her mother not wanting her as a daughter either, which is not true. This causes little Raskreia distress and their relationship changes permanently, and they never clear up the misunderstanding. Desdemona since then was out of the parenting picture and Raskreia was basically raised by PL. Prior to PL’s death, he asked if Desdemona wanted to stay behind to see the world after him, and with nothing better to do, she agreed. After adult Raskreia succeeds her father as Lord, Desdemona is still lurks in the shadows just like she has always done so. Raskreia usually still avoids her mother, but whenever even her advisor Gejutel couldn’t offer her a solution to things and she’s desperate for guidance, she reluctantly visits her mother. Then they would have a very formal exchange. Desdemona would salute her daughter and address her as Lord. Not my daughter, not Raskreia, just Lord. Which bothers Raskreia a lot because she wonders if this is her mother’s attempt to tell her she still doesn’t see her as a daughter, by refusing to call her by her name, which is not the case at all. In truth Desdemona really is just showing respect to her Lord as a citizen of Lukedonia, even if this Lord happens to be her own kid. It’s the standard procedure, and she is merely adhering to it. To Desdemona, Raskreia is her Lord before she is her daughter, therefore she acts accordingly. Nevertheless, Raskreia takes it personally, though she never shows it. Then Raskreia would ask for advice, and after she gets answers, she leaves. There is nothing more to their exchange. No more words. No questions of how are you doing, is everything alright, I’ve missed you, etc. None of that. Raskreia secretly hopes that there will be something more to their interaction, only to be disappointed each time. Sometimes she would even hope that her mother would scold her a bit, just tell her that her reign is ineffective, as it is. But her mother never says anything, just as silent as ever, only answering questions being asked of her. Nothing more. Desdemona in fact does believe that Raskreia’s reign is a shit one, but as usual she doesn’t care about Lukedonia’s drama so no reason for her to say so. The general silence from her mother just tortures Raskreia even more, but with her own sense of pride, it is hard for her to bring up any of this. If Mother doesn’t make an effort, then neither should I, she thinks. In general, their mother-daughter relationship is a really unconventional and strange one. They obviously care for each other, but the way it manifests just leads to misunderstanding and a lot of guessing, especially on Raskreia’s part. Their relationship remains the same way throughout the storyline of my Millennium AU. Cold and ever so distant. Nothing less, nothing more. P.s. To this day, Raskreia is bitter because she suspects that her mother definitely had something to do with Reiner suddenly leaving Lukedonia, because her son is not the type of person to come up with that by himself, and someone must have given him the idea. But there is no proof. Out of respect, she does not mind-read her mother, but she is definitely suspicious of her.

Reiner: Raskreia’s son, and her grandson. Now this is where things begin to get interesting. Desdemona was fairly uninvolved with parenting Raskreia (well, Raskreia thought her mother was creepy so) and the total amount of time they spent together all added up wasn’t much honestly. But with her only grandson Reiner? She was very much involved in his life, and at a very a young age too. You see, Raskreia was often busy as Lord and didn’t have much time for little Reiner. During the time they did interact, she was always very strict on him, treating him more like her heir and subject rather than her son, a child who needed affection and attention. And Reiner’s other parent Razark just… didn’t really do anything about Raskreia’s relationship with their son, because being the blindly loyal husband he was, he believed that whatever Raskreia’s doing, was the best, and he had no reason to change the way things are done. In a way by not intervening (like he really should have) he was practically enabling Raskreia’s not good way of raising their son. While Reiner does love both of his parents (in a mildly twisted and unhealthy way), he isn’t sure about whether he trusts them. But with his grandmother Desdemona, he both loves and fully trusts her. She’s actually the only person to whom he feels this way in the entirety of Lukedonia and the Millennium AU in general. Their initial grandmother-grandson meeting was a completely unintentional one. When Reiner was born, Desdemona had the news delivered to her by another noble so she was aware of the birth of her grandson. She didn’t make an active effort to meet him though, as whatever happened out there still wasn’t any of her business, even if it was the birth of a new family member, someone who shared her blood.

When Reiner was old enough to wander around on his own, whenever he got tired from his momlord’s suffocating strictness and his father’s blind loyalty and enablement, he would walk around Lukedonia’s territory by himself to get a breather. By chance, he happened to stumble upon Desdemona’s home. It was dark and empty, with the only light source being the light that shone through the beautiful stained glass panels. Normally people would find this to be eerie but to Reiner, it was strangely comforting. He would calmly sit in the darkness and observe the globs of colorful, dim light on the ground that moved around slowly as the angle of the sun changed. There was no company for him here, but at least there was no one to tell him he’s a disappointment either. Turns out, there was someone lurking in the dark. The owner of this place. The silhouette did not move though, as if it were trying to not disturb him. Reiner would then greet the figure in the shadows with a full introduction of himself and apologize for intruding their home. Curiously, the figure stepped forward and revealed itself as a mysterious woman. Reiner had never met her before, yet he felt a sense of familiarity to her. She first asked Reiner if he knew who she is, to which he answered no. She then asked him if he would like to know who she is. He answered yes. That was how Desdemona revealed to Reiner that she is his maternal grandmother. Reiner was just. Shocked because his parents never told him he had a living grandparent. But at the same time, he was happy. Because now he had a new family member, and family is what makes you stronger, just like what his Kertia father had always been telling him, right…? Then Reiner remembered that he should be home now, and hurried away. But not before cheerfully saying, “Goodbye, Grandma Mona!” to a now very intrigued Desdemona. He also promised to come back again. Desdemona didn’t take this seriously and thought Reiner was just saying that to be polite. Though she didn’t pay too much attention to him, she found that this “Reiner” kid kept appearing on her mind once in a while for some reason. Perhaps this was fate. To her surprise, he did come back, and very excited too, to talk to his new “Grandma”. The occasional back and forths became a regular thing, and fast forward to Reiner as an adult, they’re basically best friends. Grandma and grandson. Truth be told, Desdemona had never been so close with anyone in her entire life, until now. Not even PL, her childhood friend, and of course not her daughter Raskreia either. And neither was she this close with her ex-lover, and all of her other friends whom she spent time with back in the day. For the first time in her life, she felt the feeling of “I love this person and I am willing protect them with my life” which was very surprising to her. For the entirety of her existence there had never been a single exception to her philosophy of being completely uninvolved and impartial to the world, but it seemed like that has changed too. And that person is her precious grandson Reiner. Reiner loves her back. He would confide in her his woes, family issues with parents, feeling like a disappointment, being extremely burnt out from the pressure of maintaining himself as the perfect prince… etc. and she would feel sad for him. The neutral Desdemona is actually sad on someone else’s behalf. Reiner doesn’t even know that this type of reaction from her is the rarest sight ever. As time goes by and Reiner’s mental condition worsens, he asks his grandmother for advice. And…. Boom. That’s where everything started, where the idea was first put into his head. She suggests that he leaves Lukedonia. If this was the source of his pain, then leaving everything behind and going to somewhere else for a fresh start, is the best idea. Reiner brushes it off at first, not even thinking of it as an option, but it slowly becomes a reality for him. Maybe grandma is right.

You could say that the three of them are so eerily similar, with each of then so stubbornly loyal to their own beliefs and world view. That being Desdemona believing that everything should be left on its own to fate in a strong-eats-weak world, Raskreia believing she needs to reign with absolute control because stability is of upmost importance, and finally Reiner believing he needs fo free everyone in Lukedonia and make it a democracy where everyone has equal input in deciding how to live. Reiner’s final attempts to change Raskreia’s views fail, and feeling utterly exhausted and defeated, he decides to leave Lukedonia forever. But not before visiting grandmother one last time. They say their goodbyes, and Desdemona wishes him the best of luck. Strangely, she takes off her ring and gives it to Reiner, instructing him to wear it and never take it off. She doesn’t tell him why, but he could tell that she is serious. So he reassures her that he will, and that is the last they ever see of each other. What Reiner doesn’t know is that this ring has a special, single-use protection spell imbued with it. In the distant past, Desdemona had worked with one of her fellow nobles, a Clan Leader, to make this charm and only succeeded in making a single one after many, many years of trying. Desdemona correctly predicted that Raskreia would deem Reiner a traitor and go after him. The ring’s spell will protect Reiner from one single fatal blow as long as he’s still wearing it. To be precise, it will transfer the damage and fatal wound Reiner receives to Desdemona herself. Should Raskreia really land a fatal blow on Reiner, he will survive, and Desdemona will die. Desdemona on the other hand sees this as the last gift she can give to her grandson. She is willing to sacrifice herself for this child. While she hopes that this day will never come, she is fully prepared for it. She never told Reiner the truth behind this ring because then he would be heartbroken and not wear it. This is the only exception that Desdemona ever makes in her entire life, to go all out to save someone. And to her, it’s worth her everything. Grandmother and grandson both miss each other very badly, and they both know they will likely never see each other again. A beautiful yet tragic relationship.

Leona: her ex-girlfriend. Desdemona and Leona were on-and-off lovers, before Leona left for her mission. Leona adored her Moni for her weirdness and her very unique, clear-cut world view, and Desdemona appreciated her Leonie for her dazzling energy and ability to consistently switch between being super unhinged to being in total control. Their energy levels were completely different, with Leona being the very active and energetic one while Desdemona was the quieter and more passive one. The bright sun and the dark shadows. But they worked out somehow, and even though they weren’t together all the time, it was a time of happiness. Before Leona departed for her mission, she formally broke up with Desdemona. Even though Leona didn’t give any details, Desdemona knew that this was a serious thing. So she expressed her understanding, Leona thanked her, and they part from each other on good terms. Leona is one of the few people that Desdemona cares about. She is part of her inner circle. (apparently Leona’s type is tired people lmaoo)

Zephyrus: her old friend. And the secret person whom she worked with to create that magic ring she eventually gives to grandson Reiner, prior to his departure from Lukedonia. The Volo soul weapon’s ultimate skill is transferring a fatal blow from one ally to another, and after many years research, the two of them were able to replicate this skill onto a one-time artifact. This was long before Zephyrus and Leona departed for their mission. Desdemona’s instincts told her that she needed to do this, to make an artifact with this exact protection spell. And she was right, as she eventually gave it to Reiner. To this day Zephyrus honors his promise of keeping this ring a secret between the two of them, and not even his family knows about it. Zephyrus is one of the few people that Desdemona cares about. He is part of her inner circle.

Roctis: didn’t care about him. He was her relative, but that doesn’t change anything because she abandoned the Kravei surname long ago, so to her he was just like any other noble. As kids they did bump into each other more often than members of other clans. She never made an effort to get to know him, though.

Lagus: didn’t care about him. He was a frequent visitor who asked for her advice, before he betrayed Lukedonia. She actually put a lot of ideas into his head, as she would always answer honestly when asked for advice, even if the nature of the question is intended for evil. Lagus actually told her about him planning to take over Lukedonia one day, because he knew that she didn’t care and wouldn’t tell anyone else either. She just nodded and told him to do what he wanted, and if he succeeds, then that is because he is stronger than them and so be it. Lagus had planned to make her his advisor once he takes over Lukedonia, but that never happens because he died so.

Urokai: didn’t care about him. He was her relative because she’s also part Agvain. She never paid any attention to him but for some reason he was very, very scared of her. He believed that if he stared into her eyes, she would suck his soul out. Gave him quite the chills.

Zarga: didn’t care about him. Just like Lagus, sometimes he visited her for advice. She was the one who suggested that he should follow Urokai, when he asked what he should do about Urokai wanting to leave Lukedonia.

Luzia: Claudia’s daughter and the heir to Tradio. Desdemona is the only person in the entire Millennium AU to know about Luzia’s special secret underground lab, where all kinds of creepy illegal experiments are being done. Because Luzia willingly tells her about it, asking for advice on what kind of shady experiments to run, forbidden material to collect, etc. Luzia somehow just knows that Desdemona won’t share this with others, because the latter literally doesn’t care about what anyone does. This is the same correct prediction that Lagus made back then, when he consulted with Desdemona about his plans to take over Lukedonia. Same mindset. In a way, Luzia truly is Lagus’ granddaughter. And Desdemona is a surprisingly knowledgeable on shady topics. From there you can assume what their conversations are like.

Azurine: Zephyrus’ daughter and the heir to Volo. Same deal with Luzia, except Azurine comes to Desdemona with the intention to gain knowledge to help the world. As usual, Desdemona doesn’t care about whether you’re doing good or evil. Anyways, Azurine is here to ask questions like what poisons she should take next for her antidote research, how to increase her own poison tolerance etc. etc. Stuff for the good for of the people. Desdemona gives great advice on that too, which Azurine appreciates, but the latter just can’t help but wonder how the former even knows so much about things that are supposed to be the Volo’s specialty. What Azurine doesn’t know is the fact that in the past Desdemona had worked together with none other than her very own father and Clan Leader. To make a magic ring, or something. To this day Zephyrus honors the promise between himself and Desdemona, to keep it a secret between the two of them. Not a word to anyone, not even his own daughter Azurine. Azurine, and the rest of Lukedonia, would continue to be oblivious to this piece of knowledge.

Cordelia: the current Kravei Clan Leader, and the youngest of the fifteen nextgen nobles. Desdemona is very fond of this girl, to everyone’s surprise. The eccentric, aloof Desdemona who doesn’t even show much concern for her own daughter Raskreia, is being extra nice to this little Kravei girl. Perhaps it’s because Cordelia’s a fellow Kravei, but Desdemona abandoned her own surname a long time ago. Perhaps it’s because Cordelia looks like her grandson Reiner, but Desdemona isn’t the type of person to favor a someone just because they look like a familiar. No one knows exactly why. You could even say that Desdemona dotes on Cordelia. Cordelia is a bit confused but she appreciates this weird Lady who is seemingly even willing to take care of her. Cordelia is part of Desdemona’s inner circle. Though this affection indirectly puts Cordelia under immense pressure because the last time Desdemona was ever this nice to someone was when she was with Reiner, and Reiner ended up leaving Lukedonia. This leads to Raskreia (no so discreetly) keeping Cordelia under extra surveillance, because in her misunderstanding she suspects that Cordelia is up to no good either, because that woman is fond of her. Poor Cordelia.

…and that concludes relationships for now!! Yayy!! Maybe I’ll do the other characters in the future.

And in general a few quotes from Lady Desdemona, the great and terrifying:

1. “…Who am I, you ask? Good question. I don’t know either. Perhaps you can tell me.”

2. “Good and evil… the classic duality of nature. They are merely words people use to label and justify their actions. Such a concept simply does not exist to me. Do not associate me with such shallowness.”

3. (to PL) “A hug… that’s what you call this, correct? When I put my arms around someone’s body? I’m still learning it. How long do I leave them there? When do I pull them away?”

4. (to Raskreia) “That is correct. ‘Mother’ is the word people would use to objectively describe me, in relation to you. There is no need for you to address me as such, if you do not wish to.”

5. (to Reiner) “Go. Go now. Fly away from this place, and be free. Do not force yourself to linger here, where the only ending that awaits you is misery and madness. Leave before your soul withers here, where no hope is found. Or, you could stay here, if that is what you wish. Then I will be right by your side, and we shall witness the end of this world together. …Do not fret, child. There is no need to worry about me, or any of the others. The only person you can betray is yourself. Follow your heart. Set yourself free from this prison, or stay in it. The choice is yours…my little one.”

6. (to Leona) “Leonie, dearie, please come down. We can dance together somewhere else. Just please refrain from jumping around on my unfinished piece of stained glass. Hey! I can see a crack already!”

7. (to Zephyrus) “Thank you. Thank you accepting my unreasonable request in the first place. We really did it. You’re the only person I could trust for this. I will keep this ring safe with me. I have a bad feeling that I will need this one day.”

Aaaand that’s it for now!! I’m so excited to draw her again lol. Thank you for reading and see you next time!

#noblesse #manhwa #myart #oc #original character #millennium au #desdemona kravei

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mrktimes · 24 days ago

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YOUR WEEK IN MERROCK OCTOBER 20-26, 2024

We're kickin' off Hallo-Week later this week, so what better time for scarily chilly night time temperatures?! Alright, it's not that bad. But it will be a little chilly this week, and you should be starting to see more and more leaves drop off (the color is beautiful, though). Enjoy bingo night and a football game, and don't forget pumpkin day, but mostly, get psyched for Halloween fun! Check in with the Benefactor tomorrow to help out.

FORECAST:

Sunday: 65°F / 44°F - mostly sunny

Monday: 70°F / 48°F - sunny

Tuesday: 62°F / 50°F - sunny

Wednesday: 63°F / 51°F - partly cloudy

Thursday: 60°F / 39°F - partly cloudy

Friday: 55°F / 38°F - mostly sunny

Saturday: 56°F / 40°F - mostly sunny

BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK:

October 22 -- Ryder Anderson

ON THE BULLETIN BOARD:

October 20 -- last day of Cage & Cordelia's Wedding

October 24 -- bingo night

October 25 -- home football game

October 25 - November 3 -- Hallo-Week

October 26 -- national pumpkin day

LOCATION SPOTLIGHT:

LAVENDER LANE -- we've put a spotlight on Lavender Lane many times, but with national pumpkin day coming up, and Halloween quite literally right around the corner, it's a good time to remind everyone to go out and buy some pumpkins, pick up some mums, and get any other fall flowers you might need!

THE FUN SPOT:

What do you look forward to most about Halloween?

#mrktimes #mrkweekly

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viilpstick · 9 months ago

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Accidental mishap V. 2

Up until she ends up in the infirmary, everything is the same so you can skip :) I marked the spot @midnightmah07

"So you taste test everything before kalim eats it? "

"Yes I have to, given that one could be poisoned."

"And what if it is? What about you?"

"That doesn't matter. "

"Well it matters to me. So you won't be testing anything-"

"You know that's not possib-"

"i will. "

"WHAT-"

Jamils expression dropped as he raise his hand to pull Cordelia aside, quickly retracting his arm back as he got a glare from Ezrie, Cordelia's escort.

"I know what you're thinking, Jamil. But I'm not the same as you remember? My body filters posion. Given that I already have toxins in my body, poison won't have an effect on me"

"while that is true I still think you shouldnt-"

"Ezrie it's fine~besides there is a silver lining! Our kingdom doesn't have this type of food so getting to try it out is a plus point! "

So with that, Ezrie and Jamil simply watched as Cordelia tried the foods laid out on the table, Jamil more reluctant but standing still given that he didn't need another reason to make Ezrie hate him more.

Besides once Cordelia makes up her mind about something, she remains firm on it so there really wasn't any other option.

Near the end of the table, Cordelia took a spoonfull of some corn soup. It was still warm.

"You know, I can't put my finger on it but something about this soup... Is... Weir-"

Her voice became sluggish as at the end of her sentence she passed out. Ezrie was quick to catch her, checking her temperature, that surely enough had spiked considerably.Jamil could only view the scene unfold horribly as his worries were quickly shut down.

"i told her not to... "

Jamil could only stare at the scene unfold horribly.

"Relax yourself Viper. She's not poisoned. If at most, that soup has a spell on it but not posion. Miss Cordelia would have known instantly and what she was saying clearly indicated it isn't a posion at work. "

"Listen, Whatever it is, we need to take her to the infirmary. "

"Agreed. "

Stirring in the infirmary bed, Cordelia's eyes fluttered open,a pink hue casted over them, as she sat up.Her ears still ringing, she could faintly make out a voice asking how she was as she turned to the owner of the voice. The realization hit Jamil as soon as he saw her eyes. Oh shoot.

Jamil grimaced at the sight. Sure he had no intent on accepting Cordelia's feelings, that didn't change the fact he still very much liked her.

So seeing her arms snaked around someone else was enough to sour his mood.

"So she has been hit with a love potion?"

"Afraid so. Apologies for the trouble, Silver but you are going to have to deal with her for a bit until we brew a reverse potion. "

"I suppose that's fine though frankly I am getting tired sitting here. "

"You are free to dooze off. Infact if you do so, it may encourage her to do the same. "

Jamil watched as Ezrie explained the situation to Silver who happened to be in the infirmary due to a club accident. Cordelia was nuzzling into his side, ignoring all but Silver and it's left a bitter taste in Jamil's mouth.

Part of him wanted to seperate Cordelia latching on to silvers arm but he was tasked with informing Lilia that silver may be absent from the dorm for a bit.

"Wipe that look off your face, Viper. Be thankful that it's Silver of all people. In a school like Night Raven, someone else could have been more disastrous. Not to mention I'm actually happy with who Cordelia spotted."

"Ofcourse you are."

So as Ezrie went to consult Professor Crewel and inform him on the incident, Jamil went over to Diasomnia to inform someone of Silvers absence.

On his return, neither Silver nor Cordelia were anywhere to be seen.

"If you are looking for them, they are in the spare dorm room. Silver felt drozy so we decided we could atleast give him a proper place to nap for the trouble. "

"Alright, thanks Jeanne. "

Jamil opened the door to see Cordelia peering over at a fast asleep Silver. Her face was too close to him for his comfort so before anything happened he placed his palm over her mouth pulling her back as she struggled against his grip .

"Listen it's bad enough your mind is clouded because of something that wasn't meant to concern you even, but seeing you get all handsy and heart eyed for someone else isn't appealing. "

"how do you know she is not gonna posion you? "

"Because I'm wearing thick gloves so it's going to be futile even if she tries. "

Jamil was holding Cordelia in place as she glared at him like a child ripped from their favorite toy.

"Were you jealous? "

"... Just get her the reverse potion. "

"Ezrie is gonna kill you yknow? "

"I'm aware, Jeanne. "

THIS WAS SO HEARTBREAKING. OMG???? BUT AT THE SAME TIME, JEALOUS JAMIL BEING MY NEW RELIGIOOON!!

#inbox 𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ✧#𐙚 moots ♡#♡ ! addie

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jvstheworld · 1 year ago

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The Buffy Re-watch: S2E6 (part 1)

Halloween

I have never gone pumpkin picking. Halloween isn't a big thing for me, not even as a kid.

Vampire videoing Buffy, should have checked your batteries before you left home.

Buffy is resourceful.

Other vampire just slinking off into the night before he can get caught.

Angel on a date. He is trying.

So Cordy is back dating Devon now?

Cordy and Angel do get on, and get better later when the spin-off happens.

Awww, Angel looks like a sad puppy when Buffy leaves.

Halloween is a no go for vampires? That doesn't ring true for every Halloween episode.

Larry is an asshole. His behaviour is him trying to overcompensate for the fact the he is closeted gay guy trying to avoid suspicion from the other people around him. It's the 90s, and let's face it, it wasn't great to be gay in high school. After he comes out he is a lot nicer to people because he doesn't have to keep up the pretence that he is some macho, woman loving dude. It's called character growth and I am here for it.

Xander, there is nothing good about getting beaten up. If your ego is so fragile that you won't let your friend, who is a girl, help you then that's a you problem and you need to fix it. Also, Larry was talking trash about Buffy, she definitely gets to bust in and scare him off.

'She's not his type.' Yeah, Cordelia is so not Angel's type, right now. But put them in a new show, give Angel a personality and Cordelia some character development where she dedicates her life to helping others, and in a few years she will be.

'It would be wrong' let's steal from Giles anyway. Also, how many times does this phrase get repeated by Buffy throughout the show?

Cross referencing is not a hobby, Giles.

Buffy panicking to distract Giles, so she has to resort to telling him that Jenny called him a babe. She probably didn't in front of students. Then you have Willow shaking her head in slight disappointment that Buffy had to do that. I love it though. At least Giles buys it and made him happy.

Cordy really has no idea Angel is a vampire. When does she actually believe them?

Yes, the point of Halloween is the free candy.

Ethan seems so charming. Makes for a good bad guy, yet he only appears in 4 episodes: this one, 'The Dark Age' in two episodes time, 'Band Candy' in season 3, and 'A New Man' in season 4.

Spike being smart by analysing how Buffy fights so he can be better prepared for later. He likes her too. This is just amping up his obsession over her.

Part 2 tomorrow.

#buffy the vampire slayer #buffy summers #rupert giles #willow rosenberg #xander harris #angel #btvs s2 #cordelia chase #buffy rewatch #tv show thoughts

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thatsonemorbidcorvid · 1 year ago

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Hi, I was wanting to ask a question if thats okay.

I’ve recently been doing a lot of reading on radical feminism, and I agree with almost all the points, however I have self id as nonbinary for six/seven years now and I do agree with the radfem perspective on gender abolition, but I feel it’s difficult to strip myself of such a long term identity if you can understand that. I also disagree with a lot of the hate towards people who identify as transgender and i’m just overall confused about where my beliefs lie.

So a few questions:

1. Is is it possible my enby ‘identity’ is because of internalised misogyny? My dysphoria has never been extreme, just they/them pronouns have always felt right to me.

2. Is there any good masterlists/books/resources that i can use to learn more about radfem ideology?

3. How do I myself get more involved with feminism irl and make more of a difference?

Hi anon - it’s absolutely ok! These are really great questions and I appreciate being asked them, thank you. I’m going to answer them out of order because I think that will be easier to read.

Regarding question 2: check out @radicallyaligned ‘s pinned post for a simple overview, and @woman-for-women ‘s pinned post for more in-depth resources. The three books I personally recommend, in terms of those I’ve read which stayed with me and informed my feminist views most, are Invisible Women by Caroline Criado-Perez, Delusions of Gender by Cordelia Fine, and Letters From A Warzone by Andrea Dworkin.

3: I’d argue there are three main paths for this. The first is to find an organisation with feminist motivations that works in aid of women, and try volunteering with them. That might look like womaning a phone line, making funding applications, transporting period supplies, or something else entirely. If the organisation is overtly feminist you might find yourself writing letters or creating petitions for feminist causes. Choose an organisation doing something that is important to you.

The second is to find other feminists and create organic connections with them, then move towards your own action collectively. That might look like organising education or consciousness raising sessions for other women, creating a feminist event like a documentary film night, attending protests or vigils, or some other project.

The third is to bring feminism more to the fore of your own life. As you research more, let your knowledge of women’s ideas and feminist theory inform your decisions, and share what you learn and your opinions on it with other people.

1: I don’t have a window into your mind, so I can’t answer this - only you can. If it’s helpful, some questions you might consider asking yourself are: what associations do you have with the word “she”, and how do they differ from the word “they”? How do you feel when you call yourself “she”, or someone else calls you “she”? What difference has it made to your life, your actions, and the way others have treated you, that you have identified as non-binary and called yourself “they”? What does “identifying as nonbinary” actually mean to you, and what advice would you give someone who was considering that identity, or someone in the same position as you?

Obviously you don’t need to share your answers to these with me (though I’d be very interested if you decided to), but they might help you work through your thoughts on the topic.

I hope all this is helpful! Thanks again for the interesting question and feel free to keep in touch or ask something else.

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2manyflannels · 1 year ago

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2, 6, 9, and 10 for therion!!! (I hope I did this right)

OTP: Alfyn/Therion

I know. I know basic. They just hit !! Every travel banter they have together I’m giggling, kicking my feet, twirling my hair.

Also, it’s been said before and will be said again as trust issues vs trust too much, and how they balance

Chefs kiss

The way they care AHHHASVBHf;uiabegfdvhucj aferuwdjpsVCbh8pg9urjsdnuxj

(It also doesn’t help that they’re the most popular on AO3 so they have the most content)

BROTP: Therion and Primrose

Another pick that is a pretty lukewarm take. They’re besties

They are the most sassiest sardonic pessimistic bitches

They need each other in this group. Or they’ll be overwhelmed by all these sunshiney bitches

They’re the type of besties to check their nails while verbally destroying a bitch.

MLM/WLW s

Favorite Dynamic (s) (Not Necessarily the same as OTP or BROTP)

Besides the alfion and primrose dynamics I do like the general dynamic of the “PATH” travelers. They’re the disastrous double-date to the chaotic family road trip of the “OCTO” travelers.

Tressa and Therion are really funny to think about. They bicker, a lot. The natural rivalry of merchant/thief.

*to Heathcoat* “You can’t tell me what to do your not Olberic….AND OLBERIC’S NOT MY DAD”

My LGBTQ+ HCS:

uh that boy is

1) gay

2) trans (he/they)

(but we already knew that)

Random HC

Not to be a Debby-downer, but I do believe that he (like Phili) is a war orphan. I think that his parents died, and that's why he had to learn how to fend for himself so quickly.

General Opinion (I love all the main 8 dearly, but I will answer asks about side characters if prompted)

I love you bebee!

I love his arc.

Even though I knew it was coming I did gasp when Darius pushed him off the cliff.

I feel like he is one of the characters who would benefit from the concept of the travelers interacting with one another and discussing that outside of travel banter, as much as I like the Cordelia-Heathcoat trust, I don’t think that was enough for him to suddenly have faith in people again. I think the unwavering found family he hypothetically gained.

I get why he’s the most popular character in the fandom. He is a tragic edgy boy. The rough exterior soft interior somehow never gets old

–

Number asks!!!:

More people than he’d ever fucking expect y’know.

He is the type to care from a distance, but how he shows he cares is really meaningful.

Of course Cordelia and Heathcoat depended on him, and I think even after he returned the dragon stones, they stayed in contact and asked each other for aid time and again.

I think in a group of a lot of yes-men (Alfyn, Ophilia, Tressa, Cyrus) it’s really helpful (while not always appreciated) to have a loud and stubborn “No man”. (Trust issues suck but they do come in hand)

Also in The Travelers, I think everyone depends on everyone. No one is not doing their part in the group project y’know.

He had his purple scarf before Darius, which means it’s something he’s had for a long time. Possibly a remnant of their parents, or maybe the first thing besides food that they stole for himself.

They don’t. Therion is the type to feel emotions and then immediately repress them. He is a trainwreck of trauma repression, and I think it takes him a long time to feel comfortable expressing himself again, even after traveling with the octogang for a long time. He’s the type to have a bad day and punch a tree. I think once he gets some healthier coping mechanisms in him they’ll open up little by little, especially to Alfyn and Primrose.

10:

With one eye open. He is on guard. You know how people say that for some animals sleeping openly is a sign of trust. It’s the same for him. He stays on watch until he’s certain no one is up to stab him and run. When he does sleep, it’s rough. A single noise can wake him, and he has constant flashes of Darius, the cliff incident, and other people who’ve probably treated him horribly. It’s not a fun time until let’s say it together now “he gets healthier coping mechanisms”.

When he does gain a healthier sleep schedule, he sleeps more peacefully but is still a light sleeper and an early riser.

He also goes to bed later because anyone can tell you it’s easier to steal in the dark.

#thanks for the ask!!#this was so fun!!#thanks for reblogging to Bean #let's resurrect this fandom together #:)#therion octopath #also you did it perfectly right.#Thanks thanks thanks

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thevagabondexpress · 1 year ago

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so . . . and a cat named spooky, my christopher/cordelia rarepair fanfic, now has another chapter, one more than the four I had planned out, and it's finally starting to find its structure. this has me thinking about the incredible @streettealee both because of the running joke that kickstarted this idea and because she also has a very-well written work out there for the ship now (check it out, it's got a very interesting take on their dynamic).

which of course then has me thinking about that thought she had about 'rarepair bingo' a while back and that made me think a little bit about the reason I'm so active in the tsc fandom, when in others I tend to just consume the content other people are creating.

I think it's because, post-chot denial aside, while I do have my preferred version of events, I tend to be more open to endings other than the one I want. I'm happy to set aside how I want it to go in favor of messing with rarepairs, with what-ifs, I could equally see a relationship as perfect for each other or as terrible and doomed and I want to write both outcomes, this character will have a different love interest in every fanfic that I write, in one book this girl is living happily with her mother and in another they aren't speaking.

I'm not like that about other fandoms. I tend to be more rigid, I have one take and if, like with warehouse 13 or the girl from everywhere, something didn't go the way I wanted, I'll be forever bitter about it. I don't know what it is about tsc that's so conducive to this more open attitude. I don't know how to draw the connection between my rigidity with other fandoms and why I tend not to talk about them and/or create for them, though I'm sure it's there. maybe I feel like I've said my piece and because I have one take I don't need to do more. I don't know where I'm going with this post anymore. oh well.

#i'm writing my memoirs oh no #the shadowhunter chronicles #the last hours #fanauthor thoughts

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purplebass · 2 years ago

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Hi. I saw your post in the tag and I don't know if you're still doing request but could we get some Cordelia x Lucie? I don't really have any specific ideas but maybe something with Lucie having a bi awakening and/or them kissing could be nice.

Anon, you asked, and it took me a while to deliver. I don't know if this is what you wanted, but I tried! This one shot is set post COT, and it's more of a bi-awakening for both Lucie and Cordelia (who are with their partners in this story, so it's also a blackdale/jordelia story, but they're not the main focus). I liked the idea that Lucie, after writing about Cordelia in COT, is even more intrigued with the idea of writing a character who likes boys and girls, and she wants to know what it feels like to kiss a girl. And the girl is obviously Cordelia, whom Lucie idealized so much in her stories and often looked at with affection in her eyes. The realization shakes them both, because even though it isn't clearly stated, I believe Lucie might be bi (just like her father, tbh), and Cordelia could be too. This fic was a way for them to acknowledge that they might like girls as well, even though they are with male partners in canon (I believe that both James and Jesse are the straightest TLH characters, but they would be okay if either of them came out as bi to them). I don't know if my message came across, let me know. <3 Read on A03 (tw for mature talk about s*x)

Lucie and Cordelia - For The Sake of Research

Lucie perched on the windowsill of the drawing room with her notebook in tow, hoping to get the inspiration to continue her book. It was a rainy afternoon and she didn’t want to leave the warmth of the Institute. She liked to be where she was, with some of her favorite people keeping her company.

Jesse was reading a book about demons – reading advice from her beloved father, no less – on the armchair close to the window where she was sitting. James and Cordelia were playing chess in front of the hearth, and her best friend was beating her husband again. As she should, Lucie thought affectionately. She loved when someone beat James at something he was really good at. Not that he minded losing. Lucie heard the couple whisper to each other that the loser would have to do a dare or something. At first, she had found their voices distracting. She was trying to write, after all. But then, an image flickered in her mind, and she knew what she had to do.

There it was, the inspiration she sought so much, but not for the story she had been writing. A new story was forming in her head, except, she didn’t know how to write about her idea. She thought she could’ve asked one of her older cousins, but she remembered that they were in Idris. No, she had to ask Cordelia, who was her best friend, after all. She would understand. Plus, she was curious. She hoped her parabatai would also be okay with her proposition.

Every now and then, she glanced at Jesse and they exchanged a grin. He was often attuned to her glances, as if he knew she was watching him. Lucie loved him, and he was one of the people who inspired her the most to write. She was obviously curious to write more stuff regarding what happened between couples after they kissed, but for this idea, she didn’t have a boy and a girl in mind. She shivered, and she knew it wasn’t because of the cold. She was probably getting excited, and she needed to research. Now.

Nonetheless, she asked James to tend the fire. “Jamie, are you listening? I’ve just asked you to check the fire, I’m freezing.”

Her brother was so intent on playing with his wife that he didn’t hear her, so she had to shout it a second time. “By the angel, Lucie!”

“I finally got your attention now, brother,” she sighed. “Could you please put some wood in there? I’m freezing.”

James tilted his head. “Perhaps, if you got down from that windowsill, you would feel better.”

“I sit wherever I please,” she answered with annoyance. “This weather inspires me. Especially when it comes to your character.”

“What is Cruel Prince James up to?” he wondered casually, and both Cordelia and Jesse glanced at her, suddenly interested in this conversation.

Her cheeks warmed at the thought of what she was thinking of writing, and she didn’t dare to gaze at either of them. “There is no Cruel Prince James in this story, I’m afraid,” she shrugged, hoping no one would notice her rosy face. “It’s a story about girls.”

“Girls, plural,” James nodded absentmindedly. “Today is my lucky day, then.”

“Please, it’s not like I have ever made your character do something unforgivable,” she frowned. “It is just fiction, it’s not real. Cruel Prince James is not really you.”

“A character who locked his sister in the dungeon,” James raised an eyebrow. “Something I’d never do even if it seems tempting sometimes.” Lucie simply glared at him. She knew he was joking.

“Who is your current inspiration, Lucie?” Cordelia spoke before Lucie and James could keep arguing.

At that, Lucie managed a small grin, and took time to examine her, to take her in her expression and body posture. She seemed like a princess out of a fairytale, and she told herself she was definitely the best inspiration for her novel. “It’s you, Daisy,” she said without preamble. It wasn’t a surprise. Lucie had already written several stories with Cordelia as a protagonist, no one would have a say about her choice of inspiration.

“Don’t you think you should write about someone else, Lucie? Instead of my wife,” James said. “You could write about Jesse, you know. Your boyfriend.”

“Trust me. She did and she does,” said Jesse, who had tried to keep his eyes on the book he was reading in spite of the discussion happening around him. “And I’m glad to be an inspiration.”

“Thanks, Jesse,” Lucie told him with an affectionate grin. When she glanced at her brother, however, she made a scorned face. “Are you jealous I’m writing about Cordelia? She’s my best friend too. Also, she’s the perfect protagonist and the perfect inspiration. I mean, look at her,” she said with praise, and Cordelia lowered her stare. She seemed embarrassed every time Lucie said these things out loud, but it was the truth.

James did just that, and Cordelia offered him a loving smile. “It’s true what you’re saying, though,” he agreed, and Lucie saw his brother take his wife’s hand and kiss her. “You’re beautiful, Daisy.”

Lucie thought they were adorable, but now that they were talking about the topic of her book, she needed to act. “Daisy,” she said, “since you’re going to be the main protagonist of this story I’m writing and it’s very cold in here,” she continued, “what do you say we go out and have a little girls’ time at the Turkish baths? I could talk to you about my idea.”

“Is this necessary, Luce? We were about to leave, because the rain stopped,” James interjected.

“No one said anything about leaving,” Cordelia said. “We needed to finish the game first. Oh, and I like this idea, Lucie. I think we definitely need to spend some time together.”

“We can go with our carriage and you can get us when we’re done, if you want,” she shrugged, and Cordelia nodded at James, who had a resigned expression on his face. Victory! “Or you could come with us! Have a little bonding time too.”

“She’s right, James,” Cordelia said. “I could use the sauna. It’s cold today. I feel the chill in my bones.” Husband and wife exchanged a glance, and Lucie suspected her brother wanted to propose something else to get warm, and she immediately tried to wipe the image from her mind. “I think you may like it. You too, Jesse,” she looked at him.

“I’ve never been to a public bath,” Jesse furrowed his brow, “but it does sound exciting. What do you think, James?”

James eyed his wife, who was beaming and nodding at the same time, and then at Jesse. “I think you’ve just got yourself a partner for the day.”

Lucie got off the window and tucked her notebook under her arm. “Well, then. Shall we?”

…

It didn’t take long for them to reach their destination. Once there, Cordelia and Lucie said goodbye to the boys and headed to the women’s area. There was a room where the clients could leave their belongings in a cabinet – they had a key, so no one could steal anything. The bath provided a towel and a robe but some people just wore the towel, since they came to bathe.

Lucie and Cordelia covered themselves the best they could, even though there wasn’t much of a crowd. “Must have been the heavy rain to dissuade people from coming,” the lady at the entrance informed them. The girls thought that it was best that the hot room was empty.

“I’m honestly a little wary of other people’s stares,” Lucie confessed to Cordelia when they sat down in their private area. There was a small table in the middle of the seats, with just a water pitcher and some glasses.

“I’m the same too, you know,” Cordelia was already starting to show the signs of the hot humid air, her hair stuck on her neck, the sweat dripping on her robe. “My mother is the only other person who ever saw me without clothes,” she smiled at her friend, her cheeks pink. “And Risa, of course, and –”

“My brother,” she said matter of factly, and shook her head, a hand over her eyes to purge it from imagination. Ugh, this was the second time she imagined Cordelia and James in compromising positions. She should stop. “I’m sorry, Daisy. I don’t think I will ever be able to talk about what you and my brother do without clothes,” she chuckled coyly.

“Don’t worry, I know, it’s just,” she bit her lip, clearly distressed, and came closer to Lucie. She seemed like she wanted to say something, but in the end decided she couldn’t. “Have you ever done that, you know,” she lowered her voice, “with Jesse?”

Lucie’s skin probably turned pinker than it already was because of the hot temperature. She sighed, hugging her torso. “We haven’t,” she muttered, trying not to sound bitter or envious of her friend. “I tried to press the matter to him,” she raised an eyebrow for emphasis, “until we had a long conversation about it and decided that we would wait until after marriage.”

“He does seem very patient from the outside,” Cordelia took Lucie’s hand in hers. “I also think he insisted on waiting because he respects you and your family. He doesn’t want them to think he’s taking advantage of you. Would you want James or your father to tear him limb from limb and lay him to rest again before you even get married?”

“Of course not, Daisy!” Lucie squeezed her friend’s hand and they started to laugh, their voices carrying in the empty room. She gazed up at Cordelia, and realized her robe was slightly open and she could see the center of her chest. The sight took her back to what had been meaning to ask her friend. “Daisy,” her tone turned serious. “Have you ever done it with a girl? I mean, not done that –” she looked away for a second, “have you ever kissed a girl?”

Cordelia’s mouth gaped open but she quickly recollected herself. Lucie had written a story about her bosom, she should’ve expected something like that. “There was never the chance,” she giggled timidly. “I mean, James was all of my firsts.”

Lucie frowned. She didn’t want to know that, but still, she thought it was delightful that Cordelia’s first kiss and first time had been with her husband. And perhaps, even her first time, someday — “Would you like to be my first, too?”

“Lucie, I don’t understand what you mean,” Cordelia said, puzzled. “I thought you and Jesse –” but she was cut off.

“We do kiss,” Lucie said with a smile, “and he was indeed my first kiss. But, Daisy, can I kiss you?” she wondered loudly, squeezing Cordelia’s hand hard. When her friend remained silent, she continued. “It’s for research, you know. Just for research. For the character that I’m writing, who has affairs with both women and men alike. I want to know how it feels,” she sighed, “so I can write it properly. I thought I’d ask you since you’re my best friend.”

“That sounds exciting,” Cordelia commented finally.

“Does it?” Lucie lighted up, her grin was blinding. “I’ve always wanted to write about a character like that, Daisy,” she explained, smiling to herself now. “But never got around to experience anything with a woman, you know.”

“I understand,” Cordelia nodded, and Lucie couldn’t help but see how her robe was coming undone even more. “I will immolate myself for the good cause, then.”

“Would you? For real?”

“I’m positive James wouldn’t consider kissing his sister as betrayal,” Cordelia shrugged. “And neither would Jesse, would he?”

“It won’t hurt them if they don’t know,” Lucie winked at her friend. “But no, I don’t think they would. It’s for research, after all, it’s innocent,” she winked. “And they both know we love them and they’re our soulmates.”

“This will be our little secret, then,” she agreed. “Now… what do we do?”

“You should just kiss me, Daisy.”

Cordelia moisturized her lips before she kissed her best friend. They both closed their eyes, their hands still entwined, and gave into the new experience. Once they separated, they were both out of breath. The kiss didn't last long, as both of them were shy exploring each other’s mouths, but it had been intense, as they tried to kiss each other as if they were kissing their partners. In a way, they were also partners. They were parabatai, the oldest of bonds.

“Well, that was… something,” Lucie said, fanning herself as sweat descended on her face and neck. “I think I know how to do it now. Thanks, Daisy.”

“Really,” Cordelia echoed, wiping her face with the towel. “I think I’ve warmed enough for today, shall we go fetch James and Jesse?”

“We shall,” Lucie replied curtly, and the duo headed to the next room to cool off.

They found the boys waiting for them by the small reception. They were deep in discussion about something, and when they heard the sound of their boots on the linoleum, they both turned in their direction. Lucie and Cordelia glanced at each other and smiled before they reached their partners. She felt giggly all over, and she thought it was because of that kiss.

“I thought you left without us,” James said more to Lucie than to Cordelia. “We should go back to Curzon Street, Daisy. Apparently, Effie said a pipe broke because of the rain, and the rooftop room is completely flooded. Our presence is requested.”

“Sure, we’ll go,” Cordelia frowned, exchanging a glance with Lucie.

“I guess we’ll see you both the day after tomorrow?” James asked Lucie and Jesse. “Well, tell mama and papa hi from us.” He took Cordelia’s hand and started walking away.

“James, what are we going to do tomorrow? We don’t have anything planned,” they heard Cordelia wonder.

“I’ll tell you later,” James said, before they both disappeared outside.

“Do you think a pipe really broke?” Lucie wondered as she and Jesse, too, walked to the carriage. James had decided to take a hansom cab, so they could take the carriage back to the Institute.

“Please, he was eager to be alone with his wife,” Jesse replied. “And I can’t blame him. I was also eager to be alone with you, since we can only be alone until we get home.”

“Yes, me too,” Lucie said absentmindedly with a smile, glancing outside her window at the street. It stopped raining, and more people dared to go outside. “Even though I was happy to spend time with Cordelia. We’ve barely been together because she and James spent six months traveling the world. I missed her. She also helped me with my inspiration.”

“Glad you got your time with her,” he interlaced his fingers in hers. “I also had a fine time with your brother, until some guy with the surname Townsend, I think, walked in and he begged James to tell him everything about his travels, since he wanted to leave with his wife for a trip around the world too. James complied, but it was very awkward because this guy sat between us, legs wide open, his robe undone and everything on display. I don’t have anything against nudity, but we aren’t even friends with this fella, and it was embarrassing. We ran away the first chance we got.”

“Oh, Townsend,” Lucie sighed. “I can’t stand him. “He always had this big ego. No wonder he’s a show off. I bet that’s why Jamie was so pissed off.”

“You can bet on it,” he nodded. “I can’t wait to read what you’re going to come up with,” he added with a grin.

“I’m sure it’ll surprise you,” Lucie said, and she kissed his cheek, still thinking about what the kiss she exchanged with Cordelia made her feel, and tucking it for safekeeping into her memory.

#tsc #tlh #lucie herondale #cordelia carstairs #james herondale #jesse blackthorn #lucie and jesse #james and cordelia #jordelia #tsc fanfiction #the last hours #chain of thorns #chain of iron #chain of gold #tweety.writes #blackdale #posta #cordelia and lucie

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abooklover · 2 years ago

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Chain of Thorns page 400 check-in:

The obsession James has with ruffling Matthew’s hair is going to be the death of me. It is just so adorable.

Oscar hiding in the pockets of James’s coat when he was a puppy is imagery that I definitely needed and is way too cute.

Love that Matthew being angry at James when he wants to use the mirror to spy on Belial exactly mirrors James being angry at Cordelia for summoning demons to get information. Like James I’m not sure if you see the irony here but you are doing something knowingly dangerous to get information just like Cordelia was doing.

Christopher is the kindest most gentlest but most chaotic man I have ever known. And I love him. Visiting grace so she could feel included and cared about is adorable but I just don’t feel a lot about the two of them together. I mean I think they make the best pair and I wouldn’t want them with anyone else but I don’t know…they just don’t do it for me. At the moment that is. Maybe things will change.

I cannot stress enough how much I love Christopher. He just sits around seemingly oblivious to everything that’s going on, only focused on his experiments and such but is probably the most perceptive. Like of course he knows or suspects about the things that grace did and what happened between her and james. And it’s not like he harshly judged her for it either. It is a very factual way of looking at things. God I love him. And yes tell cordelia Christopher cause god knows James is taking his sweet old time.

More from the goldmine that is Thomas’s inner monologue: A Persian prince from a fairy tale? SHUT UP, THOMAS. I can’t this is hysterical.

Oh my god I just got to say that people NEED TO FUCKING COMMUNICATE. Come on. Just talk to each other. Everyone. Lucie you tel them about what is happening with you. Cordelia tell ‘em about what you found out. Matthew tell James and your parents what happened. Thomas and Alastair work out your shit and then let everyone else know sooner rather than later please. And for crying out loud James you need to tell everyone what happened with grace. I am done with this lack of communication that without it this series would literally only being the issue with Belial tryna take down the world. Which I mean would kinda have been boring but I’m just fed up at this point.

Fucking hell james I am going to murder you. What the fuck is your issue. Just fucking tell her. I am absolutely fuming by now if you can’t tell.

Cordelia, babe, you did the right thing though it may not feel like it. I’m proud of you. (I was also gonna strangle you if you didn’t say what you said). My poor Matthew. I hurt for him, always. But it was necessary.

Oh my god Thomas and Alastair. I can’t. Under the mistletoe. Stop. Sorry I can’t form actual thoughts right now. I am so overwhelmed.

I don’t think there is any one character that I have burning fiery hatred for more that Maurice Bridgestock.

Told you it was Charles being blackmailed by Bridgestock.

Yes. It is happing. Fucking finally.

#amy reads chot #the last hours #tlh #chain of thorns #chain of thorns spoilers #james herondale #cordelia carstairs #lucie herondale #jesse blackthorn #alastair carstairs #thomas lightwood #christopher lightwood #anna lightwood #ariadne bridgestock

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shadowthoughts22 · 2 years ago

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Cot death(s)? - Kids

Just putting thoughs on the record on who may die by my logic (could be very wrong). Also might be fun to for me to check later when cot is released (if I'm not drowning in tears!). Spoilers for previous books obviously.

Okay so I'm assuming when cc says someone we love dies she means a TLH character, however TID characters could be fair game:

James &Cordelia: are fine I'm fairly confident they r main characters

Lucie: could die/ marks stripped all that stuff but tbh I think worst case scenario is that she fleas with Jesse somewhere for life. I don't think cc would do more damage to poor Jesse.

Jesse: same as above, seriously he is killed, raised and then killed ? Nah. However he still could be exiled or something etc.

Matthew: tbh he is set up for something to happen to him, we don't get povs(he's thinking things apparently) and has no love interest (also not saying he needs one). But anything could happen 🤷‍♂️

Christopher: see I've debated this and whilst could be easier to kill off, after him getting injured in ChOG I'm not so sure ( i have a rule that if their life has been threatened once it can't or shouldn't be again) cuz it could be *slightly* cheap.

Grace: i have no clue, i can't even say her presence on the cover will save her! She will have a big role I'm sure. If i had to pick a side maybe live because most ppl will live but...meh

Thomas: similar to what i mentioned under Kit earlier - we were scared of the 'dangerous' shenanigans he was up to in COI, plus because his sister died I don't think 2 deaths in one household is fair - especially when you have 5/6 or so households to choose from.

Alastair: I'll admit I'm biased i rlly want him to survive. I don't think his odds are horrendous, but it is very possible he could die - especially when i think he has an important charavhter arc ( expect an essay if he does die on here). But the whole Cordelia revenge/morn quote worries me (could be a lot of ppl tho)

Charles : ah yes, what is there to say. Honestly i think he survives, i would 100% think he would die if he hadn't of almost died in COI. Anything is possible tho. I will say that if he lives Matthew may have a greater change if dying.

Anna: tbh i think cc like her and Ariadne. It is very possible that Anna could die since she hasn't really change much between the two books previous, tho she could open up in this book.

Ariadne/Kamala: i think that she will survive, there is no point in killing her off. She has developed much and now will be even more free in COT. Maybe she moves in with Anna permanently, maybe she gets Anna's appartment if Anna dies?

Overall i will be shocked if Cordelia, James or Ariadne die. Of the others on this list probably one will, if not two ( definitely not unless Charles is one?)

I may do parents/ adults soon if I'm bored.

Go néirí an t-ádh leat!

#Predictions #Cot spoilers?#Coi spoilers #ChOG spoilers #chain of thorns #chain of thorns theories #the last hours #alastair carstairs #thomas lightwood #matthew fairchild #cordelia carstairs #james herondale #christopher lightwood #anna lightwood #kamala joshi #ariadne bridgestock #TLH

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red-eft · 1 year ago

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ohoo 12-20 for Ivy AND Adonis!

ooh alright :] thank u for the ask!! always happy to talk abt my dudes <3

i wrote a lot, sorry in advance wjlsdjflk

ivy

12. is your oc self-destructive? in what ways?

she’s a little self-destructive.. she overworks herself a lot, especially when it comes to studying/practicing dark magic. fiensal (her mentor) and cordelia (her girlfriend) know she does this and help keep her in check.

13. if you met your oc, would the two of you get along?

i think so! :-)

14. how does your oc want to be seen by other characters?

she wants to be seen as someone extremely competent and dependable. ivy hates the idea of being seen as someone useless. she’s tough and independent and Never Needs Anyone (she definitely needs other people).

15. does your oc have a faceclaim? if so, who?

she doesn’t have one yet eee….

16. what is your oc’s pain tolerance like?

she had an average pain tolerance until she started practicing forbidden/extra dark magic behind fiensal’s back. ivy has done some.. questionable things to herself in an effort to purposefully improve her pain tolerance. in her mind, it’s a win-win, because she learned how to use dark magic better and became stronger. she has a very high tolerance now.

17. what is the worst thing you have put your oc through story-wise?

there are two things that were pretty bad for ivy. one is the situation i mentioned above where she put herself through misery to improve her pain tolerance & magic abilities. the second is when [redacted] killed [redacted] and she couldn't do anything about it.

18. is your oc more cold and detached or up close and personal?

she tries to be detached since she’s afraid of losing her loved ones, but ivy is pretty warm and personal despite her best efforts.

19. how does your oc behave when enraged?

when angry enough, ivy will lash out at whatever upset her. she’ll try to talk it out, but just get more and more mad until she storms off to cool down. it’s rare for her to get that mad, though.

20. does your oc have a tendency to get jealous? if so, how does it manifest?

she doesn’t get jealous often, but when she does, ivy avoids the object of her jealousy until she gets over it. if she has to stick around, she might seem a little more agitated than usual, but won’t do anything else.

adonis

12. is your oc self-destructive? in what ways?

at the beginning of his story, adonis is the opposite of self-destructive. he’s extremely careful with himself- raised as a noble, he was always told growing up that if he was injured or killed, it would be the end of his noble house. but as the story goes on and he becomes braver, his sense of self-preservation basically goes out the window..

13. if you met your oc, would the two of you get along?

he gets along well enough with ivy, and i'm a little similar to her, so… maybe? he’d rather spend time with his friends than a stranger.

14. how does your oc want to be seen by other characters?

adonis doesn’t really want to be seen. he hates being in the spotlight.. but he’d like to be thought of as someone charismatic and strong (desirable traits of nobility).

15. does your oc have a faceclaim? if so, who?

he doesn't have a faceclaim yet ^^;

16. what is your oc’s pain tolerance like?

at the start of the story, it’s pretty weak- he’s a little nobleman that’s rarely ever been hurt (except that time when he was a child and so badly injured he needed a whole heart transplant, but he barely remembers that). but a lot of things change during the story, and he ends up with a stronger tolerance. his still isn’t as strong as ivy’s or lorne’s though.

17. what is the worst thing you have put your oc through story-wise?

AHAH. well.. there are a few awful things i guess. he was in a brutal accident as a child. his father was killed right in front of him (originally i had adonis kill his father, but it was out of character for him to do that, so i changed it). he [redacted] and had to [redacted] too

18. is your oc more cold and detached or up close and personal?

he’s detached at first. being raised as a noble, adonis was always taught that commoners were below him. that’s another thing that changes for him.

adonis is still detached from others, but the cause is different. he goes from being detached bc of arrogance/what his father taught him to being detached bc of feelings of isolation and alienation.

19. how does your oc behave when enraged?

as a noble, he bottled it up kept his rage tucked away until it faded (it never really faded). now, he’ll let out some curse words and maybe pace around to get the energy out. if he’s enraged in a situation where it’s acceptable to kick ass, he’ll do that.

20. does your oc have a tendency to get jealous? if so, how does it manifest?

adonis gets jealous pretty easily, but he has a hard time identifying how he’s feeling most of the time. to him it usually just feels like vague frustration. but when he realizes it’s because he wants something, he’ll go after it so long as it doesn’t cause trouble for anyone else.

#asks #magmacannon #ty again for the ask !! rotating these ocs in my brain like a microwave now lol :]#c:ivy #c:adonis

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crabknight · 7 months ago

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I'm not entirely sure why I wrote this. It kind of hurts to read and wasn't quite fun to write either. It felt necessary though and I'm relieved that I wrote it.

It holds the record for being my longest inbox fic, at 1939 words or about 5 pages of text.

It was near the end of a battle when it happened. Henry and Tharja had been searching the battlefield for any wounded soldiers. As they searched and searched, Henry heard a squelch, followed by a ragged gasp.

Turning, he saw how a risen had plunged its sword deep in Tharja's back. He saw how it emerged from her chest, covered in her blood while she twitched and groaned.

"Begone!" he yelled and a flash of purple light killed the risen.

"Tharja, when Chrom said to find wounded soldiers, he didn't mean to become one if we came back empty handed!" he laughed, picking her up as best he could.

It was difficult figuring how to to carry her, for he wasn't particularly strong and knew not to remove the blade.

"H-H-He-" she tried to talk.

"Whatever you have to say, it'll have to wait because I can't understand you," he said rather carefree, "Libra and Maribelle will have you fixed in no time, and then you can tell me!"

When he reached camp, Frederick stole Tharja from his arms and ran to the medical tent. Not quite a silence, but a tension fell over the camp and Henry couldn't figure out why. Strange. He stood paralyzed, staring at the shut tent for gods know how long before Cordelia placed a careful hand on his shoulder.

"Henry," she started, though he noted how strange her somber voice was, "You've stood there for a long time and your clothes are covered in blood. How about you change? We're going to eat."

"What's wrong? You seem sad," he said.

"...Tharja is injured, she might die... I understand if you need some time to let it sink in."

He returned to the tent he shared with some of the other guys and switched out his clothes. While he was scrubbing Tharja's blood from his shirt, he wondered why Cordelia was so sad.

Tharja would be fine, even if she died. She would be in the next life, probably working on more interesting spells she could tell him about, or test on him. She enjoyed doing both. But she wouldn't die. Libra and Maribelle were the best healers he knew.

He left his clothes to dry and joined the others at the makeshift tables. Eating area. No one ever knew what to call it. He got his plate and sat in the corner where he usually sat with Tharja. Of course, she never came. Libra and Maribelle were likely still working on her stitches.

He had several things he wanted to talk about (crows, a fox he saw, the battle, a spell and so on) but resigned himself to eating in lonely silence. His bowl was almost empty when the bench creaked beside him. Gregor sat next to him, but had no food or even water.

"Aren't you eating? You fought pretty hard today," Henry said.

"Gregor already ate. I want to check on you," he replied.

"I'm fine! A have a few minor injuries but otherwise untouched."

"No, I mean with Tharja. She is your friend, correct?"

"She is. She'll be fine, she's durable and Libra and Maribelle know what they're doing!" Henry smiled.

"She did not look okay."

"She's fine."

Gregor let it rest and watched Henry as he finished his food.

"Interested in card game?" he asked.

"Not particularly. I have some reading to do," Henry replied.

"Suit yourself. I will play card game with others."

Once more, Henry retreated to his tent. He sat with a good book and read for hours and hours. He hadn't realized how much time had passed until the words became difficult to see in the dark. The sun had nearly finished its descent. He set his book aside and shut his eyes.

The sounds outside the tent weren't terribly unusual. Someone laughed by a cracking bonfire, someone talked whispered just far enough away that he couldn't make out what they said and several spoke normally.

And then a scream cut through the still dusk.

"No! NOOO!" Maribelle shrieked.

All other sounds stopped in an instant. The laughing, the whispering, and the speaking. Several dead silent moments passed before soft footsteps in the grass approached the tent. The flap opened as Libra entered.

"I must speak with you, Henry," he said softly.

"Sure, what is it?" the dark mage sat up.

"We- we tried to save Tharja. We got the sword out and slowed the bleeding, but there was too much damage done to her lungs," Libra sighed deeply, his breath uneven as he hesitated, "She didn't make it."

'Didn't make it'. People said that often as a euphemism for death. Strange that Libra would say it like that. They were soldiers in a war, they saw death everyday, there was no need to water down what happened to Tharja. Strange. Strange...

Just earlier, she had spoken of growing old and becoming a secretive wizard in a tower with dubiously spells and unethical experiments. She had said that Henry could visit and help with all her ideas. She wouldn't be able to do that now, at least not in this world.

Where was she anyway? Henry knew of the next life, but never quite understood the concept of multiple places one could end up. He didn't understand how one's destination was determined or if one could move elsewhere. What if-

"Henry," Libra said, "Do you want to see her?"

He nodded and followed the priest. It was short walk, only twenty or so meters, but it felt so strange. He found himself reaching for Libra's hand. They had never been close, but the priest took it and held it with care.

He didn't let go when he saw Tharja's body. He didn't want Libra to leave, it felt strange looking at her and he didn't want to be alone. A blanket covered her body and only her head, shoulders and arms were uncovered.

Maribelle sat in the corner of the tent. She had been staring at the blade pulled out of Tharja's back. It was massive, far longer than one even Gregor or Sully might wield.

"We covered her body because the wound is unpleasant to look at. You shouldn't have to see your friend hurt so," Maribelle muttered.

"She looks like she's asleep," Henry replied.

He wanted to shake her awake and tell her to come have a late dinner with him while they talked.

He took her hand and gently rubbed it, though it was ice cold. If she woke up to him comforting her so, she might be annoyed or uncomfortable, but now it felt right. She was probably lonely in the next world, whatever greeting he could send her, he would.

"I don't want to see her like this," he said.

"You don't have to, we can leave now," Libra answered.

Henry took his hand once more and they returned to their tent. They hardly exchanged more words that evening. They said a prayer together and Henry fell asleep rather quickly while Libra stayed by his side.

They hardly spoke before today. Henry knew Libra was friends with Tharja and he had seen him around camp, but they were only acquaintances. Strange how death drew them together when everyone said it was such a sad thing. Strange, strange, strange.

Henry awoke the next morning feeling just fine. He hummed as he got dressed and ate his breakfast with a smile. Tharja was still gone, he hadn't forgotten, but it was fine. She was off in another world having the time of her life making more spells, now without concern for if they may kill her for she was already dead.

"Are you alright?" Libra asked.

His eyes were red and he sniffled, one could only assume he wept for his fallen friend.

"I'm quite alright, I need to get my stuff packed though. We're heading to the next outpost soon," he said.

"Chrom said we'd stay here another day or two so everyone can process Tharja's passing. As per protocol, we're going to cremate her."

"Oh, that's good, I didn't really wanna pack anyway."

Libra narrowed his eyes, "Henry, are you positively sure you're alright?"

"...Yes, why?"

"Your best friend just died."

"And? I'll see her again in some years."

Libra seemed truly taken aback by his answer, which was strange. They both firmly believed in another life after the one they lived now, so why did Libra seem so sad? Tharja was fine, and so everything was fine.

"...Tell me if you ever wish to talk," Libra muttered as he left.

Some two weeks passed and the shepherds found a moment to rest. Everyone gladly took it, eager to sleep in the soft guest beds of a kind Valmese lord who hated Walhart more than they did.

Henry was happy to have his personal space back, finally being able to sleep in a room by himself. It was a nice little guest room. The bed was soft, the view was pretty and the walls were thick so it was silent as well. All it was missing was Tharja pacing back and forth, speaking of a wicked spell for some minutes before leaving.

But she had been dead a fortnight. She wouldn't tell him about more spells, or at least not in this world. Strange, strange, strange...

If he lived a long life like he planned, he wouldn't see Tharja for another sixty or so years. Perhaps seventy, or even eighty if he lived to be a century. Of course, those years would come to an end, but it was still quite a long time to spend away from her.

Strange. They had hardly been apart for more than a few days since becoming friends, but now it already felt like forever since their last talk. Strange. Two weeks wasn't a long time. Strange.

His heart ached thinking of her. He wanted to see her, give her a big hug and show off a little trinket his crows had found.

Strange. How strange it all was. He knew he would see her again, but he missed her too. Strange, strange, strange.

His eyes were watery and his cheeks wetted. Strange. He wanted to see her again. It felt strange crying, weak, vulnerable and defenseless. A foe could effortlessly kill him, but would that truly be so bad now? Tharja was dead, perhaps it would be better if he died too, perhaps it would be better if he could see her.

He wept, horrible cries escaping his throat as he thought only of Tharja and the now empty space she once occupied. He just wanted to see her again, why was that so much to ask? Was it truly so strange to the gods that he wanted to be with his friend once more?

He hardly noticed that someone had entered the room until Libra hugged him tight. The priest rocked back and forth, shushing him sweetly while his throat stung as he cried and cried and cried.

"There, there, Henry. It'll all be okay, I'm here for you," he said, though his voice was unsteady.

He knew why Henry cried, he knew why he was in pain but wanted to be an anchor when Henry had so few to rely on.

Perhaps it would make more sense with someone else. Libra knew his emotions, he knew all the words for the complicated things he felt. And he loved Tharja, he cared for her the same way Henry did. He found sorrow in the empty space one occupied by Tharja, just as Henry did.

Strange. Henry always imagined grief would be lonely.

I have no words, this was very well written

#asks #pie #inbox fic #crab emblem

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