#unfortunately one of them is incredibly malicious
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If It All Fell (6)

Pairing: Azriel x Reader
Summary: If it all fell apart—if you forgot who you were—would you love him again? Would the bond guide you back? Azriel doesn't know if that uncertainty is one he can bear.
Word count: 3.5k
Warnings: Angst, PINING
a/n: Sorryyyy for the wait <3 As a lot of you know I have been going through it lately, but I really enjoyed writing this and hope to post more immediately 🤜. Let me know what you think :))
Part 1 ♡ Part 2 ☆ Part 3 ✶ Part 4☼ Part 5 ☁ Part 7 ☆
Series Masterlist
~~
Day Court was immeasurably beautiful—with all of its pristine columns reflecting orange light. Marble flooring shone with distorted images of acrylic brush strokes that hung on granite walls. Fountains billowed at the mouth of every doorway, sculpted fixtures at their bases. Warm wind kissed your skin and glistening waters welcomed you and Day Court was so incredibly beautiful.
You were sure, if given the chance, you would think the same of its residents.
Unfortunately, you were not given the chance to come to that conclusion.
“The High Lord is in a meeting. He sends his apologies for not meeting you upon your arrival—the merchants of Day can get a bit rowdy,” the servant laughed. “I can show you to your rooms in the meantime.”
“Rooms?” Rhysand posed. You attempted to look over Azriel’s wing to gauge the conversation, but Cassian took another step to the side, halting your movement.
“Yes, Helion informed us that the four of you would be here, so we prepared four rooms. If that’s not—”
“Three rooms will suffice, thank you,” your High Lord drawled.
The servant squeaked, and you were sure if you could see her, her nerves would be evident. “Of—of course, High Lord. I assume Lady Y/n will be with—”
“We will deal with the division of our rooms on our own. Thank you…”
“Amira,” the servant offered. “My name is Amira. I will be attending to you, Lady Y/n, during your time here.”
You knocked your head to the side, brushing Cassian’s bicep as he stood beside you. You barely caught Amira’s mousey brown hair before the membrane of a wing flushed out and pushed you back.
“She doesn’t need an attendant,” Azriel bit out, misplaced malice creating tension in the hall.
“Oh, it’s okay, I—”
Apparently, not even your voice was allowed to be heard. Rhysand cut you off. “No attendant,” he confirmed, after sending his spymaster a sidelong glance laced with reproach. “No servants in our rooms, either. We are rather private, you understand.”
A pause.
You wished you could see anyone’s expression.
From beside you, Cassian offered you a pity smile, nudging you with his elbow in an act of comfort.
“Anything you require,” Amira shakily responded. “Shall I walk you back, then? Just to show you where you will be staying?”
“Lead the way.”
Azriel immediately stepped back, his shadows scrambling past him to enclose you in dim light. You felt his presence, firm and tall, looming at your back as you took the first few steps down the hall.
This all felt entirely misplaced, with the bleakness of your group extinguishing some of the vibrance of the court you walked through. Cassian kept close to your side, some of Azriel’s shadows drifting off and cloaking the red glow on his hands and chest. Rhys, ever the High Lord, took up the front, footsteps light but purposeful.
Everyone looked grim.
Except for you.
This court held no negative connotations for you, no malicious undertones that impacted the rest of your family. It was simply beautiful, and your family was simply cloistering you.
But you agreed to this; anything to make them feel better.
To make Azriel feel better.
You turned your head to the side as you walked, catching the shadowsinger in your peripheral. Tense, on-guard, unyielding; Azriel’s jaw was set in a firm clench, but it was different from what you were used to. When he was tense at home, it was almost out of… anticipation? Trepidation?
Here though… here his posture was derived from rage. From practiced, honed fury.
You turned your head away before you attempted to fix it, to comfort him. He wanted to be angry, told you as much before he winnowed you to Day in a flurry of his shadows.
I’m going to be different, he had told you, I need to be different. It can’t be like the last time. I can’t let you get hurt.
The fear in his eyes had melted away in the Day Court sun; the second your feet landed on meticulously carved cobblestone, Azriel was no longer just your friend.
Amira led you to three doors along a wall, mumbled a few parting words, and bowed away before anyone could send her a second glance. You attempted to offer her a reassuring smile amidst her flee, but Azriel’s shadows were too dense. A hand on your back led you into a room and Amira was gone.
“That went well,” Cassian breathed, a long sigh punctuating his descent into a loveseat by the bed. “She didn’t look terrified at all.”
The bedroom door clicked shut. Rhys raised his brows. “She’ll thank us later.” The High Lord’s eyes drifted to the shadowsinger sulking by your side. “This isn’t exactly a leisurely visit.”
Your gaze shot around the room in the following lapse of silence, analyzing the tense nature of each male. The air felt stagnant and stiff, the light somehow dimmer even with the open windows, and you weren’t sure if your voice would make it worse or ease some of the pressing emotions.
Rhys took a seat in a chair by the door, and you decided speaking was better than leaning into the uncomfortable silence.
“It’s so beautiful here,” you began, playing with your fingers, second-guessing your decision to stand. Azriel remained motionless at your side. “The sun feels different somehow. Brighter, maybe?”
“The skies have an affinity for their namesake in the solar courts,” Rhys offered kindly.
You hummed, rolling onto your toes and then rocking back on your heels. “I suppose that makes sense. The nights are incredible back home.”
The use of that word—home—did not go unnoticed by the group. Not by you and certainly not by the male standing guard at your side. The replacement of the word had been relatively common since you woke up.
Here in Velaris, there is….
When you came back here all those years ago…
Let’s go back to the house…
Never home.
But being in Day—being away from Velaris—just solidified what you already assumed. Velaris was your home. You were sick of letting your family dance around that truth.
~~
“Mother above, I was sure I would never see you again,” a strange voice tore your attention from Cassian’s vivid retelling of your first time flying with him, and although it was an interesting story, the man before you was even more enticing.
With deep skin and an even deeper smile, white linen billowed around his confident figure. The man appeared to glisten as he walked toward your small group, golden sandals trailing up bronze calves. Even the air around him seemed to glow.
Enticing didn’t seem to be the correct word.
You’d been directed into a rather large study after a brief lunch and a “tour” of the grounds that only included the wing you were staying in. Rhys had chalked it up to Helion stalling for time. You’d tried to coax a more comprehensive tour out of the guard leading you around, but a sharp look from Azriel was enough to put that conversation to rest.
“You look just as you did. Perhaps a bit gaunt but…” The man—Helion, you’d deduced—trailed off when the whisper of a shadow trailed at his neck. “I am Helion,” he smiled. “You have known me for many years. In love with me, as most are. But, alas, it is not fated.”
Some of your awe shifted to shock. “I am—I’m sorry, I am in love with you?”
In front of you, Cassian let out a long breath and fanned his wings out before letting them hang behind his chair. You sat straighter in your own seat, mortification creeping into your chest at the small laugh Rhys let slip across the room. What set your mouth into its flurry, however, was the raised brow you received from Helion.
“I didn’t mean that to offend. I mean—what I meant was just that… Well, no one said I had a lover or even mentioned you in that way so it came as a shock. But I presume there is much about myself I have yet to learn so… you are a very beautiful man and I’m sure—”
“Y/n, it’s alright,” came Azriel’s soothing voice from beside you, his scarred fingers pushing hair behind your ear halting your apologies. “He was only joking.” A pointed look in the High Lord’s direction. “He does that from time to time, unfortunately.”
More mortification made an appearance.
“Oh.”
Helion’s raised brow had morphed into an unsure expression at some point amidst your rambling. “When they said you had no memory… You will have to excuse me, y/n. I assumed you’d have more… context. Especially with your abilities.”
“We told you she remembered nothing and had no access to her magic,” Azriel defended, his fingers dropping to rest beside your thighs.
“Well, yes, but often when magic tampers with the mind, the personality remains intact. Like a muscle memory.”
“Oh, her personality is there,” Cassian retorted, a bittersweet smirk playing at his lips. “Just not when she’s met you five seconds ago and you’re revealing fake truths. Sarcasm doesn’t often work with strangers.”
Helion nodded grimly, turning back to you. “I apologize.”
“It’s really alright,” you comforted, attempting to calm some of the twisted guilt marring the High Lord’s face. “They worry too much. Right now everything I do is without context and I find myself embarrassed more often than not. It’s not your fault.”
Helion did not look convinced or reassured. His eyes simply traveled to the corners of your face and tracked down to the patterns Azriel was drawing into the skirts of your dress.
“Do you see now why we needed to come to you,” Rhys chimed in from above his crossed arms.
Helion hummed. “Yes. Shall I get started then?”
The room shuffled. You were informed that Helion had to be touching your head to assess the injury—unlike Rhys’s assessment—so you were sat atop a table to give him better access. Azriel followed by your side, his front pressed against the table, Cassian stood his ground behind Helion, and Rhys took up residence on your other side.
“In Day, we have a type of healing that extends to magical wards and enchantments, was that explained to you?” Helion asked, kind eyes never leaving yours. Too kind—uncertain and full of reproach.
“Yes, they said maybe the witch put something in my mind. Like a blockage.”
“Precisely. And I was informed about Rhysand’s unsuccessful attempt at entering your mind. That could be due to a spell, which is why I would be more useful.”
Rhys scoffed.
You let a smile tug at your lips, but it was quickly extinguished when you considered the outcome of this process. “Will it feel the same? What you’re doing and what Rhys did?”
You could almost hear the way Azriel ground his jaw.
Helion glanced at him from the corner of his eye. “It will feel different. I am not in the business of thoughts or memories. I won’t be able to access anything other than any inflictions you may have.”
“So it won’t hurt?”
“I cannot promise anything.”
The table beneath you shifted an inch, just to be caught by hands glowing with blue light.
I need to be different. It can’t be like the last time. I can’t let you get hurt.
“Still sure you can’t just beat the crap out of whatever’s going on in my head?” you posed to Cassian, tilting your head up to call over Helion’s shoulder.
The general’s chuckle eased some of the tension in the room. “I would if I could.”
“Promise?”
“Always.”
With a resigned breath, you nodded to Helion. The High Lord’s hands glowed a golden white, he lifted them to your head, and then there was nothing.
~~
Azriel
If he hadn’t shot his hand out when he did, Azriel was sure your head would have fallen out of Helion’s grasp and plummeted to the floor.
You were limp.
Eyes closed, neck bent—completely and utterly limp.
Azriel took the liberty of tugging on the bond just to make sure you were still alive. He hadn’t done so since you woke up in the forest, remembering the fear in your eyes, but you looked so incredibly lifeless.
“Helion,” he barked, his worried expression never turning from your face.
Icy panic gripped his stomach, twisting it with fervor.
Cassian took a step forward.
“Why is she unconscious?” his brother gritted out. His tone was an empty threat; he couldn’t hurt a High Lord, and neither could Azriel, but Azriel would do much more for much less.
His life had become a nightmare.
Literally.
On his worst nights, he relived the time you went missing and the subsequent loss of your memories over and over until he woke up screaming. His heart would beat so rapidly it seemed impossible to slow and he would be inconsolable for several minutes, but he always had you there. He would wake up from that nightmare and you would be there.
He had that dream every night now, and he woke up to the same. The guestroom he occupied didn’t smell like you, and even though you were just on the other side of the wall, he couldn’t make out the sound of your breath enough to let it lull him back to sleep. Nothing you owned was in that room. Everything he owned was still in a pile by the door after Feyre had rushed to clear the evidence of him from your space. But why did that matter? What were books and trinkets and clothes in a room that was otherwise devoid of everything he loved?
Leaving his room was worse.
Gods, all he wanted to do was hold you. To really, truly hold you and for you to hold him back. But you looked at him cordially, the same way you looked at Cassian and Rhysand and Mor.
When he left the house he had to deal with Feyre and Nesta’s constant questioning. Even Amren had taken an interest in your well-being, and while he appreciated the care for his mate, he couldn’t take it.
He couldn’t take echoing the words, “She’s fine. Healthy. Less pain today,” over and over when he could tell what they really wanted to know were things you wouldn’t share with him. He couldn’t take the fact that you didn’t tell him you loved him—that he would whisper it at your back every time you turned around and you never heard. You were skittish at his touch and shy when you spoke and you were never the first to voice your opinion and he just couldn’t take it.
With your head in his broken hand, Azriel felt another piece of him crack.
“I did it.” Rhys broke the silence, a concentration twisting his brow. “Helion and I agreed it was the best way to go about this. It had to be sudden though—unexpected. We needed a moment where her mind was completely unexpecting.”
Cassian cursed. “You couldn’t have told us that before you made it look like she died, Rhysand?”
“If y/n were dead no one would be standing here right now and you know that.”
“Still,” Cassian mumbled. “Warn a guy.”
“I’ve felt this before,” Helion said, shaking his head. “But that’s impossible. Rhysand, you would have—”
“I would have, yes, but not if it was created through other means. It was a witch, not a daemati.”
“She could have been both.”
“Extremely unlikely. Keep going.”
Azriel watched the way your lashes fluttered, counted the beats of your heart and pretended you knew who he was.
“What’s happening?” he asked. “You’re both in her head. Talk.”
“I couldn’t get through the wall myself because it wasn’t her magic,” Rhys explained. “I assumed it was the witch’s, but this signature is too similar. It’s exactly like it was before, just muted.”
“Like it was before?” Azriel repeated, finally turning his head up.
Rhysand looked grim. “Almost identical.”
“That isn’t possible,” the shadowsinger immediately refuted. “I killed that bastard myself. There is no way he could have done anything to her.”
“Azriel, I think it’s possible that—”
But Azriel did not let the High Lord of Day finish his thought. “You don’t speak to me about her,” he seethed. “Not when she came to your court and one of your people did this to her. I trusted you with her. I sent my mate here and she has been paying the price for that ever since. This is your fault, so you do not tell me what you think. You tell me what is certain.”
The room went silent, and Helion looked back at you, eyes glazing as he continued his work.
A strong, steady hand clapped against Azriel’s shoulder. It took Cassian three tugs before Azriel reluctantly let your head go, but only after Rhysand placed his own hand at your back.
“Look, I get it,” Cassian comforted, hands on his brother's arms. “If this was Nesta I’d probably be tearing this room apart right now. But he’s all we have here. And you know it wasn’t his fault last time. You remember how hard he worked to get her back.”
Azriel ignored him.
Cassian roughly shook his frame.
“Hey, you know that. And you know y/n’s going to be pissed at you when she gets her memories back and hears how much of an ass you’re being to Helion. She’s going to be severely pissed if you start a war trying to kill the guy.”
“If.”
The small smile Cassian was sporting faltered. “What?”
Azriel finally met his eyes. “If she gets her memories back. It was an if last time and it’s an if again.”
The two High Lords discussed quietly in the back, their hands still on you. Azriel’s shadows refused to leave your side, weaving through your hair and your clothes and the fingers against your head.
“Well last time she got them back, didn’t she?”
“You truly believe that will happen twice? I was praying to the mother for luck the first time, Cassian. She won’t listen again. I guarantee she won’t.”
“Az…” Cassian trailed off. There was no speech to formulate, not when defeat and resolution were so clear on his brother’s face.
“She won’t love me a third time.”
Your cough had Azriel bolting away from his brother’s concerned gaze in an instant. You were no longer in Helion’s grasp, instead leaning against Rhysand’s arm as the High Lord of Day scribbled something in a book.
“Ow.” You rubbed at your head with a pinched expression, squinting up at Azriel as he leaned down. “I think I passed out or something.”
It was mostly out of hysterics, but a small laugh escaped the spymaster. “Or something.”
Gods, you sent a spark of joy down the bond and it was all-consuming. You did that from time to time, unintentionally flooding Azriel with whatever emotion you felt the strongest. More than once he had to stop himself from opening his side completely just to relish in the reminisce you offered him.
“What about this time? Did we figure it out?” you slurred, squeezing your eyes open just to have the drop closed once again.
Azriel tucked his hand against the back of your head and looked expectantly at the two High Lords before him.
When Helion spoke, Azriel let him, if only because he was still living on the high of his mate’s lingering amusement. “Whatever the witch did, it was a mimicry of the daemati that tore into her head all those years ago. I need to do more research, see if I am able to undo whatever it is she redid without irreparably damaging her mind. If I can’t, the only answer is the witch.”
“Is that even possible? To mimic something like that?” Azriel asked, stepping forward so your drooping head would fall against his arm.
“Witches draw power beyond their reserve and even beyond the cauldron. We know so little about them. Tamlin should not have been making deals with them,” Helion curtly replied.
Any lightness in the room had very clearly disappeared.
“Take your mate back to your room. We can discuss this when she no longer looks like she’s fighting to stay awake.”
“I am awake,” you argued, trying and failing to haul yourself into an upright position.
Rhysand huffed out a laugh. “I wouldn’t even be awake after having two high lords in my mind. Go rest. We will talk in the morning.”
Azriel assisted as you stood on unsteady legs, but the attempt was futile. The shadowsinger gathered you into his arms as you sent an accusatory finger in Rhysand’s direction. “Liar.”
It wasn’t until you were alone in the hallway, your head against Azriel’s shoulder, his arms beneath your body, that you spoke again.
“Azriel?”
He hummed in response.
“What’s a mate?”
Part 7 ☆
#azriel x reader#azriel x you#azriel x female!reader#azriel x y/n#azriel shadowsinger#azriel acotar#azriel spymaster#acotar#azriel fanfic#azriel angst
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perchance relationship headcanons for mira w/ a gn reader?? i don’t really have too many ideas in mind so you can do whatever feels right 😭

◆ MAIN COURSE: Mira x gn!Reader
◆ TYPE: SFW, romantic
◆ ALLERGEN WARNINGS: N/A
◆ NOTES: This req came running in a matter of mere mins since sending out that annoucement my GOD 🥰 THANK YOU 🥰🥰🥰 I've been having their songs on loop I swear to god
I LOVE MY BABY I personally think it's a crime that when you think about it Mira and Zoey are very underdeveloped in the plot 😞 but that's not relevant rn ANYWAY
Mira is someone who holds her cards REALLY close to her chest. She's had to grow up that way—being considered the problem child meant whatever she did was scrutinised to all hell and back, so as rebellious as she was, sometimes that didn't necessarily mean feeling 'free' to express herself either. And when she does, it's blunt, cutting, usually ending up with her parents telling her to hush or soften her words to something befitting of......well........someone Not Her
That carries on to how she is with romance, unfortunately. Dating her would be, for simplicity's sake, difficult, and even getting to that point in the first place is even more so. But I swear, trust me when I say that the effort will be so incredibly worth it
Mira would tend to analyse your words a LOT. The other HUNTR/X members are one thing, she's so extremely close with them now that she's comfortable to let her guard down. But with anyone else? Even you? Oh god she is a SCEPTIC through and through; she's the type to prefer actions over words, otherwise she'll take everything you say with more than a grain of salt
And like I said, Mira would also be extremely blunt. She doesn't hold back with her words, so if she's pissed off or disappointed, she WILL make it known. I think it'd be even more so when it comes to someone she has feelings for as well, not for the sake of maliciousness but it's her own way of letting you know how she genuinely feels in the moment without mixing shit up
I think if you genuinely show her that you respect her agency and how she is, if you give her the time and space she needs, she'll slowly but surely start to open up to you and allow herself to not get her guard up all the time
"Hey."
Mira's sharp tone caught your attention, but you've learned to easily take it in stride. Where staff would've cowed slightly at the feeling of being intimidated, you simply lifted your head up and met the idol's gaze head-on. "Mira," you nodded in acknowledgement, "need something? I thought you were rehearsing."
Mira shrugged as she approached, the penthouse windows reflecting her movements for you to see, "We were, but Bobby needed to talk to Rumi about something and Zoey went to finish her rapping verse for the new song."
You couldn't help the chuckle that escaped past your lips, "I'd have assumed she went to eat her heart out."
"That girl can multitask," the corner of Mira's lips lifted in barely-contained amusement when she leans on the arm of the sofa across you.
"And you?" You tilted your head slightly, "What are you doing now?"
"Taking a break, obviously."
"I thought there was no rest for a K-Pop idol."
"That is Rumi's thing, you're talking to the wrong idol."
"Right, right, my bad, Ms. 'I came to the Met Gala in a sleeping bag'."
Mira huffed in slight laughter at the memory, "If everyone's just going to abandon all sense of comprehensible fashion, what does it matter if I wore a sleeping bag? Realistically speaking, I was the only one there who felt comfortable."
"Fair enough," is all you offer.
And really, the silence should've bothered her. Usually it did. Without Rumi or Zoey to fill the silence, the lack of.. anything would usually make her feel like she's being internally scrutinised for any reason—the way she dressed, the way she spoke, the way she presented herself in general.
But with you? Mira felt none of that. With interacting, the responses flowed easily, and she didn't feel like she was wittingly stepping on landmines whenever she said anything. In silence, there was no pressure, there was no prickling feeling of scrutiny, it was just.. comfortable.
Not quite the same sort of comfortable she had with the other HUNTR/X members, of course, but.. something different.
Honestly she didn't know whether she wanted to lean into it or pull away.
So she tests the waters instead, "You're weird."
"Am I?"
"Yeah, you are. People would either freak out, use us for clout, or give Dispatch the time of their lives," she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, "but you've done none of that. You're just.. here. "
"..Am I not allowed to be here?"
"Not my point. I mean you don't push yourself onto the three of us," on her, though that goes completely unsaid in favour for the feeling of protectiveness for what her trio had. "What's your angle?"
Maybe the question should've offended, but.. all you did was shrug as you answered with complete sincerity, your voice not wavering even once, "None. Is it that hard to believe that I just genuinely enjoy your company?"
Mira blinked. "Yes."
(Some small part of her mind, clearly unimportant, wondered whether you meant to refer to HUNTR/X as a whole.. or just her.)
And you laughed, a low chime in the otherwise quiet penthouse living room, "Not much I can do there, unfortunately. Guess you'll just have to trust me."
Trust.
That never came easy for her, not now and certainly not back then.
And yet.
"..Guess I do."
Once you actually end up dating, it's ☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️ UGH I love her
Yk how she'd be blunt as hell? See that still stays. HOWEVER. When you're not in, say, a professional or a life-or-death situation, her voice takes on a certain care and softness that she doesn't even have with HUNTR/X. It's not wholly noticeable, but you can hear it in the way she's slightly less sharp when addressing you, you can see it in the way that her expression softens subtly when she talks about you (and Zoey and Rumi tease her to the moon and back, mostly Zoey LMFAO)
I don't think she'd use nicknames personally, feels too cheesy for her. Actually, saying things in general is too cheesy for her, not to mention again she much prefers showing than telling. So instead of nicknames, it's sudden gifts like the jacket she clocked you eyeing up but didn't buy or even just your favourite snack from the convenience store. Instead of waxing poetry about what she adores about you, she expresses it in gestures. An example would be if you did makeup, she'd watch you and if there's something specific that she's noticed about your features but YOU didn't, she might even guide you or do the makeup herself so that your makeup is properly done justice
She won't be clingy, but she'd be EXTREMELY protective of you. Friends (and especially HUNTR/X actually) are one thing, but Mira letting herself date someone in the first place? Shit man that means she considers you as someone she genuinely wants to stay with. She recognises very well that you have your own life, and she has hers, and she wouldn't want to suffocate in the way SHE doesn't want to be suffocated either. But at the same time, when you're out together, she'd step a little closer, guide you through crowds like a bodyguard instead of your girlfriend (lol), and in the case of demons ever coming near you? Oooooh MAN it's over for them—no one, and I mean NO ONE, is taking the person who makes her feel like she belongs and she's lovable
I feel the need to add that if you like dancing or you ARE a dancer/fellow choreographer, then it's bonus points to you. Mira's bluntness actually helps here, since she'll freely give you feedback on your movements AND even demonstate the dances/suggest alternatives. And because the two of you are together? Yes. Yes she'll come close and guide you with touch without hesitation 🥰🥰🥰. OH OH OH AND LET'S NOT FORGET COUPLE DANCES TOO!!!! PLEAAAASE it'd just be the two of you in the dance studio and you're doing the tango or even ballroom dancing (you can tease her about it and she'll say she's multifaceted)
I think there are moments where she'd retreat to herself, especially during the beginning of your relationship or after the first few times you fight. It's already a huge insecurity of hers, being aware that she can be easily UNapproachable due to how brutally honest she can be. The time with Rumi was one thing, but you're someone who she willingly gave and entrusted her entire heart to—what happens if that's.. gone? Please give her space before the two of you talk again, she's genuinely a reasonable person. Reassure her that you're willing to give her whatever she needs, and over time she grows more comfortable with the new form of vulnerability, and she'll withdraw less when she realises that yes! You're staying, and nothing she does will change that
Also? Nap times. Relaxations in the hot springs. GOD yes. Couple spa dates? Genuine bliss 🥰🥰🥰 And speaking of dates, she knows she's busy as HELL. But she tries her best to either carve out time for you or she actually has you involved with whatever it is she's busy with, surprisingly (like having you watch her choreo to see if there's anything that sticks out, watching her and the other girls go on reality shows, etc)
Overall? It's like having a cat for a girlfriend. One that genuinely treasures you when she finds herself wanting your presence to be a constant bc of how you make her feel ☹️

#mona's main course...#mira x reader#kdh mira x reader#kpop demon hunters x reader#kpop demon hunters imagines#kdh x reader#kdh imagines#huntrix x reader#huntrix imagines#huntr/x x reader#huntr/x imagines
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It might simply be that I don’t frequent ADHD forums enough but I haven’t seen a whole lot of talk about learned social withdrawal.
As a child I made friends left and right but as we all turned into self-conscious teenagers it slowly became more and more difficult for me. Plain and simple, other people thought I was weird. For some reason I never got bullied which I think is related to something my teachers kept telling my parents “She’s such a sweet, bright child and we can tell she’s not malicious or trying to be disruptive on purpose but we can’t teach her anything”
Basically people couldn’t figure me out. I had good social skills with both children and adults, I had a good moral compass, i felt compassion and empathy for others and was willing to go against my friends if I felt they were being bullies, I taught myself English and my drawings showed good observation skills. Because of all that it was decided I should start school a year sooner than most kids and my parents were very proud. Unfortunately that’s probably one of the main reasons why I was never diagnosed with raging ADHD as a child. People soon realized I didn’t do well in a school setting but assumed it was because I “wasn’t done playing” and my ADHD symptoms were interpreted as childishness.
So as I got older my classmates started to distance themselves from me. They were always kind and friendly but they didn’t know how to deal with me and ever since then people have always been worryingly comfortable with calling me weird to my face. I get the impression it’s because they think it’s a choice on my part. To them I’m clearly of “normal intelligence” so I must be acting like this on purpose and my parents would repeatedly tell me to “just act normal” as a child when I told them I was struggling to make friends. I tried so damn hard but kept failing. I knew something had to be different about me and when I first heard about ADHD I thought “That’s me! That’s how I feel!” but my parents said that was impossible because I wasn’t hyperactive.
Because nobody wanted to help me I eventually learned to just stop trying to make friends and keep to myself. I was so tired of being told by friendly, well-meaning people that I was so weird and quirky and unique only for them to distance themselves once they realized it was permanent and not something I could turn on and off for parties. I always enjoyed being alone so it wasn’t a huge loss but it did feel incredibly lonely at times.
Things got a lot better when I became an adult, mostly because adults are generally more chill than teens so my ADHD behavior isn’t as embarrassing to them and ironically they’re often surprised to learn I don’t make friends easily. Unfortunately I learned to be withdrawn in my formative years so new friends are still a rarity. Before I really sat down and put my past into context I even started to wonder if I had autism despite not connecting with anything autistic people said about their experiences. I went as far as to be tested but wasn’t surprised when the diagnosis was negative because of course it was, I kinda already knew that. I was just looking for an explanation.
So while there can be overlap between ADHD and autism (I have just such a friend) my experience is also that oftentimes people with ADHD simply learn to stay away from social situations and entertain ourselves which ends up looking like autism to outsiders.
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Not sure if you're taking requests so feel free to ignore this, but I was wondering how the 2012 turtles would react to an S/O that swears a lot 🤣
My first ever request! And an absolutely hilarious one at that 😂 I love this so much, thank you! This is right up my street!
S/O that swears... a lot
Warnings: bad language but you coulda guessed that :]
2012 Turtles x Reader
Leonardo
He loves you but he wishes you didn't have such a vulgar tongue. This poor guy has no idea what to do, in all honesty. Leo isn't even sure if there's anything he can do. You swear when you're happy just as much as when you're upset.
There's nothing malicious in the way you go about it. He knows this and he knows you harbour no ill intent but he will try to coerce you into at least swearing less. Unfortunately, he realises that this is a futile attempt given it's practically your second language.
Eventually, he learns to suck it up and gets used to it because, gosh darn, he just loves you that much.
Raphael
Doesn't even bat an eye considering his family has to interrupt him before he speaks crudely. He doesn't get why. They're just words with negative associations, after all. The two of you are a massively bad influence on each other, unintentionally encouraging the other to exercise their foul mouth.
It certainly makes banter very interesting, to which the rest of the Hamato family are made either uncomfortable or concerned. Raph has no idea what the problem is. Minus their father, they all grew up in New York, for crying out loud!
At least you two get each other in that respect.
Donatello
May occasionally flinch with the odd swear here and there but doesn't seem to mind too much overall. Even he has some colourful expressions of his own. Sure, his own versions of obscenities are very much more family-friendly but he kind of gets it. "By Darwin's beard" is a prime example.
Donnie isn't one to frequently budge at your choice of vocabulary but he'd be lying if he said he isn't impressed with your creativity.
"What the fuck?! Pavlov's dog could figure this shit out!"
As crass as it is, that might be a personal favourite that often has him humoured.
Michelangelo
Incredibly shocked at first but he doesn't think any differently of you. This guy does not care one bit. You could have two heads and that wouldn't change a thing. At the end of the day, he loves you no matter what.
Someone may need to keep an eye on things, however. Don't forget - Mikey is impressionable when it comes to phrases, let alone the profanities that carelessly fall past your lips. If he's to accidentally repeat one of these words, it's not just his brothers you'll need to worry about getting an earful from.
Splinter will be all up in your case, so be mindful if you want to avoid a stern lesson in the dojo.
Also, just to put it out there, I'm happy to take requests! Just headcanons for now, however. I have so many stories to write and want to get them out before taking on ideas from all you lovelies :)
#tmnt#teenage mutant ninja turtles#tmnt 2012#tmnt x reader#leonardo#leo#raphael#raph#donatello#donnie#michelangelo#mikey#x reader#headcanon#reader swears#a lot#someone grab the spray bottle
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I'm so uncomfortable with fans blaming Saw for Tech's death, when arguably there were so many other factors. Saw isn't wrong for deciding to stage an attack when all of Imperial High Command was in one place.
I think it's unfortunate that Tech died, but with the way Bad Batch fans talk about Saw you'd think he was being malicious towards Tech in the first place. Mind you, he warned them, and didn't immediately blow the place up.
There's more smoke for Saw than there is for Tarkin or even Hemlock, in that scene. Wasn't Tarkin the one who sent reinforcements that contributed to Tech having to sacrafice himself? Even if Saw didn't blow the place up, they would have been cutting it incredibly close.
I think another layer is they wouldn't even be there if it weren't for Crosshair working with the Empire to begin with.
Idk why but whenever there are ample examples of other people besides Saw who contributed to Tech's death (namely, you know, the Empire), the blame is unfairly placed on Saw.
And if you want to say what Saw does doesn't do anything on the Grand Scheme of things, then fair. But same with Rex and his clone revolution. Regardless though, they are still acts that manage to negatively impact the Empire, no matter how small.
It's not Saw's fault Tech died. It's Tarkin's. It's the Empire's.
#saw gerrera#the bad batch#star wars the clone wars#tech tbb#grand moff tarkin#i think also it leaves a sour taste in my mouth when fans were hostile towards phee when pheetech became a thing#l
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I have more Veilguard time travel thoughts but do you guys think Spirits would be affected too because I've been plagued with thoughts of Spite and Manfred remembering the future and the chaos that would come from that.
Manfred is suddenly talking and Emmrich is delighted though perhaps a bit confused about what has caused this sudden leap in capabilities and why Manfred seems so fixated on birds (Manfred keeps repeating ROOK ROOK ROOK ROOK ad nauseam).
Spite on the other hand is super confused about where is Lucanis, why can't I find Lucanis, I want Lucanis! and ends up going to search for Rook instead because Lucanis always listens to Rook, Rook can fix this. The next part is a little dependent on my Lucanismancer Watcher Rook who is suddenly getting relentlessly badgered in the Fade by an incredibly worked up Spite, manages to calm him down and explain the situation to him, and then says I got you when Spite wants to still help and manages to bind him to a suit of armor. I was originally thinking a skeleton but then I thought about how funny it would be if Rook and Spite were to travel around Thedas Fullmetal Alchemist style with an incredibly mouthy child ready to throw hands at any time and a giant imposing suit of armor with them though Spite isn't nearly as polite as Alphonse, he's just Spite.
So anyways, Rook and a newly bodied Spite make the journey south from Nevarra and by the time they reach Ferelden/Orlais the Inquisition has settled into Skyhold so it'd be a lot harder to deal with Solas so instead they have to settle on just keep an eye on him and making sure he can't cause trouble. Unfortunately, a big suit of armor with glowing purple eyes going to attract a lot of attention especially since Spite is absolutely a mouthy bastard and now Rook has to talk real fast to keep everyone from trying to kill him because they're in the South and just see Spite as a demon and Rook is shouting everyone down with an incredibly impassioned lecture about how the classification of demons and spirits is stupid and they're all just spirits and Spite isn't even (that) malicious. This all ends with Rook and Spite accidentally getting inducted into the Inner Circle because they are a package deal. Do Not Separate or else you're going to have to deal with a very grumpy Spite.
On the bright side at least everyone learns to appreciate Cole a lot more because Spite is a bit of a menace. Especially to Solas but Rook is also an exceptional bitch to Solas. No one can figure out what that one is about because clearly they have some issue with Solas and Solas seems to know exactly what they're talking about half the time but its also incredibly clear he doesn't know them and the entire confusing situation is driving Solas just a little mad because how does Rook know these things?? The reason why Rook seems to get really emotional when they're around Varric or Scout Harding is also a mystery but Rook definitely seems to have latched onto them.
I can also see Emmrich showing up in Skyhold because the Crypt Baby is missing and Manfred seemed to be fixated on finding them so Emmrich volunteers to track them down and Rook and Spite make a rather memorable pair so its easy to figure out where they have gone. His confusion is not helped when they arrive at Skyhold and Spite excitedly goes up to Manfred to show off that he has feet! and hands! Rook may or may not end up explaining the situation to Emmrich even if they're otherwise keeping their mouth shut.
#rook#rook ingellvar#spite dragon age#manfred#manfred dragon age#emmrich volkarin#solas#dragon age#dragon age veilguard#dragon age inquistion#time travel au
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please may you do a beth mead fic where reader is new to arsenal and super shy but beth being beth is very welcoming and shows her the works and they get really close and eventually get together :) i’m happy to request more beffy fics because you’re very right in saying that there ARENT ENOUGH!!! tysm

best decision !
beth mead x arsenal!reader
-
stepping onto the turf, your eyes wandered over to the group of girls who were running around together, passing the ball back and forth in their different groups with looks of either enjoyment or concentration, depending on who you looked at. your heart was beating wildly in your chest and your grip on your water bottle tightened as the man beside you whistled with his fingers in his mouth which quickly grabbed the attention of the arsenal players who looked over in curiosity, all their eyes darting between you and your new manager, jonas eidevall.
today was to be your first day training with your new team, and you were both excited yet nervous about the whole thing.
you weren’t great at meeting new people, blaming it on your shy and quiet demeanour, it usually took awhile for you to warm up to anyone new and come out of your shell so today was a big day for you, for many reasons . you were grateful that jonas had given you this opportunity, signing you onto the arsenal team a couple of weeks back. you loved your old club, the girls you played with were incredible and you had created many long lasting bonds but unfortunately as the years went by, your game time was decreasing and you were no longer satisfied with the minutes you were getting on the pitch.
the bench had become a familiar place and you worried that your talents were being wasted there. so when the offer to sign to arsenal appeared, you all but leaped at the opportunity, excited to spread your potential elsewhere. though of course, despite being eager to join the new club, the goodbyes to your teammates were emotional but they understood why you left and assured you that you made the right decision, no hard feelings.
your thoughts were dismissed as an array of colours clouded your view. the blacks, greens and blues from the arsenal training kits were up front of and centre, matching the new one you had fit yourself into only an hour prior. you were a little intimidated by the many stares you were getting, though none of them were made with malicious intent, some of the girls even sending you a welcoming smile as they sensed your unease which you quickly returned.
“alright girls, our new member is finally here, this is y/n y/l/n and she’s going to be joining us today for training, friday’s game will be her first game with us so i expect you all to welcome her with open arms and ease her into the team as quickly and smoothly as possible please.” jonas’ voice sounded from the side of you, and you felt a little heat rise to your face with all the attention now pointing at you.
a few of the girls piped up with ‘hi’s’ here and ‘hello’s’ there, and you returned them all with a simple wave and a quirk of your lips.
“you can all get your proper introductions later, for now i need you to start working on your drills, so partner up and show y/n she made the right choice coming over here.” he clapped his hands together, and you smiled at the playful jab he had made towards the team, already liking the atmosphere within the coach and squad dynamic.
your nerves came rushing back as soon as he wandered off though, and the girls began to jog off back onto the turf already grabbing onto each other as they called dibs on their partners before others could. you hung back, feeling a little awkward at the bond they all had that you weren’t yet apart of, though you had high hopes it wouldn’t be long before you were there with them. your eyes flickered around as everyone partnered up, feeling a little bit like a loner as it seemed you were the only one without one, but just as you were about to accept the embarrassment, a hand touched your elbow and you spun your head around to see a freckled blonde with gorgeous blue eyes and a beaming smile.
“you wanna partner up, newbie?” her yorkshire accent reached your ears and you perked up at the invitation.
“um, yeah.” you mumbled, your voice coming out quiet before you coughed and spoke again. “yes please, saves me standing on my own like a loser.”
she laughed at that and you smiled, happy to have amused her with your slightly self degrading comment.
“yeah i think we’ve all been there.” she hummed, walking you both to the only available miniature sized goal left. “i’ll pass, you shoot, yeah?”
you nodded in agreement, happy to be in any position as long as you were practicing and learning. you stood a good distance away from the goal post, and awaited beth to get into her spot so she could shoot the ball your way.
she placed the ball down by her feet and glanced your way, the smile that she had first greeted you with still on her face as if it was permanent. “you ready?”
you nodded once again, and so with that she pulled her foot back and kicked the ball with moderate power. you watched as it flew towards you, backing up a little as you quickly predicted where it was going to end up. as soon as it aligned with your foot, you made your move and kicked the ball, watching as it hit the back of the net with ease.
“go on!” the blonde cheered, clapping in approval at the strike you made. “already showing off i see.”
you blushed at the praise, not being able to keep the smile from your face at her genuine appreciation of your skills. you retrieved the ball from the goal and ran to where beth was just stood, the striker moving to do the same and stand in your position.
“now i have to make this or else jonas might kick me off the squad.” she teased, and now it was your turn to laugh at her remark.
“i don’t think he’d ever do that, can’t lose his meado. your fans would start a riot.” you told her, only half joking.
she barked a laugh at that, “i wouldn’t be surprised.”
the training session continued for another two hours, and you stayed partnered up with beth for the majority of it. apart from the last half an hour when you all had to get into groups of four, but beth still remained in your team and you were glad. being the first girl on the squad to start an actual conversation with you, you were clinging onto that warm exterior as you allowed it to bring yourself out of your shell a little bit and mingle with the other two on your team, who happened to be catley and foord.
both of them brought you into the group as if you’d been friends for weeks, no awkward small talk or even worse, awkward silences and that took a lot of weight off your shoulders. though you didn’t doubt the girls would give you any less than a friendly welcome to the squad, you still had your worries that maybe you just wouldn’t mix in with them quite so well, but as the minutes passed you realised that those worries were no more than a silly waste of head space.
-
the next few days passed quickly, each day you’d go into training and instantly just find yourself drawn to beth who seemed just as excited to see you. she’d always bring you into a hug, her hands rubbing comfortingly up and down your back that had your insides tingling with excitement at the act of affection. you couldn’t deny the feelings inside of you that had been building up since you first met the blonde, for some reason you couldn’t get her off your mind.
whenever you were together you were always seeking her out, making sure she was always nearby. you blamed it on the fact she was the first person to accept you into the squad, though the quieter part of you brain knew that it was more than that. she had followed you on instagram when you had returned home on your first day, and after following her back you were ashamed to admit you had stalked her profile and found yourself grinning like a fool at her posts, her sense of humour something that had drawn you in from the get go.
but other than that it was her effortless beauty that had you hooked. you had yet to see her with more than a bit of mascara on her lashes, and you were taken aback by how great she looked. even after a day of training, all red faced and sweaty you were still admiring her from afar. you could only imagine how incredible she’d look if you ever got the honour to see her all dolled up, the photos on her social media’s never did justice so you just had to wait for the opportunity yourself.
over the days your bond with the other girls had grown stronger too. three girls specifically. caitlin, steph and alessia were your definite best friends on the team (aside from beth of course), you just seemed to mesh well with the trio, they were lovely people and you all shared the same humour and energy so it just made you all work so well as a group.
and your relationships with the other girls were slowly building too, you even had the pleasure of meeting leah williamson which you look back on now and cringe at how awkward you were around the arsenal legend. she had shown up at training one day, ready to begin easing herself back in with the girls ahead of her big comeback for the team and you had bumped into her in the gym. the blonde looked at you unsure, and you guessed she hadn’t realised there was anyone new joining the team. but unsurprisingly, beth was there to save you and introduce you both.
you were sure you looked like an idiot, stood there mouth opening and closing like a fish as you struggled to find words. it wasn’t everyday you met people you had looked up to for years, and to not only be playing along side her (when she was recovered of course) but also have the chance to build somewhat of a friendship with the defender was enough to have your brain short circuiting. you were just glad beth was there to keep the conversation flowing.
now, you stood on the pitch ready to play in your first game officially as an arsenal member. you were incredibly nervous, but determined to prove your spot in the squad, wanting to show jonas that he had made the right choice when he seeked you out. and it wasn’t just jonas you wanted to prove yourself to today, it was the girls and the fans that were all anticipating your debut. you didn’t want to let anyone down, including yourself.
you jumped in your spot, kicking your legs out whilst letting out a deep breath, trying to warm up whilst simultaneously attempting to decrease any anxious thoughts. you watched as the girls did the same, some passing you and sending exciting smiles and encouraging words as they passed. it wasn’t until she appeared, did you take the encouragement seriously.
“you’re gonna do good, yeah? you’ve been great in training just do the same as you did then.” beth patted your shoulder, “act like the crowd and cameras aren’t here, just focus on us and the ball.”
you nodded, rolling your neck with a sigh. “yeah, okay. i’ll keep that in mind.”
the lioness smiled, turning so now she was walking backwards to her spot whilst keeping her eyes on you. “i believe in you.”
and with that, she sent a quick wink your way that would’ve had your cheeks burning if it didn’t feel like it was minus ten degrees out, before she turned on her foot and your eyes met the ponytail that swayed with her body movement.
you didn’t have too much time to dwell on the whole thing, the whistle blew and all the players took a knee, before it blew again and the ball was kicked to pelova, and the game began there.
-
fifty-seven minutes flew by faster than you had imagined. the first half was a frustrating one for arsenal, with the opposing team scoring two goals and your team yet to have scored one, you were all given a stern talking to at halftime by jonas, who ended the talk with some words of encouragement in hopes that it would help you bounce back and play at the best of your ability. katie had given some words of her own, being the captain of your team for the match she was obligated to make sure you were all in the right headspace, there was no more room for mistakes, you had to go out and score before it was too late and you lost a valuable three points that could push you higher up on the table.
and you must’ve had the luck of the irish, because all of a sudden your team was on fire.
the ball stayed on your side of the pitch for the majority of the second half so far, always at the feet of a player in red, being kept far from anyone who wanted it with intentions of shooting it at your goal. you jumped for joy when in the fiftieth minute stina scored a long goal, the ball hitting the back of the net, just grazing the goalkeepers hand. you all ran to the swedish player, with grins on your faces. now, you only needed two more goals for the win.
and the second opportunity came only two minutes later, when you earned a corner kick that beth took, the ball finding its way nicely into the penalty box where you all stood, but it was lia who had the best chance. she jumped on her feet and headed the ball into the goal, the crowd erupting into loud cheers and applause, feeling more optimistic now that your team was levelled. after celebrating her goal, your team again running to the goal scorer with grins and high fives, you all ran back on the pitch now more determined than ever to win this game.
now here you were, 57:22 on the clock and the ball falling at your feet after a pass from caitlin. you quickly scoped your surroundings, working out who was being covered and who wasn’t. you held back for a few seconds, not being able to find a free player, beginning to panic a little as your opponents began closing in on you. but from afar, a hand raised and you only took a quick second glance to see it was beth on the side of the pitch, with lots of open space and ready to take the ball on. so, without any hesitation you pulled back your foot and shot the ball through the sky, past players who watched it go, too high to try and take with a headshot.
the ball landed just an inch away from beth’s foot, a perfect ball that she didn’t waste as she took the shot at the goal instantly.
you stood back in anticipation, watching the ball fly through the sky, past players who jumped up to defend the ball and stop it from reaching the goal but to your joy, they missed it by inches and the ball secured itself in the top corner of the net. once again the gooners who had been watching with extreme apprehension launched up in their seats and cried out in joy at the added goal, leaving your team now leading by 3-2.
beth’s hands pumped in the air as she ran to the fans, mirroring their reaction and cheering as loudly as she could. she was quickly followed by the rest of the girls, who jumped on her and pulled her into hugs, all bearing huge grins. you made your way over, being one of the last to reach the pile of girls but were quickly accepted into the team celebration with different sets of hands finding their way on your back and waist.
as the huddle began to separate, getting ready to continue play and hopefully score another one or two goals before full time, it was just you, beth and a few others who remained at the sideline. beth’s eyes landed on yours and her grin widened even further, if that was even possible. she didn’t waste another second and pulled you to her, her hands clapping down with gentle force on your back as she whooped in your ear.
“beautiful ball! couldn’t have done it without ya.” she praised, pulling back from the hug so she was now inches from your face.
you smiled, elated that the ball had perfectly reached beth, but more than that, you couldn’t get over the immense joy on her face as she looked at you as if you had told her she had won the lottery. you didn’t want to pull away from her intense gaze, her blue eyes shining bright under the lights that made her look even more captivating than usual. your stomach fizzled with butterflies when you caught her eyes lowering, flickering down to your lips that were parted and back up to your eyes again, the whole interaction happening so quickly you wondered if you had imagined it.
but when you pulled apart, much to both of your disappointments, your eyes met steph and she sent you a knowing look. her lips quirked upwards as she looked between the pair of you, and you knew, she knew. you had feelings for beth.
luckily the aussie didn’t stay to make any teasing comments, instead she just cocked her head to the side, signalling that you should get back in position which you did immediately, not wanting to slow the game down any further. but when you looked back at beth, you saw she was still watching you with an expression you couldn’t quite read, but it didn’t look negative in the slightest.
she sent you one last breathtaking smile, and with that, the game resumed and just silently prayed that your now racing mind wouldn’t affect the last thirty-or-so minutes of game time.
-
the final whistle blew and your team erupted, finishing the game with a 5-2 lead was definitely something to proud of, especially since you had started the second half two-nil down.
you all collided with one another, the whole thing being a blur really as you were surrounded by the whole team, even the girls on the bench had come up to join in on the joyful huddle. you were engaging in hugs here, high fives there, you even got a few kisses on your cheek and a pat on your back. it was safe to say the team was in very high spirits after the win, and you were being applauded for your assist to beth that gave your team the advantage. it was one of the best feelings, knowing your team was proud of your performance during your first game with them, and now you just had to keep playing how you did today and surely your name would move up the ranks.
“hey, we’re all planning on heading to jen’s for a little after game celebration, you down?” alessia had approached you as you all began making your way back into the tunnel, and you considered the offer.
it would be your first time hanging out with the girls out of work, and it sounded like some great bonding time that you would be stupid to pass up. so with a quick shrug, you nodded.
“yeah, sounds good. she’s alright with me coming?”
you felt an elbow playfully nudge into your arm from the opposite side of you, and you couldn’t say you were very much surprised when you saw who it was.
“don’t be silly. course she is.” beth’s voice sounded over the rest of the girls walking by you. “so you better be there or else i’ll kidnap you myself and force you there.”
you rolled your eyes in amusement, leaning into her embrace when she slid an arm over your shoulder, bringing you into her side.
“i’ll try my best.”
-
arriving at the beattie residence, you were instantly greeted by the woman herself who ushered you into the house with giddiness, clearly she had already had a drink or two in her system which was obvious by her lopsided grin and inability to stop talking as she led you inside. you tried to nod along to her ramblings best as you could, but she was talking so fast you kind of gave up in the end, relieved when you entered dining room full of the other girls who quickly pulled you into hugs, saving you from the one-on-one encounter.
sat at the table was alessia, victoria, caitlin, beth and leah. a few of the other girls were lingering around, katie and lia sat talking on the couch, viv and kyra you could see stood in the kitchen, watching steph as she seemed to be recounting a story with the way her hands were moving wildly with her words. there was music playing though it wasn’t too loud, and there were snacks littered around the house, albeit most of them had been already eaten.
you sat down at the last empty seat at the table, which happened to be between beth and vic, the dutch woman quickly handing you a beverage.
“you’re two drinks behind, time to catch up slacker.” she told you, tapping the top of the can and you rolled your eyes playfully.
“give her chance vic.” beth laughed, “she hasn’t even taken her jacket off yet.”
vic held her hands up in mock defence, “i just want to see if the newbie can outdrink any of us, that’s all.”
“god when is that nickname gonna go away.” you grumbled whilst you opened the can, eyes flashing over to beth who watched your movements. “i blame you for this.”
“me? why me?” she cried out, pointing her finger at herself in question.
“because that’s what you called me when we first met! remember?” you asked her, amused by her reaction. “and since you said it, it’s stuck. how long until i’m no longer a newbie?”
you honestly weren’t that phased by the name, you knew it was only coming from a place of love and that there was no venom behind it, but it was fun to tease the girls, especially beth who had the best reactions.
“i’d give it another few weeks, alessia had to cope with it for about a month so.” caitlin’s voice trailed off as she looked up to the ceiling in thought, “i’d say three more weeks?”
alessia nodded along with the aussie’s guess, “yeah that sounds about right.”
you all laughed at that, and you began drinking from your can as you all found yourselves floating into conversation. you talked about anything and everything, plans for the weekend, what leah had attempted to make for dinner the previous night, how excited vic was for the next season of her favourite show, the game you had just won. chat flowed so easily amongst you all and you couldn’t help the smile that had permanently etched itself onto your face, looking around at everyone you couldn’t believe how easily it had been settling in at this new club.
“what’re you so smiley about?” a yorkshire accent whispered in your ear, and you turned your head to see beth had leaned in to talk more privately.
the newfound close proximity had your heart beating in your chest just a little faster, if you were to lean forward just a few inches more your lips would be on hers. you pushed the thought to the back of your mind as you realised beth was still patiently waiting for a reply, with a raised brow.
“just happy to be here, that’s all.” you confessed.
beth’s face lit up at your answer, clearly happy with it. “good. i’m glad, we’re lucky to have you with us, you’re a proper gunner now.”
not having anything else left to say, you kept your eyes on her for a second longer, admiring the way she stared back at you with a look of fascination that you weren’t used to receiving. you were conflicted. a part of you was glad you were in a room filled with people, if it was just the two of you, you’d no doubt be a blushing, squirming mess with the intensity of her gaze that still had yet to dissipate from you.
but then the other part wished it was just you two, alone. maybe things would happen, things you had been thinking about nonstop for the last three days now. like maybe she’d confess she liked you, that she felt the same way and couldn’t get you out of her mind. then she’d kiss you, it’d be timid and gentle as you both got used to the way the other moved, but you’d eventually ease into it and want to do it for the rest of the night. and the day after that, and the day after that. everyday if you could.
but alas, that was not going to happen anytime soon. so with one last smile towards beth, you finally tore your eyes from her and began to refocus on the conversation that had been ongoing, this time with jen who had sat herself down on leah’s lap.
-
the night flew by, before you knew it the time on your phone read 11:47pm and you knew you’d have to get yourself home soon before it got too late. some of the girls had already left, the only ones remaining being steph, beth, leah, katie and caitlin. you decided you would be the next to leave as you stood from your spot on the couch, where you had moved to when you were called over by katie who wanted your opinion on something she was debating with lia.
jen watched you stand and collect your jacket, a groan of disappointment catching the attention of the others.
“not you as well newbie, come on! when did everyone get so old? you’ve got at least another hour in you.” she complained, as she had done everytime someone announced their departure.
“i know, i know.” you said, “i’m sorry but if i don’t go now there’s a risk i’ll pass out on your couch.”
“no bother, i’ll even get you a blanket if you need.”
you grinned, shaking your head whilst you retrieved up your purse from the dining room table. “as lovely as that sounds, i think i’ll get a better nights sleep if i’m in my own bed. maybe next time?”
jen waved you off, grumbling under her breath but you took no offence to her drunken mannerisms.
“how’re you getting home?”
you looked up from your phone as beth approached you, placing her half finished drink down on the table.
“oh, just gonna get an uber. same way i got here.” you shrugged, opening the app on your phone.
“why don’t i give you a lift home? saves you some money and waiting around.”
you paused as you looked at her again, “are you sure? i don’t want to make you leave early or anything.”
she shook her head instantly, diminishing any worries lingering in your mind that you’d be cutting her night short. “it’s okay i was planning on leaving myself anyways, jenn’s on her fifth drink she’s gonna start getting soppy in a minute. nobody wants to be around for that.”
you giggled at the playful jab, your eyes wandering over to jen who as beth said, was opening her next drink. you almost lost it at the worried glance steph and leah shared but managed to hold it in, instead turning your attention back to beth who was now gathering her own belongings just as you had.
you both bid farewell to the remaining four, and jen who was even more upset when she realised beth was going to be leaving too, going on another short rant about how all her friends are getting old, which entertained you to no end. you missed the way the girls all leaned in, whispering and giggling as you and beth left together, wondering if either of you were gonna stop beating around the bush and finally have a chat about your feelings that were obvious to everyone but the both of you.
you climbed into the passenger seat of beth’s car, telling the woman your address whilst you clicked your seatbelt into place at the same time, both of you happy to find out that you only actually lived a five minute drive from beth’s home.
“means i can come over whenever i want.” she had said, making your imagination run wild at the thought of her showing up at your house so you could hang out together.
the drive wasn’t too long, the journey passing by even faster than expected with beth’s great company as the two of you chatted the whole way, sharing lingering looks a few times throughout. you were almost upset when you pulled up outside your familiar driveway, knowing you probably wouldn’t be seeing beth until monday since you all had the weekend off.
you grabbed your purse, before unbuckling your seatbelt and making a move to get out of the vehicle.
“thank you for the lift, i appreciate it.” you began your goodbyes, hand moving to find the handle of the car door.
“don’t worry about it. i’ll feel a lot better going to bed tonight knowing i watched you walk through your door.” she replied, and you smiled at the heartwarming comment.
you couldn’t comprehend how close you had grown in such a short amount of time.
“well i guess i’ll see you monday then?”
“actually, i was wondering if um.” the blonde paused, swallowing as her eyes began to drift throughout the car, a huge contrast to her usual cool and calm demeanour.
“yeah?” you asked, furrowing your brows.
“i’ve just been thinking, and you can always so no! don’t feel like you have to say yes, there’ll be no hard feelings i swear. i’d just be so annoyed with myself if i went home today knowing i missed this opportunity to ask and-“
“beth, breathe.” you laughed lightly, watching the poor woman ramble on without taking a breath, “you know you can ask me anything, yeah?”
she took in a deep breath and nodded her head, seeming to gather her thoughts for a moment before she turned back to you. now her eyes stayed on you this time as she spoke with more composure.
“i was just wondering if you’d maybe like to meet up, tomorrow or sunday i’m not fussed. i’d like to take you out somewhere, like … on a date?”
your heart pounded in your chest once you brain had registered what beth had just asked you, not expecting a question like that to come from her in a million years. not right now anyways. your mouth fell slightly agape, your grip on the door handle faltering, whilst you attempted to come up with some form of response before it began to get awkward.
but it took you longer than beth liked, so she retreated in her spot and shook her head in disappointment. “it’s okay, i get it. i just thought i’d ask, i don’t even know if you like girls! i’m sorry i-“
you cut her off once again, this time with a more physical interruption rather than verbal. you surged forward, a random fluke of confidence overtaking your usually timid self that you wanted to act on before it left you again. you grabbed ahold of the blondes face at either side, shutting her up mid sentence just in time for your lips to collide with her own with urgency.
her lips were soft against yours, and you could taste the strawberry chapstick you had seen her reapplying a few times during the night as you relaxed into the display of affection. it had taken her a second to kiss back, obviously not expecting you to be so forward, especially after she was so sure you were about to reject her. but once she did, it made the kiss even more enjoyable, her lips worked against yours as if you’d done this before, several times.
you were half enticed to take the kiss a step further, with how good it felt you weren’t wanting to part anytime soon. but when a car drove past, it’s headlights shining through your eyelids, you were made aware of the fact that you were both still very much sat outside of your house, in her car, where anyone could peek in and see you making out with the footballer.
so, reluctantly you pulled back, breathing heavily as you fought to reclaim all the oxygen in your lungs that had ran out during the kiss.
“well.” beth breathed, a smile now working its way onto her slightly swollen lips. “i wasn’t expecting that.”
you both fell into a round of laughter, both just as shocked at how the night had turned around. you never imagined that waking up today, you would end the night by kissing the arsenal striker after she had asked you on a date.
“it’s a yes by the way, if it wasn’t already obvious.”
“hmm?”
“i’d love to go on a date with you beth.”
that noticeably cheered up the woman immensely, she perked up in her seat and the smile you had been obsessing over recently doubled in size. she reached over the console and grabbed ahold of your hand, bringing the back of it to her face so she could press a gentle peck to your knuckles.
“great. i’ll message you tomorrow and we can plan it, yeah?” she said, and you nodded in agreement.
“sounds like a plan.”
with that, you reached for your purse and turned to leave once again, this time less disheartened about having to abandon the woman beside you now that you knew you’d be back together sooner rather than later.
you climbed out, shutting the door behind you before you turned to lean a tad through the open window. “get home safe.”
“i will, don’t worry. i’ll message you when i’m in.”
“yes please do.” you smiled gratefully, “i’ll see you later.”
“bye gorgeous.”
your cheeks burned at the compliment, already liking the turn in your relationship. beth noticed the darker shade in your face and laughed, making you tutt in faux offence as you turned your back on her.
“hey now! none of that. if you can’t handle something as simple as that then you’re gonna hate what i give you on our date.”
“as long as i’m getting fed free food at the same time, i don’t think i’ll care too much.”
again, the blonde laughed and you revelled in how much she seemed to enjoy your humour, the moment taking you back to when you first met her, when you had managed to make her laugh within the first ten minutes.
it was safe to say, signing over to arsenal was easily the best decision you had made in your entire life.
#woso#woso community#arsenal wfc#awfc#woso x reader#beth mead#beth mead x reader#beth mead one shot#woso imagine#woso one shot#awfc one shot#awfc imagine#awfc x reader#lionesses one shot#lionesses x reader
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Midnight | Chapter 24 FINAL | S.R
Previous Chapter
Summary - eighteen months after narrowly escaping the motel explosion, finally you and Spencer seem to have found your happy ending. But old habits die hard and you can’t help but keep one last secret from him.
Pairing - unsub! Spencer Reid / Fem! Reader
Category - dark angst | smut | very eventual happy ending
Warnings - explosions, fires, burns, scars, swearing, secrets, injuries.
WC - 4k
Chapter 24 - Partners in Crime
Eighteen Months Later
Luke Alvez squeezed his eyes shut tightly against the assault of a headache pressing against his temples. They happened less frequently now, maybe only about once every few weeks but it didn’t make them any less of a pain.
When he closed his eyes he was met by the same scene he’d pictured every time he closed his eyes for the last year and a half. Spencer’s face contorted into a malicious smile as he’d pulled that trigger and disappeared inside that vent as the little Cave Creek motel room exploded into flames.
The sound of the gun going off and the gasoline igniting, Emily’s screams from somewhere behind him to get down echoed in his mind along with the ringing in his ears that hadn’t been silenced for days following.
Luke was, as the doctors and nurses and all his team kept telling him, lucky. Lucky, what an incredibly frivolous summation. Lucky. He was lucky he hadn’t been more seriously injured, lucky to have gotten out of there alive.
Lucky.
Lucky that his old teammate, his old friend, hadn't killed him. He knew they were only trying to help but Luke didn’t feel lucky. Not in the slightest.
He opened his eyes as the dull throb continued at his temples, one of the side effects from the blast that had thrown him halfway across the motel room. His eyes landed on the backs of his hands still poised over the keyboard and the scarred skin he had to look at every day.
Again he’d been lucky that in trying to drag himself from the fire that he’d only sustained second degree burns on his hands. He’d had to wear bandages for nearly three weeks after the event and have his wounds treated regularly before the blisters started to scar.
It didn’t hurt anymore, but they were a constant reminder of that day. They were a twisted memento of the day he failed to save you, and unfortunately for him it wasn’t the only one.
After eighteen months sightings of you and Spencer were few and far between. At first the tips had come in thick and fast, people claiming to have seen the two of you anywhere from Florida to the Outer Hebrides. For a long time Luke had lost his belief that they would ever find you.
And some days he thought maybe that was for the best. You’d made your choice and him and the BAU weren’t it. Maybe one day he’d be able to accept that and move on with his life.
He heard a door open across the room and braced himself for what was to come without looking up from his hands.
“We’ve got a case.” Emily’s voice carried across the bullpen followed by the shuffling of chairs and footsteps.
Luke exhaled and forced his eyes onto his computer screen, hand moving to his mouse and shuffling the cursor over to the little X on the corner of the window. Before he closed it, he took one last look at the message on his screen, a rare smile pulling at the corner at his lips.
If anyone was to find out about this he could lose his job and honestly the FBI was the only thing he had left these days. But admittedly, he wasn’t sure he cared anymore. He’d taken a vow to uphold the laws of this country but some things were more important than that.
He read the brief message over again in his head. Maybe he was going soft, but maybe he also knew that even Penelope Garcia herself wouldn’t be able to trace this and therefore it would be fruitless letting the rest of the team in on this.
He glanced over his shoulder and removed his hand from the mouse. Once he was sure no one was nearby he typed a quick reply before hitting send and pushed his chair back. When he looked up, JJ was standing over him like he knew she would be, the same melancholy smile on her face she gave him every damn day.
He allowed her to take him by his scarred hands and help him to his feet. He’d stopped fighting it by now. At first he’d found it humiliating, but after a year and a half he’d stopped opposing his friend's help. It did make his life easier after all.
Once he was on his feet she handed him the cane that was resting against his desk and he nodded his thanks to her. She motioned for him to go ahead, always letting him go first so she could be behind him just in case he stumbled.
He closed his eyes again as he leant his weight on his good leg, the ringing in his ears almost immediately returning as he did so, accompanied by the bright orange flash from the blast. And then another sound entered his field of consciousness.
“Alvez? Alvez? Luke!” Emily screamed to be heard over the chaos, trying to duck under the fire to see him.
“I’m ok.” He coughed, smoke instantly starting to fill his lungs. “He went out the vent, send the team round the back!”
“I’m not leaving you here!” She called back from just inside the motel door.
“I’m fine, Prentiss!” But he wasn’t fine and he knew it.
When he tried to move an agonising pain shot up his left leg. He managed to internalise his yelp so as not to worry Emily but the pain made him dizzy.
“I am not leaving you here!” She yelled back, coughing a little herself as she tried to waft the smoke out of her face.
“Prentiss I said-“
“Never leave a man behind.” She cut him off, knowing she was speaking his language.
He tried to move again but his leg wouldn’t allow him to stand. The fire was spreading, getting closer to him with every passing second. He turned towards the door where he could just about make out the faint outline of Emily through the thick plumes of smoke.
If he didn’t do something soon he would die here.
“I think I can get to you.” He tried to sound more determined than he felt.
He covered his mouth and nose with the sleeve of his shirt to try and limit the intake of fumes into his lungs. He rolled onto his stomach to keep himself low to the ground and using his free hand he started pulling himself towards the door.
He felt like he was dragging a dead weight. The heat in the room was stifling and every part of him thought it would be easier to just give up. But he knew he couldn’t.
Behind him the sound of ripping plaster filled his ears seconds before he heard the crash of another explosion and the floor beneath him shook.
He whimpered a little, tears filling his eyes and hindering his vision even more so than the smoke was already doing as he clawed his way forward.
“Follow my voice, Alvez. I’m right here!” Emily shouted, getting down on the floor herself and reaching blindly through the grey blanket of smog.
Luke saw her fingers brushing against the carpet and desperately tried to reach for her but the pain coursing through his leg was nearly debilitating. But he had to press on, he had to get out of here.
He coughed against his sleeve trying to focus on the smell of his laundry detergent as he used the thick, old shag carpet to pull himself forward. Eventually he felt Emily’s hand gripping his wrist and she helped tug him through the wall of smoke just as the fire rumbled and spread to the soles of his shoes.
She yanked him across the threshold of the motel and into the fresh air outside. Another set of strong arms suddenly wrapped around his upper torso and carried him across the parking lot until he was far enough away from the blaze ripping apart the little motel room.
Once he was released, Luke collapsed onto the tarmac, spluttering and coughing, trying to gasp for the clean air to refill his aching lungs. He rolled onto his back and looked upwards. Emily and Matt were crouched over him, Emily’s hand coming to rest on his cheek.
“You scared me there, Alvez.” She smiled but he noticed the tears behind her eyes.
“Told you I was fine.” He coughed again. “Did you get them?”
“Don’t worry about that right now. For now you need to-”
“Did you get them?” He cut her off and her expression told him exactly what she was going to say before she said it.
“No, they got away.”
“Prentiss?” Matt’s voice spoke up. Emily let go of Luke’s face and turned to the other man who was kneeling by Luke’s side. “We need a medic, asap.”
Matt’s voice was so quiet Luke barely heard him over the sound of the commotion going on around him. But he knew by the pain rapidly worsening in his left leg that Matt was right.
But before Luke had a chance to hear anymore, the pain consumed him and his eyes fluttered closed despite his attempts to keep them open. And he must have blacked out, because the next he would be conscious of would be waking up in a hospital bed.
He was lucky to ever have been able to walk again. The doctors had told him when he’d woken up in hospital that he may be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. But Luke had beaten the odds because he was lucky.
He would probably never walk unaided, without the use of his cane and he would always have a limp. He could no longer go out into the field with the rest of the team. But he was lucky because he could walk, the damages sustained to his leg when he’d been tossed across the room in the blast hadn’t completely ruined his life.
Because he was lucky.
Some fucking luck.
***
The soft breeze came in through the open balcony door, causing the net curtains to flutter. From the bed came a grumble as he raked his hair back from his sweaty forehead. Even the wind was hot.
Sometimes he wondered why, of all the places in the world, they’d chosen to live somewhere so freaking hot. Growing up in Vegas he’d gotten used to hot climates but this was something else entirely.
Spencer Reid was not built for the heat.
Sound from downstairs wafted through the open bedroom door and he knew if he didn’t get himself up soon then it would only be a matter of time before he was forcibly removed from this bed.
He rolled onto his side, the thin bed sheet clinging to his sweat slicked naked body as he did so and having to physically peel it off of himself so he could get up.
He passed through to the en-suite and jumped straight in the shower, running the water particularly cold to the point it was enough to cause goosebumps to flare on his skin. God how he missed being cold sometimes.
After his shower he grabbed a towel off of the rail and slung it around his waist. He looked at himself in the mirror over the sink, a hand instinctively raising to run through his ever growing facial hair. It didn’t help with the heat but he really liked the way it looked on him, and he knew he wasn’t the only one who appreciated it. It also helped to disguise his appearance because he never knew when someone might recognise him.
He dried himself off before dressing in a pair of shorts, possibly the first pair he’d ever owned in his life, and a polo shirt. He swept his damp hair back off of his face before leaving the room.
The house was large and airy, neutral coloured walls and carpet and minimal furniture. It was a world away from his pokey, dark apartment in DC, but it suited this new era of his life.
As he made his way down the stairs the sounds grew louder. The French doors were propped open, if he listened close enough he could hear the distant cadence of the sea lapping at the shoreline.
You had your back to him, standing on a chair whilst trying to tack something to the wall. He smiled to himself and approached with caution.
You wore a long, flowy pale yellow sundress covered in flowers. Your hair, which you’d dyed for the same reason he grew out his beard, shone in the sunlight beaming through the windows.
“You know,” he spoke as he closed in on you, placing his hands on your hips and gently tugging you off of the chair and onto the floor. “I’m tall enough to hang that without being a hazard. You could have waited.”
You turned to face him, pouting your bottom lip at him in a way that always made him chuckle.
“If you didn’t sleep so damn late maybe I could have.” You huffed which caused him to laugh harder.
“Maybe if someone hadn’t kept me up all night, I might not have slept so damn late.” He gently kissed your forehead and moved past you to grab the end of the sign you’d been trying to tack up.
You huffed again at the ease in which he was able to do a job you’d struggled with. He stepped back and looked up at the banner as he wrapped an arm around your shoulders and pulled you close.
“See how easy that was?” He chuckled lightly.
“You don’t need to be smug.” You grumbled.
“No one’s being smug, it’s called teamwork.”
“Hmm.” You rolled your eyes but got up on your tiptoes to kiss him all the same. “Did I thank you for your willingness to be kept up all night?”
“I’m not sure I was willing but it was only fair.” He smiled softly at you. “You do owe me a night of being kept up for other reasons though.”
“Maybe one day. When she’s in college.” You teased him.
“Only seventeen years to go until I can have crazy all night sex with my wife. Super.” He laughed, kissing you once more before sidestepping you. “And speaking of, where is the beautiful birthday girl who kept me awake all night?”
The little girl squealed from her highchair as soon as her father turned to face her, her chubby little legs swinging back and forth in excitement. Spencer beamed at his daughter as he picked her up and spun her around, causing her to giggle, before he held her closely to his chest.
“Happy birthday my sweet princess.” He placed a kiss on her mop of curly hair which she most certainly got from him.
He turned around and used his free arm to wrap around you, holding both of his girls close whilst looking back up at the banner proclaiming “Happy 1st Birthday Lilith.”
It wasn’t an easy life, that was for sure. Being on the run with a child was never going to be ideal. But Spencer relished in these moments with his two favourite people in the entire world snuggled against him. For this moment at least he could forget the fact it could come crumbling down any second.
The two of you had fled the country in a blaze of glory after Spencer had narrowly avoided going up in flames with the motel room. You managed to get a flight using the fake passports you’d gotten back in Virginia when you’d first embarked on this journey before the BAU had locked down all airports in a hundred mile radius.
You leased this house under the names on the passports; Troy and Daisy Malone. Your daughter was born in the local hospital and although she was legally Lilith Diana Malone, she would always be a Reid in Spencer’s mind.
Daisy Malone volunteered three days a week at Lilith’s nursery while Troy worked full time at a research facility. The adjustment was made a lot easier for him given he already spoke the language. But the irony was not lost on you at how many years Luke had tried to teach you Spanish and it had taken fleeing the US for you to finally learn it.
Spencer had gone on the straight and narrow, he hadn’t had any of his murderous inclinations since the two of you left Arizona. He was calmer, his previous anger at the world seemingly left behind in the states. He was finally the man you knew in your days at the BAU, the old Spencer Reid. And even though it wasn’t the dream scenario, you were happier than you’d ever been.
There would never be a day that the two of you wouldn’t constantly be looking over your shoulders, living in fear that the front door could come crashing down at any minute and the three of you would be ripped apart. But you just had to take every day as it came and make the most of the time you had together.
“So, what does the birthday girl want to do today?” Spencer tickled Lilith under her chin making the girl giggle again.
“Well mommy is going to be making a birthday cake and I could really do with focusing on this, because as you know I am not much of a baker.” You gave him a look.
“Understood.” Spencer smiled at you. “Maybe Lil would like to go to the beach while mommy bakes?”
“I think she would love that.” You nodded, rounding the counter and pulling the recipe up on your laptop.
“She would, or you would love the alone time?” He smirked at you, jiggling Lilith in his arms.
“Both.” You shrugged.
Spencer chuckled and came around the counter, placing a soft kiss on your forehead. You cupped his jaw in one hand, running your fingernails through his facial hair.
“Have I told you recently how much I like this beard?” You hummed against his lips as he kissed you again.
“Only every day for the last eighteen months.” He laughed, stroking your hair back from your face. “Have I told you recently how much I like this hair colour?”
“Only every day for the last eighteen months.” You laughed too.
You placed a kiss on your daughter's cheek before Spencer went about finding shoes for both him and Lilith while you read through your recipe again, only partially understanding what was being asked of you.
“You owe me for this by the way, it's hot as hell out there.” Spencer called from where he was hovering by the back door, sitting Lilith in her stroller and pulling the cover over the top to shield her from the sun's rays.
“Hey, Puerto Rico was not my first choice of hideaway destination.” You shrugged at him.
“So that’s a no to a birthday blowjob?” He teased.
“Ask me again on your birthday.” You rolled your eyes.
“See you soon, my partner in crime.” He winked at you as he took the handles of the stroller and wheeled your daughter out the backdoor.
You smiled to yourself, your hand instinctively coming up to toy with the rose gold heart around your neck which you had never taken off to this day. It wasn’t an easy life, but Spencer made it seem so simple.
Yours was a tale of reckless love from the start. It was funny to think back, to waiting for Spencer on the other side of that motel vent and thinking there was no way you would all make it out of there alive. You still remembered the way you’d screamed when you heard the explosion and then the relief that had washed over you when he dropped out of the vent and onto the concrete.
As he’d smiled at you and gripped you by the hand and the two of you started to run, the words he’d said that day still echoed through you.
“Until death do us part, princess. I’ll never leave you so easily.”
Lovers and partners. Partners in life and in crime. Until death do you part.
You let go of the necklace and turned your attention back to the laptop screen just as an incoming message popped up. Your eyes flitted back up to make sure Spencer was gone before you clicked into it. You tried not to make a habit of lying to him anymore but some things were better kept a secret.
A clock started to chime from upstairs and you focused on each one and counted them up to twelve as the morning ticked by into the afternoon. Twelve o clock. It happened twice a day but for so long you’d let yourself be ruled by the shadowy midday counterpart. Because sometimes there was no darker place than our thoughts, the moonless midnight of the mind.
But you were starting to see that midnight also offered its own kind of solace, the dawn of each new day bringing with it the dawn of hope. Even if you’d always be bound by your past mistakes, always doomed to have to watch your back.
However that didn’t seem all that bad when you had Spencer and Lilith in your corner, your dawns; your hopes.
You had a smile on your face as you clicked into the message and read the brief text on your screen. Having Spencer and Lilith on your side was one thing, but having an extra ally never hurt either.
Reaching out to him several months ago could have been your biggest downfall but deep down you’d always known you could trust him with your life. And as always, he didn’t disappoint you.
As you read over the single line of the message, you were sure you could even still hear his voice in your head as he wished you and Spencer’s little conejito a happy first birthday.
You'll never take us alive.
We swore that death will do us part,
They'll call our crimes a work of art.
You'll never take us alive.
We'll live like spoiled royalty, lovers and partners,
Partners in crime.
Partners in crime.
This, the tale of, reckless love,
Living a life of crime on the run.
I brush to a gun to paint these states?
Green and red.
Everybody freeze,
Nobody move.
Put the money in the bag,
Or we will shoot.
Empty out the vault,
And me and my doll will be on our way.
Our paper faces flood the streets,
And if the heat comes close enough to burn ,
Then we'll play with fire 'cause,
You'll never take us alive.
We swore that death will do us part,
They'll call our crimes a work of art.
You'll never take us alive.
We'll live like spoiled royalty, lovers and partners,
Partners in crime,
Partners in crime.
Here we find our omnipotent outlaws,
Fall behind the grind tonight.
Left unaware that the lone store owner,
Won't go down without a fight.
Where we gonna go,
He's got us pinned.
Baby I'm a little scared,
Now, don't you quit.
He's sounded the alarm?
I hear the sirens closing in,
Our paper faces flood the streets,
And if the heat comes close enough to burn,
Then we're burning this place to the ground 'cause,
You'll never take us alive.
We swore that death will do us part,
They'll call our crimes a work of art.
You'll never take us alive,
We'll live like spoiled royalty, lovers and partners,
Partners in crime.
The skies are black with lead-filled rain,
A morbid painting on display.
This is the night the young love died,
Buried at each other's side.
You never took us alive.
We swore that death would do us part,
So now we haunt you in the dark.
You never took us alive,
We live as ghosts among these streets,
Lovers and partners.
Partners in crime.
Partners in crime.
Partners in crime.
@bubblebuttwade @jay-2s-world @daddy-dotcom @nomajdetective @rebelliousstories
#unsub spencer#spencer reid#spencer reid fanfic#spencer reid fanfiction#spencer reid x reader#spencer reid x fem! reader#spencer reid x you#spencer reid x y/n#criminal minds#criminal minds fanfiction
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Why You're Wrong About Rachel Zegler
This is a long post, but there's a lot of context missing from the Rachel Zegler "discourse" that I thought I could add with my history of watching this unfold from the beginning.
The Snow White Thing
You probably know this part. There's a curated video of Rachel going viral, framed to make her seem like she's never seen Snow White, she hates the story, she hates the character, she's ungrateful, and single-handedly ruined Disney's brand. The clips from these videos are not new— they were released nearly a year ago in September 2022 and nobody cared about them at the time. Why? Because all the full interviews she did that day at the Disney Exo in 2022 showed a young, charming woman who was excited and proud to be cast in an iconic role. The interviews were very well received and it was a non story. Now that it's been edited down and cut together in a malicious way, and the people sharing them are purposefully misquoting her, they've twisted the context. Normally, this would be a non controversy. Even if that video wasn't taken out of context and spliced together to make her seem like she hates the film, most people wouldn't care. The issue is the response to the video.
Let's get this out of the way: Rachel Zegler doesn't hate Snow White. She relayed that she was afraid of the forest scene as a child and didn't revisit it again until after she was cast in the role. She has since then watched it several times and has expressed for YEARS before that interview came out that she was incredibly honored and grateful to be playing such an iconic Disney princess. If you watch the full videos that those clips came from, this comes across immediately to anyone with their own mind. If you hate someone for being scared of something as a child, I don't know what to tell you. If the role was being given to the biggest Snow White fan, you would be correct that she doesn't deserve it. Unfortunately for you, this role requires talent and Rachel has the Golden Globe and critical acclaim from people who matter within the industry (her peers and critics).






You know who does hate their beloved characters in beloved franchises but the general public still applauds them? Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Daniel Craig, and Robert Pattinson. They've all expressed outright contempt for the roles and the films they were part of, but nobody cared. People had fun with their quotes but they still respected them. Rachel said nothing even closely resembling their remarks, but she's being torn to shreds. Are we seeing a pattern here?
Rachel never said a single bad thing about the character or the animated film— she said that it was outdated and that set people over the edge, foaming at the mouth to have her burned at the stake. If you think it would be perfectly fine to have a movie about an abused 14 year old girl run away to play housemaid for a bunch of men, get kissed in her sleep/death by an adult man, and then wake up to fall into his arms in 2024, that's certainly a hot take. If you're against remakes, direct your ire at Disney. But if you truly think that plot would work with young girls today, you're the one who's out of touch. It would do far more harm than good to portray a young woman in that light.
She also never said that there was anything wrong with romance or love. She said that the new Snow White wasn't only dreaming of that. I can't stress enough that this wasn't her decision… she was describing the plot of the new film that was written by Greta Gerwig and approved by Disney. There's a prince in the film and he will also have a more developed personality and storyline. If you have a problem with the writing, wait until it comes out so you can write your strongly worded letter to Greta. If you have a problem with the concept in general, take it up with Disney. There's no need for you to be defensive over hurting the legacy of a multi-billion dollar company or a 87 year old cartoon written by a proud racist antisemite. This is the most confusing part of the hate campaign to me because it wasn't even her opinion— she was literally describing the plot of the film she had nothing to do with. It also isn't a new thing. Disney actors have been promoting their newer films this way for years.
It's perfectly okay to like things that are problematic. It's becoming an issue that we refuse to acknowledge that maybe some things we love are harmful. What we can't do is justify why it's not problematic, and in fact everyone who calls it out is the problem and NOT their precious cartoon. The 1937 Snow White was an amazing feat of animation. It's a classic for a reason. But it was also Hitler's favorite film and was directed by a white supremacist (the one who is "rolling in his grave" due to Rachel's existence, according to his son). Things don't exist in a vacuum and we can't ignore the bad parts.
How We Got Here:
The thing that everyone is missing is the source of this campaign. This started in September of 2020 when transphobic actor Gina Carano made fun of trans people by changing her pronouns to beep/bop.boop. Rachel indirectly called her out by coming to the defense of the trans community.
She never called out Gina by name (though she rightfully could have). Mind you, Rachel's first film hadn't come out yet. Nobody knew who she was outside of those of us who were anticipating West Side Story and were fans of her covers on YouTube. She was a "nobody" in the industry. Take this part with a grain of salt because I can't confirm it, but Gina and her fans directly blame Rachel for her being banned from Twitter. Again, I really don't think that matters as she's harmful to the trans community and shouldn't have a platform. What does matter is that fans of Gina (which, let's be real, are just fans of transphobia) have been stalking Rachel's every move since then. Unfortunately for them, there wasn't much they could use against her other than to call her woke and #snowbrown when she was cast a year later as the Disney princess. The noise has always been there, but unless you were a fan of hers, you probably didn't hear about it. It wasn't until two years after this that they had something else against her.
If you've recently seen a video of Rachel crying circulating that claims to be her reaction to the recent Snow White backlash, it's an old video. It's from a vlog from her youtube channel posted in June 2022. It was in response to these exact same transphobic anti-woke conservatives who thought that they had something when she did an interview on the red carpet of the Shazam premiere. When asked why she joined the DC universe, she responded "I needed a job." It was generally well received by most people who thought it was cute and funny, but those who were waiting in the shadows latched onto it as an excuse to send her death threats.
The video was also about a month after she was invited to present at the 2022 Oscars and was made to seem like she bullied the Academy (as a no name newcomer, mind you) into letting her attend. In reality, a fan left a comment on her Instagram asking what she was wearing to the event. She responded that she wasn't invited but would be rooting for everyone from her couch in her boyfriend's pajamas. It was the public who demanded she get an invite and the Oscar's must have agreed that it was very odd that the lead actress of a film that was nominated for Best Film wouldn't get an invite. Whether it was an oversight on their part or a scheduling issue with Rachel's filming, I truly think there was no malicious intent from either party. Keep in mind, she used to be very active with her fans (she's a huge fangirl of things herself and has always had a strong relationship with her fans) and she wasn't used to her comments becoming articles and national tv segments. This was the first time it happened to her. It appears she learned that she's not just a girl who posts on YouTube anymore and she's going to be put under a microscope for every move she makes. She has since shut down her Instagram comments and rarely interacts with fans outside of liking comments these days because of this.
I know this is long, but I need people to understand where this is all coming from. It didn't just happen out of nowhere. It's an orchestrated campaign built by violent conservatives, and thousands of women who saw Barbie this summer are hopping on the bandwagon to beat another woman into submission because they have a lot of internalized misogyny to deal with. She's not smug, you just hate women. It's okay to find people annoying, but it's valuable to look into why you think that. If you see a confident young woman expressing views that don't actually harm anyone and you think she needs to be "humbled" and "put in her place" by the entire internet dogpiling her, you've lost your mind. Using "body language experts" (fake job) to diagnose her as a psychopath is so vile. Everytime someone mentions her name online, the comments beneath it are full of the most violent, misogynistic, racist things I've ever seen. If you're contributing to that, you've chosen your side. Reevaluate or seek help.
I'm tired of seeing this happen to young women. We let this happen to Jennifer Lawrence, Brie Larson, Millie Bobby Brown, Halle Bailey, and Jenna Ortega. It's one thing to call out celebrities and hold them accountable when they're doing something actively harmful, but that's not what this is about. That's never been what this is about. We pick these girls to pieces and examine them and pull them apart to justify our hatred of young women who rise to success too quickly for our liking. We dogpile and try to stamp out the flame before they burn too bright. Barbie is still in theaters and you all loved it, yet you're demanding that a bright girl with a big future be small and submissive and humbled because you have issues. That's not feminism. You're just the girls who would have bullied Weird Barbie for using her hands too much when she talks.
#rachel zegler#snow white#disney#barbie#rachelzegler#there's also misinformation about her standing up for ansel elgort which isn't true#sorry but she hates that man#you're thinking about ariana debose who defended him#we'll get into that later
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I'm very excited to add a new character to the Far From Home roster and introduce you to my salesman-turned-conman, Auvellius Phibbs!
I've been chipping away at this on and off for a little over two months, so it feels incredibly satisfying to finally release this man into the world XD I've actually had Auvellius for more than two years but it's just taken me a while to find my footing with his refs (which might make more sense if you continue reading). Still, he's only the fourth of six crew mates planned for FFH's main cast so I've got more work to do down the line. Hopefully the refs for the two remaining ladies won't take nearly as long as this schmuck, haha!
Auvellius has some fun albeit lengthy lore, so more info can be found below for those interested c:
Auvellius Phibbs used to be a salesman and was pretty well known throughout the vast network of galaxies, mainly due to his connections with a plethora of wealthy clientele. He maintained good relations with his clients and upheld a good reputation - even if his dealings weren't exactly good. However, something mysterious happens while meeting with one of his clients which causes him to be accused of swiping an important possession from the buyer, so now he's on the run from the client's cronies who plan to cut him down and take back what he stole. He eventually (reluctantly) abandons his salesman shtick due to the circumstances and finds himself in a life of swindling and petty crime, a change which comes easily thanks to his existing skills.
In actuality, Auvellius didn't steal anything...rather he was infected with an alien parasite when it forcibly entered his body as a means of escaping its prison. The particular client Auvellius was working with owned somewhat of a personal (and definitely unethical) zoo for rare and exotic creatures, and the sentient parasite Kresh was fed up with being trapped there. So taking advantage of Auvellius' ignorance and proximity, Kresh used his remaining strength to slip through an unseen flaw in his enclosure and wormed his way into Auvellius' body, forcing the salesman to become his host. Despite being at odds in those first moments of connection, Kresh managed to latch onto Auvellius's mind and mentally persuaded him to escape, seeing as his client was bent on subduing both of them.
Due to the unique nature of his species, Kresh has the ability to meld with Auvellius' body on both a mental and physiological level. This means he can integrate himself into all of Auvellius' internal systems/processes, as well as communicate with Auvellius freely through a shared mental link.
The two are able to escape Auvellius' client together only because of a new ability granted to Auvellius by Kresh's presence; when Auvellius intentionally relinquishes control of his body and Kresh takes his place, Auvellius can undergo a transformation that allows him to grow three times in size. With this size comes a new strength and some extra physical features. Kresh can only work with the canvas he's given, so Auvellius' parasite form closely resembles his original body in many ways.
Whenever Kresh is in control, Auvellius is still present as a voice in the back of his head - much like how Kresh sounds to Auvellius on a regular basis. In general Auvellius must be willing to let Kresh take over for any change to occur, which requires trust from both parties. Unfortunately, the two don't get along super well at first thanks to their highly conflicting personalities. Auvellius and Kresh realize they need to learn to tolerate each other if they're going to work together and be a successful team.
Unlike what one might expect, Kresh doesn't have any malicious intentions or uncontrollable habits as a parasite. In fact, he's actually the voice of reason between him and Auvellius. His direct needs involve staying connected to a host and getting the chance to 'stretch his legs' by taking control every once in a while, rather than siphoning energy or resources. So protecting Auvellius is a very good thing. Auvellius himself is a shady, narcissistic sweet-talker who gets himself into trouble quite often (as is typical for a conman), and Kresh often ends up advising against his decisions with an unexpected wisdom. It's a fun twist compared to what's generally expected from fictional alien parasites.
There's more I could share but for fear of rambling on too long, that's the gist of it. I really look forward to doing more with these two down the line!
#Baz#Gerdie#Toko#Auvellius#Kresh#Far From Home#oc tag#yes Auvellius counts as one main character despite being the host to another character XD#gosh this took FOREVER#I'm so glad it's done#I've been dying to share Auvellius with more than just close friends#and I'm *still* dying to share [redacted] but she needs a lot of work#one small victory at a time
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Reading the Ginny, Luna thought. I have a question, can you rank the Weasleys? From least to your favourite one, and your thoughts about each one of them. Why you like them. what made you dislike them. and the general what do you think of the Weasleys as a whole? I personally don't really like them, but I also don't hate them, I respect them. As I do with every other character that's not Harry, Luna, or Severus.
Well, I'm a bit more loving towards the Weasleys than you are since I'm at least okay with most of them. I think they're not as perfect of a family as some fans think, but I don't think they're as bad as some bashers say they are. I think they are flawed and human and I wouldn't have written them differently for this story if I had the chance to (for the most part). Now, when it comes to my favorite, I know Muriel is a Prewett, but if we're counting her, then she's my favorite. I live for her gossip. But if I'm just ranking the main nine these are my highly subjective opinions about them:
9. Ginny Weasley
I have already explained that I don't like Ginny many times. I find her incredibly annoying.
I don't like her attitude, I don't like how she treats Luna, Harry, Ron, and even Hernione. I despise how she acts towards fluer. She is arrogant as a facade without much to back her behavior up and she's trying to be someone she isn't for all the wrong reasons.
I think she fails at being a well-written love interest, and I dislike her as a person. So she's obviously last.
8. Arthur Weasley
Spots 5-8 were hard to rate since they're kinda the same. Unlike Ginny, it's not that I dislike them. I just don't like them as much as the other Weasleys. Mostly, my feelings about them are just not as intense.
I placed Arthur last here because I think he's kinda stupid. Like, with this scene:
“Harry said good-bye to you,” he said. “Didn’t you hear him?” “It doesn’t matter,” Harry muttered to Mr. Weasley. “Honestly, I don’t care.” Mr. Weasley did not remove his hand from Harry’s shoulder. “You aren’t going to see your nephew till next summer,” he said to Uncle Vernon in mild indignation. “Surely you’re going to say good-bye?”
(GoF, 48)
He's either malicious or an idiot. I'd rather believe that he's an idiot. Unfortunately, I don't like well-meaning idiots that much because I have a competence kink and I like my characters intelligent and capable.
So Arthur is here for the crime of not being to my taste in fictional characters.
7. Molly Weasley
I think she's fine, I don't think she's an amazing mother the way some portray her, but I think she truly loves her kids and Harry and does what she believes is best for them, even when it's not the case.
I think she's a realistic portrayal of a person who grew up the way she did (+ how she was affected by the first war and her brothers' deaths)
I think there's a lot of interesting stuff that could be explored with her character that the fandom kinda ignores, actually. I mean, she's a Prewett. The Prewetts seem to be a way more respected family than the Weasleys. Muriel's behavior, her tiara, and the fact Lucretia Black was allowed to marry Ignatius Prewett — all paint the picture that the Prewetts were a semi-wealthy, well-respected pureblood family. And then Molly goes and marries Arthur, which probably changes her entire lifestyle. Like, idk, I think you can do interesting stuff with this.
5. Bill Weasley
Bill is the cool older brother, and that's basically it. There are some things you can extrapolate into a more interesting character, the fact he left home as soon as he could, his rebellion against his mom (haircut and marrying Fleur), him being a Curse Breaker and therefore having really good grades. He probably studied Ancient Runes and Arithmancy and is an academic guy. I mean, Curse Breakers are basically nerds who like danger far away from home.
Unfortunately for Bill, he's just kinda boring to me. I like him well enough for what he is, he's just a little bland to my taste. I don't have anything interesting to chew on.
5. Percy Weasley
I think Percy can be pretentious and annoying, but he didn't deserve any of the shit he got from his family. I appreciate that he is a critical thinker capable of thinking outside of what his parents tell him, even if he ended up being wrong, his conclusions weren't illogical. He is intelligent, he just makes mistakes, like people do.
I think he is pretty brave for sticking to his guns, to what's important to him and who he really is even when he's constantly made fun of for it. Like, some fans say he should be a Slytherin for ambition, but, I think he is brave, just, not in the way we usually associate with Gryfffindor. I mean, you need to be brave to be a stickler to the rules in Gryffindor, we see how he and Hermione are treated in their house. Plus, everything that went down with him and the family is super interesting. I'm just, not super passionate about his character.
4. Charlie Weasley
Okay, he's the first I actively like on this list. Charlie is basically Bill, but shorter, more autistic, and his special interest is dragons. I think he takes the formula of Bill's character and improves upon it tremendously even though we see way less of him.
There is nothing deep about my love for Charlie. I just think he's cute and I agree with him. Dragons are awesome and if I lived in the Wizarding World I'd probably be a wandmaker, but taming dragons is such a cool profession and would be like number 3 on my list of preferred professions (after magical theorist, assuming that's a thing).
2 & 3. Fred & George Weasley
I like the twins, I think they're funny and I'm not choosing which twin is better, that ain't happening. There is nothing deep about my liking of them as characters either, I just think they're neat. I genuinely find them funny and while they can definitely be cruel, they are being cruel in a world where violence is much more acceptable since most of it can be fixed with a swish of a wand or a drop of potion.
I'm not saying they don't have their flaws, but I find them charming. Also, they clearly can be considerate:
“It’s a simple matter of causing a diversion. Now, you might have noticed that we have been rather quiet on the mayhem front during the Easter holidays?” [George] “What was the point, we asked ourselves, of disrupting leisure time?” continued Fred. “No point at all, we answered ourselves. And of course, we’d have messed up people’s studying too, which would be the very last thing we’d want to do.” He gave Hermione a sanctimonious little nod. She looked rather taken aback by this thoughtfulness.
(OotP, 657)
They're also so smart with their inventions. Like, they invent spells and potions and could probably get these coveted 12 NEWTs if they wanted to, they just don't care for academics for academics first. And they're not just smart magically, they are clever, and they can start and run a successful business.
And they clearly think for themselves outside of their family's opinion. Both in setting up their shop and even they have doubts about Dumbledore (not just Percy):
“Moody was a great wizard in his time,” said Bill. “He’s an old friend of Dumbledore’s, isn’t he?” said Charlie. “Dumbledore’s not what you’d call normal, though, is he?” said Fred. “I mean, I know he’s a genius and everything . . .”
(GoF, 161)
1. Ron Weasley
I love Ron. I think he's genuinely funny, he's got the most emotional intelligence in the Golden Trio and holds that friendship together, he's super loyal even if he has his bad moments he acknowledges his mistakes, and he's so smart.
Like, I hate what the movies did to Ron. He is a member of the Golden Trio with the most common sense. Like, Hermione has book smarts, Harry has cunning and insane magical powers, and Ron has common sense. It's so important that Harry and Hermione have someone who doesn't want to keep people in jars.
I did write about Ron being capable of being mean and ruthless on occasion, and that's a good thing, sometimes that's what you need, and Ron's a strategist, he knows this. When he offered to poison Umbridge I cheered, I really thought we should've let him test it out, as a treat.
I love his friendship with Harry and how much he gets him. Ron knows Harry and he knows to read him better than Hermione does. He lightens up the mood when Hary's angsting or Hermione takes herself too seriously. Like, when things get desperate and dark, Ron tries to make jokes to make the other two feel better, and that shows the emotional intelligence neither Harry nor Hermione have. Like, Ron is such an integral part of the trio.
I love him and his arc and I'm so mad at JKR for undermining his arc in book 7.
#harry potter#hp#hollowedrambling#the weasley twins#the weasleys#ron weasley#george weasley#fred weasley#charlie weasley#percy weasley#bill weasley#arthur weasley#molly weasley#ginny weasley
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Thoughts on the New Grima Forging Bonds (Wakened Dark)
I SPENT ALL DAY GRINDING THESE CONVERSATIONS AND I HAVE OPINIONS
This is going to be long and full of screenshots, so let's have a read more...
Okay, I'm going to start with m!Grima's chain because I found it the most disappointing...
I was excited for this one before I actually read it, because they'd announced that both Chrom and Tiki would be in it, but... Unfortunately, I REALLY think that whoever wrote this just wasn't a big Awakening fan. Because it did NOT feel like Chrom and Tiki talking. Their characterization was so flat, their dialogue so generic and uninteresting... And I swear it felt like none of these characters had ever met each other before. It's particularly egregious in Chrom's case, because it was specifically legendary Chrom, and he is explicitly a version of himself who sealed Grima away. He knows Grima! And Grima DEFINITELY knows Chrom... I mean, given that we know how Grima interacts with Chrom in Awakening, I have to say it's outright OOC for Grima not to start McFreaking Losing It the moment he lays eyes on Chrom... Again, I suspect that whoever had to write this just didn't have a good feel for how these characters would interact with each other.
It's especially a shame because legendary Chrom could have had some AMAZING dialogue with Grima... The way he says "There are times when it feels as if you are entombed in darkness, like you will never see light again…" in his level 40 conversation, like he's remembering the weight of his own darkness as he speaks... I don't know, I just think it would have been really nice for him to be able to tell Grima about that. Grima seems to believe that their existence is proof that despair is inevitable, but what they assume alongside that is that it's FINAL. If Grima's existence in Askr proves that despair comes for us all, then Chrom's proves that it doesn't have to be the end, that even if you fall you can still get back up again. Sometimes you just need someone to give you their hand.
... So yeah, I'm very sad about what we COULD have got there.
BUT! All is not lost with this one for me, because MEDEUS ended up saying something INCREDIBLY interesting...

My god... "An imitation of a dragon such as you." OKAY FIRST OF ALL, WHAT THE FUCK? Medeus you ASSHOLE. I know Grima was being generally malicious and threatening to destroy, like, the one thing keeping Medeus's fellow earth dragons from going on a degeneration-powered rampage (so y'know, a bit of a sore subject for him, I would assume), but WOW it is really not cool to tell a dragon that they aren't a real dragon in your eyes! And the worst part is that he goes on to say...

He "senses" that Grima's soul and power are not those of a "pure dragon." DOES THAT MEAN EVERY DRAGON CAN TELL??? (Side note, I thought when Tiki showed up she was going to say something about how Grima's power is very similar to hers... Because, you know, that's the very first thing she ever says to Robin in Awakening and all... but alas, yet another missed opportunity).
I mean, I assume nobody can tell EXACTLY what Forneus did, but... Ugh, with this one line Grima just instantly became the most relatable character in Fire Emblem. UGH... There's something Wrong with you and everybody you know can't stand you because they just Know. Show of hands, who feels that one a little too personally?
And okay, we already knew that Grima longs to be part of humanity but was never accepted as one of them, and it was pretty obvious that he didn't exactly have any dragon besties running around either, but... this just confirms that Grima would not have been given a warm welcome from the dragon population after getting out of Thabes. Ugh... UGH!!! This HURTS!!! Grima really REALLY never stood a chance of living a normal life, huh...
So yeah, they actually hit such a home run with this scene that I can't even be too furious that they forgot to come back and finish the game. I'm... just going to ignore everything that happens after the B conversation. That wasn't the real Chrom and Tiki, it was just a nightmare caused by Grima's inner turmoil after his conversation with Medeus, naturally 🙃
Now... Onto F!Grima's conversations!
These were... shockingly good, actually??? I admit I'm a little bitter only because they're clearly and extension of the Brave Robins' Forging Bonds, which I hate with my whole heart (F!Robin's especially, which was truly unforgivable in its treatment of Grima. Like, completely out of touch with both Awakening and FEH itself's sympathetic leaning towards the tragic villain). But this one was just... SO much better that it's kind of ridiculous.
For starters, even though FEH is going with a bizarre—as in, this is the first time they have EVER said anything like this—interpretation that these Grimas' "hearts and minds have melded" with Robin's (I... think they might be confusing the original timeline with the Future Past... Again. Honestly, I feel like 99% of the reason they can't get a grip on Grima's plotline is because Future Past wasn't clear enough about what was happening and thus most people did NOT understand that Future Past is what happens when Grima wins in the Endgame chapter, i.e. the "Grima" we see there is in fact two people, the Robin who became the fell dragon and went back in time + their past self who resisted them)... Grima here is actually speaking pretty in-character and correctly identifying with the other Robins.

She speaks of "OUR purpose" so yeah, she does seem to think she's one of them. FINALLY, some good f!Grima characterization! (Rearmed Grima's Forging Bonds was also not super great, although to e fair, they retconned absolutely everything about its entire plotline, so... I think it's safe to disregard it).
And when she speaks with her other selves... Oh, it's just adorable! I especially loved Summer Robin's dialogue...


She's so cute... And I love, love, LOVE that they go on to then show Halloween F!Grima acting EXACTLY the same way.


I love her...
Okay, so we've got cute and funny and very charming writing. I would have been happy enough if that's all they gave us, but no, they actually continue and give us some really INTERESTING dialogue, too.




So... I'm speculating a bit here, because in typical Grima fashion, she refuses to explain herself, but... What I think is happening is that she was searching for a Robin who was like her.
The whole time, Grima has been aghast that the other Robins she's been meeting are so unserious, apparently just goofing around and having a good time. But Brave Robin comes in and she's very serious. She's determined, unyielding. She's what Grima wants to see in herself.
Except, she's also full of hope and love. Grima goes on to say...

This Robin is like her and this is what happened to her. Loathe as I am to return to the Brave Robins' Forging Bonds, I think we have to consider something that m!Grima (uh... that is... og m!Grima... Fallen M!Robin?) said in Brave M!Robin's conversations—"We came here to warn you, out of pity."
It seems to me, therefore, that what Grima really wanted to do here was find a version of Robin who was clearly everything she herself used to be, and... warn herself. Just give up now, because you can't escape what you are and you'll hurt all the more for trying so hard.
So, yeah... I REALLY liked this chain of conversations. I mean, of course I did. They basically boil down to "Grima is absolutely still Robin," after all.
Seriously. Like... what else could they have possibly intended the audience to understand here but "Grima is still Robin"? Not only do we have Summer Robin and Halloween F!Grima acting the very same way, we also have THIS...


Outright confirming that they're the "same soul." Now, you COULD make the argument that because these "fallen Robins" haven't completely awakened the fell dragon's full powers yet (which... is another "bizarre" thing that FEH is mentioning for the very first time right now... Like, it was pretty clear before that what HAPPENED was that Grima LOST power traveling between worlds... Like, you know, what happened in Awakening...), Robin hasn't fully melded with Grima's soul yet, but... Not only does that not really make much sense (the fallen Robin alts are always yelling that they are the fell dragon, Grima), we can also counter the idea of that being a distinguishing factor by looking at the final line Brave Robin gives...

In other words, Brave Robin is off to do with her other "good" selves the EXACT thing that Grima was just doing with the other fell Robins.
WHICH MAKES SENSE WHEN THEY'RE VARIATIONS OF THE SAME SOUL.
Ahem... Yeah. This Forging Bonds... was for me...
And finally, let's talk about the main story conversations.
I thought these were pretty interesting, because... It kind of seems like the Grimas lost on purpose?
Well, okay, actually, I'll start by saying that these conversations did seem to suffer a bit from the same problem that m!Grima's conversations did, which is that these characters KNOW EACH OTHER, but you'd think that Grima had no idea who Tharja and Noire were... Like, Grima definitely ought to know exactly what Noire's skills and abilities are, given how long they've spent hunting her and the other children down! And it's hard to imagine that they would seriously underestimate her. And on one hand, I think that part of this is just lackluster writing caused by a lack of real familiarity with Awakening itself.
However... I ALSO think that it becomes a LOT more forgivable when you consider that Grima is almost certainly faking some things here. Let's look at what Tharja says when she reveals that she has bound them...


The Grimas are not thrilled about this, of course. But... they also aren't particularly surprised or upset? When Grima is upset, they tend to get... capslock-y. And these Grimas certainly have got some capslock-y dialogue in other places. But not here.


This is their "all according to keikaku" voice. They are not actually upset.
Which, when you think about it, makes complete sense, because the idea that Tharja, known dark magic user, could put a curse on them WITHOUT them having ANY idea is... a little hard to buy, isn't it? And here's the thing, too...
They didn't even try to beat Noire.

Now, I guess you could argue that it's a tortoise-and-the-hare kind of situation, and Grima's own arrogance is their undoing, but... Again, how could a couple of extremely magically powerful dragons COMPLETELY MISS Tharja casting a spell, and how could they have NO idea how fast Noire is even though she's been running from them her whole life, and why do they so easily accept their defeat with only some minor insults? Well, it all makes sense if in fact they secretly decided to let her go.
I mean, the Grimas came to Askr for a reason... And the reason actually ISN'T human destruction. Now, I'm not entirely convinced that this "destroy all the Fire Emblems in every world" plan actually makes sense (especially because Robin needs the Fire Emblem to awaken their power... although... I DO think it would be rather compelling if that is the exact thing they are hoping to stop deep down), but I definitely thought it was an interesting idea. People would give up fighting if they had no hope to believe in, so all conflict would come to an end...
The logic is twisted of course, but it actually does make sense coming from Grima. Grima really doesn't like fighting...
Much to think about.
So yeah, that's all I have to say about this Forging Bonds (at the moment, anyway... lol I may have more to say later). There were a lot of hit-and-miss moments, but boy did the hits sure hit hard. Overall, I actually got a lot out of these conversations and am very excited to see how I can work some of these details into my fics in the future!
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Hi! I know you did some reclists — can i please ask for some Antarctic Empire emduo fic recs?
hit the continent running (engines were humming) by Odaigahara
Amazing worldbuilding and format about a populated Antarctic empire on the ice, planes, and the admins wanting to stop them from taking over the world. Incredible scene where Phil gets wings. One of my all-time favourites.
Malicious Marriage Compliance by KryOnBlocks (Kryon)
Just delightful— After the san malo trials techno and phil are stranded on different planets with trade cut off between them. Food starts to be a concern. But you know who still gets to travel between planets? If you're married, you can go see your spouse.
The Longevity Clause by MissyColorful
Some delightful emdup whump. Phil gets kidnapped and both he and techno (trying to save him) are having a BAD time.
move your feet from hot pavement by Odaigahara
"There had to be a show of faith, they’d said. The Antarctic Empire had traditions when it came to graciously accepting an enemy surrender, and one of them was the delivery of some important adversary into their hands."
— Emduo are enemies, and once surrendering Techno has to deliver himself into his enemy's custody. He doesn't expect it to go well.
Strands by OneSaltyErik
*to the Emperor Technoblade of the Antarctic Empire*we have something of yours* The printed translation ended above a poorly developed and hastily taken photo of a very pissed off, very familiar, face. *our terms of safe return are*your immediate surrender* Not more than a day later, a box containing the longest coil of braided pink hair that anyone had ever seen, was delivered anonymously to the ship where Philza was being held. Along with a single worded message, perfectly lettered in gold ink and stamped with the Imperial Seal. "NO".
Fantastic worldbuilding and I'm excited to see where this one goes!
Tiny Antarctic Empire Adventures by im_always_stressed
Emduo as kids, getting married for paperwork fraud and starting a big life together! They are small and things are hard.
One Empire, Free Of Charge- Technoblade et al. v The World, Moonglass, Snow Angel, and Emerald Star, by aenor_llelo, BattleBlaze, fluxphage, Otakuforlife19, Rocket999
Part of a larger work adapting literally all emduo lore (unfinished), but an exceptional influx of worldbuilding and characterization. I'd say that most emduo fans who were around when this was being published have read this one, so if you are coming in late, this is a touchstone a lot of people have in the back of their head. It's genuinely so good. Kind of made me understand QPRs for the first time.
oh dear, can you see me? by findingkairos
Age swap where Phil is a hardcore player in his teens and Techno is a famous general— and they get caught up on different sides of a war. Phil is having a bad time. After the war Phil is sent into Techno's custody, and he slowly learns how to be a person again. Incredible minecraft worldbuilding and fantastic prose.
leave me your starlight by findingkairos
A first meeting fic for emduo— nobody likes the general. Which Phil thinks is stupid because he's just found a new best friend.
we are gods! we are wolves! by acuteroses, Cats_Dont_Float
A retelling of the Antarctic Empire, in which two outcasted hybrids, half-piglin Technoblade and avian Philza, decide that it's time to fight back against those that have wronged them
i wanna hear it's alright by bunflower
Most of this is set during SMPEarth fantasy empire— are you ready for some WHUMP? How about Emduo having a BAD TIME?
__
And I'm going to list some of mine below the cut because honestly the list of smpearth fics to choose from is not THAT long.
Who Are You Really (And Where Are You Going)? by antimony_medusa
The antarctic empire tries diplomacy! Unfortunately they seem to be being framed for a murder they kind of committed— look. It's complicated. The diplomacy isn't going well though.
Somewhere Your Fingerprints Remain Concrete by antimony_medusa
After the dragon fight Techno starts acting— different. Phil isn't having a good time.
Technoblade and Philza's Absolutely Unauthorized Long Term Space Field Trip (You Won't Believe The Laws They Broke) by antimony_medusa
Well the title really pitches the fic. What if taking over the world, but in space?
Why Diplomacy Is The Worst And We Shouldn't Even Try It Probably by antimony_medusa
Phil's past comes to call at the most inconvenient time. Techno does not know what's happening but he thinks it should stop immediately.
Things Could Be So Easy (If You Let Them) by antimony_medusa
QPR marriage proposal.
Silhouette Figure In The Smoke by antimony_medusa
Survival against the north, and the sun's going down.
And there you have it! Some emduo on my favourite server.
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Take Back Control: A Conversion with Satan
I was speaking with Satan this morning, just kind of complaining about how everything kinda sucks right now and was looking for some advice. I expressed my frustration with the world (the USA in particular) and how ignorant, apathetic, and naïve we’ve become as a collective. And also how modern life is a far cry from the kind of life I want to be living. He ended up having a lot to say (as per usual, he’s a yapper and i LOVE that about him) and I decided to share what he said. I’m sure we can all take something away from his words:
“Mankind needs to stop seeing everything in black and white. The nuances and complexities of the world you all live in has been boiled down to an idiotic game of polarities. It’s incredibly stupid. And insulting. Yes, polarity is a naturally occurring force within the universe, but understand that you are all blind to a vast majority of the universe because you are all trapped in these games of tug-of-war over every fucking thing under the sun. And this is just an unfortunate consequence of your history being ruled by primarily one “side”. Yahweh and I exist as a polarity, as I exist to oppose all that which it (Yahweh) is. This is something that everyone knows. I am the adversary. It is in my name. Yet, they outnumber me time and time again so they always have the say and now I’ve been reduced to this dark malicious force that wants nothing more than for humanity to burn and suffer. But that’s only because that is all they can see in me. They don’t see everything else that I am, that makes me the God that I am. They only know that of me because that is what they see me as. To view me in a different light than what Yahweh has asked of them would go against their faith.”
“It’s divine ignorance if I ever seen it.”
“The Abrahamic world has not been very forgiving with me, painting me an absolute monster merely because I oppose them. They don’t see outside of themselves. They just take the word of God like good little dogs and expect hellfire and eternal suffering if they should cross him and end up with me. That is what they have been told. Those are the expectations they carry of me. I am certain you feel a similar way.”
“Let me say this: We are all slaves to our expectations. May it be the expectations of others, of society, or of oneself. Our expectations influence our perspectives. And it is through our perspectives that we experience the world.”
“Taking back control of your world begins with taking back control of YOUR world. In other words, when you reclaim your worldview and rid yourself of expectations that have been imposed upon you, you will begin to find yourself and know yourself like never before. Take this time my child, and do away with anything that is weighing you down. Everything seems out of control, but that is only because a lot of things are out of YOUR control. There is still a lot you can do that you have complete control over. Shift your expectations to something reasonable and grounded. I’m not telling you to lower all of your expectations, but you know where I’m getting at. Fixate on that which you can control. Hone yourself, manage all that you are able to, and when something comes your way that you cannot control, tough it out and keep your momentum. Do not lose hope. Do not despair. Suffering is inevitable, but it will only stop you in your tracks if you let it do so.”
“Suffer only that which will give you strength.”
I then asked him what I specifically should be doing right now, regarding America and the revolution we seem to be headed towards.
“You ask me what it is you should be doing, but I assure you that you are doing just fine right now. I understand your life has been especially difficult lately, but I need you to listen to my words and focus on what is within your control. Every day, revolution grows closer and I understand that you wish to help and play a role in your community and country at large. Do not forget that your priority is yourself. Do not abandon yourself for this cause. By that I mean, do not give in to the expectations of your peers that you should be resisting this way or that way or come to this protest or whatever it may be. Use your judgement, your intuition, and your instincts.”
“I only desire that my children remain safe and look out for one another. I do not care for much else at present.”
“You are more aware of your skills than anyone else. You are more aware of your comforts than anyone else. You are more aware of your passions than anyone else. Nobody has the right to demand you do things a certain way. And that includes your perception of others and the expectations you create for yourself as a result. You are all SURVIVING. That is what you are doing. There is no “correct” way.”
“I will never tell you the correct way to do things, but I will always tell you the RIGHT way. And that is through continued survival and respect for oneself.”
He then brought up the French Revolution
“The French Revolution was a bloody, bloody era of human history. But I’ll tell you this, it wasn’t just Robespierre and the folks with the guillotines and heads on pikes that made that revolution— it was everyone. Everyone had a part to play, some big, some small. But all these pieces, all these people rather, were united in their suffering. While some took to the streets with pitchforks and stones, others took to writing. Their pamphlets and books carried with them the pain and suffering of the French peasantry and fueled the flames in their hearts.”
Things are scary, the future is uncertain, but it is through community, authenticity, and resilience that we move forwards. I’m ever grateful for my Gods and I will not stop fighting. I will become a mouthpiece for my Gods and for my people, spreading hope and rally cries uniting us in our suffering. I don’t care about what might happen to me in the future. That doesn’t matter now. It’s out of my control. But what I CAN do is this right here. I’m not going down without making some noise.
FUCK FASCISTS
FUCK N*ZIS
FUCK THE PATRIARCHY
AVE SATANAS
#satanic#theistic satanism#satanism#devil worship#occult#satan#revolution#fuck trump#fuck facists#resistance
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Simple Methods of Magical Protection
by Keziah
There is a misconception that the more steps involved in one's magical work or the more one pays to have it performed, the more effective, more powerful that work surely is. This, plainly put, isn't the case. Some of the simplest forms of magical work have been found to be incredibly powerful and effective.
Protecting ourselves from negative energy, malicious magic, evil eye, gossip, and other such (unfortunately) everyday occurrences shouldn't be inaccessible - it shouldn't be locked away behind a paywall, doled out by practitioners convincing others that magic can only be accessed via a pay-to-play system that benefits only those practitioners charging (often exorbitant amounts) for work that they've convinced others can't be carried out any other way; it shouldn't require financial strain or dedication of time that some people simply don't have to spare; and it shouldn't have to involve intricate ritual or spell work with dozens of steps and a reliance on magical systems that don't always align with the practices of those in need of protection.
In this post, we'll explore some very simple and versatile methods of taking magical protection with you wherever you go. These are measures ideal for any practitioner in need of magical protection, regardless of experience level, tax bracket, or creed. May it serve all those in need of it.
By the Hair
There are various methods of protection involving hair, be it by dressing the hair with substances, covering the hair, or wearing the hair in particular styles.
Dressing the Hair
Dressing the hair or scalp with oils or rinses believed to have protective properties is one method of taking added magical protection with you everywhere you go.
A practitioner can apply a small amount of oil to their scalp, their hair, or to a specific section of their hair to invoke the oil's protective aid. Using a rinse instead of an oil is always an option and can be a better alternative for those with sensitive skin.
[ *Note: It is wise to perform a patch test before applying any oils or rinses to the skin. This will help you determine which ingredients you may have allergies or sensitives to. ]
A few ingredients for oils and rinses commonly associated with protection (and also commonly used on hair) are rosemary, clove*, lavender*, and cedarwood.
*When using these as oils they should be diluted with a carrier oil - such as jojoba, sweet almond, coconut, or olive oils (research which is best to use with whichever herb or ingredient you prefer) - before being applied directly to the scalp or skin.
Braiding
Braiding hair, like braiding and knotting cords, thread, and other materials in some magical customs, can provide magical protection against harmful spirits or entities by means of confusion or distraction. Knot and braid magic as a means of protection is said to confuse spirits or distract them, as they become focused on the braid or knot and trying to undo or understand them, distracting them from carrying out any malicious acts. Knot and braid magic has also been said to be a trap for spirits, that the works entangle the spirits and their energy, rendering them unable to move against the worker.
Braiding one's hair or wearing a braided or knotted cord or ornament in one's hair can, then, offer similar protection. This can be made all the more potent by dressing the braid or ornament with an oil associated with protection.
Veiling & Covering
Veiling, as it's commonly called amongst the broader witchcraft community (though some religions and cultures have their own terms for this practice), is the custom of covering one's head or hair for spiritual, religious, cultural, or, yes, magical reasons. This has been in practice across many cultures and belief systems and throughout a vast number of regions, particularly across African, Asian, and European societies, for, at least, thousands of years.
Within the witchcraft community, some practitioners veil or cover as an overlap of their religious customs (forms of veiling are/have been prominent within Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and within some Pagan religious traditions) and their personal magical practice, and many folk witches have taken to covering their hair as a means of feeling better connected to the cultural history of their practices and their ancestors.

Eil Molei Rachamiem (Commemorative Prayer); Maurice Minkowski, 1922.
Veiling and covering, though, is also used as a means of protection. Within some schools of belief, covering one's head or hair (whether partially or wholly) serves as a ward between the person and negative, harmful, or malicious energy sent their way.
Some cover their hair with scarves, shawls, or veils of specific colors, patterns, or materials associated with protection in their personal practices - white is a color commonly associated with protection and purification, red has been used to empower protection work in some customs, and black is another commonly used color in protection work.
Some wear veils only whilst performing prayer or magical work, some veil when leaving the security of their home, and some veil all the time.
Veiling or covering one's head/hair with a scarf, cloth, or hat can, you'll find, be a versatile means of protecting oneself from undesirable energies.
By the Eyes
Line the Eyes
Across many cultures, there is the belief that wearing black around the eyes can protect the wearer from evil eye and attacks from harmful spirits or entities.
In some traditions, the customs around lining the eyes for magical or 'superstitious' reasons are more specific - for instance, there is a Hindu custom that calls for wearing kohl or kajal liner around the eyes or a kohl dot on one's neck (especially for children and babies) to combat evil eye; similarly, the Yemeni practice of applying kohl around an infant's eyes not long after their birth stems from the belief that it would prevent the child from being cursed by evil eye; ancient Egyptians wore kohl around their eyes as a marker of status, as added protection against the brightness of the sun, and also as a means of magical protection against illness and bad luck. *
The tradition of wearing kohl around the eyes has existed since at least as early as the Naqada III era (3200 - 3000 BC) Egypt and originated then as a means of protection against 'eye ailments'. The custom of lining one's eyes, whether for cosmetic, spiritual, or social reasons, has been found in countless regions and cultures around the world throughout history. From many of these customs comes the modern belief that wearing black eyeliner offers protection from negative energy, the effects of malicious spirits, evil eye, and other curses.
[ *NOTE: The modern use of kohl has been linked to toxic lead poisoning in children. ]
Eye Shadow
As eyeliner can be used as a simple means of protecting oneself magically, so, too, can eyeshadow. Using colors from one's cultural or religious beliefs that bear association with protection can be a great way to incorporate protective measures in one's cosmetic habits.
Common colors associated with various form of protection are red, black, blue, gold, and green.
By the Ornament
Charms, amulets, talismans, and other forms of apotropaic items have long been used as a magical means of protecting the wearer/carrier.
Some charms for protection, their origins, and their uses:
Blue clothing, jewelry, and accessories (Carribean / West Indies) - wearing blue clothing, jewelry, and/or accessories is believed to ward against maljo, bad eye, and najar. Bright shades of blue are sometimes referred to maljo blue due to this association.
Brigid's Cross (Irish) - the Brigid's Cross or St. Brigid's Cross is used to protect against evil spirits and illness.
Coins (Ancient Near East) - flattened discs of gold, copper, siler, and lead were worn, often around the neck, to distract the evil eye and confuse evil spirits. Coins of the same materials, so long as they are shiny enough, can be used to those same ends in modern practice.
Cornicello (Italian) - the little horn is worn, often made of silver, gold, or red coral, to protect the wearer from evil eye and bad luck, but also as an amulet of strength, good fortune, general protection, and fertility. It's also called cornetto and corno portafortuna ('horn that brings luck').
Cowrie Shells (Senegalese) - cowrie shell bracelets and necklaces are worn to absorb the negative effects of the thiat or evil eye, as well as other negative and evil energies.
Crucifix (Christian) - has been used to ward against evil since the early days of the Church.
Eye of Horus (Egyptian) - a symbol associated with the god Horus and believed to offer protection and healing.
Grasshopper (Roman) - a grasshopper charm was placed by Pisistratus at the Acropolis of Athens as a means of protection.
Hamsa (Mesopotamian) - though it is believed to have originated in Mesopotamia, the symbol of the open hand has also been found in ancient North African, Phoenician, Iberian, and Levantine regions and has sense spread to be commonly found in North Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and diasporic groups from these regions all throughout the world. It's used (in many variative styles) within a number of religious traditions, including Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, and folk religious customs. It is also called the Hand of Fatima, the Hand of Miriam, and the Hand of Mary (and may have been what Aristotle referred to as the Tool of Tools). It is considered a symbol of divine protection, protection against fascination (or magical workings against you) and sometimes features added protection with the incorporation of an open eye symbol in the hand's palm, believed to ward off evil, evil eye, and curses.
Nazar (Turkish) - this glass ornament or bead depicting the image of an eye, most commonly seen in blue hues but also in reds, blacks, greens, and other colors, is believed to offer protection from evil eye, evil spirits, demons, and other negative energies. It possibly hails from Turkey, but is also commonly found in traditions in Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Palestine, Romania, Syria, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and within Jewish diasporic groups throughout the world, as well as in some Christian and Muslim practices.
Red String (Judaism) - wearing a red or crimson thread, string, or cord, usually as a bracelet, is a Jewish custom believed to ward against evil eye.
Snake/serpent (Albanian) - charms and amulets featuring the likeness of a serpent or snake serve as a means of protecting against evil, evil eye, and bad luck.
Snakeskin (Albanian) - amulets made from or bearing a piece of snakeskin are also used to ward off evil eye.
St. Benedict Medal (Christian) - is used to ward against the effects of the devil and demons.
Phalluses (Roman / Ancient Greek) - believed to be a symbol that attracted good luck and fortune, the phallus was used to counteract the effects of any evil eye or bad luck sent one's way. Such amulets were also called fascinus and fascinum in Ancient Rome.
SOURCES & FURTHER READING:
-'A Cultural History of Hair in the Middle Ages' - Milliken, Roberta -'Angels & Demons' - Rubin, Norman A. -'the Book of Talismans' - Pavitt, Kate & Thomas, William -'Childhood in Ancient Athens: Iconography and Social History' - Beaumont, Lesley A. -'the Complete Book of Amulets & talismans' - González-Wippler, Migene -'Cleopatra's Eye Makeup Warded Off Infections?' - National Geographic -'the Encyclopedia of Jewish Symbols' - Frankel, Ellen & Platkin Teutsch, Betsy -'the Evil Eye in the Bible and in Rabbinic Literature' - Ulmer, Rivka -'From Sacred Symbol to Key Ring: the Hamsa in Sacred Jewish & Israeli Societies' - Sabar, Shalom -'Jewish Cultural Studies Vol. 1 - Jewishness: Expression, Identity, and Representation' - Bronner, Simon J. -'Makeup in Ancient Egypt' - Natural History Museum of Utah -'Opthamology of the Pharaohs: Antimicrobial Kohl Eyeliner in Ancient Egypt' - Kreston, Rebecca -'Ritual in Early Modern Europe' - Muir, Edward -'the World of Roman Costume' - Sebesta, Judith Lynn & Bonfante, Larissa -'Women in the Ancient Near East' - Stol, Marten -'the Year in Ireland: Irish Calendar Customs' - Danaher, Kevin
#sheydmade#protection magic#protection amulets#protection charms#veiling#amulet#amulets#evil eye#witchcraft#witchery#magic#witch#witches#witchblr
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Has Solas ever used romance as part of a deception? Did he consider doing so with the Inquisitor?
merc this is my guilty pleasure. god bless you. i love a classic honeypot.
You catch more flies with honey, and while Solas is always ready with a knife in the back, sometimes being a "sweet talker" is far more effective. Modifying the definition of a honeypot in cybersecurity because it's clearest: A honeypot is a decoy designed to attract and trap malicious actors, diverting them from legitimate targets while simultaneously gathering intelligence on their tactics and motivations. Honeypots mimic real feelings, making themselves appear vulnerable and enticing to attackers.
In Elvhenan Solas absolutely did this, especially during the time he was part of Mythal's court. It's a form of HUMINT, except the target doesn't know they're being 'recruited' to pass on state or individual secrets. It's such a juicy hallmark of court intrigue that isn't unique to Solas or Elvhenan. There are a lot of ways to get intel (or plant bad intel). Blackmail, theft, sabotage, etc. are all useful tools, and there are a bunch of ways to deliver those. A honeypot is incredibly effective, especially against lower level actors. It's all about making the target feel important, feel seen, and then manipulating the hell out of them for access to whatever you need.
Elvhenan Solas is a good looking guy, and he rolled well on charisma (the ego helps). He knows how to read people and how to manipulate them - seduction is a trick. We see him do this time and again in Inquisition, Tevinter Nights, and Veilguard. He's charming, disarming, complimentary, and comfortably flirtatious. And best, he mirrors, so he'll match the energy of the person which is a really easy way to get them to open up to you (cue: dennis reynolds repeating what the millennials say lol).
His most successful was after he rebelled, my absolute guilty pleasure one because it's the height of comedy for me is Anaris. Solas had to get in with the Forgotten Ones - both as protection since he was incredibly vulnerable immediately post-rebellion, and because Anaris' coup was a more immediate threat to the Elvhen people than the long game Solas needed to play against Elgar'nan. Solas wooed the shit out of Anaris until Fen'harel was a trusted and almost equal Forgotten One. He gaslit Anaris to hell with the "I made people laugh at him" story, and then lured Anaris and co. into the Void, sealing them away.
Inquisition is different, but only because he didn't initially see it as intrigue. Until Haven's destruction, I think he figured this would be quick - get the Orb and restart his plans. Arguably, some of his flirting could be seen as laying the groundwork for this kind of manipulation. But, and I know it's a game mechanic but I'll stick with it, Solas doesn't really flirt first. In a romance, he doesn't do anything first. If he's flirting with he'll match it (mirror), but he doesn't initiate. If he was trying to manipulate the Inquisitor with romance, he'd have started it.
I don't think this is a moral position unfortunately. I think it didn't cross his mind because these weren't people to him, until a high approval Inquisitor changed his worldview.
#call him east germany the way hes romeoing around#you can pry this headcanon from my cold dead fingers its the most morally grey (charcoal?) fun i have with him#headcanons (some have wisdom for those willing to listen.)
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