#you are both weak . the weakest link

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

Do you love Kenjaku more than Suguru?

OF COURSE NOT 😔😔😔😔😔😔😔 suguru and satoru are my most beloveds always but kenjaku is right there with them …… can i not love two bad bitches at the same time . is love a crime

[fantastic-mr-corvid]

i love it when shit happens in my life that dredges up old wounds and coincidentally im re-experiencing the media i intrinsically link it to cause then i get to remember exactly why i love it and find it so meaningful all over again. there's a fucking reason ill always say Berserk [& RGU] both came into my life at a perfect fucking time and holy shit they fucking resonated with me so hard and as much as life can suck ass and lovvves kicking me in the balls when ive just recovered from last time i a least get to remember how & why i love something so much.

[withalittlesorcery]

"Alastor would use Angel to manipulate Husk" is fun and all but have you considered the other way around? Alastor would absolutely 100% use Husk to manipulate Angel

Alastor's ultimate goal is power - gaining as much control as he possibly can. It stands to reason that part of this is gaining control of as many of the people around him as possible. He already has control of Husk, he owns his soul and we know for a fact that Husk is scared enough of him to stand down when told to. He doesn't actually need to use Angel to gain control of Husk. Why waste effort on something you already have?

Realistically, Alastor doesn't actually have much leverage over Angel. Sure, he could make a deal, but Angel doesn't have a soul to gamble. He's self destructive, has very little attachment to his own autonomy (seeing as he's barely remembers having any autonomy in the first place), and honestly doesn't seem to have much regard for his personal safety (see: keeping Charlie and Nifty from Valentino). Angel doesn't seem to have an awful lot of hope that things can/will get better, which makes him hard to manipulate because he doesn't really feel like he has anything to protect

But Angel has Husk

And we know that (even pre-relationship) Husk means A Lot to Angel. He's the only character who seems to actually understand him on a fundamental level, the only character who genuinely puts Angel ahead of himself, and honestly possibly the first person to ever give Angel unconditional love and support. He is Angel's biggest weakness, and he is under Alastor's complete control

He is also one of the only people in the hotel that Alastor doesn't have a grip on. He's got Husk's soul, potentially Nifty's as well but honestly idk what's going on with that, Charlie's got blind faith in him and Vaggie's glaring weakness is Charlie (who Alastor already has some degree of control over), Sir Pentious is dead (rip to a real one) and the egg boys are either dead or very happy to follow Alastor's commands. Lucifer is preoccupied with his reverse daddy issues and dick measuring contest with Alastor. Angel is kind of the weakest link as far as Alastor is concerned

Angel is also an in with the Vees! He is up close and personal with at least one of them on a regular basis - the one who seems to have the most confidence in his own power and therefore the one who is most likely to be careless with what he says around Angel. He is in the perfect position to get information etc for Alastor, and he sure as hell does not care about his own personal safety so threatening someone he cares about is the best way for Alastor to make Angel do is bidding. I've seen people talk about Alastor getting Angel out to piss Vox off, but to be honest I think Angel being on the inside serves Alastor's purpose better (and lbr Vox wants Angel GONE)

So yeah, Alastor using Husk to manipulate Angel and all the angst that comes with it. Husk and Angel both realising it's happening, and both being powerless to stop it because yeah sure they could break up but that's not going to change the fact that Alastor could threaten Husk and Angel would do anything to stop it.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - I'm Late, I know

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

Feb 2024 Wk 2

Ongoing Series - Thai

The Sign (Sat YT) ep 12fin - we waiting 2 weeks I guess? Bah.

Pit Babe (Fri iQIYI) ep 13fin - I wasn't impressed by the last ep at all. Trash watch happened here.

My final thoughts:

Based on alittlebixth's omegaverse novel #พิษเบ๊บ’ set in the world of car racing omegaverse. Thailand brought us the world's first omegaverse BL but then failed to lean into the courage of its a/b/o convictions by not emphasizing the difference between our world & theirs, adding & subtracting characters & allegiances + a weak ending. With earnest performances, enthusiastic sex scenes, a fantastic side couple, and some delightful scenery chewing - the actors tried… poor things. It's just the story failed both them and their parent genre. Frankly? I just wanted it to be more outrageous and trashy, since I never expected it to be good. Instead, it was just… meh. 7/10

(Imma remind all the newbies that this is not unprecedented from me with hugely popular BL.)

Cooking Crush (Sun YT) ep 10 of 12 - I like it but there’s a high % of this show that doesn’t interest me. Anything to do with the side couple, or the friend group, or the cooking competition drives me into a comatose state of UGH. That means that in this episode, I paid attention to about 5 minutes worth. 

For Him (Thurs iQIYI) ep 11 of 12 - I'm ready for this to be done. I think they were trying to be this year's Big Dragon, but they just aren't good enough. I really didn’t need a third couple.

City of Stars (Fri iQIYI) ep 2 of 12 - I'm warming up to FueangKrom a bit. It’s cute. I am finding the pacing interesting. That pacing might be bad, but right now it’s simply different. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Love For Love's Sake (Korea Weds iQIYI) 5-6 of 8 - I still love this show a lot, but this 2 ep installment felt a little disjointed. I’m not sure if that’s the narrative structure or the subs. The captions are shockingly bad for a KBL and I don’t have enough Korean to make up for their clear failings. 

Although I Love You and You AKA Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 5 of 10 - Oh the return of the manic pixie dream ex. This is all very high school drama for purportedly grown-up adults. But them both being jealous and then kissing was sweet.  

AntiReset (Taiwan Fri Viki/Gaga) ep 3 of 10 - They remain adorable and the sunshine robot is very sweet. But it is a little slow. 

Perfect Propose (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 3 of 6 - I prefer the episodes when we get more of them onscreen together. But this was fine. 

Happy Ending (Korea Tues YT) 3fin - The ending disappointed me (are you surprised?). What can I say, not Strongberry's best as far as I’m concerned. High school besties that many could be sweethearts. I don’t like an ending that’s left up in the air. 6/10

It's Done but...

What Did You Eat Yesterday Season 2 AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 (Japan Gaga) 10 eps - will binge when I have any spare time. 2024 is crazy busy for me so far.

The Servant and the Young Master - from Vietnam, it's on YouTube. I will give it a try when I have a window of time.

Began Beginning (Myanmar YouTube) - A Burmese BL? @heretherebedork vouched for it, so I will give it a watch.

It's Airing But...

[NO INTERNATIONAL] Cherry Magic (Sat YouTube) ep 3 of 12 - yeah Japan put the smack down on our boys. Sadness. You can use a VPN if you like. Read all about it here.

Ossans Love Season 2 (Japan Gaga) - 5 years later, will anything have changed? This is Japan so… probubly not. I won't be watching this. I disliked Season one and actively hated the follow ups. No thank you.

Playboyy (Thurs Gaga) 14 eps - Dear Playboyy, it's not you, it’s me… I hate you. You’re about as deep (and as palatable) as a shot glass of cum. While I'm sure you’re someone’s kink, you're my weakest link. Goodbye. I DNFed this at ep 5. Frankly I'm impressed with myself for getting that far.

7 Days Before Valentine (Weds WeTV) 12 eps - Gave me Luminous Solution vibes. It finished, is it worth it?

Dead Friend Forever (Thai Sat iQIYI) 12 eps - finished, horror, supposed to be very philosophical, I think I'll give it a go.

Time the series (Tue Gaga/YT) 10 eps - dropped it at ep 4.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting Up

2/16 My Strawberry Film (Japan Gaga) - not quite sure how much BL this one is, because... Japan, but we shall see.

2/17 A Secretly Love (Thai WeTV) - Khonprot, a third-year head hazer of the engineering faculty, has a secret crush on Pluem, a tsundere fourth-year head hazer. Over the years, he's seen Pluem cycle through many girlfriends. Recently, after a public breakup, however, Khonprot thinks maybe a boy has a chance. Unless this is really good I probably won't I hate the WeTV interface...

Still Coming in Feb

2/24 Unknown (Taiwan Youku) 12 eps - Older brother tough guy criminal breadwinner looks after his sister and defacto adopted little brother. Little bother falls in love with him and is sent away after a stolen kiss. But when he comes back…

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

We gotta talk about LFLS this week. Look at Korea go!

Talking about a dead fish kiss, how meta! This will end up on one of my best of the year moments. I could not have been more gobsmacked.

Also something rarely directly addressed, particularly for same-sex firsts.

And then, a claiming trope, a personal favorite of mine.

Thank you Korea!

I just love them. (Pit Babe)

(Last week)

[trulybetty]

Sick Day

Pairing: Marcus Pike x F!Reader (no use of Y/N) Word Count: 1,581 Warnings: Pure fluff, talk of not feeling well, cooking, caretaking, and on brand Marcus Pike. Summary: Marcus never cancels dates, and if he does it usually comes with his own brand of romantic gestures to make up for it. So when he doesn't, you know something isn't quite right. AO3: Linked

A/N: It's been a week - but this had been sitting in my WIP folder unfinished for a while and this prompted me to finish this piece of pure fluff.

Sick Day.

Marcus was not accustomed to feeling helpless. Being weak or vulnerable was not part of his persona, not part of what made Marcus Pike who he was.

His sickness had come on suddenly, a relentless fever accompanied by a deep, hacking cough. Marcus was not one to fall ill often, and when he did, he had always soldiered through, never allowing weakness to dictate his schedule. But this was different; this was not something he could ignore. His body was not cooperating, and all his attempts to carry on were futile.

The fever alone had struck with a vengeance. His body ached, his throat was on fire, and even the faintest hint of light sent his head spinning into oblivion. A normally robust Marcus was reduced to a shivering mess, tangled in sweat-soaked sheets, his mind clouded by the relentless throb of a migraine.

And yet, the real disquiet lay not in his physical discomfort but in a new and unexpected vulnerability. The one person he sought to impress, care for, and be strong for, was now seeing him at his weakest.

You.

From the early days of your relationship, Marcus had been the one to shower you with romantic gestures, much to your chagrin at times. Breakfasts in bed, spontaneous day trips, surprise gifts — he'd done it all. It was how he'd always been, it was how past relationships had dictated how he should operate to ensure that his love interest remained enamoured, entranced and with him.

But you were different.

You didn't expect anything from him. You didn't need grand gestures or elaborate displays of affection. Your love was calm, steady, and unconditional. It was a love that sought no repayment, demanded no proof, and required no theatrics. 

And it was something Marcus had never experienced before.

He had sent you a text message that he had to skip your date night and you’d looked at your phone warily. The two of you had been together for quite some time now and this was not his usual MO. Marcus Pike didn’t just cancel dates, you had cancelled dates sure, but never Marcus without a flurry of rearranged reservations or a bouquet of flowers at your door.

So when you showed up at his doorstep on your way to work, your eyes wide with concern with a bag full of remedies, Marcus was utterly unprepared. Especially when you said you were going to call in to work and take the day off when you realized how sick he was. The truth was, no one had ever taken a day off work to care for him. No one had ever put him first in quite the same way.

Once inside Marcus's apartment, the evidence of his illness was palpable. The usually immaculate space was in mild disarray, evidence of his discomfort. Marcus was bundled on the couch, looking both vulnerable and endearing, his face flushed and his eyes glazed. 

He had tried to protest, to insist that he was fine, that you didn't need to trouble yourself. But the words had come out slurred, his voice weak and barely above a whisper.

“You look awful,” you'd said, your intention sympathetic, as you brushed a damp lock of hair from his forehead. 

Your hand had felt cool and soothing against his fevered skin and he leant into it, his eyes closed.

“It’s okay.” he tried to assure you.

You laughed at his failed attempt to convince you, “It’s not okay, for starters your voice sounds terrible.”

“Sounds worse than it is.” he gave you what he thought was an unabashed smile, but came out crooked and tired. 

You just stared at him incredulously, “You just almost coughed up a lung.”

“I’m fine.” he tried to sit up but the sudden movement caused him to double over in a fit of coughing.

You placed the back of your hand against his forehead, “Case in point. You’re not fine Marcus, you’re burning up.”

“It’s just a cold,” he insisted.

“Marcus, you need to rest,” you'd chided, your tone gentle but firm as you led him to his bedroom. “I'm here now. Let me take care of you, please.”

And so you did.

The hours turned into a day, and then another, your presence a constant. You sat at his kitchen table, replying to emails and calls between checking his fever and ensuring he took his medication. When he asked you to stay overnight that first night you’d obliged his ask in his vulnerable state. So you’d watched movies with him, choosing his favourites, even though he’d drifted in and out of sleep throughout.

It was three days longer than the original one you planned on staying when he was looking and feeling more like himself. You were both in the kitchen, you preparing dinner, while he watched on.

“So where did you learn how to make this?” Marcus asked, fatigue still lingering as he leaned on the countertop to rest his head in his hand. He watched diligently as you added ingredients to the ceramic pot atop the stovetop. The smell of the simmering food was already permeating the apartment making your mouth water.

It was one of, if not your number one comfort meal. You’d experienced it at a tiny restaurant years ago in a quiet city off the main drag of flashy restaurants and bars. The only good things to come of a past failed date, one whose name now you couldn’t recall even if you tried. While the relationship hadn’t gone anywhere you’d gone back repeatedly to the small establishment time and time again and learned how to make it yourself.

“Want a taste?” you asked him, offering a spoon laden with a sample to taste. He watched in amusement as you blew on it to cool it down, “Here you go, try.”

Marcus tentatively tasted the food and felt a sting on his tongue from the heat, but smiled at the ability to finally be able to taste something, “My taste buds may not be quite back up to par,” he said, “but this, this is delicious.”

You grinned, “Good, it means you’re getting better.”

Marcus pulled himself away from the counter and stepped up behind you. His arms wrapped around your waist as he rested his chin on your shoulder.  Even now, while he was slowly recovering, this simple embrace made your heart swell with affection.

“You've really been incredible these past few days,” Marcus murmured, his voice still hoarse. “I can't even begin to express how grateful I am. I'm not used to... this, you know? Being taken care of.”

You gave him a gentle smile, as you dried your hands off with a kitchen towel and lowered the heat on the pot. 

You twisted around in his arms to face him, tucking a stray lock of hair back from his forehead.  “It was my pleasure, Marcus,” you said with a smile. 

He was silent for a moment, taking in what you said. That one sentence soothing to years of a self-imposed belief that he should always be the caretaker, the provider. “Thank you,” he spoke softly.

“Since you're feeling much better now, I’d better think about getting back to my place,” you said, puncturing the comfortable quiet of the room. You were trying to sound casual, but it was obvious that your presence wasn’t intended to be a long-term thing; Marcus understood this, yet he still felt a twinge of sadness.

“But it's Friday,” he retorted, his voice carrying the softest note of protest. “Maybe you could stay for the weekend? Now that I'm feeling better, I can find a way to thank you properly.” A mischievous glint shone in Marcus's eyes as he smiled slowly. “Since you’ve been playing nurse so well, maybe it’s time for the patient to return the favour and take care of you?” he finished, his voice dropping into a suggestive tone, making the implication all but transparent.

But before he could elaborate, his words were interrupted by a sudden coughing fit. The rough, barking sound filled the apartment, and Marcus grimaced as he cleared his throat. Covering his mouth with his forearm, he tried to suppress another cough as he failed to stop the onslaught of another fit.

You let out a loud and throaty laugh as you filled Marcus a glass of water. “Okay, maybe we'll hold off on the whole nurse-and-patient role-play for now.” 

Marcus joined in, his laughter tinged with a hint of self-deprecation once he’d finished with the water you'd poured him. “Maybe you're right. But the offer to stay the weekend still stands.”

These days, such as now, in small moments of reflection Marcus was able to step back and see his previous relationships a little more clearly. They had felt solid at the time, and had seemed like they were built on a foundation of mutual understanding and love, but looking back he could tell that the foundation was merely a house of cards. Meaning one wrong move or unmet expectation and it all would have come crashing down on unrealistic standards he’d set himself. 

But with you, it was different. 

While Marcus was off in his own world, you returned your attention to the meal cooking on the stove. “Dinner will be ready soon.  What do you think about watching a movie while we eat? You choose,” you asked..

Marcus, snapping out of his thoughts, smiled warmly. “I think that sounds perfect,” he replied.

[fairydarlings]

A Court of Fallen Stardust

Read more on AO3! ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ Read Chapter Two on Tumblr!

“How come Rhys gets to go but I can’t?”

“I’m older.” 

“By thirteen months!”

For a seven-year-old, Rhea sure had a stern look to her. Her still chubby arms were crossed in annoyance that her brother was leaving for Windhaven, the Illyrian war-band, and she was not allowed to come.

Rhys shoved a forkful of potatoes into his mouth. “Still makes me older.”

It was their mother's turn to look at him sternly. “Don’t speak with food in your mouth, Rhysand.”

Their father had his hands at his temples. This had been an ongoing conversation for two days; Rhys was leaving and Rhea wanted to do everything her older brother was doing. 

The seven-year-old turned to her father. “You said dueling is like dancing. Why can’t I have both a dancing master and a sword master?” 

“And when do you expect to have time to play with swords in between your reading lessons, your riding lessons, your dance, piano, and history lessons, and your chores?” Her father leveled at her. Rhea had a quick attention span. There was always something new that quickly captured her attention, making it suddenly the most important thing for the young Fae. This obsession with becoming a warrior would soon become a thing of the past.

“Don’t forget the importance of eating, sleeping, and bathing, darling,” her mother said from across the table. While her mother knew how upsetting this might be for her daughter, she had no interest in exposing her to the brutality of those camps until she was much older. She feared her daughter's smile might dim because of it. 

Rhea suddenly became very interested in the roasted chicken before her. Truthfully, there was no time for the girl to give up all her other passions to make room for this one. 

Rhys smirked at her silence. She threw a piece of asparagus at him. 

“Rhea.” 

The vegetable missed Rhys, landing with a splat behind his chair. 

“Weren’t you the one declaring you never wished to part from Velaris? That no other city would give you such happiness?” 

“I must be a female reborn.” She thought about chucking another vegetable at his smug look. Their father chuckled into his wine. 

A comforting hand reached out for the girl's small one. The look in her mother’s eyes told her enough—there would only be two making the journey to Illyrian and she was not one of them.

･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ

After the family dined and sat in front of the fire, Rhea sunk into her mother’s bed sheets. Curling into her mother’s ribs, she listened to a story about two young lovers from feuding families. “Are you going to forget about me, mam?” 

The book fell onto her mother’s lap. “Sweetheart,” she breathed into her daughter’s hair. “No amount of magic, or sickness, or pain could make me forget you. You are my sunshine in the darkest days.” 

Her mother reached for the brush on her nightstand. Gently, she began brushing and braiding Rhea’s hair. “It’s time, however, for your brother to understand what builds true power. Magic can easily be wiped away or snuffed out. He needs to know how to defend himself, how to lead an army, how to survive in the cold. These things will only make him stronger, make him a better High Lord. I promise, there is nothing in Illyria for you. They are not kind to females.” 

“Father says an army is only as strong as its weakest link.” A raven-colored braid loosely fell down her back. “I don’t want to be the weak link.”

Worrying indigo eyes met warm, comforting hazel. Her mother reached out to push a stray hair behind her ear. “There are other ways to help an army without combat. Knowledge is power, sweetheart. What good is a battle plan if you do not know your enemy? Of the territory you fight in? You are to protect Velaris. If the soldiers have no home to return to, what is worth fighting for?”

Rhea nodded. 

“I know a month seems like forever, but I’ll see you again before you can even miss me,” her mother whispered.

They both looked up as her father walked into the bedroom, Rhys following behind. The girl kissed her father and mother goodnight, before jumping on her brother’s back, squealing as she did. His long and skinny legs carried her towards the children’s wing of the House. By the time the pair had reached Rhea’s room, her eyes were fighting sleep. 

Rhys placed the half-asleep girl into her bed, covering her feet with extra blankets. No matter the weather, Rhea was always cold. He flicked his wrist towards the fireplace, hoping to create a small blaze. 

Flames erupted at the end of the room. He gasped, still slowly understanding the power within him. He flicked his wrist again, picturing the smaller blaze he wanted in his mind. The flames shrunk down to a flicker, giving the girl some warmth. 

He stood up. “Goodnight Rhea.”

･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ

She stood at the entryway of the House, still waving fanatically at her brother and mother as they flew into the sunrise. Her father had already disappeared back inside but Rhea was waiting until it they got swallowed up by the sun. 

Her wings shuttered at the cold breeze brushing by. Deciding to summon them this morning, she and Rhys flew to the highest balcony to eat breakfast together. 

“Are you nervous?” Rhea asked, biting into her quickly cooled bacon.

Her brother shrugged. “A little. I don’t really know what I’m getting myself into. But hopefully, I’ll make friends.” He drank deeply from his fruit juice. “Without father being father all the time, maybe I’ll actually get the chance.”

Rhea was Rhysand’s only friend in all of Velaris. He had tried. A lot. There were a lot of boys his age in the city, but when their father decided Rhys would not be attending the local school and instead be educated at home, it left him very little social time. And with what little time he did have to be social, their father filled up his clock with official court duties. 

According to Brennus, it was never too early to start High Lord training. 

Rhea liked being her brother’s friend. But she liked having her own friends, too, and wanted the same for Rhys.

“You will,” the young girl nodded. “And when you do, promise me you’ll write all about them. And what the camp looks like. And what they teach you in swordplay, specifically the techniques and positions. Not that I’m planning on practicing or anything.” 

Rhys snorted and agreed. A new set of wings was flying into view, stopping mid-air in front of the balcony. Their mother had come to say goodbye. 

Though she promised herself she wouldn’t cry, she couldn’t stop the tears silently flowing down her cheeks as she hugged the warmth of her mother and brother.

They both whispered into her ear, “I’ll see you in a month, I promise.”

But a month was forever to a seven-year-old. So, watching as they flew off, Rhea felt the gnawing chill of absence begin to settle in her bones, missing them deeply already. 

･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆

Rhys made good on his promise to write about life at Windhaven. His first arrived a week after their departure. Rhea read it so many times the edges of the paper began to fray. 

Rhea —

Things started off shaky here. If you are ever allowed to come visit, don’t wear new training clothes. Apparently, it’s encouraged to fight over things like clothing, especially with the amount of penniless bastards here. Needless to say, I got pummeled on my first day by one of those bastards.

His name is Cassian. He’s a year older and a million times better at fighting. Devlon, the camp Lord, unfortunately won’t let him advance out of his age group because of his birth status. They also don’t provide clothing or proper shelter for bastards. 

After he beat me to shreds, I looked outside that night to see him practicing, even as a bad blizzard raged on. He looked frigid, so I went out and asked what he was doing. 

“Fighting off the cold,” he said. It hit me then that we’ve never experienced true desperation. Even if we think father can be though, at least we always have a warm bed and food. I told him to stay with me and mam. He laughed in my face, naturally. But by the next night, he stood outside pounding on the door, asking if he could stand by the fire for a little. 

You would’ve said yes, too.

Cassian has stayed with us for the rest of the week. Mam wouldn’t let him leave, even if at first she was livid. He can be arrogant and he makes jokes that aren’t funny and he is certainly too loud, but I think I like him, weirdly enough. 

If anything, he taught me how to throw a good punch. 

Anyway, I thought you’d like this story. Maybe I’m on my way to making friends. I’m definitely on my way to holding a sword properly. It feels good to make progress.

Write back soon with tales of the lovely city. I don’t think the stars are as beautiful here as they are in Velaris.

Rhys

[omega-puppy]

I have been teetering on the edge of making this post, until a post by @pin3-vin3 (go check them out!!) made me sigh and realise I had to sit down and do this.

I’m putting a nsft warning on this, because I can’t really comment in depth about it omegaverse without at least touching on the sexual aspects. So buckle up.

Alphas

Alphas have higher social status and prestige compared to the other two secondary sexes. Similar to men within the patriarchy, alphas have an easier time getting a job, making liveable wages, and generally have much more respect within medical, law and social service systems. (For example a doctor is more likely to actually listen to and accept what an alpha is saying as a symptom or sickness rather than an omega, more on that later).

Alphas however, have a caveat to this respect. They are respected even more, when part of a pack. (More on packs later). Alphas are respected more when part of a pack because they are then seen as more dependable and successful than an alpha without a pack. An alpha with just one partner is respected more than an alpha without as well. Alpha on alpha relationships are hit and miss, some elitist alphas may see this as settling, others may see it as a strong representation of an alphas ability to accept and care for people they love.

Which brings me to my next point. Alphas and emotion. While alphas are seen as strong and protective, there is nothing inherently wrong within society with an alpha setting that aside to be what someone needs. If they need a strong and aggressive protector, an alpha will be that. An alpha might be firm with their partner, similar to a parent trying to get kids to eat vegetables, but again, that’s based on what the situation requires. If their partner responds better to gentle nurturing, alphas gain a lot of respect and reverence from adapting to that.

Scent wise, I really hate this idea that alpha scents can’t be flowery and sweet. Scents as a whole can range and are similar to a cutie mark or something, they represent the person as a whole, what they’re good at, the things they like, the scent might represent a memory or key ideal. (I.e. smelling like gunpowder and mist might be linked to watching fireworks as a kid). That being said, these scents are accompanied by undertones that alter the general vibe around them, hence the requirement for alphas to have a sense of emotional control.

An aggressive or pissed off alpha, will emit spicy or heated undertones to their scent. An alpha that’s sad will have slightly muggy undertones. An alpha trying to calm their partner may emit soothing scents like chamomile undertones. This is from alphas evolving to serve an omega as a grounding technique, but it extends to alpha on alpha too. (More on why betas are unaffected later.)

Alphas can be affected by omegas scents. A distressed omega lets out the most foul and potent odour known to man. It’s a natural deterrent. Similarly an omega in heat releases a very specific scent that attracts alphas, but not how you’d think. It makes alphas weak in the knees and all they want to do is help. This means, if an omega is aggressively against being knotted for a heat, the Alpha can’t encroach on that unless it’s incredibly necessary (like if the omega is going to die, omegas safety is paramount, similar to like, medically necessary procedures).

Scent glands are located on both sides of the neck, the wrists and the inner thighs. When scenting items, the weakest spot is the wrists, it’s generally just for a temporary mark that lasts about a week or so. The neck lasts much longer and is much stronger, it also has a more affectionate meaning, to mark something with the glands on the neck. The inner thigh is the most intimate, and gifting an item that is marked by the inner thigh is like sending a nude. It’s a very private and intimate scent that you only really see on extremely personal items like particularly important pushes or treasures.

Alphas can growl and have a command tone. This is a tone that alphas can use to convey commands that must be followed. It’s taboo and in the eyes of the court, overly aggressive (not illegal to do, but is similar to a high stakes threat) outside of bond-marked couples (more later). This command tone rings in the back of an omegas mind until it is actioned, it becomes like their own impulsive thought, and it grows stronger the longer it’s resisted. This is most often used within mate-bonded couples to get omegas to eat during their heat (which is often forgotten). But as mentioned before, can be misused and in the eyes of the law, is not illegal, but is not aligned with social morality.

Marks! An alpha can bite down on the neck gland of an omega to attempt a mark. However, this mark is only temporary, and becomes permanent when an omega does it back to the alpha. Only then can the omega actually be able to have that alpha’s pups, and that alpha alone. Marks are shared between pack mates, so yes multiple marks can be made but they myst be entirely mutual. That is, is alpha A and omega B are marked to one another, and they want to introduce Alpha C into their pack, Alpha C must mark and be marked by alpha A and omega B.

Marks that are mutual are permanent and are referred to as Bond Marks. Bond marks create a permanent bond between alphas and omegas that can only be broken on agreement of both parties, and cannot be overwritten. These bonds work at an emotional level. If a bonded marked omega gets upset, the alpha will feel a portion of that sadness. This can also translate medically and is a common part of the diagnostic process when treating bonded pairs.

Alphas have knots, when they get into a rut, knotting is at the forefront of their mind and it becomes something they are going to need. Blood pressure rises, pupils dilate and heart rate speeds up. It’s an adrenaline storm essentially, and it can lead to medical complications if not placated by knotting.

Betas

Unfortunately, in my headcannon, betas are very similar to normal humans. They can reproduce with alphas or omegas as well as each other, they don’t carry scents nor are they affected by them (they can still smell scents, they just don’t really react to them)

However, it’s incredibly common for a pack to consist of an Alpha and Omega pair with a beta third partner. These betas will wear a mark which will need to be renewed. (Because they don’t have scent glands the mark doesn’t take the same way it does for an alpha or omega). These marks are usually symbolic rather than a deep rooted bond as it is with Alphas and Omegas marking each other or others within their secondary sex.

Betas often help alphas and omegas get things done during heats and ruts. Because they’re not affected by the heavy scent of heat and rut, they can still function and get things done around the house. However, say an alpha and omega are having their rut/heat, and the alpha for whatever reason, has to leave for a time. The beta can take over for a time, comforting or using a toy or themselves (depending on the situation) to help the omega feel like they’re being rutted. (However betas don’t have the capacity to knot. So they cannot provide that sensation to an omega)

Betas are incredibly talented at being able to support their partners, and with such a large majority of the population being betas, it’s very easy to find materials and resources that help betas work out how to best support their partners or friends that need help.

Omegas

Omegas are incredibly similar to alphas in many ways, but are different in many too.

Omegas have the lowest amount of social prestige, however notably, they are not treated as *lesser*. Omegas are not considered weak or inferior. They are considered to be better suited to different roles. For example. An omega might go for a job in construction, but be perceived to be better at making coffee. This is not something that is laughed off and is a comment that’s thrown in an omegas face to put them down. It would be more of a gentle suggestion that they should take it easy and not push themselves too much.

Single omegas (un-bonded, un-packed, un-mated) are at higher risk within society, because as is the way of society, there are many who see them as easy or weak targets. So it’s not unlikely that omegas will live within apartment blocks full of omegas or even a few alpha neighbours so their scent is lingering on them when they’re out and about.

Emotionally, omegas are definitely more in touch with their emotions (note: not emotional!!! But in touch, meaning they have a greater understanding of what they feel and when). This can be misconstrued to be that they are more emotional or sensitive but that’s not necessarily true.

Omegas build nests within their homes. This isn’t always a bed, but it can be. It can be on the floor on a futon, or on a couch, sometimes even just in the corner of a room. There are slick-resistant mats you can get for the bottom of the nest, otherwise the nests are mostly constructed with blankets, soft toys, items that are sentimental and important. Omegas nests are sacred spaces, often where an omega retreats during heat. Alphas are expected to present themselves, hands behind their back, chin in the air exposing their neck glands, and receive permission before entering a nest. Not doing so can cause extreme distress for the omega, and can even cause a drop (more later).

Scent wise, of course omegas can smell hardy, Smokey, like a tree. Similar to alphas omegas also emit undertones to their scent that correspond to emotional states. Omegas in high distress emit scents that are repulsive, omegas in heat emit scents that are more attractive. Omegas can emit calming scents that help relax alphas. (This is mostly just the flip side of what alphas can do to omegas which I already went though above.

Omegas do have a need to be marked. When in heat they may beg and plead for a mark. And they may have to fight the instinct to mark an alpha back during these times. In legal cases, the responsibility lies on the Alpha, as they are viewed to be more in control during heats or ruts.

Scent glands are located on both sides of the neck, the wrists and the inner thighs. When scenting items, the weakest spot is the wrists, it’s generally just for a temporary mark that lasts about a week or so. The neck lasts much longer and is much stronger, it also has a more affectionate meaning, to mark something with the glands on the neck. The inner thigh is the most intimate, and gifting an item that is marked by the inner thigh is like sending a nude. It’s a very private and intimate scent that you only really see on extremely personal items like particularly important pushes or treasures.

Omegas can purr which calms alphas around them similar to a calming scent. Omegas can also trill, but this is an act that is similar to chastising a child. It’s an easy way of saying stop, or be punished. Alphas do get a twinge to the back of their neck after hearing this sound, like being scruffed.

When an omega senses a rut, one of two things is the most common response. They either go into a pseudo heat, which is similar to their regular heat but instead of lasting a few days, it lasts maybe one day at most, more commonly it lasts about 3 or so hours. The other option is they are like the same sides of a magnet to the rutting alpha, just something in them makes them unable to get too close, and the alpha will usually pick up on a scent of rejection. In some cases neither of these things happen. It’s not considered abnormal or anything to worry about, it’s just rare.

Omegas in heat produce slick, helps alphas out. The slick is produced by a pair of glands in the upper area of the inside canal. Prolonged or overexposure to suppressant medication can cause complications where these glands get blocked or clotted, and it can cause intense pain and discomfort, as well as mental health problems like nest rejection and anxiety.

omegas have muscles that are designed to be pressed against, like pressure points, that can only be pressed on by knots. They line the walls just inside the opening, and require to all be pressed with enough consistent pressure, at the same time. There are aids that help achieve this to relieve the stress for omegas without an alpha or who do not want an alpha.

If on suppressant medication in a way that is not medically appropriate, if encroached on by an alpha without permission, if their nest is invaded, if their mark is damaged and in rare cases, if rejected by an alpha they particularly like, an omega can enter a drop. This can present as fever, hysteria, anxiety, panic attacks, depression and even psychosis. It takes an alpha or a group of well loved and well trusted friends, providing long term (a week at minimum) support to bring an omega out of this, through calming scents, gentle comfort and allowing rest (bringing food, cleaning the house, letting the omega stay in their nest).

Look there’s probably plenty of shit I haven’t said, I’ve been spending all day typing this out. This is just my personal idea of how this works, and like all individual ideas, it’ll probably shift and change over time. But there you go. That’s my thoughts on it, I’m gonna crawl into my nest now.

[marsipaniscool]

Santana really did have a shit life. First, his family was massacred. Then he got kidnapped by the murderers and told to become a strong warrior, and when he failed, they just left him there for a minimum of 2000 years. And THEN he woke up to being experimented on, and I'm not sure if he then died or stayed alive but in pieces. Lowkey hope he died and has some peace

RIGHT. gonna talk abt both of the boys because I feel like they bounce off of each other really well, almost foils. under the cut because I love yapping <3

in my opinion, Wamuu and Santana internalised Kars' and Esidisi's actions very differently. Wamuu acknowledges it happened, but his loyalty to his masters runs so deep that he willingly turns a blind eye to it, even though it brings him a lot of turmoil. I think that's a part of the reason he doesn't like fighting women or children, he sees Kars ordering him to kill his mother, and even himself as a child. Something something if Wamuu had been a child instead of an actual baby, he realises Kars would have had him killed too more than likely. He copes with this by proving his worth time and time again on the battlefield, doing quite literally whatever Kars demands. This increased tenfold when Santana was left behind. Yeah Wamuu talks big game about having a code of honour and strong morals but alllllll of that goes out the window when daddy kars demands. Honestly, Wamuu won the genetic lottery in terms of being a fierce warrior, he ends up taller than Kars or Esidisi and appears more well built. I don't think it was the fact that Santana was weak, I think he was just comparatively weak to Wamuu, and ended up being perceived as the weakest link. Kars and Esidisi had milleniums of training and Wamuu was a fighting prodigy, so Santana, who was probably just an average, untrained, pillar person (see:child), was by default the weakest. Santana had to process the information of Kars and Esidisi killing his family in an entirely different way. While Wamuu came to his own conclusion, I can easily see Kars holding that information above Santana's head. Santana had to hear that Kars "saved him from a life of darkness and drab" and how Santana should be "thankful you (Santana) weren't slaughtered like everyone else/your parents/family." When physical punishments were given to Santana, I can see Kars and/or Esidisi telling him how he was just as worthless and weak as his mother. I talked about it in-depth before, so just to rehash my thoughts: Santana was abandoned in Mexico at least 5,000 years ago (K,E,+W went to Eurasia in search of the super aja.) Santana would have looked around 10 years old at his age of 5,000. Picking up here, Santana would very likely stick to the same general area for quite a while before branching out into the greater Central America. Honestly think he became an idol in these areas due to him being bored as fuck with a booming population of humans around him. I see him spending a few thousand years like this, until eventually he got bored/not enough nourishment/whatever happened, and he fell asleep for several thousand years. Really leaning towards lack of nourishment leading to his slumber, he holed himself up in the temple and only woke up to a copious blood sacrifice. He woke up, the events of the show happened, Santana is stone in the SWF again. I don't think Santana is dead, I think they woke him back up and experimented on him. Von Stroheims entire mechanical body is based off of Santana. They may have been able to study him to such a degree while he was asleep, but honestly I think homeboy was awake and just restrained in some fashion while the Nazis and SWF experimented on him. I really hope he passed by the events of part 4 at the latest, but maybe they studied him until they were satisfied, and then kept him turned to stone. Maybe they had Joseph swing by and kill him idk. I just hope he found a peaceful ending.

[skyward-floored]

Whenever you get to this -- it's not terribly important, but how would you describe each of the chain's personalities to be like?

You’ve found my writing weakness Ladye, I struggle immensely with looking at a character and writing out their personality XD

That’s an interesting question! One I think about a lot when I’m writing actually, because at their core? All the Links are made of the same stuff. It can be difficult to parse out what makes them individuals sometimes (especially writing it out 😂) but I did my best here!

Under a readmore because this is LONG

Time - stubborn, responsible, and serious, but not as much as you’d expect from his appearance. Most leader-y of the group, he’s stern yes, but mostly only when he’s trying to keep the other Links safe (the Like Like incident, when Twilight is injured and insists he’s well enough to fight, etc). His overall personality seems to me more lighthearted then you’d expect at first glance— after all, he enjoys teasing the other Links, and even pranks them now and then.

It seems like he’s largely moved past and healed from what happened during his adventures, (probably due to how it’s been longer since them unlike the other Links), and not much seems to bother him. He can even joke about them a little (“the moon”), though he stays mysterious about details. He seems a pretty private person as well, except around his wife and a few select others.

Twilight - protective and stubborn to a fault, he cares deeply for those he loves. Another leader of the group, but he doesn’t think of himself as the leader-type as much. He falls into the role though, since the others tend to look to him, and he manages it well.

He has a melancholic sense about him, one that he’s only partially-good at hiding. He’s still very much getting over his complicated feelings about Midna’s departure, and that sadness bleeds into his personality sometimes. Good with kids and animals, knows how to wrangle them both really well, but he can be a little overprotective on occasion, and forgets how age isn’t necessarily an indicator of how responsible and/or skilled you are, which the younger Links bristle at.

Warriors - polished, put together, and a bit prideful, but he’s well aware of what happens if he gets too cocky and keeps it in check. The other leader of the group, he seems to focus largely on making plans, and keeping up the overall morale of the Links. A charmer, good at saying what people want to hear, and also figuring out what makes people tick. His first impression of people is rarely incorrect.

Good at keeping the group organized, and one of the few Links good at working alongside others, he also seems to be the one to break up fights if they get to be less teasing and more serious. Has a strong sense of justice as well, he hates those who would betray their allies/beliefs.

Four - Calm and focused and very mature, so much that several of the others believe him to be much older than he is. He’s very good at keeping his emotions in check and staying collected, right up to the point where he... isn’t. Gets frustrated with himself if he gets to that point and lashes out, but this only happens rarely.

One of the quietest Links, he tends to keep to himself, but he’s one of the heroes most used to being in a group, and generally handles it very well. Very book-smart and eager to learn, but has a deep distrust of any sort of magic that’s even remotely dark. Also knows how to keep the peace, and generally smooth flaring tempers... unless he’s the one who’s upset.

Wind - the youngest but by no means the weakest Link, Wind is a skilled fighter for his age and the brightest personality among the group. Exuberant and cheerful, his happy attitude can sometimes be taken for frivolousness. But he’s able to take a situation just as seriously as the rest of them— he just tends to look on the bright side of it.

Tends to be underestimated due to his age, and he’s not afraid to call people out on it. He fights hard to be taken seriously, and greatly appreciates how Time treats him as just as capable as everyone else. He still has a childish side to him though, which can be both a strength and a weakness.

Wild - fond of exciting schemes, always willing to go along with what seems like a crazy idea, and deeply traumatized with an identity crisis on top. Tends to be very argumentative and quick to make jokes, but usually he knows when he’s going too far (...usually). Highly defensive of Zelda, and not afraid to argue against any conceived slight against her. She had enough bad things said about her when she couldn’t unlock her powers, and he takes his defense of her seriously.

Greatly insecure about how much of a hero he is due to how he failed— being around so many others who succeeded is difficult, especially when they rarely discuss how close they all came to failing sometimes. Has the greatest trouble working in a group, and it’s caused several issues in the time he’s been with the Links, especially with those that are used to it.

Legend - prickly exterior, soft all the way through. Quick to tease and throw jabs, but he doesn’t truly mean anything by it. It’s a defensive measure more then anything to keep people at arm’s length. Could be a leader, but he chooses not to be— he doesn’t like all that responsibility on his head, and will only step up if the others are truly out of commission.

Reliable and mature for his age due to all his adventures, he seems totally unbothered by what he went through (though Koholint especially weighs heavy on his heart). Seems aloof at times, but cares just as much as Twilight, even if he doesn’t outwardly show it. Is younger than he projects himself to be.

Hyrule - humble and kind, he’s also got a level of sass that sometimes rears it’s head and surprises people. Tends to downplay himself and his skills, doesn’t think he’s a true “hero” like the others, despite being skilled in almost anything he puts his mind to. Has incredible tenacity and refuses to give up no matter the odds against him— he’s made of stronger stuff then he thinks.

Very decisive, knows when to act, and would make a great leader someday if he ever managed to get past his poor view of himself. Has a mysterious side to him as well, similar to Time’s in a way. Not the best in a group, generally prefers to be in either a smaller group or by himself.

Sky - seemingly open with his emotions, kind and cheerful, Sky seems a bit airheaded at times. But he has a great strength of spirit, and is deadly on the battlefield— those who have underestimated him have not lived to tell the tale.

Has a mischievous side that isn’t immediately evident, but it’s there, and its quite a sight to behold when his sassiness comes up with it as well. Tends to keep his heavier thoughts and emotions close to his chest though, and prefers to push through and not dwell on them, which is bad news later when it gets to be too much for him.

[oddlyhale]

I used to think Weiss was the weakest character in the show, but all she really needs is better writing and a better handle on her range of powers. She could be her own team since she's the strongest - in my opinion. Hence why she needs to lose a lot.

But Blake is a weak link to the team. When it comes to her power and her abilities, she doesn't stand out or come off as unique. Anybody can do what she can. She barely uses her Semblance as well, which is still something that feels so weird to me. A cloning Semblance, barely utilized. You could replace Blake with someone else and the team would be fine.

Her arcs - the White Fang arc and the Adam arc - both ended, and now there's nothing else for Blake to do. She could've gone back home to reform the White Fang, but now she's stuck with the team. It's hard to put Blake in conversations because she delivers nothing. She didn't even have anybody to connect with in the JLxRWBY Part 2 film, the other girls did.

And with every installment, her outfits get worse.

[achaotichuman]

A tamsand au, where rhysand gets a reality check from tamlin and he ends up trying to court tam-tam but is met with suspicion and raised eyebrows from tam's fam ( alis, lucien, feyre- what she's doing is up to u).

My apologies for this ask taking so long to be answered. Your wish is my command, Anon.

The Spring Court was back in order. Or a as much order as it could be at this time. Once word spread that the Spring Court was back in action, the people began to return. At first the return was slow, only a few who were desperate to return to their homeland, then after a few months of patiently earning their trust back, the population flowed back in. Soon the towns were being reconstructed, villages were brought back to life. The lakes, rivers, and forests were filled with Fae again. The Spring Court was bustling.

Finally, his Court was back together and busier than ever. It did, however, mean that Tamlin was also busier than ever.

There was no time to stop, not now, not when the Spring Court was almost back to its former glory.

Tamlin was in his study, toast in his mouth, barely able to eat as both his hands were busy, one holding paperwork for him to read, the other writing like his hand was on fire. He was working on two hours of sleep, two pieces of toast (including the one in his mouth) and sheer will.

He barely checked the darkness in the corner of the room until he finally glanced up and saw Rhysand standing there.

Then everything in the world stopped.

Rhysand hadn't been around as of recent times. Tamlin's rebuilding and rallying of his Court had seemed to drive away the Night Lord. Tamlin had decided even if Rhysand came back, he wouldn't let him get into his head. His end wouldn't be because of Rhysand.

But now as his violet eyes shone as he looked Tamlin up and down. Tamlin felt his knees go weak. He felt a tremor run through his veins as every nerve in his body yearned for the approval of the male across from him. His body had never really stopped wanting for Rhysand, even after the trauma of that night so many centuries ago.

"What do you want?" Tamlin's voice was better, less sore, less scratchy, he'd been actually talking to people regularly. Not just speaking with Rhysand on the odd occasion while he laid in the ruins of his Court.

"I wanted to know how our newest ally was coming along with the rebuilding of his Court." Rhysand drawled as he came closer to Tamlin, hands in pockets and eyes darting over the office, almost like he was impressed.

Impressed, as if the very idea of Tamlin acting like the High lord of Spring was impressive.

Ally?! He fucking thought Tamlin would ally with him, after all his little mate had done to this Court?!

"Who said I would ever ally with you?" Tamlin growled.

"You will, once you realize your Court is better off with powerful allies, such as myself than it is on its own."

Tamlin tilted his head to the side, he looked Rhysand up and down slowly, carefully, "You really think Spring is completely alone?"

"Is it not? You're the weakest link in the chain here Tamlin, at least you can admit that." Rhysand purred as he came closer, close enough that Tamlin could smell his cologne, filling every pore with his scent.

"Rhysand, has your Shadowsinger slacked off with his recon over this side of Prythian?" Tamlin purred back, the tiredness in his bones evaporating for this very moment.

Rhysand's eyes narrowed, locking into Tamlin. Green on violet, such a violent combination.

"What are you-"

"I have my allies; do you want to know where they are? There are in Summer-" Tamlin pointed towards the Summer border, "They are in Autumn-" Tamlin pointed towards the Autumn border, "They are in Winter, and they are in Day. I have allies."

Rhysand's smirk finally dropped from his face as he finally understood. Tamlin had been working, really damn hard in fact. His armies were growing rapidly, Spring was back on its feet and its political climate was better than it ever had been before.

"You think you're so much better than me." Tamlin grinned at him, jutting his pointer finger into Rhysand's hard chest, "You think because you generate the most power you can do whatever the fuck you want but there are no consequences, because your word is law. God forbid someone speak badly about our dear High lord of Night. He's our savior!"

"But you wanna know something, Rhys? You are fucking nothing to me. Nothing more than another problem that needs solving. You're an inconvenience who reared your ugly head during Amarantha's reign and then slunk back into Night once she was gone. You showed up as another inconvenience to my life when I was with Feyre, and then when I was lost because of what she did, you decided to be even more of a pest."

Tamlin stood up on the tips of his toes, looking Rhysand dead in the eye as he leaned forward, so close their lips were just barely not brushing. Tamlin slid his hands up Rhysand's chest, feeling the hard muscle underneath his shirt. Rhysand's scent deepened as arousal peeked in. Tamlin smiled, "You're nothing more than a pest to me, but all I have to do is touch you a little and you'll come crawling back."

Tamlin pressed his lips to the outer shell of Rhysand's ear and whispered, "Thats my power, Rhysand. I can have the most powerful High lord helpless with just my touch."

"That-Thats not true," Rhysand breathed.

Tamlin let out a light chuckle, then he abruptly pulled away, Rhysand found himself faltering and nearly stumbling after Tamlin. The High lord of Spring laughed.

"I am doing better than ever without you. You were always just a nuisance. Now..." Tamlin flicked his fingers and a sudden gust of wind knocked Rhysand back, "Get the fuck out of my Court.

*******

"Do you know what's happening with him?" Cassian asked. Feyre looked up from her painting to see who Cassian was pointing at.

Rhysand was sitting by the window, staring out at the gardens whilst his coffee sat on the sill beside him, slowly going cold.

Feyre furrowed her brow, "Yeah, I don't know about that. I've tried getting him to talk but he just shuts down."

Then Feyre went back to her painting, Cassian put a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up again, he looked even more confused and concerned.

"Are you not more concerned? What if somethings going on?" Cassian insisted.

"Cass, its Rhysand, he broods all the damn time. Leave him, he'll start complaining about whatever it is he's upset about in due time."

Feyre turned back to her painting, and Cassian finally left.

At least when Rhysand was being so still, he made for the perfect muse. And the way the sunlight hit his nose was oh so fun to paint.

**********

"Letter to Kallias, check. Letter to Tarquin, check. Eris, check. Helion and Lucien, checkity check." Tamlin crossed off his to do list as he wandered back into his office. It was late. Night had fallen upon Spring and Alis had told him to leave it and go to bed multiple times, but Tamlin wasn't about to quit when he was getting things done at such a fast rate.

Tamlin closed his study door, not looking up from his list as he walked into his office. That was a mistake. As Tamlin slammed into someone as he walked in. The High lord jumped back holding his clipboard back and preparing to swing it when he saw who it was.

"Relax, darling, I won't bite." Rhysand hummed, holding up his hands as he feigned innocence.

"Rhysand. What did I tell you last time?" Tamlin snarled, claws beginning to poke through his fingertips.

"To get the fuck out of your Court." Rhysand tilted his head to the side, "But it's just such a lovely night, I thought I might come around."

"I figured the nights would be lovelier in the Night Court rather than Spring." Tamlin snapped, "What do you actually want?"

"Always straight to the case, aren't you, my love?" Rhysand said, "Alright, I simply thought I would drop this off."

Rhysand plucked a rose from the pocket between realms. Except, it wasn't any ordinary rose, of course it wasn't. This was a rose from the gardens deep in the Hewn City, where the plants grew in complete darkness, learning to creature their own light. It glowed a light, shimmering blue from in between the petals, the stem and leaves a deep black.

"What is that?" Tamlin said, disgust on every word. He wasn't disgusted though; he was actually intrigued. What was Rhysand playing?

"A rose, for you." Rhysand said softly, pressing the rose into Tamlin's chest. Against his better judgement, Tamlin held onto the flower.

"If you wish, I can get you the seeds for those flowers, you can have your own bioluminescent garden if you ask for it." Rhysand said.

"And why would you do that?"

Rhysand gave him a devilish smirk, "Well how else will I convince you to join the dark side?"

*********** Rhysand would not stop coming back. At first it was every week; at some point he would show up. Rose in hand, very quickly Tamlin had a study full of those damn roses. He didn't know why he kept them but... he couldn't get rid of them. Even though at times he wished to simply toss them into the fire and watch the petals shrivel as they burned. He contained himself and simply set them either on the coffee table or a shelf.

At first Rhysand's visits were bearable, at least he wasn't telling Tamlin the world was better off without him in it. But very quickly, the visits increased, going from weekly, to daily.

Tamlin yawned and stretched his arms up high, arching his back as he walked into his study. Prepared for another long day of working.

As he rubbed his eyes, Tamlin suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, then a near feral noise escaped his throat when he saw who was back again.

Would it kill Rhysand to not ruin his day by seven in the morning.

The Night Lord was sitting in one of the small lounges Tamlin kept in his study. One of Tamlin's books in his hands as he ate Tamlin's breakfast which was set on the coffee table.

"Why are you back here?!" Tamlin rushed over and snatched the book from Rhysand's hands.

"I wished to see you," Rhysand drawled, taking a bite out of a piece of toast.

Tamlin drew in a deep breath, calm, calm, calm, "Rhysand, get out."

"Oh? So soon I've only just seen you."

"You saw me yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that, and the day before that." Tamlin snarled, "Go home, see your wife, your son, Cassian probably thinks you're dead!"

Rhysand laughed as he stood up, "Oh alright, I'll be off, but allow me to leave one thing-"

"I swear to the Gods Rhysand if you give me another rose, I will burn it in front of you."

"First of all, you don't believe in God. Second, it is not another rose."

Tamlin rolled his eyes, feeling the familiar pressure of his claws coming to the surface. '

Then what Rhysand pulled out from the pocket between worlds made that anger just... drift away, just for a moment.

He pulled out a necklace. A beautiful silver necklace with a dark gem in the center. Tamlin, caught off guard, stared at it for a moment before blinking up at the male grinning down at him.

"Look at the back of the gem." Rhysand whispered. Tamlin paused for a moment, hesitant. Then he forced himself to life his hands up to touch the necklace in Rhysand's warm hands.

The Spring Lord turned the gemstone over to see on the silver back was a name, Rhysand's in swirling letters.

"You engraved it." Tamlin stated with as little emotion as he could muster.

"I did."

"I am not wearing a necklace with your name on it." Tamlin said, crossing his arms, his eyes never straying from the piece of jewelry, it wasn't extravagant or over the top, but it was beautiful. Even Tamlin could admit that.

"At least try it on, just for a moment." Rhysand insisted.

"I-"

"Just for a moment."

Tamlin didn't know what possessed him to allow it, but he looked up into Rhysand's eyes and just nodded. Turning around he felt Rhysand's fingers brush his hair to sit over his shoulder, then wrap the cold silver around his neck. With quick precision Rhysand clasped it and pulled Tamlin's golden hair to spill down his back again.

"Turn for me." Rhysand whispered. Again, Tamlin listened, he turned around and watched as Rhysand's eyes went up and down along his body. A heat in his gaze that could have set Tamlin alight if he had less pride.

"Beautiful." Rhysand finally said, sliding a finger underneath Tamlin's chin, "Deliciously beautiful."

"Oh, fuck off." Tamlin's face was now a splotchy red. He purposely stepped away from Rhysand, "Go back to the hellish place you reside in."

"Of course, I'll see you again soon, Tamlin darling." Rhysand promised before he winnowed away to the Night realm.

Tamlin wrapped his fingers around the gemstone, wanting to simply snap it off. But... he couldn't find the strength to do so.

Oh well, he'd take it off eventually. Then it he'd burn it along with all those godforsaken flowers.

*******

"Where did you get that necklace?" Alis asked.

Tamlin nearly choked on his pasta. Lucien hit his back and the Spring Lord glared at him, "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Lucien hummed, taking a bite out of his own meal. They were in the kitchens, Alis was busy washing up and both Tamlin and Lucien wished for her company tonight. So, the two ate at the countertop whilst Alis worked.

"Didn't answer my question." Alis pointed out.

Tamlin swallowed, biting into more of his food to try and avoid answering. Lucien now narrowed his eyes at him and Alis seemed more suspicious.

Then something sparked in Alis' eyes, Tamlin couldn't tell if it was amusement or anger, "Don't tell me the Night Lord gave you that."

"The Night Lord what?" Lucien whipped around, dropping his fork onto his plate, disregarding Tamlin's personal space, Lucien leaned in close and snatched up the gemstone observing it closely.

"Get away from me, you bastard!" Tamlin tried to shove him off, but his grip on the necklace stopped Tamlin from using any real strength for fear it may snap.

Then Lucien turned over the jewel and his eyes went wide as his jaw dropped, "Tamlin what in the Mother's name is this?"

"What?! Tell me!" Alis insisted, putting the dishes back into the sink water and rushing over to the two males.

"Nothing! It's nothing-!"

"Rhysand's name is engraved on the back of the gem, if that wasn't enough this is most certainly Night Court jewelry." Lucien said.

"You're kidding me, Tamlin, please tell me you aren't wearing his name on that necklace."

"I am not 'wearing his name' Alis. It is just a necklace." Tamlin stood up from the counter, his appetite lost.

"Just a necklace with his name on it." Lucien mumbled.

"I am done with the two of you, I have actual work to do." Tamlin said as he stormed out of the kitchen.

As Tamlin shut the door and headed for his office, his fingers found the necklace. Wrapping the chain around and around his hand, squeezing the gem. He wanted to rip it off. He wanted to keep it on forever.

What was this strange, strange sensation? Why did he hate how much he loved it?

************

"Feyre, have you noticed something off about Rhysand?" Lucien asked. Helion was throwing a large celebration for his niece's engagement. All were invited to attend, and Feyre found herself sprawled in a lovely lounge, drinking champagne and talking with anyone and everyone, and now currently Lucien.

"Funny, quite a few people have asked me that these past few months." Feyre laughed as she drank from her glass.

Lucien settled into the lounge beside her, a flute in his own hand, "Truly?"

"Yes, everyone has said there is something off about him." Feyre revealed.

"Do... do you see it to?" Lucien asked hesitantly.

"Well of course I do, Lucien, I am his mate after all, I see everything he does."

"Well then, may you enlighten me on what has caused this change?"

Feyre shrugged, "Something, something Rhysand and Tamlin. Isn't that how it always is."

"I... suppose?" Lucien said, "I think they have become... far closer in the past months."

"They have," Feyre agreed, the bubbliness now leaving her body as seriousness took over. "Lucien, may I tell you something in confidence?"

Lucien seemed taken aback for a moment, then he quickly nodded, "Of course, anything Feyre."

"I believe Rhysand is in love with Tamlin."

If Lucien had a drink in his mouth he would've spat it out. Eyes nearly budging out of his head he said, "Oh, oh... What-what has led you o this conclusion?"

"He always goes to visit Tamlin now. He is constantly looking for things for him, always talking about him. Always thinking about him... I don't believe he is in love with me any longer."

"Feyre," Lucien breathed, "I... I'm so sorry-"

"Oh, do not be, we opened our relationship quite some time ago. I just thought perhaps he was still somewhat in love with me. Perhaps that has changed." Feyre spoke with an ease and casualty one would have if they were simply commenting on the weather.

Again, if Lucien had a drink in his mouth he would have spat it out.

"You... opened your relationship?" Lucien questioned.

"Yes Lucien, oh don't look so surprised. When we came together it was quick, rushed because of the war. Neither of us had much time to reflect on ourselves and much of our relationship was fake feelings curated by the bond wanting us together. It was a beautiful facade that eventually fell apart. We won't ever leave each other's side, believe me I love him, it's just... more friendly than it ever was before."

"Ah, I see." Lucien said, "So... Tamlin and Rhysand."

"20 marks Tamlin jumpstarts their relationship." Feyre said.

Lucien let out a loud 'hah' "Thirty."

"Deal." Feyre grinned.

****************

The night was silent, not even a cricket chirped. As if everything int he Spring Court knew how sacred this small moment was. Rhysand stood before Tamlin, in amongst the gardens. Alone for just this moment.

"Tamlin." Rhysand breathed. He couldn't prevent his hands from cupping his face. Pulling him just a touch closer.

"Rhysand." Tamlin murmured.

"I..." Rhysand faltered, why was he so damn nervous? He had never been nervous before, not even when their friendship was still strong so many centuries ago.

"Yes?" Tamlin bit back the grin on his face.

"I... Gods." Rhysand breathed a laugh.

"Ask your question, Rhys." Tamlin breathed, standing up on his tip toes to meet his eyes. The motion made Rhysand's breath catch in his lungs, he could barely inhale let alone speak a sentence.

"I..."

Tamlin finally slid his arms around Rhysand's neck, "Fine, I'll ask, Rhysand will you do me the pleasure of calling me yours and vice-versa."

Rhysand laughed, he laughed, and the sound was sweet like honey. hands falling to Tamlin's waist he pulled him close and whispered against his lips, "Yes."

Rhysand kissed him, it was slow, but deep and sensual. He tasted like cool mint, and his lips were like silk moving against his. He knew exactly where to push, where to pull. When to hold him tighter, and when to wrap his arms right around Tamlin, encasing him in his embrace. Playing the Spring Lord like a fiddle.

Down in the gardens, Tamlin and Rhysand remained entranced by one another, oblivious to the three laying on the rooftop watching them.

Feyre held out her hand to Lucien, "Pay up."

Lucien grumbled as he reached into his pockets and pulled out a bag of thirty marks. Alis laughed as she reached over for the bowl of popcorn they had brought up.

Thank you for the prompt! Had a bit of fun with this one.

[aevallare]

tagged by @anosrepasi!!! i am only doing this for my main fandom account because the other one is between me and god <3

1) How many works do you have on AO3?

66

2) What’s your total AO3 word count?

802,941

3) What fandoms do you write for?

currently bg3 is everything all the time. i've also written for mass effect, arcane, league of legends, dragon age, legend of zelda, fallout, kingdom hearts, stardew valley, and genshin impact

4) What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1 - kindred (baldur's gate 3 - astarion/f!tav)

2 - insinuations (arcane - jayce/viktor)

3 - doctrine (arcane - jayce/viktor)

4 - celestial (arcane - jayce/viktor)

5. a sycophantic, prophetic, socratic junkie wannabe (fallout - deacon/f!sole survivor)

5) Do you respond to comments?

when i can!! i'm posting three multi-chapter fics simultaneously so it doesn't always work out lol

6) What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

treason (fallout 4 - deacon/f!sole survivor) - sorry deacon lmao.

7) What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

i mostly write happy endings, but i think the happiest is probably doctrine because arcane s1 ended so sad that mine looks like a fairytale lol.

8) Do you get hate on fics?

haha

9) Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

yeah. what kind don't i write at this point

10) Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

not really

11) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

i've had whole fics stolen and concepts plagiarized

12) Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes!

13) Have you ever co-written a fic before?

yes!! i've co-written with @caspercryptid and @the-neon-pineapple in the past and i hope to link up with both them and @dishsaop in the future. i will also be giving astarion TWO weed-smoking girlfriends with @again-please :3

14) What’s your all time favorite ship?

never ask me this question again

15) What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

i finish every fic i start nowadays

16) What are your writing strengths?

sheer word count lmfao

17) What are your writing weaknesses?

smut is by far the weakest part of my writing i think though it's been getting better since i've trial-by-fired myself with the white boy of the century

18) Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

i did it in sycophantic a fair amount because clara is danish but i also speak danish fluently. astarion also speaks elvish sometimes in kindred but it's purposefully not understandable.

19) First fandom you wrote for?

fullmetal alchemist or naruto

20) Favorite fic you’ve written?

every fic i've ever written is my favorite i shan't choose between my children (i love you pour one out)

i'll taaaaag @dwarfsized @again-please @caspercryptid @the-neon-pineapple @p-inkbrush @commander-krios @kittenintheden and @cursedhaglette <3

[personaconcept]

Have you figured out anything new for this project

Also do you have an Explanation for why the arcanas fit the Characters

My goal while I was in a writing rut was to work on getting images of the Personas, following that some of the minor characters like Yuuki, Haruka, and Natsuki. However, financially I've not been doing well the last couple of years, so I haven't had the opportunity.

As for why I have each of the characters as the arcana they are, the team at least I based off the video I drew inspiration from. (Though that video has since been taken down, I've been told) I think I can explain some of them without the video's influence but by my own design. (I'm sorry if any of this comes out confusing, the longer I work at my current job, the worse my ability to talk or write coherently gets). Your other ask only asked about the party, so I'll focus on them, but let me know if you're interested in the rest of the cast as well.

Avis: The Priestess

Avis was not a character mentioned in the video, she is a character of my own creation. I choose the High Priestess for her in part due to the name of the card. The Priestess implies a connection to the mystical, which Avis is, being a phoenix and the guide to The Endless Forest. She is quite literally the MC's spirit guide, much as a holy figure is for people in the real world.

Sayaka: The Heirophant

If you'll remember from previous postings, the only one of the Persona titles I've played is the fifth ("Still!?" the masses cry, but I have watches P4 the anime which I'm told is pretty faithful). Dojima and Sojiro are, by all accounts, father figures to the MC. Why, then, would I chose the Hierophant for Sayaka? Unlike characters of the Chariot arcana, Sayaka is not necessarily a guide. She's a follower. Truthfully, once I get my vision through, she's barely an inciting incident. Sayaka believes, though. Believes in mysticism and magic and spiritual. She's not the magician though, because her story is about her struggling with being who she is, outside of conformity, and seeing she is good enough. Sayaka is the epitome of "reversed hierophant."

Shinju: The Strength

Shinju is consistently underestimated because of her perceived weakness. Unlike the others, what ails her is visible. But in all matters, she's meant to be a mirror of the MC, especially Hikari. It's why they look so similar and why I used similar sounding voice claims for them. The MC has to be strong, the leader. But while they fail the vocal, emotional part, Shinju excels. "The party is only as strong as its weakest link," and Shinju is pretty damn strong.

Masahiko: The Hanged Man

I like making mirror characters, and Masahiko is meant to mirror Miyako. They're both hanging from a noose of their own creation, but Miyako was both neither scared to kick the chair over nor to take the noose off. Masahiko stays where he is.

Miyako: The Death

I recently just watched the show "His Dark Materials." The episode "Lyra and Her Death" feels like something Miyako could relate to. She has accepted it, and so can see her Death. It will come to her when it does, and she will not fight it, but she's not going to run towards it either.

Jun: The Devil

There's so many reasons I could put for Jun being the Devil card. He's not evil, he's just not great. He hides a nasty truth under a princely facade. That's the simplest I can make it without running on and on about him.

Yudai: The Tower

He's largely here because of the video, but... when I think about a tower, I think of something like a lighthouse. A tall figure that someone can look to to guide their way. When things start getting out of hand, it's Yudai that remains steadfast.

Hoshiko: The Star

I'm fairly certain that Hoshiko was not in the video whatsoever (this part I remember because I thought there were too many white haired characters in the party so I decided to change her), and that the character in place of her was a different arcana. In part, my desicion to make Hoshiko the star was a whole "wishing on a star" thing and Hoshiko's big dreams, but also influenced by how she feels unable to achieve those dreams. Another classic reversed case.

I hope those were satisfactory! As I said, let me know if you want me to go into the other characters more. I definitely need to brush up on this stuff more.

[theprissythumbelina]

More Worldbuilding Thoughts...

As always happens with my shower I come out with more thoughts on the magic system in Mortal Sparks. A special thanks to you @thetruearchmagos for helping me out with this in the past.

Magic is fairly common in the world of Mortal Sparks, plenty of people have a little, a few people have some, and one or two has a lot. As I've discussed before, (I'll link this post later) many magic users will contract with a minor demon for knowledge and power boosts. Some of the religions in this world consider demon contracts to be heretical, others are more permissive.

In this world, magic users are traditionally sorted into the user's preferential element. Fire, water, earth, air, are the main groups, but there are those who prefer potions over active spells, sung over written magic, sympathetic over contagious magic. Everyone with a bit of magical leaning can do just about any type of magic, but they are most powerful and most capable with their preferential type. Training of witches, wizards, and warlocks takes place in their local covens, and tends to focus on the users preference to the exclusion of the other varieties and styles.

As the world of Mortal Sparks is in a total war situation, (I'll post another link here but its 4 am and I need to write this down) many magic users have been drafted or enlisted in the Continental armies. In these modern armies, the main magic types have an almost hierarchical ranking. Earth type users are at the top. Earth users have the most varied abilities and the most practical effect on battles, troop movements, embankments, and trenches, of which there are many in this war. Earth users are also the most rare and the weakest, as dirt, rocks and soil are heavy and 'stubborn' and using magic to change or move them takes a great deal of energy. For that reason, earth magic users are almost never on the front lines, but are still recognized as being able to turn the tide of any war.

Roughly equal in second and third rank are air and water. Both are able to control weather conditions to some extent, although the climate's natural system will sort itself out eventually, and both are capable of wreaking havoc on the enemy without a battle even taking place. More than a few invading armies have been blown off course or suddenly submerged on a previously safe path. Compared to earth users, water and air magic is easier. A water user can perform more spells with their element than an earth user, and an air user could perform even more than a water user. They are also more common, with the more powerful ones being held in reserve, while the weaker users might even serve as common soldiers on the front lines.

At the bottom of this hierarchy are the fire users. Fairly common, individually powerful but as a group weak, fire witches and wizards serve alongside non-magic users as well as having their own squads (is this the right term?). The weakest are popular as a cigarette lighter, while others follow the main battle groups clearing out captured areas. Fire users are especially dangerous in enclosed areas, including trenches or urban areas, as large quantities of combustive gases can be pushed in by air users, and the resulting explosion can be controlled and guided by the fire mage. However, this doesn't mean that magical fire only ever just burns the enemy.

[missdeepend]

Gray Fullbuster is the Weakest Link Currently

THIS WILL HAVE SPOILERS FOR 100 YEAR QUEST!

I know what you are all saying, what about Happy and Carla? I am not counting the two cats, and I truly do wish those two would get a decent power up at some point. I am counting this on the fact of team Natsu characters, which include; Natsu Dragneel, Lucy Heartfilia, Wendy Marvell, Erza Scarlet, Gray Fullbuster, Happy and Carla. As I stated before the last two I am not counting, but the other five are all up for discussion. 

AGAIN THERE ARE GOING TO BE SPOILERS BEFORE!

In terms of the group as a whole, they all have their greatest strengths and weaknesses, but there is one who sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the group. Gray Fullbuster. Not only does this go down to his magic and the difference in strength as of recent (I’ll get to later), but this also goes down to overall plot relevance even with the 400 year connection.  Each of the main set of the other characters have a set connection to 400 years in the past and the dragons, except Gray. I find this funny and it doesn’t really mean much but it is a detail I wanted to point out. Even Erza has a connection to Irene and was technically conceived all the way during the war. Then you have Natsu and Wendy who are obvious and Lucy with her connection to her ancestor and her mother who opened the Eclipse Gate. Gray has no connection, which I find unfortunate but there is not much that needs to be discussed there. On the other hand, there is the power difference and the plot relevance as of currently which is t he biggest hinderance to his character. I always adored Gray’s character from the beginning and felt sympathy for his character. His history with Lyon was always interesting and the pain he felt when he saw the old Ultear is still one of the harder scenes for me. His potential grew even more when we discovered who his father was and he gained the Devil Slaying Magic, meant to kill E.N.D who we found out was none other than Natsu, his best friend whether he would want to admit it or not. However, it is safe to say that as a character Gray has not grown at all since the 100 year quest began. The only thing that seemed to grow is his bond with Juvia (which is another issue I’ll discuss in the future). Its upsetting as there was so much potential for his character but each time his spotlight seems to be stolen away up until recently. He had nothing to show against the Dragon god of Water and most likely will not against Ignia, which you would think he would have something up his sleeve. Up against Selene’s minions he had nothing and when he could finally have his moment vs Wendy, Carla, and Happy it was stolen away. Until recently you could say his battle with the member of Gold Owl, but even then it was interrupted by nonsense with Juvia. I can’t think of any recent battles Gray has had that wasn’t interrupted by something with Juvia or another character when he finally had his chance to shine, but maybe my thoughts are just blurry. My biggest issue is that everyone has grown. Wendy has of course as well as Natsu who of course does because he is the center character. Lucy is basically one of the strongest Celestial Wizards Fiore has ever known and Erza... well she is Erza and so is always going to have a new armor up her sleeve. Meanwhile, Gray has nothing. He has his Ice Devil Slaying powers, but we have had nothing to show it. We have no history on Devil Slayers to know how strong his potential is. We have hardly any demons as it is. In fact, there are only three known users of Devil Slayer Magic. The other two are dead, who were Silver and Bloodman from the final season. There has not been a mention of another user let alone any without the ice as its main element.  There is so much potential for Gray and yet he falls behind the group due to the writing being so focused on Dragons. I know Gray will always have Juvia and Juvia will always have Gray but it would be nice if they both had their scenes to shine, or at least give them a boost of strength.  Anyways, let me know what you guys think. I’m curious about your current thoughts of Gray Fullbuster and the Devil Slayer dilemma. What are your ideas to fix it?

I’ll see you later in the Deep End!

[mythgirlimagines]

Mafuyu as a Pokemon trainer, with Ceruledge as her ace?

(also in a second post... just general headcanons about what you think 25ji's pokemon teams would be)

this got a bit...yeah lol

Mafuyu knew right when she expressed that she wanted to be a trainer that she had to be one of the best. Charcadet was right there with her through her childhood, ready to train.

She spent so long training both her pokemon and herself; after all, a team was only as strong as its weakest link, and she would not be weak. Her pokemon deserved a good, strong trainer.

Ceruledge was known for being a merciless pokemon, but it was very protective of Mafuyu. It knew what she wanted and needed to do at any given time, even if she didn’t quite know it herself.

Having the goal of being the strongest- paired with her mother’s enthusiasm of the subject- was…stressful. There were many times she pushed herself too hard while training.

Not to mention, all of her other goals and hobbies were pushed to the side. Once she was the strongest, then what would happen? Would she have to keep working that hard forever?