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linkspooky · 4 years

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Can I Be a Hero?

Shigaraki and Hawks are two children who started with the exact same dream, to become a hero only to take completely opposite paths in life. One raised from childhood to be a hero by the hero association, and the other raised by AFO to become a villain.

These two characters are written in parallel, as intentional hero-villain foils. They’re destined to meet in canon one day and just keep barely missing one another so until then let’s explore more of their relationship under the cut.

1. The Same

First, there are several similarities in both their characters and their origins.

They both come from abusive households. In Hawks’ case it’s only implied but, one he lives in trash and squalor with a beer bottle in the background. The dysfucntion in Hawks’ household life from an early age is obvious, to the point where having his life uprooted by the hero commission is considered a privilege because they promised to pay for everything.

Shigaraki came from what seemed on the surface to be a healthy household. His father was a succesful businessman, the family owned the house, even the in-laws were happily invited to live in the house. Hawks is implied to have grown up in isolation, whereas Shigaraki grew up surrounded by people. However, Tenko suffered from a quieter, and subtler more insidious form of domestic abuse where he was the scapegoated child of an otherwise “Happy home.” Tenko was treated as the problem child and made constantly to feel bad for suffering his father’s abuse like he provoked it by breaking the rules.

They both were born into a sort of lineage. Hawks is most likely related to the Great Theif Takami who Endeavor captured, and Shigaraki is the grandson of Nana Shimura.

They’re both adversely affected by the circumstances they were born into. Hawks’ household was probably in that condition because his father was a villain, or his father was captured and he was living on his own. Shigaraki was targeted by AFO because he was Nana’s descendant, and Kotaro carried his feelings of Nana’s abandonment with him for life and this eventually turned him into Tenko’s abuser.

They both have an event that sets them on their life course.

Tenko’s quirk activates on accident killing his whole family.

Tenko sees a truck accident and uses his quirk to save several people.

As a result of these incidents they are “saved” from their abusive households. It’s important to notice the difference, Hawks conforms by being offered a chance at education and a better life if he decides to become a hero. However, Shigaraki destroyed the household that demanded conformity from him in the first place. He becomes outcasted as a result to the point where nobody even notices him suffering on the street.

They’re both saved by predatory people who take their original names away:

Takami’s name is suppressed and he’s given a hero name instead. He’s literally renamed as a hero.

Tenko is renamed with AFO’s last name. He’s literally renamed as a villain.

On a third note they are both children who you would never look for if they went missing: Hawks was poor, Tenko was literally neglected in the middle of the street in broad daylight allowing AFO to kidnap him.

That’s even literally brought up by All Might and Gran Torino. If they had ignored Nana’s request, and actually monitored her child Kotaro and his family then Shigaraki never would have happened.

They’re both defined by their quirk, to the extent that their whole lives have been defined by it.

Shigaraki was born with a quirk suited for destruction, and this is what several characters insist that’s all he’s capable of. Shigaraki is then raised to be a symbol of fear who lusts only for destruction.

Hawks was called a genius for his quirk, and raised as a prodigy hero. His quirk is ideally suited for saving people and he’s done so his entire life. His own wish was to become a shining light that inspires everyone the same way Endeavor inspired him.

This is where they start to diverge. There’s more details I could go on about with all the differences, but I’ll summarize it like this. They present themselves as literal opposites. That is, the character they show to others. Their image. Etc.

Shigaraki is regarded by everyone he meets as a man child. He has visible scarring on his face that he hides. He’s frank and honest, and always tells everyone exactly how he’s feeling.

Hawks’ thing is being “The Man who goes too fast.” If Shigaraki never grew up, then Hawks grew up far too fast. Hawks is deceiptful, never shows his true face even though he doesn’t wear a mask. He’s considered traditionally attractive, does modeling, and is extremely popular and well liked.

2. But Different

If there’s one way to summarize the main difference between Hawks and Shigaraki it’s this. Shigaraki externalizes everything, every feeling, every little bit of trauma he has, instead of holding it all inside of him he pushes everything out. Hawks internalizes he has a rich inner world, but everything on the surface is vapid, it’s shallow, it’s just a performance for him. All of his trauma is inside of him, and he keeps it there. His real self is hidden somewhere in a cage deep within.

The reason they rely on these different strategies of expression is entirely to do with how they were raised. Hawks was raised inside of the system, and was taught confromity. Shigaraki was raised outside of the system. He was taught the exact opposite, to never conform to anybody’s standards.

They both grew up inside of an assigned role. Shigaraki was told it was his job to destroy whatever he likes, Hawks was told it was his job to save people. However, Hawks is not a better person, or a better victim than Shigaraki. Interanlization is just as bad of a coping strategy as externalization, and just as unhealthy. They are both characters who are barely coping with a lifetime worth of the trauma as being raised as literal child soldiers and exposed to so much violence a young age they’re both desensitized and numb to it. They’re hurting all the time, but also they’re numb.

They’re so similiar down to the fact that they both have the same internal desire. Shigaraki longs to be free from all of his trauma, and Hawks longs to be free from the weight of his responsibility, but it’s still the same longing.

But they are different.

It would be easy to say that Hawks is the more selfless character because he devotes himself to saving others, whereas Shigaraki is the more selfish because he lashes out at the world from his trauma. However, there’s no such thing as a perfectly selfless person. Hawks is capable of shockingly great feats of selfishness. Shigaraki is someone who can be selfless and do things for other people.

Hawks will go out of his way to destroy people too, just like Shigaraki. Hawks will destroy his own friends.

There’s a marked difference in the way Hawks and Shigaraki both treat Twice, someone who is a victim with many things in common with the both of them. Twice is someone who did not get saved and fell through the cracks like Shigaraki. Twice is someone who grew up in abject poverty and had to rely on his quirk to survive like Hawks.

Twice is constantly more of a burden to the league than an asset. He’s the reason Magne died, because his too trusting nature had him invite someone like Chisaki without knowing the risk. A normal villain would throw Twice out for his incompetent mistake, but instead he’s comforted.

Shigaraki says the two of them can work together to fix his mistake. Instead of being thrown out, he’s told he’s needed. He’s asked to stay together with the league for everyone’s sake. Twice at this point is still too traumatized to use his quirk properly. Afterwards, he fails even to duplicate Chisaki’s special bullets. However, Twice has value to the league no matter what his quirk can do. He’s valued as a person.

He’s humanized, both by Shigaraki’s and Toga’s actions together.

However, Hawks reacts differently. He dehumanizes the people who need his saving the most. When he’s at his most vulnerable, Hawks corners him and rutlessly mocks him.

Look at the opposite way they show their faces. Shigaraki shows his full face for the first time to Twice when Twice, whereas when Hawks reveals his true intentions his face is almost completely obscured.

Hawks dehuamnizes twice in two regards. One, he insists that Twice conform to his black and white standards. Hawks divides people into good people worthy of saving and bad people who are not. Every member of the league is a victim like Twice. However, Hawks only considers one of them a good person, and one of them is worth saving. Even when Twice says they’re all his friends, Hawks demands Twice betray all of them for the sake of himself. Of course Hawks would, Hawks doesn’t even know what it means to have friends.

The second way Twice is dehumanized is that Hawks only sees him as the potential damage his quirk can do. Twice is not a three dimmensional person, with reasons for what he’s doing, thoughts, and feelings. Hawks only sees him as a time bomb about to go off. This also relates how Hawks sees people in general, he always, always, always strips them down to their worth to him. Endeavor is someone he can position to be the next number one hero. Twice is someone to use to get closer to the league, and then destroy because he’s too trusting. Hawks only got close to Tokoyami because he wanted information about Class A, even though he did grow a little bit more fond of him.

Twice makes mistakes over and over again for the league, but he’s never thrown out. Even when Twice is the reason the raid is happening, Dabi rushes as fast as he can to save him, Toga almost loses herself avenging him. Twice’s life had value.

Except to Hawks.

Here we strike upon the difference between them and it’s almost entirely in how they treat the people closest between them. They’ve been raised all of their lives as tools, but Shigaraki doesn’t treat other people as tools. Shigaraki accepts people and gives them shelter, Hawks throws them out.

Shigaraki also used to be like this. He used to throw away all the recruits that AFO gave him and waste them on stunts like the UA Invasion. However, it’s something he grew past.

Which is one more difference between them. Shigaraki has this great capacity for change that Hawks has not shown us so far. They both long to be free, but Shigaraki is the only one of the two of them that actually fights against something for that freedom.

Shigaraki will always choose to make his own decisions, to be his own person.

However, Hawks is given that same choice and chooses the opposite. He wants his decisions made for him. He wants to remain inside the cage because it’s safer there.

It’s not just that though - it also extends to how they treat other people. Shigaraki liberates those he interacts with. Twice, Himiko, Dabi, Magne, Spinner, Mr. Compress (whatever his issues are) are all given a place of belonging within the league.

However, Hawks will take away the freedom of other people too. He does so to Twice. He possibly did so to Best Jeanist. He pushes others to conformity, believing that is what saves them because it saved him.

Utlimately what’s different about them is the choices they make despite their circumstances. Hawks was given a choice to be free. He’s given the oppurtunity to get better but doesn’t. Every time Shigaraki fails he learns from his lesson. Shigaraki is rising up, and Hawks is spiraling downward entirely because of the choices they made. Shigaraki has friends, Hawks has none. (Because he murdered the only real friend he did have).

That’s not to judge on whether they’re good or bad people. It’s just the direction their arcs are taking them. Shigaraki has always been on a self improvement kick, getting better with every failure. Hawks tragically is consumed by his failures and gets worse and worse, hence why there are so many references to Icarus in his character.

It’s been built up for a long time now that Hawks is going to meet Shigaraki at some point. In fact his desire to meet Shigaraki is what caused the hero raid on the PLF in the first place.

Those two are destined to meet in a Javert / Jean Valjean fashion. However, the question is what will Shigaraki do now? Hawks is someone who at least had a chance of Shigaraki sympathizing with him before because Shiga takes in all kinds of strays. However, now with Hawks chosen action to kill Twice who genuinely sympathized with him - he must have murdered off any chance of that.

Either way the two have so much in common that they have to meet. At which point Hawks’ fate will be left in Shigaraki’s hands. It’s likely even if Hawks is to be saved, it will be Shigaraki’s job to do it, because Shigaraki is the character with the most in common with him.

Either way their meeting has been building for a long time, and when they do finally meet something will change about both of them. That’s how integral both of their parallel stories are about one another.

#hawks #takami keigo #shigaraki tomura #shigahawks #the shigahawks agenda lol #tomura shigaraki #tenko shimura #lov meta #league of villains meta #league of villains friendship #mha meta #my hero academia meta #my hero academia theory

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zachandalextime · 3 years

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13 reasons why Zalex is my OTP and probably will be until the day I die

13. They have mirroring physical (dis)abilities - injuries in opposite legs - and they both helped and supported each other with their rehabilitation.

12. They are completely trusting and comfortable with each other to the point where they agree (on screen) that they can talk to each other about anything. And they certainly do on the show, all the way up to their j***ing off habits.

11. Zach saved Alex’s life at least twice (the rooftop and the rowboat) although arguably, both times he was also an indirect reason for Alex being in danger to begin with (!). Alex potentially saved Zach once or at least tried to get him off the path of alcoholism.

10. Zach will jump in to defend Alex every time Alex gets in trouble or in a fight. And Alex is constantly getting himself into trouble and fights. (oops; sorry/not sorry, Zach). Except with the Bryce situation, in which, Alex defends + avenges + protects Zach in the ultimate reversal of this dynamic.

9. They have the adorable thing where Zach does hot banter and makes cheesy jokes and Alex says sarcastic comments and rolls his eyes a lot.

8. There is a direct correlation between Zach’s decline (drinking, depression, nihilism, flunking out of school) and the diminished role of Alex in his life at the end of the series. Both of their mental health and self esteem suffer without the support and closeness of the other. The logical conclusion is that the opposite would be true if they were together.

7. There is never any possible question about who is top and who is bottom. I SAID THERE’S NO QUESTION.

6. Zach is happily willing to shoulder potential unpopularity at school for hanging out with and helping Alex (and opening himself to Monty & the football team teasing them for being boyfriends), which is literally the exact thing he was unwilling to do for Hannah, a girl who he supposedly had a strong emotional and sexual connection with.

5. They are the only main characters in the show who have a canonical love of, and ability in, playing musical instruments.

4. They committed two halves of the same crime. Therefore nobody else could possibly understand the guilt or remorse or burden or trauma of that act to the same extent; and therefore nobody could help them move on with their lives from it more than each other. And because it was a once in a lifetime event, they are effectively tied to one another deeper than they could to anyone else for life. They both realize right around the same time (camping trip / find your drink party) that because of their secret, it is virtually impossible to date or get romantically close to anyone who is outside of their immediate group. Alex realizes this with Winston at the camping trip (to which Zach then offers Alex can sleep in the same tent as him), and Zach has evidently been realizing this over time with Chloe (it gets kind of finalized at the party).

3. Slow dancing lesson in the bedroom. If that doesn’t make you feel anything, you’re dead inside or we weren’t watching the same show.

2. <3 <3 biracial couples. <3 <3 Asian / white gay couple. <3 <3 representation. (bonus plot twist: the Asian is the big athletic one and the white guy is the skinny one). Or: enough with the token white bread clone-a-gays already.

1. Under circumstances when most of the characters are seriously struggling with dark events in their lives (addiction, suicide, bullying, school shooting, sexual assault, tragedy, mental health, sexuality), they clearly are able to make each other feel alive - like literally full of life - like nobody else in the show, and hell, probably more than any two people normally do in real life - see: rooftop hijinks, rowboat caper, demolition spree in the principals office. Neither of them really let their walls down for other people - but they do for each other.

#Zalex #Zach Dempsey #Alex Standall #13rw #13 Reasons Why #everyone else is over it but let me have my time

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expiredfairydust · 3 years

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Survivor's Guilt ~ A Yasuhiro Hagakure Fanfic

Warning: This will contain spoilers from the Danganronpa series - I've only played the thh and goodbye despair however so if anything clashes with the canon in udg or v3 it’s not intended lawl

Also, content warning!! There will be gore described at certain parts, death or mentions of it, and vivid self-loathing and degradation in this fic! Angst warning too maybe? Not sure if this angsty or just dramatic tbh.

After the killing game, all of the survivors were affected. That was obvious – they had witnessed ten of their classmates, ten of their friends, dying one by one; of course, they’d be affected. But no one was as utterly, utterly haunted by the events as Yasuhiro Hagakure.

You see, as the Ultimate Clairvoyant, Hiro didn’t just see the future in his timeline, in his reality, he had the potential to see into all realities: realities where the killing game had never happened; realities where different people survived; and it tore him apart

Every day, he got visions. Visions of a familiar dark-haired gambler and Kyouko snuggling with a chubby grey cat; of Sayaka and Chihiro happily talking about their passions together; of Leon joining a band with Sayaka and another girl, in a world where the Ultimate Despair had never risen to power - and it broke his heart to know what could've been. It broke his heart to know they could've lived.

After all, why should he have lived? He was nothing but a fool who couldn’t even properly tell the future, his whole talent was just a shot in the dark, a hoax, so why did he have to live? Why not Leon, with all his hopes and dreams of music; or Mondo and Taka, who had each other to live for; or even Hifumi, who at least had a fanbase to provide for, why instead was it him - himbo Hiro, with no one else who needed him - who got to live?

Hiro avoided the other survivors at work, all seeing them did was remind him; of the visions, of the game, of how completely useless he had been and still was. Even Makoto, who brightened all of the survivors’ days with his ultimate hope, just made Hiro feel all the worse.

He wasn’t in despair, nothing like that. He managed the burden the only way he could, he simplified everything possible – he didn’t own a car, he was roommates with Makoto and Byakuya (although he avoided them even then) so he wouldn’t have to worry about paperwork or bills, he worked in the 2nd Division of the Future Foundation, which meant he managed day-to-day operations that weren’t difficult to manage; after all, when there was so much going on in his head all he could do was simplify everything else.

But still, some days things were still too much, and Byakuya would come to their apartment and hear crying, no, sobbing, from Hiro’s room, and he’d just quietly make a warm beverage and get one of Makoto’s fuzzy blankets, and just leave them outside of Hiro’s room after knocking on the door and powerwalking away. That was his way of showing that he cared, even though he knew that Hiro always assumed it was Makoto.

It hurt Hiro so much to think that his roommates were so kind to him while he could barely talk to them without feeling so horrible after no more than five minutes. He couldn’t even be a good friend to the people who had gone through the exact same as him, so why did they even bother.

He wished he could just stop his talent, that he could just be ordinary. Or that he’d gotten any other talent. Anything would be better than this daily torture.

God, he was such a cry baby, he thought, tears streaming down his face again after seeing another monstrosity in his visions – this time, Byakuya was a victim. And Makoto. They had been burned to death with acid, but Hiro knew it was them, even though their bodies had been melted and burned until they were unrecognisable. He knew it was them, he just did.

And he didn’t know whether it was the sadistic nature or it all or something entirely different, but he just started sobbing and sobbing, and then screaming his lungs out, and then whacking his head on the wall.

Why? Why them? Why the fuck did this have to happen? And why was he the one who had to see it? Why did he have to watch his friends die, every day while he survived, or watch them be happy in a world he could never live in the bliss of? It wasn’t fair, damn it! It just wasn’t! “Why...? Why???? WHY???” he started shouting, to no one, yet also to everyone, and to the universe herself “WHY ME? WHY NOT ANYONE ELSE? WHY ONLY ME?? WHY DO I HAVE TO SUFFER??? WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS???”

Lovely, now he was talking to himself. God he was pathetic. Crazy and pathetic and useless. God he was useless useless useless......

Hiro punched the wall, then started crying even heavier because he hurt himself doing so.

Then, in the middle of his freak out, a familiar knock at his door made Hiro freeze, this time accompanied with a voice barely whispering, “Hiro?”

But wait a moment, that was Byakuya’s voice... Why would Byakuya care about him? Nono of course he didn’t care, he was probably just annoyed about the noise.

Hiro took a moment to try and regain his composure as he replied, “Byakuya?” His voice broke as he spoke, and tears continued to pour from his eyes. So much for trying to sound fine. His legs gave way as he started to continue sobbing.

Hiro looked up to see Byakuya’s head slightly poking around the door, an odd expression on his face. Odd being... Not disgusted or condescending.

Hiro had been so surprised at Byakuya’s appearance that he hadn’t realised him getting closer with one of Makoto's blankets until Byakuya softly whispered again, “I was making you some tea, but you look like you need something stronger” he spoke gently, wrapping the blanket around Hiro. He looked as though he was about to give him a hug before he moved away – was that awkwardness in his expression? “Would you prefer some wine or vodka?” He asked before realising that Hiro was probably not in the mood for talking “I’ll get both” Byakuya then rushed off.

What the fuck was this, Hiro wondered, trying to reason in his head why anyone – especially Byakuya – would ever want to help him feel better. He couldn’t think of a reason.

And then he realised, now he’d be expected to explain why he’d been so distressed.

Shit.

#yasuhiro hagakure #hagakure yasuhiro #danganronpa #dr thh #trigger happy havoc #dr1 #danganronpa fanfiction #fanfic #writing #writeblr #writers of tumblr #eeeeeeooooooooo angst lol

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lesbianlotties · 3 years

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would you have it any other way? | Andy x Quynh

The Old Guard Mini Bang 2020 | @theoldguardevents | Art created by @elenorasweet can be found here

Fandom: The Old Guard (Movie 2020) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Andy | Andromache the Scythian/Quynh | Noriko Words: 6773 Summary: If you put together the age of all the other immortals, it still wouldn't match the number of years that Andy and Quynh have loved each other. Their love, the oldest, the strongest, and the truest thing they both have ever known in their endless lives, might be about to go through the most challenging test yet. The entire team, the entire family, is going through one of its most difficult times so far, including the appearance of a new immortal. Meanwhile, Andy and Quynh have a secret within themselves that they also have to deal with, but, at least, they're happy to be dealing with all of it together, as they were always supposed to do.

aka basically just the exact same plot of the movie, but Quynh is there the entire time because canon is too cruel and i said no thank you

Golden light filled the streets of Morocco and two women walked there as confident as if they could command the very sunlight to their will.

Andy wore black from head to toe and nobody dared stare at her long enough to notice the details. The gun on the waist of her pants, the knife on the heel of her boots, the thin thread from which an ancient pendant hung from, the backpack filled with gifts for her family, and the dark dragon printed on her t-shirt. She looked ready to kill, but so heavily charged with emotional specifics that nothing she did could possibly be taken as meaningless. In conclusion, she looked like she had plenty of reasons, several people in fact, that she was more than ready to kill for. One of them, and pretty obviously judging by the way her otherwise stone-cold face lighted up with a smile every time their hands so much as brushed, was the woman right beside her.

The lightness of Quynh’s outfit, much more fashionable than Andy’s, didn’t exactly make her look any more approachable. She wore a fresh white shirt and stylish, cream-colored pants, but she knew how to hide a dagger in any kind of attire, and if her purse carried nothing but a gun, that was still a deliberate fashion choice. Both women wore dark sunglasses but, where Andy’s frown warned people she wouldn’t hesitate to begin or end any kind of trouble by whatever means necessary, Quynh’s little smile was more of a promise there would be trouble following her.

Still, when the annoying sounds of a bike got impossibly close and a man finally caught up with the women, stopping his bike right ahead of them, Andy and Quynh grinned with genuine affection.

“Booker,” they greeted him in unison.

“Ladies,” the frenchman playfully bowed his head, parked his bike, and then with easy familiarity wrapped his arms around both women, “You guys good? Did you travel?”

Andy fondly patted him in the back and when they all pulled back from the hug she answered, “We did. And I brought you something.”

While Booker admired his first edition copy of “A Hundred Years of Solitude,” Quynh chuckled and led them forward.

“Don’t be fooled, Sebastien, I got the gift for you, Andromache only carried it on her cute little bag,” Quynh looked back once, smirking at Andy, and reached out to brush her fingers to the other woman’s wrist, teasing.

When the doors of the hotel room opened, for an instant, time stopped. Time crashed, time got all tangled up on itself, turned over on its own head. Time was meaningless. Because, how many times had this exact scene played itself in the past thousand years? Andy embraced Nicky with all solemnity and all-encompassing care they felt for one another and the people around them. Quynh pretty much jumped into Joe’s arms, almost, but never completely, catching him off guard. He spun her around once and when he put her down she kissed his cheek with all the unmeasurable love that to this day still made him happily blush. The hugs continued, of course. Joe lifted Andy up in a bear hug that got a laugh from her unlike any other in the world. Then Quynh hugged Nicky, allowing herself a second of safety and warmth surrounded by his arms before playfully doing her best to lift him up. He laughed like only the people in that room had ever heard him.

Greetings, jokes, and gifts exchanged, Quynh let herself fall on one of the couches beside Andy. She had a feeling this moment of bliss wouldn’t last too long and that was the only reason she didn’t allow herself to truly get comfortable at least resting her legs on top of Andy’s. But, she was content for the time being, watching the love of her life get absolutely, almost inappropriately lost in a sweet piece of baklava.

It’s been centuries and this never gets old, Quynh thought, shaking her head fondly as she broke her own gifted baklava in imperfect halves. As always, she ate the smaller half. As always, she saved the rest of Andy.

All too soon the conversation shifted to the reason behind their reunion. It’s a job, we can do some good, this is what we do, we’re not helping, they said. Andy sighed and stood up, walked to the window, and addressed Quynh. “What do you think?” Andy asked her, even though she probably knew, even though it was always the same.

Quynh, who, at that point had twisted herself on the couch into a more comfortable, most probably improper position, thought about it for a second. All around her, her family had felt compelled at one point or another to aid humanity for all possible reasons. Duty, sheer goodness of the heart, guilt, nothing better to do. Personally, she was a restless person. She couldn’t stand being still in a place for long, let alone be useless for longer than to catch her breath and have some fun, her mind wouldn’t let her, her heart wouldn’t allow it. But she didn’t let the struggles of the world plague her every thought, not like Andy did.

“Let’s hear him out,” she said finally, unsurprisingly. If they had had to vote at the moment she wouldn’t have said yes. She would have agreed with Andy, it was too risky, and probably useless. But, every time, as soon as she heard the details of whatever horror humanity was currently inflicting on itself, she’d be the first one out of her seat, ready to right all the wrongs of the world.

Carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders for thousands of years, Andy got used to the feeling. But that didn’t mean it ever stopped being so fucking heavy. It got heavier each passing day and, just lately, Quynh was finding it increasingly difficult to soothe that burden on her lover’s back, to get her to share a little of the strain. She could see, like she didn’t ever remember seeing, Andy truly struggling with the weight of it all or, more specifically, with the conviction it was any worth it to keep holding on. Handling her part of the weight, plus her determination to help the love of her life, it was its own kind of burden on Quynh’s shoulders, but she wasn’t focusing on her own pain, physical, psychological, or of any kind, she didn’t want to.

Almost without Andy noticing, Quynh walked up behind her. The shorter woman wrapped her arms around Andy and kissed her shoulder. They stared out the window for a moment longer before Quynh stated, “This one’s special,” she murmured, fearless as always to put into words what the other woman felt to her core, “I am going with you.”

Usually, Andy would meet with their contacts alone or with Booker, they made a good team. And it was always useful to have a plan B, to make it seem like they had a trick under their sleeves, like they were more in numbers than anyone would ever know, to hold back laughter when poor devils that thought they could play smart with them had to face a meeting with Quynh and Nicky. So, that day, Andy, Quynh, and Booker, met with James Copley.

They accepted the job.

Even if Andy didn’t secretly hold the belief that her own heart continued to beat after countless deaths partially out of sheer desire to beat along with Quynh’s heart. Even if she wasn’t forever, eternally in love with the other woman. Even still, Andy would have been thankful to have her on her team, to travel with her, to fight alongside Quynh.

Nobody would question Quynh’s professionalism. She hadn’t selfishly or accidentally endangered her team or their missions too many times more than any of the others had throughout the centuries. She just had the strange little talent of knowing exactly when and where and how much she could push the boundaries of their professionalism in order to make the most out of their time on Earth.

In helicopters, she playfully disregarded security measures. In deserts, she walked with a spring on her step. Wearing a picture-perfect ponytail, dark sunglasses, and all-black clothes that somehow she had forced to fit into a greater fashion sense than any mercenary had ever been known for, she did every little thing only she could get away with. Starting with genuinely trying to distract Nicky when he was about to shoot two guards at once, as she had dared him to do, but just because she trusted him, because she’d taught him that move herself. Then, being the only one quick enough to shoot just once before the five of them died on that kill floor. Lastly, winking at Andy as they came back to life, with holes on their clothes and wounds still healing and just seconds away from tearing down a small army of men.

Quynh was a synonym for life, Andy thought, she is life, I am alive because she is life, and I will live as long as she is with me. Quynh lived her endless life in bold, bright strokes of a brush. And things, the best and worst of them would have probably been so much easier, simpler, if Quynh had been just that, excitement, energy, a mischievous smile. But of course, she was so much more

Quynh was gentleness in places that knew only hostility. She was capable of conjuring patience and calm in the blink of an eye. She was endless conversations and fantastic stories. She carried little kids when they saved them, she found ways to make women feel safe and men believe in peace. She washed Andy’s hair with all the care in the world, and she made sure none of the boys had any blood left in their beards after a battle. She held Andy’s hands because she could tell Andy needed her, but she held so tightly because she needed Andy. At times she was quiet. She was thoughtful. With really big events she took her time to process them instead of any relatively usual impulsiveness. A trait of hers that pained Andy because she knew, the longer Quynh thought about something, the longer she was hurting.

Quynh believed in revenge. She always had. Her heart could fit millions of good, selfless, benevolent feelings, but she still believed in revenge. If the stars aligned for her, she’d kill James Copley herself. But it was never so easy, was it? They had made mistakes too, that day. Could she get revenge on herself? Self-recrimination was one excruciating characteristic she shared with the love of her life. There was no use in pondering about it, if it was a coincidence or if they had picked it up after the other one. At least, one thing more powerful than that was the fierceness with which they’d protect the ones they loved, resulting in them perfectly protecting each other, even from themselves.

They were on a train somewhere away from their latest mistake. Booker had started to snore and Joe and Nicky had been perfectly still in each other’s arms for a while now. Andy’s thoughts were too loud to let her sleep, and Quynh’s thoughts too dangerous to keep herself awake for them. She was laying down, with her head comfortably resting on Andy’s lap, even if the rest of her body was unusually uncomfortable in the rough surface where they lay.

“Sleep,” Andy would tell her every few minutes, mindlessly slipping into the old habit of a dead language that only they could remember.

“I can’t, not without you. Sleep with me, my heart. Sleep,” Quynh replied, again and again, the ancient words coming out almost easier than modern English ever did.

“Sleep,” Andy insisted, soothingly running her fingers through her lover’s hair, even after Quynh fell asleep, just until she slept too.

It didn’t last long though… there was Nile.

“She’s beautiful,” Quynh said, somewhat sadly, a minute later as they all discussed what they saw of the new immortal in their dreams, “and smarter and braver than she knows what to do with.”

She exchanged a look with Andy, silent understanding of what it all meant. It wasn’t the most convenient of moments, but it had never been convenient at all, right? Together they had welcomed four other immortals, and it never got easier. Not when Lykon died. Not when having to explain to Joe and Nicky why they’d never win the war one of them had started. Not when watching Booker lose himself when he lost his family. And it certainly wouldn’t be easy to explain to the new kid how an endless life would mean the ending of the life she already had.

But Nile Freeman was beautiful, smart, and brave. Quynh could tell. Just as she once said Lykon was a hero unlike anybody else, and Joe and Nicky were naturally kind, and Booker was, well, he had been mostly just tired. Her favorite judgment, however, remained that one of a day thousands of years ago when she woke up from a dream, firmly convinced that she had just dreamt of the love of her life.

“Good. You’re awake,” Quynh smiled down at Nile.

While Andy was driving the car, Quynh had insisted on sitting in the back to keep company to the new kid. Nevermind the young woman was unconscious after Quynh had allowed Andy to go pick her up by herself.

“Who- What’s going on?” Nile mumbled. Her head hurt and she could barely make sense of the scene around her beyond being in a strange vehicle with an unknown woman gently smiling at her.

“I know you probably have a lot of questions- Ugh, fuck!” Quynh’s explanation was cut short when Nile’s knife pierced through her chest.

An instant later, the young woman had kicked open the trunk of the car and fallen off it.

“What the fuck?! Quynh are you okay?” Andy slammed the brakes of the car and quickly got out. She had been trying to be nonchalant about this whole thing, but a line had been crossed. “Did you just stab my wife?!” she yelled at the retreating figure of Nile, and pulled out her gun.

“Andromache, don’t!” Quynh reached her just in time to make it so that Andy shot only at the ground near Nile. The surprise made her stumble and fall, but it could’ve been worse.

“She stabbed you!” Andy protested, frowning and the blood that was tragically staining Quynh’s otherwise perfectly white t-shirt.

“And we kidnapped her,” Quynh gave her wife a pointed look and with a hand on her arm prompted her to walk forward to properly introduce themselves to the newcomer.

“Who are you?” Nile asked when they were close enough to talk. She was still on the ground, breathing heavily and trying to think of a way to get out of this situation. In front of her were standing two women, one with short brown hair, a black tank top, and a look in her eyes incredibly threatening. Beside her was another woman of long black hair, wearing a now blood-stained white t-shirt with rolled sleeves and looking a little too put together for the desert they were in, she was smiling, but she somehow didn’t seem much more friendly than the other one.

Before replying, Andy shared a look with Quynh, as if finding all necessary answers there. “Don’t worry,” she said at last, “You’re safe, you’re not in any danger. We are… we are people like you. I know you just figured out you can’t die, we can’t either. I know it might not look like it at the moment, but we are saving you from much worse situations. We don’t have all the answers, kid. But you don’t have to figure it out alone, okay?” There was a pause then where Andy and Quynh exchanged another look. It might have been reassuring or encouraging, teasing, or amused. It could have been an entire silent conversation in the span of a second. But the point was that Andy looked at Nile once more and with more relaxed features added, “Now, could you please get back in the car?”

Andy offered Nile her hand, and helped the young woman stand back up. When Andy started walking away, Quynh turned to look at Nile. “Her name is Andromache, you should probably call her Andy. And my name’s Quynh,” She offered her hand to Nile, smiled when she heard her name, and then immediately tightened her hold until it almost hurt. “If you stab me again, you’re going to regret it,” she winked, and she was smiling, and Nile was fascinated by the perfect balance of menacing and welcoming in that gesture. “Welcome to the team!” Quynh added in a sing-song, turning around and following Andy back to the car.

Throughout history, Quynh had to sleep in the strangest of places. It was just a part of their lives, warriors couldn’t be picky about a place to rest their heads for a few hours. Besides, with one of Andy’s arms draped over her waist, Quynh felt safe enough to fall asleep even in the sketchy plane of an even sketchier… businessman, of sorts. However, her sleep was interrupted after a while when, in a matter of seconds, she made a move to turn around, found herself restrained, her struggle woke up Andy, they realized they had their wrists chained to the seats of the plane, and the new kid was pointing a gun at the pilot of the plane.

“Oh, this will be fun,” Quynh mumbled through a yawn, getting comfortable in her place.

She smiled when the pilot played dead as instructed by Andy. “Yeah, I do not recommend it,” she said when Nile swore she wouldn’t jump off a plane. “Not me?” she playfully pouted when Nile freed Any first. And she grinned expectantly as she watched the two other women engage in a fight that she knew was necessary and more meaningful than any outsider would have guessed. She teased Andy, cheered Nile on, and threw her head back laughing when the young woman got two hits at Andy’s face.

After the fight was over, Andy took the keys from Nile and got Quynh out of her restraints. The newest immortal was still standing, looking a little lost and teary-eyed in the middle of the plane, when Quynh stood up and faced her. “My turn?” she playfully asked, and felt her heart swell with affection at the sight of the confusion and hint of irritation in the young woman’s face. “I’m kidding,” Quynh said softly and smiled genuinely this time. Then she opened her arms, a silent offer that she wouldn’t push and wouldn’t be offended if rejected but-

Nile stepped forward and lightly wrapped her arms around Quynh’s shoulders, accepting the hug. It was strange, it was completely unfamiliar, but so much had happened in the past day or so. She had died, for fucks sake, she deserved a hug. “I’m sorry for stabbing you,” Nile grumbled.

In response, Quynh chuckled, “It probably won’t be the last time. And you can thank me for the clothes, Andromache alone would have kept you in your bloody uniform.”

“You two are the oldest,” Nile stared seriously at the two women at the other side of the table.

Andy and Quynh exchanged a look. “Andromache is a little bit older,” Quynh said with a smile.

“How old?” Nile asked.

“It’s not our first millennium I can tell you that,” Quynh took a sip of wine and leaned back on her chair.

“How old?” Nile insisted.

“Too old,” Andy said with finality.

The night wasn’t quiet, it never was in that place though. They were all accustomed to the sounds of the planes, and Nile had been exhausted enough to fall asleep despite the noise. Still, Quynh was so in tune with her lover’s mind, that she felt Andy’s thoughts to be even louder than the planes above their heads. When everyone else had gone to sleep, she had stayed in one of the armchairs, talking with Andy about everything, and nothing, and their upcoming mission. At least, they had been talking about that, until Andy’s worries got the best of her and she was rendered silent, staring at her own hand as if it was the first time she saw it.

From her place curled up in the other chair, Quynh stared at her. She wouldn’t be surprised if she had figured it out before Andy herself. She could say with certainty she knew Andy’s body better than she knew her own. Their way of living had made it so that at times they went years without facing an actual mirror. In all her years Quynh had stared at Andy way more than at herself. Had loved her intensely, tenderly, carefully, hurriedly, in every way they had possibly thought of. She had held her in her arms as she died and came back to life more times than she could count. There was no language, in all languages humanity had ever come up with, for Quynh describe the intimate connection she shared with Andy. It would have been a deadly offense to her for anyone to think that she hadn’t noticed a change, in Andy’s eyes, in her hands, in her skin, in the very way she was breathing.

Andy had been lost in her thoughts until she noticed Quynh perching herself on the arm of the chair she was in.

“I’m sorry, my love, what were you saying?” Andy looked up at her, just realizing she had stopped listening and talking a while ago.

Quynh sighed and met Andy’s eyes, kicking through any and all walls the other woman could attempt to put up to hide her real thoughts. Andy’s eyes widened a little when she realized Quynh was already caught up with her train of thought, but she didn’t have anything to say, not yet.

“I was saying…” Quynh started to say, picking up Andy’s hand to kiss her knuckles and then hold on tightly, “That you look beautiful tonight, my heart,” She felt a knot on her throat and it only worsened when Andy smiled at her. It was a unique smile, amused, genuine, she was thankful, she wasn’t afraid, but there was an apology in there somewhere. “As beautiful as the first day I saw you,” Quynh added with all the conviction she could muster without breaking down.

Both women were still silent, staring at their intertwined hands when Nile woke up from a nightmare, gasping for air.

“His name was Lykon,” Andy said, trying to explain to Nile why she’d just had a nightmare of a warrior dying from a wound on his stomach. “He was the third immortal. Only Quynh and I got to know him. He died before the rest of you were born, way before.”

“He was dying,” Nile whispered, “He was… he was bleeding so much, and there was no way to stop it. He was calm, he felt… ready but, it hurt. It hurt too much, and I don’t think he wanted to die.”

Andy didn’t need to turn around to know that, behind her, Quynh was standing by the dining table, holding to its edge until her knuckles were white, and her eyes were burning a hole on the ground. Lykon’s death would never stop hurting them, not really. He was Quynh’s best friend in a way that nobody could ever match again. He was far from the first soldier Andy lost, but definitely the one loss that hurt her the most. Plus, only with his death, and after thousands of years of life, the two women had to face the reality that they weren’t completely immortal, and losing each other would forever be a possibility.

“He was the best warrior, and man, I’ve ever met,” Andy stated, her voice steady, unwavering, honoring him, even thousands of years later, “He was all full of courage, light, skill and… smiles.” She made a quick pause, allowing herself to remember one of the most painful days of her entire existence on this Earth. “We were fighting a small battle, nothing we hadn’t done a hundred times before. Everything was going according to plan, seamlessly. We got hurt, we stood back up. Until… he didn’t. He got hurt, and his wounds didn’t heal. Just like that. His time had come. Nothing we can do about it.”

Nile closed her eyes for a second. She still had an arm holding on to her own abdomen. “Why am I dreaming of him?” she asked, opening her eyes to glare at Andy.

“The dreams stop when we meet. Then they restart, when one of us dies. Those dreams, memories of them, they aren’t constant, but they don’t stop,” Andy explained, taking a quick look at the rest of her team, the three men that had dreamed of Lykon their entire lives without ever meeting him. “They won’t always be of his death, I promise,” Andy tried to explain, but a second later Nile was standing up and hurrying out the door.

After another meaningful look to the other half of her family, Andy grabbed a gun out of habit, and followed the young woman outside.

“I’m going with you,” Quynh said, as Andy passed beside her, “I need some air.” And the group was split in half, for longer than any of them could have expected.

“Wait for my signal,” Andy said to Nile before turning around, accepting the sword Quynh was holding out for her. Then the two of them confidently moved toward the abandoned church, to wait for a group of soldiers that during their last seconds of life would deeply regret ever taking that job.

“I could have done this by myself, you know?” Andy smiled at Quynh from their hiding place among the shadows.

“You could, doesn’t mean you have to,” Quynh replied, making an effort to not even hint at the fact that for the first time ever Andy’s mortality wasn’t as certain as it had always been. Instead, Quynh put on the playful smile that she knew Andy needed to see in her. “My heart, it’s been an eternity already, please accept that for as long as I’m here, you’ll never have to do anything alone.”

Quynh kissed Andy’s cheek and a second later she urged her lover to get out and dive, almost literally, into the fight waiting for them. Quynh let her go first, Andy always went first, and usually, Quynh didn’t complain. She loved looking at her wife conquer a battle fearlessly, almost effortlessly, it was a sight worth all the treasures in the world. But then, of course, as soon as one of the men showed even the remote intention of pulling a knife from behind Andy, Quynh was already there, making sure he didn’t live enough to even picture Andy hurt because of him.

It went on and on, almost too easily. Andy and Quynh fighting side by side, picking up guns and swinging their swords and not letting their enemies even a chance to think about the goddesses of war that had stepped in their paths. It was over as quickly as it started. The whole place catching fire, Joe and Nicky already too far away, Nile and Booker in the backseat of the car.

Quynh had been there to guard Andy’s back, and keep her from any serious injury, and maybe she was the only one looking for confirmation of her greatest fears, but the fact remained that she could hardly tear her eyes away from Andy’s bruised knuckles holding the steering wheel. Insignificant little bruises, but they were there, not healing as they should.

Quynh had to take a step back when Nile explained to Andy why she couldn’t go along with them. That experience was hurting Quynh more than anyone realized. She felt physical pain in a way she couldn’t explain. She had accepted Nile as a member of their family, she already felt protective, and charmed by the young woman. It hurt to watch her go, it hurt to watch her pick a different side when they needed her.

Andy seemed to understand though, of course she did. Andy had been a leader for pretty much as long as she had been alive, which was… a lot. Andy could make sense of why everybody did what they did, in and out of battle it seemed, and she always explained it to Quynh in a way that was too forgiving of the others. It hurt Quynh to watch Andy understand what was the right thing to do, it hurt because there was no one and there would never be anyone like Andy. It hurt Quynh because she could never do what Andy does, be like Andy, and she didn’t ever want to take over that role, didn’t even want to picture it, and now she might have to.

So, it was only Andy, Quynh, and Booker stepping into Copley’s office. It felt wrong, Quynh couldn’t explain why but it did. What kind of man is so calm when three immortal warriors are pointing at him with guns?

Well, the explanation lies with the third immortal, Booker, who wasn’t aiming at Copley at all. He was shaking, making the most difficult decision of his life, even if it was just a small part of the worst decision that he had already taken a while ago. He was thinking about how long they take to heal. He was thinking about who would react the quickest, and who wouldn’t hesitate to shoot him in the head for shooting her wife. So, he shot Quynh in the heart, killing her instantly, and buying himself enough time to shoot Andy near the stomach. Andy had enough time to shoot him in the leg, but her gun fell off her grip, and she fell to her knees.

By the time Quynh came back to her senses, there were tears streaming down Andy’s face, and there was a wound on her stomach that wouldn’t stop bleeding. Quynh gritted her teeth and accepted the pain, forced herself to accept Andy’s mortality, Booker’s betrayal, her own rage, and her even greater heartache. She wanted to reach out to Andy, she wanted to kill Booker a thousand times over this, she wanted to just lie there and hope for it all to be a nightmare. She didn’t have a chance to do any of that before she was restrained by a group of strange men taking her and her broken family away.

“Fuck! Let me go,” Quynh groaned as she was being securely tied down to one of the beds in Merrick’s lab. She was the only one fighting it. “Let me kill him just once and I’ll gladly settle down after. Fucking-”

Andy was staring at her while the doctor sedated Quynh for the third time already. If she had had the strength, maybe Andy would have smiled. It was the natural reaction, to smile when she watched Quynh fight, smile when Quynh was bold, when she was playful, when she loved Andy in every way possible, and beyond. It didn’t feel right then, to look at the love of her life and feel only the need to start crying. From her point of view, this was the end for Andy. The weight of the world had finally become too much for her to bear. The world had finally crumbled down around her, taking her family down with it, turning Booker against her, rendering Joe and Nicky helpless, and Quynh… Quynh would lose her any moment now. Was this where all their promises would break?

Their time in Merrick’s lab was anything but boring. Quynh had been angry enough, had been quick enough, to knock out one of the doctors and free one of her hands on one occasion. That was as far as she got. She was sedated two times more. Each time she woke up was more frightening for her than the last. Andy’s name was the first thing coming out of her lips, and the first thing she heard was her lover’s reassuring “I’m here. Still here, Quynh, still here.” But it could only be so reassuring when “here” was one of the worst places they had ever been.

Two memories had made its way to the forefront of Quynh’s mind. One, the first time Andy and her died after Lykon’s definitive death. She had never felt as scared as she was during the seconds it took Andy to come back, and she had never been as desperate to come back to life, back to Andy, as she did that time. The second memory, the witches’ trials, the iron coffin, the feeling of being trapped, entirely hopeless. Andy had escaped just in time to follow in a different ship, but she couldn’t stop them from throwing Quynh to the ocean. She jumped right after her, but it still took hours to free Quynh from her prison. Some nights she still had nightmares where they didn’t manage it at all. This couldn’t be it. Not again. Quynh knew she had to fight with everything she had but, what if it wasn’t enough?

Andy wasn’t putting up a fight. Her hopelessness pained Quynh more than she could put into words, but it also inspired her to fight harder, to get all of them out of there. But it was difficult. It couldn’t be impossible, but it was difficult. She couldn’t even hear herself think. There was Joe fighting Booker, and Quynh related to that anger, but she had new priorities. There was Nicky trying to calm Joe down, and Quynh understood his silent rage, but she didn’t have time to listen to all their words. Least of all, she couldn’t stand the noise of Booker trying to defend himself. Loudest of all, however, was Andy’s silence, and Quynh’s own heart, breaking in her chest.

Nile’s arrival had been the closest thing to a miracle the four immortals had seen in their long, long lives. Quynh grinned as soon as she saw her, because it wasn’t a miracle, it was the most, if not only reasonable thing she’d seen in days. She had known, maybe since the moment that Nile had stabbed her, that the young woman had the potential to be everything the world needed, and more. At least, at the moment, she was everything the group needed, and that much was clear. Nile was hope, and just the sight of her was enough to send the five warriors up to their feet and ready to fight.

Andy convinced Booker to stand up, and convinced Joe to postpone the arguing. However, nobody, except for Booker, flinched at all at the moment Quynh confidently and calmly walked up to him just to punch him in the face strong enough for him to require a few seconds to recover. It was enough, for the moment. They had bigger problems waiting for them on the other side of the doors.

The fight was equal parts exciting and terrifying. It wasn’t the most difficult thing they’d done, but it was the first time they did it while one of them was mortal. It wasn’t easy, trusting their backs to Booker during the fight, but it came naturally enough. It was their priority, but it was undeniably difficult, to think of protecting Andy. Andy, who always moved first, Andy who regularly died for them, Andy who barely adjusted her fighting to be a little more defensive than usual, but not enough. Quynh and Nile found a common ground there, fighting anything and everyone, including Andy herself, to make sure the newly-mortal woman remained safe enough. If Andy slipped away from them at one moment, well, that much was inevitable.

There was one moment, right before the worst of the fight.

“Are you going to let her do this?!” Nile asked Quynh, talking about Andy refusing to wear any protection and insisting on entering the fight first.

Quynh was resting her back against the wall, eyes closed and breathing heavily. She had never felt this exhausted for as long as she could remember. Her body was screaming, her mind was beyond overwhelmed, and her heart couldn’t exactly handle the emotional stakes of the situation. There would be pain in seeing Andy risk her life, the only life she had. There would be pain in seeing Andy be careful, in seeing the love of her life, who Quynh had associated with invincibility for all of her life, act anything but unbreakable. Quynh could ask, she could very seriously ask and she could probably get Andy to take a step back for once in her life.

“I can’t stop her,” Quynh replied finally. But not in the way Nile thought right then. She couldn’t stop her, because Quynh knew and understood her wife and so she knew that to ask this of Andy at that moment, it would be an offense she wouldn’t be able to take back. Andy needed this moment, even if it was the last one, especially if it was the last one. They would walk into this battle as they always had and if it was up to them, they would also walk away from it as they always had.

Finally, it was all over. The boys were chasing the elevator down to catch Merrick, Andy and Nile were standing by the window, talking. Quynh was just rounding a corner, walking toward them with a smile, when something hit her in the head hard enough to knock her down to the ground.

Quynh fought with everything she had to stay conscious. She opened her eyes, and Merrick was pointing his gun at Andy. She closed her eyes and heard gunshots. She opened her eyes, and only Andy was standing there, looking proud as ever.

“Is it over?” Quynh asked Andy with a smile while the taller woman offered her a hand to get her up to her feet.

“Which part?” Andy laughed.

They were both a little unsteady on their feet but, holding on to each other, they walked over to the elevator and started their descent. It was the first quiet moment they had to themselves in days. They could finally breathe, they could finally take a good look at each other and let the reality of their situation settle in around them.

“How do you feel?” Quynh asked.

“How do you feel?” Andy turned the question around on her. She smiled when she noticed the confusion on Quynh’s face. “You’re bleeding, my love,” she explained, her voice breaking just slightly. Andy moved a hand to Quynh’s face and one of her fingers just lightly grazed the small wound where Merrick had hit her with the handle of Andy’s labrys. Quynh hissed in pain. She had felt it for a short while already, and the confirmation wasn’t as startling as it should have been. She wasn’t healing either. “But you were out there, risking yourself for me,” it was just a statement on Andy’s part, not really a question, but not completely a reprimand either.

“Well, obviously,” Quynh replied, smiling as genuinely as ever, smiling in that particular way that Andy loved more than ever, brighter than any star, more meaningful than any combination of words could dream of being.

“We will figure this out together,” Andy said, taking Quynh’s bruised hand and interlocking their blood-stained fingers with all the tenderness they had accumulated through three thousand years of love for each other and the world around them. “Just you and me,” she promised.

Quynh looked at her, her best friend, the love of her life, the person she admired the most, the person she’d die a thousand times and come back for, her favorite endless source of happiness and passion, purpose and strength. They had first made this promise back when they didn’t know an “end” was even possible for them. This time would be the most difficult occasion when Quynh would have to say the words, but also the most important. “Until the end,” she swore, meaning the words more than ever before.

The doors of the elevator opened, and Andy and Quynh walked out, hand in hand, facing the beginning of their end bravely, happily, ready, as long as they were together.

#ToGMiniBang2020 #the old guard #andy x quynh #andromaquynh #immortal wives #andromache the scythian #quynh #tog #the old guard fanfiction #my fic #i said no to canon #here it is!!!

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For as long as anyone can remember, Old Hillsbridge Manor has always been believed to be haunted. Everyone in the village agrees and keeps a respectful, fearful, distance. New in town after a bad breakup and an internship that led to disappointment rather than a permanent job, Harry Styles figures taking pictures of the decrepit building could be a great new creative project. Or at least a much-needed distraction while he searches for a job and crashes at his parents’ new house. No one warned him about the apparitions though; about the music, the laughter, the people who flicker and vanish when you call after them, the echoes of a past that should be long gone… Harry has never believed in spirits but even he can admit that there’s something weird going on. What starts as mere curiosity evolves into a full-blown investigation and soon enough, Harry finds himself making friends with an aristocrat from the 1920s and struggling with finding the best way to tell him that he’s dead.

The Ghost Hunter AU where Niall lives to prove ghosts are real, Zayn is a skeptical librarian and Harry gets caught up in a century-old mystery and catches feeling in the process.

Sleep It Off (844)

I've felt better ! Hello 2017 !!

What do you mean he’s coming? (15k)

When Harry accepted to be his sister’s Maid of Honour, despite how non-traditional of a choice he was, he didn’t think writing a speech for the wedding reception would be this hard. Now, not only does he have less than two weeks left to find something moving and inspirational to say, but Gemma just confided in him that her old childhood best friend is going to be in attendance. The one who moved to LA and they haven’t seen in fifteen years because he was too busy becoming an Academy Awards winner. But hey, no pressure. It’s just Louis Fucking Tomlinson.

Harry is screwed.

a fully armed battalion (to remind you of my love) (5.6k)

“He was flirting with you by the way,” Niall says casually once he’s finished saying goodbye to Louis and he’s joined Harry outside.

“No he wasn’t,” Harry replies automatically, feeling his heart clench at the thought. Was he?

Niall simply raises a mocking eyebrow in response before wrapping his scarf twice around his neck.

“Not that it matters!” Harry says quickly, eyes widening. “I wouldn’t care even if he did because he’s awful and the worst.”

Everyone at Hogwarts knows that Professor Styles and Professor Tomlinson absolutely despise each other. It's too bad that they're in love.

Coax the Cold (86k)

England, 1897.

English Professor Louis Tomlinson’s passion for the occult has been a source of mockery and derision for most of his life. When he hears whispers of a travelling freak show newly established in London claiming the existence of a monstrous sea hybrid, half-man, half-fish, Louis sees it as his ticket to credibility amongst his peers. The summer he spends undercover working on the show, however, gives him much more than that.

All These Lights (34.8k)

“People vote for alphas because they’re strong and they’re not only beautiful but also mesmerizing. They make you want to give them all of your attention, make you want to beg for some of theirs back. They’re shiny, oozing sex appeal and a commanding presence, and people always want more and more. Omegas are enticing too for sure, but it’s not the same. It makes people uncomfortable. It doesn’t make them want to root for you.”

the canon fic where Harry is an omega and dreams come with a price.

wash him deep where the tides are turning (3.7k)

"When Harry finally tells Louis about his family’s curse and the true love spell that broke it, they’ve been dating for seven months, nineteen days and about twelve hours and Louis’ cock is buried deep inside his arse."

Part two of a practical magic au.

a long way down (to the bottom of the river) (24k)

“ Most people would call Harry silly for believing in curses. Childish would also be a probable insult thrown his way. In their little town full of little people, Harry’s whimsical nature and beliefs mean that he’s subjected to frequent judgemental looks and whispers. It doesn’t usually bother him. Most people don’t know about the magic thrumming through his veins or about how powerful words can truly be. Most people don’t carry around their ancestors grief like a burden. They don’t have to pay for deeds hundreds of years old like Harry and his family have. They get to love freely without fear.

Harry and his kin aren’t so lucky.”

a practical magic au in which Harry and his sister accidentally kill her abusive boyfriend with magic and Louis is the D.I working the case.

loose lips sink ship all the damn time (not this time) (39k)

“Louis Tomlinson is gay,” Fiona announces and she sounds calm at least. “That’s not a scandal,” Nick replies automatically even though he feels slightly sick. He needs to call Louis back. Now. “No,” Fiona agrees quickly. “But his underage gay sex tape is.” The one where Louis is outed via a sex tape he made before the X-Factor and Nick can't resist flying to America to give him a shoulder to cry on. Told through flashbacks, this is a story of getting together and getting back together.

all that i’ll ever need is in your eyes (4.2k)

Louis has known he's going to marry Harry Styles since he was eighteen years old. Five years later, he has the perfect proposal planned. Too bad he can't help blurting it out while they're detained at the mall.

hi hater, kiss kiss (3.8k)

Nick has had a crush on Louis Tomlinson ever since he first saw him perform on the x-factor. Almost four years later, he's finally accepted that their ongoing, unstoppable feud is the only thing the two of them will ever share. One game of Call or Delete with Niall Horan, however, starts to shake this belief.

your bones illuminate (5.4k)

High School AU Snapshots of Harry and Louis' relationship through their last year of sixth form. Warning: There is no plot. Only fluff.

the last people standing (at the end of the night) (7.4k)

Sequel to the greatest pretenders (in the cold morning light)

A year after his undercover assignment ended, Louis should finally feel at peace. With Cowell & Co finally dead or behind bars, his life is more simple than ever. It's too bad his feelings can't be buried as deep as the people he's lost.

An undercover cops AU

you think fashion is your friend, my friend (fashion is danger) (27k)

"Louis has one rule, and one rule only, that he simply refuses to break. He forbids himself to be attracted to anyone he might work with. No wanking to models who might wear his clothes! It’s hardly fair, considering he spends 95% of his time working with the most attractive men on the planet, but his career is more important. Besides, in Louis’ experience, it always leads to disaster. Harry Styles makes respecting the rule really damn hard though and Louis is not quite sure why."

the one where Louis is a famous British designer and Harry is the clumsy, most likely straight model that makes his heart race.

the greatest pretenders (in the cold morning light) (41.5k)

undercover cops/the departed au

Louis and Nick are on two different sides of the law and mobster Simon Cowell is not the only person they have in common. The one where Louis is an undercover cop and Harry is the court-ordered shrink who refuses to prescribe him Valium.

#writer appreciation week #1dsource #hljournal #fics #author rec

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annaofthenorthernlights · 3 years

Link

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Frozen (Disney Movies) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Anna & Elsa (Disney) Characters: Anna (Disney), Elsa (Disney), Kristoff (Disney), Sven (Disney: Frozen), Olaf (Disney) Additional Tags: Fanfiction (Canon divert), Anna and Elsa are Siblings (Disney), Sisters, Summary: After the great thaw, Elsa and Anna strive to regain their relationship. Many experiences they must catch up with. Joined by Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf. Words counting: 1071

thanks to @upthenorthmountain @karis-the-fangirl and others for the inspiration in their wonderful writing ways!

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

It was a few weeks since the great thaw.

A new life had started within that day, when Anna had fallen gratefully into her sister´s arms, after Elsa had felt the freedom to release the eternal winter into the skies.

They had shared many quiet and resolving moments, sharing memories of their childhood pasts, left to live separated. That should end now, and the sisters had promised each other to be there and help each other wherever needed and share their thoughts and dreams.

Then, they had jovial times of playing children´s games, that they had missed so many years. Family evenings, together with Olaf, Kristoff and Sven had become the habit. Anna was happy.

Today was different.

It was a quiet late summer morning. Autumn was on its approach, knocking at nature´s door with early morning mist covering the harbour and lower town.

Anna sat in her room and finished braiding her hair. She was not eager to hurry, but then, what she had to do had become an annual duty. It wasn´t that she would not like some walks up to the platform overlooking Arendelle´s town, but the anniversary of that day lurked like a dreadful memory over her heart.

Elsa had never joined her for this task before. Of course not. Being locked in her room, terrified to hurt anyone, her sister had desperately tried to conceal her powers. Even that terrible day, three years ago, Elsa had not been able to walk with her, side by side, up to the platform, where the gravestones for their parents had been established.

Today, Elsa would come along. Anna felt happy in a strange sort of way. It was no fun time, notably. But then, they would visit together. Anna was sure, her parents would rejoice seeing their daughters together. Elsa could walk freely, was able to handle her magic powers without fear. They could go and explore living family life. In their hearts, Mama and Papa would be there, too.

Anna sighed and got up. She reached for her black cloak and was about to leave the room, when Elsa opened the door to stand on the threshold.

“Elsa, you´re ready?” Anna asked, still amazed at her sister´s appearance in her icy gown. Elsa had changed into a black gown, an icy cape floating down her spine and dancing behind her steps.

Together, the sisters would emerge the castle.

Out in the fresh air, they walked across the courtyard and towards the harbour. There, they passed the flower stand. Anna had made it a custom, to get some flowers there. The owner of the flower stand, Halima, was a kind woman, middle aged and with a friendly smile. The woman had a good sense for wonderful bouquets and flower arrangement.

For this occasion, she had bound two graceful bouquets with crocus, ivy, and white roses.

Anna and Elsa made their way uptown, holding each a flower arrangement.

People would stand and bow, knowing about their mission, feeling the excitement of the new situation for both daughters.

When they arrived at the platform´s edge, their stood Kristoff and Sven waiting. Olaf was sitting on Sven´s back and carried a white rose himself. The three friends would join the queen and princess, following them in respectful distance. Sven lowered his head, sensing the sad moment. Olaf´s eyes widened when approaching the graveyard. How wonderful it had been if Elsa´s and Anna´s parents would still be alive. But they weren´t and Olaf made up his mind to be the best friend, the two daughters would ever have. He would give them warm hugs, whenever they would need one! That was what he could offer.

Kristoff felt a great respect for what he saw.

Anna had told him about the tradition of paying her respect to the funeral´s anniversary. She had not made a great fuss about it. She´d just told him, in confidence. When he´d asked her, if she would appreciate the company, she had smiled and hugged him. Yes, she would. She was fed up with going about things all alone. She loved to have her family and friends around and close to her.

Elsa stood touched and moved.

The memory of the dreadful day, when she´d stayed in her room, while Anna had to set off to her princess´ duty on her own. She´d felt so helpless, worn out and… empty. With her parents gone, who could help her coping with her burden? She couldn´t get close to Anna, out of fear, of hurting her…

But today? Today was different. Elsa sensed, it was no use of brooding about past times, that were gone. They could look ahead. She´d focus on the chances that lay before her.

By an impulse, Elsa reached for Anna´s hand squeezed it warmly.

“You won´t have to do this alone anymore, you know that. Anna, I´m so sorry for it all. But from this day on, I will be there for you.”

Anna had stood looking down on the engravings on the majestic stones.

It had been a sad day. But then if her parents could see them today. How happy they would be. It must have been so terrible for them, to protect Elsa from evil rumours all those years. And then, they were loving and caring towards Anna, too. She wondered what it would be like to have children and then taking up with the responsibility to always do the right thing, raising them. Dreading the fail would surely be burden, but then would there not be joyful times and happy moments, too?

She was deep in her thoughts when she felt the touch. Looking up, she met her sister´s smiling eyes.

Anna would squeeze back Elsa´s hold.

“Yes! And you´ll always have me, too.”

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

When they would leave homeward, Elsa had an idea.

“You know what? When we were little... I mean, before… you know… Mama and Papa would taken us to a picnic in the castle gardens, imagining we were in an enchanted land. What would you all say, if we keep this tradition just on this very day – in memory of a wonderful family?

So, they went down the road. Sven trotting with Olaf, happily to have the sisters smiling again.

Anna was walking in the middle, holding to a hand to each a side.

She was convinced, tragedy had not to win – love was stronger!

#past frozen 1 #one-shot fanfic #sisters relationship #Elsa and Anna #restoring relationship #frozen #canon divert

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omgkalyppso · 3 years

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ohhh those OC interview asks look so fun!! how about 1 and 2?

(for all 3 i mean!)

##^^## AW! Thank you!!

Who makes up your family? How close are you to them?

Sawyer signs happily, "My parents are my only family by blood, but I have many who I'm close to. My father is a midlander, native to Gridania, but settled in Thanalan. He spent much of my childhood on the road, repairing the homes of mud and clay during the floods that came with the rainy seasons. Despite that, we're close. The work always brought enough that the dry seasons were spent together, flying kites in the raging heat and painting patterns and murals on our home and on tablets with the other children at an oasis to the east. My mother held a more consistent schedule. She worked as a scribe, recording political business and generating cyphers while I was in the care of teachers. Our evenings together were always busy with chores and dinner, but I do have happy memories to lean upon."

Sawyer reaches for a pen, to scrawl their names: Turold Eldwynn and Purple Star.

Borgakh releases a long breath. "This has a long answer," she chuckles. "Are you sure you have time for me?

"To start, I have my late father, Thokk, who was a healer and passed of natural causes, age. My mother, Yevelda, yet lives in my home town of Realta. She was a seamstress, and still is sometimes, when people approach her with tattered dresses and children's clothes to be refitted, but she is mostly retired.

"While I am unmarried, I think my partners would agree to be called family, Marie, Mina and Cam at least. Iberis has re-entered my life, but, things are strained with him. I think of Cam and Marie's little girl, Dahlia, as my own, and my friend Lou is as close to me as a brother could be."

[For Fae the answer depends Entirely on the AU. I've been thinking of post canon a lot though, so we're going with that.]

"Well I— While I never knew my mother, Sitri, she is still important to me. My father, Geralt, I had the privilege of knowing into adulthood. We were very close, and I often still miss him when faced with moral decisions. He was very forthright, and always seemed to know the right thing to do.

"Luckily, I am surrounded by those I love, even when I make mistakes. Having been raised by my father, I consider Alois my brother, and we even refer to each other as siblings. Seteth and Flayn, were always as close to me as family. They didn't quite fit a role of parent or sibling, just ... reliable loved ones. I respect them a great deal. Leonie might be the closest thing I have to a real sister, in that we grew apart, and I rarely see her, but I would still move mountains for her safety and happiness, and I expect she would do the same. She had her own life to live, and I'm proud of her accomplishments, much as I can be — they're not mine, after all.

"And then there's my immediate family. My husband, Claude, and our children, Nader, Geralt, Sadaf and Simon, and our long time partners, Hilda and Lorenz and their brood, Halvard, Lorencia and Vinnie. Through them I've inherited more and miles of extended family. It's nice to realize the world can be so connected, and to be so blessed. They don't come without problems, but it's far worth it for the joy, and lessons, and love."

Who is your best friend? Tell us about them!

Sawyer reaches out to grab Sybille by the arm, forcing fleur to bend towards them so they can plant a kiss on fleur cheek. They return to signing, "Sybille, certainly. I hired fleur years ago to join me on an expedition, to work as adventurers together and act as interpreter for the sake of the rest of the adventuring party, but our relationship has grown into one of great friendship. There is no one I trust more."

Borgakh holds the side of her face. "I shouldn't have mentioned Lou before, I'm liable to give him a big head, but my best friend is certainly that little warlock. I've given all of myself to protect him before, and I would again. He's earned it through our friendship, and his good heart."

Fae wrings her hands a little. "I don't have a friend I trust more than my partners. We keep greater secrets and stories between us than anyone else I've had in my life. I think I've always needed that as part of a romantic relationship, to be best friends, and share interests, and values, and pains. We have the four of us, so generally we can find connection and solidarity with at least one partner, if the others are too weary to shoulder a burden, or whatever the case may be."

#long post #oc tag: sawyer #oc tag: sybille #borgakh #faedolyn #claude. hilda. mc. lorenz #maybe i could've told you more about the best friends but i feel like this at least accomplished something

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phoenix-downer · 4 years

Text

After Ever After Part 3

~2140 words. Post-Canon. Family AU, SoKai Parents AU.

Summary: Sora and Kairi have their family and their happily ever after, but tensions arise when their children are older and want to know about their parents’ pasts.

Links to Part 1 and Part 2. This is the final part of the story.

“And then,” Kairi said, her voice low as Emi leaned in, “the guardian made it to the castle where the princess was being kept!”

Kairi had taken over the story from where Sora had left off, and she and Emi were still seated at the table as Emi listened intently to every word.

“So Daddy finally found you?”

“Uh-huh. Now, this next part’s a little scary and a little sad, too. Do you think you can handle it?”

Emi nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

“Tell me if you get scared, okay?”

Emi nodded again, and Kairi cleared her throat and resumed her tale.

“The guardian fought monster after monster through the castle’s winding hallways and mysterious rooms till at long last, he found a room with a great big keyhole. And there in front of the Keyhole was the princess. But really, it was just the princess’s body, not her heart. Their friend who had been possessed by the darkness—”

“That’s Uncle Riku, right?”

Kairi nodded. “Yes. Uncle Riku fought Daddy, but Daddy won. I still didn’t wake up though, and he realized something. My heart was inside of him. It had been all along.”

“What did he do?”

Kairi’s hand went to the necklace around her neck. “He had to release my heart to save me. And so, he did something very, very brave. He plunged a Keyblade into his own heart so I could wake up.”

Emi was very quiet for a moment as she processed what this all meant.

“What happened to Daddy?” she said at last. “Did it hurt him? Was he okay?”

Kairi glanced up and noticed she had a couple more members in her audience. At some point Haruto and Miyu had come downstairs and were completely engrossed in her story.

“That’s why what he did was so brave,” Kairi said, smiling even as her eyes watered a little. “It hurt him very much, but he did it for me anyway.”

“Dad really did that?” Haruto asked, his voice low. “He really sacrificed himself for you?”

Kairi nodded. “He did. He did it with a smile on his face, too.” She wiped her eyes and smiled. “Like the brave, reckless, wonderful man that he is.”

Miyu joined them at the table. “Mom, we had no idea, he never told us—”

“I know,” Kairi said as she placed her hand over Miyu’s. “That was on purpose.”

“Why didn’t he want us to know?” Haruto asked as he sat down too. “He did this amazing thing for you and didn’t even tell his own kids about it?”

“Here’s the thing about your father. He’s a very sensitive soul, and he has what I like to call a big fat tender heart.”

Emi giggled, and Miyu and Haruto nodded.

“Now, I always tell him that he shouldn’t ever change that part of him because I love that big fat tender heart of his just the way it is. But because it’s so big and tender, it gets hurt really easily. It also means he can love people very deeply, but the deeper the love, the more likely he is to get hurt.”

“Oh, I get it,” Miyu said. “He loves you deeply, so that means… you can hurt him easily?”

Kairi nodded. “I don’t hurt him on purpose, but it happens. And you know who else sometimes hurts him?”

Miyu and Haruto exchanged guilty glances while Emi said, “Who?”

“Sometimes, you all say things that hurt his feelings, even if he pretends he’s fine. Like yesterday, Miyu, Haruto, you hurt his feelings pretty badly. I know you didn’t mean to, but you did.”

They hung their heads, and Kairi sighed. “Just talk to him and apologize. He’ll understand.”

Miyu and Haruto nodded, but then Haruto spoke up again.

“But that still doesn’t explain why he didn’t tell us about his sacrifice.”

“He didn’t tell you about his sacrifice because it was such a deep expression of his love for me. And that leaves him feeling very, very vulnerable. If anyone were to ever mock him for his love, he would withdraw from that person very quickly to protect himself. And he never ever wants to withdraw from any of you.”

“But why would we ever mock him for that?” Miyu said, her voice breaking. “Over being so brave and selfless?”

“You all are lucky. The people in our lives now are good people. There are people in the worlds, however, who would mock others precisely because they are brave and selfless. And they have mocked your father before.”

“Who?” Haruto demanded. “I’m gonna find them and punch them in the face!”

Kairi had to smile at the fire in Haruto’s eyes. He really was his mother’s son, and she wished Sora could see how ready he was to defend his dad’s honor.

“I appreciate the enthusiasm there Haruto, but your father has taken care of the people who attacked his honor and tried to hurt us. Would you like to know how?”

“Yes!” all three of the kids said at once. But then Emi frowned and added, “But what about Daddy? Was he okay after he put the Keyblade in his heart to save you?”

“Oh, right, I didn’t finish that part!” Kairi said. “After he plunged the Keyblade into his heart and released my heart, he became a Heartless—”

“No!” Haruto said, his eyes wide as he gripped the table. “A Heartless?!”

“—but not for long. You see, even as a Heartless, he remembered enough of himself to find me. And no matter what happens to him, I can always see his heart’s true form.”

“Because you’re a princess,” Emi said, and Kairi nodded.

“Because I’m a princess. And more importantly, because I love him too. I didn’t know that I did at the time, but the bond our hearts shared allowed me to call him back to me. I was hugging him to protect him from the other Heartless, I called his name, and BOOM! just like that, with a flash of light, he was holding me in his arms, thanking me.”

Miyu, Haruto, and Emi all cheered, and Kairi couldn’t help but smile too. She wanted to tell them all about her and Sora’s journeys, about what it had taken for them to be together for good.

For without that journey, their family wouldn’t be possible. Sora was like the glue that held them all together, connecting their hearts with the power of his heart, and it was high time their children knew everything he’d done.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Sora got home, his family was all seated in the living room, cuddled up with blankets and pillows and a stuffed animal or two. The kids were all deeply engrossed in whatever story Kairi was telling them, so he leaned against the doorway and listened in.

“Even though my heart was in seven pieces, your father refused to give up on me. He plunged his heart into the abyss for the chance to save me. He rewound time and raced against the clock in the hopes he would locate the seven pieces of my heart in time. He took on our friends’ pain and re-lived all his pain, the pain of losing me again and watching me die, in the hopes that I might live. And though he succeeded and found me, it cost him his very life in the end.”

“And it was worth it,” he said softly, and everyone looked at him. “It was absolutely worth it.”

Emi was the first to scramble to her feet and run over to him. “Daddy!” she cried as he swept her up into his arms.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he said as she put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

“You’re the most wonderful person in all the worlds,” she told him very matter-of-factly.

“Is that so?” He couldn’t help the smile on his face, even if he wanted to.

She nodded. “Mommy said so.”

“Well, she might be a little biased—”

“She’s never wrong, so no.”

“Not gonna argue with you on that one,” he said with a chuckle, then gave Emi a kiss on the cheek and put her down.

Haruto was next. “Dad?” he asked, fidgeting a whole bunch because it was hard for him to keep still.

“Yeah?”

“Sorry for saying I’m glad I look more like Mom. I mean, I am glad I look like her, but I’m proud to be your son.”

Sora felt a lump starting to build in his throat. “And I’m proud you’re my son.”

He held his arms out, and for once Haruto didn’t roll his eyes and back away. He just threw his arms around Sora, and Sora hugged him back and tried really hard not to cry. He couldn’t remember the last time Haruto had hugged him, especially so unashamedly, and yeah, of course he was gonna be moved by his son showing him affection.

He ruffled Haruto’s hair afterwards, and Haruto grinned.

“By the way, it’s pretty awesome how you kicked Xehanort’s ass, he deserved it for what he did to you and Mom.”

“Haruto, language—” Kairi warned, but Sora couldn’t bring himself to scold his son.

“I know, right? Wish you could’ve seen it.”

Haruto bounced off to talk to Kairi about something, and it was finally Miyu’s turn. She fiddled with her hair for a few moments before she finally said, “I hope you know that you’ve ruined boys for me forever. No one’s gonna even come close to loving me the way you love Mom.”

“That’s not true,” Sora said. “I’m sure you’ll find someone who will.”

“Yeah, but you’ve actually proven how much you love her. That doesn’t happen every day.”

“It doesn’t, but it also shouldn’t happen. There’s nothing glorious about dying, trust me. All the glory is in living and being with the people you love.”

“Speaking from personal experience?”

“Yeah.”

There was an awkward silence between them for a few moments, then she spoke up again.

“Dad, I’m sorry for being so mean to you lately. I get why you were reluctant to tell me about the Keyblade. I still want one, of course, but I want to make sure I’m ready before I get it.”

“Yeah. It’s a huge responsibility and a burden you need help to bear. But I have no doubt you’ll be able to wield one someday.”

His fears and worries and misgivings could all be sorted out later. Right now, Miyu needed to know she had his unconditional love and support.

“Thanks,” she said, then another awkward silence followed.

“Miyu,” he finally said, “I’m sorry for embarrassing you yesterday. I just—I love you so much, and I’m so proud of you, and it’s hard for me to tone it down because I’m so happy you’re my daughter. But I will because—”

She shook her head. “No, don’t. As Mom says, your big fat tender heart is one of the best things about you, and even if other people tease me about it, I won’t care anymore. Because you’re the best dad I could ask for.”

Sora couldn’t help it, his eyes really were watering now.

“Ugh, Dad, please don’t cry—”

“Then come here and give me a hug,” he said as he held his arms out to her too. She did, and as he put his arms around her, he felt the rest of the hurt in his heart mend.

After one more round of hugs and several more stories, the kids went their separate ways so they could do their own thing till dinner, leaving him and Kairi alone in the living room.

“We finally told them,” she said as he joined her on the couch.

He draped the blanket over the two of them so that they could cuddle. “We finally told them.”

He brought her into his embrace and held her tight. How good it felt to hold her in his arms, to be reminded of the fact that this was real, this was their life now and it had been for years.

He kissed her head. “Love you.”

“Love you too.”

“Thank you for helping me be brave.”

“Thank you for being brave.”

Everything they’d been through, every drop of blood and bead of sweat and bitter tear, made what they had now all that much more precious. Sora wouldn’t trade it for the worlds, and he knew Kairi wouldn’t either.

They were united as one, together on the same team, and they always would be. There were a few more members on the team now, but at its core, at its heart was the love between them. And because of that love, their team was stronger than ever and their family was thriving.

And that, more than anything, was their happily ever after.

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A/N: Thank you for reading this story! I really enjoyed writing it and sharing it with you all. I might return to this AU someday, depending on what further ideas I might have, but for now, I hope you enjoyed the ending!

#sokai #kh fanfiction #phoenix writes #phoenix downer #sokai parents #sokai parents au #after ever after #long post #post-canon #family #family au #sora x kairi #sora/kairi

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frazzledsoul · 3 years

Text

Thanks for tagging me @dollsome-does-tumblr even though I haven't written fic in a gazillion years.

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favourite opening line. Then tag 10 authors!

The first thing that hit Rory Gilmore when she woke up was an overwhelming sense of vertigo.

The migraine was encroaching on the borders of her skull soon followed.

Where was she?

(The Morning After, Gilmore Girls, post series, Rory/Jess, or what happens when two not-quite-stepcousins hook up and everyone in Stars Hollow debates whether they should be encouraging this or not)

The first time they tried a real relationship again, it was a disaster.

He hadn't seen or talked to her for five years. Part of him regretted that a little, but she did say no, and he knew he had to start fresh if he was going to make any sort of clean break from the family legacy that had claimed him long before he was born.

(The Dynastic Plan, Gilmore Girls, AYITL era, Rory/Logan, or Logan explains to us why he could not get his shit together with Rory during AYITL)

Luke first noticed that something was amiss when he picked April up from the airport.

It was the middle of spring and she was wearing a turtleneck, a baseball cap, and sunglasses. When he asked her about it, she shrugged and claimed she thought that Connecticut was having a late winter spell, which didn’t sound right to him at all.

(The Cactus Incident, Gilmore Girls, post-series, in which Luke learns about the avian misadventures of one of his offspring)

“This has gotten completely out of control.”

Lorelai glanced up at her husband from where she was sequestered at her usual table by the window, surrounded by her laptop, piles of eclipse glasses in various colors, assorted boxes and tubes sprinkled in glitter and confetti, and a pile of streamers that had half fallen to the floor.

“This is a major celestial event, Luke”, Lorelai insisted. “A once in a lifetime opportunity to escape the daily drudgery of life to celebrate standing in the middle of the street for two hours and looking at the sky while we are treated to the spectacle of the universe pretending to usher in the doomsday a way too significant portion of the population are eagerly anticipating at any given moment –“

Luke put up his hand. “I get it.”

(A Convergence of Fancies, Gilmore Girls, Rory/Jess overtones I guess, post-AYITL, or Stars Hollow celebrates the 2017 solar eclipse, Rory is a sleep deprived new mom, and Lorelai is concerned because her family is watching too much Game of Thrones, aka the most chaotic thing I have ever written and I'm sorry)

Richard Lucas Gilmore’s second Independence Day celebration was turning out to be a lot better than his first.

For one thing, he was actually awake for it.

Rory’s pregnancy had stretched a week and a half past its original due date, leading to the delivery of her squalling bundle of joy on a humid June morning after fifteen hours of labor.

(Independence, Gilmore Girls, post-AYITL, in which Luke and Lorelai celebrate Independence Day with their combined offspring and toddler grandson and Lorelai confronts her impending empty nest syndrome)

Lorelai had thought that sending Rory off into the adult world would make her feel like her heart was being ripped out of her chest.

She had been dreading it for days, weeks, maybe even years. Despite what everyone had told her when she was a newly knocked-up teenager, she still felt that those first eighteen years raising Rory as she grew up herself had been the easy part.

(Full Circle, Gilmore Girls, post-series, in which Lorelai and Rory go through the same major milestones at the same time)

The fall of 2017 was turning out to be quite a revelation for Lorelai Gilmore-Danes.

She had never loved fall quite as much as she loved winter. Sure, there was the crispness wrought by the change of seasons and the concurrent excuse to shop for brightly colored sweaters and boots.

(The Grandparents, Gilmore Girls, Luke/Lorelai, post-AYITL, or Rory's love triangle and parenting woes as seen through Luke and Lorelai's eyes)

Few enterprises seemed to be designed with a specific target in mind quite as much as Facebook was for Lorelai Gilmore.

It caught her a little by surprise. Sure, she knew the basics of using a computer to run her business and control her finances. She could be disciplined and organized when she absolutely needed to be, and there was little use in clinging to outdated technology.

(Boundaries, Gilmore Girls, Luke/Lorelai, post-AYITL, or Luke and Lorelai try to rebuild their relationship and are very angsty about it)

Luke and Lorelai's third Valentines Day as a married couple started in the usual way.

It was usually their tradition to spend the holiday at home, but this year they had departed for Luke's cabin on the lake to spend a few days by themselves before the rest of the family joined them on Sunday. It was a beloved, time-honored tradition between the two of them to devote this day to each other to celebrate with their own brand of fanfare. Their adult children knew to stay very far away from them during this time.

(A Season of Peace, Luke/Lorelai and Rory/Logan, post-AYITL, in which Luke and Lorelai spend a weekend in the snow with their brood and we get an update on the younger generations's relationship statuses)

"Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm pregnant."

She turned to face me. Gap-mouthed. Shocked. Disappointed. Humiliated.

This was not how I planned to share this news.

(A Simple Twist of Fate, Gilmore Girls, AU but fairly canon adjacent, in which Jess is Rory's baby daddy and Rory discovers that he has not exactly been solely pining for her in the years they were apart)

Jess didn't exactly intend to introduce his daughter to professional sports in this manner.

For the most part, he and Rory weren't quite the stereotypical thirtysomething hipster couple that they sometimes appeared to be. Sure, Rory was still occasionally breast-feeding after seven and a half months, and you could find quinoa and kimchi in their fridge stocked next to the baby food and hoagies.

(Home, post-AYITL, Rory/Jess, a "fast forward" of ASTOF in which Rory and Jess raise their daughter in Philadelphia and try to avoid admitting that they are no longer hip)

Lorelai Gilmore's journey to becoming an active participant in Stars Hollow town life was a bumpy one.

She stepped off of the bus in Stars Hollow a few months after her eighteenth birthday, freshly divorced and clutching her almost two-year-old daughter by the hand, determined to talk herself into whatever opportunity presented itself to her. She wasn't able to work on her charms on Taylor Doose at the grocery store, or Fran Weston at the bakery, but William Danes at the hardware store gave her directions to the inn at the outskirts of town and an offer to work the counter at his store if things didn't work out.

(Beginnings, Gilmore Girls, pre-series/AU, Luke/Lorelai, in which Lorelai and Luke's parenting situations are reversed: she and Christopher are divorced and he is involved in Rory's life but Luke is raising April by himself after Anna flaked out, and they start to bond)

Lorelai Gilmore Danes didn't expect to have empty nest syndrome hit her quite like this.

She'd spent much of her adult life – even long before she was technically an adult – tethered to Rory's side and not regretting a second of it. Then Rory was grown up and off exploring the world, and she was settled down with Luke in their unconventional but happily domestic manner.

(Glimpses Through the Looking Glass, Gilmore Girls, drabble series that goes all over the place based on #NationalFillInTheBlankDay)

Ted and Robin's seemingly long-awaited reconciliation lasted just short of six months.

Five months, three weeks, and two days, to be exact. Not that anyone was counting, least of all Robin.

(Making It Easy, How I Met Your Mother, Barney/Robin, post-series, in which Robin figures out that dating a widowed Ted is actually a very bad idea)

In the end, it was decided that the best way to resolve the battle for the Iron Throne was to dissolve it completely.

It had been a savage war, far more savage than any of its players had fought up to this point. Euron and Cersei were dead.

(The Calm, Game of Thrones, post-series but written halfway through season 8 so it doesn't include any of the stuff that people hate, in which I come up with a solution to the Jonerys dilemma that no one liked but it was still better than canon)

Summer finally bloomed beyond the wall five years after Jon Snow had crossed it for the last time.

Sometimes it seemed to him that everything before those five years was nothing more than a half-remembered dream. He had braced for his departure for the wall half-hopeful: at least this grand march towards kingship, the burden of unwanted responsibilities, the dread in his chest as he wondered if he would survive to the end of the latest war was over.

(After, Game of Thrones, post-series, Jon/Tormund, or in which Jon Snow is living happily ever after beyond the wall with his ginger, his dog, and a family of his own because I am in charge and I say so)

“You’re still shit at that, you know,” Tormund whispered in Jon’s ear.

Magritte snickered from the other corner of the main room of their cabin where she was roughhousing with Ghost. Alsi sighed beside her, picking up her bow from where it was lying beside her and inspecting it for flaws.

(The Line, Game of Thrones, post-series, Jon/Tormund, in which Jon is still living happily ever after but takes his family to visit Queen Sansa)

The images solidified in Jaime’s mind as he made his way through the streets.

Charred skeletons. Screaming children. Rampaging soldiers. Blood. Smoke. Mangled limbs. Chaos. He couldn’t keep any of it straight.

(The Lion and the Snow - Snapshots, Game of Thrones, AU, Jaime/Brienne, in which Jon is King, Jaime is the Hand Without A Hand, Brienne is the Lady Commander of the Kingsguard, they are all disasters, and I am not telling this story in order)

Tormund didn’t intend to get seriously involved with anyone when he moved to King’s Landing.

It had been a rough couple of years. Hell, the entire last decade had been its own special blend of unexpected pleasure and slow, turgid, relentless episodes of confusion and pain. That was adulthood, he supposed. Always one damn thing after another.

(The Dragon Heist, Game of Thrones, modern AU, in which single dad Tormund - Brienne is his baby mama - falls in love with art student Jon Snow and there are lots of coparenting shenanigans)

Patterns: Gee, I like to start these stories off with long, complicated explanations of everyone's relationship status.

Favorites: I guess that would be starting off The Morning After with Rory half-horrified at what she has gotten into. I also like dropping right in on Jonmund domesticity in The Line.

Tagging: @fineosaur, @seethemflying, @aliveanddrunkonsunlight, @janiedean, @angel-deux-writes, @littlerockerao3, @istaricelebelasse, @tormundjonthings, @sdwolfpup, and anyone else who feels like it (apologies if y'all have already been tagged)

#mine #fanfiction #thinking about writing again for the first time in ages

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rosethornewrites · 4 years

Text

Fic: the thread may stretch or tangle but it will never break, ch. 6

Characters: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī, Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Wēn Qíng, Wēn Níng | Wēn Qiónglín, Granny Wēn, Lán Yuàn | Lán Sīzhuī

Additional Tags: Pre-Slash, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Secrets, Crying, Masks, Soulmates, Truth, Self-Esteem Issues, Regret, It was supposed to be a one-shot, Fix-It, Eventual Relationships, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, wwx needs a hug, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Filial Piety, Handfasting, Phobias, Sleeping Together, Fear, Panic Attacks, Love Confessions, Getting Together, Phobias

Summary: When Wei Ying wakes, they have a long-overdue conversation.

Note: See end.

AO3 link

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

———

Lan WangJi stirs naturally at mao shi, confused by the feeling of someone against him at first. Wei Ying is still curled in his arms, his face pressed against his chest, one hand fisted in his robes.

When he tries to disentangle himself, it’s more difficult than expected. He finds Wei Ying’s other hand is clinging to a lock of his hair, and both fists tighten at the movement.

Then Wei Ying stirs, jerking back immediately and yelping, “Dog!” as though still trapped in his panic of the night before.

Lan WangJi finds himself pulled part way with him, as Wei Ying neglects to release his hair.

“Eliminated, Wei Ying,” he says softly, watching the bleariness of sleep slowly fade from his eyes.

Thankfully, the remnants of last night’s panic fade with it, and Wei Ying lets go of his hair, wincing in sympathy as he realizes he’s pulled it.

“Sorry,” he murmurs.

“There is no need, between us,” Lan WangJi gently reminds him. “I did not realize you were afraid of dogs.”

Wei Ying flinches, and he realizes the fear is strong enough that he reacts to just the word.

“Wei Ying?”

He keeps his tone soft, a request, but one that can be ignored if he so wishes. Instead Wei Ying sighs, and reaches down to pull up a leg of his trousers, revealing flesh marred by old scars.

“The other one is the same,” he says. “And they go higher. Living on the streets means fighting dogs for food. You learn pretty quick they’re mean.”

“How long?” Lan WangJi asks, trying to keep the horror from his voice.

Wei Ying shrugs, rolling his trousers back down.

“I don’t remember. A few years. I didn’t keep much track of time. Too young when my parents died, and no one really knows exactly when that was.”

He can see Wei Ying shiver, and wraps the blanket around him.

“It’s only mao,” he tells him. “You can sleep longer.”

That gets a grimace. “Not likely to sleep. Even if you got rid of that damn thing. I’m surprised it didn’t give me nightmares.”

“Of your childhood?”

Lan WangJi knew he had cried out about dogs in his fevered sleep, but that was during a fever. Though, perhaps, after trauma…

Wei Ying shakes his head.

“I never told you. In Nightless City, when Wen Chao took me for ‘questioning’...”

He trails off, his mouth a thin line, and draws the blanket around him tighter.

“When I didn’t have information on the missing Yin Iron he put me in qi-suppressing chains and tossed me in the dungeon, in a cell with a very hungry dog. So big its teeth were level with my face.”

Wei Ying smiles, but it’s without mirth.

“Said if I was still alive in the morning, all would be forgiven.”

Given what had happened only hours ago, Lan WangJi doubts Wei Ying, even with his qi, could have fought effectively. Wen Chao wouldn’t have known of his crippling fear, but had not expected him to survive regardless.

He remembers that morning, the blood on Wei Ying’s skin, the rips in his clothing, and his show of flippancy. But he also remembers he had been quieter after that, putting on a mask of carelessness, but also careful to toe the line.

Suddenly Wei Ying’s fear of dogs in the delirium of fever has a new context.

“You survived,” Lan WangJi comments.

Wei Ying laughs shortly.

“Only thanks to Wen Ning. He knocked it out with needles, and gave me energy boosting medicine and herbs to stop the bleeding. I was able to save some of the herbs. That’s why I had them in the cave.”

For a moment, silence stretches between them, and Lan WangJi reflects on the scene Wei Ying had caused at the banquet, his anger and grief at Qiongpi Path. Wen Ning, who had also saved Jiang Cheng from Wen Chao after the fall of Lotus Cove, who had sheltered them.

Wen Ning, who the Jins and many of the other sects would, and had, happily killed. Just as, he suspects, they would Wei Ying, particularly with the prize of the Stygian Tiger Seal. Jin Guangshan’s obsession with it bothers Lan WangJi, with his zhiji now unprotected by a sect, alienated from the cultivation world.

“I would have died in that dungeon,” Wei Ying comments, “a warning to all of you to behave, if he hadn’t stepped in.”

Lan WangJi tries not to imagine it, but he can, all too easily. Instead of Wei Ying joining the line at indoctrination and complaining of hunger and boasting of his glorious scars, his corpse being dragged to be dumped in front of them.

Wei Ying’s death would have crushed him, he thinks. With his brother missing and father and uncle injured, his sect decimated, the promise to Lan Yi broken… to lose Wei Ying at that point would have destroyed what was left of his sanity.

Lan WangJi, too, owes a tremendous debt to Wen Ning.

“But maybe they wouldn’t have attacked Lotus Pier, then.”

It’s barely a whisper, one so filled with grief and guilt Lan WangJi is reaching for his arm, gripping it through the blanket, before he realizes it, imaginings of Wei Ying’s bloody body in various states of brokenness on the steps of Nightless City haunting his mind. He can feel the tension in his body, as though Wei Ying is on the verge of shattering.

“Wei Ying. They would have attacked regardless.”

“They were just going to make it a supervisory office at first. If I was punished.”

Lan WangJi isn’t sure he wants to know what that entailed, but he asks anyway.

“Punished?”

Wei Ying shrugs. “My hand. It would’ve prevented the massacre. I think Madam Yu was going to do it, too. But then they mentioned Lotus Cove becoming the supervisory office.”

He feels a chill at the idea of Wei Ying mutilated like that, of having never heard him play the dizi, of the pain he would have accepted for the sake of others. This image, so quickly on the heels of the previous… He knows Wei Ying would have given his core anyway, even with such an injury.

“Wei Ying, they only would have started with your hand,” he says softly. “They would have come back and wanted more.”

He receives no response, and he knows nothing he says will convince Wei Ying that the fall of Lotus Pier, the deaths of the disciples and Jiang FengMian and Yu ZiYuan, perhaps even the war itself… None of it was his fault. Worse, he knows Wei Ying would feel any loss on his part would be acceptable, that Wei Ying always feels thus.

But he can’t help himself, and can only try anyway.

“You lost enough in the war, Wei Ying. Wen RuoHan was to blame for the fall of Lotus Pier, not you. Likely he was only defeated because of your contribution and sacrifices.”

Wei Ying had been avoiding looking at him, but his gaze lifts to meet his finally. His eyes shine as though he is on the verge of tears, and there’s a tightness in his jaw. He had this look months ago, during the hunt when Jiang YanLi defended him publicly against the ugly accusations of Jin ZiXun. He truly isn’t used to being defended, to being valued.

Lan WangJi takes a moment to collect himself, to find words.

“I wish you had not suffered as much as you did. I wish you did not suffer still. You do not deserve to suffer, Wei Ying.”

Normally he would expect Wei Ying to be flippant, to make light of everything, but for once his zhiji has let himself be open. Lan WangJi can only hope it means he has regained his trust, but it could simply be the early hour and weariness following the panic of the dog spirit.

“‘A candle illuminates others at the cost of burning itself up.’” He tightens his hold on his arm. “You cannot shoulder the burdens of the world yourself. Let me help you.”

Silence stretches between them for a short while.

“Lan Zhan, do you think you can help me?”

A year ago, the question would have been asked in a hard voice, defensive. Now, Wei Ying’s voice is so small, as though he wonders if anyone can help him. It tears at Lan WangJi, reminds him of how very late he is, reminds him of when he asked Wei Ying to let him help before, and failed to see it through.

He can find no words to answer; instead, he decides to let his guqin speak, let the music speak, and hope his zhiyin truly understands. He lets go of Wei Ying’s arm and manifests his guqin, begins the gentle melody of “WangXian.”

Wei Ying relaxes by increments as he plays, easing to lean back against the wall of the cave. Lan WangJi runs through the song twice, then stills the strings, dismisses the instrument, and waits quietly.

“I remember where I heard that now,” Wei Ying says, breaking the silence left in the wake of the music. “The cave. After we fought the XuanWu. You sang for me.”

“Yes. You were ill from your injuries, from infection.”

Wei Ying hums softly, his eyes closed as though remembering.

“I think I asked what it was called, but I don’t remember the answer. I must have passed out.”

So he truly hadn’t heard; his behavior upon his reappearance had been unconnected to what Lan WangJi had thought was his confession.

“You were delirious with fever,” he tells him, hedging. “Do you know the significance of the Lan forehead ribbon?”

Wei Ying frowns at him, clearly confused by what appears to him to be a change of subject, peering at him through the dusky gloom of the cave.

“Something about restraint. No one’s supposed to touch it.”

Lan WangJi sighs softly.

“‘To regulate oneself,’ more precisely. Only family and cultivation partners are permitted to touch it.”

There’s a minute change in Wei Ying’s expression, but he can’t quite see well enough in the dim lighting to tell what it is. He pulls a talisman from his sleeve and activates it, lighting the candles that line the cave on small juts in the stone.

“Do you remember the Cold Spring cave?” he asks, pressing on, watching his face.

Wei Ying is silent, but his brows knot. It takes less than a minute for him to realize, his lips parting in shock.

“We bowed,” Wei Ying whispers, his voice hoarse. “That was a handfasting? I didn’t know. You never said.”

Lan WangJi doesn’t know how to reply, so says nothing.

“Why didn’t you?” Wei Ying looks confused now. “It’s not… We never… You can have it annulled.”

He tries to find the words, anything that would help him convey what he means, but speaking is not his forte, especially with Wei Ying trying to point out the marriage is technically not valid because it was never consummated, which isn’t the path his mind needs to embark on at the moment.

“I did not wish to,” Lan WangJi finally says. “I still do not.”

Wei Ying stares at him, looking frozen, as though the words have paralyzed him. He still looks confused, uncertain. Lan WangJi returns to the music.

“The title of the song is ‘WangXian.’”

Wei Ying’s reaction is a small intake of air, almost a gasp. Emotions flit across his face too fast to decipher, before he hides it in the blanket.

“Lan Zhan.”

His voice is muffled and rough.

“I can’t cultivate to immortality anymore, Lan Zhan. The resentful energy… you were right, when you said it harms the body and mind. I don’t know if I’ll even… if I’ll even have a mediocre lifespan. I’ll leave you.”

Nowhere in what he has said, Lan WangJi realizes, is a rejection. Rather, it’s an attempt to convince him that Wei Ying isn’t good enough, isn’t worthy. To remind him that Wei Ying accepted a shorter lifespan and pain to help his brother. As though his selflessness would ever make him unworthy.

Lan WangJi reaches out, grasps Wei Ying’s arm under the blanket again. It is still painful to be reminded of the fleeting time they’ll have, but at the same time it makes what he has to say more important, makes the idea of wasting any more devastating.

“Then I will find you again in your next life, and every life thereafter if necessary,” he promises.

He recognizes the sound Wei Ying makes in response as a choked sob, and pulls him close, into his arms.

“You deserve better,” Wei Ying mumbles against him, still hiding his face. “I’m not—”

“Wei Ying,” he interrupts, not willing to hear his zhiji put himself down. “I want only you.”

Wei Ying’s breath hitches, and he finally looks up, his face wet, his lips trembling. Lan WangJi abandons decorum, reaching to card one hand in the hair below his ear, curling his fingers at the nape of his neck, and leaning in to kiss him.

This first kiss is clumsy, as he isn’t quite sure what one is supposed to do with one’s lips, and it doesn’t seem Wei Ying is entirely clear on it either—but Wei Ying is reciprocating. He’s reciprocating, and Lan WangJi’s heart sings with the understanding that this is truly not rejection.

When he pulls back, Wei Ying looks startled, flushed, maybe even shy. But he doesn’t seem to be crying anymore, which Lan WangJi counts as a win.

He finds himself relieved when Wei Ying softly teases him, that he’s moved away from the brooding and seriousness that has plagued him since they woke. He’s been pulled out of his melancholy depression, and there’s a kind of power there—Lan WangJi did that.

“You stole my first kiss,” he murmurs, his voice almost coy. “You’ll have to take responsibility.”

“Mm,” he agrees. “I did when we were fifteen.”

Wei Ying’s startled laugh is like music to him, and he pulls him gently down onto the pallet to kiss him more.

All else can wait.

-----------------

AND THEY WERE HUSBANDS. I’ve been thinking about this chapter for a couple weeks now. Glad it’s finally written.

“A candle illuminates others at the cost of burning itself up” is a Chinese proverb I felt fit in this situation.

#my fanfiction #the untamed #untamed fanfiction #mo dao zu shi #mdzs #chen qing ling #cql #mdzs fanfiction #mdzs fanfic #cql fanfic #cql fanfiction #untamed fanfic #lan zhan #wei wuxian

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heir-of-talon · 3 years

Text

This is continuation of the canon, because the epilogue of INFERNO have left me very unsatisfied. I explore and develop characters and ideas introduced in the series and then, there is heaps of explicit smut.

HEIR OF TALON 1

Warnings: explicit/underage/violence

Summary:

After slaying Elder Wyrm and becoming CEO of Talon Ember works very hard. Slowly the changes are creeping in, that threaten her relationships with Garret and Riley, her sense of self and her sanity.

Prologue

Ember rode through ancient woodland on a sweet chestnut mare Cora. It was late afternoon and they would be stopping for the night anytime. She smiled broadly to Gerard riding his dapple gray stallion Bell next to her, and the answering spark in his gray eyes made her heart skip a bit. She was overflowing with happiness, Gerard was somehow everything she longed for without even knowing that. She was drawn to him from the first glimpse and now she was on her way to start her new life at his side, her beloved husband! They would live in Yorkshire on a farm with Gerard's parents and younger brothers. Gerard had favor of his lord for helping to fight in some skirmish few years ago and it was the lord himself, that granted Gerard use of these horses, so he could bring his bride home all the way from Scottish Highlands. Ember was sure that she could make the lord's favor even greater, so that they will live happily, protected and respected.

She was so engrossed in her musings, that she first started, when an arrow struck her shoulder. Gerard has already drawn his sword, he grabbed Cora's reins and urged both horses to gallop. "Hold on!" He grunted to her through gritted teeth and she bent over horse's neck gripping it's mane and trying to ignore pain burning in her shoulder. They took no more than ten wild jumps when Gerard yelped and fell off his horse three arrows protruding from his back and thigh. Immediately a tall man with ragged long blond hair appeared next to him with a saber and cut fallen Gerard across the chest, meaning surely to decapitate him, but missing due to Gerard rolling over after the fall. Ember screeched seeing blood welling from the deep cut and feeling the life of her beloved slipping away.

Without a thought she let go of Cora and tumbled down on the other side of the road. She gripped the shaft of the arrow in her shoulder, yanked it out and shifted. It all took less than a thought, and just as the brigand was lifting his saber to kill Gerard she leaped across the path and bit him in a half. She could sense six more men, three in the brush behind her, two up in the trees and one ahead. In front of her Gerard was bleeding to death, there was no time to lose. It took few heartbeats and the men were all dead, the one ahead managed to mount Cora and attempted to flee on horseback, but no horse could race against her.

She flew back and shifted falling to her knees at Gerard side, he tried to say something his eyes wide open stared at her face, but he was very pale and blood was bobbling in his wound with each labored breath. Ember laid her hand on his chest, closed her eyes and willed light and heat into the wound, she willed it to go away, disappear and... it was done, Gerard's eyes were closed now and he relaxed into healing dream Ember sent him. Quickly she turned him over and yanked the arrows out immediately closing the wounds there. Then she called their horses back and impressed upon their minds that they were to follow her. She shifted again and lifted Gerard's limp body in her enormous talons. She could not fly high, as not to cool her burden too much, but after a short while she noticed a brook crossing the woodlands. She flown up the stream for several miles to be sure to have lost any pursuers, that might come upon the site of the ambush. Ambush! No, she will not think about it now, she needed to get Gerard warm soon.

***

Gerard woke when the last of twilight was gone, he laid on sheepskins from horses backs bundled in all their blankets and there was a fire burning nearby, warming him on one side. Their horses were grazing nearby. "Ember" he rasped " I am here beloved" she rushed to him from where she was finishing to build a shelter from branches.

She knelt beside him gripping his hand and kissing it relieved. "I got shot!" "Yes, but you are fine now" "The robbers?" "They're gone now beloved, do not worry" "How?" "They got startled and fled, I bound your wounds, but none of them are severe, you need not to worry." Ember hated the lie, yet could not get herself to tell him the truth either. He looked conflicted for a while but then relented further questions. Ember thrown about for a while and come back with a wooden cup filled with warm liquid. "Drink it husband, it will ease the last of your pain". Gerard accepted the cup and watched her intensely while drinking up its contents. "You truly are a healer wife" he said after a short while. "I can feel no pain at all".

Ember smiled at his praise, she was not sure why this human was so important to her, but she felt him almost as a part of herself, she longed to be with him more with each passing day. She knew old tales about dragon riders, but after living for centuries without meeting any case of such bond, it become more a legend than knowledge. Now she was almost sure Gerard would bond to her as she was apparently bound to him. Today's ambush shook her, she was so close to losing him! Flames rose in her chest and she felt urge to search the woods for anybody who could belong to the group and char them to cinders, women and children alike. She pushed the thought down along with the heat. Gerard was watching her with his beautiful eyes. "I am too warm in these blankets woman" He freed himself with a grunt, Ember has changed him into spare shirt and breeches as his clothes was torn and stained. He stood up and went a bit off to relieve himself. Ember moved the skins and plaids into the shelter and sat to unpack some food.

They ate some cheese and bread and drank water she brought from the brook. Then he rose and reached out his hand to her. "Come here Ember of the Hills" he beconed her. She stood up to face him. He spread his arms and she stepped closer taking one of his hands as the other arm wrapped around her and pulled her close to his chest. He kissed her and she felt her heart burning stronger in her chest, every inch of her skin prickling with anticipation of what was to come, as his hands stroked her back. He was alive, she's saved him and now they were going to be together forever, she wrapped her arms around him and let him nudge her towards the shelter and the nest of sheepskin and blankets she's prepared for them there.

***

Ember woke up in the world of pain. She was not sure if she really woke up at all because all she could see was darkness. She vaguely remembered reminder of their travel to Yorkshire, long rides during the day hasty lovemaking before retiring for the night spent in shelters, barns and inns along the way. They come home late last night and Gerard led Ember to a small house, with two rooms, where they laid to sleep in a bed that was made ready for them in one of the rooms. How did she end up so sore?

"She is awake" Gerard's voice sounded and that made strange dread to spread in Ember's insides. He removed the blindfold and Ember saw, that she was lying only in her shift, her wrists and ankles manacled to a stone table in some dark stony building. "So you thought, that you could just worm your way into my household? Defile the souls of people here! How dare you, monster!" Hatred shone in his eyes raw and unbridled. But Ember did not want to believe it. "Husband! What is this?" Blow to her stomach. "I am not your husband witch!" He spat and another blow struck her jaw.

#ember hill #fanfiction #julie kagawa #talon saga #talon series #dragons

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danwhobrowses · 4 years

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Valentines 2020: A Celebration of My Ships

So it’s valentine’s day again, and...yeah it’s not too great when you’re single is it? Considering that I’ve already gone through a tub of ice cream...

But, it doesn’t mean I’m a cynic, quite the opposite. Most of my fandoms involves a ship in some shape or form, hell I shipped before I even knew what shipping was, so I’m gonna talk about some of them...the ones that still make me happy and didn’t crash and burn in heartbreaking and frankly insulting fashion (looking at you Homestuck ¬_¬), gotta mention that these are not all the ships I ship, they’re just some of the ones I’m quite consistently high on

New Entries So with new fandoms come new ships...as is the usual formula anyway, though my pattern of watching things is usually with some delay, I only watched Rurouni Kenshin and started My Hero Academia in 2019, I still hold off on Attack on Titan and My Hero Season 4 because if I get in, I get IN. So these fandoms may not be new, but they are new to me Steven Universe is very new to me, I’ve been aware of how good it is and their concepts like Fusion. I like it, particularly Lapis Lazuli I really relate to her, but ship wise the two I really like are the obvious ones; Steven x Connie and Ruby x Sapphire (Garnet)

Garnet is badass and chill at the same time, but when she unfuses we see the stuff that makes me smile, the pda between Ruby and Sapphire is adorable, the little pecks and whatnot softens me up like no man’s business. Steven and Connie also have the mushy dynamic with both of them deeply into each other but still being strong individuals. The love for each other is equally platonic as it is romantic as they gel together, both being strong willed in different ways. The laughter probably gets me the most with both of them, the genuine laughter is so sweet and so realistic it’s hard not to love. My Hero Academia seems to be our next wave of shonen anime and for good reason, it does high notes so well and the cast of characters are vibrant and exciting. I haven’t hit Season 4 yet since I’m waiting till it’s all done to binge so I may be a little behind on some stuff (sadly it’s hard to avoid spoilers, I know about Infinity and Unbreakable). While I do like Deku x Uraraka, Tetsutetsu x Kendo and Eraserjoke but the two that I find most enjoyable are Todomomo and Kamijirou

(artist nonoko135 btw, bit tough to find a single image with both ships) Fairly popular ships in their own right, Todomomo doesn’t get many hints but they are sweet, naive rich kids with their own confidence issues, it also feels like they look out for each other especially after the final exam they did together. With Kamijirou though it’s probably one I favour if I had to choose between the two, simply because it’s a dynamic I really like; she busts on him so hard to mask her enjoyment of his company and he takes it because he feels at ease around her, the best part is when Kaminari goes 0 volts, he makes her laugh and that’s kinda big for Jirou given how self-conscious and stoic she can be. Rurouni Kenshin was always on my list, I have often heard about the Swordsman with a blade that cuts no-one. The anime is a bit up and down, after Shishio it’s just filler, but as documented in my Redemption Arc post it is at its core a great story of redemption for the main character, and the driving force for Kenshin’s redemption is his love for Kaoru

While Sano and Megumi have a unique dynamic hinted to be romantic at times, nothing can really beat Kenshin and Kaoru, she literally became Kenshin’s conscience, a representation of his hope to be a good man away from the shadow of Battousai the Manslayer. It may be your traditional romance of the two wanting to be by each other’s side in danger but it works so well given the kind of danger Kenshin is often in. Kaoru still strives to protect herself and aid Kenshin in a way that doesn’t make her continuously wonder about being a burden and Kenshin does everything in his power to keep Kaoru from pain, physical and emotional, even if it meant leaving to keep her safe. The main part of what makes this lovely is the fact that not only did Kaoru’s influence make Kenshin value his own life once more but after continual torment in his past she still saw him as the person he wanted to be, and welcomed in a new home, a new family he was able to live a life he never imagined he could deserve. The Regulars Our Regulars are the ships I still consistently ship, they’re not very old but they’re still pretty great and they still stand the test of time. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has quite a few ships over its 6 (coming up 7) season lifespan, being the longest surviving MCU tv series and one of the most consistently great shows MCU offered - especially Season 4, some of the best TV was on Season 4. But while Philinda is close, Mack and Yoyo or even Piper and Davis (don’t, I don’t care if you believe she’s a lesbian with the hots for May these are my ships) there is one one ship in Shield you can all rally behind, Fitzsimmons

Even when canon it is a consistent emotional rollercoaster. One of those ships where the writers know you love it and decide to put you through as much pain and emotional torment as humanely possible. But you endure it, because these two smart kids are worth it. They have sweet moments, badass moments, emotional moments and even though they get brought apart time and time again, they still find each other, the universe cannot stop them - and it better end happily for them come next season. Overwatch was a phenomenon when it came out a few years ago, Blizzard may have caused it to have some heavily bad rep but I still look forward to its sequel coming out. Given its large roster and most of the characters’ sexuality and relationship status up in the air, it leaves a lot of room for shipping. I do still love Anahardt, Mercy76 kinda falling due to 76 being gay but I like Gency too, my rarepairs include McPharah and Symmzo but my favourite is actually Meihem.

Now I know, Mei’s only voice lines towards Junkrat are cold, they have differing views in terms of omnics and...due process of the law. But there’s a lot they do have in common; both are quite intelligent engineers having made their weapons by hand, both endured trauma and both love their puns. But even the stuff that make them different can compliment one another. You don’t have to like it, but I do, I enjoy the dynamic of Jamison being so head over heels that he embarrasses himself to try and get Mei’s attention, while Mei softens to the fact that his very nature is warped by his lawless upbringing and that deep down he is an exciting and in his own way sweet guy. Back to anime, because what else do I do with my day, getting into One Piece was always going to be a long effort, keeping tabs on the Manga does make it easier and I’ve been able to catch up quickly. Ships are shaky territory with One Piece because Oda does make a point of not having romance happen a lot, not to existing living characters at least. But I still have the ones I like; Shanks x Makino, Sabo x Koala, Franky x Robin, Sanji x Pudding, Rebecca x Koby, the list goes on, but my favourite has to be Zoro x Tashigi

May not be up there with the ‘big ships’ of One Piece but I do enjoy them the most. Individually the two are characters I have deep interest in; Zoro is well Roronoa Fucking Zoro, santoryu swordsman extraordinaire, master of nothing happening and will cut you 8 ways to Sunday, but Tashigi is a character I like because she also tries, unlike Zoro she isn’t blessed with 2 years training with Mihawk and she’s at constant arms with this self doubt that as a Woman she won’t be as strong (and probably whoever of influence to her made her believe such a thing), people may get on her back for never winning a fight but she fights strong people without a second thought. But back to the pairing, they have an interesting dynamic; two very similar people on different sides of the law, I don’t think Tashigi continues to chase him simply because he refused to cut her in their fight and I don’t think it’s just her former resemblance to Kuina that gets Zoro so riled up about her, I mean Zoro is usually so chill to side characters to the point where he’s ready to throw down but with Tashigi, it’s different, they bicker but he also came to her aid. I still continue to hope that Tashigi shows in Wano for more Zoro interaction, and to prove herself to fans and to Zoro that she is strong and capable. One of my favourite anime of all time is Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, a combination of laughter, tears and deep philosophical character journeys in a 20th century world with the alchemy fantasy element drawn from actual legit alchemical sources. It just hits all the right notes for me, and ships hit right too; I love most of the ships from EdWin, AlMay and LingFan, but like Fitzsimmons there is one ship that stands above even the main characters, Royai.

Mustang and Hawkeye right from the bat have that connection that needs no dancing around, they care for each other but they work together. Like the rest of the ships they banter, argue but always have each other’s backs, to the point that they go into an insane rage at even the threat of the other being hurt. I don’t think anyone can not ship these two, that’s how strong their chemistry is, even if they can’t officially label it as a relationship because of their jobs it’s that line in the sand that everyone knows it, because it’s impossible to ignore. The Old Guard So we get to the oldest ships in my catalogue, the fact that they could stand the test of time is for a long time what shaped me as a shipper. I still ship these to this day so I ship them pretty hardcore Comics is probably the hardest place to ship something, because different writers will try different pairings at the drop of a hat. Even consistent pairings like Spiderman and Mary Jane, Batman and Catwoman, Beat Boy and Raven, Superman and Lois and more can end up being split in favour of Cindy Moon (I do love Silk), Wonder Woman and others. But I can’t ignore the fact that I’ve always loved Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon

I may’ve liked Teen Titans, but I was never on Team Starfire, it’s fine if you are but to me I have always been in with Dick and Babs. Not only do they have excellent banter but they gel well on and off of crime fighting, no matter how many times DC break them apart (like seriously, how many times do you have to try Bruce and Barbara until you realise that it creeps people out?) they always find each other again someway down the line, they are one of DC’s best couples and while they may never get a definitive ending because of the nature of comics, I still love that there’s a relationship of two strong individuals who can stand as equals and continue to keep their charm and wit after years of being together. When I was young, decades ago as it pains me to type, Digimon was the prime competitor against Pokémon’s tidal wave. Its anime had an awesome opening, more characters with some deeper themes and a quicker pacing. While many could quickly connect to Tai or Matt for their leaderlike attitude or Joe and Izzy for their intelligence or Mimi and Sora for their determination, I gravitated towards TK, a child who had room to grow and the greatest of potential, so when the Dark Masters came in we saw one of my oldest ships take form, Takari

TK and Kari’s pairing was popular that it managed to carry on into Adventure 02 and we got plenty of lovely moments in TRI (though they shorthanded both by having Ophanimon quickly fused and Seraphimon - one of the strongest Digimon - digivolve as backup in a Sora episode). 02′s epilogue is of course a sore spot we can hope Kizuna retcons because these two have been through thick and thin and their bond is clear. Even as they reach their late teens and TK has become master of hats and joined Matt’s band, they still hang out, banter and tease but they still are comfortable to hold each other’s hand and be vulnerable with one another too. Digimon may’ve been a contender, but Pokémon was still the clear winner, even to this day it is one of the most popular franchises in the world. The anime may be an up and down slope (current series seems a tad boring, 10 episodes before Ash caught a Pokémon, plus I don’t like that Ash won in Alola and now thinks he doesn’t have to try) but you can never take away the nostalgia, or the ships. I’ve shipped many in Pokémon in various media; Mallow x Lillie and Jessie x James in the anime, Ruby x Sapphire in the Manga, Looker x Anabel in the games (with Emma being their adoptive daughter dammit Looker you could’ve taken her with) among others and from Pokémon comes the oldest ship I’ve ever shipped, Pokéshipping

Before I even knew what Shipping was I shipped this, Misty may also be mostly the reason for my attraction to redheads but that’s neither here nor there. People may not like it, may prefer some of the softer spoken female (or male) companions Ash has had or feel they’ve grown out of it, but not me. I loved Misty’s feistiness and determination but also the fact that she could reign Ash in (sometimes) to make him think things through, as much as Misty was a companion to Ash she was a rival, a teacher and a supporter of his goal, but she also had her own goals which she fought for as well. They may bicker but they have also had tender moments as well and even with Misty’s return in the excellent Sun and Moon episodes they had their chemistry is palpable. To me, Ash and Misty were kindred spirits and the feeling has never changed since. So with another year of Valentine’s Day going the way it usually does, I’d like a moment to thank these ships, and all my other ships I didn’t have the space to mention, for being something that brings out happiness and a soft joy deep within my being, and for all the fanartists and fanfic writers that bring that love to life Happy Valentine’s Day

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