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kass-storycorner · 3 years

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Hello!! i stumbled across your works and i absolutely fell inlove with your writing (especially the angsty ones)

Can i jump on the angst train and request a fic with a line that goes "I'm here, you dont have to wait anymore," with childe? Like maybe the reader told childe that theyll wait for him no matter how long it takes (and maybe a sprinkle of argument) but something happened that made the reader be on the brink of death. With or without comfort/happy ending is up to u!!

first of all thank you so much for the request! and it really makes me so happy to hear that you like my writing, especially my angst haha secondly I am so sorry that this took so long, since I saw this ask in my inbox I couldn't stop thinking about it and finished the first part of this pretty quickly - only to be stuck at how to end it (and actually fulfill the request haha). right now i am not really happy with the ending, though I feel like this is the best I can currently do! I really hope you enjoy, please let me know if it was alright haha (also I fear that I didn't really...wrote Childe in-character, I don't know)

Waiting for you

Genre: Angst, Hurt, comfort at the end

Characters: Childe x gn!reader (Childe is referred by is actual name by the reader, but outside of dialog he's called Childe)

Format: bullet points (backstory) + Text (actual fic, answer to the prompt)

Word count: 4324

Content warning: veeeery slight spoiler warning for the Liyue quests, its literally just one sentence and I tried to keep it as ambigious as possible, slight cursing (using the word bitch too, though thats the only instance of using gendered-vocab for the reader, i still wrote them gn!), mention of blood, mild violence, not proof-read ahah when will i ever do that

you can find the fic under the cut, have fun reading!

You and Childe knew each other since you were just little kids – him and his family being neighbours had meant you always ended up playing with him and his siblings, though you both got along the best.

On more than one occasion you both just ran off to somewhere no one could disturb you, your secret hideout, trading stories of great warriors from outside of Snezhnaya you heard the fishermen at the docks talk about.

Most people and children were wary of Childe, he was always the one who wanted to ‘play-fight’, which ended most of the time with the other kid running home, crying. However, you were the exception, always able to beat him or at least have a tie. Your parents, especially your father, hated it when you came back home with bruises on your arm, a bright smile and telling how you beat Childe up that day. He never felt like Childe was someone you should surround yourself with, but he kept quite for your younger years, also thanks to your mother who wasn’t fond of the fighting either but saw how much time with Childe meant to you.

Things however changed after Childe fell into the Abyss.

It was apparent how violent he got after it, even his own family was completely helpless when it came to him. So his father send him off to join the Fatui, which was a very controversial decision in the small town you both called home – most were happy to not have Childe be around anymore, for he picked up more and more fights and became more violent, but even within Snezhnaya the Fatui have a bad reputation, so most people were convinced that he would only become even worse.

Your father was one of those who was happy, but also concerned. Your mother died shortly after Childe fell into the Abyss, so your father forbade you any contact with Childe.

This, however, did not work. After Childe had to leave Morespesok you kept in touch through letters and whenever he was in town you always met up in secret.

The letters you send each other turned sweeter the older you got, changing the feelings for friendship you both felt for each other slowly into a romantic love. Childe always ended his letter with saying that he would return soon and you always with “I’ll be waiting for you Ajax”.

You always looked forward to his letters and so did he for yours. When he came back to Morespesok after every mission he had to do for the Fatui you both would meet up in your secret hideout. This place became your save haven. Conversations, hugs, kisses and even more – everything that wasn’t written in a letter between you two happened there.

Childe was fine with this and so were you. He didn’t want people to know there was someone he loved as much as he loved you, as one of the Harbringers of the Fatui it could endanger you. You on the other hand were fine with it because, even though you had no understanding for why your father forbad you the relationship with Childe, you couldn’t stomach to disappoint him. After all he was your father and you loved him dearly, no matter how much you both might disagree on things.

Still, you longed for something more – with Childe and for your own life. You wanted to travel too; you haven’t had the chance to leave Morespesok past the few neighbouring villages. So, when Childe wrote to you that after his next visit, which would only be a few days long, he was going to Liyue and didn’t knew for how long he had to stay there – you asked him in your reply if you could join him. Him writing that it wasn’t possible and better for you to stay in Morespesok and just wait for him hurt, but you understood. You are fine with waiting for him, you always were.

You were expecting a sad but loving last night with Childe before he had to leave, ending with a bittersweet goodbye. You weren’t expecting what happened instead.

Childe was angry, it was clear to see. The moment he stepped into your secret hideout you knew something was off – how he averted your eyes, how he didn’t return your kiss with a passionate one, like usual. “Ajax”, you purred in a sweet voice, “what’s wrong?”. You tried to take his hand, but he only pulled it away. Ah, that was unusual. He never refused your touch, no matter how angry he was before. “There is nothing wrong, I just was curious if there is something you want to tell me?”, he replied in a bitter tone, not even looking at you. It took you completely off guard; you saw him be angry or sulky before, you two had your fair share of arguments in the past, but somehow this was different. “No, there is nothing except for the fact that I missed you very much,” you told him, but you could feel how you started to become irritated. When you saw him two days ago visiting your family’s shop with Teucer he gave you a warm and loving smile, winking at you when he handed you that piece of paper asking to meet up tonight. What had happened in between that made him act like this? “Tsk, fine,” and with that he was on his way out. You moved quickly in front of him, blocking the way out. “Now wait a moment, would you kindly tell me what is going on here?”. He just quietly looked at you for a few seconds before he shoved you aside. “AJAX!”, you couldn’t hide your irritation and growing anger anymore, burying your fingers in his arm in order to stop him from leaving. “What did I do to make you be angry at me?”. “It doesn’t matter”, Childe replied coldly, while trying to get you to loosen your grip on his arm. “Now let me go and run home to your father and your fiancé, I bet they are already asking where you are right now.” “My what?” you replied with bewilderment. “Childe, is that why you are angry with me? Because you think I am engaged to someone else?”. Honestly, you would find this situation hilarious if it weren’t for the fact that Childe still looked at you with a sour face. “Well, I don’t think you are engaged to someone else; I know you are. Your father was really excited about the whole thing when he told me, he even invited me to your wedding, granted if I could find the time.” As he said this, he noticed how your face was a combination of confusion and anger. And oh yes, were you angry. Angry at your father for telling such blatant lies and at Childe for believing them, confused as to why he would even believe your father in the first place. “Ajax, I-“you let go of his arm, pinching the bridge of your nose and letting out a deep sigh. “I am engaged to no one, never was. I didn’t tell you this, because I didn’t want to upset you or worry you needlessly, but maybe I should’ve done it. My father continuously tries to marry me off whenever he finds anyone, he deems a worthy suitor. I guess he might have found one of your letters, though he never said anything about it, but I can’t explain why he suddenly started to become so interested in my marital status. Every few weeks he brings another person home, tells me I should marry them, for me to turn those poor fools down and tell my father he should stop. Most accept it that I have no interest in them, some stick around for a few weeks until the realise that nothing will come of it, but yeah. Ask anyone, Archons ask your family, it’s already a running joke here.” You expected the atmosphere to become less tense after you explained the whole situation to him, for him to even turn it into a joke and to apologise for his behaviour. Instead, it just grew more tense. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”, his voice still being cold, underneath it you could hear how angry he still was. “Because it wasn’t important, at least not to me. Honestly Ajax, I don’t see what the issue is here. I am not engaged and I do not plan to agree to one unless-“, you stopped yourself right there. ‘Unless it’s you who’s asking’, is what you wanted to say. You could feel how your heart fluttered even just at the thought. Childe, however, did not notice where you were going with your last sentence, too

occupied with his own anger. “Unless what?”. “It doesn’t matter, can’t we just drop the topic and enjoy our first and last night in months with each other without fighting?”, this was your last offer of peace, hoping he would finally calm down. But you knew deep down – Childe never was one to back out of a fight. “No no no, continue, tell me what you wanted to say!”, his voice growing louder and louder with every word. “Ajax, let it be,” you really weren’t in the mood for anything tonight anymore and the least you wanted to do was discuss your wish of a future with him. “No, I won’t. Tell me, because I would love to know. Or don’t, you can also just go and choose one of the various suitors your father picked out for you to fuck, I bet you really enjoy it how they are all standing in line for you,” he spit his words out, full of anger and disgust. This was the final straw for you, it was apparent that Childe choose words that he knew would hurt you with intent and it made you explode. “You know what? I’ve had enough!”, you screamed at him, feeling how tears were pooling in the corner of your eyes. Not out of sadness or because his words hurt, those were tears of pure rage. “You come in here, after I haven’t seen you in weeks, before you leave for an unspecified amount of time and all you have to do is pick a fight? Fine, here have a fight! You are unhappy that I didn’t tell you how my father wants to force me in a marriage I don’t want to be in? Boho, I am so so sorry for you Ajax. Really, I can’t fathom to imagine how much you must struggle with this, but oh well, life must be so hard when you keep travelling around Teyvat. Because I really can’t imagine how life would be outside this place, what it’s like to have anything to do. Have you ever noticed, ever realised how much I hate it? Hate the wating? Because that’s all I do! I wait for your letters, and I wait for you to return. All I ever do I wait, wait, wait. Wait for you to come home yes and wait for you to finally be ready for something, anything more!”, the tears were now streaming down your hot, angry face. Childe just looked at you, waiting for you to end what you had to say. “I am tired of waiting! I am tired of keeping us hidden, yes, I agreed to it too in the beginning, but now? Dammit, Ajax. I don’t want to be left alone here when you go to Liyue, I don’t want to wait if I don’t know for how long I should wait. I just- “it became harder for you to speak, sobs interrupting you every few seconds. “I wish you would let me join you.” Except for your sobs, which you tried to supress, silence fell over the two of you. Childe just stood there in front of you, watching how you tried to stop the tears. “You know I can’t take you with me. It’s… it’s not safe,” he said after a while. You didn’t expect for him to change his mind, however his words didn’t make you feel any better… on the contrary they made you feel even feel worse. “Leave me alone,” was all you could tell him in that moment. You didn’t want to have him near you, you didn’t want to see his stupid face or look at his sad, blue eyes. Right now, you only wanted to be alone. “(Y/N)”, Childe began softly, wanting to take you in his arms but the look you gave him made him stop dead in his tracks. “Please, I need to be alone now”. The atmosphere was heavy, both of you didn’t want to part on bad terms but – right now wasn’t the right moment to make up. “I will leave you alone, but (Y/N)”, he said, looking at you with regret about how he acted just earlier, “please wait for me.” You scoffed at his words. Wait for him, again. “(Y/N)”, you turned away, so you didn’t have to see his face when he spoke your name again. “(Y/N), please. Please promise me that you will wait for me, I’ll come back, I promise you and I will make up for this… and for making you always wait for me. I promise. You make a pinkie promise, you keep it all your life. You break a pinkie promise, I throw you on the ice.” At the mention of the nursery rhyme you had to chuckle a bit. “The cold will kill the pinkie that once betrayed your friend,

the frost will freeze your tongue off, so you never lie again,” you finished it, looking back at him. “Fine, I’ll wait. But leave now.” And with that Childe left you alone, leaving Morespesok for Liyue the next day.

It has been a few months now since Childe came to Liyue and while his endeavours here were more or less successful, what was on his mind most of the days was you and how you both parted. He wanted to kick himself in the arse for how he acted that day, for making you so angry and for making you cry. The worst however is how you haven’t written him a single letter yet and Childe, though he would never admit it because of his pride, was too scared to send you one first. That he should be the first one to send you a letter was something he was aware of but still – he couldn’t find the right words. What should he write? Every time he sat down at his desk, looking at the piece of paper in front of him… he was never able to make it past “Dear (Y/N)”, and even with this he wasn’t sure, maybe “Beloved” would sound better? Childe would’ve even considered asking Zhongli for advice, however after finding out that Childe was just a pawn in his plans – he still considers Zhongli a friend, but before he could ask for advice the feeling of betrayal needs to fade out. And now he got the order to return to Snezhnaya by the end of the next month… he felt so anxious at the thought of seeing you again, not even knowing what happened with you the past months. So in the letter to his family in which he announced is return, Childe asked them, after months of not hearing anything from or about you, how you were. When he held the letter of his family in his hands, he started to feel nervous, it included the answer of your wellbeing. He knew you would keep your promise, but still. What if when not? Reading the contents of the letter, however, made him wish that he had asked sooner. Childe couldn’t stop reading the few lines his family wrote about you over and over again.

You asked about (Y/N) wellbeing in your last letter. Ajax, we wish we could tell you some more pleasant news than this, but we haven't seen or heard anything of (Y/N) for a week now. No one really knows where they might be, the last we know is that they left their home after a fight with their father, but there is nothing more we can tell you.

After reading those few lines, the letter already crumply at the edges from the way he held onto it, Childe decided to immediately make his way back home. In his opinion it didn't matter if he returned sooner than ordered and that was a problem he will face later. For now, he wanted to know what had happened to you, because he couldn't, didn’t want to, believe that you left Morepesok... you promised that you would wait for him. But doubt crept into his heart and his mind - you were so frustrated with waiting, he noticed it before you even said anything that night. However, he kept ignoring it. It wasn't like that Childe didn't also wish for more, to build a home with you, to spend more time with you. The feeling of not being good enough for you, something your father and others in Morepesok made clear to him since your childhood together, and the fear of putting a visible target on your back by being by your side... all of it held him back.

The way back home only took him a few days and when he came close to his village, seeing the once so well-known roofs and chimney of the houses, he took a junction into the woods, making his way to the secret hideout of you two. When he arrived, he noticed how it looked lived in, at first a relive for Childe, until he saw the traces of a fight - and blood on the floor. He was quick to follow the trail of blood, the father he went away from the hideout the more blood was on the ground. Suddenly he could hear a strangers voice in the distance.

"Answer me you stupid bitch!", you felt a hand pulling you up by your hair, but you were already too tired, too beaten up and injured to even respond to that violent pull. All you tried to do was to keep your hands on your stomach, trying to stop the blood from gushing out. You could barely remember what had happened, how you got there. It all started over a week ago, when you father came with another suitor wanting to marry you. Like always you turned him down, saying you had no interest in marriage, this time however he wasn't as understand as the others were. The whole thing ended in you having a huge fight with your father about it, he tried to pressure you even more than usual to take that fella as your husband. It made you sick, you just couldn't stomach being around him anymore. You always wanted to make him happy, always feared of disappointing him. But this? Him asking you to marry a random person? It was something you just couldn't do. So you went away, ran out to the little hideout planning to stay there until Childe came back. You wanted to wait for him - you even got over your stupid pride and sent away a letter for him earlier this morning... and maybe this was your mistake. Carefully you tried not to be noticed by the people in your village, you didn’t want anyone to worry about you, however you also didn’t want to explain your disappearance for the last few days. The man who your father tried you to accept as a fiancé however seemed to have spotted you when you left the post-office. It was already too late when you realised that you were followed - the man made his way into the place that was only meant for you and Childe. After that your memory started to get blurry, how was that even possible it just had happened. He attacked you, you fought back, though the man was just stronger... you ran away, feeling the blood already coming from your stomach. Your body started to become weaker, your legs grew heavier and slower until you fell. Now he was above you, grabbing your hair and screaming. It was hard to even focus on what that man said to you, too tired grew your body and mind. 'I have to stay awake', you thought. It was clear that if you lost consciousness now... well, who knows what would happen then, you only knew it wouldn't be good. You had to wait for Childe, you had to be there when he got home.

There were more than a few things in Childes live he wished he never had to see. Seeing your limp body, blood streaming out of your stomach which you could barley cover with your hand, your hair in the hands of some stranger and your eyes struggling to stay open – yes, Childe wished this was something reserved for his nightmares, not for the reality he had to face now. It didn’t even take second for him to react at that sight, swiftly being next to that man and cutting his hand off with one of his blades, kicking the rest of him away. Childe would have loved to take his time with that man, torture him, make him regret that he was born, but what was more important was to stop your bleeding. Quickly Childe sat down next to you on the ground, using his scarf to stop the bleeding. “Ajax,” he could hear you whisper quietly. “Hey, I’m here, everything is fine, everything is going to be okay.” You desperately tried to keep your eyes open, to look at him. He was a mess, his eyes filled with fear and panic spread across his face. Never had you seen him with such an expression. For only what felt a few seconds you closed your eyes and then – “Hey, (Y/N) hey, open your eyes, talk to me”, you opened them and realised that you were in Childes arms now, his eyes switching from you to what was apparently the way to Morepesok. “Ajax…”, it was so cold. When did it became so cold again? “I waited for you and now you’re here… I waited. Kept my promise.” The last few words came out slurred. “Yes, I'm here, you don’t have to wait anymore. I promise you don’t have to wait for me ever again, just please-“ his breathing was heavy, he ran as fast as he could to the village in the hopes that the healers there could help you, that there was anyone who was able to help you now. “Please, don’t close your eyes, okay?” Before you could even answer him that you will try to keep them open you could already feel yourself slip out of conscious again. All you could say before everything went dark was his name again. “Ajax…”

The first thing you noticed was a warm hand on yours. Even before you opened your eyes you knew which hand it was. “Ajax,” you were a bit shocked at the sound of your own voice. It sounded so weak. You opened your eyes, seeing into those deep blue eyes looking at you. “(Y/N)”, he didn’t sound any better. Only now you started to notice the dark circles under his eyes and how his hair looked even messier than usual. Was he by your side the whole time? “How are you feeling?”. “Better than you apparently”, you joked, weakly grinning at him. He smiled back, rubbing the backside of your hand with his thumb. “I’m glad you’re better,” he replied quietly, looking down at the hand he was holding. “I’m glad you’re here.” At that his smile faded, turning into a sad expression and you already knew what this meant. “Don’t tell me…” “I’m sorry, I wasn’t even supposed to be here just yet and my early departure from Liyue apparently has caused some issues and… well, I was able to stay here until you woke up. The deal was when you wake up or-, well that doesn’t matter now. The deal was that I had to go back and fix the damage I caused once you wake up, which is honestly way more generous than I had anticipated.” You didn’t really understand what he was exactly talking about, you were still tired, but all you knew was that he had to go again. There wasn’t any energy left in your body to hold back the tears that were now falling down your face. Childe cupped your face in his hands, wiping away your tears with his thumb. “Hey, listen,” he said softly. “I promise you won’t have to wait for too long, when you recovered, I will send for you.” At this your ears peaked, looking at Childe with hopeful eyes. “Send for me, you mean-?”. “Yes, this time around I’ll be the one waiting for you to arrive in Liyue and not you’re waiting for me to come home.” At that you threw your arms around his neck wanting to hug him, causing you to hiss in pain. You forgot that you still had a stomach wound. “Careful now”, he laughed a bit at how enthusiastic you were about the news that you forgot your injury. “You promise that I will really join you in Liyue?”, you still couldn’t fully believe that he really was fine with it. “You make a pinkie promise, you keep it all your life. You break a pinkie promise, I throw you on the ice,” you leaned back and held your pinkie up in the air. Childe smiled at you softly, interlocking his pinkie with yours. “The cold will kill the pinkie that once betrayed your friend, the frost will freeze your tongue off, so you never lie again.”

#genshin x reader #tartaglia x reader #childe x reader #ajax x reader #gn!reader #reader fic #genshin impact #genshin fic #fan fiction #angst #angst prompt #bit of comfort #hurt #hurt prompt #writing

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bikerboyfriend · 3 years

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halloween reccs

here's some shit you can watch/read over halloween. i got 4 asks in the past week about this so heres a quick list, if there's anything specific you're looking for you can send me

AMIGARA DANSOU NO KAI by Junji Ito—You've heard of Uzumaki, Gyo and Tomie but have you read Amigara Dansou No Kai? A boy named Owaki, and a girl, Yoshida, meet on Amigara Mountain, where an unsettling discovery has been made. Human shaped holes are scattered across the mountain, and it soon becomes clear that the holes are "calling" to the people they are shaped like. So what happens when they enter the hole?

SOUL EATER—THE Halloween Anime. Set in the Shinigami's technical school for weapon meisters, Death Weapon Meister Academy, the series revolves around 3 groups of each a weapon meister and a human weapon. Trying to make the latter a "Death Scythe" which is the highest title for a weapon and thus fit for use by the Shinigami, they must collect the souls of 99 evil humans and 1 witch.

0.0mhz—A group of young people tormented by ghosts join hands to find a scientific explanation for their paranormal experiences – and a way out of them. In their desperate quest, they visit a haunted house and encounter a terrifying, blood-thirsty ghost with a tragic past. Will they come out alive? Or will they too become possessed by demon spirits?

HELLSING ULTIMATE—The summary is too fucking long but basically you can watch Big Bad & Cool Vampire Alucard kill people and it's really fun. Warning for Nazi imagery due to Nazis being the villains in the series.

DISTANT SKY—This shit is horrifying <3 Gangnam in complete darkness… "Am I the only one alive? What’s going on?…" A boy wakes up to find himself in a building full of dead people. No cars, no electricity and no stars in the sky… Not only Gangnam, but the entire city seems deserted.

SWEET HOME—I'm assuming you've heard of the show I strongly recommend the webtoon. You can think of the show as...a series based off the webtoon rather than a faithful adaptation since they changed 90% of the shit that happens in the webtoon! Anyw. I HIGHLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY recommend this shit, it's amazing, the monsters are great, the characters r phenomenal and yeah...yeah! Warning for s*icide.

DOROHEDORO—In a city so dismal it's known only as "the Hole," a clan of Sorcerers have been plucking people off the streets to use as guinea pigs for atrocious "experiments" in the black arts. In a dark alley, Nikaido found Caiman, a man with a reptile head and a bad case of amnesia. To undo the spell, they're hunting and killing the Sorcerers in the Hole, hoping that eventually they'll kill the right one. But when En, the head Sorcerer, gets word of a lizard-man slaughtering his people, he sends a crew of "cleaners" into the Hole, igniting a war between two worlds.

BERSERK—Surprisingly not a frequent horror recommendation? Lmfao... His name is Guts, the Black Swordsman, a feared warrior spoken of only in whispers. Bearer of a gigantic sword, an iron hand, and the scars of countless battles and tortures, his flesh is also indelibly marked with The Brand, an unholy symbol that draws the forces of darkness to him and dooms him as their sacrifice. But Guts won't take his fate lying down; he'll cut a crimson swath of carnage through the ranks of the damned—and anyone else foolish enough to oppose him. Warning for everything just read at your own risk.

PROMISED NEVERLAND—...If you haven't read or watched it trust me on this. Watch Season 1 and then read the manga. If you only watched Season 1 or saw S2 and were disappointed...read the manga :).

BONUS: GOLDEN KAMUY—Phenomenal story, amazing artwork, hilarious, amazing fight scenes, very rich in knowledge & history etc....genuinely amazing I 10/10 recommend this, u see how I gassed it up? 💀 Its also homoerotic 🤷🏾‍♂️ It makes it on the list because of the horror elements in the manga. And usami's face lmfao. There's an anime too but it's a lot more censored.

HONORARY MENTIONS

Anything you haven't read by Junji Ito. Personal favourite & most popular would definitely be Uzumaki.

Another. It's not even necessarily that good it's just that everyone & their mother has heard of it.

Tokyo Ghoul (only season 1, and only manga series 1)

Ajin Demi-Human

Watch some Resident Evil 7 or 8 gameplay, not even joking 🤷🏾‍♂️ I recommend JazzyGuns or Berleezy. ok thats all bye

#moon reccs #ok that was 2hrs of my life. AND SCENE #no cut bc this took me 2 hrs...fight for ur life

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aminiatureworld · 3 years

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Enigmatic Feelings II

Characters: Beidou, Childe, Eula, gn!reader

Word Count: 5,402

Warnings: Swearing

Premise: In which the reader’s s/o is jealous

Author’s Note: Decided to tack on two characters to the request. This is my first time writing for Eula, and I think this prompt really fit her. She really reminds me of Kaguya Shinomiya in mindset, which is kinda hilarious. I hope I wrote her well!

In case you’re wondering, I kept all the NPCs gender neutral so that the reader might interpret them as they wish.

Beidou

Beidou and her crew tended to get drunk. Like, a lot. Rowdy parties soaked in alcohol, audible from Guyun Stone Forest to Qingce Village were simply part of ship culture. Though they might’ve been loud and somewhat disorganized, there was never any sense of overstepping boundaries, and things never ended up going too far.

Or at least that’s what Beidou would’ve liked to think. Watching you and another shipmate moseying up to one another was a surprisingly unpleasant experience, and Beidou took another swig of her flask to wash out the acidic taste in the back of her mouth.

What did it even matter if someone was flirting with you? It was the end of a long haul, emotions were running high, and everyone knew that you were the captain’s partner. Everyone knew that nothing serious would come of a little flirting, and the occasional compliment or teasing remark towards you here and there had never really bothered Beidou before. She wasn’t about to be jealous of a few flirty shipmates; after all, the ability to sweet talk should probably be a requirement for signing up for piracy anyways.

Maybe it was just how blatant the flirting was, so different than the usual passing, good-natured banter. Beidou knew how well each of her shipmates could hold their liquor. She also knew how quickly norms and rules tended to be thrown out the window the moment one got plastered. Even if the shipmate meant nothing truly malicious or devious in their words, Beidou couldn’t rule out the fact that they were probably genuinely flirting.

Neither could she ignore the fact that you were distinctly flirting back. Beidou wasn’t really surprised by this turn of events, after all you’d always responded with a good natured tease at the remarks flown you way and even engaged in some meaningless flirting yourself towards the other members of the ship. It was part of ship culture after all, to be so open and careless. The sea was never calm or placid, why should her voyagers be so? Still, Beidou couldn’t deny the fact that she was uncomfortable by the current situation, protocol be damned.

A part of her wanted to go up and tell you right out; you were her partner, and she was sure that you’d be able to understand what she was feeling. Yet pride kept her at her seat, downing more liquor to distract herself from her conundrum. After all, it’d be kind of hypocritical of her to cultivate a familiar ship culture and then turn around and revoke it at the drop of a hat, wouldn’t it? Nor would it feel right to enforce rules upon others that she herself didn’t follow. It’s not like Beidou hadn’t ever flirted with or teased someone else without thinking too much about it. How could she blame her crew for following her example?

Still the sight of you and your shipmate danced in front of her eyes, urging her to do something she’d surely regret. Beidou let out a loud sigh, something that wasn’t ignored by the people around her.

“You alright captain?” Juza eyed Beidou worriedly. One of the other hard drinkers on the ship, Beidou knew that she couldn’t rely on alcohol to allay her Chief Mate’s worries.

“I’m fine!” She spoke loudly, plastering a large grin upon her face. “I was just thinking about how proud I am of all of you! How much of a tight-knit crew we are!”

Beidou could tell that she was garnering the attention of the rest of the shipmates and stood up. She had neglected to make a speech so far, so wrapped up was she in the scene playing out before her eyes. Clearing her throat Beidou held up her flask, the eager anticipation of her crewmates combining with the liquid fire in her system, causing a wave of rash confidence to run through her. At least she was an entertaining speechmaker.

“I look out upon the faces of warriors now! We may be somewhat irregular, an anomaly of the seas. However, that doesn’t change our bond, our fierce loyalty, our capabilities. I look out upon a group of people closer than family! Perhaps you’ve had brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles, but tell me this! Could any of those members of your previous lives fight back to back with you? No! They could not! We are a special breed, and there will never be anyone who can understand us as we can understand each other! And we ought to never forget this! Do not forget the brotherhood forged by fire. I know that I never will!”

Cheers erupted from every corner as sailors drank gleefully. A few of the more out of commission crewmates were sobbing uglily, hugging whoever was in their vicinity and making slightly incomprehensible statements of affection and loyalty. Beidou sat down, smiling at the chaos in front of her. Yes, she really was part of a band of brothers, and there was no reason to forget or doubt that. Why was it then that she felt as if she’d been somewhat deceitful? And why was it then that her eyes once more drifted towards you and the sailor who was now enthusiastically slapping you on the back?

The rest of the night passed in a haze of alcohol, as Beidou downed drink after drink. She didn’t walk up to you, didn’t try to acknowledge the source of her unease. Why should she? It was a party after all, and there were other things to do. Passing out just as the sun was beginning its ascent once more into the sky Beidou wondered if she was always going to feel this way when anyone got slightly flirty with you. If so, well, she was in for a rough time.

The next day was greeted by a pounding headache. The sun was much too bright, and Beidou let out an annoyed yelp as she stumbled towards her window, trying to not fall flat on her face as she grasped for the curtains. Yanking on them awkwardly she had just managed to get them somewhat closed before there was a knock on her door. Cursing the captain drew herself up as much as she possibly could in her current state, hoping that her clothes didn’t look too much like she’d simply slept in them.

“Come in.”

“I thought you might want a pitcher of water.”

Your voice was soft and slightly apologetic. Letting out a sigh of relief Beidou nodded, allowing herself to stumble back towards her hammock and flop onto the blanket. Wow she had drank a lot last night. You walked over to her desk, steps too steady to be that of a hungover person. Pouring a glass of water you stared at Beidou as she drank, a question in your eyes.

“What is it? You seem to want to ask me a question.”

“Are you sure you’re up to answering?”

“Well now I won’t be able to rest until you tell me it.”

“Fair enough,” you smiled. “Was something wrong last night?”

“Whaddya mean?”

“I mean you didn’t even walk over to me once. I was kind of surprised, to be honest.”

“Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine, I just want to know why you were avoiding me.”

“I wasn’t avoiding you.” Beidou wrinkled her nose. Her head throbbed in protest and she quickly dropped the expression, sighing before taking another drink of water. “Well, perhaps I was slightly avoiding; but it’s wasn’t your fault.”

“Whose fault was it then?”

Beidou paused, trying to gather her thoughts as she searched for an answer. “You know that I don’t mind some familiarity on this ship.”

“Yes, as you so eloquently put last night,” you giggled slightly. Ignoring the subtle tease Beidou continued on.

“Well, I mean it; but it seems like I’m not very good at following my own rules. That shipmate you were flirting with last night? I just, I don’t know. Normally I don’t mind, y’know? But this time, well, it couldn’t stop bothering me. Even though you didn’t seem to mind it at all.”

“I didn’t mind it because he was drunk off his ass.” You pointed out, voice still soft and understanding. Taking one of Beidou’s hands in yours you leaned over to press a quick kiss on your partner’s forehead. “I’m sorry to hear it was bothering you though.”

“It’s not just that,” Beidou admitted. It seemed the floodgates of her thoughts had opened, and now she felt the need to tell you everything. “It’s that I couldn’t even follow my own rules, that I couldn’t stop myself from feeling… almost resentful. A captain, a good leader, they follow their own rules. It’s the only way to whip all the idiots into shape. But I couldn’t do that, I failed last night; I failed as a leader, I failed as a partner. I couldn’t follow my own example. Some leader.”

“You’re being too hard on yourself,” you murmured. Squeezing Beidou’s hand you shook your head slightly. “I know that the people on this ship sort of see you as a goddess, which you are, to me at least. Still, even goddesses can sometimes have flaws. Besides, if a shipmate ever came to you with these fears you’d absolutely laugh it off, give them a pat on the back, and send them on their way. So maybe you should follow your own example in that way. Don’t beat yourself up about it.”

Beidou’s gut reaction was to contradict you, to point out once more how she had failed. However she was too tired, and your point was making a suspicious amount of sense. “Very well,” she smiled slightly, “you have a way with words darling. You sure you haven’t missed a career as a siren?”

“I already have a lovely sailor, thank you very much,” you giggled. Pressing soft kisses across Beidou’s cheeks you stood up. “Now drink a lot of water and get some rest. We can’t have our captain out of commission.”

“I trust I’m not the only one sleeping in today?”

“Oh definitely not! It’ll probably take a week before we’re in any shape to treasure hunt again.”

“Pity.”

“So greedy!” You gasped in fake surprise.

“As if you didn’t know that when you signed up.”

“I don’t know I never pegged you as the jealous type,” you said in a sing-song voice. Beidou felt her cheeks redden.

“Shaddup.”

Your laughter filled the cabin, bright and rejuvenating. Beidou couldn’t help but crack a small smile herself. How had she ever gotten so lucky in regards to her partner? Regardless of how, she wasn’t about to take you for granted.

Childe

Childe liked to think of himself as one of the “good ones” when it came to Harbingers to work under. Was he somewhat demanding and only expected the best when it came to combat? Well, yes. Did he regularly debase his coworkers and underlings? No, he wasn’t Scaramouche after all. As long as you were passionate in your drive to serve the Tsaritsa and as long as you never missed out on your training, well Childe was sure that he could never have a problem with you.

That was, in fact, not true.

One of the Fatui messengers had been talking to you for almost twenty minutes now, though about what Childe hadn’t the slightest idea. After all, he’d already gotten the message that he needed, and the messenger surely had no business with you – you didn’t even work for the Fatui. Still there the messenger stood and there you stood next to him, a small smile on your face as you let out a soft laugh in regards to whatever they were saying.

Childe knew that he had no reason to feel as he did, but that didn’t stop irritation from rising inside him, and a sudden urge to flaunt his superiority that he usually reserved for the field of battle rose up inside of him. He didn’t quite understand why he was suddenly struggling against the urge to run up to you and throw his arms around you, but the urge was certainly there. What in Teyvat were you talking to that messenger about? What could possibly take up so much of your time? Considering the small fragments of conversation that made it to his ears Childe ruled that it was nothing truly of importance.

Letting himself lounge even more across his office chair Childe let out a slight sound of annoyance. Weren’t the two of you doing something before the nuisance came along? Sure, it wasn’t necessarily the most important thing, but discovering the best place in Liyue to study the stars was hardly worthless. After all, being somewhere high up and with a good view meant a better survey of the land around you. Who knew when some pesky Millelith or intrepid adventurer might try to attack the Fatui members scattered across the plains and mountains in Liyue? It was imperative to have eyes on everything, certainly more important than whatever this was!

Finally giving into his rising irritation Childe walked over to the two of you. Slinging an arm around your shoulder, Childe tried to give the messenger a smile that didn’t convey ‘scram or I’m kicking you out’. “I’m so sorry to interrupt, but my partner and I have business to do and I’m sure that your other messages won’t deliver themselves. To the Tsaritsa information is everything and all that, so you should probably make sure people actually get said information.”

“Oh, uh, yes my lord. I’m sorry.”

The messenger pulled himself up straighter, giving an awkward bow. Turning to go the messenger didn’t fail to turn back around to give you one last smile. Accentuating his smile once more Childe finally detached himself from you as the messenger walked out of the office, shutting the door softly behind him.

After that the messenger seemed to be showing up everywhere. Childe could’ve sworn he was getting more mail in a week than he had in all his previous months in Liyue. Not to mention how awkward the timing of the deliveries seemed to seemed to be. What was the point of getting “important” mail right before the Bank ostensibly closed? What was Childe supposed to do with the information now? Never mind the fact that the letters and notes he was getting seemed to be getting more and more mundane, even nonsensical. A shipment of weaponry to be picked up, that might be important. But specifications on the renovations Dottore was making on his lair? Why would Childe ever need to know something like that?

Nor did it escape Childe’s notice that these messages always seemed to come with at least twenty minutes of conversation with you. How was the Harbinger supposed to concentrate when someone was yakking away in his office? Besides, what did it matter to you what this person’s favorite flowers were? Childe knew that the Tsaritsa was often quite ingenious in her schemes, but he truly couldn’t see what relaying someone’s favorite flowers could do? Had he mentioned before that you weren’t even a member of the Fatui?

Every day the messenger would endlessly chat with you about the stupidest things, and every day Childe would end up interrupting the two of you. What started with slinging an arm around your shoulder was slowly escalating. First it was an arm, then two, then an arm around your waist, then a head on your shoulder. One time he’d even pulled you right against him, smiling slightly as you let out a squeak of surprise.

Of course Childe knew what he was experiencing, was not necessarily unfamiliar with the concept of jealousy. Still, he wasn’t about to tell you about it. After all jealousy was a shallow, grasping sort of emotion; something that caused generals to fight against one another to approach him or the Harbingers instead of tending to their own troops. Jealousy was a useless sort of emotion, and not one that a warrior such as himself ought to feel. Besides, did he really need to feel jealous about an annoyingly persistent messenger? They were hardly above a weed in the hierarchy of things.

Still, Childe couldn’t exactly deny that he was feeling jealous. Avoidance was one thing, deceit was another. Even if he didn’t want to tell you about what he was feeling, he would never lie to you about it. Which is why at the end of another tedious twenty minute conversation when the messenger had finally left and you turned around to ask him if something was wrong Childe found himself frozen, stuck between quite the rock and a hard place.

“Why would you ask such a question darling? Does something seem wrong to you?”

“Childe, please. You’ve been clingier than barnacle recently. Are you even supposed to be at the office today; weren’t you supposed to inspect an outpost in Dragonspine today?”

“I just wanted to spend some time with my wonderful, amazing partner! Is there something wrong with that?”

“For you? Yes, there absolutely is. Childe, are, are you upset about something?”

Childe stared at you for a moment, crumbling under your persistent gaze. He could tell that you were worried, could tell in the slant of your mouth and the furrow of your brow. He couldn’t very well say no. That would be lying after all. He was upset about something, even if it was something utterly beneath him. He was still upset.

“That messenger has been annoying me.”

“The one that just left?” You turned to look at the closed door behind you, a puzzled expression on your face. “But why?”

“Isn’t it obvious? They’re flirting with you.”

“They’re not!” Your expression was incredulous, but you paused for a moment, obviously thinking about something very seriously. “At least, I don’t think they are. Are they?”

“Yes,” Childe let out a snort. “I can’t believe you didn’t notice. Why else would they be delivering the most worthless information before chatting with you when they should be somewhere else?”

“I guess you’re right,” you admitted. “But Childe, it’s not like I’d ever be interested in them. I mean, I can see how it’d be kind of annoying to have someone invade your personal space, but why the clinginess?”

Childe stared at you for a moment. “You’re kinda dense you know.”

“I’m not!”

“Oh you absolutely are. How else would you not realize that I’m jealous?”

“Well, well because I don’t know. You just don’t seem the jealous type. Besides, it’s not like I’d ever have interest in anyone other than you. I don’t know, I just don’t see the point.”

“You really are dense.” Childe smiled a small, frustrated smile. Letting his head drop into the crook of your neck he let out sigh. “I know that there’s no reason that I should’ve be jealous. I just, am. I don’t know why, but seeing that messenger flirting with you for days on end, I couldn’t help it.”

“Hey, it’s alright.” Your tone shifted slightly as you reached up to card gentle fingers through Childe’s orange locks. “Sometimes we’re just weird like that. Just as long as you know that you never have reason to be jealous, then you can be jealous sometimes. Alright?”

“Alright.” Childe whispered, finally letting himself relax a bit.

Raising his head he pressed a soft kiss to your lips. You let out a small purr of happiness, gladly reciprocating. The weight on the Harbinger’s chest lightened, and he was finally met with the feeling of lazy contentment.

“Now, don’t you have an inspection to attend?” You smiled indulgently. “Go on, I’ve got errands to do anyways. As much as I appreciate the attention, you have to lessen the clinginess, okay?”

“Can’t make any promises darling.”

The sound of your indignant squawk, combined with Childe’s laughter, chased him out of the room and down the staircase.

Eula

As a member of the esteemed Lawrence family Eula was confident in the fact that such base emotions as jealousy were utterly beneath her. What did people take her for? A commoner? What a presumptuous line of thought!

No, it was certainly not jealousy that Eula was feeling right now. What a preposterous notion. She was simply irritated that a Guild member had forgotten all respect due to the Knights of Favonius. After all, you were a part of Mondstadt’s frontline protectors, a far cry from those poor fools who relied only upon commission to prove their worth. Yes, it was simply how presumptuous that lowly Guild member was being, taking up your time on your patrol across the parapet of the wall surrounding Monstadt, to engage in such a frivolous act as flirting.

Surely there was nothing more to it? No, it was not even worth it to pose such a stupid question. After all, what was a lowly adventurer to Eula? A nuisance, perhaps, but nothing more. Certainly nothing to be worried about. There was no reason to pause at the tower door, no reason not to simply walk over to you, her partner and coworker. Your time on patrol was done, it was time to come in. Why then was she hesitating?

“You must love the view up here,” the adventurer smiled widely.

“Yes, it’s very nice!” You were all smiles.

“I’m sure it’s made all the more beautiful by your presence,” the adventurer pressed on.

“Ah, t-thanks,” you replied, smiling again and reaching to grasp the back of your neck. “Really, you’re too kind.”

“Not at all!”

The adventurer appeared to want to say something else, but Eula had long ago decided that things had gone too far. Who did this mere Guild member think they were?

“Your time is up soldier, you are needed in the afternoon meeting.”

Eula tried to keep her posture as correct as possible, looking straight past the interloper to you. You seemed to brighten, rushing over to Eula and nodding enthusiastically.

“Eula! Of course! I’ll be down, right this instant.”

“Good,” Eula replied, giving a curt not. Glancing over towards the adventurer she crossed her arms. “As for you, layawaying a knight of Favonius is a blemish upon the Adventurer’s Guild. Such a discretion surely must be paid with vengeance. Mark my words, I will not let this deed go unpunished.”

The adventurer stiffed. Taking a step towards Eula their face contorted into a snarl. “Listen here you Lawrence –”

“We’ll be going now!” You jumped in, glancing at you Eula nodded. Turning around she kept her features neutral. However she noticed the way you gestured apologetically at the fool before going to follow Eula, expression one of undeniable embarrassment.

Perhaps it was too much to hope that the adventurer might’ve learned their lesson. There they were the next day, standing right in front of you, acting as if yesterday’s squabble had never happened. Talking your ear off just as before Eula couldn’t help but frown at how they were to you, how they always seemed just about to brush their fingers against yours. How crude to do such a thing to a perfect stranger.

“Dear, is everything alright?”

Your voice snapped Eula out of her reverie. The two of you were walking towards Headquarters to grab your extra equipment before heading home. Normally Eula cherished such quiet moments, feeling like they were the few times when she could be utterly confident, utterly herself. This time however she found the events of the week pressing on her. Only managing to nod Eula quickened her pace slightly, as if to outrun the feelings that were growing inside her.

“Hey, is something wrong?”

Eula lifted her gaze away from the papers she’d been halfheartedly scanning, her eyes meeting Amber’s. Eula would be the first person to admit that she wasn’t exactly sure how she had become friends with the eccentric Outrider. Indeed most of the things about Amber on paper grated Eula quite a bit. Still Amber was probably Eula’s closest coworker – other than you – and closest thing to a best friend that Eula had. It was perhaps unsurprising that Amber should notice something was wrong, and Eula was almost pleased by the fact that Amber was concerned about her.

“Nothing of great importance,” the knight replied. “There is only a nuisance which has been taking up a great deal of time and seems to still be interfering, despite all my efforts.”

“What kind of nuisance?” Amber tilted her head. Eula looked away, staring at the shelves that lined her office. She didn’t really want to look her coworker in the eyes.

“A, human nuisance. There has been an adventurer from the Guild who has been taking up a great deal too much of my partner’s time. They are utterly too presumptive in familiarity, and I feel that they are jeopardizing the Knights of Favonius with their irresponsible actions. Yet, despite all my efforts, they refuse to rethink their devious ways. It is no small problem.”

“That does sound very unpleasant.”

“Indeed, and yet I know not what to do. My reprimands have fallen on deaf ears.”

“Have you thought of maybe telling your partner.”

“Why would I ever reveal such feelings to my partner?!” Eula whipped her head around to look at Amber. The smile on her face was somewhat self-congratulatory.

“Eula, can I ask if you’ve considered something?”

“What is that?” Whatever Amber was about to say, it wasn’t going to be good.

“Have you considered the possibility that you might be jealous?”

“What, what nonsense! As if I should ever fall prey to such, to such base sensibilities!” Eula felt her face redden. Finding a particularly dirty spot upon the ground Eula stared intently past her friend. No, surely Amber was wrong.

“If you say so,” Amber shrugged. “But you might want to think about it. I mean, if I were feeling jealous I’d want to tell my partner. Besides, isn’t it the duty of a knight of Favonius to be honest and true?”

“You’re taking this awfully seriously,” Eula mumbled.

“Maybe,” Amber smiled, “but I do care about you. Remember that.”

With that the Outrider grabbed the paper she’d presumably been looking for and walked out the door before Eula could think of any sort of comeback. Turning her gaze back to her work Eula let out an exasperated sigh. Vengeance would be required against her coworker for such a ridiculous suggestion.

It was beginning to get on evening as Eula raced towards your regular guard spot. She’d worked later than usual today, probably spurned on by irritation at Amber’s ridiculous suggestions, and now Eula hoped that you hadn’t given up waiting for her and decided to go home. Climbing up the stairs her mind drifted once more to what Amber had said. Jealous? A member of the Lawrence clan was jealous? No, it was surely ridiculous. I mean, sure, she found the majority of her family members repulsive and vain and lazy to a fault, but surely she had to take something out of all the time she had spent within their midst. Besides, appearances had to be kept up, if only for the song and dance that the other people of Liyue insisted on continuing, long after it had stopped being of any use.

And yet, if she really was jealous, which of course she wasn’t, wouldn’t it be right to tell you? It was these thoughts that chased Eula. As she reached the top of the stairs to the opening of the parapet she decided that, if Amber’s theory were somehow proved right, she would tell you. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, the familiar silhouette of an adventurer meant it was the perfect time to figure this question out.

“It’s pretty late, isn’t it?”

“Yes, I suppose it is,” you smiled. “Still, Monstadt must be guarded day and night, mustn’t it?”

“Ah yes, the Knights must do all they can to protect our glorious city. Still, would there not be another reason for you staying up here so late?”

“Not particularly,” you shook your head.

“Are you sure about that?” The adventurer leaned towards you. Eula once more felt her heart seize up with that now all too common emotion. Was this jealousy?

“Uhm, I’m pretty sure.” The more that Eula had watched this song and danse the more she had realized how awkward you seemed around this person.

“Oh come on, a lonely figure looking out from on a wall, it’s sounds pretty story-like doesn’t it? Then again, you are straight out of a fairytale.”

“Thanks,” you replied, laughing somewhat awkwardly.

At this point Eula had come to a decision. Regardless of what this emotion was, and she was becoming increasingly worried it was, in fact, jealousy, you still seemed to be somewhat uncomfortable. Walking out onto the parapet she took your hand, glaring at the adventurer which stood across from you.

“I see you are once more distracting one of the Knights.”

“They didn’t mind, did you?” The adventurer’s mouth screwed up into something resembling a sneer. When you said nothing they shook their head. “You just had to come and make everything awkward; typical of a Lawrence member to be such a pain in the ass.”

“And now you insult one of the Knights! Indeed, the punishment will surely be great; and, until I decide what punishment is to be meted out, I suggest you take your leave.”

“You can’t tell me what to do!” The adventurer sputtered, but Eula merely smiled.

“Indeed I can. If I find you harassing one of our Knights one more time, know that I will not be so lenient as to merely give you a warning.”

“I wasn’t harassing anyone!”

“Distracting them then, making them unable to perform their duties, being a public nuisance. Do any of these serve you better?” Eula waved her hand. “Not that the terminology matters at this point. What matters is that you stop your current behavior.”

“Please just listen to what Eula says,” you piped up. Smiling a small smile you walked over to the adventurer. “I know that you were just trying to flirt, but I think that you should shoot your shot elsewhere now. Okay?”

The adventurer looked slightly red in the face, though whether it was embarrassment or anger was anyone’s guess. Slinking away, grumbling something under their breath, the Guild member was soon down the stairs and out of sight.

Sighing loudly you turned to Eula.

“Thanks for that. I mean, really! I don’t think they were trying to be actively malicious, but really sometimes you just have to read a room! I’m just glad I didn’t have to break it to them by myself.”

Staring at the stones under her feet Eula found herself mumbling something.

“What?”

“It, it wasn’t for your sake.”

“Ah yes, I know, it was for the honor and glory of the Knights of Favonius! Still, thank you.”

“No, I didn’t mean that. It was that, well, Amber’s been talking to me.”

“Amber?” You tilted your head, evidently confused by the sudden turn of the conversation. “What was she talking to you about?”

“About a very foolish emotion, one that I would never dream of feeling myself. And yet, I, I do believe that maybe, just maybe mind you, it had a factor in, in my actions.” Unwilling to come right out with it Eula found herself frowning. “The audacity of her really, to imply that a member of the Lawrence family might experience something as base as jealousy!”

Looking up towards you Eula saw recognition pass over your features. For a moment you did nothing, then suddenly a small, soft smile broke out on your face. Walking over to Eula, you gently enclosed your partner’s hands in yours.

“Thank you for telling me Eula, I’m sure it must’ve been difficult.”

“I-I’m not sure about it yet!” Eula stammered. “Only Amber wouldn’t stop talking about it.”

“That does sound like Amber,” you let out a soft laugh. “Still, thank you for telling me. It means a lot to me, okay?”

“A-alright.”

“I’m glad.”

You leaned over to give Eula a quick peck, before turning to walk down the stairs. Eula followed, one of her hands still intertwined firmly with yours. Suddenly her heart felt lighter than it had all week.

#Genshin Impact fanfiction #beidou x reader #childe x reader #eula x reader #genshin impact #genshin beidou #genshin childe #genshin eula #requested #scenarios #my writing

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claybrownie7566 · 3 years

Text

Just a game...

This whole fic idea came from my best friend @unwantedcrow so I decided to write it for her! She has fantastic ideas and so here we are.

The gang doesn't know about Legend's fear. They try and get back at him, and it goes very wrong.

(TW: panic and hysteria, abandonment)

"That little-"

"Wars" Four warned, silencing the Captain. The smithy puffed triumphantly when the man actually obeyed.

"Listen. I know he and Twi were in kahoots for that last prank, I mean, I still have dirt in my ears" he shook his head and true to his word, dirt flew out of his ears. "But" he continued, "we have to be careful. We need to get him good, but we don't want to get in trouble with Twi or Roolie when they get back. So think, gentlemen. How should we approach this?"

Warriors peeked through the brush into the clearing where they had made camp. The rest area was larger than they were used to. The group was separated for the time being. Not for days or anything, just enough time for Sky, Twilight, Time, and Hyrule to wander into the nearby town to gather intel and supplies. Not to mention a sense of where the heck they were and....well...when, they were exactly.

That would take time.

Lots of it.

And Wild, Four, Wars, and Wind wanted to settle the score.

Not too evenly of course. This was only a prank war after all, but Legend had gotten them good two days ago. Far, far too good.

What did he do you ask?

Ask Time later. None of them were eager to talk about it and they were sick of Legend's smug looks of victory taunting them throughout the day.

Wild frowned, "why don't we just put bugs in his potion bottles?"

Three concerned faces turned toward him.

"Wild, what if we have to use those potions?"

The champion scoffed and shook his head at them like they were dumb.

"Potions are made from bugs you idiots. Why would-"

"Shh!" Wind cut in sharply, jutting a thumb toward the clearing, "he's coming back from patrol. If we aren't there he will be suspicious, come on!"

They all sprung to their feet and raced through the greenery into the soft patch of grass littered with their belongings. Quick as lightning, they all threw themselves into casual sitting positions, and grabbed something to fiddle with as to not look suspicious.

Legend's footsteps reached them, and the vet parted a tree branch as he entered the clearing. His pink hair clashed with the rich green behind him, and Four stifled a snicker.

It wasn't the vets fault....whatever had happened, but it was still ridiculously strange to see the bright pink head of hair attached to his snarky, know-it-all expression.

"Well" Legend said, nearing the group, "aren't you all getting cozy."

Wild rolled his eyes, "yeah yeah leave us alone. We're tired."

Four gaped. Wild was such a good actor. He could slide anything off his tongue, and everyone within earshot would believe him. Not that it was hard to lie about being tired....they were always tired, but still. Four gave him an impressed smile as Legend turned away.

"Yeah" the vet sighed, "me too honestly. Would you guys mind if I slept a bit before the others got back? I know me and Twi have first watch because of our erm..." he paused, smirking to himself, "shenanigans, from the other night."

Wind glared at Legend, and the older hero only grinned wider.

"I don't think that's fair. You should have to take first and last after what you pulled." The sailor grumbled.

Legend laughed, "aw don't be a sore loser Tuuli." A bejeweled hand reached out to ruffle the younger hero's hair, "besides, you guys started this war. It's only fair I finish it. Also, I'm getting punished with Twi so don't be so bitter. It's a bad look for you."

Oh that got them good.

It was all fun and games until the taunting.

Now it was personal.

"You know what else is a bad look?" Warriors pressed, "getting your head shoved into a vat of red potion."

Wild puffed next to him and Wind snickered, covering his mouth with his hand. Four outright cackled.

"Yeah vet" he wheezed, "hard to take you seriously when your hair is the same color as fairy floss."

Legend groaned in annoyance, the sound barely audible over the groups eccentric laughter.

Once they had calmed down, their giggling fit reducing to soft chuckles, the pink-haired hero gave them a hard look.

"Are ya done?" He deadpanned.

Wild snorted, "yeah. We're done."

Legend rubbed his eyes, "Mmk well...I am going to sleep for a bit. Can you contain yourselves long enough to not burn the forest down while I'm out?"

Warriors narrowed his eyes, "not funny."

"What do you mean? I'm hilarious" Legend said, stretching his arms above him with a yawn.

"Want us to wake you when Time and the others get back? Don't want you to miss your shift" Four said, not trying in the slightest to hide his own snark.

"Yep" Legend said easily, "sounds good."

He lowered himself to the ground where his bedroll was and began to spread it out, running his fingers over the soft padding and old blankets he had gotten from who knows where.

The grass beneath them was thick and soft, and the trees above them sheltered them from the bright sunlight of the afternoon.

Despite the disgruntled atmosphere from the quips within the group, it was extremely peaceful around them. Within no time, Legend was curled up in his bedroll, breathing in the summer air deeply.

Four watched their companion curiously. He really must've been tired to fall asleep so quickly. It was a deep sleep too. The smithy threw a pebble at him, and he didn't move.

An hour or so went by without much to say. The four heroes had gradually formed a circle a way off from their sleeping friend. They began to chat quietly about things when Warriors lit up.

"What?" Wild asked, his hands twisting into the grass.

Warriors put a finger to his lips and looked behind him to make sure Legend was still asleep.

He turned back to the group with mischief in his eyes.

"Oh perfect" he said with a wicked grin.

"What?" Wind poked, "what's perfect?"

The captain motioned for all of them to lean in. Four blonde heads pressed together as he continued.

"I have a good idea. Oh he'll be so mad."

The other three looked at each other and smirked.

"We're listening" Wind said.

Warriors looked at him proudly and began to explain.

"Let's just take all our stuff and pretend to leave. We won't of course, because as much as I want to get back at him, I don't want him to be left like a sitting duck out in the open."

Four nodded methodically, "harmless but irritating and briefly startling. I like it."

"Yeah, you would smithy" Wind said, jabbing his elbow into Four's side. The two giggled quietly, and Wars tried to bring them back.

"Guys, guys. Come on, I doubt he will sleep for much longer, and the others will be back tonight. We have to hurry."

Wild, Four, and Wind nodded.

They all rose together and began silently packing up their things. They dragged it all a ways off into the forest, hiding it under some bushes in case Legend came looking.

Then they hid behind the tree branches and waited, their eyes fixed on the clearing and the sleeping hero at it's center.

They made sure to scan the treeline for any signs of danger as well, but their amusement and focus was all on Legend.

They only had to wait about fifteen minutes when Warriors saw the vet stir. He got the others attention, pointing silently toward the target. They all went still, waiting and watching, perfectly silent.

Warriors felt excitement and anticipation fill his chest, and he held his breath.

Legend stretched, his eyes skittering open toward the sky. He rolled over sleepily and groaned. Slowly, almost painfully so, he propped himself up on his elbows and opened his eyes.

There wasn't really a clear reaction at first. He glanced over at where Warriors had been sitting before turning his sights to the tree line.

Warriors felt underwhelmed and disappointed.

Then.

Legend did a double take, whipping his head back around to look at the now abandoned camp. The reaction they'd been waiting for landed, and the satisfaction was glorious.

Everything was exactly how they had found it: pristine, and gloriously empty. Warriors felt triumphant, and he grinned.

Legend's brow furrowed in curiosity as his head turned to survey the area.

"Wars? Wild? What the heck?" He called, annoyance and confusion lacing his words.

Wind turned to Four and nodded.

This was perfect, he seemed to say.

Warriors was about to agree when another call drew their attention.

"W-wait....where did you guys go?"

His head moved a bit quicker, searching more than asking now.

Warriors glanced at his companions.

Nobody move, keep it going.

"Hey! come out you idiots! I know you're hiding somewhere!......creeps."

Wild bit his lip to keep from laughing, and Four put a hand to his lips.

Quiet stupid!

And it was quiet, for several long minutes.

"Umm....." Legend finally yelled to the empty air, "OKAY........Y-YOU GUYS CAN COME OUT NOW! YOU WIN!......" He tilted his head in waiting.

Warriors would absolutely not be giving in. Not now. The fun had just begun after all.

Except, something seemed to change slightly in the vets expression. It wasn't quite worry or amused confusion anymore.

It was fear, panic, despair even.

"P-please?" Legend called, "it's not funny, I'm......H-hello? Anyone? Hyrule? Wars? Four?"

Wild looked at Warriors.

The captain shook his head.

In a minute.

They didn't get one.

Legend's hands clenched into fists in the grass, gripping the soft greenery so tightly Wars thought his knuckles would snap.

The vets chest stopped rising and falling, and he went terrifyingly still.

"No" he whispered.

Warriors quirked his face in confusion. It must have shocked the others too because they were all still as statues.

"No, sweet Hylia not again......" Something caught in the light tracing down Legend's cheek. "N-not them they-........oh goddesses.......oh goddesses what have I done?"

He sobbed.

Legend.

The unbreakable, snarky, hotheaded, bold, brash veteran of the group.

Sobbed.

He sobbed like his heart was being ripped out of his chest. He curled in on himself so violently Four thought he would disappear entirely. His hands curled tighter into the grass, and the hero nearly convulsed, his body wracked with tremors.

"Please" he begged, "please don't do this to me.......not again."

Wild gasped softly and surged forward, drawing the others out of their shocked stupor. Warriors was right behind him with the other two in his wake.

Wild raced across the clearing and dropped to his knees next to Legend.

"No please.....I was so happy.......I was so happy.....why can't I be happy?"

His eyes were squeezed shut, and his breaths were horribly uneven and shaky. They couldn't tell if he was breathing at all. Four let his hands hover, unsure of what to do.

"L-legend? Legend!" Wild said, putting a hesitant hand on his friend's shoulder.

The hero jerked away harshly, his eyes snapping open. They locked with Wild's and a thousand things crossed both their minds.

"Wake up" he whispered, "please wake up wake up No....no sleep........dream dream dream and forget......please no....."

Warriors tried next, gently placing his palm on Legend's arm.

"No! Agh! You're gone!" A cry ripped from his throat. The sound was desperate and anguished. Legend's head fell, and grass stained fingers launched up to grip the pink strands of his hair, or to pull them out, he wasn't sure.

"Legend!" Wild said more urgently, "It's me! It's Wild! It's me! It's me!"

Legend collapsed.

Wild winced in sympathy as he caught his friend, wrapping his arms around his trembling shoulders and whispering a thousand apologies.

"I don't......." Another horrible sob, "don't trick me anymore......Wild isn't here he isn't real......it isn't real nothing was real.......none of it......" Another gasp for air, "none of it. They're gone they're gone."

Wind and Four scooted closer, their own guilty tears threatening to spill over.

Warriors was still in shock. His chest hurt, his mind was a blank slate, his body wouldn't move.

"What did I do?" He said, his voice was barely audible.

Legend kept muttering to himself between sobs, his hands gripping his hair.

Warriors looked at Wild for any sort of council, any sort of relief, any sort of help.

"L-let go......let go of me" a soft voice pleaded, "stop it....."

Wild peered back down at his friend and shook his head.

"I'm not letting you go Legend. It's me, Wild. I am very real. And I'm so sorry we tricked you. We didn't know it scare you so badly."

Legend seemed to register the champions arms around him then. Strong and steady, and very real.

"Tricked? W-wild?"

The champion nodded.

Legend gasped, then laughed.

It was small, fragile, soft.

Relieved.

"W-wild! you're......you're real? You're real and everyone is real?"

Warriors reached out, gripping Legend's shoulder. The vet turned and Warriors wanted to cry. He pulled the two heroes into his arms and held them there.

"Legend I'm so sorry!"

His voice was thick and dripping with guilt, but genuine. His. Legend let out a long, deep exhale.

"You" he gasped, "jerk."

Warriors and Wild chuckled despite the situation, and Legend's hands let go of his hair to wrap around Warriors.

"Never thought I'd be so......happy to see that.......dumb blue scarf.....thought I went crazy."

Warriors hugged him closer.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so....so sorry. I didn't know. I should've, but I didn't."

Legend shook his head, "not your fault......didn't say anything about it.....never have.......not to anyone."

Legend breathed out another pathetic laugh.

"Everyone's real right? I'm not...."

Four sighed, "Oh we're real alright. And boy do we owe you an apology."

Wind leaned against the pile of heroes, adding his weight to it.

"Are you gonna be okay?"

The vet smiled weakly, a hand untangling itself to clutch his chest "as long as you.....never......ever do that again....."

"We won't" Wind said, "swear on Aryll's spyglass."

Four heads nodded, and Legend finally relaxed. Wild kept his arms tight around him.

Legend cleared his throat, "So uh...I'd appreciate if this wasn't disclosed to the others.....I have a reputation you know."

Warriors scoffed, "Yeah. real good that reputation did for us. Nearly killed you with a prank."

The vet gaped, "Is THAT what this whole thing was about? You guys tried to get back at me from two days ago? What I did was harmless what is the matter with you!"

They all grumbled in protest, and Wind huffed, "well we THOUGHT this would be harmless......Hylia above Vet we're sorry."

"Enough of that" Legend clipped, "I'm just glad I'm not crazy."

"That is still up for debate though-"

"Wars" Wild warned, "let the man alone."

"We should probably drag our stuff back to camp now huh?" Wind added.

"You dragged," Legend said, pinching he bridge of his nose, "your gear. Out of camp."

"Yup" they all said at once.

It didn't take them long to reset their campsite, but it did feel like eons before the others stumbled in. Their company was back together, new supplies and information required. The change in dynamic within Legend's group was apparent, but no one said anything. He was grateful for that.

He was grateful for everything. And even though it had scared the living daylights out of him, he had a newfound appreciation for his companions.

He savored the sight of them all together, and kept it locked away right next to the others he refused to forget.

#Linked Unverse #LU fic #Lu Legend #Brownie writes #unwantedcrow

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whatifxwereyou · 3 years

Text

The Oncoming Storm Part 9: Shadows

Liu Kang x Reader and Kung Lao x Reader (gonna do both, two paths!)

So much has happened this night that it's kind of hilariously ridiculous at this point. AND YET we are just beginning. Was that kiss a tease? Maybe. Is this still slow burn? Absolutely. Will it be Fun and Complicated™? Yes. Thanks so much for reading! Next update is Thursday. Going to try to push for another double update this weekend! As always, open to suggestions and if I like them I will integrate them~ Hope you're all doing well.

Part 8 Part 10 Chapter Index

“I’m really okay, Liu.” Your voice was tired and shaky. Words were difficult after that. How were you supposed to reset and leave that moment so quickly? Liu Kang had managed, but you imagined it had to do with the fact that his hand was covered in your blood and worry and guilt had taken over.

He showed you his hand as if to prove a point and you adjusted against the wall. The hanfu was still tangled behind you, stuck halfway down your arms so you slipped it off the remainder of the way. Then you pulled up your shirt to show him the wound. It was bleeding through the gauze.

“…I don’t think this is proving the point that you want it to prove.”

“Fine.” You pulled the gauze away and the wound, while ugly, was mostly still closed. A few stitches had pulled and blood flowed freely but it definitely could have been worse. “See? Not that bad.”

“I feel like you aren’t taking this seriously, Y/N.” He showed you his hand again, scooting closer. His fingers, warm, brushed around the wound and you shivered. Your hands were still shaking, your heart was still racing. How were you supposed to relax after any of this? You’d had a vision for the first time in years and then Liu Kang had kissed you! Not just kissed you, he’d kissed you and you weren’t sure it would have stopped at that if you hadn’t been bleeding.

“I am. Look, we need to speak with Raiden. I… whatever it is that I saw, Liu, it’s important. If you think that he can decipher it then best to do it right now while it’s fresh, right?” You were afraid to tell him the truths of your childhood illness. This was all too familiar now and saying any of it out loud meant accepting it as reality. Like you would be willing it into the world with words. “I know my limits, Liu Kang. You have to trust me.”

“I do trust you, Y/N.” He reached to touch your cheek again but spotting the blood on his fingers he pulled back before turning his gaze. “You’ll tell me if you’re feeling sick, right?”

“Yes. I’m tougher than I look, I promise.”

“You’re so pale. And freezing.” He held his hand in front of you with the flame again and you winced at the overwhelming heat. In contrast to the cold you were feeling, it was blazing. He frowned.

“Please stop doing that. I’m not going to crumble. I’m not fragile, Liu.”

“Raiden. Then the infirmary.” Liu Kang stood up and offered you the hand that wasn’t on fire. The heat of the fire was killing you. It was too hot. Everything was overstimulating right now. Liu, the fire, the cold, your spinning head, your throbbing side. It was too much. You took his hand and got back to your feet. Your legs were shaking beneath you but you took a second to focus on your posture, on the weight of your body on your feet, and steadied yourself.

Liu Kang extinguished his fire and slipped his arm around you then urged your arm over his shoulder to support you. You didn’t have the heart to tell him you didn’t need him to do that. Besides, that kiss hadn’t ended the way either of you had wanted. Being close was a comfort until you could talk about it though talking about it seemed like this distant, scary thing already. You walked in silence for a time and you slowed your pace as you made it up a flight of stairs.

“Not too late to go to the infirmary.” Liu Kang was avoiding your eyes.

“We’re already almost there.” You stopped walking and pulled out of his arms to lean against the wall. This didn’t help Liu Kang’s worry. You were certain that what he’d seen happen to you had been traumatic. Then all that he’d done after that... That was a lot for you to consider, you were sure it was just as much, if not more, for him.

“I’m uncomfortable with this.” Liu slipped his arm around you again and urged you away from the wall before you were ready and you nearly collapsed into him. “Very uncomfortable.”

“I know you are, but please just humor me.”

“If you pass out, I’m taking you to the infirmary. Also you’re going to owe me an apology at this rate.”

“If I pass out then I will happily apologize, Liu Kang. I’ll tell you how right you are and make it up to you. I promise.”

“I’m holding you to that.” You caught a small smile on his face and were relieved for that. The tense air was exhausting. You made it up the last flight of stairs before the hall with the electrical sculptures and were met by a monk who hurried up to you and bowed.

“Lord Raiden requires isolation for the night. You must turn back.” He seemed nervous to approach you. Probably because of Liu Kang, you guessed. You were nobody. “What’s going on?” He looked between you and then at the state of you. You were both covered in ink and you were covered in blood.

“We must speak with Lord Raiden. It’s urgent. Whatever he’s doing can wait.” Liu bowed his head in spite of his assertion. The monk hesitated and then nodded before disappearing down the hall and out of sight. Liu Kang helped you to the end of the hall and you stood waiting. He didn’t need to hold you, but still he did and it took all of your self-control no to rest against him, not to bring up what happened. There were more important things, you told yourself.

Thankfully, the monk didn’t leave you waiting long. “Please, follow me.” He led you through the doorway that he’d come through and then bowed to you. “Wait here. He will be with you as soon as he can.” The monk bowed and then walked through the door that he’d led you through, leaving the door open and the two of you alone. Liu helped you into a chair near the back wall and then took the seat next to you.

You leaned your elbows on your knees and sighed. When you sat back up, Liu Kang was facing you. He brushed his fingers over your cheek and pushed your hair back. Then he checked your pulse and felt your forehead for a fever. The frustration he’d radiated with you for not going to the infirmary was gone. Only worry and curiosity remained.

“I’m okay, Liu,” you whispered reassuringly and grasped his hand, pulling it away from your face. He nodded but the look of concern didn’t fade. It wasn’t pity, but it was pretty close. Worry was becoming exhausting. You wanted him to trust you. He said he did, but it was hard to believe it when he was so concerned. It was traumatic, you reminded yourself. You needed to talk about it and there just wasn’t the time in that moment. “Really. I’m okay.”

“You’re still so cold.”

“But I’m also okay.” You snatched his hand back as he felt for your pulse again and offered him a tired smile. Despite your racing thoughts, you understood his worry. You just needed to talk. So much had happened. The door leading into the room from the back left opened and Lord Raiden walked in. His presence commanded your attention. You let go of Liu’s hand, feeling as though you were a child who had done something forbidden.

“What’s happened?” He folded his arms over his chest and approached the two of you. Liu Kang stood and bowed before Raiden. You heard the prayer beads shifting into his palm again.

“Lord Raiden, I’m sorry to interrupt you so early in the morning when you’re in isolation but Y/N has had a vision.” Liu didn’t lift his head as he spoke. “A vision of our future.” He went on to explain how he had found you in the fight pit and how your arcana had attacked him. You went pale. He hadn’t told you that! You’d attacked him? You hadn’t even asked him if he was okay. How selfish of you!

Raiden walked around Liu Kang who turned with him and stood before you, imposing and intimidating. “What did you see, Y/N?”

“I…” You hesitated with nerves. The vision really was jumbled up. When you were a kid, you’d struggled to relay what you’d seen to anyone and when you had managed, you’d gotten in trouble. This was no easy task. The times that you’d spoken with certainty had been during your fits and completely without your permission. It was as though there was something else inside of you doing the speaking in those moments. “It’s fuzzy. There was a man with long dark hair, armor, a cloak and his… his eyes went completely black and there was all this… smoke and shadow.” You caught Liu Kang’s gaze fixed on you and locked eyes with him. He had volumes hidden behind them. Raiden caught your shared gaze and you looked away.

“Could you go get some water, Liu Kang?”

“…of course.” Liu seemed as though he didn’t trust this was a real errand but did as he was asked, disappearing from the room. That left you alone with Raiden and he took Liu Kang’s seat and clasped his hands in front of him.

“Now, tell me.” He turned to face you and while his face was severe, he seemed oddly sympathetic. “Please.” That was the first time Raiden seemed like more than intimidating and you were grateful for that. The comparison to the harshness of your father faded from your mind.

“We were in the pit… well they were.” You went on to explain the details of what you had seen, at least what you could remember. You told him about the warriors who had been training with Liu Kang and Kung Lao, the ones you didn’t recognize. You told him about the pillar of smoke that the dark man had conjured and led his armies through. You told him about the visions of pain and fear.

“Who are these other warriors?”

“I don’t know but I can describe them… there was a woman, an American, I think. There was a man with a series of scars all along his face… They were fresh.” You traced the lines over the side of your face and closed your eyes to try and recollect the vision. “A man… with…” You winced and held your head in your hands, a sharp ringing rattling through your ears. You could picture the others, but there was a disconnected between your thoughts and your mouth as if the words were impossible to form. “They were in so much pain, Lord Raiden. I’ve never seen Liu’s…” Your voice cracked and you covered your mouth. The sorrow was overwhelming. Raiden placed a comforting hand on your back. “I don’t know who any of them were. I don’t know where I was. I’m…” You spoke quickly and frantically, the words pouring out of your mouth faster than you thought them. Where were you in those visions?

“It’s okay.” Raiden urged you to stop and so you did. You felt suddenly spent and weak, resting your arms down against your legs and hunching forward. “Breathe, Y/N.”

You did as you were asked and were grateful for the reminder. Liu returned with a pitcher of water and a cup. He crouched before you and set the glass and pitcher aside on the floor. Then he looked to Raiden as if to ask him what happened.

“How long has she been feeling this way?” Raiden stood.

“Feeling what way?” Liu took the seat next to you again and Raiden placed a hand upon your shoulder. His eyes went completely white and electricity rang through the air. Then he pulled his hand back in surprise, as though you had been the one to shock him.

“…darkness looms over you.” He tilted his head curiously. Your heart dropped. Raiden was haunting to watch. “Something dark from your youth.” He turned his back to them and walked away. “You cannot fight. This affliction will make you weak.”

“No.” You stood and while your legs wobbled, you fought to prove that you could. “I want to fight. I can fight. I’m fine.”

“As you are? It would only lead to your death.” Raiden turned to face you but seemed curious of your determination to defy him. You’d been told no almost your whole life and you had rejected it time and again. This would be no different. You would fight. Nothing would stop you.

“This shadow over you is one I cannot place. It will drain you. It has drained you. Made your blood thin. It is unnatural.”

“Lord Raiden, Y/N’s arcana is strong. It can fight for her if she cannot.” Liu bowed his head before Raiden but the look on his face made you turn away. Fear. You felt your stomach rattle with nerves. What if Raiden was right? What if you couldn’t fight? You would try but the fear you saw on Liu rattled you. What shadow was it that hung over you? Was he talking about your ability to see? Something that you had thought you’d lost in your youth. It had never felt particularly dark other than that it had made you terribly sick.

“I’m afraid that without understanding of this shadow then it might be impossible.”

“We’ll help her train with her arcana, Lord Raiden. We will make certain that no shadow will control her.” Liu Kang’s fear had faded and was replaced with determination, thank god. That was a huge relief.

“Oh? Then I will entrust you with this task, Liu Kang. You and Kung Lao. Make certain that you are careful.” Raiden looked back to you. “This affliction runs deeper than you think. If her arcana is beyond her control as you claimed tonight then it could cause you both great harm. And just as terribly, if this wound was worse than a scrape from Kung Lao’s hat then she might not be here at all.”

Devastation.

You slumped back into the chair and furrowed your brow, holding your head in your hands. You’d fought it and won once before. You would fight it again. You had to hold onto hope that whatever this shadow was, whatever this affliction was, it was temporary. You didn’t want to believe that this was the end of your journey as a warrior.

Liu’s familiar hand fell on your cheek, warm and comforting. You leaned into his touch.

“We’ll find a way. Don’t lose faith.” He assured you and you were thankful for his kind smile. Out of habit, you placed your hand over his. You felt Raiden’s eyes on you, observing you. Your cheeks flushed.

“One of the monks woke me and told me something happened.” Kung Lao walked through the doorway before you could comprehend that he’d joined you. Liu Kang pulled his hand back very quickly. “I stopped by the fight pit on the way over and it was covered in ink. I was worried.” Kung Lao walked toward you but Raiden stopped him and pulled him aside to fill him in on what he knew. You watched the guilt wash over him. He stole a glance at you then turned back to Raiden. His eyes kept flittering over to you. He was battling an internal war, blaming himself for the wound on your side.

“Don’t look at me like that.” You straightened your posture and collected yourself the best you could. There would be plenty of time to dwell on the difficulty of the situation later. Right now you had to pick yourself up and move forward. There was no point in feeling down. “This isn’t anyone’s fault. I’m going to be fine.”

“For now you will recover.” Raiden placed one hand behind his back and walked away from the trio. “When you are feeling better, then we will decipher your vision using my gift. That way we can try and understand the truth of what you’ve seen.”

“And the shadow?” You weren’t sure what that even meant. You wanted to know more.

“We will see what we can uncover.” Raiden assured you. “For now you will be taken to the infirmary.”

“I’m fine.” You didn’t get to argue with them. Honestly, it was almost like you weren’t there and had no say in what happened next.

“I’ll take her there.” Kung Lao lifted you out of the chair without asking for permission or waiting for a response, cradling you in his arms.

“I can walk. My legs work fine.” The further you were from your visions, the more normal you felt. You were certain you could make the journey.

“Just humor me, will you?”

“Fine, but I’m annoyed,” you whispered but even looking at Kung Lao made your face hot. Liu Kang had turned away from you but the memory of the kiss they’d shared in the hall was still in the forefront of your thoughts. Boy, that had made things instantly more complicated than they’d been only a few hours ago.

“I’m willing to deal with that.” Kung Lao bowed his head to Raiden and then carried you out of the room.

***

Liu Kang listened to the footsteps of Kung Lao carrying you back to the infirmary. He gripped the prayer beads around his hand and felt their round shape press hard into his flesh. “How bad is it, Lord Raiden?” Liu Kang was grateful not to be left alone with his questions.

“It is unnatural, this affliction.”

“You said that but I know for a fact that she is not the first to speak prophetically in your temple.”

“Not her visions, Liu Kang. The shadow that hangs over her because of them. There is more to it than meets the eye. Something else. Or someone else. A creation of another world, I would guess.” Raiden walked past him. “I can see into your heart, Liu Kang.”

“What do you mean something or someone? A creation from another world? Can it be fought?”

“I will try to uncover the truth.”

“Why would anyone create this? And why her when there are many others with such a gift?”

“Because of what she has seen, Liu Kang. She saw a warning. If she saw more warnings and could communicate them then they would be valuable weapons against our enemies. More valuable as one who foresees than a fighter. Think of what we could prevent.”

“I will protect her, Raiden. From any shadow.” Liu Kang placed his fist to his palm and bowed.

“Of course you will. She is in more trouble than any of us have yet realized.”

“If we can get control over her arcana, then she can be that much stronger.”

“Yes, Liu Kang. There’s a storm coming, unseen, this is but the calm.” Raiden hung his head. “Liu Kang, about…”

“I know. I know that it’s complicated.” He was deeply uncomfortable discussing this with Raiden. It wasn’t Raiden’s place but if he thought you were of value as a seer, then he could see why it would concern him. “I cannot explain it. There is a thread of fate between us. Some greater purpose.”

“All I was going to say, Liu Kang, was to be careful.” Raiden smiled knowingly.

Liu Kang bowed again and then left without another word.

#liu kang x reader #kung lao x reader #mortal kombat movie #mortal kombat 2021 #ludi lin #max huang #liu kang/reader #kung lao/reader #mk liu kang #mk kung lao #fanfic #fanfiction #slow burn #romance #fluff #love triangle #angst

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ailuronymy · 3 years

Note

I doubt you'll remember this, because it happened such a long time ago, but it's been bothering me for years now and I wanted to get some closure on it. Many years ago, when I was 14, pretty new to roleplaying and completely new to Tumblr, I sent you an anonymous ask laughing about ridiculous unrealistic things that people were having their cats do in a roleplay I was in. Building blanket forts, among other things, and being transgender. At this point in my life I thought transgender only meant someone who had undergone gender affirmation surgery, and the idea of cats doing surgery on one another was hilarious to me. I shared it with the hope that other people would find it hilarious too. Instead, you told me that I had said The Wrong Thing and called me a bigot. I was confused, I was horrified, I didn't understand at all, and I more or less fled from tumblr for about two years. It was a formative experience for me.

Hello there. I do actually remember that post, although obviously since you were anon then as well, I didn’t remember you specifically. But I do remember.

I thought about how to answer this ask for a few days. I’m not sure exactly what it is you’re looking for from me, but I’m going to give you the best reply I can and I hope that’s good enough for the both of us.

When you wrote in to me, about eight years ago, I was younger than you are now. I was nineteen and I’d only been on tumblr for a bit over a year at that point, I think. I’d never had social media before, of any kind. It was all pretty new to me as an experience too, and I’d never expected this blog to get the attention that it did. I never even imagined that was a possibility. But it happened and I learned how to run a relatively popular ask blog on the job, as it were.

There’s a lot I regret when I look back on that early era of this blog. The humour and jokes I allowed and sometimes encouraged and said myself here was often not kind, and that’s something I really regret. Eventually, I put an end to that because it just wasn’t the kind of thing I wanted any of us who have fun here to be doing. But I absolutely allowed it to happen for a long time first, and that’s on me.

Also at that same time, there was a particular way of interacting on tumblr that was very popular. It was a lot of exuberance and hyperbole and insults, and being rude for fun, and overall very over-the-top and often harsh or just plain uncaring that there was someone else at the other end of the message. For everyone who was here in 2012, I think you can probably remember what it was like. It wasn’t a nice mode of communication, but it was popular and got great responses and a lot of people found it fun to read. For a couple of years after I started Ailuronymy, I was absolutely guilty of buying into it and acting this way, until I finally hated it enough to stop. It wasn’t who I wanted to be, in general or on this blog specifically. It felt mean and inauthentic and I wanted to be better. But I did act like that for a long time, and that was a choice I made.

I’m not saying any of this because I want to make excuses for myself. I’m more aware than anyone else of the problems early on in this blog’s history, and it’s something I regret and wish I could go back to do differently with the knowledge and experience I have now. Unfortunately, I can’t change the past. I can only own up to it and do better going forward.

I’m sorry for the tone I often used, including to you in that post, and I’m sorry that because of that behaviour, you felt scared and unwelcome here. That’s a failure on my part. I shouldn’t have used the tone I did, or assumed I had to take a defensive, intense stance the way I did. It’s very sad to me to know that because I did that, you were frightened and decided to leave.

However, I would like to share my context too. Because at the time, I was nineteen years old (which I know probably sounds ancient to younger teens, but it’s not, really), and a bisexual guy (which I still am, obviously), and Ailuronymy was already a place that people (especially queer people) in the fandom were looking to for support and education. Insofar as this blog was developing a niche, that was it. I felt a significant amount of responsibility to champion and defend the people this blog was made for.

2012 was also a time when the Warriors fandom on tumblr was genuinely very homophobic, and also quite volatile. It was common for people to be very angry (in general, and often at me) for saying that ableism isn’t okay, or that Warriors characters can be trans, or sometimes just “canon naming doesn’t make much sense.” I got quite a lot of hate mail--also sometimes just... confused, angry mail, for this naming system or any of the political things I talked about--and I was doing the best I could with what I had to give. A lot of what I learned during my years of running this blog came from making mistakes, but I always did my best.

The reason I’m bringing this up is because what you actually said was: “these cats can be homosexual, asexual, bisexual, pansexual, and transgender--don’t even ask me how that’s possible. I don’t want to know.” You came to me, a queer man, running a blog that in no small part is about how queerness is allowed to exist in this fandom and is in fact not implausible, during a time when the fandom as a whole was solidly anti-queer, with something like that. Like you said, you shared it with me--and the readers here--because you hoped we would find it hilarious and unrealistic too.

But I didn’t, because, to me, that’s just what a lot of the fandom already was. It was a hostile environment that regularly argued that queer characters, or people, had no place here. That was the kind of things people on anon fairly often came to yell in my inbox about how I’m wrong, etc. etc., and how I’m bad, etc. etc.

I reacted defensively, which I wouldn’t do now, because I’m much older, and I have experience and confidence I just didn’t then. At the time, though, what I heard in your ask was “queer characters are absurd and don’t belong here, don’t correct me,” and that is what I reacted to. I’m sure for you, it felt scary and disproportionate, and as I said before, I wish I had handled things differently, and gentler.

But I don’t disagree with what I said. The points I made weren’t wrong. And my response--although not how I would respond now--was not wrong, even though it hurt you. It genuinely is horrible to know that because of my lack of tact, you were scared. It was also horrible to receive your ask at the time, just like many of the rest. It wasn’t hypothetical to me, because I’m queer. It was about me, and other people I care about very much.

The fact I’m queer is probably news to you, and you were new tumblr and probably didn’t know what was going on in the fandom, and maybe you would have said something different if you knew all this.

Likewise, though, you were on anon and I didn’t know who you were. I didn’t know you were fourteen. I didn’t know you were asking in good faith, and not just another one of the homophobic fans thinking you’d found a friend in me, which frankly felt a bit insulting. I didn’t know you were and, again, although I wish I did more back then and was kinder in my approach, I didn’t have insight into your intentions. I also didn’t have the maturity for that not to matter.

That said, even in my very imperfect answer I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt. I specifically said:

“Before you think I’m victimising you - I’m not. This is not personal right now; currently, this is a mistake on your part, and I understand that mistakes are incredibly easy to make. If, by the end of my post, you get where you went wrong here, then it will be like this ask of yours never happened and I will forget you ever said it. I don’t like to hold any kind of grudge if there’s any way to avoid it, and an acknowledgement of where you went wrong here would completely fix everything about this.”

“So what you’re saying when you say that you don’t believe that “homosexual, asexual, bisexual, pansexual, and transgender” cats are possible in the context of Warriors is, basically, that you’re a bigot. I am really sorry to say that, because the chances are - I sincerely hope - that you aren’t. You’re a good person. You’re a good person who said something bigoted by mistake. And if you don’t believe what you’ve said is a mistake yet, let me show you some interesting true facts about our world.“

Because I know how easy it is to make mistakes and how hard it is to get everything right all the time, and know everything, and never do something dumb or hurtful. It’s easy to fuck up. I’ve done it a lot. The answer I gave you back then is just one example.

That what you took from my answer was only fear and confusion isn’t something in my control, however. I hate that that’s what happened, and I regret not being who I am now back then, but even though I did fuck up back then, I still did what I could at the time to mitigate the damage and reassure you that a mistake doesn’t define you. I am sorry it wasn’t enough for you to feel okay coming back. But I can’t say I’m sorry for telling you that coming to me on my blog with that kind of mentality is something I’ll tolerate at all.

Ultimately, I’m sorry that our experience of each other was not a good one. I’m sorry that your memory of me is someone scary and mean, and that you felt you had to leave this site entirely for two years because of it. I regret that my actions left you with such a negative experience, because that was never my intention, even though the way I handled things with you was very poor.

I hope you’re able to find the closure you’re looking for and I genuinely wish you all the best.

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deborahdeshoftim5779 · 3 years

Text

BBC Merlin 4x05: His Father’s Son

Here's a round-up of my main observations from BBC Merlin's "His Father's Son" (4x05).

1- MERLIN AS A KNIGHT

I have to admit that Merlin as a sorcerer and trusted adviser appeals to me the most, but I did write a lengthy post analysing how Arthur had turned Merlin into an excellent fighter. This refutes claims that Merlin gave more to Arthur than he received in return.

At the beginning of 4x05, we see Merlin selected to play a new role: that of knight. How did this come about? Arthur Pendragon is best known for his skills as a warrior, but he deserves more credit for his military tactics. These destroy the popular yet false idea that he is unintelligent. More on the latter in a forthcoming post.

One of Arthur’s favourite tactics is using decoys. Previous examples of him using decoys include: The Castle of Fyrien (3x07), when Arthur used Merlin as a decoy to entrap Cenred’s soldiers; Aithusa (4x04), when Arthur used himself as a decoy to get Sir Percival to safety; Arthur’s Bane Part 2 (5x02), when Arthur uses Merlin as a decoy to enrage the slave traders before they escape-- by far my favourite example.

All things considered, I don’t think it takes long for Arthur to choose Merlin. Furthermore, this decision may have taken place before they reached their selected location, as Agravaine later mentions a previous attack by Caerleon on the border. This choice demonstrates that Arthur has higher confidence in Merlin's abilities than he does of in his knights-- else he would have chosen them. We must conclude that Merlin is Arthur's best fighter, though at first glance, we wonder why an unarmed man follows trained knights into battle.

Merlin is sharp, fast, has high stamina, and is incredibly resourceful. Most of all, however, he is incredibly brave. In fact, when rewatching 1x02, I was surprised to see Arthur acknowledge that Merlin was "braver than you look." This despite Arthur’s frustration that Merlin did not try hard enough during practice ("Come on, Merlin: I've got a tournament to win!").

What’s more, in that same episode, Merlin complains about his first day, but later on, we see his fascination wth the ongoing tournament. Then he admitted to Gaius that working for Arthur (in the context of said tournament) "isn't totally horrible all the time." It took one day for him to change his opinion!

Sure, Merlin would continue to treat the fighting as pointless violence, and Arthur as having nothing more in his head than a desire to knock "the seven bells" out of other people (3x04). However, even in 1x02, when he applauds Arthur's fighting, his actions tell a different story. We associate this habit of liking something whilst pretending otherwise to Arthur, yet Merlin has it as well.

As I have said before, Merlin and Arthur have profound differences, yet are profoundly alike.

2- MERLIN AS A SERVANT

It comes as no surprise that Merlin would return to serving after the beginning of 4x05. However, what that change represents sets the tone for this entire episode: Arthur dismissing Merlin's counsel repeatedly in favour of listening to his uncle.

When Arthur says, "so please, stick to what you do know," you have to wonder whether Merlin remembered being entrusted with the role of knight. Now, Arthur puts him back in his place.

Here's another example: "My conscience is clean, which is more than I can say for my room, so just... do your job, will you?" Yet just yesterday, that job involved Merlin risking his life against enemy forces by dressing as a knight.

By the way, you can tell that Arthur doesn’t believe his own excuses, because he keeps using the passive voice to justify killing Caerleon: “...a show of strength was necessary… an example had to be made… My conscience is clean…”

Merlin’s face after Arthur claims he doesn’t need anyone is self-explanatory.

3- NEW THOUGHTS ON ANNIS

Is Queen Annis a good person? Actually, no.

First of all, she knows and approves of her husband invading foreign kingdoms to plunder their wealth. Such invasions naturally cost not only the lives of Arthur's men, but her own, too.

Furthermore, despite accepting Arthur's offer of a fight by single combat, she is prepared to cheat by enlisting Morgana's power. Perhaps if Arthur had died, too, she would have felt some remorse. Yet she still takes a monumental risk with Arthur's life in blatant violation of the knight's code. One has to wonder about her reaction had Camelot plotted against her armies in the same way.

Then we have Annis calmly ordering Merlin’s execution without giving him a chance to explain himself. The lack of emotion in her voice suggests she has done this before.

Speaking of cruelty, Annis’ champion seems to enjoy inflicting pain on his enemies, yet the Queen claims that he “served my husband well.” I dread to think what she means by “served”.

I will also note that Queen Annis disdains magic, referring to Morgana as “witch”. As I have said before, Uther did not begin prejudice against magic; sorcerers were disliked and feared elsewhere, too, including by those who disliked Uther. Many sorcerers caused this prejudice by engaging in manipulative, violent, and wicked deeds.

Examples include High Priestesses using Fomorrohs to enslave people’s minds (4x06); Cornelius Sigan using his power to change day into night and acquire vast wealth (2x01); sorcerers using special blades to murder people (3x04), and so on.

None of this takes away from Annis’ complexity, nor does it undermine her immense humility when she accepts defeat and withdraws from Camelot. After all, much of Annis' rage and desire for vengeance stems from intense grief over Caerleon's death, so we can assume her marriage was a happy one.

Forgiving the man who destroyed her domestic happiness (as well as leaving her people without a king) shows tremendous nobility on Annis’ part. I think Arthur sees that, for he is always humble and respectful before her.

4- LONG LIVE THE KING

Few people respect Arthur more than Merlin. So when he doesn’t join in with cries of “Long live the king!”, you know something is wrong.

5- CONTROL YOUR FEAR

Episode 4x03 has a hilarious scene where a drunk Arthur claims he isn’t even a little bit scared, because, “I’m a warrior. You learn to control your fear.” Then Arthur walks smack bang into a pillar. Never fails to make me laugh. Minus the drunkenness, Arthur was telling the truth about controlling his fear.

You can see this at least twice in this episode: first, when he sees how many men Annis has brought against Camelot, and secondly, when he sees the size of Annis’ giant. In both cases, Arthur harnesses his fear into determination, which is another sign of a great warrior.

Next up, we have a fascinating scene where Arthur watches his men joking by the fire. It's a great way of showing Arthur’s care for these men, as well as his guilt that impending war will end their lives. In a sense, Arthur has to control his fear yet again.

6- TRUST IN MERLIN

After the above scene, Gwaine asks Merlin if Arthur is all right, and the fact that Merlin can describe Arthur's feelings without even questioning the King once again shows the unique nature of their friendship. Merlin sees Arthur's expression, and he just knows. And Gwaine knows that, hence why he does not question the King himself.

Listen to the silence after Merlin's response. Nobody questions Merlin's judgement: they just reflect. Given the way Arthur has repeatedly dismissed Merlin's advance in favour of his uncle, I think he could have learned something from his own knights.

I wonder whether the knights would ask Merlin something about Arthur in this way, whenever the king was absent. In ancient kingdoms, kings had advisers, and in order to earn the monarch's favour, you spoke to the latter first. Did Merlin ever play that role for the knights?

7- MERLIN’S IDIOCY

Now, I have a problem with Merlin telling Arthur that 1)- he would have taken any other option but to face war with Annis, and 2)- his decision to kill Caerleon “was made in the best interests of Camelot.”

Sorry, but it wasn’t. Merlin knows that. I understand that he has to rally Arthur’s spirits so that they can win against Annis, but I am glad that Arthur knows full well he has done wrong. Both Merlin and many fans do not give Arthur enough credit for recognising his own errors.

However, even these foolishly optimistic statements pale in comparison to Merlin's reckless and self-righteous interference when Arthur negotiates with Queen Annis. I burst out laughing when he trips and falls headlong into the tent, a metaphor for his impetuousness.

Merlin eavesdrops outside Annis’ tent, gets caught (so he didn't conceal himself), and then has the audacity to say, “Sorry about this!” to Arthur! Not only that, he got angry over being called a “simple-minded fool”, when he couldn’t even walk in a straight line to follow the king, got himself caught and almost killed by enemy soldiers, and made Arthur look as though he were double-crossing Annis!

I completely agree with Arthur’s anger: “Oh, I was being kind, believe me: you almost got me killed in there!” Correct. Merlin simply could not trust that Arthur knew what he was doing, and decided to interfere. Instead of apologising for getting Arthur into trouble, Merlin remains on the defensive, claiming without evidence that Arthur was “doing a pretty good job of that yourself!”

This is untrue. Arthur surrendered himself to Annis’ men. The most injury he received was a slap. He asked a favour. That isn’t risking your life. In fact, Arthur was trying to save lives, and if Merlin had been listening properly (or just stayed in bed), he would have seen that. Only after Merlin’s sudden entrance did Arthur face serious danger from Annis.

Now, Merlin’s explanation for this is, “I’m your friend! I was looking out for you.” I don’t doubt it. But once again, Arthur is right: “I appreciate that in your very confused way, you’re only trying to help, but please: don’t do it again.”

Condescending? Of course. But this time it was Merlin who provoked him into this anger.

8- MORGANA

Despite all her power, Morgana still has to defer to non-magical kings and queens. After all, she requires their military assistance to take over Camelot.

You can also see how Queen Annis detects Morgana’s hatred, greed, self-righteousness, hypocrisy, and bloodlust. In one glance, Queen Annis begins questioning the wisdom of working with a sorceress she does not trust, not least on account of Morgana being a sorceress.

In fact, Arthur’s prowess as a warrior impresses her more: “You have as much to lose as I if Arthur wins…” Fascinating scene.

9- THANK YOU, OLD FRIEND

It’s ironic that arguably the best scene in 4x05 begins by showcasing Arthur’s cynicism. No guesses why Arthur did not tell Merlin about breaking off his relationship with Gwen earlier. That speaks volumes. If he had told Merlin, I think they would have had an argument similar to that of 4x11.

Only when Arthur realises that he may die does he ask Merlin to pass his ring onto Gwen with an apology. You can see the guilt etched onto his face as he refuses to make eye contact. Interestingly, Merlin does not ask any further questions.

Arthur’s entrusting Merlin to look after Gwen in the event of his death says a lot. For example, that ring is technically royal property, yet Arthur gives it to a servant for safe-keeping, rather than his next-of-kin, Agravaine. Despite claiming to need his uncle’s advice, Arthur will not trust Agravaine with such duties. Has Arthur made a medieval will or testament? Obviously, I have no idea, however, this episode already shows Arthur’s reliance on Merlin to deal with family matters.

Another interesting aspect to this scene is Merlin’s silence after Arthur makes an indisputable point. This dispels any idea that Merlin’s advice was always correct. On several occasions, Merlin had to defer to Arthur’s judgement, because he saw the truth and wisdom behind it. “I don’t know what will happen. But for the first time since I became king, I know in my heart I’ve made the right decision.”

Got to love Arthur’s half-amused, “You’re not about to start crying on me, are you?” He expects Merlin to be either in good spirits or confident, because that is how he, too, remains confident. Arthur is an optimist, yet Merlin becomes a pessimist, so the king must pull Merlin together with light and yet serious teasing.

Needless to say, Arthur calling Merlin “old friend” implies that they have been friends for a long time. So why do some fans still think that Arthur had trouble admitting that Merlin was his friend? Also, the word “old” in this context can imply reliability, constancy. Arthur chose that word to describe Merlin’s value, as well as the length of their friendship.

The great thing about Arthur is that while he makes some serious errors, when he does repent, he does so well. Not only does Arthur graciously thank Merlin for his concern, but he makes it clear to Agravaine that he relies on Merlin’s judgement prior to entering battle. This supports my earlier statement that Merlin is Arthur’s best fighter, as well as right-hand man; Arthur does not leave for the fight until Merlin has confirmed his readiness.

On top of this, Arthur later admits that he might be a cabbage head. “I should have listened to you, Merlin. Just this once, I think you were right-- even if you are the worst servant in the five kingdoms!”

By implication, Agravaine is wrong. Arthur won’t say that, of course, but we saw Merlin’s sound advice competing with Agravaine’s lies for this entire episode. We can only conclude that regardless of what he says, Arthur trusts Merlin more than members of his own family.

And this is a theme which will continue and grow for the remainder of Season 4.

FURTHER POINTS:

Merlin’s fighting skills

Paradoxes of Arthur and Merlin’s friendship

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the---hermit · 3 years

Text

Tag 9 people to learn about their interests!

Tagged by @just-a-cup-of-anxietea thank you 💜🌿

MUSIC

Favourite genre?

I grew up listening to metal and rock, and that's where my heart is. Expecially symphonic metal. But I also listen a a lot more.

Favourite song?

I could say so many songs, if I really have to pick just one I would say Fear Of The Dark by Iron Maiden. That's the song that made me fall in love with music as a kid.

Most listened song recently?

Lately I have been really into Rain Paris' covers, she's really good.

Song currently stuck in your head?

Below My Feet by Mumford and Sons

5 fave lyrics?

Although I felt like giving up

It's not the road I chose

The path less often traveled

Held the highest, the highest of hopes

(The Curse Of The Fold by Shawn James)

Man, he took his time in the sun

Had a dream to understand

A single grain of sand

He gave birth to poetry

But one day'll cease to be

Greet the last light of the library

(The Greatest Show On Earth by Nightwish)

The first thing I ever heard

Was a wandering man telling his story

It was you, the grass under my bare feet

The campfire in the dead of the night

The heavenly black of sky and sea

(Song Of Myself by Nightwish)

And suddently Hades was only a man...

(Epic III from Hadestown off Broadway)

You can be every little thing you want nobody to know

(Wilder Mind by Mumford and Sons)

BOOKS

Favourite book genre?

I have a thing for the very first horror/scifi/fantasy that bloomed in gothic litterature at the end of the 1800s. I have no idea if that counts as a genre, but I have always had a thing for that part of litterature, and when I don't know what to read I usually just go for something that falls under this category

Favourite writer?

Neil Gaiman, and many others, but if I have to pick just one that's him. His writing style, the topics, everything is just perfect for my taste in writing.

Favourite book?

I usually say Frankenstein by Mary Shelly cause that is a great way to present the type of story I like. I was also lucky cause I read that book in the perfect moment of my life to connect with it amazingly. At the same time I feel like I am lying because to only pick one single book is so reductive.

Favourite book series?

I have commitment issues, I don't usually go for series. I would like to cheat by saying The Lord Of The Rings, but Tolkien considered it a whole book. Other than that the only full series I have read is Harry Potter. ( I have also read a few books from the Percy Jackson series, which I enjoyed at the time. And last year I started reading The Witcher series, which I am really liking but I am only two books in and I don't know if that would count).

Comfort book?

The Humans by Matt Haig. Anyone who knows me, or has been following me for a while knows about this, amd no I will never shut up about it until everyone has read it. It just gives me hope in a way didn't think was possible. (Also shout out to The Hobbit cause it just makes me feel so good)

Perfect book to read on a rainy day?

Okay so not an easy question. I think I would either go for a short book that I could read in one sitting or a collection of short stories. For the first category my first thought was Tarocchi Magici E Cavallereschi : La Vera Storia Di Rolando by Marcello Simoni. I have no idea if this was translated but It was a great retelling of the medieval story of Rolando I read last year, I'd love to re-read it. For the second category any short story collection by Neil Gaiman. I particularly love Trigger Warning.

Favourite character?

How can you ask me to pick just one? I love the Creature of Frankenstein, I connected so much to that character. But also Herger from Crichton's Eaters of the Dead is a character I love. I adore his positive spirit and his way of seeing life. At this point I should also mention Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit, one of the characters that I feel more close to me.

5 favourite quotes from your favourite book(s) that you know by heart?

Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.

(Frankenstein by Mary Shelley)

A paradox: The things you don’t need to live—books, art, cinema, wine, and so on—are the things you need to live.

(The Humans by Matt Haig)

Don’t aim for perfection. Evolution, and life, only happen through mistakes.

(The Humans by Matt Haig)

Herger said to me, "Be thankful, for you are fortunate."

I inquired the source of my fortune. Herger said in reply, "If you have the fear of high places, than this day you shall overcome it; and so you shall have faced a great challenge; and so you shall be adjudged a hero.

(Eaters Of The Dead by Michael Crichton)

Then something Tookish woke up inside him, and he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine-trees and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a walking-stick.

(The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien)

TV AND MOVIES

Favoutie tv/movie genre?

I have no idea. I don't know if I feel different about the genres I watch the most. You know what? I'm gonna go with animated movies because at the end of the day that's always the best option when you don't know what to watch.

Favourite movie ?

There is so many movie. In my family we religiously rewatch a bunch of movies every year, how could I pick just one? I'm gonna go with Young Frankenstein cause that movies is hilarious, and everytime I rewatch it I laugh as if I didn't know all the jokes already.

Comfort movie ?

Honestly it depends on what type of comfort I am looking for. I could go with a couple of my favourite disney classics like The Emperor's New Groove and The Lion King. But also The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings movies. This list could go on for days honestly.

Movie you watch every year ?

The list would be way too long, I am a serial rewatcher. I can say a few I haven't mentioned yet. Big Trouble In Little China, the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Wasabi, The 13th Warrior, Lo Chiamavano Trinità and A LOT of other movies.

Favoutie tv show?

The answer to this has changed many many times through the years, but I can confidently say Brooklyn Nine Nine.

Comfort tv show?

Brooklyn Nine Nine, Friends, and I know there's something else but I can't think of any title at the moment.

Most rewatched tv show?

I could say Supernatural, but I really don't want to say Supernatural. I have watched The Mentalist a fair amount of times (the first couple seasons). Now that I think about it I have seen Lie To Me a lot of times aswell. B99 too but I disn't awant to be too repetitive.

5 fave characters?

I don't know if this is supposed to be on tv shows or movies so I will randomly list a few from both. Bilbo Baggings from The Hobbit (yes I am saying it again BUT you don't understand how much I feel like him cause I also both want and not want to go on an adventure). Rosa Diaz from B99, Patrick Jane from The Mentalist, Elizabeth Swan from The Pirates Of The Caribbean. I know it's just four but I can't think of anyone at the moment.

I tag (no pressure) : @anxiousoptimist101, @contre-qui , @justanotherstudyblrinthecrowd , @starrystvdy , @sage-studies , @occhicerchiati , @fly-away-from-here , @illuminatingnun and @outsassing-nero, plus whoever whats to do this just pretend that I tagged you!

#i wrote this the other day after i had slept till 1 am e then travelled for like 5 hours #i have edited it once but my brain is still kind of a mess which means there might be a few errors here and there and for this i apologize #i will probably spend the next two weeks editing this everytime i look at it #ANYWAY this was really fun!#tag #tagged #tag game #get to know me #studyblr #bookblr #just a cup of anxietea #mutuals #friends #the---hermit #cris speaks

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dottie-wan-kenobi · 4 years

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DOTTIE’S BATFAM FIC RECS

hi!! so, no one asked for this but,,, I wanted to make one anyway! I really love the batfam a lot and I see a lot of ppl in the fandom wishing it was easier to find good fics. this is by no means all of them but they are some of my faves, generally not too fanon-y! all fics are gen/family fluff with little to no ships (which are not bat/cest).

feel free to message/ask me about triggers if you’re unsure!! and lmk if I forgot to tag anyone ❤️

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Homecoming by Ionaperidot / @iowriteswords on tumblr

https://archiveofourown.org/works/10966704/chapters/24414906

Summary: “Your son’s grave. It’s been disturbed.” In which people actually notice when Jason breaks out of his grave, and Bruce finds him before Talia does.

My thoughts: Bruce’s voice in this is seriously perfect, plus Dick, Jason, and Tim are great as well!! This fic honestly helps inform me of my Tim characterization!

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The Wound Begins To Bleed by audreycritter / @audreycritter on tumblr

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13295661

Summary: Now that Tim’s moved back to the manor, he just wants a few afternoons a week without Damian around. Funny how getting that was the catalyst for him becoming a better big brother.

My Thoughts: it makes me emotional okay it GETS me right in my HEART!!! both Dami and Tim are so so so good I can’t rec this enough

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just hold a smile by RecklessWriter

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22777705

Summary: That's the thing about smiles, Dick thinks. If you flash the right one, no one knows there's something more going on inside. Five times Dick faked a smile and one time someone saw through it.

My Thoughts: Dick & others, including Tim and Cass. Dick is really good at hiding his feelings from others, and I love how in this fic, a lot of times, he’s hiding them to “protect” whoever it is

(more under the cut!)

life, if well lived by CaptainOzone

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18378512

Summary: Jason wakes up from a time-travel mishap to find Thomas and Martha Wayne hovering over him. Just another day in the life, right? ...Not quite.

My Thoughts: this one had me crying like a baby!!! the characterization is great and I love CO’s Thomas and Martha

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one shot, two shots in the night by discowing / @dykewing on tumblr, @/wlwdiscowing on twitter

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18871864/chapters/44792710

Summary: The New York Times ✓ @nytimes · 4h

“A Shot in the Dark” remains on our bestseller list for the fourth week in a row! Read our review of @brucewayne’s tell-all memoir here: nyti.ms/3Fs9k2E

My Thoughts: TALK ABT MAKING ME CRY. this gets me every time, and it’s absolutely worth ALL of the rereads. such a great Bruce.

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The View From Jade by lowflyingfruit

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11329791/chapters/25359972

Summary: Being transported to the past is not the sort of thing one normally expects. But this having happened, and with no easy way back, Jason's determined to make the most of it. Though the Bat still stalks Gotham's streets, the city's crime is run by the mobs instead of the rogues. There's no Joker yet. There's no Robin. Maybe there shouldn't be.

My Thoughts: Jason & Dick, and also Bruce somewhere in there too. this is SO! GOOD! I absolutely love Jason’s voice, and Dick is so in character. plus Bruce and Alfred are awesome as well!!!

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The Birds Who Smile by Raberba girl / @raberbagirl on tumblr

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12972324/chapters/29656290

Summary: "Dark Nights: Metal" AU where Bruce adopts three of the Robins who once belonged to the Batman Who Laughs.

My Thoughts: I think this was the first fic that introduced me to Duke, actually! and while there are a LOT of characters involved, they’re all pretty great and realistic. they have their moments to shine and it’s,,, *chef’s kiss*

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The Thing about Apples and Trees by Cdelphiki / @cdelphiki on tumblr

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22192747

Summary: When Jason agreed to let Bruce adopt him, he thought that meant Jason felt happy and safe in Bruce's home. But when Jason's nightmares only increased, and his panic attacks and meltdowns started happening more often, Bruce was at a complete loss for what to do. But then, Jason finally opened up to him, and he was able to quell some of Jason's worse fears. Perhaps a midnight chat and a few hugs wouldn't fix everything, but it was a step in the right direction.

My Thoughts: this is part of a series but might be okay to read on it’s own? tho really I suggest the entire series, it’s amazing. but this fic specifically has great kid Jason characterization (and also made me cry, I think!)

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Kitten by lurkinglurkerwholurks / @lurkinglurkerwholurks on tumblr

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18194294

Summary: Bruce opened his mouth, prepared to give the unemotional, no-nonsense explanation he had cobbled together between his walk to the car and now. Instead, his mouth went dry and nothing came out.

“Bruce?”

Bruce was saved from answering by the thin cry that cut through the silence. He winced, then reached back with one hand to shush the dimpled, kicking legs.

“Bruce, tell me I did not just hear what I thought I heard.”

My Thoughts: so so so cute! plus the gangs all here!!!

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Yes Ma’am by lurkinglurkerwholurks

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22004695

Summary: Jason had shuffled into the bedroom and had just finished pulling his shirt over his head when he paused, arms still trapped in the fabric. A pair of eyes glowed at him from the bed, reflecting the dim light from the hall.

My Thoughts: I also have to include this one bc it was a gift to me, and it’s so cute & angsty & just dkjsfsdjkhfksjah I love it so much

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The D-Word by AutumnHobbit / @autumnhobbit on tumblr

https://archiveofourown.org/works/9597686

Summary: "See, Tim?" Jason called over his shoulder sardonically. "Dad agrees with me."

He turned back to his food for a moment before the thought suddenly occurred to him that the Cave had gone near silent. He cautiously glanced back at the others. Alfred was still working away at stitching Tim up. Tim looked a little pale and sweaty, but he was glancing over at Jason with a look that was a mixture of concern and confusion. Bruce was standing stock-still, seemingly staring off into space.

My Thoughts: I constantly reread this when I want funny and then heart breaking Jason & Bruce feels. I always know what’s coming and it STILL GETS ME

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baby wonder by drakefeathers / @drakefeathers on tumblr

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1887807

Summary: (baby!damian AU) Bruce dies, Dick becomes Batman. But the Damian that Talia leaves in his care isn’t a ten-year-old warrior, he’s a ten-month-old baby.

My Thoughts: oh my goddd this is so good, it hurts but it’s SO CUTE at the same time??? ugh dskjfhkjsadhf

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a hat fashioned from tin foil by discowing

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14356020

Summary: nightwang @karakurachou – 8 hours ago

jason todd is alive and faked his death so he could become robin: a conspiracy theory thread

Batfam conspiracy theories meet social media.

My Thoughts: !!!!!!! so good!!!! seriously one of the best social media fics I’ve ever read.

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Bet Your Bottom Dollar by jerseydevious / @jerseydevious on tumblr and twitter

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17971160/chapters/42447017

Summary: Dick's been having kind of a hard time, recently. When it boils over, Bruce is there for him.

My Thoughts: I reread this one a LOT when I need Dick & Bruce feels

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Metanoia by AlannaOfRoses / @alannaofroses on tumblr

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21943249

Summary: Jason's bleeding out, Dick's overtired, and a half-serious offer turns into their new normal. Sometimes you just need somebody else around.

My Thoughts: this one was also a gift to me!! it’s got amazing brotherly bonding and it made me laugh a LOT

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a hundred miles through the desert by acrobats

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18197330/chapters/43045388

Summary: Finding himself nearly three decades into the past hadn't been part of Jason's plans for the day, but he could manage. Having no idea how he got there, no clear path home and a recently orphaned Bruce Wayne determined to drag Jason into his search for his parents' killer - that might be a little more complicated.

My Thoughts: ughhh this is such good Jason content (and such amazing Jason voice, too) I adore it

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oh, where do I begin? by LazuliQuetzal / @lazuliquetzal on tumblr

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21988693

Summary: “No, no, nothing’s wrong,” Jason says. “We’re a-okay. Just peachy. Good times.”

“Oh,” Duke says, lamely, working himself out of crisis mode. There’s an awkward silence for a moment before he speaks up again. “Why did you call?”

“Right, right," Jason mumbles, which seemed a little out of character to Duke. His sort-of wayward brother was generally intimidating, even when he wasn't trying to be. "Uh, Dick said that you had a guinea pig when you were younger. How do you take care of a guinea pig?”

_____

AKA, not-exactly accidental guinea pig acquisition

My Thoughts: this was ALSO a gift to me but it’s so funny and sweet and there’s amazing Duke & Jason bonding so I absolutely must rec it

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Latchkey by goldkirk / @goldkirk on tumblr

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21672928/chapters/51685639

Summary: or, How Tim Drake Found A Family, Became A Photojournalist, Learned To Love Coffee, and Grew Up, not necessarily in that order.

Tim Drake is thirteen, runs the famous BatWatch blog that has spiraled hilariously out of control, has absentee parents that suit his purposes just fine, is training himself to run the streets at night, and is doing absolutely peachy, thank you.

Alfred and Jason disagree, and get Dick and Bruce involved in figuring out their weird nextdoor neighbor kid’s life. Everything goes uphill from there.

My Thoughts: this is SO GOOOOD the Tim feels are amazing!!! the family interactions!!! everything! sdkjfhsjdfhksdhfajh

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Blood in the Water by MishaBerry

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12734052/chapters/29037474

Summary: We all do stupid things when we are lonely, and in faraway lands, we hardly expect the consequences to follow us. Bruce certainly never thought twice about an American woman in Jaipur after one night with her. He hardly expected to see her ever again.

The universe, on the other hand, had different ideas, and the tides of time and chance brought Tim Drake to Bruce's life over and over again.

My Thoughts: this one is more AU than a lot of the others on here but it’s a lot of fun!! it has Tim & Damian & Jason feels, plus the rest of the family on a smaller scale

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so these are just SOME, and honestly you should go and check out other works done by all of these authors!! also would like to suggest reading the fics of @renecdote , @caramelmachete , @redtruthed , @rredarrow , and @schweeeppess !!!

#batfam fic recs #batfam #batfamily #dc #fic rec #bruce wayne #dick grayson #jason todd #tim drake #cass cain #duke thomas #steph brown #damian wayne #i do love all of these fics but im thinking there should be more w cass and duke #both in general and on the list #i'll just have to make another one w more of their fics dkjfkdjsafh

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dangermousie · 3 years

Photo

Just finished Exodus from Genesis aka start of my ship!

I love that it is yet again, Crichton’s plan, or more importantly, Crichton’s ability to think outside the box, that saves the day. In a way, his unorthodoxness is helped by the fact that he is an outsider, no preconceived notions. We open the episode with his being frustrated by the fact (as he puts it to Zhaan) that with Aeryn and D’Argo everything is a test, he has to prove his worth every second and I love that he frustratingly asks Zhaan how he can do that, short of cutting off someone’s head. But by the end, in a way, he’s achieved the goal in incremental steps. This episode (an episode of so many firsts, about which more below) is the first moment where D’Argo and John bond (they will later develop into one of my favorite on-screen friendships, but this time is far far from now). It’s a little, brief, ‘glance at each other and chuckle together’ bit, and how Farscapian that this bonding comes as a result of D’Argo chucking a protesting Rygel into a vent hole to explore what is wrong with the ship.

Of course a bigger, and more significant first, is the bond John develops with Aeryn. I get the sense that from the very first, Aeryn is special for John. It’s attraction and something indefinable and all sort of other things, but also in a way, it has to do with how she looks: she looks human. Even though objectively John knows she isn’t, she is the one bit of familiar in this crazy place.

And also, John is an immensely protective guy (side note - I love how he can be protective without being macho or superior. Just genuine concern. And it comes through with so many: with Chiana, with various beings they meet on the way, even with Jool. Though by season four this is largely gone. It’s ‘us against the world’ mentality, which is justifiable but sad). And in a way, ridiculous as it may seem in light of the fact that Aeryn can break his arm seven times without pausing for breath, Aeryn needs to be taken care of a lot more than anyone else on this ship. She is the one being on it who is almost as lost and marooned as he is. Zhaan, Rygel, D’Argo, they are escaped prisoners, true. But they have lives if they get back home, into their society. Aeryn has been exiled forever from the only life she knows. John, who is literally lost in the Universe, can sympathize. And of course, Aeryn is the one who tried, however clumsily (she is not used to dealing or receiving kindness, not yet) to save his life.

So we have that hilarious chemistry laden conversation between John and Aeryn in the beginning where she tells him “No offense, human, but what can I possibly need from you?” and I love how John mutters under his breath ‘Oh, I don’t know. Manners, personality, stock tips?’

But, but, but, but.

This whole episode is about how she does need John. It’s interesting that if John is drawn to Aeryn, so is she drawn to him. It’s automatic: when she is suffering heat delirium, it’s John she turns to for help, it’s John she asks to kill her. Which, for Aeryn, is a demonstration of trust: this demonstration of weakness, this hated reliance on another. She doesn’t turn to D’Argo (who is, like her, a warrior, so on some level, more compatible for that sort of thing). Perhaps it’s because in John’s eyes she is new and clean. D’Argo and Zhaan and Rygel and even Pilot? They all hate her, more or less, as a Peacekeeper, a symbol of the oppression and pain. John sees her as a person.

And of course, even this early on, I love how the show shows (brrrr, tautology) that Aeryn is special to John. This is the first time we’ve seen him really lose his temper, snap at D’Argo that he (D) wants Aeryn to die etc. He is losing his cool. And I love the scene where Aeryn is lying on the cot, and she is asking John to promise to kill her if it gets worse and he cannot and just the way he looks at her, this all-enveloping, amazing way, and he tells her that they will fix it…I am sorry. I am a puddle of goo on the floor.

The little thing especially that kills me is when he very gently, very tentatively, reaches a hand to stroke her face. It’s a very light, brief caress, and it’s not even sexual or romantic. It’s just caring and loving and guuuuuuh…

But of course, John can never kill her. Ever. Even if the Universe were to die, John would pick that over having Aeryn die (I am reminded of the brilliant scene in S4 CoD, one of the show’s darkest, where John literally sells his soul for a mere possibility of getting Aeryn back). He is not yet at that stage of utter obsessive, co-dependant, consuming love, or anywhere near it (this show is the only one that ever sold me on the protagonist literally being unable to function without his OTP. Mainly because by the end he is in pieces and Aeryn is the only glue holding him together. Of course, this is also true of Aeryn by the end), but even then, at this early ep…he cannot (at this stage, he has never killed anyway and I don’t think he can, with anyone).

I love that he does order the heat cranked up, temporarily, though it’s risky to Aeryn, in order to defeat the Marauder commandos. That’s John and Aeryn. Picking the best of horrible choices.

You know how I mentioned firsts? There is also a first of Pilot and Aeryn rapport. They work well together and have an innate understanding on some level. I love Pilot commenting quizzically that it’s odd to be near a PK and not fear one. And he cradles her in his claw when she faints and it’s somehow a very gentle gesture.

And there is another first. John, unarmed, facing someone with a nasty weapon to his throat, and managing to get his way through sheer bluffing conviction. He is nowhere near the edge of insanity yet, but the way he faces the Commando with the knife, the possibility of that edge is there. The deadly intensity, the all-consuming concentration. There is something dark and unbending in John that hasn’t been brought out yet. But oh poor boy, it will, it will.

I also find it interesting that this Crichton gives the Commandos a choice. Leave or die. I get the sense later Crichton wouldn’t think twice of not offering a choice. He hates the body count even by the end, but oh boy, he is capable of it.

Oh, and then we get that amazing final scene on the terrace with Aeryn and John. With the smile and her telling him that she always thought before lesser species were only to be controlled etc etc and he starts replying and pauses and smiles and it hits him and he asks her ‘You are not talking about the [hive]?’ And continues that on behalf of lesser species, he accepts the compliment. I just love how he is smiling at this and amused and not annoyed or offended or anything. And I love that when she asks him if he could have killed her, he doesn’t answer. And they just stand on the terrace, side by side, not touching, and look out and he tells her there are worse ways to end the day.

(I love that when he finds out she means him as a lesser life form, he’s not angry but wryly, self-deprecatingly amused. He really doesn’t have much of an ego, and that never changes.)

I really think in so many ways, this is a turning point for Aeryn. Not because of John’s promise, or John’s utter dependability or even his problem solving. He is tender and however much she might dislike the idea of it due to PK training, a part of her is really drawn to it, especially when she realizes as time goes on, that one can be tender and yet not weak.

P.S. I like the short little convo about arbitrariness of life John has with Zhaan. Oh yeah, he is beginning to learn it for himself and soon will learn much more. I am also fascinated by Zhaan who is calm and priestly yet with a strong overlay of crazy. She might talk about reverence to life blah blah, but she is the one who in a later S1 ep hacks off Pilot’s arm and doesn’t apologize. She is also the only real criminal there…

#farscape

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jngles · 3 years

Text

Thoughts You Definitely All Asked For on ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 2 Finale!!

These are in chronological order for the show.

One of my biggest fears about them reintroducing Boba Fett was that by removing some of his mystery, they would make him less cool. Thank god that has not been the case. He’s still an aloof and nasty piece of work but with dimensions added.

We all know the Empire is most often a metaphor for America right? At least when it’s not being Nazi Germany? The Imperial pilot talking about destroying an entire planet (of peaceful weaponless civilians no less) to stop terrorism hits a little too close to home of the nuclear bombs the US has dropped and the endless destruction of the Middle East in the “war against terror.” And of course we frame all our wars in similar language like “our troops died to keep our country safe,” which hasn’t really been true since WWII.

I do think it’s worth noting that this is the first time SW has had someone acknowledge the human losses of the Death Star blasts. Usually it’s framed as a loss in construction time, strategical advantage, and power. The Empire proved time and time again that the lives of its soldiers were utterly expendable, which always made me question why people remained loyal outside of fear. Through this pilot’s phrasing, you can see the propaganda Imperial superiors used to twist the truth to their followers, always blaming those deaths on Rebel aggression instead of prideful Imperial neglect (I.e. not abandoning ship when there was still time) or even direct Imperial aggression like Operation Cinder where they fired on thousands of their own (discussed in S2E7.)

You can’t tell me Din wasn’t into it when Cara shot that asshole pilot. That cold faced revenge shot? 100% Mandalorian style, and also very very hot.

I appreciate that it was a pretty equal match between Boba and Koska Reeves. So much of Boba’s advantage comes from his suit, but since she also has one, it’s a battle of wits on how to use it, and they even out. This both maintains his legendary badassery and also that of highly trained Mandalorian warriors, and hopefully avoids asshole chauvinist SW fans on the internet complaining abujt “pandering to feminism” (fuck off @ all of them, especially since Mercedes Vernado who plays Reeves is a WWE champ and could kick all of your asses.)

Din point blank asked how many Death Troopers there are and Dr. Pershing never answered, and that annoys me.

Why is no one suspicious why Dr. Pershing is being so helpful and revealing so much information? He totally did not have to tell them about the Dark Troopers or any of the specifics of locations on the ship. He’s still with the empire post-fall, implying he’s a loyalist, so... wtf on his part (since no tricks come of it), and “be smarter” on the part of everyone else. Unless he’s been captive as a clone engineer all this time. But couldn’t he have made his escape back in Season 1 when Din killed everyone at that lab to get the kid back?

Bo Katan really could’ve just told them how the retrieval of the dark saber needs to work in the flight before the mission instead of being vague about “he belongs to me.”

Boba Fett’s usage of “Princess” and “don’t worry about me” are a good throwback to Han Solo and the culture they both grew up in. You can never quite tell if it’s based in misogyny or resentment for upper classes, but both of them seem to use it as a shield for begrudging respect they hold for a woman they think is brave but following a fool’s errand (the Rebellion and retaking Mandalore).

The Comms Officer (Katy O’Brian) assisting Moff Gideon will forever and always look like Ilana Glazer to me, and then I get swept up imagining what would happen if the Broad City cast accidentally got transported to Star Wars.

The launch tube sequence has some amazing cinematography.

The second I saw Boba was cut off from the pack, I really thought they were going to kill him again and make his return bittersweet. Glad they didn’t.

God this team of Bo Katan, Koska Reeves, Fennec Shand, and Cara Dune is SO BADASS. I’m just obsessed with all these characters and their various motivations to get shit done. I honestly didn’t even think about the fact it’s all women until my re-watch, showing that the writers made it feel natural, the way women deserve to have their representation done. You can bet I am SO EXCITED for my future daughter and the wealth of possibilities she’s going to have of characters to play pretend as, action figures she can relate to, Halloween costumes to wear, etc. It’s so validating that we’ve gone from only Princess Leia as a female main character to all these women + Rey, Jyn Erso, Ahsoka, etc. etc.

Can’t wait for the trap remix of the Dark Trooper activation noises. (And the transition from that to the minimalist flute theme is perfect.)

The spy movie version of the main theme music is sick.

The Dark Trooper droid faces have a lot of similarity to Darth Vader’s mask. That callback is especially apparent when the one is literally lit from the inside with fire. He was already a martyr/legend to the Imperial remnants, Kylo Ren didn’t start the trend of ignoring his redemption.

Cara’s “excuse me” right before shooting up Stormtroopers is hilarious. Literally “can’t talk rn, doing hot girl shit and murdering space Nazis.”

Finally an Imperial ship got some frickin security cameras. Truly- the amount of times people just wander down hallways they’re not supposed to be in with no one being able to find them throughout the course of Star Wars is ridiculous when you think about the degree of surveillance our real life society carries out. I also love that this means The Mandalorian characters have also seen The Mandalorian.

The storytelling does such a service to Pedro Pascal and his already heroic efforts to portray emotion through a helmet. For example: Din easily could’ve killed the one stormtrooper outside Grogu’s cell much more efficiently, but instead, to show his absolute rage, they wrote in Din choking him out with a spear.

Moff Gideon would have been the BIGGEST pain in the ass in philosophy class. “Assume I know everything” my ass. I want to hear about his backstory (he would’ve been “coming of age” at the time of the Clone Wars) mostly just to hear about him getting bullied at school.

Smart move honestly, to try to tempt Din with the Mandalorian throne, given the Mandalorian power struggles of the past. Proud of our boy for keeping his priorities straight.

So has the blood from Grogu been transferred out of the ship and back to the remnant empire already, or do they have to find a new “donor” to help with building Snoke and Palpatine’s clones? Will they continue to go after him with Luke?

Lmao Din being so annoyed by Bo Katan being stringent about the tradition of winning the Dark Saber through combat is HILARIOUS, coming from a man who up until like a day ago hadn’t shown his face to a living being in decades.

The dark troopers can punch in blast doors but NOT Din’s helmet?? That’s a wild testament to beskar. Somehow that’s the comparison that sticks out to me, more even than its resistance to lightsabers.

This show works because of the cynicism of so many characters adding contrast to the moments of heart. Cara Dune is not a “fan” the way Rey was (for the record I love Rey, don’t come at her, it’s just different). Cara doesn’t see an X-Wing and go OMG THE REBELLION I LOVE THEM. She’s been through too much to believe in the magic saviourism of the “good guys,” and is instead thinking strategically when she, the one Rebel present, brushes off the usefulness of “one X-Wing.” The only positive things she seems to feel in battle situations are moments of relief and brief satisfaction in hurting the empire, with a dark knowledge that it will never make up for the hurt they did to her.

How do you keep a cloak hood on while fighting? Both from a technical standpoint (my hats fall off without me even having to move- is he expending force energy just to keep it on and look cool lol?) and also because idk, maybe it’s just me, but peripheral vision is helpful when surrounded by killer robots on a thin bridge above oblivion. I know his first lesson was to “see” through the force, but every resource helps, right?

Now that she has the ship, I wonder if Bo Katan can reprogram any salvageable Dark Troopers to help with retaking Mandalore?

There is nothing like seeing Luke’s fighting style, with its efficient choppiness and twinge of darkness. I always wonder how much is natural and how much is influenced by his first fights with Vader (that Skywalker diva flair). I love how they’ve advanced his technique but also kept him extremely “grey” here- like to straight up COMBUST a Dark Trooper takes some violent energy lol.

How tf is Moff Gideon alive after threatening Grogu’s life twice directly? That’s a wild testament to Din’s regard for Cara.

I love how seeing Luke slice through a bunch of murder droids like butter probably was a huge point in his favor for Din actually letting Grogu go with him. Like he will only send his child to boarding preschool if he knows the teacher will be a certified killing machine.

Oh my god they finally brought in some OG Star Wars theme music for Luke to take his hood off to 😭 It felt weird seeing him fight to different music, so the emotional payoff is huge when his themes come back for the face reveal.

Whoever added the digital young Mark Hamill face NAILED those classic shining Luke eyes and the earnest eyebrow lift.

Whoever shines the glass of Baby Yoda’s lil puppet eyeballs each day deserves a raise. The light caught in those babies is devastating.

Din is shaking as he takes off his helmet. This is the most enormous show of love he could give him, and possibly the last he’ll be able to for a long time. He only just got Grogu back and is desperate for a moment of real connection before letting him go once again.

This is the first time anyone has touched Din’s face since... likely his parents as a child.

Whoever wrote this scene clearly actually has kids. Anyone who’s ever had to leave a young child even just to go out for a bit or to drop them off somewhere knows that heartbreak of seeing them look in your eyes and hold on to your leg, trying to keep you with them. Especially when they can sense your mutual separation anxiety. The one thing that starts to make them feel better is something fun like a new toy or friend who can be their guide in the new environment, and R2’s friendly introduction is exactly that (since digital Luke isn’t being particularly emotive or child friendly... I hope that’s just because he’s reaching into Grogu’s mind while also keeping an eye on the multiple people with guns trained on him, not because he’s going to be totally unfeeling raising this kid.)

I love that Grogu and R2 are immediately buddies in contrast to Episode 5 when R2 was like “fuck this guy” @ Yoda stealing food and hitting him with a walking stick lol. I would imagine Luke must be reminded of that first introduction too and entertained by this display of playfulness in a *positive* light between R2 and mini-Yoda.

I need to know if Luke and Ahsoka have met- it is KILLING ME.

Does this mean Grogu will get killed by Kylo Ren when he fucks up Luke’s academy??? I will reincarnate Ben just to kill him again if that’s the case.

How does Luke not even fully SMILE at Grogu?? An adorable little baby version of his beloved master Yoda, and you’re telling me he doesn’t have the same heart stopping gasp we all did when we first saw him?? Maybe he did when they first connected through the force. He has a bit of bemusement on his face, and also wonder in his eyes, but I want a grin of recognition and welcome, dammit.

I really wish Luke had somehow acknowledged Cara Dune. Everyone else seems to see the tear drop Rebel sign and know it means Alderaan. He could’ve been like yo I have a badass warrior sister from your planet that you should meet. Or just “thank you for your service.” (I know this actually wouldn’t have been cinematically good but my heart wants it.)

Luke didn’t tell Din his name?? Or ask for any details about the kid and his care?? I could literally never let my kid go with someone, regardless of how worthy, and not be like, “Excuse me sir who are you and where tf are you taking my tiny beloved green goblin in case I need to find him? Here is my contact info. He likes to eat frogs and eggs, and he can have macarons as a treat. He’s 50 years old and his favorite toy is still a ball. Bedtime is 8pm and he’s allergic to dairy.”

Another reason I wish Luke had identified himself would be to see the mishmash of reactions that would ensue. Cara would be like DAMN IT’S THAT GUY WHO BLEW UP THE DEATH STAR AND KILLED THE EMPEROR, ACT COOL (and she would indeed act cool). Fennec would be like ugh it’s that guy who helped kill my best paying client Jabba the Hutt and then fucked over my boss Boba, I helped save the kid for THIS? And I would LOVE to know how Bo Katan feels about him, assuming she’s heard of him, and especially if she knows he’s Anakin Skywalker’s son. That confusion is probably the reason WHY the writers didn’t have him reveal himself- they didn’t want to break the emotion of the scene.

Let‘s all be real I’m just being needy about wanting things from Luke because of what he meant to me as a kid and my resulting innate need to have more canon of him, whatever it is, whenever I can get it. Especially in this form that’s so similar to ROTJ, a movie I watched on endless repeat. Even getting this was incredible though. Who else could we trust this lil heart-stealing green bean with so fully? Yet who would be so arrogant as to try to train a baby yodling (see: Ahsoka’s wise refusal)?

R2 is reckless as hell lmao. Not that we don’t already know that, but for him to just head on in, effectively abandoning Luke’s ship (how can they know if there are more troopers or not who might blow it up?) and also putting himself in the path of the ridiculously deadly Dark Troopers is NUTS. I’m usually on his side but he absolutely deserves a scolding by C3PO for this one.

I wonder if Grogu has any memories of R2 or vice versa since they did occupy the Jedi Temple at the same time. Can Grogu understand droids? They could swap stories about mutual acquaintances.

Does Din pretty much have to go with Bo Katan now since a) he’s shown his face and may not be able to go back to the Watch, and b) because he has the darksaber and has to figure out how to get it back to her without dying?

How in the hell did Bib Fortuna (whose chins age was not kind to) go from being butler to being boss? Were all the henchmen just like, “Fuck yeah, no Hutt parents no rules, let’s do what we want!!” And then they’ve spent the last ten years living off of whatever money they could salvage from Jabba’s non-banked wealth? Why has no one challenged them for that prime real estate and loot? I would love to hear that story.

Fennec Shand says “respect sex workers” so you better fuckin’ do it.

Idk dude Bib Fortuna really was a good butler, and he seemed pretty willing to comply with whoever’s in power. Did he screw Boba over in his attempt to return from the dead and earn that killing shot somehow? Or was this to make sure there was no one left who would have a claim to loyalty? Or maybe Boba just really wanted to sit in that chair.

Does “The Book of Boba Fett” mean we’re not on Din Djarin’s story anymore? Or is it a new show? I would much prefer the latter. I want to see Din help retake Mandalore or at least get a hug.

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fangirlings-things · 4 years

Text

Tell him...

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Fandom: Vikings

Pairing: Aethelwulf x female reader

Summary: Ragnar's sister catches the Prince's attention when the northern men arrive at Wessex and go to the castle to make a deal with the king

Word count: 3.4K

Warnings: curse words, mentions of sex and violence

Based on this imagine

Gif credit: @philomaela

• Requested by anon: hey could you do a one shot about your Aethelwulf imagine? Thank youu

Hope you like it anon, it was fun to write this, so it turned out to be longer than I expected!!

“So if we fight for princess Kwenthrith, you will give us a piece of land?” Ragnar's tone was questioning, precise as usual. Leaned back on the chair he had occupied in a almost relaxed position, he appeared to have no worries at all in life. But it was far from the truth. One of the most things Ragnar Lothbrok had in those times, were worries.

“Yes, yes” King Ecbert agreed excitedly, his curious eyes averting themselves between all the northern that were currently sitting at his table, feasting like old friends. His tone was tender and his smile was sympathetic. Too good to be true. “If you agree to help giving Mercia's throne back to it's rightful owner, that being princess Kwenthrith, I will give you a good part of land where you will be able to farm and live in peace”

“He has his own ambitions over Mercia, doesn't he, brother?” you spoke in the northern native language, making all the english present frown in confusion and curiosity. It amused you, no doubt, as you raised your eyebrows in Ragnar's direction. You might not understand what the King was saying directly but just from Athelstan's translation and the look in that man's eyes, you knew he was hiding something. Had to be.

“Of course he does” Ragnar fixed his bright blue eyes on you, his younger sister, that impertinent smile that curved the corner of his lips a lot appearing on his face and enlightening his features. He wasn't surprised at all about your good observation. “But that is not our bussiness or responsibility”

“What are they saying?” King Ecbert directed his question to Athelstan, who was sitting by your right side in his monk clothes, the ones you had gotten unused to see him wearing in the last few years. See your friend back at his own faith, hurt you a little. You hoped he could after, all find, comfort in your people’s Gods. But the fact that he didn't, didn't changed at all your care for him. Honestly, you had been devastated when you thought he had died. It was soo good to see him again.

“They are discussing the proposition, my Lord” Athelstan quickly lied, the serious expression he held in his face leaving no questions to be made about it, convincing everyone.

You had a little amused smile on your face after hearing Athelstan's words and when you took her eyes out of her brother's face and passed them through the english folk, you met the prince's. He was staring at you deeply, it seemed that for a while now, since he didn't turn away when you returned his intense gaze. That only made your amused smile grow wider, to see the various shades of interest his brown eyes were assuming while fixed on you.

“Athelstan?” you called the priest and that made him turn his attention to you, as well as everybody else. Just like you wanted to. “Ask prince Aethelwulf why he is staring at me like that”

By hearing his name, even though he didn't understand what had been said, the prince semeed to be finnaly gotten out of guard and clearing his throat, turned his eyes to the food he hadn't touched since it had been served almost an hour before.

“Prince Aethelwulf, King Ragnar's sister, (Y/N), wants to know why you are staring at her like that” Athelstan made the question in a neutral tone, although in the silent great hall it sounded like teasing.

“Tell her I am thinking whether she is or not a threat” the prince ended up saying after giving it some thought, his hands joined over the table and the metal ring on his finger seeming suddenly colder. Or was it his body that was getting hotter?

Athelstan translated what he had just said to you and Aethelwulf just watched as you listened to the words the monk said and continued to show that smile of yours.

“Tell him, that he shouldn't be thinking about it. He should instantly consider me a threat” you played with the metal knife that had been placed by your plate for the feast, rolling it between your fingers with an undeniable ability. It made the prince ask himself how many men you had already killed. Plenty, probably. “I can be dangerous. If I want to”

“(Y/N)...” Ragnar said at the exact same time as Lagertha let out a laugh, shaking her head from one side to another, clearly entertained by your statement. And although Ragnar had interfered over your provocative words, he made no sign to stop Athelstan from translating them. And so the monk did.

I can be dangerous if I want to. Aethelwulf chuckled at that, shaking his head just like Lagertha but for a different reason. It was unbelievable, the boldness in yourvoice and the smile that seemed to have been carved up on your pretty face. You intrigued and fascinated him, for some misterious reason. Maybe, it was due to the fact that you were entirely different from any other woman he had ever met.

“Tell her, Athelstan, that I will keep that in mind” now that he could feel all the eyes on him, the hall seemed smaller than it was. As much as he woud never admit it out loud, being under the northern's stare made him nervous. Although maybe, a little less than it really should. Being such a successful commander in battle, Aethewulf had over time, lost real fear over his opponents, whomever they were. The tension, though, never went away.

Athelstan translated the short phrase and for the moment, that little interaction was ended.

“Very well, I accept your offer. I will fight for princess Kwenthrith and give the throne back to her and you, will give us land to farm” Ragnar's voice filled the air, breaking the silence and sounding like a drum even though his tone was stern, not even loud. Perhaps it was the weight of those words, that made them sound so remarkable.

“Excellent!” it was impossible, not to see how King Ecbert seemed to be in a state of bliss because of the answer he had just been given. You couldn't help but think that he apparently needed your people’s warriors, their fighting skills. A lot. “You will leave to Mercia in the morning then, so we can settle this as quick as possible”

“Agreed. As long,” as your brother continued to speak when he wasn't expected to, you laughed discretely. The sudden irritation on Aethelwulf's face was hilarious. “as you take some of my men to the land you will give us, so they can see it and begin to establish themselves”

“That is unacceptable! Only after you actually win the battle...” the prince spilled out the words in quickly, seeming to be just one step away from getting up and taking his sword on hand. You would like to see him try.

“Son” Ecbert gave the prince a warning, reprimanding look before taking a deep breath and clapping his palms together, turning the corners of his lips upwards while fixing his gaze on the King of the northern people. “I agree with your terms. I will take the men you leave behind to the settlement myself, in a gesture of good faith and friendship”

Athelstan translated what the royal men were saying so that Lagertha and you could understand it, word by word.

“He is a prince or a dog, that has to be held back when barking without permission?” your tone was fierce, as well as the gaze you set upon him. The hatred he showed for your brother got to your nerves.

“Athelstan, what did she say?” Aethelwulf immediately asked, when taking notice of Ragnar and Lagertha's careful expressions and the poison on your voice. It couldn't have been nothing good. When Athelstan didn't respond the prince looked at the munk with questioning eyes, just to see a spark of fear in him. That confirmed his previous thought. It couldn't have been nothing good. “Athelstan, what did she say?”

The priest did not answer him straight away. First, he turned to you for approval. Even though he was on King Ecbert's realm and had lived for years under King Ragnar's ruling, he still turned to you first, seeking permission.

“The lady asks if you are a prince or a dog, my Lord” Athelstan had his eyes fixed on his own plate as he spoke, clearly not expecting a good reaction from the prince. “She noticed how you were... reprimanded by your father”

Aethelwulf bit hardly at his lower lip at that, his eyes fixed so hardly upon you that they would have made holes in your head if intensity and anger could kill. The rage consumed his body and only after a moment he got roughly out of his chair and made his way towards you.

You only stood there, watching him with piercing eyes and that disturbingly beautiful smile still carved on your plump lips. You seemed delightful, to have pushed him to such an edge. You didn't even flinch when he grabbed the back of your chair and turned it around so that it was now in his direction, like the weight of you upon the furniture was nothing. He was, indeed, a very strong man.

From the corner of his eye he could see how his father had straightened his posture on the King's chair at the head of the table, his breathing erratic because he very well knew what his son was capable of when angered. Athelstan seemed shocked, frozen in place. Lagertha started to make a move in your defense, but Ragnar stopped her with only a look and a smile. He better than anyone else, knew that his sister could take care of herself.

“Listen to me very carefully” Aethelwulf placed each of his hands on the arms of your chair and leaned down so that your faces were on the same level and really, really close to one another. You were even more beautiful from this close distance. “I am not a dog. And if you ever call me that again...”

And then, you moved. You turned the knife you had been playing with between your fingers once more and in a fraction of a second, placed the blade against the soft skin under his chin. Like you, he didn't even flinch when threatened, although the other's breath hissed.

“What would you do then, huh?” you pressed the blade harder, tilting his head up just a bit. For a brief second, you moved her gaze to his lips and then back at his eyes. Your eyes were filled with such ferocity and wildness. You were a natural viking. He could feel your hot breath on his face, so intoxicating that if it wasn't for the blade on his skin he could have forgotten for a moment about the rage he was feeling for you. “Would you kill me, prince Aethelwulf?”

You looked at Athelstan, and he understood it as a sign to translate what you had just said. He did, and Aethelwulf sucked in a long breath because of how mad you were driving him.

“I think he understood your point now, sister” Ragnar spoke breaking the silence again, not even a little disturbed about the scene rolling in front of his face.

“Right” you said in agreement and then took the blade out of the prince's skin, not before giving his parted lips another glance though. As he returned to his father's side, both the english men exchanging a long meaningful look and while they did so, you turned to Ragnar. “I was just having a little fun”

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God curse these northern men. Aethelwulf had that same thought playing inside his head over and over again unstoppably, ever since the feast in which the fate of Mercia had been decided was ended. As he prepared the army, it's weapons and organized strategies with his Captains, that thought was always there, hunting him like a persistent ghost.

He couldn't put aside the boldness in Ragnar Lothbrok's voice as he spoke about a deal, like he was certain the King would have no choice but to accept it. Like he was the ruler of the whole world. There was also Lagertha's confidence and how she held her chin high always, even if she spoke little. She seemed prepared for anything, since that in the moment Ecbert spoke about someone staying to lead the northern to their new lands, she agreed. And then, there was you.

You had kept on looking at Aethelwulf during the feast from time to time, and so he did his best to ignore you. Tried, anyway. His eyes always ended up going back to you eventually. You had seemed eager to go to battle for Mercia, but Ragnar told you that you should stay with Lagertha and go to the settlement. And Aethelwulf was surprised to see as you agreed, that your beautiful smile wasn't the same anymore. There was a shadow behind it. Disappointment. You intrigued him, he couldn't deny that. Did he hate the northern? Yes. Did he want to get rid of them? Yes, of course. Would he get rid of you so easily if given the opportunity? Probably not.

His own response to that mental question angered him, like most things did lately, and he slammed his fist on the wooden table he had on his chambers, sighting heavily before placing his elbows on it and covering his face with his hands.

Then, a sudden knock on the door startled him. Uncovering his face and frowning at the sudden visitor, whomever it was, Aethewulf directed his gaze to the open door of his room and was even more than surprised to see Athelstan standing there. What was he doing there in the middle of the night?

“Can I come in, my Lord?” the priest asked after a moment, noticing that the prince was too surprised and confused to say anything.

“Yes, do come in” Aethelwulf cleared his throat and mentioned with one of his hands for the munk to move forward. He did never like or trust Athelstan completely because of his previous connections with the northern men but still, he was a man of God. And a man of God, always deserved to be at least listened.

Athelstan smiled minimally in gratitude and then entered the chamber. As he did so, a second someone was revealed from behind him. Just when this person also entered the room, the prince recognized that to be you, Ragnar Lothbrok's sister, your features illuminated beautifully by the candle lights.

“What is going on here, Athelstan?” Aethelwulf quickly asked, joining his hands over the table and averting his eyes from you to the munk. All kinds of thoughts ran through his mind. Perhaps you wanted to kill him. But what good to the alliance would that bring?

“(Y/N) wanted to see you, my Lord” Athelstan answered his question with honesty and a calm expression on his face. He didn't seem tense like he had been at the feast. It was almost like he already knew the outcome of that meeting. What did he know? “She needed a translator, so I came along”

“What bussiness does she have to discuss with me?” the prince slowly got up from his chair and made his way around the table, stopping in front of it with his arms crossed over his chest in a questioning position. He was someone who took pride in being good at planning and reading others. In that moment, although, he had no clue at all about what was happening and that bothered him deeply.

“It has nothing to do with business, my Lord” Athelstan said those words in a rush, a blush getting a hold of his pale cheeks before he mumbled out his next phrase, without looking the prince in the eye. “She wanted me to ask you if you would like to... fuck her”

Aethelwulf was too astonished to say something. At first, he thought he hard heard it wrong. No, that could not be. But then, he moved his brown eyes from the munk to the you and saw that confident, impertinent expression on your face that made him realize that Athelstan was telling the truth. He had only said in english what you told him to say in norse.

“Ask him if he is always this shy with women” you said in norse, not even trying to hide the fact that your eyes ran up and down the prince's body. Oh, you did like what you saw there.

Aethelwulf took a deep breath after hearing Athelstan's translation of what you had just said. How could you affect him so much? You were right, he not usually froze like that. When it came to sex, he had always been very quick in acting. But hearing such an open invitation from you, hit him a way that the english man could not describe.

“You took me by surprise” he said, passing one of his hands through his beard, thinking very seriously about what he should do. Did he want you? Yes, since the very moment he set eyes on you. Would it affect the alliance? Perhaps. Was a fuck worth that risk? That, was the question he did not have yet an answer to. “Why do you think that I want to lay with you?” Aethelwulf decided to follow this path, narrowing his eyes and trying to figure out your true intentions.

You chuckled as Athelstan translated those words, seeming entertained by what was going on. The unexpected question amused you, that was a sure thing.

“Oh, I am sorry, prince. If I was wrong to assume such thing, I will find someone else to fulfill my desires. Perhaps one of your men will like to take me” you turned around and as Athelstan translated your words almost simultaneously with your talking, when you started to walk away Aethelwulf had already understood all you had just said.

“Wait” he said quickly, and that made you turn around even though you did not know what it meant. It might have been the urgent tone of his voice, that made you stop on your tracks. With their eyes meeting again, he bit his lower lip for a second because of what he was about to do. He had found out the answer to the previous unanswered question. Yes, a fuck with you was worth the risk of dooming that alliance. “I do desire to lay with you. But I have a wife. Adultery is a sin”

Athelstan's voice rolled out of his tongue in norse again and as soon as he fell silent again, you took steps forward until your body was almost touching the prince's. From that close distance, you raised one of your hands and runned your fingers through the fabric of his shirt.

“You, Christians, always denying yourselves pleasure for the sake of boundaries” your hand went up and you softly touched his lips with your fingertips. Your eyes were darker with desire. “Your wife is not here, prince Aethelwulf. I am. As in the morning our paths will be split, I am sure your God could look away for just one night”

Aethelwulf breathed heavily against the fingers touching his mouth, the words Athelstan just said in english making him feel a shiver run down his spine. Could that be true? Could God really look away for one night? Well, he would probably find out soon.

“Athelstan, leave us” the prince said, getting your hand away from his mouth as he occupied himself with feeling the softness of your skin with his own fingertips.

“Yes, my Lord” the munk seemed more than happy to obey and turned around to do as he was told.

“First, please Athelstan, ask him if he needs his father's permission to fuck me” you said every word slowly, with small pauses. Through the whole process, you could feel the fierceness of the prince's eyes locked on your own lips.

“Leave us” Aethelwulf repeated in a growl after the words were translated. As soon as the priest got out and closed the door behind him, one of his hands grabbed your hair and he smashed your lips together, too hungry to wait.

You whimpered against his mouth, your own hands pulling at his short hair, even more firmly when his other hand circled your waist, clearly desperate to get rid of your clothes. You stumbled together to the bed, lips never stopped touching until he was on top of you above the matress and the sheets.

There, you did not need words to communicate. Your eyes, said everything that needed to be said. When later your bare skins touched and he entered your body, words were also not needed.

Moans, did not need translation.

#imagine #x reader #fanfic #imagines #aethelwulf fanfic #aethelwulf imagine #aethelwulf x reader #aethelwulf #history vikings #vikings fanfic #vikings imagine #vikings #vikings one shot #one shot #prince Aethelwulf imagine #prince aethelwulf

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whumpbby · 3 years

Text

I finished typing and now I feel I have to preface it with a: this is all a monologue about Jedi and Force and Lucas’ inability to show the good story he wants to tell - just a warning. This is in no way meant to contradict the other post with that quote floating around or argue against it - just my own rambling coming to a conclusion I keep struggling with when it comes to SW universe and the ways it makes no sense to me and how I feel deep in my bones that Lucas is a crap storyteller.

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I don’t know why, but for all the interesting concepts Lucas talks about, Anakin’s fall never sat well with me. In time I came to the conclusion I would respond better if the Jedi culture surrounding it wasn’t so contradictory to itself.

And if he wasn’t so heavily leaning on the concept of the ‘pure love’ that is unconditional and undemanding and ‘unselfish’. Tldr: that love does not exist outside of poetry and romance dramas and imagination. Like every other emotion humans feel, love is conditional.

Take the first trilogy - I got that. The Jedi were largely missing and there was not much lore-wise, but the vibe it gave was measured and peaceful and mindful, and all the things that stood against the Empire - that represented the Dark Side in a very concise way. It wasn’t too nuanced, so we could buy it in this very simple ‘princes kidnapped b ya dragon’ story. This is as good as Lucas gets.

But then the prequels happened and Jedi became this weird, extremely specific, but conflicting idea. They are not supposed to take sides in politics - except when they do. They are not supposed to kill - except when they do, with freaking relish. They are not supposed to love or hate or allow emotions dictate their ways - oh, except when they do. And they can have sex - just not sex with someone they want to settle down with (oh boy, is that a signifier of a story written by a guy or what?). All seems to be ‘except when they do, as long as it can be adequately justified to make them look good’.

And I do have an issue with the idea of ‘Anakin was too old to join, he was already attached to his mother’ which is, when you think about it, is insane. Learning to control your emotions and letting go of your wants, Buddhist way, fine.

Aiming to train children to not be attached to their parents? What? How young a child has to be for that attachment forms? How is a meditation and repeating mantras going to help a 5-year old who is missing their mom at the temple? How do you even expect to train a child out of missing their mom??? How is it NOT better to get an older child that can reason above the instinctual and hardwired need for their mother?

But let’s say Anakin’s attachment to his mother was ‘selfish’ from the beginning - but, that’s the thing, was it? Was it really? They were slaves and she was his only family, okay, obviously that made his attachment stronger and more layered than, say, a normal middle-class Coruscanti kid who could love their mom without constant fear that any day they can be separated forever by someone who didn’t give a shit. In that sense, yes, Anakin was desperately attached to his mom and afraid of loosing her - there was fear in him. Right, I’m there with you, Yoda.

But the movies show us that the way Jedi seem to approach these hard subjects is by not approaching them at all - oh, well, we can’t take him in. He had a difficult childhood and there are issues attached, get him out of here.

In a galaxy full of races and issues and the Force being tied to any and all creatures in any and all circumstances - this was the hard line Jedi were drawing. In essence, either only accepting kids young enough to not remember their parents (and I see absolutely no issues whatsoever that could happen here, nope) or with childhoods perfect enough not to have any issues whatsoever. Anyone else? Adults that discovered Force when they were older? Kids like Anakin with hard childhoods? Creatures that were either culturally or chemically wired differently enough that the tight reins Jedi held over their emotions weren’t possible for them? Nope. Go away. You are a bad person in the making.

If you spend a moment contemplating, you will realise this is such a white privileged guy way to think about it. And if you stick your head into the microwave for a couple seconds, you can almost understand how Lucas thought this is something profound and mystical.

No that I think about it... I always thought Sith were freaking clowns - their philosophy makes no sense, their ‘rule of two’ is hilarious, everything about them is just so badly designed and thought out, and who would ever decide to join of that creepy cult of their own volition? It made no sense!

But, as an answer to the egalitarian and contradictory ways of the Jedi - Sith make all the sense to exist. And let’s forget about the Light and Dark (that I don’t believe exist above the ways of personal emotional expression that in time trains the Force around a person in certain ways - like a person can train their brain in and out of anxiety ofr example), but focusing strictly on philosophy - yeah, being a Sith makes sense when any other way is barred form someone by no fault of their own. And barred with an excuse they are a bad seed anyway.

“You fear/hate/desire hence you can’t access the Force with us” = “Well fuck you, then, I will access the Force in my own way, using these exact emotions!”

Like, Sith are clowns, but Jedi suck in their own very special way and their fall was just waiting to happen.

I get a strange feeling that Lucas created Jedi as a class of a warrior monk in DnD and then scrambled to create their enemies out of the simplest contradictions. Light-dark. Love-Hate. Peace-Fear. Etc. But because Jedi were so simple - once they started to gain popularity and he had to expand their lore and layer on the philosophy, he hit a wall. Or rather, the bottom of the kiddy pool. Because a ‘warrior monk’ is not an a ‘good’ class, but he wanted them to be mostly warriors, but also a force of good in the galaxy, because Star Wars is the same simple story repeated again and again with a new set of characters (regardless of how much fake politics is thrown in to obscure that fact) so this whole universe is basically built on giving Jedi reasons to fight and kill, and adequately justifying them. And then the Dark Side had to catch up by being more ridiculously evil at every turn - accidentally unmasking the way Jedi philosophy falls apart under closer scrutiny.

So like, to make a full circle, the one thing the prequels did well was to show Anakin’s fall (and I am not gonna argue, it was effective and he is a villain of this story) but they also presented - I think against the creator’s intention - why it was pretty much inevitable. Not because Palpatine was there to whisper poison, or because Force itself strived for ‘balance’ (even though the latter is a hilarious idea I love to contemplate) - but because Jedi, as presented in the movies-media around them, as a philosophy and way of life is inherently contradictory and unsustainable from the point of being a, well, a breathing, thinking being. The ‘selfish love’ argument would work so much better if it wasn’t presented with an example of a kid who was born a slave and the people who saw it as a strike against his character, and did very little to address the specific issues that could arise from that before it was too late.

Would it fucking kill them to let go of their strict training routine and ensure that his specific emotional needs were met? That Shimi was, I don’t know, NOT A SLAVE. They seem to interfere into politics just fine when need arises - but not when it’s a sandy planet in the ass-end of the universe no one cares about. Then no, we can’t liberate one slave. That would be acting in self-interest - not in the interest of not allowing one of the strongest members of out order to fall into the ruin we have forseen form the beginning.

It would work better is if Anakin’s ‘selfishness’ was presented as his inability to let Padme leave him for someone else/just leave him - not to be unwilling to let her die.

Think about it for a moment - he wasn’t presented with the idea of Padme leaving him. With the idea of his mother not loving him anymore. He was firmly and, form his point of view, believably, presented with the idea of both of them DYING. Which actually happened to his mom, solidifying the fear in his mind.

Yes, he was not meant to go on a rampage and kill the ones who killed Shimi - but wasn’t he? The Jedi are not against killing. Only killing in self-interest I guess - when self-interest is not one’s life and their political affiliation or their ‘job’ at hand, that is. Revenge is a no-no, but a military retaliation is a yes-go. Can’t kill anyone who wronged me - but I can kill those who wronged a person who gives me orders. How does that work within a Jedi doctrine?

How, in good conscience, can you present this scenario, George, and then try to spin it into this big philosophical bullcrap about unselfish love???? Jedi murdered people over political squabbles - but I guess that’s okay because they weren’t invested??? And that’s better?!?!? George! What the fuck! You are such a bloke my head hurts!

In case of Anakin, Jedi were essentially Elsa’s parents. I pretty much despise Elsa and the film she crawled out of, and I personally don’t like Anakin as a character either, so this is not stanning in any way, but their issues scream ‘I was raised by well-meaning idiots’ and shows the level of botched storytelling I just can’t reconcile.

Which, you know what?

Luke, who spent years studying Jedi ways and taking them into himself?

I can believe than this Luke would try to kill his nephew at the barest whiff of the Dark Premonition instead of helping him manage his motions in a somewhat healthy way - that seems to be exactly what a real Jedi would do, after all.

#star wars #rant?#thoughts?#rambling #jedi suck blue balls #and so do sith #sw #lucas should never write on anything that isn't a post-it note

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calitraditionalism · 3 years

Text

Arc Two: Chapter Three

(AO3 counterpart here.)

Mistface was jolted awake the next morning by a yowl of excitement. His face scrunched unpleasantly in irritation as loud chatter rose up just outside the entrance of the den he was in and battered his ears. He refused to get up. The nests in the houses were made of odd, soft material that smelled very alien, but were unarguably comfortable and kept in warmth beautifully. Even with the stone of the houses chilling their innards, Mistface was quite cozy.

But, alas, the commotion was continuing, and Mistface knew he wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep. He scowled, stubbornly keeping his eyes closed.

“Oh.” He heard Laurelclaw shift and get to his feet nearby. “New cats, it looks like. Well, maybe. Beetlefoot, are they new?”

“They are.” Beetlefoot was just as annoyed as Mistface, but significantly more awake. “And clearly very eager to be here.”

“Awful early to be yellin’ like that,” Mistface muttered into his nest.

“This is hardly early, the sun’s out.” Beetlefoot marched past him. “Where’s Greyleaf? He was here last night.”

“Went to talk to Redheart.” That was Darkpelt. She shifted and rose too. “Up with you, Mistface. We need to greet the newcomers.”

Mistface reduced the sigh he wanted to make into a slightly deep exhale and slowly got up. He shook out his thick fur out of habit, even though there weren’t any bits of grass or twigs to get stuck in it overnight. That was a rare luxury.

Beetlefoot was already standing outside, waiting for the other three to join him. Past him, a group of nearly ten cats walked together, some casually looking around at the Clast members or their homes, some chatting with each other.

It was very obvious who had yowled – a red-and-white tom was almost bouncing as he trotted along, blue eyes wide. He looked back at his companions with a wide grin.

“So now we get to meet this rebel deputy!” he said, with all the giddiness of a hyperactive apprentice getting to hunt their biggest prey yet.

A cat behind him had the exhaustion of the mentor of that apprentice, especially after chasing after them all day. “I still think you’re crazy. No one’s stupid enough to just declare themselves a rebel where the leaders can hear them.”

“And no one has.”

Every cat jolted to attention as Redheart emerged from the loosely gathered cats that had come to see the loud newcomers. Head high and eyes a little tired, she came to a stop in front of the patched tom and gave him a slow, single nod.

“You’ve come because of the rumors,” she said.

The tom wilted a bit under her gaze, but he kept up his merry attitude. “We all had to see if they were true. Cats leaving the Territory sounds really exciting.”

“You’re here just in time.” Redheart turned around. “I was about to make a morning speech.”

The Clast natives and the visitors slowly began to follow her towards a strange, small structure. It was like the houses, in that it was made of many rocks evenly spaced and neatly piled together, but it was round and short enough for Redheart to jump on and seat herself. Mistface guessed from how she was perched and the fact that her tail had disappeared that it was like a circular wall of some kind. Above it was rotting, flat wood angled upwards. It was impossible to say what it was originally for, but it served as a position for an authority figure to announce things from well enough.

Once everyone was sitting, or at least standing still, Redheart raised her chin and began.

“I wish to formally welcome everyone who has arrived here,” she said. “I’m very pleased to see that there is still curiosity and courage in this Clan, and that you have come for answers and a possible test of your worth as a warrior. I’ll say it now – yes, it is true that I have intentions of leaving the Territory. Before any of you leave or lose interest in this idea, I want to pose a few thoughts and questions for you to consider to yourself and with your companions.”

She paused and drew a breath. As she did, Mistface’s roaming eye caught his brother sitting in the shade of the structure, blending in with the stone around him. His expression was serious, but it was impossible to deduce what he was thinking. Mistface did not like this new pattern of not knowing his brother’s mind when it mattered most.

Redheart continued. “Our lives are easy here – too easy. Apprentices learn the most basic of skills before being named, never needing to achieve anything more than a swipe and a pounce, and we hardly even think about our elders’ needs when food walk in front of our noses, leaving them to hunt for themselves. Healers – you all know this – healers are treated with disdain for pursuing what we think of as a pointless role with a set of unnecessary skills. We speak scornfully of kittypets and their cushy lifestyles, but look at us. We grow fat and lazy, and we become fatter and lazier by the day. When was the last time any of us had to actually work for what we wanted, even for a brief moment? Kittypets are imprisoned by their masters, those creatures we call ‘humans’, and claim to be free. Meanwhile, we have the audacity to think of ourselves as so much better, but we don’t dare leave our borders of this Territory for fear of what lies beyond our oversized nursery den. Even the Plage and seers traveling to the Lighthouse to speak with our ancestors – even they don’t step off of the well-worn paths they’ve walked for generations.”

The gathered cats exchanged whispers and troubled looks. Mistface narrowed his eyes, but he was careful to say nothing to his neighbors, just watched Redheart as she regarded the cats below her. She spoke with a clear, controlled voice, and it was obvious she had practiced this speech a few times, but he couldn’t detect any obvious lies in her words. Actually, he realized disconcertedly, she wasn’t entirely wrong.

“We are hardly warriors anymore.” Redheart’s voice was strangely grave. “We do not fight for our loved ones, or hunt with any skill, or mark our borders. Our forefathers were warriors. They knew what it was to stand on their own feet and earn what they wanted and needed. Back then, being part of a Clan meant something. What does it mean now? What truly separates us from kittypets and well-fed loners, on the most basic of levels?”

She was met with silence this time. An uneasy air shifted through the crowd.

It was hard to tell if she was satisfied with this. She simply concluded, “I want you all to think about that. Speak to each other. Start a discussion with your neighbors. Question what you think you know. And when the time comes, I hope that I will find you ready to come with me – ready to really be a warrior.”

With that, she stood up, moved around the wall’s edge, and jumped down smoothly where Greyleaf was sitting. He got to his feet and followed her closely as she parted the cats in her way.

Discussion did indeed start after that speech. It almost erupted, in fact; voices rang through the clearing as soon as she left her podium and cats quickly faced each other with shocked expressions, eager to dissect what they had just heard.

“I didn’t think it could’ve possibly been true,” a cat near Mistface remarked, almost in awe. “She’s got some stones to even suggest that!”

“I never really gave much thought to any of this,” his neighbor replied, sounding just as amazed. “She might have a point. An insane point, you know, but it is a point.”

Mistface restrained from making a face and looked to his right. Darkpelt was close by, looking deep in thought. He made his way over to her, thankful that she had settled a little ways apart from the bulk of the audience.

“So we know for sure what she’s doin’,” he murmured, standing next to her and watching where his brother had gone.

Darkpelt twitched her jaw forward and nodded. “Real interesting idea, isn’t it?”

Mistface realized quickly that she was pretending to be considering the option to leave for the sake of the cats around her. He shifted his face to mimic her contemplation. “Indeed. Dunno if I’d take that kinda life over one in here.”

Darkpelt hummed and stood up. “It’d be fun to see how we do, at least.”

Before Mistface could respond, she slightly leaned into him. From where she was, her mouth was right next to his ear without her having to turn her head.

“Look busy,” she whispered. “I’m going to take a walk.”

Mistface wasn’t sure what that was code for, but he nodded and said aloud, “I’ll see what Beetlefoot thinks.”

The two split up. Darkpelt walked away until she was a whisker-length from the nearest house and slunk off around its corner. She did not appear to be noticed by anyone. Mistface melted back into the now moving crowd, looking for his other two teammates.

---

Contrary to popular belief, being a blind spy was incredibly useful.

Darkpelt heard the mass of noise behind her quickly fade as she walked along the house. When she felt air at her side, she knew she had passed the stone structure. She could smell that she was still in the camp, and, more importantly, that Redheart had been nearby.

It was quite easy to be stealthy, even out in the open. Cats with sight never seemed to notice what was in front of them. Blindness was also an excellent excuse for when someone did catch her – she could just pretend that she was lost and looking for assistance. They always bought it. It was hilarious.

Now, however, there were no cats around her. From yesterday’s exploration, she gathered that the settlement’s community only spread out towards noon, when the prey-pile ran low and it was time to hunt or find something else to do (which was, true to the stereotype, usually fighting). She had a bit of time before she needed to get back to her novice crew and pretend all was well.

Nose raised, she moved quickly, turning immediately when the scent of the deputy went left or right. She heard soft footsteps and someone settle into a nest, and she stopped just before she bumped into a house. The door was to her left, so she carefully scooted back a little to the right and tucked herself against the wall, ears swiveling to catch the soft conversation inside.

“I mean, I think it went well.” That was Greyleaf. It was a marvel how very unlike he was to his brother, right down to his voice. Mistface had a low, smooth drawl that sounded almost too bored to even be coming out of his mouth; Greyleaf’s voice trembled and sounded significantly younger, like it was scared to make itself heard. “I heard them all when we left. They sound excited and surprised.”

“I hope so.” Redheart was deeper and even as low as it was now, it commanded attention. “I’m worried I scared some cats off.”

“We knew that was a risk.” Greyleaf’s tail swished across the floor. “It’s just the first step. Hopefully, if they do leave, they can tell other cats who might be interested, and we can get more out quicker.”

“It’s going to be a long process no matter what,” Redheart said. “And Snowshine will be eager to cut us off as soon as possible. We have to be careful, especially around her.”

“Yeah…” Greyleaf was still for a moment. Then, quietly, he said, “My mother will be coming with us, right?”

“Of course.” Redheart’s voice turned almost gentle. “Even if we have to carry her out, kicking and screaming, on our backs.”

Greyleaf sighed a short laugh, and the two fell silent. Darkpelt waited a minute to see if they would talk again. When they didn’t, she walked off, careful to make her steps completely silent. Luckily, there were no leaves or grass to stir up noise, so she padded along on the stone back to the noisy clearing.

Darkpelt was happy to not have to measure her distance from the crowd to circle around it and find the team. Laurelclaw was close enough to be heard when he said, “Oh, there she is.”

“Save some prey for me?” she asked casually, heading towards the voice.

“Yeah, actually.” Mistface was laying down, from the position of his voice. “Laurelclaw insisted on gettin’ you a bird.”

“They’re really tasty around here!” Laurelclaw said, like this was something to defend himself over. “They’re not as good on the coast. Very, um… what’s the word… salty.”

“Saltiness is disgusting.” Beetlefoot was the furthest away, but he was definitely close enough to overhear a quiet conversation. “I don’t know how you tolerate it.”

“Happens when you grow up flopping around in the ocean,” Darkpelt replied breezily. She sniffed out the bird and pulled it close to her. “Thanks, big guy. I do like the birds in this part of the valley.”

Laurelclaw somehow emanated delight enough that she could feel it from here. “Happy to help.”

“Find out anything?” Mistface muttered. He was across from Darkpelt.

Darkpelt sat down closer, and she felt the other two toms join her. In a low voice, she said, “Snowshine is a cat of interest. From what Redheart said, she’s going to be heavily opposed to whatever the extent of their plan is. Mistface, I think you can find her and talk to her. I need to keep on the downlow.”

“If I must,” said Mistface, not sounding nearly as badgered about it as he was probably trying to. “What else?”

“This plan is long-term,” Darkpelt went on. A cat walked past, and she waited for them to be gone before continuing. “They sound like they want to get as many cats out as possible. StarClan knows why. I’m suspecting they might make return trips to get more members of their little group.”

“That’s not good,” Laurelclaw whispered. “Should we send a message to the leaders?”

“Not quite yet.” Darkpelt could smell Beetlefoot near her and looked in his direction. “I want us to get some information out of this Snowshine first. You, boyo, are going to watch the perimeter and see when it’s least occupied. That’ll be your prime time to speak with the patrol.”

Beetlefoot, surprisingly, simply harrumphed an affirmative. Something meaty made a peeling sound; she figured he was eating his prey.

“What do you want me to do?” Laurelclaw had a tone like he was anxious about not being helpful.

“Keep me within your eyesight,” Darkpelt said. “I’m a hapless blind molly and I’ll probably bump into lots of cats. Might start a fight on accident, yadda yadda, you know how it goes. You need to watch me and help me out when I get particularly lost and clumsy.” She turned to him and winked. “A big cat around these parts is a good meat shield.”

“I can do that.” It was funny how earnestly upbeat he was about being assigned to such a useless task. “Maybe that’ll keep me from having to fight anyone!”

“You will have to tussle at some point, Laurelclaw,” Mistface said. “We’ll be gettin’ questions if you don’t.”

Laurelclaw sighed with such melancholy that Darkpelt laughed out loud, to which he responded with a sheepish chuckle. With that, everyone returned to their prey. Nothing more was said for the rest of the meal.

#warrior cats #steorra #arc two #chapter #chapter three #dullard #redheart #greyleaf #mistface #laurelclaw #darkpelt #beetlefoot

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vagrantblvrd · 4 years

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so i started watching The Old Guard because of your posts and mashes so well with the Immortal!FAHC so i was wondering, what are your thoughts on that, like who is the oldest, which era is each member of the crew from, how did they die the first time, and so on :3

Yesssss. >:D

But, no I hope you liked it, friend!

The first time I watched I was thinking that too!

As to Immortal!FAHC I have many thoughts on it from before watching this movie.

I’m also no good at history, and get my eras mixed up? (Like oh my God I had that intense focus thing going on as a kid for a while for WWII warplanes after watching Memphis Belle with my dad, but aside from that, yeah???)

(All of this is to say please excuse inaccuracies as most of what I know is from media and Wikipedia. Also, some of these are more well thought out than others, so pls to keep that in mind.)

Presented in no particular order:

My favorite take on it though has Gavin as the oldest, right? (Pretends he isn’t, but the others find out over time because he stops trying to hide it when he realizes it’s not an issue with them the way it’s been with other immortals he’s run across for whatever reason.)

Born during the Bronze Age and the person he was back then was just awful, horrible little asshole without redeeming qualities to speak of whatsoever.

Came from a wealthy/important family which is something that’s people can still tell to this day even if he’s not a bastard about it anymore.

He died alone and unloved (no reason to love the person he was back then, something he freely admits to anyone asking who wants the real answer) to thieves/bandits or some wasting illness, idk.

From there he learns how not to be a complete piece of shit and honestly, it takes him a long goddamned time.

Lifetimes, really. (Not his, of course, but as time goes and all that.)

Watching and learning from the people around him from the poor farmers and so on who take pity on this dirty traveler on the verge of starving to death to emperors and kings and queens and other puffed up royalty and such.

Favored Italy and England enough that he’s woven both into the Golden Boy’s persona with the accent and references to this grandfather of his that he makes to people who don’t know he’s an immortal.

(Definitely has ties to the mafia, if not served as the head of the Italian mafia for a time, making a comeback as a long-lost/bastard descendant recently discovered with a remarkable likeness to a former mafia head who’s since moved to Los Santos, because of course he did.)

To be fair, he’s still learning with the Fakes, found family and all, and he’s the happiest he can remember being? (Because sappy feels and the whatnot.)

Jack I picture as a viking, because the beard and uh, not much else reason for that line of thinking.

Just this great warrior/peacemaker among his people who dies in battle. (Possibly betrayed because jealous fellow viking at how well-liked and respected Jack is and so on.)

He’s “mellowed” over time, likes to play friendly and affable and so on, will let himself be insulted if it serves the crew’s interests and such? But oh, wow, watch out when he’s angry? (Especially if it’s due to someone hurting someone he cares about.)

Ryan I see as medieval times with the whole kings and queens and knights. (Possibly due to the influence of Kings AU???)

Noble born and served as a knight before being killed in battle or spot of ~intrigue by a political rival/enemy.

Totally got his revenge before realizing the kind of trouble he’d be in if he tried to reclaim his life - unnatural and all - and ended up living a nomadic lifestyle after that. (A vagabond, if you will, because that never not stops being funny to me.)

He gets tangled up with thieves and the like for a while, did some murder for hire that’s been his main career path ever since.

(And okay, if one of the thieves he worked with for a while was this skinny bastard with a big nose and the most ridiculous questions that’s possibly a thing that happened, because reasons. And Freewood.)

Michael I see coming in around the Revolutionary War?

Family moved to the colonies when he was a kid and so on. Signing on to fight against the British and dying in a battle against them, still remembers what it felt like bleeding out in the mud. Has nightmares about it sometimes.

There used to be this whole Thing about it when he met Gavin whenever he leans hard on the British bit that gets even more involved after Jeremy joins the crew.

(Also, also. If Michael and Jeremy collude together against that British asshole, well. That’s a thing that happens. Along with smooches, because none of your goddamned business about that, okay?)

Jeremy comes in during the whole cowboy era, because of the Rimmy Tim getup and I think it’s hilarious as hell.

Originally from Boston (hence the dumb running joke with Gavin and Michael)and moved to the ~wild west as a kid because Adventure and then shenanigans?

Died in a train heist gone horribly wrong and just. He doesn’t like to talk about it, but since he mentioned once it has something to do with his fear of heights, just.

Yikes, you know?

Also, also, the whole bit about cars becoming a thing just before he died (I’m trying not to make a joke about it being of dysentery on a certain trail, but it’s so hard), which is part of why he’s got a Thing about cars now.

(Vroom-vroom fast and that armada of his.)

Trevor, okay, Trevor.

Based pretty much on what his GTA V character used to wear and Trevor himself makes me think of Prohibition-era gangster along with Alfredo?

He and Alfredo started out as street kids in Chicago and the fastest/easiest way to make money for kids like them involved the mob and it was just.

A thing that happened? The two of them coming up in the ranks and BFFs (possibly something more, who can say???) before getting gunned down by rivals one day.

Would have woken up together if the morgue hadn’t fucked up so they went a few years thinking the other had died before accidentally running into one another again, because reasons.

They’ve been together ever since, a pain in Geoff’s ass before he managed to get them to sign on with the crew.

(Trevor kept the fashion sense he had from back then, because of course he did. Doesn’t always dress like he used to, but sometimes he gets the urge and Alfredo laughs at him for it, but he never says a word against it because Trevor looks good like that, you know?)

Speaking of Geoff?

Born around the time Trevor and Fredo were running from Elliott Ness and his Untouchables.

Lied about his age to join the Army and served overseas in the European theater in WWII. Infantry, saw his share of battles that took the shine out of things (what there was to the stupid he kid he was) really damn fast.

Actually survived through the end of the war and made his way back to the US, did some odd jobs here and there for a while as he tried to figure things out.

Listened to the wrong friend (or right one?) and ended up working for some criminal-types, got dragged into the life before he knew it.

Managed to stay alive, learning the ins and outs of being a criminal and all that up until his luck ran out and he ran afoul of some corrupt cops.

Woke up in a ditch somewhere coughing up bullets and freaked out as hell - anyone would be - and then, uh.

Kind of kept going?

Figured shit out as he went, and ran into Jack sometime in the fifties, sixties? Whenever and it was them for the longest damn time before Geoff got the idea to set up in Los Santos for a bit, see how that worked out for them.

(Regret. So much regret because look at all the assholes fucking up his life after that, you know? Really, Jack, stop laughing at him because you’re part of the problem, jackass.)

Lindsay I see as being either relatively young - died in the 80s, 90s? - or as old as if not older than Gavin, depending on the day? (My day??? Idk, I love both a hell of a lot.)

Died in a bank robbery when the asshole responsible for setting the charges to get into the vault miscalculated how much explosives were needed and it was just.

Messy.

Super, super messy.

Fiona is absolutely the youngest, someone Gavin ran into in Europe when he pulled the thing about being his own descendant.

Met her in Paris on his way to the US when she got so goddamned angry at him for accusing her of picking his pocket (a thing she totally did, btw), but she cased such a scene she managed to escape before the cops or Gavin could do anything about it.

She dies in Liberty City working for some assholes who never deserved her, and Gavin happens to be there when she makes the mistake of picking pockets to get enough money to get the hell out of the city before anyone realizes she’s not as dead as she could be?

Terrible disguise of baseball hat, big sunglasses and a scarf over her face, but her response at being caught out as a thief is too similar for Gavin not to realize it’s her.

And then, you know.

He mentions this crew out in Los Santos that would be interested in someone like her? Not as a pickpocket because she’s clearly awful at it - “Hey!” - but they’ve chatted a bit and she mentioned something about sniping - or maybe just perked up when he brought it up.

(Visiting a sniper he used to work with and so on.)

Anyway, why not look them up if she’s ever in Los Santos?

And then she does, of course, and then shenanigans???

Also, also, some of them definitely crossed paths over the years. Ran into one another and are all, “Oh, this asshole again,” maybe work together for a while before going their own ways

They all have this story about meeting Gavin for the first time that no one, no one puts together for the longest damn time.

Like.

How the hell could Jack have met Gavin back when he was being a viking when Gavin claims he died in the 60s?

(Claimed to know the Beatles personally, because of course he did.)

Ryan and that thief he met that one time, got all these FEELS for him that had them being partners in crime for a long, long time before circumstanced forced them apart.

...And then met him again a century or so later and on opposite sides before Gavin did a heroic “sacrifice” to save him at the expense of his current cover. Like, they totally picked up where they left off afterward, because not that stupid? But they got maybe fifteen, twenty years after that together before they were forced apart by circumstances again.

Pattern repeats for a long goddamned time before they happen to meet up again around the time Geoff and Jack get to Los Santos and so far their luck seems to be holding steady. (I just. Man, I love the idea of them being the kind of assholes who are stupid in love with one another but the universe at large is like, lol and tosses a wrench into the works every once in a while for the hell of it and them eventually finding one another again. Because DELICIOUS ANGST.)

Or Michael when he was marching to the next battle and some asshole asking him the stupidest question imaginable next to him? (British accent, sure, but he wasn’t the only one on their side with one, so yes.)

Jeremy and that one Pinkerton agent that one time???

Lindsay and that asshole working for a rival gang who didn’t kill her even though he could have? (When she asks sometime after joining the Fakes he’s just ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ even though he didn’t like the asshole he was working for at the time and actually engineered the bastard’s death, but yeah, sure, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ .

Fiona, well.

Everyone knows that story because she’s like “YOU MOTHERFUCKER,” when she sees him at the penthouse the first time he strolls through the door after she joins the crew.

And just.

Yes.

They put the pieces together at some point and are like son of a bitch because they figured Gavin’s story about being a beatnik or whatever he said he was when he died was the truth?

And Gavin’s like, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ because technically it wasn’t a lie.

He was a beatnik when he died in the 60s, it’s just that that wasn’t the first time he died.

Eventually he tells them about it in bits and pieces, because they don’t push, demand an explanation. (God knows they’ve all got their secrets and reasons for them and such.)

He tells them because he trusts them and they prove he’s right to by not betraying his trust in them and I’m just, like. Full of FEELS right now, so yes.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

ALSO.

Bonus?

But I seriously love the idea of Meg being the inspiration behind the Morrigan.

Just.

Yes.

And if she happens to meet Ryan and Gavin while those two idiots are thieving their way across Europe sometime? That’s definitely a thing that happened.

Also, also, you know she checks up on them in Los Santos from time to time, because old friends (possibly more?) and gets along with Lindsay and Fiona like a house on fire.

Sometimes literally, the three of them >:DDDDDDDD while Geoff’s back at the penthouse shut up in his room because no, no, do not tell him how much of his city’s on fire, Trevor, no.

Idk whether I like former Roman soldier Dan or medieval knight Dan, but whichever one it is he and Gavin go way, way back and they delight in shenanigating about almost as much as Meg and her terrors do in that Geoff is very much :(((((((((((((((((((((((((( when they get together because some part of the city is guaranteed to be on fire at any given point.

#ragehappy #freewood #jackeoff #alfreyco #jeremichael #immortal!FAHC au #technically not a fic #vagrant fic #¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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