#and not because it's their sad uwu duty is very interesting

[randomnameless]

Which story do you like more, Scarlet Blaze's or Golden Wildfire's?

It's SB!

I mean, have you seen that ending?

Slap a kickass song on it, and you have a sentai ending where the hero "disappears" taking down the "evil bad guy" in an explosion! Forget SS, SB's ending is really the ending where Rhea goes down like the champ she is, to save the world.

(wait someone told me Rhea isn't the protagonist of that route?)

Much like CF, I like SB not because of what the playable protagonist cast does, but because I like the antagonists (and it's the only route where you can get rid of Clout!).

Granted, it's a Supreme Leader route, so that also helps : the cast isn't forced to swallow cobras to justify her uwu conquest since we're playing as her and her Court - in a way it's more bearable than the uwu sobfest AG gives us about "wah wah we're participating in this war we BaD" and the "we are invading Adrestia the people here must hate us :'( even if we are fighting to get rid of the people who are playing bowling with adrestian citizens used their heads as a ball :'("

It's also the route where, despite what Supreme Leader and her Court parrot, we see how the so-called "nefarious values" of the Kingdom like chivalry, self-sacrifice and loyalty/devotion are rooted in love, aka affection for people those so called knights have to protect (iirc that's what happens when House Dominic takes the fight!) - and it shows how far Adrestia has fallen (Adrestian Nobles would never do something like Baron Dominic did!), ditto with Rhea knowing "secret routes" in Enbarr's palace, unknown to the current Emperor and her long list of predecessors : a person who was there 1100 years ago knows more about the City than people currently living in it.

In a nutshell, much like Tru Piss, Supreme Bullshit is a route where, if you squint a bit, you can see things that are completely opposite to what your playable cast is telling you (remember Ferdie and the crested Kingdom nobles?), informing the player that the protagonists are, just like in Tru Piss, full of nonsense.

What is shown contradicts what is told!

But I confess I'm biased, because Supreme Bullshit at least gives some spotlight to Nabateans, especially Rhea, who doesn't reappear in the plot only to die - and what kind of spotlight ! She literally steals the show at the end, defeating the Mole People while Supreme Leader is watching the spectacle, eating popcorn and giving a high five to her pal Barney.

There's also the Shamir'n'Catherine scene - that obviously ceases to be interesting the moment when Shamir becomes a part of Supreme Leader's court - where, again, we can see another instance of a knight (even if Shamir would deny it! She is a tru merc, not a knight!) sacrificing themselves to save a loved one.

SB>>>GW.

#anon #replies #3 nopes #there's also the fact Supreme Leader doesn't try to convince people she's right #they just agree with her as a mass of non definite people who joined her Court #take Barney's supports where they stop giving fucks about the randoms who suffer during the WAr #or Monica who is now happy because even if Kronya killed her she would have served Supreme Leader's goals uwu #Clout's path offers a false rhetoric #it's basically questions and reasonings you cannot discuss so why even trying to convince people if no one challenges or disagrees with you #it's more infuriating tbh #maybe it's because Supreme Leader is always treated with kids gloves in Fodlan games #otherwise she falls back on Supreme Replies and 'no u' #the fact Adrestia can't understand anymore how nobles are willing to risk their lives to protect people bcs they love them #and not because it's their sad uwu duty is very interesting #interesting as in another stone to add to the Adrestian Decadence building

[thiswaycomessomethingwicked]

for the characters ask - what about eowyn? :)

oooooh, yessss I love me Eowyn-Dernhelm

First impression

You know, I initially didn't like her. At least in the movies. She came off a little too much of "I'm not like other girls~~~" for my tastes.

In the books, though, I always loved her because she was a stone cold bitch for 90% of the time until her personality transplant at the end.

Impression now

I still prefer book Eowyn to movie Eowyn (I personally find move Eowyn too 2D for my tastes).

I like book Eowyn for her flintiness. Strike her at the right (wrong?) angle and you'll start a forest fire. She would walk on you in a sexy way but it would also absolutely hurt. And that would be the point.

I also like book Eowyn's selfishness that runs equal to her brazenness, her fearlessness, her rage, her love. She's just as impulsive as her brother, it's simply masked more. I also really love her as a foil/mirroring to Grima - especially the mutual selfish Oath Breaking aspects of their characters. She's also just as likely to burn the world down, if for radically different reasons and done through a radically different way. I think that's a very nice, subtle touch on Tolkien's part.

The ambiguity of her gender subversion is also fun. It doesn't feel like the "~~I want to be a knight UWU I'm not like other girls UWU~~~" that a lot of characters can fall into who follow the same trope line as Eowyn. I'm so glad she escapes that and it feels more nuanced and complex.

I just love, love, love Book Eowyn's anger and recklessness and yeah. All her faults. She, like her uncle, is deeply human in a way that I appreciate.

Favorite moment

In the books - absolutely her argument/heated discussion with Aragorn before he leaves for the Paths of the Dead. Where she says that line about how when the men have died in battle and honour, women have leave to be burned in the houses the men left behind. And also that if someone tells her do her duty one more time she's going to shank a bitch (perhaps not exactly what she said, but the essence is there).

I also love the scene in the books when Theoden is like "but who will take care of Edoras while we're at Helm's Deep? My son is dead and Eomer won't listen to me if I told him to stay put. No one is left" and Hama is like, "???? Eowyn???? wtf how are you overlooking her???" And then she takes her vow/oath to stay and defend Edoras and she gets the great like about how there will be a Return of the King (to Edoras, she just means her uncle).

In the movies - I'm not sure. I suppose the scene with Grima at Theodred's deathbed is an interesting one.

Idea for a story

Same one as I did for Boromir: What if Boromir lives and Eowyn gets to shack up with him and Aragorn as the ultimate power couple? Let the woman be queen of Gondor!!

Unpopular opinion

I think movie Eowyn is a bit boring/too sad/needs way more rage in her. Be uglier! Be more insane! You're from the House of Eorl - no one in that family is normal!

In both book and movies, I don't think her relationship with Faramir is earned. And I know it's because Tolkien initially intended her for Aragorn then made a last minute change-up so there's really no building up of why they're good for each other and how it is she could possibly be happy settling for something we have been told over the course of last two books isn't what she wants.

Yeah, yeah, "she healed" or whatever and found a happier way to be after the war but it just reads as weak. Like, to me it just seems clearly shoehorned in as Tolkien absolutely pulled his punch so far as Eowyn's ending is concerned. He could have done better.

(Honestly, Aragorn has always made waaaay more sense as a partner for Eowyn than Faramir. It was such a let down to me as a kid watching the movies that they didn't end up together. I was like "whatever, Arwen has 2 minutes of screen time. Don't care. Let Aragorn get with this woman who sword fights and makes him laugh.")

I suspect my other unpopular opinion is that I don't think she and Eomer were ever very close. They do not give off vibes of siblings who confide in one another. It's clearly the sort of relationship where Eowyn is like "yeah that's my brother...I know absolutely nothing about him and vice versa. Despite his absence from my life he is still somehow overbearing and over-protective."

I mean we get that scene in the books where Eomer basically admits he doesn't know his sister at all and was always too busy to make time for her (and he regrets this).

But I know fandom likes to write them as besties.

Favorite relationship

Theoden, of course! I love her relationship with her uncle who is her veritable dad. I think it's so sweet and probably one of the most important relationships in her life. I can't imagine what she felt when he died in front of her. Like, the heart shattering and the anger and the grief and so on. It must have been a red-hot knife to the chest.

I also like her and Aragorn in the book. They have great conversations and clearly are able to push against one another yet still clearly respect and care for each other.

Favorite headcanon

(Power couple with Boromir and Aragorn)

She cut her hair when she became Dernhelm. None of this flowing locks down to her ass somehow hidden under her helmet. Do you know how much hair she would have? Absolutely not. She chopped that shit off Mulan-style. It was somewhere between chin and shoulders in the style of Rohirrim men.

----

Thank you so much for the ask! :D :D

#eowyn #eomer #theoden #lotr #lord of the rings #ask #ask game #ask meme #character ask #reply #anon

[bunathebunny]

(click the read more for details)

Height

though mhy has never disclosed heights, i hc xiao as being short and 150 cm is the perfect height of a short person

zhongli is a fucking beansprouts and i love him for it and yeah 175 cm because that’s the normal height of a tall person

Age

eh mhy is very wishy washy when it comes to age so who knows but what we do know is that xiao was there when guizhong died so he would be 3.7k+ years old

zhongli is something about 6k+ so yeah old man UwU

as much as i like the idea of the rest of the adepti staring at zhongli as he courts xiao cradle-robber they’d say, i think that it’s not like they put much in age differences and such because they’re pretty long-lived in general

Gender & Sexuality

most of the time i write them as trans but like the ??? means that they are whatever gender and sexuality is the funniest at that moment

also because zhongli is “what do you mean i have to choose one gender??” while xiao is “wtf is a gender?” but like politer

Horny level

xiao i think is the kind that has a normal libido but if no one reminds him he just forgets about it

there’s also xiao and his complicated relationship with sex in general

zhongli has a normal libido but he’s not as repressed as xiao but rather has a healthy relationship with sex in general

Awkwardness level

xiao is super awkward due to a) his introverted nature and b) the fact that he has gotten all rusty because he no longer has anyone to interact with on a daily - or near daily - basis

zhongli is very sauve and good with people like he is introvert but has the marking of an extrovert in that he likes being surrounded by people - more like he likes that there are people around him 

Jealousy level

xiao doesn’t have a high jealousy level because he has a poor self-esteem already so he wouldn’t be jealous but would probably has it in his head that one day zhongli would leave him when he’s not amusing or interesting anymore

zhongli is sometimes jealous of other people who can get close to xiao because he wasn’t able to when he was the archon of liyue and xiao’s liege lord to boot

and now he’s just zhongli and it’s like the doors are opened now he can love and be loved and not weighed down by his duties

Big spoon vs Little spoon

zhongli is a big spoon because xiao is very small and a perfect armful

also because zhongli kinda likes the idea of shielding him while he rest (he’s a shielder in-game and perfect for xiao)

xiao is a little spoon because he can’t deny zhongli anything even though he would love to be the big spoon

but also because he’s not very straightforward when it comes to his desires but being held is very nice and he likes it - and thinks that he likes it a bit too much

Lending & Borrowing clothes

xiao has exactly one set of clothes that still survives until today so no lending anyone anything

zhongli has clothes, a lot of them and he would love dressing xiao up and he does and takes great joy in dressing xiao in all the pretty clothes he would not let himself wear

Pet names

zhongli has a list of pet names and he loves to use it and uses it very liberately and he especially likes it when xiao is flustered by them

xiao wouldn’t dare to use a pet name to call zhongli even if zhongli probably would love it but xiao would wilt like a sad like plant that hasn’t seen the sun for months if he ever utters something like a pet name

Introvert vs Extrovert

they are both introverts tbh even if zhongli is very close to inching toward the extrovert territory

it’s just that zhongli likes the company of others and very used to it like listening to them speak while xiao is more used to being alone and also loneliness

Words vs Actions

they both prove their affections through their actions because they’re both in the “affections speak louder than words” camp

zhongli, however, has a love for pet names so yeah a lot of affectionate words

also because he likes it because xiao is always caught off guarded and blushes very pretty

sadistic pleasure or something about making xiao so flustered he wants to cry

Confession

xiao would just repressed and take it to his grave if he could

he has a very low self-esteem and thinks that zhongli deserves better than him

zhongli on the other he would realize it very soon but does not wish to push xiao into having to accept and return his feelings

zhongli is very conscious of the power imbalance between xiao and him

Dealing with bugs

zhongli prbably wouldn’t be grossed out by bugs unless they are squirmy things and i can name a few of those and think he would be grossed out by them

xiao normally wouldn’t try to hurt insects or living things in general but he puts zhongli’s well-being on the top of his list so it’s either instantly removed or instantly squashed

Driving

teyvat doesn’t have cars but the closest they have would be hm horses or carriages

since both of them are archon war veterans i think both of them can ride horses

but for carriages i think xiao would be the one who drives it like as if he would let zhongli does it

if zhongli insists then he would but he would be asking if it’s ok and gets very red

Cooking

xiao cannot cook and i subscribe to this hc

the only way for him to cook is to give him an extremely detailed instructions on how to cook but unless it’s really simple dishes, he would screw up

zhongli knows how to cook and takes pleasure from cooking and caring for xiao but his cooking is very long and tedious and xiao doesn’t like long waiting time and such but he never says a word because zhongli looks very happy when he cooks and when he tries to feed xiao

Public display of affections

xiao isn’t a big fan of pda but zhongli is and he takes every chance to heap love on xiao

xiao doesn’t like airing his love affairs out in the open but zhongli is happy so he’s fine with it

zhongli knows it and does try to tone it down a bit but still very much pda

Protectiveness

zhongli is pretty chill tbh because he knows xiao’s limit though he does try to look after him from afar, just in case

xiao on the other hand, knows zhongli can take care of himself but he also has been zhongli’s general for centuries so he’s very worried about zhongli’s well-being in general and would be fussing over zhongli all the time if he could

of course fussing over the small stuffs because zhongli is very much a cuckoolander

Relationship experiences

zhongli has exes and most of them are dead

xiao, on the other hand, doesn’t have exes because his work keeps him too busy to date

the closest thing he had to a romantic partner is the thing he had with his friends

#zhongxiao #i love them a normal amount #tbh i was starving when i wrote this #so my grasp on their characters is a bit shaky

[glaivenoct]

if you have any interest, the sandman got a really good adaptation on net/flix and its giving me brain worms of dream noctis and nyx being one of the guards of the dreaming

Sorry it took me so long to answer this ^^; I have so much interest and only wish I had the brain power to match!

I love thinking about Noct in Dream's long coat! For some reason, I like to imagine him with a black turtleneck underneath. idk why but I do!! I'm just picturing him on the throne, one leg crossed and with Carbuncle (the equivalent of Jessamy/Matthew here with sassy lil squeaks lol) perched on his shoulder.

I looooove thinking about Noct often referring to Nyx as "Dear Knight" because Nyx is one of his best. For the longest time it's a very casual/friendly thing, but over time it becomes a much fonder, passionate endearment (Shout out to Jazz for throwing that little detail on an already 20/10 nickname).

Maybe Nyx has been pining and so many others see it except for Noct, who's focused on his work and maintaining the realm of course. Still, Nyx carries out his duties. I can't help thinking too, if Noct were captured in similar fashion to the show, it would devastate his most loyal friends and companions. His most loyal knight.

And upon returning and reuniting with everyone? With Nyx? Talking about the years of his absence -

"I only wish I could've done more," Nyx will say as he sits besides Noctis on the cracked, crumbling steps, staring out at the bleak, withering realm he intends to help rebuild.

And Noctis will look at him slowly, noting the immense regret troubling Nyx's strong features. "You're not to blame for what happened to me. You know that, right?"

"Of course," Nyx will smirk, but it will fade quickly and instead be replaced by something sad and wistful. "You forget, Noct, my purpose as a guard. I am a guard in the night. Of the dreams. If you are the dreaming and are ripped away - what else is there? In the beginning of your absence... it was like I'd lost my sense of purpose."

Noct will look down at his lap, unsure what to make of that unmistakable weight in Nyx's voice. Touched by his words and moved by the sentiment. And deep down he'll know that Nyx is more than a guard to him. He's irreplacable. A comfort and a "friend". He's so glad that Nyx is one of the ones who remained, and he'd love for Nyx to continue remaining at his side.

And then of course gradually along this quest to restore and realm and other things - they will grow closer. and closer. And closerrrr uwu until one fateful night they say Fuck It!! And kiss!!!

Noct over here holding back his feelings while Nyx keeps leaning in closer and closer to him like, "You'd be wise to tread carefully in your advances, Dear Knight..."

But ohhhh is he not pulling from Nyx's frame pressing closer and closer to his, the breath on his face or the hand coming to cup his cheek.

"And why is that?" Nyx will almost whisper it to him, pausing mere inches from his face. "Does the King of Dreams not have dreams of his own? Desires?"

Noct's not stopping him, breathing a little heavier. "It's not in my nature to indulge myself when there's a realm to maintain. Let alone rebuild."

"Then allow me, my king. Tell me your dreams. Your desires. Allow me to indulge you for once."

And then they kiss. Slow and passionately, and for the first time in who knows how long, Noctis confides things in Nyx he has confided in no other.

And yeah!!! This is definitely something I'd love to revisit and try to flesh out a little more. Thanks so much for sharing the idea with me and I'm totally open to hearing more if you still have brain worms! :D

#nyxnoct #nyxnoct asks #i'm definitely going to have to rewatch this show now

[toerrishumansodontbeone]

.

Everywhere else seems too shameful to share(though I did anyway) & elaborate on, because those places are full of legitimate knowledgeable pros/artists, but uhhhh,

so I think I want to become a tattoo artist?

But seeing as I am the person that I am, living in the place that I am, knowing the language as badly as I do and having the anxiety that I do that makes it appear even more basic, I don't think I really can go the traditional route of studio apprenticeships.

And the loud majority of studio tattooers will of course tell you to never ever how even dare you try to do ANY tattooing on your own!!!! To the point of actively discouraging even buying a machine at all, even just for practice skins. Just draw a lot and go spend 1-3 years in an unpaid grueling apprenticeship where maybe they'll let u do something in a year or so uwu (tho there are also ppl fighting the gatekeeping) ( n some apprentices Ive seen whove started doing serious practice within a few months)

But yea so,,, thats why tbh it feels embarrassing to even mention me wanting to, even though on the other hand thats also.... the way to put any sort of attention on you, to garner interest from prospective mentors and amass future clients....... but also god its nerve wrecking thinking some local pro is looking at my stuff with disdain and mockery.

It just sucks how much language is a barrier for me. I'm not confident enough to just barge in talking in english even if they prob know the language fine enough.

Ontop of that its kinda sad I had all this sustained motivation for several days in a row but then I made the mistake of posting some little designs online. Because I was excited about it I of course expected excitement back. A response! A showering of praise and acceptance!

But the need for social validation is a poisonous pit and it never gives back quite what you give it. I knew it would not give me the validation and would ruin things and make me doubt myself and still I was hopeful and wanted it to be different and maybe a little bit more like the old times,,,

Its so hard to keep up my own confidence, as essential as it is to human psychology. I cant even create those little wins to sustain any real growth in myself. I just keep regressing and becoming worse. Im a hermit but one that doesnt even have any real community to turn to even online..........ughhhhhhh.

This is a very unstructured ramble, but its felt so fruitless having all these thoughts clogging my brain and nobody to talk to about them.

I dont know. Now I suddenly got back into writing and making more significant progress on my story/possibly novella.

and inbetween I thought more and more of how tattoo artist is the antithesis of me. I cannot pull my own clients, I cannot talk to people and make them want to keep coming back for my company, I could not do the receptionist duties for an apprenticeship, I do not even have an appropriate space to tattoo if it ever came to that AND renting even v small offices is stupid expensive at first glance. So I could not start doing that without already having a steady stream of clients.

Tattooing feels like a level of responsibility I could handle, it feels like it would be an interesting new craft to explore, w techniques to master, a different kind of self expression........ but thats all idyllic theory. No career path really fits me and it comes back down again to me being so unable to change my social ineptitude. Its such a waste how I had some modicum of comfort and progress in that sphere my last few years in Latvia,, and it fell apart just because it was so unsustainable financially......... N now that Ive been comfortably settled for a while in austria, just being financially stable and comfortable isnt enough...

Insanely Ive been wondering if the economy has evened out some in LV that I could come back.......but theres no way I would even physically *survive* through some unpaid apprenticeship there.....

#uhhhhhh #im in a whining mood lately #this is very incoherent #anyway everything sucks wish I could be less self aware and keep the train rolling #until it landed against an actual obstacle and not jsut the idea of one #vermin chat

[twilightofthe]

Satine for Character Opinion Bingo!

Skhdkdhdkdk you wanted me to break my brain explaining this one huh

Ok so she’s one of the most interesting potential characters in TCW and in general just like, y’all her backstory and political position and the story behind it and her relationship with her sister and the rest of her family?!?!?

Y’all this is a woman who grew up in a society that runs itself on conflict, in the middle of a civil war that fractured planets, and seized control of a war-torn planet peacefully at the age of what had to be 18 or younger after being hunted for sport for a year. She looked at a stiff conservative culture that was literally destroying her planet and went “and nobody’s seen a problem with literally any of this? How about no.” And she TRIED TO CHANGE THINGS TO HELP PEOPLE. ALL SHE WANTED WAS TO SAVE LIVES. Was she good at ruling? Actually fucking debatably, she managed to hold her position for at least 20 years when we’ve seen just how fucking easy it is to depose her when she actually lost the Will of the people. She ruled by POPULARITY because otherwise Death Watch would have did a coup so much fucking earlier. Was she a good ruler? Not ultimately, no, she was traumatized and overtrusting and naïve, took her radicalism to a dangerous level to herself and her people and it brought her downfall. But she fuckgin tried and she cared so, so much. And also her personality is my absolute favorite of “stubborn firebrand shakes stick at god as he floods them”. She is absolutely completely alone because in order to get where she is all her loved ones have either died or must take second place to her ambitions and sense of duty. She’s angry, god, she’s so fucking angry at society for being unfair and unkind, a bitch and she doesn’t care about being nice even if she is kind and she’s hypocritical and messy and flawed and so very beautifully human— if the narrative would fucking LET her be.

But the narrative doesn’t care. To the writers and the narrative, this is just Obi Wan Kenobi’s Love Interest, she’s twice as smart as him and thrice as perfect and their powers combined make them better than Anidala in every way uwu. She’s a cute Easter egg for a scandalous lovechild. She’s a sad almost 40 year old woman hung up on the guy she dated for a year in high school. She cries at his funeral because Anakin isn’t allowed to, she’s a Feminist(TM) but also the absolute perfect damsel in distress by design for Obi Wan to swoop in and save until he can’t. Her sister who was separated from her and estranged to the point of trying to murder her isn’t introduced until AFTER she dies. The story she needs to fully explore her character cannot be fit into her minor minor minor role in TCW, hell, there’s not enough space in the story to give her a proper shake as Obi Wan’s Comphet Girlfriend. She’s Obi Wan’s cute little what if nuclear family possibility who’s also better and purer in every way than Padmé even though PADMÉ actually won against her attempted coup

Nobody understands or should be trusted with Satine Kryze except for me also she’s asexual and demiromantic because so am I and THAT makes more sense for her character than “grown ass woman patiently waiting and virgin loyal to her junior prom date”

Thems the rules, that’s just how it is ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

#tl;dr: obi wan is the LEAST interesting thing about this woman holy shit #but yes this is my beloved disaster girl who would be the perfect protagonist for a *different* story #i want to study her and her family like a bug #satine kryze #Star Wars #peace out #sjdhskdjdk i’m partially joking don’t worry #asks #isolde-and-monsters #lol izzy u HIT THAT BUTTON and u know it

[lunarreaper-ut]

Question for the whole KV Cast - From "50 interesting oc asks" nr. 13:

How did they find out Santa isn't real? (If they even believed or had something like a Santa in KV)?? UWU

Well actually, Santa doesn't exist in Kingdomverse? Gyftmas in Kingdomverse? is meant as a celebration of family and friends. You give gifts to those you care for as a show of gratitude for them being in your life (Of course giving a gift isn't required, but it's tradition). It's a way for you to be close to your loved ones.

However there is the Petal Bunny! (The Kingdomverse? Easter Bunny) The Petal Bunny used to be real, but is now more of a myth. Dream and Nightmare were kids when the Petal Bunny was around. Nightmare was actually a bit disappointed when Dream told him the Petal Bunny no longer existed.

The Petal Bunny is the mythical mascot of the Blossoming! A Holiday meant to celebrate the beginning of Spring, the blooming of plants, and the "blossoming" of new relationships! (Platonic or otherwise)

It's highly believed that the Petal Bunny was a Mystic, and rather than believing they've died, people continue to entertain the idea they still exist, as a Mystic is capable of wonderous things. Maybe the Petal Bunny has just moved to the Fae World? Who knows! Most parents will let their child believe the Petal Bunny still exists. The rabbit monster children like to dress up like the Petal Bunny, and often the rabbit monster adults will trade off the duty of acting as the Petal Bunny.

Not all of the KV!Cast believed in the Petal Bunny or enjoyed many holidays in their younger years, so this might be a bit short (I say after writing four paragraphs of exposition...)

Red + Edge

Red and Edge never got the chance to celebrate a lot of holidays due to their father. They did, however, manage to celebrate Gyftmas in secret together.

Lust + Ardor

Lust and Ardor were similar, but it was mainly because they lived in a place where there weren't as many celebrations. The two actually first heard of the Petal Bunny when they moved to the Kingdom.

Blue + Stretch

Blue found out as he got older, and tried his hardest to keep the dream alive for Stretch. Stretch found out because Blue started crying while talking about the Petal Bunny. Stretch was less devastated.

Comic + Pyrus

Comic found out by reading about it in a book as a kid. He managed to keep the spirit alive for Pyrus until Pyrus was nearly a teenager, when some other teenage monsters spoiled it. Pyrus still to this day has a lingering hope the Petal Bunny still exists, thanks to Comic.

Error

Error never really believed in the Petal Bunny. He's always been a bit of a skeptic, but he tried to play along because Geno believed the Petal Bunny existed. They still celebrate together.

Geno

Geno never really believed in the Petal Bunny. He's always been a bit of a skeptic, but he tried to play along because Error believed the Petal Bunny existed. They still celebrate together.

(I think I'm funny XD Geno and Error think the other believed in the Petal Bunny until they were adults. They still celebrate because they think it's funny. They're both skeptics when it comes to fairy tales and stuff)

Reaper

Reaper also used to be around when the Petal Bunny Existed. He celebrates with Geno and Error now, and tells stories about how he knew the Petal Bunny. Neither of them believe him.

Dust

Dust never got to celebrate any holidays as a kid. I'm sure you all know why. He celebrates a couple holidays with Killer and Horror now.

Horror

Horror never believed in anything as whimsical as a Mystic Bunny, but he did kind of celebrate the Blossoming as a kid with his brother... They would hide painted rocks around their house for each other to find. Horror gets a bit sad whenever holidays like this come around, but he's happy he can celebrate with his friends.

Killer

Killer doesn't ever remember celebrating any holidays before he became a Royal Guard. Killer actually doesn't remember a lot of his childhood. He does like celebrating though.

Cross

Cross was never allowed to celebrate holidays like the Blossoming as a kid. He and his brother used to celebrate Gyftmas together, but their father was very strict.

Ink

Ink still believes in the Petal Bunny.

#answered asks #Kingdomverse? #Kingdomverse #KV!Cast #I've changed some holidays as you can tell #I think it suits the monsters of Kingdomverse? better!

[shade-romeo]

Bullet Fic: Analogince Magic Au

Logan as a witch/warlock who lives in a cottage out in the cursed woods with his cat familiar Roman.

Roman acts as both Logan's assistant, and his boyfriend. UwU

(Because this detail is crucial to the plot; Familiars in this universe can change between human and cat forms Roman is a cream colored himalayan, with literally glowing red eyes)

(The description part isn't important, I just want you all to know that.)

Virgil is a human, no special powers or anything. He's never been exposed to magic at all, believes it to be a myth.

One night Virgil is driving with some "Friends" who drop him off at the edge of the woods, and drive off, leaving him there with no way home, and no way to contact anyone.

Virgil goes "...Shit." and just fucking decides to explore the woods. I mean he's been pretty interested in them for a while now, why fucking not?

It's days before he stumbles across Logan's cottage. And by this point it's too late to try and get out of the woods, because he's incredibly lost.

So when Virgil knocks on Logan's door, Roman and Lo were y'know just talking all domestic like as Logan worked on creating a new potion.

So when they hear the knock, Roman is immediately like, "Uggghhhh we were having a moooommmeeeennnnt >:/"

Y'know pouty kitty

And Logan goes "Hush, now change into your animal form so i can open the door."

So begrudgingly, Roman shifts, and glares at the door as Logan opens it, cuz y'know.. what if danger??

And when Logan opens the door and sees Virgil there, shivering and anxiously asking for some kind of assistance, I mean.. like.. he can't fucking say no!

So he brings Virgil in and feeds him, and Virge explains his situation, then Logan explains the bubbling cauldron in his kitchen.

Logan Introduces Virgil to Roman and explains that he's his familiar. Though obviously he doesn't mention that he can turn human.

Virgil, being the cat person he is, is immediately petting and messing with Roman.

And Roman is conflicted, because on one hand, this is a stranger and he can't be sure that Virgil isn't going to hurt them. But on the other hand- *purring noises*

Logan lets Virgil stay in the cottage until he's healthy and is positive about how to get back home (Obviously Logan would be helping with both of these goals)

And the entire time Virgil stays, Roman is forced to stay in his cat form all day every day, only at night, or when Virgil is outside can he turn human.

After a few weeks of Virgil staying with them Roman starts to feel left out.

Because Virgil and Logan are talking and hanging out almost constantly, with Virgil even stealing some of Roman's assistant duties he used to do for Logan

And Roman just has to sit and watch from the sidelines until Virgil goes to bed.

So obviously Roman starts to resent Virgil and gets pretty damn salty, and reserved.

Obviously Logan notices, but he doesn't say anything about it because he figured it would pass.

Not until one specific night.

Roman goes out as a cat because the loneliness and sadness is kinda getting to him and he needs to get some fresh air.

Logan, before he leaves, tells him specifically to start heading home at sundown. And even gives his lil kitty forehead a kiss before he leaves.

So Roman goes and climbs some tree and cries out his feelings, but he falls asleep and doesn't wake up until far after sunset.

He comes running home and scratches at the door to be let in.

Logan opens the door and immediately scoops up Roman, loudly and very sternly lecturing him about how unsafe it is to be out in the woods at night

He sits Roman down on the kitchen table, forcefully changing Roman to his human form (which he knows Roman hates)in his haste to make sure he isn't injured.

Once he's sure Roman is okay, he continues his lecture, quickly changing the subject to asking him about his change in behavior.

Roman barely gets anything out ("..It's Virgil-") before Logan interrupts him

Now keep in mind, Logan is being bombarded with lots of feelings at the moment, he was sure Roman had been gravely injured before, so all of this is coming out without him meaning it.

"Holy shit! This has nothing to do with Virgil! You're just so against the idea of me being close with someone other than you! Would you just quit being such a selfish bitch?!"

Time seems to freeze, as Roman reels over what Logan has said, and as Logan realizes his mistake.

After a minute or two, Roman hops off the table and turns to his cat form, walking off.

Logan walks after him, trying to stutter out something akin to an apology

But Roman isn't having any of this, and sprints out the open door

Logan is taken by surprise, and can't lean down to catch him in time before he's out of sight.

Virgil, hearing the commotion, comes out to the living room to see Logan standing by the open door and just silently staring forward.

Obviously he goes over and asks what's wrong, and the only response he gets is:

"He ran away.."

And Virgil goes, "Oh.. oh shit." And leads Logan over to the couch to sit and calm down

Virgil ends up stopping multiple panic attacks that night.

Meanwhile, Roman runs as far as his little cat legs will take him before they start to ache.

He ends up and a pond of sorts.

He turns human, curls up against a tree, and starts to sob. Like, full on breakdown sob.

And since this is really really fucking long I'm just gonna rush the rest of it.

Obviously Logan and Virgil go searching for Roman,

They find him and Lo and Ro apologize and Roman explains how he feels lonely and left out with Virgil around

Logan promises to do better blah blah blah

The next day Roman figures "hey, I made an emotional mess, so why not fix it with breakfast in bed?"

So he makes Logan breakfast, but Virgil finds him in his human form just as he finishes

Obviously Virgil freaks out, but all is good in about.. three hours

Virgil ends up staying in the cottage with them, cuz let's be honest whatever he had back home was probably shit anyway

And then eventually they all fall in love

The end :)

[Reblogs > Likes 👉👈]

#Romeo's Prompts #roman sanders #logan sanders #virgil sanders #Analogince #sanders sides #bullet fic #roman angst #logince angst #Eventual Analogince #Pre-established Logince #long post

[kanohivolitakk]

Miserix!

YOOO I was hoping someone would send me Miserix for the ask game. He's one of my favorite characters ever since I was a wee lass yet I almost never talk about him for one reason or another. So this is good opportunity to give my Miserix related thoughts.

Content warning for suicide mention in one of the last points btw.

For starters, I find Miserix to be a rather interesting character. This is due to his backstory of being the disgraced former leader of Makuta who was overthrown by Teri and being exiled, desiring. Miserix has this...certain aura of intrigue and mystery due has this...aura of mystery and superiority surrounding him. He isnt a mysterious character by any stretch of imagination, but he def has a vibe of mystery to him.

I love his design so much...Hes a big large dragon with such a kickass design, can you say no to that. I also love how he was designed by a 12 year old girl.

Speaking of...CAN I JUST SAY I LOVE HOW MISERIX CANONICALLY HAS HIS DEFAULT FORM BEING A GIANT RED DRAGON BECAUSE HE FEELS THAT WILL GIVE HIM A SENSE LF SUPERIORITY (+ he likes dragons and feels comfortable in being a dragon form as such). This is why I love this dragon man so much, talk about a chad.

One of the reasons Miserix sticks with me is because of him being one of the few truly neutral characters in the series. Like sure he is a big angry dragon who hates Teridax and wants it all to be destroyed but I don't necessarily think he's evil per say, just someone whose mind was warped by revenge (and even if youd count him as a villain hes different from most other villains). Helps a lot that the object of his revenge was the main villain by say.

Him being an angry dragon who wants revenge is so fucking cathartic and I love it. Since like, sometimes you just want to go apeshit at those who hurt you, ya know. You Miserix, kill Terry like you want to!! Again what a chad!!!

Miserix is one of the most tragic characters in the series when you dissect him. Like, guy was loyal to his duty and mission, was betrayed by his most trusted lietnuant and then almost killed. And that betrayal and isolation degraded his mind to the point he's jusr a mindless beast who wants revenge at this point. And its so sad, especially when you wonder how much he changed due to these experiences.

Speaking of....I think about pre!exile Miserix a lot. Given how the Miserix we see in canon is...heavily affected by Teridax betrayal I wonder what he was before that. What did he value, how did he operate the Brotherhood? Was he deeply focused in his duty or did he have time for other interests and having meaningful relationships? What was his relationship with Teridax like before the latter betrayed him? What about the rest of the Brotherhood? How much did he change, did he have any values or was he just a mindless rage monster? There's so much room for interpretationand speculation and to headcanon and I love that.

The mainthing I can think of is... Pre!Exile Miserix is very driven by duty. Like, in Mutran Chronicles its made clear how he was very invested in his duty and believed in balance and order. It made him having this sense of ...goodness I guess??? Or at the very least that his arrogance was kept in check unlike the rest of the Makuta.

When I was younger I was very "UWU Miserix was good the other Makuta were evil f*cktwits who betrayed him" for a very long time but honestly rereading Mutran Chronicles made me realize that while he certainly had some kind of moral code he was messed up too (see how he convinced Takadox to act as a spy). Like, Miserix was like, lawful neutral at best (chaotic good if you want to stretch it) Def had a moral code to an extent but was not above shady actions.

Speaking of...I kiiinda ship Miserix/Takadox because of those lines that established Miserix hired Takadox to act as Barraki spy in Mutran Chronicles. Like the way Takadox looked at Miserix with concern when the Barraki were leaving the meeting w the BOM just really made me interested in their dynamic despite the fact we know NEXT TO NOTHING ABOUT IT. but the little we know gives so much potential for them to hacing a really interesting dynamic. Its a shame that Takadox yeeted off in FOF before he could interactwith his former emplyoer, it wouldve given interesting insight into the two.

I aggressively headcanon that Miserix was the first Makuta ever created, and possibly one of Mata Nuis first creations [since iirg MN created the Makuta while Great Spirits and Artakha created most of the GSR species ]

As a kid I seriously thought Miserix was a girl for a while because his name + design were kinda feminine for my child mind fsr. Because of this misconception I had of him as a child, I have ended up in headcanoning him as nonbinary (either genderfluid or bigender to be more specific, leaning towards the latter tbh). He would more or less default to he/him pronouns due to being more used to them but wouldn't mind being refered with feminine or genderneutral pronouns. That being said, he would probably be VERY against being refered with it/its pronouns due to seeing it as dehumanizing.

Also on a "baby me saw Miserix design as androgynous" I heavily hc his voice as androgynous too. Angry, low and booming yes, but in a way that doesn't sound too masculine. This is tve main reason I'm mixed on his voice in the Ignition stop motion: its too masculine for my taste (that being said the voice sounds super jnique and I always hcd Miserix having a rather unique sounding voice soo)

Break from headcanons and thoughts to say: MISERIX HAS SOME OF THE MOST BADASS LINES IN THE SERIES. So much of his lines are so badass and he def has a lot of my favorite quotes in series. Just so much confidence and badassness oozing him.

I find the fact Miserix was turned into a painting by Teridax incredibly funny. Also cant believe paintings are canon in Bionicle.

I think about post-canon Miserix a lot. Now that Teridax is dead, what now? Where would he go there? Would he still be rage-filled monster ,now just having no purpose for his rage? Or would he just wander purposlessly,feeling like theres no reason for him to exist? Regardless, there would be this emptiness... At some point Miserix whole existence became fixated on Teridax so like....When Teri died it was kinda..what then. Post canon Miserix is by far one of the more interesting post canon characters given how much it wouldve affected him. Eh, knowing how Greg writes hed either done "Miserix is driven mad/still rage filled" in the laziest way possible, come up some really stupid and convoluted thing that was out of tje blue or have him being killed off by Velika or one of his cronies instead of exploring his character in any meaninful way.

On a related note, can we talk about how its canon that in one universe Miserix loosing his purpose made him so depressed he killed himself? I think about that sometimesand just...man guy really was driven by having a duty and purpose.Again, makes me wonder what happened with prime!timeline Miserix post canon.

All in all ,Miserix is great and criminally underrated. Hes both a character thats incredibly simple(angry dragon who wants to kill Teridax) but has potential for complexity in him thanks to all the potential his story has. His story is a tragic one, being given a duty he was willing to commit to his fullest, only to be betrayed by his kind and casted away, this slowly turning him into a rage-obsessed monster we see today.Miserix is such a great and interesting character, and I wish more of the fandom paid attention to him.

#Ask game #Bonkle Meta askgame #bionicle

[dangan-meme-palace]

Do you find Saihara's characterization weird in chapter 6? Because I do :( He's become super confident, optimistic, and leader-like too fast, especially if you compare to ch5 and before...I understand that in the last chapter all protags get pumped up to end the killing game but...he's quoting Momota and he also developed a 'hunch' like him...even Harukawa says 'sometimes you're so much like Kaito' pls no I like Saihara the way he is, meaning, not like Momota :( but that's just my opinion! ^^

Shuichi's characterization is all over the place. It's not even like... "he's inconsistent because humans are inconsistent" or whatever, it's literally just that his personality changes whenever the narrative needs it to without anything but loose, barely-there excuses to try and justify why it happens.

Chapter 1:

No problems with believing in his detective work, he's actually quite shockingly confident in them for how much he downplays them.

His actual problem is not thinking his skills are where they should be according to professional standards, which is an accurate assessment if the rest of the game is anything to go by actually.

Calls Kaito a reckless idiot for doing something reckless and idiotic. This is the only time he does this.

Learns a lesson?? I guess?? The lesson was apparently supposed to be "don't be afraid to reach for the truth" but it came off more like "you shouldn't let everyone die just because you liked Kaede the most, picking favorites and having bias is bad because you have a duty to remain unbiased so everyone doesnt die"

Then everyone conveniently forgets that he was willing to let them die.

Chapter 1 was the best for his characterization except for the trial. I wish he had acted like this throughout the entire game.

Let him investigate. Dear god why doesn't the detective investigate, or even cast doubt?

Chapter 2:

Kaito is starting to become his Bro now. He's not super biased like in later chapters, but you can start to see it happening.

This is the chapter where he tells everyone not to let their biases get in the way of logic, which is funny considering what he's like in other chapters.

Big sad about Kaede, but a few of the characters (Ryoma, Tenko) comfort him so he's choosing to turn this tragedy into a growth moment. I guess it's kinda like what Chihiro did, except a girl had to die for it and he didn't get brained with a dumbbell at the end.

He's the nicest to everyone in this chapter. Don't worry, it won't last long :)

If he had kept the weird sort of optimism he had during this chapter plus the logical thinking instead of leaning into the angst he might've actually developed and Kaede's death might've been worth a damn.

Chapter 3

Maki gets the spotlight so there's not much to say except for the fact that he's gotten super awkward and is getting progressively dumber.

Honestly Maki is kind of right when she keeps calling him a dumbass for asking questions with very obvious answers.

Literally how the fuck did he ever solve infidelity cases when he can't even figure out shit that's this basic.

Smh.

Oh yeah, the odd hopefulness is gone now. It's buried next to my hope of him turning out to be an interesting character.

Put your hat back on if you're gonna angst again emo boy.

Investigation? Dont know her. I only know the Grind 💯 and hanging out with the Bros 😤👊

Chapter 4:

One of his worst chapters. I fucking hate this chapter.

Everyone patted him on the back before the trial and it felt shoehorned in. I'm not even sure why they did it honestly?

Kokichi = Evil

Kaito & Maki = Good

But dont worry guys, he's totally not biased or anything! (/s)

He's mega biased.

During the trial he has a lot of confidence, like the good kind he had back in Chapter 2. Especially when he lied and when he stood his ground against Kaito. He'll be punished by the narrative for going against Kaito, but for now I'll enjoy his limp-dicked rebellion.

Apparently he cares for Gonta except he never once talked to him during the main story and even insulted Gonta in his head during their FTEs. When did he start to care about Gonta? He didn't, but now he does I guess.

Chapter 5:

Another bad chapter. Hate this too

Officially graduated from Kaito's Bro to Kaito's Simp.

Also his confidence is entirely dependent on Kaito. When Kaito wants him to do something, he's sure Kaito's plan will work and gives him all of his support. If Kaito expresses displeasure, he's ashamed of himself and has no confidence. I-... y'know sometimes I genuinely worry about their dynamic.

Kokichi = Evil ×2 combo

No detective work or reasoning. Why would the gofer project want a cosplayer to go to space and preserve humanity? Or an ex murderer? Or an assassin? Or a detective? Are they going to be solving space crimes? Shuichi should have been so god damn suspicious- the MOST suspicious, even- but he's practically braindead at this point in the story.

Investigation skills, when will you return from the war?

Goes from suicidal to "uwu I'm a hopeful student of Hope's Peak Academy" way too quickly for someone with supposed confidence issues.

Seriously, how did he go from "the world has been destroyed and I cant fix it so I might as well die" to "yeah! we will definitely fix it! we dont know how yet, but we'll totally do it because we're Ultimates even though in Chapter 1 I didnt even think I deserved to be an Ultimate but shhhh" so quickly?

Kiibo and Shuichi kinda sounded like Kaede when they saw the Hope's Peak Flashback and it's so fucking weird because there's no justification for it

Chapter 6:

Literally what was this chapter

Why did it take Kiibo threatening to blow up the school to get him to investigate the mastermind again? 9 people have died since Chapter 1, but he acted as though he couldn't do anything about it. He even says he "can only help after people die", but Chapter 1 disproved that because he literally almost caught the mastermind without anyone dying so-

At least he investigated, I guess. It's sad that a detective investigating is considered a miracle, but here we are.

During the trial he's rapidly switching from hopeful to suicidal to hopeful again and it gives me so much whiplash, like god damn. Chill out a bit, buddy.

Much like the now-late Kaito, Shuichi tries to convince everyone to die with him to make some sort of stand against TDR. Somehow this worked and they also somehow didn't die and we aren't given justification for either.

The confidence came from the fact that the narrative needed him to be confident. That's it. There's literally no justification for this. There's no justification for anything, honestly.

What even was that ending, like what the fuck was that? None of their arcs got wrapped up at all...

So basically

Shuichi is confident but he's not but only when Kaito believes in him but he can stand against Kaito when he needs to and also he's not actually confident and Kaito needs to baby him. Shuichi is also not biased because he learned a lesson about that, unless your name is Kaito, Maki, or Kokichi, in which case he is incredibly biased to the point of putting the lives of other people on the line, but he wants everyone to survive because he learned a lesson about that. He's also incredibly dismissive of most of the cast in his head, to the point of being cold, but it should be noted that Shuichi really cares about his friends and is really nice and supportive of others. He's a big doormat except for when he doesn't want to be, unless it involves Kaito, because then he is always a sidekick except for when he isn't.

Hope that cleared things up! As you can see Shuichi is a very consistent character :) (/s)

-tech

#asks #defective detective #ive probably missed a lot but im going off my bad memory #i gotta rewatch the whole game again sooner or later #its been a while #but this is what i can remember anyway

[mercyburned-aa]

For the Meta!   //   @whenthevoidcalls​

Clare - What is it that she finds so fulfilling about being a Warden/Warden-Commander? And what about as Queen? Does she really enjoy it or is it something she felt like she had a responsibility to do?

thank you for caring about my girls :sob:

for clare  --  what i try to keep in mind is that a cousland warden was probably better prepared beforehand for being in charge of things than any other origin save a dwarf noble.  clare’s parents were very literally going to leave the teyrnir in her hands for an undetermined amount of time,  while bryce / fergus went off to war and eleanor had intended to go stay with lady landra.  she’d probably been learning how to lead and studying her father for most of her life at that point.  it was even stated in canon that she was more likely to succeed the teyrnir than her older brother.  leadership is familiar and natural to clare although she’s not as patient as bryce.  and some of that is age.  she’s young and still very fiery and has a lot to say ;  he’s an old soldier and has had a lot more time to reflect.

and preface before i go further !   i do not automatically subscribe to queen cousland because of how it happens in canon.  the only real interest i have in that setting is seeing how clare can use that power and influence to bring about positive change for the people of ferelden both at home and abroad.  ( also,  it’s eamon’s idea in my world and not hers,  because clare would never force that. )   that said though,  i think she has a very similar level of power and influence as warden-commander,  plus she and anora could make an interesting / powerful lady duo.    my default is that she’s warden-commander and anora is on the throne.  if she does marry king alistair,  it’s because she’s in love with him,  not because she wants power.

as for what she finds fulfilling  --  during the blight itself,  she does feel a strong sense of obligation and it’s more of a duty.  a duty to duncan,  whom she admired greatly despite not knowing him long.  an obligation to her parents,  in that small moment when she realized that they were going to die,  she was going to live,  and there was nothing she could do about it.  to fulfill their last words,  “become a grey warden and do what’s right.” “our daughter will live and make her mark on the world.”  it’s pretty much all obligation / duty during the blight itself.

afterwards as commander is when she starts to find things about it that she actually enjoys.  clare is much better suited to leadership than she would have thought,  even with all her preparation growing up.  she finds that although it’s challenging and sometimes overwhelming,  it’s rewarding to see her wardens grow both as people and as a group,  and also in their confidence and strength.  becoming a grey warden saved clare’s life,  literally and figuratively,  because it was a single purpose she could focus on while everything else around her very literally fell apart and crumbled in the wake of howe’s betrayal.  

she finds it rewarding to help anders,  because now she knows what actually happens at the circle.  she saw the person-sized cages.  she saw the dungeons in the basement.  she saw the templars just sit around twiddling their thumbs instead of going in to save people who were still very much saveable.   she finds it rewarding to work alongside people like sigrun,  whom she adores  ;  justice,  who fascinates her and yet she feels responsible for him  ;  oghren,  her old friend,  whom she can encourage to be part of his child’s life,  because she makes the rules now and she doesn’t believe you can’t both be a warden and have a family  ;   velanna,  who even though they rub each other the wrong way at first,  they can find common ground as powerful and outspoken women  ;  and even nathaniel,  her childhood friend,  and how the visceral anger turns into a friendship that ends the feud and rivalry between their families.

clare loves her country.  in a modern context this word has a somewhat negative connotation but she’s patriotic,  she loves ferelden and being fereldan.  she believes in what her country and her people can do.  being warden-commander gives her legitimacy,  but moreso does being the hero of ferelden,  the champion of redcliffe,  the arlessa of amaranthine and,  even if only briefly,  teyrna of gwaren.  with these titles and the power / influence that comes with them,  she wants to rebuild the country.  fix roads.  get the farms in the bannorn and places like lothering back up and running,  if possible.   she wants to keep a strong working / political relationship with bhelen in orzammar and just....help.  she wants to get her hands on the phylacteries of mages who became wardens so that the templars can’t find them the way they kept hunting down anders.  

she wants to reform the wardens and let her wardens have people to come home to.  she wants to find a cure for the calling because she doesn’t want to die alone in the deep roads,  and she doesn’t want it to happen to her “kids” either.  and they’re her flock,  really.  even though most of them are older than her.  clare takes so much pride in being commander for these amazing people and in making vigils keep her own.  

back in highever,  she was just kind of fucking around and didn’t really have any goals or ambitions.  her parents weren’t that old and so she knew it would still be a while before she had to worry about whether it would be herself or fergus who would get highever.  it’s true that she didn’t have much of a choice in joining the wardens,  but rather than sit and bitch and moan about how unfair it is and how terrible it is,  uwu woe is me i am so SAD !!!! duncan is so MEAN !!!!  WOE !!!  my life is so TERRIBLE !!!,  she chose to see the good she can do with what opportunities were available to her and focus on that instead.  the circumstances that lead to her becoming commander showed clare that she’s much stronger and much more capable and clever than she was giving herself credit for,  before it all began.  i think what she really wanted was to matter to the world somehow and being a warden helped her achieve that.  

she puts a lot of time and effort into finding a cure and eventually she does by teaming up with avernus and insert some other headcanons here that would make this post five times as long,  lmao.  the wardens gave her the chance to reclaim her purpose and her identity,  to avenge her family,  to make a difference in people’s lives,  and to serve her country.  she could never think of it as anything but saving her life ... even if she’d still give just about anything to have her parents back.

#&. ‛ i will avenge my ghosts with every breath i take.︐ › clare cousland. #this got hella long but i could talk about my girl ALL FRIGGIN DAY #she finds purpose and meaning in service to others and i love that about her

[solisfated]

⎡ @celestibound​ asked: Ship Bias >> | ‘ ship bias ‘ | accepting! ✹

you didn’t specify so i went a little crazy with this one and just did..........all three genshin muses...under the cut bc it got really long........heheh the brainrot is r e a l ft. zhongli, childe and diluc lets gooo

first up, mr dragon granda, in no particular order we have:

▷ childe/tartaglia! listen,,,, i love enemies to lovers so much, i drink it like it’s water that is no secret. i want childe redemption, zhongli apologizing for his deception, slowly repairing their friendship before zhongli being hit in the face with love and adoration for childe. i feel like they have a lot of chemistry, they are pretty similar in terms of pain and depth. they could learn a lot from each other; how to be vulnerable, how to trust, how to open up, how to communicate.  ▷ guizhong! the soulmate he had before he knew what it meant... there is so much angst in this ship, zhongli realizing too late how he felt and not being able to protect guizhong in the archon war absolutely devastated him. i dont think he’s loved anyone like her, since her death. he treasures her always, even when he does move on, a part of him is always with her ▷ zhongli x apologizing to all of the adepti he lied to about his death. mans really needs to make amends, and make them well.  ▷ xiao! mostly post-1.2, when zhongli is no longer rex lapis but just a mortal man. his respect for xiao is immense and he would trust the adeptus with his life, and zhongli needs to learn how to bridge the gap between them after being the geo archon for thousands of years. also him caring for xiao and his pain,,,, he just wants xiao to live a good life, and to be happy. he hopes he lives long enough as a mortal to see it for him ▷ qiqi! she is his daughter now sorry baizhu. er, granddaughter lol. dragon grandpa caring for the jiangshi child is so precious. he would tell her lots of stories and wouldn’t mind repeating them after she forgets them. i really hope to have them interact one day, qiqi was a favorite of mine in the story

next, chaotic ginger harbinger, in no particular order we have:

▷ zhongli! for the same reasons as above : > i just think they’re neat uwu ▷ lumine! listen,,,, friends, to enemies, to friends again to lovers is just top TIER i don’t make the rules. childe hesitating in liyue, ultimately staying for duty but secretly relieved his post will remain there. he has a chance to make amends with lumine and he takes it. lumine didn’t take any of his shit, wouldn’t let him wreck havoc on a whim. she’s very grounding, and he felt for the first time he had a real friend before he followed through on his duties. it wasn’t personal, and he really would want to join her adventures if he could. and seeing her with teucer!! melted him!  ▷ kaeya! listen. their dynamic is very much ‘ i will kill you ‘ and ‘ like, how would you kill me? ‘ and i live for it. i really want them to meet in game. i wanna see them clash and then drink about it together later ▷ teucer!! absolute precious baby childe would die for. i love their canon bond so much, teucer looks up to him and childe would do anything for his family. im stuck on the fighting fatui recruits part of the quest, so i dont know if he does it, but i really want childe to come clean to teucer about what he does. lying to him won’t help the kid, and deceiving him might strain their relationship. i hope teucer can forgive childe in the end, bc he only wants to make the boy happy ;-; tonia should go here too, bc he writes letters with his kid sister and its so sweet and adorable. childe doting on his siblings warms my heart. he’s such a good brother, even if it hurts him to be so sometimes ▷ honestly? childe x shutting the fuck up lmao

next, idealistic wine batman, in no particular order we have:

▷ aether/lumine! it seemed like diluc had gone a really long time without collaborating with another person until that one story quest. even kaeya was surprised. i felt like diluc let his guard down a little, and perhaps it will lead him to making new friends and strengthening the bonds he already has in the future. fuck knows he is shit at keeping bonds well. he needs more friends and confidents ;-; people he can trust and lean on  ▷ kaeya! i really want them to reconcile....their story made me so incredibly sad, diluc felt so betrayed. i think kaeya is already willing to mend their bond, but diluc is too bitter and stubborn. he also just doesnt know how to ask for help, hence why aether/lumine was so important. i hope they can be close again one day, because diluc...doesn’t have any family left alive. he just has the dawn winery and a name to live up to. it must be lonely ▷ jean! they had an interesting dynamic in one of the quests, i think she could be a friend of his if he wasn’t so stubborn. i wanna know about that ‘ sir ‘ thing lmao...a remnant of his days as a knight? i want jean to tease him and call him out for distancing himself from everyone around him that’s for sure ▷ klee!! i adore klee so much and i want diluc to be the designated pyro child babysitter. like diluc have a pyro daughter. i like klee’s optimism and shenanigans would be good for him honestly, and klee could use a little more....structure.....and less,,,bombs,,, ▷ diluc x therapy for his grief and trauma. guy really needs to talk to someone. 

#;;queue ⏤ the garden calls ☽ #⎾ 𝙷 𝙲. ⏤ 𝚣𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚒 ✹ #⎾ 𝙷 𝙲. ⏤ 𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚊 ✹ #⎾ 𝙷 𝙲. ⏤ 𝚍𝚒𝚕𝚞𝚌 ✹ #// hello yes i am weak for found family #// i would say childe needs a kid to match the other two but #// he got two little siblings he's good lmao #// harbingers should Not be parents

[gcldveins]

hello i’m back with another senior citizen and i am incredibly sorry .. i finished s3 of ozarks n couldn’t help myelf :/// but ANYWAYS this is gabriel taylor, laura’s shitty dad ! uwu

basics

✎⌠jason bateman. cis male. he/him⌡❝ — well, look who’s just arrived ! if it isn’t the one and only gabriel taylor. though, around here they’re known as the fortress. don’t tell ‘em i said this but the fifty-one year old lawyer kinda has a reputation of being cold and enigmatic. but y’know, they can be driven and astute too. typical capricorn. anyways, welcome home and stay safe gabe ! ❞

statistics

full name: gabriel jebediah taylor

nickname(s): gabe, sometimes

date of birth: january 7th, 1970

hometown: misty hollow, connecticut.

gender identity: cis gender

preferred pronouns: he/him

sexual orientation: heterosexual

hogwarts house: slytherin

aesthetic: crisp collars, silver tie pins, the smell of fresh laundry, hollow smiles, always a handshake, never a hug, leather briefcase always on hand, a glass of single malt scotch, perfect posture, the sound of waves softly lapping at the shore, thunderstorms with no rain. 

distinguishable characteristics: always Clean

their song from the sigh no more album bc i love this album and it makes me Sad™ : dust bowl dance 

background ( emotional, physical abuse tw )

born and raised in misty hollow, gabriel’s family has relatively deep roots within the town. the man comes from old money, with all the law firms he owns having been passed down from generation to generation. his father was a part of this business and his mother, on the other hand, is your typical southern belle, moved here from a small town in texas. she was a corporate lawyer ( it’s how she met gabriel’s father ) but since becoming a mother she really has had no interests in any other occupation other than trophy wife and socialite.

to say that gabriel’s parents were old school would be putting it lightly. basically, both of his parents were deeply religious republicans and were very aware of their image as a family. they were harsh parents, extremely controlling when it came to their children’s lives but at the same time were also really emotionally absent. to this day they still believe that it was all in the name of tough love but obviously it was just emotional abuse. 

his father was especially hard on gabriel, he was a strong believer in physical discipline and thought gabriel to be too “soft”. he was always berating him, punishing him for petty offences, and pretty much just fostering your typical environment of toxic masculinity. though he never laid a hand on gabriel’s sister as she was what he called, “a lady” and his “pride and joy.”

but gabriel was a good kid, he was obedient aside from stupid mistakes that kids are bound to make. he was your typical golden boy, a jack of all trades of sorts. not exceptionally good at one thing, but averagely good at a multitude of things. he was a quick learner and dedicated, anything he took a crack at, he eventually excelled in. but all those opportunities he was given as a child; being able to practice multiple instruments, getting extra coaching and tutoring in activities of his choice — definitely gave gabriel a leg up among his peers. 

throughout high school, he mostly kept to himself, choosing to focus on his education and after graduating, he went to harvard where he earned a dual degree in business and law and carried on through with law school. the plan was to move to boston where the business’ main office was and work for his father, making his way up until he was ready to inherit it all himself.

ok this is where things get shoddy cause everything from above is part of an old intro so if this doesn’t make sense dont look at me ndfjsndjk but i imagine this is where gabe met his future wife ? i don’t want to set anything in stone for when that role gets picked up but ! gabe’s always been .. well-meaning, for a lack of a better word. like in the beginning he initially wanted to go into criminal law and become a prosecutor before his dad pressured him into staying in corporate. these good intentions were really able to develop during his time away from home, i think. he was able to develop his own opinions and views, different from his parents.

but gabriel’s always lived to serve and aims to please, giving himself to others until there’s nothing left. and he still has this really messed up view of his relationship with his parents, especially his dad. it’s just something he’s never been able to shake. out loud, he would never utter a word against them and in his head, he’s justified his father’s actions, forcing himself to think of it in a way that made it okay because putting his actions under any other sort of light would have felt like he was betraying him.

and while he didn’t have the same dreams and ideologies as his father, gabriel felt as if there was really no choice other than to adapt. it’s what’s been expected of him since he was born. so, he poured himself into his work despite hating every minute of it, his pride preventing him to be the one to drive generations of hard work into the ground. and gabriel was good at it, like really good. and he let himself believe he loved what he did, associating the feelings of success with enjoyment.

and in regards to his own family, i think that things in the beginning were good and almost picturesque, y’know? like the vision of a white-picket-fence type of family. but as the years went on, the more time he spent working with his father and the family business, he subconsciously allowed his father’s habits and tendencies into his own head. He succumbed to his parents’ influences and allowed their ideas of success and vision for his and his family’s future to become his own.

and i think one day gabriel looked in the mirror and straight up did not like what he saw. he’s fully aware of the mistakes he’s made in the past and he feels the heft of those mistakes everyday, but what is he supposed to do now ? it’s too late, he’s too far in. and so gabe did what he does best, he compartmentalized and began distancing himself from the family. spending more time at the office than at home because the farther you are away from people, the less likely you are to hurt them right ? 

personality

i’m gonna keep this loose cause i’ve noticed i tend to diverge from them a bit when i actually start playing my muses !

but gabriel is the fakest mf you’ll ever meet. all smiles and formalities, he’s like a goddamn politician i hate it. but i think if he were ever to let this decades long charade fall, everything just falls apart for him, y’know? his emotional sitch is like a house of cards, everything being perfectly curated and placed

he’s incredibly loyal to his family, he’d do anything to protect his family. and like sure, he loves them more than anything, but i think this loyalty comes more so out of duty than love, y’know ?

smart as a whip, always calculating and very cunning. the dude’s a shark in the courtroom and has he done morally questionable things to win a case? probably

idk i think... gabriel as a whole is a moral grey area. i rlly do love him and this version of him is always fun to play but we ! shall see ! 

#misty.intro #this is long n sad im srry i jsut have a lot of feelings abt my shitty son #:pensive:

[muwi-translates]

why u should love sanada fucking yukimura

man, this character... is one of the most lovable otome bois i have encountered in a long time,,, because he’s such a loser.

i wouldn’t even call this a character analysis anymore i just spilled all my feels and love for this stupid wholesome boy. thank you to my two biggest sandman supporters, this is all yuu’s fault. @sea-reiusly @snow--blanket

LET’S START. so,,, aside from the fact that he’s cute-dumb; you should love him because he loves you a lot and he deserves love too.

he is the literal embodiment of boyish selfless love.

if iI had to describe him I would describe him as a big red blanket you can wrap around yourself and make you feel safe and warm. or a big spoon of honey; slightly bitter but also sweet.

1) he is mega Friend for Life

first things first; he would be, and is, a good friend - if not to you then to the people he cares about. his whole concept is ‘boy next door’. he is soft, he won’t disappoint you because he cares about you as a person and he worries sometimes even if he doesn’t show it. for example in Shingen’s route he plays messenger for you - he thinks you’re ‘cool’, you’re his pal. he seems like the type who could develop feelings for you but is content just being close to you as your friend and see you happy. despite being told that he’s ‘tactless’, Yukimura actually, not surprisingly, has the ability to read other people, but just sucks at expressing it to you. so occasionally, he ends up proper advice to other suitors if you’re not on his route:

like the time Kenshin was excited to bring you home with him to Kasugayama and you were torn about leaving the home you’ve come to love and your warlord family. to Yukimura, family and friends are important, that is what one of his 'wants' are, after all. he does it for shingen, he does it for his men and the men in the Takeda army.

in a way he’s a bit like your brother too. except Hideyoshi is the clearly caring, wise older brother and Yukimura is your bratty younger brother who would throw a banana at your face, and pretends he doesn’t give a shit about you but that one time he sees you carrying heavy stuff down the hall he takes it from you and calls you ‘weak’ but he just doesn’t want to see you hurt.

if he's not established to be quite as close to you in other routes (Ieyasu/Masamune), he continues to help you on behalf of sasuke. even though you’re a complete stranger to him and he barely knows anything about you background - especially considering sasuke gave him a coverup story and not what or who you actually are. it's moments like these where he is willing and able to separate 'his job' and 'enemy' and do things that would otherwise produce results the opposite of what he’s supposed to be doing (which is actually a point of conflict in his OWN route, which will I will talk about later uwu)

2) ultimate Fam man

Yukimura is inherently a selfless character. he doesn’t care about himself, he only cares about the people around him and what he can do for them. he overworks himself and shoulders all the stress by himself, to take weight off shingen (it's always 'leave it to me, lord shingen!!' from him). 

I believe he has a mild form of ptsd as well; he mentally and emotionally cuts himself away from feeling anything in battle to perform his best, he has trouble sleeping at night, and he ends up holding things he’s sleeping with very tightly (eg. you). we also learn from Shingen that:

he was raised to be strong and upstanding, but has problems with adapting, so he puts all he has into what he does, meaning he gets hurt more (EN)

when he has his heart set on things, his conviction lasts for a long, long time (CN)

so, he likes it a lot when he gets to surround himself with people he cares about. he comes off as an ambivert leaning on extrovert, based off how he seems to like hanging out with his men not just as their field commander but as their friend, he enjoys parties and even entertains Kenshin. it’s been noted that he is visibly more relaxed and laughs often around his soldiers - so it’s safe to assume he gets energy by being around the people he cares about, because at least he knows that they’re alive.

in fact, the idea of people around him dying makes him angry. he’s willing to put aside his hatred of Nobunaga to ensure that no unnecessary lives are lost, even if he’s sacrificing himself in the process. they all share the simple dream of one day being able to return to their homeland, and Yukimura expects almost all of them to be able to fulfill that dream together.

so when Shingen insinuates that he won’t be able to be there for that, Yukimura gets understandably worried and angry.

okay, so now we know that he's a selfless iron woobie. what else? as stated above we know that he is actually a closet Sensitive Guy(TM). Yukimura is sensitive to his own feelings, at least. he's a Thinker, he thinks a lot and even overthinks. he is a tsundere to himself - because he's hardwired himself to sacrifice other needs and wants aside from the goals he's set for himself. if it’s not something for the benefit of his dream or Shingen or Sasuke - does he really need it?

he clings onto all the light he can hold onto no matter how small for the sake of his dream - it’s literally defined his life, he’s somewhat dependant on using his body to fight for something or someone and that’s why he’s always moving around doing something. Yukimura also respects other people who have a similar mindset (also his highest criteria when it comes to women; he gotta have something to respecc). 

if he didn’t have anything to fight for what do you think would happen? :thinking:,,,, check out chapter 13 of his dramatic route for the answer,,,, it is not pretty :( 

3. 95% giver 5% taker (and only after some self-deprecation)

of course his selflessness also applies to his love interest?? 

even as a lover he's such an adorable loser that makes me want to cry. he is selfless love in the form of a man. he is basically a dog boi. he only wants to take care of you, your happiness is his happiness. he always offers to make YOU happy and not himself first- it's like as long as you're smiling he can keep going, even if he's tired or if he worked all day, he always has time to spoil and coddle you-- if you want all his attention he'll give it to you, no matter how tired or busy he is. in fact, he thinks that its part of the job description, that its his duty to indulge in your desires. even on his birthday, you know the day where HE'S supposed to get something, he goes out of his way to get YOU a present.

the conflict in his route is literally him coming to terms that he wants something for himself, denying himself from his own goddamn happiness. he finds out that you are on the side of his enemies, yet he still wants you because he’s fallen for you - but he tells/forces himself to think that he doesn’t need you after all, because “it wasn’t meant to be” and that he doesn’t deserve you because he brought you to the battlefield. even though he can do exactly what he needs to if you were simply just ‘friends’ or ‘acquaintances’ - the idea of giving himself true happiness by being with the person he loves? nah, fam.

literally the only time he wanted to be selfish for once he slapped himself and said ‘no’. if you didn’t chase after him, the regret would eat at him for a long time, regret that he’ll eventually learn to squash down inside himself and only add to fuel of performing only for others - and not himself.

👏 👏  related analysis: why does he come off as insensitive when it comes to his route? why has he demonstrated that he is actually not Stupid but is also a butthead to you?

answer: defence mechanism - he thinks women are bothersome because they cry. and when women cry he lacks the confidence(?) to use words to comfort them. they embarrass him, he’s a tsundere, he only says things truly from his heart under Very Specific Circumstances where he is completely vulnearable and open (like pre-spice or... some angst situation).

so instead he just falls back to being selfless like he normally is. all he knows is how to care about other people, carry their burdens and wanting them to rely on him. that's why when you're upset at the festival, he just keeps shoving food at you instead of asking 'what's wrong' and going off on that. because his mind is literally just thinking food = good = makes people happy = ok, let's do that then. that's also why he'd rather you be angry than sad. sad is bad because he doesn’t know how to deal with bad except being physically intimate - pretty sure Yukimura would rather die if he had to hug every crying woman he ever encountered.

conclusion: he’s just a lost, lost boi who doesn’t know how to comfort people so he sacrifices himself and puts others ahead of him using actions - he pampers, he lets people vent out on him, the works. what a fucking wholesome loser who needs to love himself for once.

👏 👏 end of insensitive boi in love analysis

there’s a part of Yukimura that is actually a bit insecure. it's odd because he’s usually so confident in himself, and so proud, but he’s also so self-deprecating? under that tough boy exterior is just a boi who wants to be loved. he wants someone who will be there for him and support his stupid ass. he uses himself to hold up everyone else's burdens, but sometimes there's nobody that might be able to do the same to him. he wants someone to come home to, when he's stressed and wants some loving because otherwise he'd hole up his emotions and explode-- if he didn't have Shingen and Sasuke there with him.

his route sort of expresses the fact that Yukimura has never experienced a ‘mature love’ before, or a love where he imagines a life together with them. crushes, probably at some point in his life. sexual experience? how can he not have any??? but mature love? questionable.

these moments are few and far between because its not explored quite as much, but when they do...

he says things like "don't leave me, i'll prove that i'm the man for you." (bitch doesn't have to prove jack shit, he literally radiates with Care and Love) and “I need you”. he just doesn't want you to disappear on him. 

why’d you think you decided to leave without telling him? bitch would fucking fight the sky to keep you with him.

he's scared to lose you because he's finally found someone who is willing to accept him and taught him that its ok for him to be selfish for once and do things for his own sake and his own happiness. what he wants most is to just come home and eat food with you together. every encounter with you is precious to him because you rarely see each other. he wants to spend time with you. he doesn't like it when things cut into plans that seperate the two of you- but he doesn't mind it if plans didn't run as expected as long as he still got to spend the day with you. even if he's busy, he lies to go out with you to do things that YOU want. 

he’s finally come to find some happiness outside of work and outside of how he already copes - that alone is special to him, whether you end up as his friend or as his lover.

so basically:

you should love this guy bc he is mega Lovable and radiates warm Energy,,, he will always care about ur dumb ass one way or another.

#ikemen sengoku #cybird #ikesen #ikesen yukimura #Sanada Yukimura #by the way i fucking love this loser a lot #if you couldn't tell #i stan him so much #he deserves so much love #big loser muscly boi

[hoopdiddies]

I'm Not Over You // Ben Hardy x Reader (Part 4)

A/N: I was on vacay for a while and I had a hard time thinking the plot through but this could work. If you want to be tagged, just ask me uwu

Summary (for the entire series Ofc) : You had always loved Ben ever since you two met in university and became the best of friends. That feeling went out like a candle flame when the two of you parted ways until he re-entered your life...but this time with someone who has already occupied his heart.

Word count: 2148

Tags: None

Warnings: Mentions of drinking. And some angst, yet again *sigh*

Part 3

Part 2

Part 1

Parallel to the nature of the grimace present on your face shrouded by the umbra of the umbrella, the thunderclouds become bleaker and unwelcoming, complimenting the harsh pour of the rain on the city. In your mind, it could just get worse.

You tighten your grasp on the stem of your umbrella, the pressure of your grip making the veins in your wrist visible. To think you were enthused to spill the news to him, only to end up feigning the real one because you couldn't bring yourself to accept what must be.

You know he loves you, he loves you so much. He tells you 24/7. But that love is purely limited to hugs, small arguments, spontaneous fits of laughter, gentle pats on the back and forehead kisses. Compared to the almost spiritual connection he has with his fiancee. You've known and been around him longer than you could remember and yet, you're always several steps behind.

Well how else does platonic love compare to something romantic and sexual?

You stop in your tracks just half way through the wet sidewalk and stare at your reflection on a puddle beneath you. The tears dripping from your cheeks making bigger ripples on the puddle in contrast to the ones made by the rain. You sniffle, wiping your eyes quickly with your sleeve.

You hear a faint ring from your pocket and pull out your phone, seeing Lucy's name flash on the screen. You swipe the answer button and go on walking along the moist pavements.

"Hey Luce!" You blurt to hide the cracks in your voice.

"Y/N! Where are you right now? I just got back from a photoshoot and I want to hang out with you!" She giggles through the line and you keep your eyes ahead.

"Well I'm walking back home-"

"In the rain? You could get sick!"

"Lucy, relax. I'm covered up."

She sighs in relief, chuckling at her little mistake. "Sorry there. But mind if I stop by at your place?"

You don't think twice before answering, feeling the need to have some company. "Of course. Hurry up, I'm almost home." You aren't though, you're a dozen blocks away from your destination but you kind of want her to be there just in time for you to...vent.

You hear an audible slam echo from the line, almost coming off as a car door slammed close. "I'm on the road, I'll see you, Y/N!" You hum in response, your mouth curving slightly to the side. "You too, Lucy. Drive safely."

She bids you adieu for the meantime and you pick up your pace along the streets, careful not to glide recklessly over moist surfaces. The rain is not going to lighten very soon, you're sure of it.

As soon as you step foot into your living room after drying off, you are welcomed by a laid-back version of Lucy seated on the couch with a can of Mountain Dew in hand. You chuckle softly at how mellow she's positioned during such a weather, even more so at her choice of beverage.

"You're late." She shakes her head at you, pretending to be upset.

You shrug out of your coat and drape it over your shoulder, trudging to her and crouching down to hug her. "I am so sorry I left almost too quickly last night though."

She pats your back, letting a 'tsk' slip past her lips. "You are lucky Gwilym was there to accompany me."

"Hmm, he's not mad at Joe and me, is he? " Pulling away, you joke a little to cheer yourself up.

"No," she takes a sip of her can and puts it on the table, "in fact he's furious." This could be a little enlightening, a chat with Lucy to shed a beam of light on your mood. You take a seat next to her and begin your conversation. It's not much except that it's full of what happened at her photoshoot, the promotions she is required to attend, a few people she's had a little beef with and apparently her planned getaway with Rami to France. The topic is almost unilateral but you always take genuine interest in everything she says. Notwithstanding the fact that she constantly groans at the mention of the situations she underwent, you both still take a laugh out of it.

It's Lucy, she's a fascinating person with a fascinating life. You sometimes even wish you had her glam and eye for fashion.

She moves a lock of her blonde hair away from her forehead and looks at you curiosly. "Okay enough about me, what went on with you this week?"

You shrug, in an attempt to recall anything at all. "Not much. New Year's was a blast and last night's party was another thing," you turn your glance to your shoes, a frail smirk ghosting on your lips, eventually turning into a hopeful beam as your acceptance into the medical school flashes in your mind, "and... I got accepted into the medical school I applied for."

Lucy's eyes snap wide open at the news. "Shut up," she grabs you by the shoulders and gapes at you with eyes sparkling like they just found a heap of treasure, "you applied for medical school?" The slight disbelief and utter amazement can never be any clearer in her voice.

You nod happily and without warning, Lucy pulls you in for a tight hug, squealing at your success. "Oh my god, that's amazing! When did you get the letter? Have you told anyone?"

"I was sent an email from the institution this morning and told my parents and Joe about it soon after."

Lucy shifts on the couch, sliding her hands over her lap. "Which medical school though?"

"It's outside the country."

"Have you told Ben? "

With her question still hanging in thin air, you pause for a while before turning your head to her, shaking it slowly.

"Why?"

You stand up and head for the kitchen to grab a glass of water, your action confusing Lucy. "Y/N, are you okay?" She asks and you return on cue with your glass in hand. You let out a soft exhale and descend onto the couch. "I just...dont want to make him worry."

"Worry and Ben aren't exactly two words that mingle well. Solely in the context of a great news such as your acceptance."

"Of course, but I don't know how long I'll be gone." You notice your voice dwindle down to a whisper with the cast of your gaze to the side. The look on your face is deciphered by Lucy who's somehow adept at reading expressions, the blank that is your face making it easier for her.

And she suddenly knows what those furrowed brows mean. "There's something you're not telling me, Y/N. Just say it. I mean...even if you don't say it, I already hinted at it." She slides a hand over yours and you slowly turn to her, your expression becoming mildly stark. Of course she'd have a guess and it's only fair that she knows, she could help you get over it.

Your lips part but quiver as you try to find the right words. "I love him."

Lucy's gentle hold turns into a light squeeze, an indication of her comforting you. Her lips curve into a tender yet sad smile as she draws you in close again.

No matter how hard you're trying to let the tears fall, it just doesn't. It hurts but your tears aren't present to highlight that churning burn. Against all the odds to have them resurface in your eyes, you dip your head onto her shoulder and just squeeze your eyes shut. You mumble languidly on how it was an impulse to lie about your acceptance to Ben after he had broken the news about his engagement to you and soon after you had the thought that he would slowly forget about you once he and Rosy marry, and that your friendship wouldn't matter in the long run. As the decision that it'd be best if you go without him knowing, thinking it would make it easier for you to move on.

Lucy clears your face of your hair strands, staring at this once hidden,broken side of you. "I'm so sorry. I know this might not change a thing but you must tell him. He would never forget you, you're like the first person on his mind when he needs someone to talk to."

"Rosy's his life-"

"Y/N, don't demote yourself to a third party. You're more than what she is in his life," a brief pause from Lucy followed by a heartwarming emphasis, "you're his soulmate."

That word always meant something different to you. It involved a deep,romantic relationship but with how Lucy uttered it, it now means something entirely new. But you can't bring yourself to believe it. It's not a concept that can suture the gaping cut left in you.

With the little emotional strength left in you, you smile, launching at her with another hug as a requital to her presence during a time as this.

"I know it hurts...but- bloody, that's what love does to everyone."

--- (Apparent time skip 👀)

Amidst the hectic schedule your job has burdened you with throughout another week, never once have you faltered in between. You've gotten tons of invites to get-togethers during your weekend from friends yet out of the fear of losing all concentration on your duties, you turned them down politely. The second week of a new year means a new batch of spine-cracking, workload for everyone with jobs.

You're doing all this to save up for med school and it's something you tend to prioritize first and foremost. And regarding med school, you are to leave a month before enrollment to ensure your documents are in tacked and get served first. Since a few days before first semester arrives, enrollees would be lining up from different backgrounds and classes would be heavily filled. You have weeks left before your departure...and still, you haven't told Ben the truth...or talked to him in days, at least. For all you know, he could be on a tour, at a conference, an awards ceremony that you don't know of- certainly not the Oscars since you've been told that it's scheduled on February. He's probably busy enough to have other things in mind.

You discard the distraction and go about your business in your work area, with the intention of letting it purposefully distract you.

Minutes close to your dismissal, one of your co-workers strut in to invite you to have a drink with them. You could do no more than turn her down politely but with regards to the strain you've put yourself in with work, she insists and demands that you don't hesitate.

"But-" You try to protest, only to fail as she cuts you off. "I beg of you. Just for tonight."

"Tonight?"

"Yes."

You lightly clap your hands on the desk, springing from your chair with your head lightly tilted to one side. You turn your head to the wall clock on your far left and bob your head. "Do we leave now?"

"Most certainly. Come on!"

You haven't sped out of the building that fast with your colleagues before, not that it's not the first time but it certainly feels like it with how relieved you feel to go out. You needed a distraction from your personal ordeal and you got it, in the form of a night out for a drink.

You hit the pub that's just right across the street for the sake of convenience, half expecting your night to turn out eventful. A light buzz from your pocket stops you halfway into the entrance and slightly indisposed, you fish your phone out from your pocket, holding up your index finger at one of your colleagues to take the message you've received. They stride in ahead of you as you read the message, a little surprised to know Joe's back in London in the favor of Lucy who had asked him to come back. He's asked you out for a dinner with his friend but you tell him you're out for a drink with your colleagues, to which he replies with, "Mind if we join you then?"

And of course, you invite him over. Traipsing through the near rayless place to find your friends, hilariously realizing you're walking to the beat of the music coming from the speakers, you do a double-take at the table to your near left, quickly covering your face and speeding away to continue your search as the sight of Ben with his mates and Rosy ruins the first half of your evening.

What a distraction from a distraction.

#borhap #queen #ben hardy imagine #ben hardy x reader #ben hardy #imagine #borhap imagine #borhap cast x reader #borhap cast #joe mazzello #lucy boynton #queen band

[kimvvantae]

Umbra; 9

➜   being ruled by an ancient commandment, your sole purpose is to serve. you were born to protect the king with your life, tied by an everlasting oath; you are nothing but a shadow, a silent and insignificant being. he appears to you like the sun, the warmest and brightest star in the sky, and gives you a chance to live. it is then that your entire universe starts to orbit around this sun, and you decide that you are truly willing to die for him.

pairing: King!Taehyung x (f) hybrid!reader

genre: royalty au, fantasy, angst  

warnings: descriptions of violence, blood, death, mistreatment and abuse that might be triggering especially on this chapter.

word count: 11.3k oh wow

A/N: I will repeat it here because some people seem to ignore the warnings. I tried to make things as brief as possible, but this chapter in special contains a particular scene that might be a trigger. I know that even the tiniest mention can make some people uncomfortable, so I’m warning you again. If you have any issue or trauma regarding abuse, proceed with caution. If you are sure that even the lightest mention might trigger you, I advise you to simply jump past Y/N’s flashback. Although the scene does not contain any explicit description and it’s not heavy at all, I don’t want to trigger anyone. 

enjoy uwu.

➜  Chapters: check up masterlist in bio!

“It means I’ll be able to buy dresses, brother?”

Yoongi huffed, however he had a big gummy smile on his lips – a rare sight. “Chuu, you’ll be able to buy much more than just dresses.”

The girl let a high pitched, excited scream at this.

I watched with a small smile, sat a little far from them. The entire palace was euphoric that morning – and not because of the presence of Vanaheim’s Princess.

The announcement of the new work-policy has just been released.

Posts were glued on walls all over the service area, and even at the kitchen. Superiors were deemed to explain the entire situation clearly. Slowly, each servant – worker; this is how everyone should be called from now on – received a document showing their exact monthly payment according to their task. Also, the superiors had to explain (between gritted teeth) that no moral abuse or physical punishment would be tolerated, and if they wanted to keep their jobs they would have to act accordingly.

The palace was smiles everywhere.

It was barely nine in the morning, but the service area was a mess - in a good way. I heard people saying how they could be able to sustain their families now, how they could have a better life or remodel their houses, or even how they would be able to finally open their own businesses and be free from the palace. The usual quiet and serious palace was now exultant.

I looked at Yoongi and Chuu. The catman seemed slightly dizzy, as if he still couldn’t believe his eyes. Chuu was just laughing and rambling about all the pretty dresses she would buy. I looked at the shiny breaded bracelet on her wrist, which I gave her just a few days ago – and she loved it immediately.

Well... it wasn’t exactly my gift, but I hadn’t told her yet exactly who gave it.

Someone sat quietly by my side. I crossed my arms.

“I told you His Majesty is good.”

Jungkook sat there in silence, not looking at me. He watched the commotion around us. His dark eyes showed some confusion.

“How do you know he did it himself?” He asked suspiciously.

“He showed me the entire document before anyone else. It was really him.”

The rabbit-boy crossed his arms and looked at me with narrowed eyes. “Why would he show you first? Aren’t you his guardian or something?”

I could see the word “slave” passing through his mind. “He treats me like a normal person. That’s all.”

Jungkook still eyed me suspiciously. Being honest, as much as I wanted to defend Taehyung from him, I also couldn’t blame him or think he was wrong. I didn’t even need to feel auras to notice how Jungkook had deep wounds - not physical ones. I could see in his eyes, how he seemed to be angry all the time, how he barely interacted with anyone. That was a young man that learned to not trust people through pain.

I stared at him in silence for some moments.

“What’s your story, Jungkook?”

The rabbit-boy seemed even more suspicious. “Why do you want to know?”

“I want to understand you,” I said in all honesty.

Just like what I did with Yoongi, I wanted to hear Jungkook’s story. I wanted to know what lead everyone into their current feelings. Only knowing what happened with others I would be able to find out what was right or wrong.

At first, I thought Jungkook would just ignore my ask. He was erratic, difficult to approach. However, I finally noticed: he respected me. It was a mix between admiration and fear, I could tell – he knew what I am and what I can do.

It was odd. No one never feared me. In the Royal Guard, although based on the hierarchy I was just behind the General, everyone else treated me like I was in the lowest ranking. No one never displayed any kind of respect towards me, and fear was unthinkable. I was just a shadow after all...

Although I could kill all of them if I wanted. I was aware of this fact, too.

It was quite an interesting perspective.

Jungkook sat there in silence for some moments, jaw clenched. His aura felt like fire all the time – unsettled and angry. It was sad that Jungkook felt like this, because I could see that deep down, he was a good, sweet person. However, his wounds had calloused him.

I wanted to know his wounds.

“I was born as a free hybrid,” he started, voice quiet yet suppressed with a mix of anger, sadness and guilt. I could see that it was difficult for him to speak, as if there were spikes on his throat, yet he was making effort. It surprised me. How much Jungkook actually trusted me? It didn’t make much sense, since we barely knew each other. Maybe Jungkook has been alone for so long that having someone to at least sympathize with was what he needed to finally trust again. “My parents were free. We were poor, but we were happy. I didn’t know things such as pure-human supremacy back then... that is, until humans burned my village to ashes. All the adults were killed and the children were enslaved.”

Shock took over me as I heard these words. I stared at him, watched the turmoil that was his aura. The way he said that... even though he still felt pain, he was so used to it that he couldn’t even bring himself to show any reaction anymore. The pain and sadness had anesthetized him, putting him into a state of inertia. I could tell this young man hadn’t cried in a long, long time.

He was cold in the outside.

But just in the outside. His aura showed me his constant state of angriness. Jungkook was like a cursed rock; he could explode anytime.

And it was scary how I could sympathize with it.

“I have a younger sister. Her name is Heejin.” he continued, voice quiet. “We were sold to different people back then. I spent years searching for her.”

“And did you find her?” I asked hesitantly, afraid of his answer but at the same time hopeful.

Jungkook nodded and looked down to his hands resting on his lap. “I did. But... she is not the same.” He closed his eyes for a moment, as if having an ugly, painful memory. “The things she suffered, the things they did to her... it killed her inside out.”

We stayed in a solemn silence for some moments. I could imagine very well what his untold words meant. Jungkook was different from me and Yoongi: he knew the pain of loss. He already lost everything he once had, yanked from his grip at an innocent age. I didn’t understand the pain of loss. Death was nothing more than a natural happening to me. I didn’t know what it was to lose family. All dragon hybrids have little to no contact with their progenitors or any kind of information about them. I did not know my father, and my mother died giving birth – like most female dragon hybrids die.

There was a reason why so little female dragons existed.

And it also made me remember of something important that has been bothering me...

“Jungkook,” I called after some moments, trying to formulate my sentence in the most delicate way possible. “The other day, you said that your parents used to tell you things about dragons... why is that?”

It was yet another thing that made no sense. Everyone knew about The Dark Years. Everyone knew what my race did in the past. Why would his parents tell him good things such as “mighty and powerful” about us?

Jungkook looked at me, eyebrows set. His gaze darkened. Although he couldn’t hide his emotions well, in that moment I was not able to understand what his gaze meant.

And what he said next just made me more confused.

“That was the reason they died.”

I was willingly avoiding Taehyung.

It was a nearly impossible task, yet I still tried. Differently from my behavior these past months, I was covering my presence with extra care. Of course, since he could feel me through our connection using the Royal Ring, Taehyung always knew when I was near or not, but it didn’t make me stop avoiding him. I would leave the exact second my duty ended, vanishing from his presence as fast as I could. Just a few weeks ago, I would stay around him, trying to make excuses just to have a few more minutes with him...

I couldn’t do that anymore.

Being with Taehyung hurt me way too much.

I did not understand why he came to my room that night. I did not understand what the things he said meant; I did not understand why he looked at me that way, why he was so close. I simply did not understand.

But there was something I could finally understand very well:

My feelings for him were too deep.

It was more than respect and admiration. I wanted to be close to him in a way a guardian shouldn’t even consider. But I had reached a point where I didn’t care anymore about what a guardian should and should not. That inner war still happened inside of me: one side saw things with different eyes, while other side still held onto everything that was taught to me since birth. I couldn’t tell which side was winning the war.

At the same time I agreed that hybrids received an unfair treatment only in positions of subservience, me included, I couldn’t even think of leaving my guardian role. First, because it was the elves’ commandment; I, as a dragon hybrid, had an everlasting debt with the entire world, because of what my ancestors did millennia ago. Second, because Taehyung was good. He never mistreated me, never made me uncomfortable, never forced me into anything, never punished me. He showed me how freedom felt and what it was to care about more than just one person in my life.

The fact that he was so good to me was perhaps what made it hurt even more...

Yet, Taehyung was still a big mystery to me. I still didn’t know why he chose me as his guardian, why he was so adamant about it. Back then I would never question him, but I have changed. I wanted to know. I was tired of being blind and deaf, oblivious about the world around me.  

And in the end, thinking about him made me somehow angry. I was tired of him making me confused, and he never confused me as much as he did when he went to my room that night. He made me uneasy, he made feel pain, he made me sad. Taehyung was betrothed, however he still went to my room that night and stood so close. Why would he do it? Why would be so close to give me what I wanted and yanked it from me right after? Why would he make me feel like flying, just to make me fall and leave me there, crying on the cool floor?

That’s why I chose that the best for me was to stay away. I didn’t feel that Taehyung felt as affected as me because of this situation; he had Princess Sana, and he spent a lot of time with her, like his mother wished. I had to stand and watch. In these moments, I would do my best to simply ignore whatever they were talking about, whatever look they were giving each other. I paid attention to anything but them, even if it meant stare at a leaf of grass for hours straight or count every single tiny crystal that adorned a chandelier in the ceiling. I counted three thousand fifty hundred and two. Twice.

It was the worst psychological torture in existence.

“Even though he's gone, I feel that he's still controlling my life.” I kept remembering what he said that night. Now, I could understand: that was “the deal” he had with his father: in exchange of his freedom in which he traveled for six years, he promised to marry Princess Sana. He negotiated it. Taehyung wasn’t wrong, for his father was somehow still controlling his life even in death. He was put into this situation forcefully. But at the same time... I couldn’t forget what Queen Seojeon said:

Look at them, Yeri. How could they not fall for each other?

In the middle of all these chaotic emotions, I felt fear. Fear that, after every date, every dinner, every walk in the gardens, every touch and smile, they would fall for each other the way his mother said. They would start “liking” each other. Yes, that type of like.

I was afraid that Taehyung would completely forget about me.

He never even considered me this way in the first place.

I was slowly starting to hate that Princess Sana. I hated her beauty. I hated her perfect smile. I hated her smooth hair. I hated her delicacy and politeness. I hated that she could be with Taehyung the way I wanted to be.

And I learned one important thing about feelings: they hurt.  

I suddenly missed the times when my mind didn’t feel like an angry hurricane, when things were easier. They were monochromatic, but easier. I knew how to deal with simple physical pain, to ignore it, to shove it to the farthest corner of my mind; but no one never taught me how to deal with emotional pain. I was not trained for this.

I was also trained to avoid any kind of addiction, but chocolate was stronger than my training.

I munched the fourth chocolate cookie quietly, sat in the Orphanage’s kitchen. Of course, I didn’t come here to eat cookies – and I swear I tried to dismiss Zofia’s polite offer –, but the sweet scent was too much for me to bear. The woman looked more than happy to see me eating, and she wanted me to eat more.

Zofia was quite talkative, too. She was giving me random facts about Taehyung’s childhood for the past ten minutes. As if I wanted to think about him.

“Ah, but that boy is so strong,” she went on, a big smile on her face as she told me the story of when Taehyung and Jimin fell from the highest branch of a tree. “He didn’t even get a scratch. Taehyung is as healthy as a bull! I don’t remember a time when he fell sick!”

Jimin, sat beside me, narrowed his eyes at Zofia playfully. “Are you bashing me, mama? Just because I broke my arm that time and he didn’t?” he said, pretending to sound offended.

The woman laughed loudly and put her hand on Jimin’s shoulder. “Ah, of course not, Jimin! It’s just that Taehyung has a good health.”

“I always knew you preferred him. It’s because he’s the King now, isn’t it? You don’t love me more than him just because I’m a commoner?” Jimin whined, crossing his arms and pouting, but I could see it was all teasing.  

I watched as they argued-played with each other with a puzzled expression. Jimin treated Zofia as if she was his actual mother – well, she was, since he was raised in the Orphanage. It was heartwarming to see a human and a hybrid having such a loving relationship.

We heard the noise of something crashing in the living room. Zofia immediately turned around and yelled: “Mikasa! I told you to not climb the cabinet!”

She walked in that direction at heavy steps, while the whiny voices of children echoed towards us. Jimin laughed softly, watching the woman leave.

He then returned his gaze to me.

The way that man stared at people was almost as intense as Taehyung. Maybe they learned it with each other? I could tell Jimin was suspicious and somehow intrigued by me. He did not know what my relationship with Taehyung was. Yet, he chose to keep his questions unspoken – although I could see very well on his feline eyes what he thought.

“You really liked these cookies, huh?” he said, tilting his head slightly, a lazy smile on his plump lips. I also noticed how Jimin had this flirtatious attitude. It’s not as if he was suggesting anything with me – he was married – but it seems that flirting was such a natural behavior of him that he did it thoughtlessly. It was not with words, but with stares and movements instead. I was sure he could make anyone fall for him.

I would have fallen, too, if my insides didn’t feel like frost.

“I like chocolate,” I said, shrugging. Who cares about healthy diet? I, at least, didn’t care anymore.  

“Taehyung loves chocolate, too,” Jimin murmured.

And yes, I noticed very well the suggestive tone of his voice.

I decided to change the subject completely before he could say anything else, touching the paper in front of me. “So, are you sure these are all you found?”

Jimin nodded. “Yes. Seven wolf shapeshifters registered at the Tower. That’s all I found.”

I read yet again all the names and locations written on the paper. One of them should be the culprit – or at least I hoped so.  

“I still wonder why Taehyung didn’t ask for it himself, though...” Jimin murmured. I stared at him seriously.

“And you’ll keep wondering.”

Jimin laughed and shook his head slightly. “Ah, alright! I already understood you won’t tell me. But a man can imagine, can’t I?”

I shrugged again, shoving another cookie inside my mouth. The sweet taste was intoxicating.  

“Taehyung must be very busy with the Festival, right?” Jimin murmured, staring at nothing in particular. I nodded. That was partially the reason why I came here alone: the Dökkálfar Festivities would start the next day. Because of that, the Capital was already crowded.  

The Royal Wedding would be announced the next day, too, during the Festival’s opening.

I gulped the cookie almost painfully.

“There’s something I need to tell you.”

Jimin sounded serious all of sudden, what made me look at him. His expression changed, and he approached me more, lowering his voice.

“I don’t even think I should be telling you this, but Taehyung seems to trust you, so that’s enough,” he continued, now catching my attention completely. He looked behind his shoulder for one second, checking if Zofia or any other kid was entering the kitchen, but we were alone. “There is this story going on... I think that every hybrid knows it at this point.”

“Say it already!” I rushed him, getting impatient.

“A rebellion,” Jimin said, looking at me very seriously. “I don’t know much about it, but what I heard is that this rebellion is made of hybrids. They want to start a coup d’état.”

I frowned. “That’s not new. There are hundreds or rebellions through the entire kingdom.”

“No, you didn’t understand. This is huge, Y/N.” The seriousness in his voice told me he definitely wasn’t playing. “It’s spreading, and most people that knows about it support them. They are tired of the Kim Dynasty, tired of the way hybrids are treated. I would even agree with them, but... they are aggressive. And they don’t know Taehyung, not the way we do. They don’t know he is a good person.”

A cold feeling made me shiver. Jimin was right; they didn’t know Taehyung. They probably thought he was just another evil King...  

“That’s all you know?” I asked. Jimin sighed.

“Yes, unfortunately. Most people know about it, but they are being very careful. I don’t know what exactly they are planning and how they’ll make it. But please, be careful. I don’t know if Taehyung knows about it or not, but make sure to warn him. I’ve seen rebellions before... but not on this level. Taehyung has to keep safe.”

I nodded vehemently, that strong feeling of discomfort and hurry growing within me. I couldn’t stay away from Taehyung. If what Jimin told me was true...

“But, Jimin... do you know what they will do after the coup d’état?” I questioned.

Jimin exhaled deeply. “What I heard is that they will put another person to rule Ëlv’en. Someone of their choice. The chosen one, is what they are saying. An informant of mine said it is the leader of the rebellion, but he didn’t know who this person is. What really matter is: this rebellion is not just a rumor, it is real. And Taehyung is in danger.”

Taehyung is in danger.

This phrase would not leave my mind for the next days.

As I left the Orphanage (after eating two more cookies), the paper carefully folded and hidden in my clothes, I felt my mind getting more and more troubled. What if the shapeshifter I was searching for was a part of this rebellion? Their first attack didn’t work, and now they would try again. I already suspected back then that a rebellion could be behind the attack. Maybe I was right?  

The only thing I was sure about is: I had to protect Taehyung more carefully than ever. I couldn’t rest now after this new information. And I also needed to visit each of these seven people in the list to make sure they were or were not the culprits.

I ran back to the palace as fast as I could. It was middle afternoon; the streets of the Capital were crowded, as it always happened this time of the year. The Dökkálfar Festival was one of the most important dates not only in Ëlv’en, but in the entire continent, when everyone thanked the dark elves for the good harvest and prayed that they would give us an even better one next year. The festivities would last for ten days.  

It was not hard to go unnoticed during the festival, when the city was so full. I expected I would be able to enter the palace again unnoticeably...

But I didn't.  

As I entered the great gates, General Namjoon was able to see me from far. He dismissed the soldiers he was talking to and walked towards me.  

I immediately stopped and saluted.

"Where were you, Guardian Y/N?" He asked in a demanding tone. I knew Namjoon never liked me. Whenever he was at the Capital, he tried to make it very clear. As if I didn't know already...

But I was also not in the mood to be questioned.

"As you may already know, Sir General, the work policy for hybrids has changed. Now, I don't need to ask permission to leave the palace's properties during my free time, just as I did now. Since I am not breaking any rule, I don't need to answer your question regarding my whereabouts. Now, excuse me, Sir General, for I need to go back to my duties."

I bowed respectfully before leaving, not even looking back.

I could almost feel General Namjoon's angry gaze on my back. I was used to it already...

Because he knew what happened that day with his predecessor. And, just like most members of the military, General Namjoon decided to simply hate me.

It was an ugly memory I would never be able to erase.

I have just turned one quarter of cycle.

In human age, it means I am around thirteen years old.

Being honest, my routine is so busy I always forget about my age. It is something rather irrelevant for a dragon hybrid; time crawls for us at a slow pace. Although the age of thirteen is a considerable age for humans, and in some cultures it means they can do things such as get married, for a dragon hybrid, I am still barely a baby. In another words, I am weak like a baby. But things will start to change now.

I had my first bleeding two months ago.

When I woke up and saw all that blood, I almost panicked. I did not understand it; perhaps someone wounded me in my sleep? But then, I had a brief memory from my trainings in Niflheim - a special class for me, the only female. Women have monthly bleeding cycles. It means that our bodies are starting to walk into adulthood.

I don't like it. I have to clean myself all the time, and I feel dirty. It is difficult to deal with it when I use my armor and embarrassing to explain to my superiors. I am surrounded by men almost all the time, none of them can understand me or give me any aid. And what came with the first bleeding was also shocking and sudden; even though I am a baby, my physique develops in the speed of a normal human's. I have noticed how I grew in height and... well, I grew everywhere. I already had to readjust my armor three times only this year, and my clothes are becoming short.

That is not the most intense transformation in me, though.

The bleedings mark the moment a girl starts to become a woman, when their bodies are adjusting to carry the miracle of life. For a female dragon hybrid, it means more.

It is the time when the powers fully flourish and become stronger.

I can't remember how many times I destroyed things unintentionally, when I wasn't even using much strength. Magic flows through my veins in such intensity it makes me dizzy. I have dreams all the time - strange dreams that I don't understand. Suddenly, I can feel the auras of everyone around me and hear their minds, even when I don't want to, and the sensation is maddening. My sole existence became so strong that, past week, the protective spells of the palace did not recognize me; they marked me as a dangerous threat and I was almost incinerated - but it didn't happen, because not even the spells the Royal Mages put were enough to hurt me.

I don't know how to deal with all this power. I can't sleep properly, I am afraid to hurt people. There is no one to help me, no one can understand me. I have to learn how to control all this power on my own...

But what if I can't? What if because of that, my master will judge me as useless or dangerous? I will never forgive myself if it happens.  

It couldn’t have happened in worst time. We are in the middle of the Dökkálfar Festivities; the city is crowded, streets so full it is difficult to walk, and as always, the Royal Family receives many visits. I am being extra careful not to mess up things. My master won’t forgive me if I end up hurting someone during this holy time of the year.

The presence of the army is heavy at the Capital, because the city is too packed and they came to help keeping the order as usual. It also explains the presence of General Matheo. I stand inside the room patiently, waiting for his arrival. I don’t know why the General has called me here – my immediate superior is General Christopher, current leader of the Royal Guard – but I came anyway without complaints. It must be something regarding King Taejun’s safety.

I hear the door opening and turn around as General Matheo enters the room. He is a tall and strong man, not exactly old, but his hair is already grizzly. He is a respected warrior not only in Ëlv’en, but around the entire continent. His acts in the past were legendary. I immediately salute him and wait for him to speak.  

I frown.

Why did he lock the door?

“Guardian Y/N,” General Matheo starts, voice husky. “I called you here because I need you to do an important task.”

If it happened months ago, I wouldn’t have noticed. His voice sounds normal. He stands several steps away from me yet.

But now, I am able to feel auras.

Back then, I wasn’t able to feel it. I could feel when there was imminent danger around me, but nothing more. Although I still can’t control it well, I can feel people’s intentions.

There’s something wrong about Matheo’s aura.

It is condensed and rushed. If it was visible, I would say it was colored in a deep shade of purple.

I don’t like it.

I also don’t like the way he’s staring at me.

General Matheo steps closer. I can’t move, but I wish I could.

“You’ve really become something, Guardian Y/N. It’s been only some months...” he continues, his voice getting strangely low. He’s stepping closer and I start to feel terribly uncomfortable. Why exactly did he call me here?

“Permission to spe-”

“No,” he interrupts me before I can even finish my sentence. I don’t like the way he’s looking at me. I don’t like that grin growing on his lips. I don’t like his proximity. “You’ll have to stay very quiet now.”

I gasp when General Matheo grabs my wrist and pulls me close to him.

He chuckles. I start to feel disgust crawl beneath my skin as the General presses his body on mine. What is going on? Why is he so close?! But I can’t say anything, because he told me to be quiet. If a superior orders me something, I have to obey.

But this situation is unbearable.  

My heart beats fast, sweat forms on my forehead. I hate the way he’s touching me. How can I simply be quiet when I don’t even know what’s happening?

“S-Sir General, what-”

“I told you to be quiet,” he growls, lifting my chin roughly and making me look at him. Matheo has a playful gaze on his eyes. No, that’s not just playfulness, it is... it is...

It is lust.

And in the moment I feel his hand starting to slip under my shirt, I can’t take it anymore.

I want to push him away. I want to say please, step back. I want to open the door and leave. For the first time in my life, I don’t care if I’ll be punished because of my actions.

But that’s not what happens.

My palm touches his chest. I am not even using much strength.

But as I touch him, I feel the power flowing through my skin.

Everything happens in the blink of an eye, but it’s as if I’m watching in slow motion.

A gust of pure energy produces a deafening bang, just as loud as a thunder. All the windows break at the same time, glass flying in all directions. All the paintings, shelves and cabinets are destroyed; the floor shakes maddeningly. The chandelier falls from the ceiling. Shards of glass, porcelain, fibers of wood, pieces of crystal and steel – I watch everything floating in the air around me.

And I watch as General Matheo is sent flying back violently. His back hits the wall with such strength the marble cracks.

I can even hear the sound of several bones breaking all at once.

I watch as he falls to the ground, completely immobile.

I can’t move.

The entire room is destroyed.

My body shivers, my legs feel wobbly. I can’t take my eyes off of the man lying on the ground.

I just wanted him to step away.

I watch as, slowly, a pool of blood spreads under his body.

I just wanted him to step away...

I still can’t move as I hear several feet out of the room, accompanied by yelling voices. The entire palace heard the explosion of energy. My breathing is difficult, my throat is dry. I can’t blink as panic takes control over me.

I wasn’t even putting much strength...

The doors are opened forcefully, and many guards enter the room all at once, ready to fight if necessary.

They freeze.

They look at the destruction around; they see General Matheo on the floor. They see me there, standing immobile.

“What did you do?!” one soldier I don’t recognize demands. Another guard runs and crouches down by the General’s side; he searches for his pulse.

I can’t answer.

I didn’t want to do it.

“What did you do?!” the soldier repeats more angrily this time, stepping closer to me.

It wasn’t supposed to happen...

“He’s dead,” the guard says, still by the General’s body. “It killed him!”

I didn’t want to kill him.

Immediately, I am surrounded by them. They throw me to the floor violently and make me immobile, holding my arms behind my back; I don’t fight. All the guards and soldiers seem too shocked by the scene, but I feel their hatred towards me growing.

I just killed the highest ranked member of the army. Not only that; that man was a living legend.

And everyone knows that killing any member of the military is punishable with death.

I am going to die.

I want to explain things; I want to tell them what happened, that I didn’t intend to hurt him – but it seems that my voice disappeared. I doubt any of them will listen to me anyway. I hear more steps and voices and know that the hallway outside is already full with more soldiers and guards. One tell their own version of what happened to other, and to other, and to other, and it has already spread. But they still don’t understand what happened.

They just want me dead.

I stay right there, my body smashed against the cool marble floor full of debris, until all soldiers open a gap for someone to enter.

King Taejun.

I shiver in fear.

He looks around, looks at the corpse, looks at me.

“What happened here?” he asks, voice demanding.

“Your Majesty, General Matheo was murdered by that... thing!” one soldier starts to explain, pointing at me angrily. All men around start to murmur in agreement, sending me wrathful gazes – but they stop the moment King Taejun lifts his hand.

“I didn’t ask you,” he reprimands, making the soldier lower his head. My master then looks at me. “Y/N, what happened here?”

The entire room is now silent, waiting for my answer.

Slowly, I lift my head with struggle and look at my master. I shouldn’t, but I do.

I have the opportunity to defend myself well, to convince everyone around me. But I am still too shocked, too confused. I use all of my strength to stutter:

“H-He tried to touch me, Your Majesty.”

And I stare at him deeply.

I stare at him in a way I never did before.

King Taejun’s face is still as impassive as always, but I see something changing on his eyes. And suddenly, I know: he understands what happened.

He nods and orders: “Leave her.”

The soldiers around gasp in unison. “B-But, Your Majesty- it killed General Matheo!”

“Don’t question me, soldier,” King Taejun reprimands, voice spiteful. Against his own will, the man holding me back finally lets me go, and I start to lift myself slowly.

King Taejun looks around to every soldier inside the room.

“Listen well, all of you,” he starts. The room and hallway are now completely silent, his voice echoing. “If any of you try to do what Matheo did, I give her full permission to do the same thing she did to him. Is it clear?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” all of them say. I look at my own feet, completely shocked at the turn of events.

“Good. I don’t want anyone outside of the military to know about this; the Dökkálfar Festival must keep peaceful. You all, clean this mess. Contact the next General according to the hierarchy.”

And with that, King Taejun leaves as if it is a simple issue not worthy of his full attention.

I can’t believe what I just saw. King Taejun stood by my side for the first time. My master – he understood me, he defended me.

It is also the first time in my life I heard him addressing me as “she”.

As a person... not a thing.

Not a monster.

It was also the last time King Taejun did it.

Because of that incident, I held a terrible reputation inside the military. Most soldiers didn’t know exactly what happened – they just knew I killed General Matheo, an honored warrior, a role model. He was treated like a hero until the end.

After that day, I started to hate any kind of physical contact.

But it was no time to think about something that happened so many years ago. I had to concentrate in my current duty – one I didn’t know if I was ready to bear.

It was a common tradition regarding royal weddings. As a vow of trust and to prove the union between the kingdoms, guardians switched masters for a short period of time, until the day of the ceremony.

It meant that, starting now – the day of the announcement – until the wedding day, I would have to watch over Princess Sana instead of Taehyung. Although Princess Sana wasn’t crowned yet, meaning she did not have a guardian, Yuta – King Satoshi’s guardian – would fulfill this role and watch over Taehyung in my place.  

I would have to follow her.

I had been trying to get ready for this moment, but I wasn’t sure if I would be able to make it. Not after I saw her with Taehyung so many times. Not after this gruesome feeling about her grew inside of me.

But I had to do it anyway, and it just made the wound inside my chest get deeper and deeper.

As I approached her room, I felt my heart tightening even more. It was a mix of sadness and anger; anger of the entire situation I was put in, and just pure anger towards her. Would I be able to live around that person for so long? Although the wedding ceremony would happen soon, I couldn’t say I would be able to survive this torture that seemed to be worse than days of physical punishment in the dungeons.

I could already hear the cheers of thousands of people at the principal square in front of the palace, waiting for Taehyung to officially kick a start in the festivities. The palace and the Capital were decorated accordingly. There was this happy feeling everywhere, especially at the palace – partially because of the Festival, and also because of the new worker-policy. I, in the other hand, felt horrible, almost as if I was barely an empty shell, just watching everything quietly yet not being affected.

However, I could not let my feelings disturb my duty. I had to remind myself all the time of what Jimin said; the city was full of travelers that came every year to celebrate Dökkálfar here, many foreigners. It could be easy to infiltrate and start an attack this way. Although I would be watching over Princess Sana, I had to protect Taehyung, too. I couldn’t tell the truth to Yuta, so he was unaware of the real danger, even though he was a competent guardian.

I stopped in front of Princess Sana’s room.

There were two guards in front of it. They promptly opened the doors, already knowing I had permission, and I entered.

I had to hold my breath for one moment.

Princess Sana was sat near the window, while a maid made some adjustments on her hairstyle. And she looked stunning: she was wearing a long dark-brown dress with black gems woven on it, the traditional colors of the Dökkálfar Festival – the colors of soil, the colors of the dark elves. Everyone else was wearing attires in similar colors to please the dark elves and bring good luck, yet Princess Sana was be able to stand out in the middle of a crowd. Her hair was half braided and decorated with tiny white flowers; she also used black gems on her earrings and necklace.

Her beauty did not fail to amaze me again.

I just felt angrier.

The women inside the room did not notice my presence for long moments. Princess Sana chatted with the maids lightheartedly. I did not know any of them, because they were Sana’s personal assistants that came from Vanaheim. After some moments in which I stood at the back of the room unnoticed, all the maids left.

Except for one.

She stood near Princess Sana by the window.

“Today’s the great day,” the maid said, sighing. Princess Sana nodded softly. “How are you feeling?”

“I don’t know exactly,” the princess admitted, looking down at her hands resting on her lap. I frowned; she did not sound excited, as what I supposed she would feel. Her aura was unsettled. And I saw something very similar of what I saw in Taehyung; an invisible weigh on her shoulders.

“Hey,” the maid said softly, and took Princess Sana’s hands on hers. “Everything’s gonna be fine. You are strong, you can make it.”

“I appreciate your efforts, but I know you’re lying, Dahyun,” the princess said, opening a sad smile.

“I am not,” the maid, Dahyun, said emphatically. “You are the strongest person I’ve ever known. People will love you. And... you look beautiful today.”

Princess Sana’s smile became more genuine.

And they stared at each other.

I started to feel like an intruder; the moment between them feel too delicate, too intimate. I didn’t want to interrupt it, but at the same time I couldn’t help but look. Their auras... they had a similar feeling. They felt like a soft shade of pink; it was almost like their auras were in tune.

I only got more confused when hints of tears appeared on Dahyun’s eyes, and she had to look away.

“I’ll leave you now,” she said, voice wavering only slightly. Princess Sana nodded. “You’ll do amazing today. I know it.”

“Thank you,” Sana said, almost a whisper.

They still stared at each other for some moments before Dahyun left. Looking at her leaving felt like looking at a withered flower.

I didn’t understand exactly what happened there.

Princess Sana sighed and looked at the window. It was very different from what I’ve saw from her up until now; she looked small... lonely. Sad.

It was against my conduct code. I had to be unnoticeable for her. But I just didn’t care about conduct codes anymore.

I coughed slightly to sign my presence, pretending I had just entered her room, and bowed respectfully.

“Your Highness, my name is Y/N. I am Ëlv’en’s Royal Guardian, and I will be serving you for the upcoming days,” I said.

The princess looked surprised. “You are the guardian?”  

I nodded. She measured me from head to toe oddly. “Yes, Your Highness.”

Princess Sana then smiled, and I could tell she wasn’t forcing. “That’s a relief. I prefer being in the presence of a woman. I hope that our convivence will be friendly from now on.”

Oh.

Unexpected.

“Today’s the announcement day. We have a lot of work ahead,” she said, staring at the window again.

I noticed the exact moment her smile shadowed with sadness; that smile did not reach her eyes. She just looked plain sad. Why hadn’t I noticed it before? Princess Sana looked always so joyful during her time with Taehyung...

Or perhaps that was what she wanted everyone else to think?

I shifted, slightly uncomfortable. “Are you feeling unwell, Your Highness? Should I ask for the aid of a healer?” I asked. Maybe she was just nervous. Humans tend to feel sick when nervous.

She shook her head slightly, that sweet smile never leaving her lips. “No, it is not necessary. Thank you for your concern.” Her voice truly sounded like birds chirping in the morning. Princess Sana sighed deeply. “I am just... thinking.”

“Is my presence bothering Your Highness at the moment?” I questioned, ready to leave if she wanted, but the princess shook her head again.  

“No.” She wasn’t looking at me again, staring down at the crowd at the front square instead. She kept quiet for long moments. “We must do what’s necessary for the greater good. Even if it hurts us sometimes.”

I frowned, not understanding exactly why she was saying that. I could see it was like she was talking to herself, not to me. The tone of sadness and resignation on her voice was so deep it made me feel a pang.  

“I understand very well how it is, Your Highness,” I said. Why was I even chatting with her in the first place? Princess Sana looked at me and quirked one eyebrow.

“You do?”

I nodded. “A guardian has to give up on every personal desire in order to follow this path,” I said.

That’s all I have been doing my entire life. I did not let myself show emotions, caging them deep down inside of me. I did not let myself show the affection my two only friends deserved. And now, I had to resign myself to watch the man I had feelings for get married with another person.

The ache in my chest was overwhelming.

Princess Sana nodded. We looked at each other – yes, I knew I shouldn’t - and I saw something I wasn’t expecting: I saw empathy. I saw similarity.

Sana could understand me very well.

“I wish us both strength to bear what’s about to come,” she said softly. I knew she was being sincere. “Something tells me we are going to get along well.”

Suddenly, I didn’t hate her as much as I did a few minutes ago.

We heard a knock on the door and a male voice saying: “Your Highness, the opening ceremony is about to start.”

Princess Sana sighed and got up from the armchair, adjusting her long dress. “It’s time. Let’s go.”

I nodded and followed her from behind. We walked quietly to the principal balcony where it was usual for kings to make speeches, right in front of the principal square. Queen Mother Seojeon, Princess Yeri, King Satoshi and some Council members were already sat on their respective places; but he was still standing behind the curtains...

Taehyung.

He wore all-black, from head to toe. The only color came from the blue of the sapphires on his crown and Royal Ring. I should be used to his beauty already, but unfortunately I wasn’t.

The first person he looked at was me, standing behind Princess Sana.

His gaze had so many emotions I could barely decipher. However, he did not say a word to me. Taehyung looked at Sana and nodded. “Are you ready?”

The princess nodded, but after seeing her some minutes ago, I wasn’t sure if she was telling the truth. “Yes.”

Taehyung smiled and offered his arm for her to take. They looked at each other encouragingly and stepped into the balcony.

The immediate roar of the crowd below filled my ears as I entered the balcony too beside Yuta. We stood very quietly by the door. I expanded my senses, trying to track any bad intent coming from the people around; I knew the exact position of every soldier and guard. The security system was heavy, but I couldn’t let myself relax. I could feel at least fifty thousand people just at the square, and the entire Capital was listening. Humans, hybrids, rich and poor.

Princess Sana sat by Queen Seojeon’s side and Taehyung walked to the railing, waving to the people. We were high. He was scared of heights...

Taehyung lifted his hand for a moment, and the entire crowd went silent, waiting for him to start his speech.

“First of all, I want to thank all of you for coming here today,” he started, his voice echoing. Everyone could hear him thanks to a simple spell that equalized his voice throughout the main square and the entire Capital. Millions of people were hearing him speak at that moment. “We are at this holy time of the year again, in which we thank the dark elves for the blessings they gave us. I am sure all of you are anxious for me to officially start the festivities – and the good food that comes with it -,” the crowd laughed at that last sentence, “but before we start, I have some important announcements to make.”

He looked back.

For one second, our gazes crossed.

It was so brief, yet I saw in his eyes guilt. I saw sorrow. I saw... resignation.

His aura was painted with pain.

But our eye contact ended as quickly as it started. He looked at Sana and nodded; the Princess got up and approached him, standing by his side.

My fists tightened behind my back.

I wasn’t strong enough to watch that.

“I am sure all of you already know Princess Minatozaki Sana from Vanaheim, our great ally,” Taehyung said. He took her hand gently.

I wanted to look away, but I couldn’t. I had to watch intently.  

All these days, I was hoping for something to happen. Anything that would cancel this betrothal. I was hoping that Taehyung would change his mind, that King Satoshi would give up on his idea – I waited for literally anything. But now, it was too late. Now, they would announce it to the entire world. They couldn’t go back on their words.

I swiped the tears away before anyone could notice.

“In this moment, we are happy to announce that, in three weeks, we will officially get married.”

The crowd roars in unison. Populations always love royal weddings. They don’t even care about what it truly represents. Princess Sana looked beautiful as she smiled and waved her hand... I already knew it, but I was sure she would be able to make an entire kingdom fall for her.

“Me and Your Majesty Kim Taehyung will work hard to make the bond between our two kingdoms stronger than ever,” she said, her voice too being equalized. She said something more, but my brain wasn’t processing it properly. They looked beautiful together... Queen and King. It was the perfect arrangement.

I fought the urge to cry more.

“We have yet another announcement to make,” Taehyung said, making the crowd get quiet again.

He looked at Sana and she nodded, stepping back. I heard a quiet commotion around me.

“What is Taehyung doing? It wasn’t on the plans,” I heard King Satoshi whisper hurriedly to Queen Seojeon, that just stared at her son’s back in fear.

I frowned.

“I am sure all of you heard about my travels these past months,” Taehyung started, voice serious. Everyone listened quietly, clinging onto each word he pronounced. “I visited each city within Ëlv’en. I wanted to become close to you, to know what are your concerns, what we can do to make your lives better. And, during my travels, I saw a situation that can’t be ignored anymore.”

Adrenaline started to rush through my veins. Was he doing what I thought he was...?

“Ëlv’en is great and powerful. I am sure all of us are proud to be ëlvians. However, we don’t resemble a powerful kingdom anymore, for one thing still lacks: justice. In my travels, I saw poverty and famine. I saw people being enslaved with no chances of freedom. I saw pain and suffering. How can a kingdom be great if its population is suffering? How can a King be good if he can’t take care of his own people? That is why, in front of you all, I announce that Ëlv’en will take a step further, out of the darkness.”

The commotion around the balcony continued; the counselors looked at each other in pure confusion. Taehyung was acting by himself? He didn’t tell anyone what he was about to do?! My heart was beating fast in expectation...

“I can’t keep living knowing that children, women and men are enslaved simply because of their race. Ëlv’en will only become a great kingdom when all of its inhabitants have fair and equal conditions. That is why, from now on, I will start a battle against slavery. It will not be an easy task; many will be against me,” the gaze he sent the counselors was so fierce it made me shiver, “but it will not stop me. With your support, I will not rest until every ëlvian hybrid has their freedom; I will not rest until every poor person has good ways of living. I am the King, and as the ruler, I am here to serve you – not otherwise. With all of you by my side, I am sure we’ll be able to build an Ëlv’en that has never been so strong, and we’ll become a role model to the entire continent. I will not rest until we are in a world in which humans and hybrids will be simply saw as people, and all of us will walk into this path of light, together. All of us will be free!”

The moment he finished speaking, the crowd started to roar again.

It was twice, three times louder than before. I watched, speechless, as people yelled at the top of their lungs, as a thunderous applause made the floor beneath my feet shake. It was the longest and loudest cheer I’ve ever saw; it seemed to be going on for minutes.

The Council members stared at Taehyung in pure shock.

The King had a smile of triumph on his lips.

“The Dökkálfar Festivities are officially opened. May the elves guide us!”

I should be used to Taehyung making me feel like I couldn’t breathe. In that moment, more than ever, I realized how I would never be used to it.

He just declared war against the entire Council and his own family.

And, to fight this war, he already had the support of millions of people – and soon, more than half of the population of Ëlv’en.

He was playing dirty.

As Taehyung himself said: I never run from a fight.

The palace was even more euphoric, if that’s possible.

It was a tradition that, during Dökkálfar, the servants – workers – had permission to celebrate as well. It was also traditional of the Royal Family to share a great banquet at the city and to distribute food during the ten days of the Festival. The cooks worked with no rest for days until all the food was ready for the banquet of the opening night, and would not stop working for the days to come – but now that the work was done, all the workers were free of their duties until the next day.

The huge back courtyard near the service area was decorated, there were many tables full of food, barrels of wine and juice of all flavors. It wasn’t as full as it used to be in past years, because now the workers could leave and enjoy the Festival freely at the city, but many of them stayed anyway – like me, that didn’t have anywhere to go.

I was sat on a wooden stool in an almost hidden spot, a near empty glass of juice on my hands. I watched as Chuu danced in the middle of the courtyard with her friends. Like everyone else, she used a brown dress and tied her hair in two pigtails. Although the music was loud, I could hear her laughter. I’ve never seen Chuu so joyful...  

Yoongi seemed happy as well, and it was honestly a heartwarming sight. I knew very well he was not a cold or emotionless person; Yoongi had just learned to act this way because he suffered too much during his life. Seeing him smile like that and talk to his friends made me feel happy for him. Happy for everyone around me...

Taehyung’s speech spread like fire in a forest. I was sure it had already reached neighbor cities, although it has been only some hours since he made the announcement. Most hybrids overall were more than happy, as well as poor people. Many humans were also pleased by the news; not everyone had any kind of prejudice against hybrids and also thought that slavery was unfair. But I also heard many suspicious people, not believing Taehyung was telling the truth and that he only said it to increase his popularity. In fact, people couldn’t talk about anything but this subject.  

But I knew that many were angered by Taehyung’s speech and what it represented. Even though the population supported him, the people of power – the ones who could actually make changes – would be against him, for prohibiting slavery would be prejudicial for them.

He started to walk a dangerous path.

Yet, although what he did meant only good news for me and the ones of my race, I could not feel much happiness myself.

That wound inside myself was throbbing, bleeding. Taehyung had announced his engagement with Princess Sana. It would inevitably happen; now, it was more real than ever. In three weeks, they would get married. After the wedding, it is expected of the King and Queen to have heirs...

I flinched momentarily in disgust.

Not only that. In a few weeks, I would reach the full dragon adulthood. The right age.

My deal with Hoseok.

I didn’t know if I was brave enough to explain it to Taehyung...

I sighed, feeling tired. It wasn’t physical tiredness, though. I felt that my brain – and my heart – had received too much information recently, and I didn’t know how to deal with most of it. Everything was so foreign and new...

I closed my eyes. The fact that I was surrounded by happiness but couldn’t feel happy myself was horrible. At that point, I just wanted to go to my room and sleep during these free hours.  

I just wanted things to become less complicated for once...

That’s when I heard someone sitting by my side very quietly.

I didn’t even need to open my eyes to know who it was. But I did it anyway, and stared at him in surprise.

“They seem happy,” Taehyung said, voice very quiet. He didn’t wear his cape and crown anymore. The shadows made his face look somber somehow.  

Nervousness immediately hit me all at once. We hadn’t interacted since that night. His sole presence beside me was enough to make my heart warm and ache at the same time.

“What are you doing here, Your Majesty?” I asked, immediately feeling my body stiffening. Taehyung shrugged slightly.

“Celebrating this kind of date with royals is boring. I prefer this,” he said, pointing to the scene ahead with his chin. People were dancing happily in the middle of the courtyard, some of them very ungainly due to the excess of alcohol.  

A strange feeling grew inside of me. I could tell Taehyung wasn’t relaxed the way he used to be around me. Why was he acting as if nothing happened, as if nothing between us has changed? It started to anger me.  

“They are going to notice you,” I said, crossing my arms.

“Not if we stay here.” Taehyung sighed, his eyes still scanning the small crowd. He looked tired in a way I’ve never seen before. I already noticed how Taehyung seemed to display fragility in front of me, but that day it made me somehow shocked.

I’ve never seen Taehyung look so small and fragile.  

“That one with pigtails is Chuu, right?” he asked, pointing in her direction, and I nodded. A small tired smile grew on his lips. “She’s wearing the bracelet.”

“She never takes it off.”

We fell in silence for long moments. Slowly, the smile on his face disappeared. His half-lidded eyes, shoulders heavy, the way he was sat so carelessly with his legs spread – everything about his demeanor showed tiredness, concern and... sadness.

A very similar sadness I saw in Princess Sana.

A very similar sadness I felt myself.

“Do you think I did the right thing today, Y/N?” he asked very quietly after several moments.

“Of course you did,” I said without even thinking twice. “Don’t you see how happy they are? Although it didn’t happen yet, you brought happiness back to the hybrids.”

Taehyung looked at me for the first time, gaze piercing with something I couldn’t quite decipher.

“I’m not talking about this."

My breathing failed.

He was talking about the marriage.

I immediately avoided his gaze, feeling a hotness spread up to my neck. Why was he even asking me this? Only if he knew how much it hurt me...

“What are you doing here, Your Majesty?” I asked again, staring at him intently, my voice becoming hard.  

Taehyung looked at me in silence for some moments. His gaze never failed to make me waver. “I wanted to see you.”

My fists tightened, my heart beat increased. “Why is that?”

“Because I miss you.”

Yet again, I was dazed because of his straightforwardness. But I couldn’t let myself drown on it. “I am around you all the time. Why would you miss me?”

Taehyung opened his mouth as if to speak, but then he closed it again. He stared at me deeply, analyzing my features. I tried not to waver, to keep firm.  

He then said, voice barely audible:

“Because I miss the way things used to be between us.”

I avoided his gaze, once again feeling that my heart was being smashed. “Don’t say that.”

“But it’s the truth.”

My eyes closed tightly momentarily as if I was in pain. I was sad, I was hurt, I was angry. I was tired of his mysteries, of the way he always made me so confused. Didn’t he understand how it hurt to hear him saying such things, when he didn’t feel the same as me? He didn’t miss me the way I missed him. He made my heart flutter in a way it shouldn’t, especially because he would soon get married.

I just felt shattered. So shattered that I was not able to control myself anymore.

Taehyung shifted closer to me – too close for me to think properly. I widened my eyes immediately as I felt his fingers touching my cheek very gently.

I didn’t even notice I was crying.

Taehyung stared at me in silence, pure sadness and sorrow on his eyes and face as he wiped my tears away. I just stared back, too weak to move, too weak to fought the urge to keep crying. It felt that everything around us was suddenly distant and blurred – the loud music, the voices, the laughter – as if we were inside a bubble that kept us away from the world outside.

“Y/N,” he whispered my name weakly, voice fragile, just as fragile as it sounded that night when he came to my bedroom. He inhaled deeply, and it looked that even speaking was difficult to him. “I am so sorry. I... I shouldn’t be so weak.”

If I had strength enough to speak, I would have asked why he was apologizing. But looking at his eyes, it felt for a moment that he understood why I was suffering. Again, it was a kind of sadness very similar as Princess Sana’s...

We must do what’s necessary for the greater good. Even if it hurts us sometimes.

We all suffered from the same pain.

Taehyung gulped, his Adam’s apple bobbing. I felt small and fragile because of him, and it was strange that I was beginning to feel solace because of him, too.

“I don’t know what hurts me the most,” he whispered after some moments, his eyes never leaving me. “Being away from you... or being with you.”

Neither of us moved. I didn’t understand what he meant, why he was saying such thing. But, just like that night, I didn’t want that painful, confused and bittersweet moment to end.

I didn’t want it to end...

But my peripherical sight caught a small movement.

At first, it didn’t bother me. But my eyes focused on something behind Taehyung’s head, several meters away, at the back gates, the service entrance and exit.

It was barely a silhouette in the shadows. Sitting there, watching us from the darkness. Resembled a dog...

No...

It wasn’t a dog.  

All of my instincts awakened in the blink of an eye.

It was a wolf.

I immediately got up and touched Taehyung’s shoulder; a green sign started to shine on the spot where my hand touched – a rune. It meant protect. He looked up at me, confused.

“Y/N-”

“Get inside the palace, now!” I screamed to him.

I made eye contact with the wolf for one second. That thing looked like a simple animal, but these intelligent eyes couldn’t lie to me. It was in fact a person.

A shapeshifter.

The wolf turned around and started to run.

And I ran after him.

I ran without looking back not even once, adrenaline rushing through my veins. With a command of mine, the gates opened with a loud noise. The wolf was fast, running down the road towards the crowded city. I couldn’t let it escape. That person was the proof we needed, the possible culprit behind Taehyung’s attempted murder. It wouldn’t escape from me.

Without stop running, I evoked an Earth spell; the rocks under the wolf’s paws started to crumble and explode, what made the animal fly in the air and land violently again. However, it got up and started to run again. But I noticed that I managed to slow it, and blood already stained its grey fur. That thing couldn’t be able to run away from me. Shapeshifters are masters of disguise, not of fight.  

It was slowing down even more; I was getting closer. I expanded my mind towards it, wanting to reach it; if I could control its mind, it would immediately stop and I could see the identity of the culprit. I did not try to be delicate, forcing myself inside of its mind with all my forces; the animal growled in pain and flinched.

I was reaching it, both physically and mentally. Some more steps and I would touch it. Some more seconds and I would invade its mind and know who that person was.

So close...

A wave of pain so strong I feel my entire body getting rigid.

I screamed and fell to the ground, rolling several times on the dirt.

My hands held my head, gripping my hair. The pain was so strong it felt as if someone literally hammered my skull several times. I squirmed and groaned, my mind so confused I didn’t even know anymore where I was, my vision white; I couldn’t see anything. It was so painful I felt as if my mind was starting to fade away.

I have no idea how much time it took for me to come back to my senses, for my vision to focus again, for that pain to cease and to remember what happened.

Someone entered my mind and made a psychic attack so strong it almost teared my consciousness apart.

I stumbled, trying to get up, my clothes dirty, my chin wet with my own drool. I looked around, anger starting to take over me.

“No!”

The wolf was nowhere at sight.

I tried to run towards the city, just to fall again. I got up, tripping and dizzy, my head still aching too much, my members tingling. I had to find that shapeshifter. I couldn’t let it escape...

But I reached the city, and it was too full of people. The constant noise of music and voices seemed to penetrate my skull like arrows. There were too many people. That person probably already shifted into their human nature again and camouflaged inside the crowd.

I was so angry that I wanted to scream.

I lost them. I let them go.

And the most shocking part is that someone was able to attack my mind. The well-trained mind of a soldier. The almost impenetrable mind of a dragon hybrid.  

Someone was watching us from up close, the same people that tried to kill Taehyung.

And these people – whoever they were – were much more powerful than I ever imagined.

Nobody is safe anymore.

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