#everything he says in the second book is just a sob story coverup

[achaotichuman]

Acotar Rant

If I see another take saying "What Rhysand did to Feyre utm was for her protection!!!" I am going to riot.

What protection? Sweetheart, point me in the direction of the protection.

"It was so she wouldn't break" Oh so sitting in a dungeon is more traumatic than being drugged and SAed?

"It was so Amarantha wouldn't hurt her!" Rhysand bringing Feyre out only brought Amarantha's attention to her, reminding her of Feyre's existence and putting her in the spotlight of the enemy.

"The drugging stopped Feyre from being forced to remember!" So give her alcohol in the dungeon, then she can choose to drink it and still forget.

Rhysand made Feyre give him lap dances until she threw up. Until. She. Vomited. Then forced her to do it again and again. She was coherent here enough that she remembers all of this.

"Oh it was so he could make Tamlin angry enough!" Tamlin was angry. He was scared shitless for Feyre's safety as pointed out in the text. Multiple times in the first few pages of Feyre seeing him again for the first time utm, he 'went very very still', 'went white', started shaking etc etc.

Tamlin was playing a mask. Feyre acknowledged it. She said herself "he loves me enough that even now he is still trying to protect me."

Tamlin was going to kill Amarantha the first chance he got anyway. He was under spells that even Rhysand couldn't penetrate, the supposed 'most powerful High lord'. If the one who is supposed to be the strongest can't break free from Amarantha what makes you think Tamlin can?

Rhysand abused Feyre under the mountain. He sexually assaulted her, physically assaulted her, emotionally traumatized her, for literally no reason at all.

So before everyone goes and runs with what Rhysand SAID he did, lets go back and remember what he ACTUALLY did.

#acotar #anti rhysand #rhysand #feyre archeron #feyre archeron deserves better #tamlin #pro tamlin #rhysand was straight evil in the first book #everything he says in the second book is just a sob story coverup #acotar rant

[squickcorner]

sorry

Taako walks into Magnus' cabin with what felt like a lead ball in his stomach, but whatever he was expecting, this wasn't it. The air is light with the smell of wildflowers from the windowboxes adorning the open windows. As a warm breeze floats through the room, the lump in his gut lessens somewhat.

 "There he is!" Taako hears Merle say as Ruby rubs up against his leg, looking for some ear scratches. She's nearing the end of her life too, he realizes numbly- at least Magnus wouldn't have to see her go. It's disorienting. Taako remembers her being a puppy like it was yesterday. He remembers Magnus chasing Angus' kids around the yard like it was yesterday. 

 Merle is stationed at Magnus' bedside, a hand on his arm that's been casting every spell and charm in the book to see him out peacefully. He looks tired, unsurprisingly, but not particularly stricken. After all, Magnus Burnsides has somehow managed to live to see 86. 

 "Hey," Taako says with something of his usual cadence, taking off his cloak.

Magnus tries to sit up, his bright smile wiping off his face as a coughing fit takes him over. Merle mutters something, pressing a glowing hand to his chest, and the coughing is replaced by a low sigh. "Sorry." 

"Well- don't apologize," Taako makes it to the second chair by Magnus' bedside through the pain of what felt like a stake being shoved through his gut. "Take it easy, big guy." 

Merle helps prop him up with another pillow, unflinching when Ruby jumps back onto the bed and curls up around her master. A rough hand dotted with age spots settles on her head, and Taako reminds himself that he promised himself he wouldn't cry today.

 "... I should've come quicker." 

"Taako, no." Magnus' other hand settles on Taako's wrist, then reaches up to flick his hat. It's such a familiar gesture that he can't help but smile a bit. "I've been 'on my deathbed' every other week for months now. You can't put your life on hold waiting for old man Magnus to kick the bucket." His tone is light, but Taako's chest still tightens. 

 "I've got time." Merle looks up at him, and Taako knows that to some extent he understands. But no, not really, because Taako is as fresh faced as he was forty years ago, with hundreds of years stretching on ahead of him, and Magnus- 

"Hey," Magnus rests his hand on Taako's face, and he forces himself to look, to really look, and try to cling to the memory of what Magnus looked like while his soul was still in his eyes. Wrinkles line his face, and the only hair on his head that remains are his sideburns, all auburn replaced with white. He reminds himself once more that he's not going to cry.

 "I'm sorry I've got to go when you've got so much ahead of you. I wish... I wish I could be your friend for longer." 

"You're always going to be my friend, Magnus-" He swallows a lump that wasn't there a second ago. "... Listen to him, on his death rattle and he's worried about (me.)" 

"Nothing less," Merle smiles softly, rubbing his hand over Magnus' forehead. His breaths aren't coming quite as easy as they were a minute ago. So Taako braces, and for once in his life bares himself wide open.

 "Magnus... Look. There's- There's going to be other humans I meet before I go too- a baker's dozen of reckless, dumbass humans who think they're invincible, other coworkers, other partners, other friends-" His voice cracks, and even though he takes a second to steady himself, his voice still comes out horribly wobbling. "But there's never going to be anyone like you." Merle sighs and places a hand on Taako's back, and Magnus is staring up at him with wide eyes. 

 "Taako..." 

"Look, this is what I do, alright? I bottle shit. If I don't pop the cork now when the hell am I going to tell you my feelings and junk?" He tries for a smirk and somehow it doesn't fall flat. 

 "I love you guys so much," he smiles weakly, thumb rubbing back and forth across Taako's cheek. Taako reaches up and holds his hand, (so he can feel them while they're still warm) so Magnus doesn't have to support the weight of his own arm. "I never thought I'd be happy again, but... Being your friend has given me more than I can say. It's been a privilege adventuring with you, boys." 

The realization that both Magnus and Merle are about to cry is the emotional equivalent of a sucker punch. Taako gets half a quip lined up about keeping it together before throwing it to the wind and tightening his grip on Magnus' hand. 

 "How much time have I got, Merle?" Magnus asks softly, and even quieter comes Merle's reply of, "Half an hour, maybe." 

 Magnus smiles, "that's alright," and settles in. 

 Merle is somewhat busy trying to keep the process of organ failure as comfortable as possible, but starts recalling stories from their times adventuring. Of their legendary battle wagon race. Of all the times they antagonized Leon. Of their bank heists and murder coverups and plant flirting, of Magnus eating the fucking philosopher's stone for no reason. 

 The air is light and Magnus is happy, but time is running thin. When his heart skips a beat, it spooks him badly, but Merle's hand on his head with a spell to ease him into it a little slower and Ruby resting on his chest and Taako clutching his hand desperately is enough to calm him down.

 "Shit," he says hoarsely. "Shit, I don't want to go scared."

 "We've got you," Merle murmurs, twin tears darting down his cheeks. "Just like falling asleep. We've done it before, right? Only, now Julia's waiting for you, Magnus. She's waiting, and she's s-so, so proud of you, alright? Just like falling into a hug. Easy."

 Taako was lost. How to put the feelings swirling in his head to words? How to put the dawning dread of a long life without Magnus Burnsides in it to a parting phrase? How could he even think about it? "Thank you," Taako cracks, tears dripping down his face and onto their clasped hands. "Thank you for everything. You're a great man, Magnus Burnsides." 

"Bye, Taako," Magnus murmurs, already half gone. "Bye, Merle... B- bye, Ruby..." 

Taako can feel his and Merle's heart shatter simultaneously. 

 "... Bye, Morko." 

 Merle's shoulders are heaving as he guides Magnus to rest, speaking to him softly. "Easy, easy... Julia's going to be there to catch you, Magnus... Just like falling asleep, remember? B-Bye, buddy, easy now... Easy..."

 Magnus lets out a rattling breath and doesn't take another. In Taako's grasp, his hand goes limp. 

 Taako has been slashed and cut and burned more times than he could say, but the agony of grief was a new one. But no, Merle wouldn't let him curl in on himself, and Taako finds himself in an embrace that he doesn't want to pull away from. Disoriented, the phantom pain pounding in his chest, Taako sobs into Merle's shoulder and doesn't fight it for the first time in his life.

#tw death #magnus burnsides #taako #the adventure zone #fic #merle highchurch #taz